Chapter 10: A problem shared... A secret kept.

Orla looked behind her to see Erin and James hugging. At that moment, while she walked on with Michelle, Orla reached into her pocket and gripped the tiny soft monkey toy which Marco had bought her. Orla had kept it with her no matter where she went. Whenever she felt at her loneliest, she would hold it. She wondered if it still smelt of Marco's aftershave, she hadn't inspected it for the last two weeks. But she was reluctant to check since she was walking with Michelle. She then realised that it had actually 3 weeks since she last spoke to Marco. Her stare began to shoot everywhere in a panic. Just then, Michelle brought her out of her trance.

"Ye alright, Orla?" Michelle asked.

"Aye. No worries here." Orla answered quickly. She smiled briefly.

Orla began to feel a ferocious pressure build inside herself. As happy as she was that Erin had James comforting her; the pressure she felt had an unwelcome familiarity. She'd endured this feeling for the past 2 months or so with Marco's absence. Orla hadn't mentioned anything to the others, choosing to face it alone. For the first time in her young life; she felt the sting of Envy, and she hated it. She managed to keep her emotions in check, despite the familiar throbbing pain she also felt on the side of her head as they came upon Clare's house.

"Right. Let's get one thing straight; no one says anything to Clare about what just happened. Are we clear?" Erin asked. James and Michelle nodded.

"Orla?" Erin shot at her.

"….Ok…." Orla answered nonchalantly.

Orla opted to knock on the front door. The door was opened by a familiar face.

"Ach, Hiya Laurie." Orla said, happy of the distraction from Clare's girlfriend.

"Alright, Orla. Hiya Everyone?" Laurie said.

"How bout ye, Laurie?" Erin asked.

"Grand I guess, come on in." Laurie said.

The gang followed Laurie down the hall into the living room. Clare turned to see her friends walk in. She smiled sheepishly as Laurie sat down next to Clare. Orla leant over the back of the sofa and hugged Clare.

"Hi girls. Hiya James." Clare said

"Alright Clare?" James asked.

"How've ye been?" Erin asked,

"Not… too bad, Thanks. Hi Michelle." Clare said.

"Alright Clare?" Michelle smiled suggestively.

"Ach, stop Michelle." Clare cracked an embarrassed smile. Causing Michelle to grin broadly.

"How's ya day been? Any bars?" Michelle asked, still grinning.

"Ab….solutely fantastic." Laurie purred, resting her head on Clare. Causing her to blush.

"HAHAHA I bet." Michelle quipped.

"Well, on that note. I think I'll make some tea." Laurie said.

"Fancy a hand, Laurie?" James offered.

"Aye, I think I do, thanks James." Laurie said.

"Ye know what? I'll join ye. Dicko here always gets it arse about face." Michelle quipped.

James sighed heavily as he walked with Laurie and Michelle to the kitchen, Clare smiled adoringly at Laurie as she walked off. Clare now had Erin and Orla sitting beside her, Orla rested her head on Clare's shoulder, like Laurie.

"She seems real nice, Clare." Erin said.

"Aye… she's been great. Especially what with the past few weeks. Not that you girls haven't been great as well, and James, and Marco to some degree…. I mean you've all been great; it means a lot to me… ya support. It's…. it's…." Clare struggled to finish.

"It's alright, Clare." Orla said softly as she hugged her friend.

"Thanks, Orla." Clare weeped slightly.

"Ach, look as us hi? The three of us with partners, only Michelle left to go now." Erin joked.

"Aye, who'd have thought that?" Clare quipped.

"Isn't she still seeing that Jason fella?" Orla asked.

"I'm not sure. She hasn't mentioned him lately." Erin answered.

"Then again, Michelle is like a closed book when she wants to be." Clare said.

"But most of the time, she's more like a foghorn." Erin said.

"Oi! Fuckers! Ye know I can hear ye in here." Michelle called. The trio laughed amongst themselves.

"I'm gonna come back to school in a day or two." Clare said.

"Ach, that's grand, Clare. We've missed ye." Orla said. Smiling happily.

"Aye, ach that's great, Clare…. Ye not stressing about homework or anything, are ye?" Erin asked.

"No. Sister Michael's been really helpful. Although… I can only imagine the amount of work waiting for me is gonna be like some kind of monstrosity! But ye know, I'm sure I'll plough through it good enough, girls." Clare said, a familiar hint of panic in her voice.

Orla's eyes were nervously wide, but quickly resumed resting her head on Clare's shoulder while Erin chuckled at her wee lesbian friend's nervous disposition. She seemed to be, somewhat at ease after the tragic loss of her father. Erin wasn't sure if the term at ease was the right phrase to use. "Grief is a process;" she remembered her Mammy saying. Erin mirrored Orla's affection and rested her head on Clare's other shoulder. At that point, Laurie walked in with a tray of tea, followed by Michelle who carried the biscuit tin. James sat on the arm of the sofa, Erin shuffled down next to him as Laurie sat back down next to Clare, and the tea and biscuits were shared out.

"So…. Have ye heard from Marco lately?" Clare asked. She turned to look at Orla, who was at a loss for words.

"…. What? ... What's happened? ..." Clare asked concerningly.

"Nothing… Marco's… been kind of busy…. I haven't spoken to him since…." Orla couldn't finish.

"Ach! So, no word on his results or anything yet?" Laurie interjected, trying to dodge the subject.

"Nothing." Orla admitted.

"Ach, well I'm sure he'll tell ye once he knows. He said he would, hi?" Clare said, patting Orla's knee.

