Marco's vision suddenly went blank, he felt himself fall to the ground from a thunderous force to his face. His hearing was non-existent, but quickly became muffled, but he then heard loud screams of anger ringing in his ears. The moment of glory had been snatched away; MadStab had lamped Marco with a vicious punch and had taken James down with a furious clothesline to his chest, flooring him to the ground as well. Erin sprinted towards James in a panic. Orla and Clare were left stunned.
The two teams were clearly shocked by MadStab's blatant foul, who let out a maniacal laugh, but his moment was short-lived. Michelle exploded with utter rage on MadStab. Michelle went to punch him with everything she had, but she kicked and screamed through gritted teeth as Gerry pulled her back.
"You fuckin' bastard!... That's my cousin, you fuckin' arsehole!" She screamed.
While Gerry grabbed Michelle; Finn and Shawn shoved him back in disgust, defending James and Marco. MadStab was now crowded by a wall of players, along with Laurie who were outraged by his actions. As Marco held his cheek throb, he felt someone crouching over him. He looked up and saw Orla with panic in her eyes.
"Marco... MARCO?!" She cried, shaking him to get his attention.
"Where's James?" He managed to say.
"He's over there." Orla sobbed.
As Orla cradled him, Marco slowly focused on the sight of James on the ground. He began to feel a familiar, unrelenting anger boil inside him. He tried to bring himself up but was too disorientated. He then glared across the field, seeing through the crowd, he saw MadStab smirking at him. Marco then heard another voice.
"Are ye alright, son?!" Joe asked. "Talk to me, lad!" Joe knelt and held him tight as Marco shook with rage. "It's alright…. It's alright, son."
"James…. JAMES! Are ye ok?" Erin shrieked, dropping to her knees. James was lying on his side, clutching his upper chest, as she heard him groan with pain, Erin cradled her wee English fella in her arms. Michelle had now joined them, along with Clare and Gerry.
"James, Are ye alright, son?!" Gerry crouched down, trying to gage James' eyes.
"James! How many fingers am I holding up?!" Michelle asked desperately, giving him the middle finger.
"…one." James answered with a whisper.
"Aye…. that's right!" Michelle was a mixture of anger and anxiety.
"Can ye get up, James?!" Clare panicked.
"Yeah…. I think so." James said slowly. Catching his breath.
"Alright…. Let's just go slowly." Gerry said.
Michelle and Erin slowly helped James up to his feet. James felt dizzy from the impact. They let him move at a slow pace as they walked off the pitch. Clare could hear Laurie, who was now gripped in a loud shouting match with MadStab. She turned to see her girlfriend standing face to face with the menacing figure. Clare scrunched her face with anger and marched to be by Laurie's side.
"Clare?! Oh Balls!" Michelle cried.
Meanwhile, MadStab raged at Laurie with the rest of the team circled around them.
"You aren't the fuckin' manager, ya fuckin lezzer!" MadStab exclaimed with wide eyes. His ego was on full display.
"I'm the fucking coach and I say yer off the fucking team Danny!" Laurie shouted back.
"Bullshite! If anyone needs to go… it's you!" He shouted at her with utter distain. "I don't need some backward Homo Lesbian telling me how to fucking play! That's Mr Byers' job. NOT YOURS!" MadStab shot, getting right up in Laurie's face.
"Don't ye talk to her like that!" Clare raged. Shoving MadStab. Laurie quickly grabbed Clare as MadStab laughed loudly at the sight of the pint-sized girl squaring up to him.
"Ach, lookie what we have here lads! Danny DeVito in drag!" He laughed loudly at Clare.
"THAT'S ENOUGH DANNY!" A stern voice shouted suddenly.
Everyone turned to see the mystery tall man standing amongst them. At this point, the commotion stopped. Michelle then recognised who he was. It was Chief Constable Byers of the RUC.
"Aye…. Ye see, Mr Byers? This is what I've been talking about! This dyke hasn't got a clue how to manage this team! All she's done is make things worse…. She never belonged here…." MadStab snarled. "My uncle told ye it was a bad idea to let her in. Did he not?" He continued to stir the pot.
"That will do, Mr O'Driscoll! I've seen all I need to see…. This fiasco is over! All ye. Pack up and go home now. All of ye will be doing double training this week!" My Byers barked angrily at the entire team.
Laurie had never felt so low. The words from MadStab had left her shaken as she saw Mr Byers give her a blank look.
"I think you and I need to talk, Laurie." He said grimly. Yet his eyes shot a sympathetic look.
"Yes boss." Laurie replied. Glancing grimly at Clare. Michelle came up and walked back with Clare as Laurie walked off with Mr Byers.
