“Hm.” I eyed them, entirely unconvinced that they weren’t. “Well, they look gorgeous together. And I love the color of her hair,” I added, secretly envious. “Those curls are amazing.”
“The color and curls are totally natural,” Katie offered, sounding just as wistful as I felt. “Hugh’s hair is the same.”
“Joey has curls, too, but he keeps them chopped off. He always keeps the sides and back of his head shaved tight, and leaves a bit more on top, but if he doesn’t cut his hair for a few weeks, it grows all wild and curly on top like Seany-boo’s. It’s so adorable,” I heard myself say, and then scrunched my nose in despair. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Aoif,” she replied softly. “I’m honestly surprised you came tonight. I know Casey practically dragged you out, but I wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t come.” Releasing a heavy sigh, she hooked her arm through mine and said, “I know you’ve been in love with him since forever, and feelings don’t switch off overnight, so if this gets too much for you, or you want to go home at any time, you just say, and I’ll get one of Hugh’s friends to drive you.”
“Thanks, Katie,” I replied, resting my cheek on her shoulder. “So, they’re really not together?” I asked, inclining my chin to where Gibsie and Claire now resembled something straight out of a Gene Simmons tribute act, as they jammed it out to Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue’s Kids.
He was strewn out on the flat of his back, singing to his heart’s content into his imaginary microphone, while she straddled his hips and joined him.
“Uh-oh,” Katie snickered, watching as her boyfriend came thundering towards them. “Hughie’s going to freak.”
Holding a hand up to warn her brother off, Claire continued to bop her head and drum one-handedly to the music, while Gibsie folded his arms behind his head and grinned sheepishly up at her brother.
“Oh crap,” Katie groaned then, dragging my attention back to her.
“What?” I asked. “He’s hardly going to lose it over his sister dancing with his buddy.”
"Not him,” Katie strangled out, pointing towards the doorway that led to the kitchen. “Him.”
Craning my neck, I followed her line of sight, only for every muscle in my body to lock tight when my eyes landed on Joey.
“Oh my god.” The air escaped my lungs in a breathy rush and I quickly jerked my gaze away. “What’s he doing here?” Panic-stricken, I looked to my friend for help. “Katie, what is he doing here?”
“I don’t know,” she choked out, shaking her head. “I have no idea.”
“Oh, Jesus.” Dropping my head in my hands, I groaned loudly, while my stomach twisted up in knots and my knees started to bop nervously. “You said he wouldn’t be here.”
“He shouldn’t be,” she protested. “I know that Claire is friends with his sister, but I didn’t think that he and Hugh were friends.”
“Oh my god.” My stomach churned and I felt faint. “I need to get out of here.”
“No, you don’t have to,” she hurried to soothe, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “It’s okay. Just calm down and take a breath.”
It was at this exact moment that Casey burst through the crowd, squealing, “He’s here, he’s here, oh my Jesus, he’s here!”
“Does he look okay?” I heard myself strangle out, peeking between my hands at my friends. “Is he fighting?” My heart seized in my chest and I forced out the words, “Is he high?”
“I’m not sure,” Casey replied, voice slurred. “He’s definitely not fighting, but he’s too far away to tell if he’s buzzed or not.” She craned her neck to see better and, a few seconds later, let out a furious growl. “So, apparently Dolly was wrong when she said Jolene was a redhead.” Inclining her head towards the kitchen, she hissed, “It turns out she’s a blonde with a death wish.”
“Oh god,” Katie groaned, sounding queasy. “Please tell me he isn’t?”
Heart hammering violently in my chest, I forced myself to inhale a few steadying breaths before daring to glance in his direction again.
Dressed in dark jeans, and a fitted navy shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Joey leaned against the kitchen island.
With his arms folded across his chest, he stared down at the floor, looking mildly amused, as the blonde, who was sitting on the island beside him, swung her feet back and forth as she talked to him.
Pain.
It hit me so hard and fast that I honestly thought I would crack down the center.
“Oh no, guys, that’s only Lizzie,” Katie was quick to point out. “She’s in third year at Tommen. She’s best friends with Claire.”
“Maybe for now,” Casey corrected hotly. “Soon, she’ll just be known as the girl I went to prison for killing.”
“You’re drunk, Casey. Put your claws away,” Katie snapped, before turning her attention back to me. “She’s probably friends with his sister, too, and that’s why he’s talking to her,” she offered calmly. “They’re only talking, Aoif. It looks completely innocent.”
“Oh, please,” Casey slurred, swatting the air like it had offended her. “Don’t be so na?ve, Katie. There’s nothing innocent about that Mischa Barton wannabe.”
“I know you have nothing but good intentions, but right now, you’re causing more harm than good,” Katie grumbled. “Aoife doesn’t need this. She doesn’t need to hear your inner running commentary, Case.”
“Maybe she doesn’t,” Casey declared before bounding off in the direction of the kitchen. “But he’s going to.”
“Oh, this is so bad, Katie.” Jerking unsteadily to my feet, I pressed my fingers to my temples and watched in horror as Casey rounded on Joey in the kitchen. “You know what she gets like. She can be a messy drunk at the best of times.”
“Then you need to go over there.”
“I can’t,” I choked out, feeling starved for oxygen at the prospect of having to face him again. “I’m not nearly drunk enough to jump back in the ring with him.”
“You have to,” she urged, pushing me towards the doorway. “They’re arguing over you. You need to get in there and diffuse it.”
“No.”
“You go and get Casey, and I’ll find Patrick Feely. He’s not drinking tonight, so he’ll give you guys a spin home.”
“I can’t go over there.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“No.”
“Yes, Aoife.
“Okay, okay, fine!” Exhaling a ragged breath, I shook my hands out and sucked in a deep, calming breath, before forcing myself to walk into the kitchen to face him.
THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS
JOEY
“And then there’s Ronan McGarry. He’s a little shit, but he’s relatively harmless,” Lizzie said, reeling off the last on her list of potential troublemakers that Shannon might run into at her new school. “Honestly, though, aside from the odd gossiper or queen bee, it’s pretty mellow at Tommen. Of course, there’s Bella Wilkinson to contend with.”