"Aye…." Orla said nervously. James frowned seeing Orla upset.

"Aww. Ye really have it bad for him, don't ye, Orla!" Laurie said smiling. Orla nodded devotedly.

"Not as bad as Marco has it for her." Erin said.

"How's that?" Clare asked.

"Show her, Orla." Erin encouraged her.

At that point, Orla pulled out the letter from James's room and handed it to Clare. Both Clare and Laurie peered down and read the letter. Laurie cracked a smile and rested her head on Clare, who smiled at Orla.

"Aye. It's a tough call." Clare quipped.

"I think it's very romantic." Laurie said.

"Ach, boke. Come on girls. Can we not change the subject?" Michelle asked.

"What to?" James asked.

"Ach, I dunno…. How about THIS?"

Michelle quickly placed the photograph in Clare's lap. James shot her a bemused look.

"Oh my God!" Clare cracked up laughing.

"Ach, is that you, James?" Laurie sniggered.

"Yes… that's me." James sighed. Smiling in defeat.

"Ach, Marco's hair! How old were ye both?" Clare asked, smiling.

"Year 8. I think." James replied.

"He's got a bit of George Best thing going on with that hair!" Laurie said.

"James's hair hasn't changed, at all!" Clare joked.

"I think James looks cute, myself." Erin said, snuggling up to James.

"Ach, boke-a-rama!" Michelle groaned.

"Not a big romance fan, are ye Michelle?" Laurie asked.

"Ach, whatever floats ya boat. I know what floats mine." Michelle gasped with excitement.

"A massive ride!" The group chimed.

"Oi! Ye can have romance and a ride. Ye know?" Michelle claimed.

"So, what are the chances of us meeting Jason?" James bravely quizzed.

"Uh… about as much chance as ye have of knocking out MadStab!" Michelle's eyes then widened; the words had escaped her too quickly.

"Michelle!" Erin snapped.

"Ye mean Danny? Have ye seen him lately?" Laurie asked.

"No!" Erin said.

"Aye. On the way here." Orla admitted.

"Orla!"

"What? Has he said something?" Laurie asked.

"Ach, nothing…. Absolutely nothing." Michelle and Erin insisted.

"That's not true though, is it girls." James said.

"Shut up, ballache." Michelle snapped.

"Hold on…. What did he say?" Laurie asked again.

"What's going on, girls? James?" Clare's voice began to rise.

"We saw him on the way here…." Orla started.

Erin chose to stay silent; she knew this was more Orla's concern. Like everything about her cousin, her earlier bravery had been a sight to behold. However, Orla's growth as a person in the past 2 months had been something that Erin had truly cherished to witness. Erin's own friendship with Marco, and the bond between him and James would have to take a back step this time. After all, it had been Marco that MadStab had threatened. Laurie shifted herself to engage Orla as she began to tell. Her voice sounded heavy. She hadn't; and was not prepared to take the threat towards her boyfriend lightly.

"He said that he heard Marco was coming back. He said he knew that we're…. together." Orla said.

"It's that bitch Shannon! She started this whole thing! Her and that mate of Her's, Anna!" Michelle would not be silenced. She cared about Marco as she did James, and felt the threat in a different way.

"I know Shannon. A right mouth she is!" Laurie frowned.

"Aye… Shannon tried to pick a fight with me in school, and I ended up hitting her. She was saying all sorts of things about Marco and me. We both got punished for it. But Shannon didn't turn up for detention." Orla continued.

"And?" Laurie pressed.

"And just now, MadSt… Danny? He said if Marco came back…. He'd… See him around." Orla finished. Her lip began to quiver. Erin got up from her seat and hugged Orla from behind her.

"Alright…. If ye want, I'll have a word. He plays for the football team I help coach. Honestly girls, he's all mouth. I wouldn't worry about it. But I won't have this shite going on!" Laurie said.

"Thanks, Laurie." Orla said quietly. She then held Erin's arms.

"I think we should tell Sister Michael as well, girls." Clare suggested.

"No way! If we go to her, she might tell Marco to forget about coming here altogether!" Michelle shot.

"What if…. I just went to talk to her. You know, keep it small." James spoke up.

"That sounds like a plan." Laurie agreed.

"Aye… that's sounds good." Erin said, Orla and Clare nodded. Everyone turned to Michelle.

"Alright fine. Good plan, James." Michelle sighed. "That mouthy bitch!" She whispered.

James breathed a sigh of relief. He was thankful that Laurie had been a strong voice of reason throughout the conversation. As the girls resumed talking, James offered to take the now empty cups of tea back into the kitchen. The secret smile he allowed himself earlier had been replaced by a look of grave concern as he placed the cups into the sink. The earlier phone call he'd taken from his mum, Cathy Maguire had carried tremendous news, which he chose to keep secret. Marco had also visited Cathy's office that day to inform her that he'd been granted his interview, James knew that Marco would be back in Derry in a matter of days.

He'd felt a jubilant energy pulsing through him when he heard that his best friend was coming back. It was the news he'd hoped for. James also knew that Orla would have been an indescribable bundle of excitement and joy if she knew. But now, he was glad he hadn't said anything. The harsh reality of living in Derry hung over him, and the girls, despite Laurie's claims that MadStab was just another mouth; the threat brought an unwelcome feeling of dread. They would have to tread carefully, including Marco. James would have to tell him about MadStab. He would have to tell the Quinns/ McCools as well. Withholding such information would be seen as a betrayal. James sighted the need to protect his friends. The ones he cared about, the ones he loved.