Clare was in a depressed state, so she was. She liked her new school fine, but was missing the other Girls way too much to concentrate on anything. She understood her mother wanting to move from Derry after her father's sudden death, but she still wished she could go to the same school with her friends. Even with Strabane being barely half an hour away it felt further at times because of shit the traffic could be. She was sat in the kitchen one day, just going over some schoolwork, and her mother took notice of her somber expression.
"What's the matter, love?" Geraldine asked.
"What do ye mean, Mammy?" Clare asked, taking her attention away from her book.
"Ye've been real sad lookin' lately, replied Geraldine. "Ever since Erin ye came back from Erin am' Orla's birthday party. Are ye all doin' alright?"
"We're absolutely cracker, we are," Clare squeaked. "That's all goin' great! It's just... I feel like... I'm missin' out on so much now that I don't see them as regularly. I... I get why we moved, really I do. But... I always thought I would get to graduate with my friends."
Geraldine put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and rubbed it gently.
"De ye... wanna see if I can get you back at Our Lady Immaculate?" Geraldine asked.
"How?" Clare asked. "There's only a couple months left in the term. Plus I live out of the way."
"What if... ye bunked with one yer friends till then," suggested Geraldine.
"Ach! I couldn't do that to ye, Mammy," replied Clare.
"It wouldn't be permanent, love," Geraldine retorted, giving her daughter a hug. "I can survive a couple months alone, I can."
"Thank ye, Mammy," Clare practically squeaked as tears began to flow.
"We still gotta make sure it's possible," Geraldine pointed out.
It was Monday morning at Our Lady Immaculate College. The Girls (minus Clare of course), were in first period Math class, taught by Mrs. Fidelma Finnegan. She'd been teaching there for years now. She wasn't one of those teachers that tried to make the subject fun. It was extremely rare that least one student didn't fall asleep during her class, no matter how studious they might be.
"An' when ye solve fer X here, ye'll see how to divide these numbers here," Mrs. Finnegan rambled on.
"Jesus, but she drones on," Michelle groaned to the others, barely able to keep her eyes open. "She could give Colm a run for his fuckin' money, she could."
"Put 'em both in a room together and it would be the end of days," replied Erin, giving them both a chuckle.
The class got interrupted briefly by an intercom announcement.
"Will the following students please report to Sister Michael's office," the announcer began. "Erin Quinn, Orla McCool, Michelle Mallon, and the wee English fella."
All eyes were on them now, with some giggling. This of course wasn't the first time they were having to visit the nun's office.
"For Christ's sake, what've ye all done now?" one girl asked with no surprise in her tone.
"Notin'!" Michelle exclaimed. "I swear! Whatever they think we did, it's a load of balls!"
"No point fightin' it," groaned Erin. "Let's just go and see what we're bein' accused of."
As the Girls waited just outside Sister Michael's office, Michelle was fidgeting.
"It doesn't make any fuckin' sense though," she exclaimed. "It's Monday mornin'! What the fuck could we have possibly done so early to warrant an office visit!?"
"Are you conveniently forgetting the few other occasions where we got called in during the morning?" James asked.
"That's not the same, Dicko!" Michelle shot back. "We'd actually done some shit then! Can ye think of anythin' recently we did that required all of us here!?" Her cousin couldn't come up with a proper answer. "My point exactly! So keep yer hole shut!"
"Didn't we bully a first year?" Orla asked.
"That was four years ago, Orla," retorted Erin. "Plus, it was attempted bullying. Also it was Michelle attemptin' to bully..."
"Oi!" Michelle exclaimed. "Trowin' me to the fuckin' wolves now!?"
"Yes, Michelle, I'm trowin' ye to the wolves for a four year old incident," replies Erin with an eye roll.
They remained silent for a couple minutes, when Sister Michael finally opened her door. They all immediately stood up.
"Girls," she said in her usual dry fashion.
"Listen, Sister," began Michelle. "Whoever's accusin' us of wrongdoin' is talking right out their ars..."
"Miss Mallon, please," Sister Michael interrupted. "Once you all join me in my office, you'll understand."
They sighed and followed the headmistress into her office. Surprise came immediately, when they saw Erin's parents, along with... Clare and her Ma!? Clare was even wearing her old uniform.
"What the hell is goin' on!?" Erin asked.
"Aye, Clare doesn't go to our school anymore," said Orla. "What's she doin' here?"
"Ye're not curios as to why Erin's parents are here?" Michelle asked.
"We get in trouble all the time, we do," shrugged Orla. "Common sight, it is."
"Ye're not in trouble, girls," Sister Michael chimed in. "Not this time anyway. I'm sure ye'll do somethin' soon to be sent back here."
"Thank ye for the the confidence in us, Sister Michael!" Orla exclaimed with a big smile. Erin rolled her eyes.
