The next letter was more heartfelt than expected.

Niall.

He almost left Derry! James almost fuckin' left! His Ma showed up the fuck outta nowhere, wantin' to take James back to London to be labor for some stupid fuckin' sticker business! None of us could believe it! I told him he couldn't do it! I told him he was one of us now! A Derry Girl! He thought I was takin' the piss out of him. But I explained it doesn't matter that he's got that stupid accent, or that his bits are different to our bits, but because being a Derry Girl is a fuckin' state of mind!

It looked like he was really leavin' us. But then Orla saw standin' high beyond the crowds! We couldn't hear him at the time over all screaming, but he was declaring he was a Derry Girl! I never thought I'd go to care so much for that wee English prick. But the last couple years he'd become more than just a cousin. He became one of my best friends! I really hope you can meet him some day.

- Love, Michelle

Niall noticed this letter had some tear stains on it. It was probably the most vulnerable letter Michelle had written him since her first. Given when it was written, he's surprised she didn't make mention of US President Bill Clinton's visit. Guess she was too excited from James staying and declaring himself a Derry Girl.

Dear Niall,

Ryan wasn't talkin' out his hole when he said he'd move out once he was 18! He got into motherfuckin' Queens University! Can you's believe that shit!? When did he get so fuckin' smart!? Christ, I'll miss him! Now I'm stuck with Dicko and Grady!

Meanwhile, me and the girls were freakin' the fuck out over our GCSE scores! So we decided to break into Gus school to see our results early. In hindsight it probably wasn't the best idea. James wanted to record us with camcorder his Ma got him to make up for her shitty parentin'. We ran into these two fellas that claimed they were takin' the school computers for repairs. Only after helpin' 'em out did we realized we'd just help them jack the new computers!

We got fuckin' arrested almost immediately! Not exactly important, but the RUC interrogatin' us was a massive ride! They wanted us to confess to a crime we didn't technically commit! They wanted us to call a legal guardian, which no fuckin' way were we gonna do that! Erin got the cracker idea to call her Uncle Colm. That's Joe's insanely borin' brother! Christ, he could bore anyone to death! He definitely wore those RUC fuckers down!

We found out our scores were passing. We'd have gotten away with the whole breakin' n' enterin' shit, if Dicko hadn't left his fuckin' camera at the school! Fuckin' wee English prick! Write ye again!

- Love, Michelle XOXO

Niall was beginning to think it was pure dumb luck that Michelle and her friends hasn't ended up incarcerated as well. Still, she cut back on insulting James, plus wasn't beginning her letters with "Motherfucker" nearly as often. He was also happy for Ryan, who often talked about wanting to go to Queens University.

Dear Niall,

We had a chance to be featured live on fuckin' TV! A charity talent show was bein' done in the style of Stars in Their Eyes! The 5 of us put on a cracker rendition of Who Do You Think You Are by the Spice Girls (ye know doubt heard of 'em), but then Erin had a cack attack thinkin' her Ma was havin' an affair with a hot plumber! Admittedly, we all thought that to be the case too at first. Turns out Mary was just talkin' with the hot plumber 'bout takin' some university courses in English Lit. Jenny Joyce ended up on live tv, despite bein' fuckin' tone deaf! Hope ye're doin' alright in there.

- Love Michelle XOXO

Niall did have some idea who the Spice Girls were. A few prisoners had posters of them hanging up in their cells. He hopes Michelle and her friends sounded good, he'd love to tear them sing.

Dear Niall,

Me and the Girls went along with Quinn family to an amusement park in Portrush. Things definitely didn't start off great! First off, we forgot Clare at the station! Then the fuckin' train stalled in the middle of fuckin' nowhere! Some crazy fella workin' for the train (claimin' to be the manager) was tryin' to overcharge on fuckin' Kit-Kats! Dicko got his bag switched with some other guy, which contained a gun, a grand in cash, and a bag of salt n' vinegar crisps (that Orla ate)!

Then Orla gave the crazy train fucker half the money for fuckin' Kit-Kat's! I have no idea where that girl's brain is half the time! Craziest bit was her gettin' in a standoff with the nutter, him with a banana (hand to fuckin' God!), and Orla with an electric toothbrush (sweat to Christ)! We managed to get the money back and get the bag back in the proper spot. Turns out it belonged to some lady Mary and Sarah knew growin' up who'd just got done doin' time! She had a cack attack over her crisis bein' taken, but thank Christ she was off the train by then! We made it to the park, only for the roller coaster to stall on us! I can't make this shit up! Insane fuckin' trip! Write again soon.