"Ye do know who that is." Michelle whispered as the two figures left.
"Aye…. That I do." Clare said with a panicked whisper.
"Why, who is he?" Marco asked with a gruff voice.
"We'll tell ya, later." Michelle said.
"Come on girls, let's go home." Joe suggested grimly.
Joe walked ahead with Gerry and Coco Pops as the gang walked back together. As they came together, James and Marco propped each other up while Erin and Orla walked by their sides. Erin sniffed into James' shoulder as she held him. She boiled at the injustice of it all.
"I am SO proud of yer." Erin said through gritted teeth. James stroked the back of her head. Orla put her hair into a ponytail and draped Marco's arm over her shoulders, Marco tried to stop her.
"No, Orla…You're gonna get your clothes dirty." Marco stated in an exhausted voice.
"I don't care." Orla said softly as she kissed the mark on his cheek. Marco then saw her move her lips, as if she were mouthing something to him, but he didn't hear any words.
When they finally made it back to Gerry's car. The pain had set in on both boys. Erin helped James remove his boots, and helped James lower himself slowly into the back seats of the car which was draped with an old blanket; Erin looked on with a worried frown. James looked and smiled warmly at her, which made Erin return a genuine smile. She leant in and gave him a kiss. James then felt Coco Pops climbing up him, planting a kiss of his own on the wee English fella, causing both James and Erin to laugh. Marco slowly lowered himself into the other back seat next to James. Coco Pops then climbed on top of Marco, whining slightly. Orla crouched down next to Marco.
"You alright Marco?" Erin frowned. Marco nodded slightly.
"We're gonna drive back with Granda, Uncle Gerry, hi?" Orla said, Gerry nodded.
"Right then, let's get you two home." Gerry said.
The two best friends turned and looked at each other while Gerry drove them home. They smiled sympathetically as they gently clasped their hands together, exhausted and hurt, but still united.
"You alright, J'?" Marco asked.
"Yeah… didn't feel a thing!" James managed a quip.
"Yeah… Crazy people don't feel pain, right?" Marco shot back, pointing at his cheek. They both laughed quietly.
"They never hit that hard in school, did they?" James joked.
"No…. I don't think we'd be here if they did." Marco replied.
"…. Oi… thanks for covering me, mate." James whispered. Marco shook his head.
"I'm just sorry I didn't stop him…. You had him beat, J'" Marco said, holding his head.
"Don't be sorry, mate. I should have been faster." James asked.
"You were fecking marvellous, lads." Gerry spoke up. "…. Yer both done well."
"Thanks, Gerry." They both said. Marco then spotted that James had begun to snigger again.
"What?" Marco asked.
"No… It's nothing." James assured him but couldn't stop laughing, although it hurt to laugh.
"WHAT?" Marco asked again.
"It's just…. This reminds me of that scene in Cool Runnings." James said with a smile.
"What, the bit where they crash the bobsled?" Marco asked, who started to snigger as well.
"No… the mirror scene…. you know? I see pride! I see power!"
"Oh what? You're gonna shave yer head like Yul Brynner, are ya?"
"Hey, you know what? …. You're a funny guy." James said. Marco burst out laughing.
"Argh, Don't start that again!" Marco picked up on the Goodfellas quote.
Gerry sniggered quietly to himself and shook his head, not having a clue what they were talking about, but was gladly astounded to see they were able to laugh despite what they'd just gone through.
Back at the Quinn's house. Mary had just finished laying a path of newspaper sheets from the front door, through the hallway and into the kitchen, making sure there was no chance in hell that her house would be soiled with any mud. Deidre sat with Sarah by the window; their hundredth cigarette of the day was burning away between their fingers when Sarah jolted up from her chair in alarm.
"Jesus Christ! What is it, Sarah?" Deidre asked.
"Are they back?" Mary asked.
"Ach, No Mary, ye have to hide me!" Sarah called in panic, running into the kitchen with wide eyes.
"What on earth for?" Mary asked.
"I just saw Cieran coming up to the door! I can't go through this again, so I can't!" Sarah said, making her way towards the back door. The doorbell rang. RIIIIING!
"Ye want me to answer that, Mary?" Deidre called.
"Aye, please do." Mary replied. "If he asks, just say Sarah's not in." Mary called as Deidre went towards the door.
"Ach, wise up for the love of God, Sarah! Ye gonna have to face him eventually. It's yer own fault for telling him ye were off to become a nun. Did ye not think ye would run into him again?" Mary argued.
"Well…. what about you and Gabriel?" Sarah shot back, changing the subject.
