Chapter 6: The Morning After.

Father Seamus appeared quite jubilant as he spoke his sermon from the pulpit at Sunday mass. His glowing nose was quite distinct to everyone looking on as Sister Michael rolled her eyes in distain.

"That damn video player better be working this time, otherwise I'll smash the fecking thing over this eejit's head." She thought.

Michelle couldn't help but bite her lips together as it was obvious that Father Seamus was slightly the worst for a drink.

"Legless as a fecking fart!" She whispered to James, who snorted through his nose, Michelle followed and sniggered.

"Reminds me of last night." James whispered back.

"Aye. Bet he's a got a raging hangover this morning." Michelle whispered.

OI. You two!" Deidre snapped and shot them an annoyed look. The pair smirked at each other and were silent again.

Father Seamus had proceeded to show the evils of drink to the congregation by showing two glasses; one filled with water, the other filled with whiskey. He then took a wriggling worm and placed it in the glass of water, pulling it out, the worm was still moving, he then put the worm into the glass of whiskey. Orla looked on in amazement, while Erin rolled her eyes. Their parents looked on painfully dumbfounded.

"How many times is he gonna do the same fecking thing?" Joe whispered to Gerry.

"So, you see the point of my sermon?!" Father Seamus called out, pulling out his hand from the glass of whiskey.

"Yes, Seamus, if you drink whiskey, ye won't get worms." Sister Michael called out.

A small titter of laughter could be heard as the headmistress walked towards the pulpit. Sister Michael was just about to give the final prayer of mass, but noticed the glass of whiskey was still resting on the ledge. She grabbed Father Seamus' attention and handed him the glass of whiskey, with a now dead worm floating inside it. The congregation gasped and gawked as Father Seamus thanked Sister Michael and proceeded to drink the whiskey in front of everyone. Unsurprisingly, Father Seamus proceeded to spit the worm ridden whiskey out in front of the congregation.

"Feck's sake!" Father Seamus shouted. Michelle doubled over with laughter.

"Sweet suffering Jesus!" Sister Michael muttered.

Later that day. Marco managed to stir himself awake. He groaned in agony as his head was splitting with pain from his hangover. He scanned the room as he rose from a sofa, but he didn't recognise where he was.

"What the fuck?" He whispered to himself.

"Ay! There he is!" A loud booming voice shouted.

Marco grimaced as he grabbed his head. The man laughed as he came and sat next to him. Marco recognised the strong aroma of black coffee; he turned slowly to see Alfonso sitting next to him, grinning at the state of the young lad.

"How you feel, Marco?" Alfonso called into Marco's ear.

"Arrrrrgh. Don't!" Marco groaned. Holding his hand up in protest to the noise. Alfonso chuckled at his pain.

"Here. Drink this. You feel better." Alfonso chuckled. Marco sipped the coffee. Marco wrenched at the bitter taste. Alfonso spooned in some sugar.

"What time is it?" Marco asked.

"It is nearly 2 o'clock."

"Oh my god!" Marco moaned, handing the cup back, he fell backward into the sofa cushions. He struggled to straighten himself up. He took the cup back and sipped some more coffee. "How did I end up here?"

"I bring you my house. Here. listen to this." Alfonso said, he placed a cordless phone to Marco's ear.

"What?" Marco barely had a moment to respond properly.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Michelle screamed down the phone.

"Argh! Fucking hell!" Marco groaned. His head felt like it exploded. Alfonso laughed out loud. Marco now had the phone in his hand. "Michelle?"

"How are ye, ya little pisshead!" She shouted. Marco had the phone away from his ear but could hear Michelle and the others laughing on the other end.

"Don't shout. Whatever you do; just, don't shout." He begged…. "How did you know I was here?" He asked. He then heard Orla speak.

"Alfonso left a message, Marco. He said ye were with him." She explained, the girls and James wrestled the phone away from Orla and shouted down the phone again. The noise was agony to Marco. Orla laughed as she released the phone to James.

"You alright mate?" He asked, still laughing.

"Ye… I'm fucking dying 'ere, but apart from that I'm bloody fine." Marco groaned.

"Yeah, you and Father Seamus have something in common." James laughed.

"How'd you mean?"