- Love, Michelle XOXO

Never a dull moment with that bunch, that was for certain.

Dear Niall,

Erin and James snogged! It was fuckin' disgustin'! I guess I need to backup a bit. Sister Michael lost an aunt over in Donegal and needed the house cleaned up for a funeral service. She didn't wanna do it herself, so she let us take the school van (James has his drivers license by the way), and we figured we'd get an opportunity to hook up with some stud farmers! Dicko gets the van stuck in some mud, then gets himself knocked out by a stationary fuckin' van (that may or may not have backed up a little on him), so we had to drag his stupid English ass to the house.

Clare has a classic cack attack and smashes a fuckin' window open when we couldn't find the key! James was conscious soon after, though he claimed he saw THE LIGHT! Some near death shit right there! The house had no power and there was rubbish fuckin' everywhere, plus thought the place was haunted! Found out the next mornin' it wasn't right house. We only found that out after attackin' what we thought was a ghost (current owner), an' Sister Michael had shown up for the wake, spottin' the van. Christ, but it was embarrassin'!

Back to the kissin' shit! I'm the only one who saw it happen. I told 'em it couldn't happen! If would ruin the friendship when they broke up! I'd have to side with Dicko, him bein' my cousin, Orla would have to side with Erin, and poor Clare would be in the middle of that shit show! But now I wonder if I should've just let it be. Those two have clearly had somethin' goin' on even b'fore James took Erin to the prom. Those two look at each other in a way I've never seen b'fore. I may have ruined a great relationship, all because I was a fuckin' coward! I hope my next letter will be happier.

- Love, Michele XOXO

Niall wasn't surprised Erin and his English cousin had kissed. Based on evidence in previous letters, there was an obvious attraction between them. Hopefully Michelle would change her mind on that. But he wouldn't get another letter for over a year.

Dear Niall,

I'm so sorry it took me this long to get back to ye. The past year was fuckin' crazy. Clare's Da died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm on Halloween night! He'd driven us to a Fatboy Slim concert not long b'fore it happened. We actually got thrown out just as Gerry showed up to tell us Clare's Da was in hospital. I'd never seen her so upset, none of us had. It was devastatin'. Everyone at school wore rainbow pins to the funeral in solidarity.

It's not fair! Her Da was a good man! Why do good people have to die too soon!? Durin' tat summer, Clare and her Ma moved to Strabane. Her Ma just couldn't handle livin' in Derry after that. During that summer, I started workin' at Dennis's Wee Shop. I'm sure ye remember him. Christ, but does have some anger issues!

Ye know doubt heard about that Good Friday Agreement. All this shit could finally end! Maybe you'll get set free! Maybe Mammy and Daddy will let ye come home! Erin an' I fought over whether Provos should be set free. It's not like I didn't get her bein' scared of certain criminals bein' set free and doin' more harm. But what ye did was a fuckin' accident! Ye shouldn't have to rot in prison for that!

Thankfully, we made up. Nothin' can tear us apart! Top things off, Erin and Orla had a cracker joint birthday party that included live music from Bronagh Gallagher of the fuckin' Commitments! How that happened would take too fuckin' long to write. I'll tell ye when you get out of there.

I also gave Erin and James my blessin' for them to go steady. Wee bit over a year later an' it was obvious they still cared deeply for each other. I realized life is too fuckin' short to be not allowin' two eejits in love be together. I don't think they'll break up now. Clare also got to come back to Derry to finish school at our Lady Immaculate! She'll be stayin' at Orla's! We're all together proper again!

I hope this Good Friday Agreement passes. I hope ye get set free. I hope ye'll come home. That Mammy and Daddy'll forgive ye. That you can get to know Grady better. To meet James and see how fuckin' cracker he is (don't you dare tell him I said that). To get to know the rest of my friends better. I still miss ye so much! Even though Mammy and Daddy don't say yer name, I know they miss ye too! So please come home! I hope this is the last letter I have to write ye!

- Love, Michelle XOXO

This letter hit Niall the hardest out of all the others Michelle had sent him over the last 5 years. She and her friends had gone through so much together, but managed to become stronger. These letters gave him hope he didn't have before.

Niall was to be set free a few days. He wasn't sure when he'd try getting in touch with Michelle or the rest of his family. He knew she wanted to desperately see him, but he was scared of what their parents would say and do. He'd already caused so much pain and sadness for his family, God knows he didn't want to add more. Things seemed to be going well for everyone. He figured there was time to think about it. Michelle didn't know when he was being let out. He could keep himself inconspicuous till then.