"There was no me and Gabriel! Sure, I had to find another plumber after that ridiculous affair…"
"Ach, so ye were having an affair, were we so?" Sarah interrupted.
"No, I wasn't having an affair!" Mary shouted.
"Really? why didn't ye again?" Sarah trailed off.
"…. Because I'm happily married to Gerry!"
"Then why ye admitting to having an affair?"
"Not that sort of affair!... Oh! For the love of God I can't be going through this again!" Mary gasped.
"And all those people at the talent show hearing about it, sure I don't know how ye lived that down, Mary." Sarah remarked.
"Excuse me, this isn't about me! This is about you and that life size garden Gnome standing outside my door!"
"Uh, excuse me, but the 'garden gnome' is gone." Deidre announced.
"Ach, thank Sweet Jesus for that!" Sarah breathed out.
"Did ye talk to 'im!" Mary asked.
"Aye, but I just gave 'im the ol' look and he was away. I still got it, girls!" Deidre snarled happily with wild eyes. "So… who was having an affair?" Deidre asked. Mary rolled her eyes.
The doorbell rang again. Mary then gave a sign of the cross, took a deep breath and marched to the front door. As she swung the door open with Deidre in toll. They saw Gerry and Joe in front of them, followed by the wains where they met Mary's hawk eye gaze, spying the state of them all.
"Right! All yers! I want ye to take off yer trainers, or boots, or whatever ye have on yer feet, and leave them outside. Is that understood?!" Mary shouted. Everyone nodded.
Gerry and Joe followed her orders, removing their boots and walked over the sheets of newspaper. Mary stood in the hallway and despaired as she eventually caught sight of James and Marco helping each other into the house. Mary frowned as only a concerned mother could as she saw the wee English fellas grimacing in pain as they gingerly walked through the porch and into the hall. The girls scooted around them as Deidre stood in front of the boys with folded arms.
"For the love of God!" Deidre sighed. "James, Are ye alright?" She asked urgently. Walking towards him.
"Yeah, I'm ok, Aunt Deidre."
"Stand still. Let me look at yer!" Deidre's tone fluctuated between annoyed and concerned as she checked James' eyes.
"No. Just sore in places, and a bit dizzy." James admitted. Deidre sighed again.
"Aye…well ye on yer feet, That's a good sign." Deidre went in and hugged James. "Don't be making a habit of this, do ye hear?" She said. James nodded.
"Oh Christ! What happened?" Deidre turned to look at Marco.
"I'm ok, Deidre. Promise" Marco said.
"Hush now." She said, as she inspected his face. "That's gonna look vicious in a day or two." Deidre resided. "Anything else?" Marco shook his head. "Alright, lads."
Mary frowned as she could see the pair of them leaning on each other, just to hold the other one up. Despite the scolding she'd given them, she cared deeply for the two boys, as did Deidre. Mary's compassion was then broken when she caught sight of the muddy state Erin, Orla and Michelle had gotten themselves in, along with Coco Pops who was in Orla's arms.
"Right… Erin, Orla, Michelle…In the kitchen, now. There's spare clothes in there for yer. You boys get those things off now! There's a dressing gown over there for each of ye. Put the dirty clothes in here. And one of yers go up and shower right now." Mary placed a pink washing basket in the middle of the hallway. Orla placed Coco Pops into the basket.
"Sorry boy, but yer filthy, ye are so." Orla joked; Coco Pops whined.
The parents and wains listened to Joe's commentary on the highs and lows of the match while James and Marco were granted the privacy of the hallway to change out of their rugby strip, slowly placing their mud caked kits into the washing basket. When they were both finally wrapped in a dressing gown. Marco suggested that he go up first so he could wash Coco Pops, James agreed. While Marco slowly ascended the stairway with Coco Pops in his arms; James walked slowly across the newspaper ridden floor and sat down at the kitchen table. By now, he felt so stiff, just the effort to sit down was a painful feat. James closed his eyes and smiled as he felt Erin lean on his back, hugging him gently. Mary placed a hot cup of tea in front of James as he listened to Joe's final analysis.
"And there he was. This giant prick just came outta nowhere, lamped Marco and then took our James down! His arm was like a fecking battle axe!" Joe bellowed.
"You'd be a great host on Match of the Day, Joe." James laughed.
"Sweet Suffering Jesus; Are ye sure you're alright, James love?" Mary asked, stroking his shoulder. The wee English fella smiled and nodded.
"Ballache…. You two are the biggest pair of fecking eejits I have ever met...d'ya know that, James?!" Michelle started "…..But ye played absolutely cracker, the pair a'yer!" Michelle admitted, with a punch to his arm, James flinched.