"Ye're very welcome, Orla," Sister Michael replied in typical deadpan fashion. "Now, onto why ye're all here. Geraldine rung me up yesterday, tellin' me Clare was missin' this school, and you Girls especially, somethin' fierce. She asked if it was possible for her to finish off her final couple months at Our Lady Immaculate." There was a bit of a dramatic pause. "An' I saw no reason to say no."
"Seriously!?" Erin asked with genuine shock.
"This is really happenin'!?"
"It's really happenin', Girls!" Clare exclaimed, smiling ear to ear.
"Why didn't ye just make this a mornin' announcement?" Erin asked.
"Then I wouldn't get to see the look on yer faces when ye thought ye were in trouble again," smirked Sister Michael.
They can't say they were surprised Sister Michael would pull that kind of move.
"But, why are my parents here?" Erin asked.
"Clare's gonna be livin' with us till ye finish school," Gerry answered with a smile. "Well, with Orla and Aunt Sarah anyway. Saves her commutin' so far."
"Really!?" Erin and Orla asked in wide eyed shocked unison.
"Really!" Clare squealed.
The Girls all came together for a loving hug. Most of them were misty eyed that they'd be finishing school together.
"I 'spose I'll be needin' to make a quick announcement over the PA system," said Sister Michael with a light smile. "I doubt everyone else will be as excited or shocked as yerselves though."
The stoic nun was taken back by a sudden hug from the free spirited Orla.
"Thank ye so much, Sister Michael!" she exclaimed, smiling ear to ear. "That was real cracker of ye, it was!"
While she'd likely never admit it, Sister Michael did like seeing her students happy; even the ones that drove her mad frequently.
"Ye're... very welcome, Orla," replied Sister Michael, reciprocating the hug, albeit with less force. "I think ye best be getting back to class now. I'll make that announcement now."
Erin excitedly gave her parents a loving embrace.
"Thank ye, Mammy and Daddy!" Erin exclaimed, sniffling a little from joyful tears. Orla soon joined in.
"Not a problem, love," Gerry replied softly, kissing Erin on top of her and his niece's heads.
Second period was beginning when the Girls left the office. They were all beaming with excitement as they made their way to their next class. Other students and faculty members showed support for Clare's return to the school, including Jenny Joyce. Things calmed down by lunch time, with the Girls talking about various things.
"We should celebrate, we should!" Orla explained.
"What? Like throw a ragin' party?" Michelle asked.
"I highly doubt any of our parents would allow that Michelle," retorted Erin.
"I was thinkin' we go campin', we do!" Orla went on.
"What the fuck kinda celebration is that?" Michelle asked.
"I just always wanted to have a campin' trip with all ye Girls," Orla replied shyly. "May not have another chance..."
"Jesus! Alright!" Michelle conceded. "When should we do it?"
"Friday night would probably be best," said Erin. "Gives us time to get what we need."
"Where we gonna get tents and such?" Clare asked.
"Jim from across the road will have everythin' we need, he will," answered Orla.
"His place is like a surplus," quipped James.
After school, they all made their way back to the Quinn residence, where they saw Gerry moving boxes into Orla and Sarah's house next door.
"Thank ye so much for lettin' me stay with ye, Sarah!" Clare exclaimed, giving her a hug.
"It's my pleasure, it is," Sarah replied with a warm smile and hug. "Orla's so excited to have ye here, she is. I don't think I've seen her this excited since she found that bat livin' in her closet.
"Aye, that was a cracker day, it was!" Orla explained. "But this is even better! Like havin' second cousin!"
"Ye already have a second cousin, Orla," Erin pointed out. "My little sister, Anna."
"Well, Clare was born b'fore Anna," Orla retorted. "So Anna is more like the third cousin."
"Why isn't it more like havin' a sister?" Sarah asked.
"Ach, I don't know, Mammy," Orla shrugged. "Clare's cracker, she is. But I don't get the sister feelin' from her like do with Erin."
"Ok... that is sweet," Erin smiled.
"Sides that, if anyone else was gonna be like a sister to me, it'd be James," Orla smiled, giving a confused James a quick hug.
"That makes sense," Sarah nodded in agreement.
"Absolutely does," chuckled Michelle, smacking her cousin's arm.
"He's my boyfriend!" Erin exclaimed. "I wouldn't be datin' my own brother!"
"At this point, I can't say I'm surprised by how this conversation went," James said to nobody in particular as Michelle continued to laugh.
They spent the next few hours setting things up in the guest room of Sarah and Orla's house. They rarely made much use of it (besides the rare occasion of extra family visiting), so it had for a time been used for storage. Thankfully the bed wasn't covered by random items, and the closet still had enough space for Clare's clothes.
"Welcome to yer new home!" Orla exclaimed after getting everything done. "It's gonna be such a cracker time!"
The Girls all joined in for a group hug.