James proceeded to tell Marco about the drunken sermon with Father Seamus and the flying worm. Marco laughed at first but held his head in agony, despite his raging hangover, he wished he'd have seen that.

"You're pulling my leg, aren't you?" Marco chuckled, still holding his head.

"Aw, I swear on Erin's life, it's the truth! You should have seen it! It's times like that where I wish I had the camera rolling."

"Well, where did the worm end up?" Marco asked.

"Halfway up the aisle way. I think?" James said. The two friends shared a laugh at the idea of the worm flying up the aisleway.

"So…. I forgot to ask; How did it go yesterday? Did you get the Fat Boy tickets?" Marco asked.

"In a roundabout sort of way. Yes, we got tickets." James replied, glancing at Michelle.

"Oh God! What happened this time?" Marco sighed. Sitting back on the sofa.

"Well, first of all…."

"We had some fucker try to take the last five tickets off us." Michelle interjected.

"Aye, and he offered to fight James for them, and the manager said it seemed fair." Erin said, grabbing the phone.

"It was the only way we were gonna get them, Marco!" Clare said.

"But then James chickened out and ripped the tickets up!" Orla added.

Marco raised his head in astonishment as the story was being told…. "He did…. what?!" Marco asked.

"I didn't chicken out!"

"Well, ye didn't fight him either, did ya, James?" Orla said.

"I said it before, I was never gonna win!" James moaned.

"Well, in truth, all ye had to do was grab the tickets and run!" Erin said.

"Oh, thanks, Erin!"

"But! Thanks to Michelle, we now have VIP access to the backstage area and everything!" Clare exclaimed.

"Oh…. so, it worked out ok then?" Marco answered in an ironic manner.

"Fucking right, it did! Oh, and Clare has a date with a ragin' lezzer on the night as well." Michelle added.

"Aye, I do so!" Clare said happily.

"Oh really? Aw, go on Clare. Nice one." Marco said, his head was still no better.

"Thanks, Marco. OK, here's James." Clare said.

James then took the phone back as the girls backed down. He rolled his eyes as he resumed his conversation.

"So, like I said, in a roundabout sort of way. We've got tickets for Fat Boy Slim." James said.

"You don't say!" Marco laughed. James scoffed as he smiled and shook his head.

"How did Michelle manage to get VIP passes?" Marco asked.

"You don't wanna know."

"Oh, I think I do!"

"Do I have to shout down the phone again?" James mockingly threated him.

"No… please don't."

"Anyway, how about you? How did it go yesterday?" James asked, Marco paused.

"…...Yeah, It's all done." He said.

"Did you have any issues with your mum?"

"Actually, no. The solicitor was really helpful." Marco said.

"How much d'ya get Marco?" Michelle asked into the phone.

"Really, Michelle?" James scoffed.

"Don't give me that, Dicko! Ya know you've all thought about it as well!" Michelle said, pointing at the others.

"I haven't thought about it!" Erin said.

"Me neither, I could care less about it. That's Marco's business, private business!" Clare said.

"I've thought about it." Orla said.

"You're different, Orla." Erin said.

"Ach, don't go on about that sub normal shite again, Erin!" Orla moaned.

"No. I mean it's different for ye because… well…... because you're… together. You're allowed to think about things like that." Erin answered.

"Ach, ok." Orla smiled.

"Curious, yes. But I wouldn't have asked him flat out like that!" James said. Michelle held her hands and shook her head in protest.

"Speaking of curious, Jay; Have you ever been to a place called Strabane before? Marco asked.

"Strabane? No, I've never been there."

The girls all turned and looked curiously at James at the mention of Strabane.

"Why are you asking about Strabane?" James asked.

"No reason…. Just curious." Marco said.

"Whoa. No, Hold on! Hold on a minute! That's a bit random…." James said.

"Why are ye asking about Strabane Marco?!" Orla asked.

"Orla?" James said, he turned and saw that Orla had left the kitchen.

"Jesus, Orla! Who do ya think ye are, feckin' Catwoman?!" Erin said. Michelle and Clare quickly followed Erin into the hall, and were standing behind Orla, waiting for the same answer.

"Marco….?" James asked.

"Could you guys give us a minute?" Marco said, laughing.

James nodded his head and hummed a yes in response. He hung up the kitchen phone and went to usher the girls away from Orla. The furthest they got was the doorway. Orla rolled her eyes at them and turned back to the phone.