"Aye. Ye did grand, so ye did, James." Orla piped up. Hugging him tight.
"Thanks, girls." James smiled.
"Yer had that try in the bag, so ye did, James. That's no word of a lie! That prick was beaten, and he knew it!" Joe beat the table.
"Aye, he was, Joe." Gerry agreed. "I were impressed. Never knew yer were so fast, James." Gerry complimented James, causing him to smile with embarrassment.
"Aye, he was like a cheetah!" Orla said.
"I used to think Ryan Giggs were fast!" Erin shot. "He doesn't hold a candle to our James!" She smiled as she cradled James.
"Aye, but there's a big difference, Erin! Ryan Giggs is a massive ride, even if he is a Welshman!" Michelle shot.
"I thought you lot said you didn't like English football?" Marco slowly walked in wearing a grey UMBRO tracksuit with a now cleaner Coco Pops in his arms.
"Ah, here is he! Conan the Destroyer!" Gerry joked.
"More like the fecking Terminator!" Joe chimed in.
"Ye certainly enjoyed flooring that bastard, didn't ye, Marco. Hi?" Michelle nudged him playfully. Marco couldn't help but smirk in agreement.
"You two were like those big lads that were on the tele a few years ago!" Joe remarked.
"What big lads, Da?" Sarah asked.
"Ye remember, used to be on Saturday nights, big muscle lads, did all those things, like climb up walls, hit people with big sticks, wore tight leotards and had funny names!"
"Are you talking about the show 'Gladiators', Joe?" James asked.
"Aye. That's the one!" Joe exclaimed. James and Marco smirked at the idea.
"Ach, I remember those lads. Massive rides! The lot of them!" Michelle said excitedly.
"Aye Gladiators was absolutely class!" Orla beamed proudly. "What do ye think ya name would be?" She asked Marco.
"…. Nutcase, more than likely." Marco quipped.
"Yer name's Ballache; That's no lie!" Michelle shot at James. The others went to disagree, but Michelle insisted she was jesting.
"Stallion would be a better name, I think." Erin proclaimed, making James blush.
"Ach, boke a rama!" Michelle shot.
"Well, how about ye let the Stallion gallop upstairs to the shower, Erin?" Mary said, causing her daughter to blush.
James shot at Marco as he slowly got up. "There you go, 'Wolf'." James quipped, offering Marco his chair.
"Junior Bevil! This doesn't mean that I like you." Marco said in his Jamaican voice.
"Yeah, you really are a funny guy!" James laughed as he left, with Erin watching him go.
While Marco sat himself down, Mary slid another cup of tea over. Orla draped herself over him, swaying Marco slowly from side to side.
"Are ye alright, Marco?" Mary asked, tapping his shoulder with concern.
"I'll be alright, Thanks Mary." Marco replied.
"I just hope it were worth it, that's all I can say." Mary said, frowning at his face.
The irony was that no one knew if it had been worth it. There had been no word of the outcome following MadStab's foul. Everyone went quiet at that point. Gerry attempted to divert the conversation by mentioning that they drove past Cieran on the way home. This caused a distraction for the parents. Just then, they heard the front door open.
"It's just us Mary!" Clare called.
"In here, love."
Orla saw that Erin was frowning, looking ashamed of herself. Orla sat her down between herself and Marco.
"What's the matter, Erin?" Orla asked.
"I'm just ragin' with myself, Orla." She said.
"Why, what is it?"
"I walked away…. Well, nearly…. I almost abandoned him just like his mammy!" Erin worried.
"Erin…. I mean this in the nicest way…. Don't talk bollocks! You didn't abandon James." Marco spoke up.
"Aye, Erin. Ye just didn't like seeing James getting hurt. That makes sense. I hated seeing Marco getting hit as well. But he got through it, and James got through it…. cos he has you, and Marco does too. Ach, that all rhymes." Orla said cheerfully.
"Exactly, You were there for him." Marco said softly.
Erin exhaled sharply, as she chuckled at the odd couple. Yet she truly appreciated Orla and Marco's words. "….. Thanks, you two." -I've gotta go talk to him.- She thought.
"An absolute travesty! An absolute FECKING TRAVESTY SO IT IS!" Clare snarled as she came into the kitchen with Laurie.
"Christ, don't shite the tights too much do ye?" Michelle shot.
"What is it, Clare love?" Sarah asked.
"We got something to tell all of yer. I cannot believe what I just heard." Clare said angrily as Laurie took a seat at the table, looking very downtrodden.
"What is it, Clare?" Erin asked. "Is it about the lads?"