"Marco?!" Orla said, concerned.

Marco took a deep breath "Hey…. OK…. I've…. Got something to tell you."

Mary, Gerry, Sarah, and Joe had been sitting in the living room watching TV. Curiosity got the best of Mary as she walked up behind the group who were huddled in the doorway.

"What's going on here you lot?" Mary asked.

"Don't know, Mammy." Erin said.

"Well, something's going on!" Mary replied.

"Is everything alright, James? "Is Marco, ok?" Gerry and Joe appeared next to Mary.

"Well, apart from a hangover, I think he's ok." James quipped. Gerry and Joe scoffed and smiled.

In the hallway, Orla stayed silent and began to pace back and forth as she listened. Marco began to Orla about the apprenticeship, the interview, the GCSE results, the place; as he told each piece of information, Orla's eyes grew wider, and wider, and wider…. Her gawking expression slowly change into an obvious smile as she sat down on the stairway.

"Are ye… are ye serious?" Orla finally managed to utter. Her hands started to shake as she clutched the phone. Her eyes began to sting. She breathed heavy with anticipation.

"Orla?" Clare asked, she stepped forward and tilted her head to get a better look.

"Oh my god…. Oh my god! Oh my god! OH MY GODDDDDDD!" Orla screamed happily. She jumped up and yelped with sheer joy. Clare bolted towards her, followed quickly by the others.

"What is it?! What?! What?! WHAT?!" Clare shrieked.

"For fuck's sake, Clare; Calm the fuck down!" Michelle shouted.

"LANGUAGE MICHELLE!" Mary shouted back.

Orla gathered herself together, she turned and faced the gathered mass, her face was a picture of sheer elation. She was breathing rapidly in utter excitement.

"Orla, what is it?" James asked. Almost mirroring Orla's joy.

"What's wrong love?" Sarah appeared next to the adults.

"It's Marco…. He's coming back!" Orla cried, smiling from ear to ear, her eyes flowed tears, she started to weep.

The girls gathered around her in utter shock. While the girls tried to coax more information out of her. James took the phone back.

"Marco! What's she saying?" James shouted in excitement.

"I swear mate, if all this works out, the first thing I'm gonna do is fucking strangle you!" Marco groaned, unable to stop himself from chuckling through the pain.

"Sorry mate…. but If all what works out?" James asked excitedly.

"Sister Michael put me forward for an apprenticeship; I'm gonna learn to be a chef. I'm waiting for an interview date, but I have to make sure I pass my last GCSE resits, and then it's all down to how the interview goes; but… if all goes well, the apprenticeship placement is in Strabane, which means I'll be coming back" Marco sighed happily.

James was then flanked by Erin, who had just heard the same thing from Orla, while Michelle and Clare cheered with Orla; Erin smiled as she saw the dumbfounded look on James's face. James turned towards her, and smiled broadly, they hugged each other, sharing Orla's jubilation.

"Hey Marco! That is like the best fecking news EVER!" Erin said.

"You think?" They all laughed.

Orla was flanked by Mary and Sarah as they also joined in the elation. Gerry, and Joe looked on and smiled with approval. Marco heard the excitement from his friends as he was flanked by Alfonso on the sofa; the man smiled at his young friend's own jubilation and put his arm around him, nodding at Marco with his own approval. Orla eventually made her way back to the phone; Erin hugged her cousin from behind as she calmed herself.

"How soon will ye know, Marco?" Orla asked, her voice cracking.

"I'm not sure. But as soon as I know. I promise. I'll tell you." He replied.

"OK…." Orla said.

"D'ya think you can put up with me if I come back?" Marco quipped; Orla giggled.

"Don't be such a dose!" She said.

Erin and James smiled at her, and at each other, they kissed each other quickly before being joined by Michelle and Clare, who were also smiling. They huddled around each other; knowing this was the news that they'd hoped for. Everything seemed too good to be true. Fat Boy Slim VIP Passes, and Marco had been gifted a chance of coming back. Orla leant into the phone, and they continued the conversation. The parents stood in the doorway, relishing the happiness they saw emitting from the wains. They smiled happily.

"Great fecking news." Joe said to himself. Smiling at Orla's happiness.