"Well, wait till James comes down and ye can tell us all. I'll make ye both a cup of tea." Mary said. At this point, Erin then turned to Michelle.
"What d'ya want?" Michelle asked.
"I need ye to come upstairs with me." Erin said.
"What for?"
"I wanna talk to James, in private. but I need ye to come up with me, so my mammy doesn't go mental. Hi?"
Erin got up and left with Michelle who rolled her eyes, following reluctantly. Orla was now able to sit next to Marco; he felt calm as she pressed herself against him. Orla nuzzled Marco's ear with her nose. While the parents spoke with Clare and Laurie; Orla could hear Marco breathing heavily through his own pain.
"Does it hurt?" She asked worryingly, stroking the mark on his face.
"Yeah, a bit…." Marco admitted.
"Awww….. My poor Bear." Orla groaned sadly as she hugged her fella.
"What's that?" Marco let out a chuckle.
"That's the name I'm gonna give ye. It's what yer looked like when ye were throwing those lads around." She said.
"I looked like a Bear?" Marco asked, chuckling more.
"Aye, yer did so. Ye took them down one after the other, they must be a couple of years older than you, but ye took them down like it was nothing. It were exciting!" Orla said jubilantly.
Marco smiled widely at the ray of sunshine that was Orla. "You're incredible, Orla." He regarded.
"Ye were so class out there, yer really were." Orla said softly. Biting her lower lip, she rested her head on Marco's. Orla looked at him with admiring eyes. "There was something I wanted to say to yer, but I couldn't say it cos Michelle was next to us."
"Well…. she's not here now, what did you want to say?" Marco whispered.
Orla suddenly caught her breath, she looked down as if she was embarrassed, she then lifted her head up to look at Marco. She gazed adoringly at him. She went to speak. "Marco …. I think…"
"Hold on, Where's Erin?" Mary demanded loudly.
"She's upstairs with Michelle, Aunt Mary." Orla said. Throwing her off her own trail of thought. "Can I tell ye another time?" She held herself from telling Marco what she wanted to say. Marco nodded.
Meanwhile, Erin waited for James as she sat on the edge of the bed. Michelle waited on the landing to catch his attention as soon as he came out of the bathroom. Erin had been taken to the breaking point with the whole ordeal, but it was nothing compared to what James and Marco had endured for the sake of acceptance. James came out of the bathroom slowly, wearing a dark tracksuit, his body felt sore and stiff.
"Oi, Dicko!" Michelle shot.
"Yeah?" He grimaced.
"Well, come on then, he's come out." Michelle looked towards Erin's room. James slowly walked along the landing when he saw Erin come out of her room. She walked straight up to James and wrapped her arms around his mid-section, James embraced her tenderly.
"Are ye alright?" Erin sobbed.
"…. Yeah, I'm alright." James assured her. "Why, what's wrong?"
"I just needed to tell ye. Earlier on, I got scared when ye got tackled…. And I… I nearly walked off."
"It's ok. There's nothing wrong with that…." James exhaled, Erin then looked up at his caring face, his green eyes.
"No, yer don't understand James. The girls stopped me from leaving, Michelle said something that made me realize what I were doing…. And I hate myself for ever doing it to ye…. I almost did the same thing that ya mammy did…. I nearly abandoned ya." Erin wept. Michelle shuffled awkwardly as she stood by.
"But you didn't… you stayed, Erin, honestly… I mean it… it's ok." James assured her again. Erin paused to take in her wee English fella's words.
"…...Are ye sure?" She finally asked. She shook as her breath left her.
"Of course, I am."
"….. Well, only if ye say so…. but ye need to know something…. I'm never gonnae abandon yer again, James. Not now, not ever…." Erin proclaimed. James felt his eyes sting with happiness as he smiled warmly at his girlfriend.
"…. Cos I love yer, James!" Erin admitted with tears in her eyes. Michelle's eyes widened as she gawked at Erin's declaration. James now stood frozen. A wide smile spread across the wee English fella's face. He pulled her in and kissed her.
"Fuck-a-doodle-do!" Michelle gasped.
"Wains! Cam ye come downstairs?" Mary called up.
"Aye, we're coming down, Mary." Michelle called back. She turned back and saw Erin and James embracing each other.
"I love you too, Erin." Michelle heard James's whisper; his face was now buried in Erin's blonde hair. His hand was shaking as he held the back of her head. Michelle could feel a lump building in her throat.
"Oi, ye two fecking eejits, shift ya holes! We're wanted downstairs." Michelle said quickly. She led the way as Erin and James composed themselves as they walked back towards the kitchen.