Holland: I’m outside. Let’s go.
Sighing despondently, I tapped out a reply and slid my phone back into my pocket.
Lynchy: On my way.
GOD LOVES A TRIER, BUT AOIFE LOVES JOEY
AOIFE
“Okay, it’s been three weeks,” Casey declared on Tuesday morning during French, when our teacher, Mr. Brady, left the room. Snapping her book shut, she twisted in her seat to face me. “Tell me that today’s the day.”
“Yeah,” I whispered, knees bopping restlessly under the table, as I kept my eyes glued to my boyfriend’s back. “Today’s the day.”
He was sitting two rows ahead of me with Neasa Murphy, slumped in his chair, looking mildly amused at whatever she was saying to him.
“Would you stop glaring at her like she pissed in your cornflakes?” Casey whisper-hissed, dragging my attention back to her, as she peeled my fingers off the pencil I was squeezing. “He has to sit with her. It’s assigned seating, babe.”
“He was with her before.”
“So? That was a million years ago.”
“I hate her.”
“No, you don’t,” she scoffed. “That’s your hormones talking.”
“No, I really do.” I turned to look at my best friend. “I hate everyone he’s been with.”
“Then you hate a lot of females in this classroom,” Casey laughed.
“Funny.”
“So, you’re really going to tell him?”
Ignoring the anxiety clawing at my throat, I nodded. “Tonight. When he comes over after work.”
“Oh, my Jesus, talk about a squeaky bum moment,” she strangled out. “Do you have a speech planned?”
“It’s more of a ‘My birth control failed, you’re going to be a daddy, please don’t leave me’ rambling plea than a speech.”
“Aoif.” She placed her hand on my arm. “He’s not going to leave you.”
“Yeah?” I blew out an anxious breath. “I really hope you’re right, Case.”
We were interrupted then by Charlie, who leaned over his desk behind us and tapped Casey’s shoulder. “Mack wants to know what’s happening with Alec.”
“Huh?”
“Alec,” he repeated. “Are you with him or something?”
Casey and I looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Charlie. “I’m not—"
“Why does Mack want to know?” I quickly clamped a hand over my best friend’s mouth and asked. “What’s it to him who Casey’s seeing?”
“Why do ya think?” Charlie winked. “He’s clearly still bananas about her.”
“Is that so?” I eyeballed her. “Did you hear that, Case? Cha says that old Mackie boy is still bananas about you.”
“Yeah, well, you can tell Mack that I’m seeing someone,” Casey replied, peeling my fingers off her face. “So, he can take his banana back to his side of town.”
“Alec?”
“Nope.”
“Then who are you seeing?” Charlie asked, leaning in close.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she replied, tapping her nose.
“No, seriously.” I frowned. “Who are you seeing?”
She gave me a look that said get with the program before rolling her eyes. “Now, off you go.” Waving him away from us, she turned back in her seat, taking me with her. “I’m not seeing anyone, but he doesn’t need to know that.”
“But you like Mack.”
“Meh.”
“And Alec?”
She shrugged. “So many boys, so little of sixth year left.”
“You’re terrible,” I laughed.
Another tap came, but this time it was on my shoulder.
“You rang,” I said, mimicking Lurch’s voice, as I turned in my seat to find Charlie looking at me expectantly. “What’s up, Cha?”
“I have a friend who heard a rumor that you and Lynchy were on the outs.” Smirking, he added, “And my friend wants to know if there was any truth to it.”
“Oh, really.” I grinned. “And why would your friend want to know that?”
“Because my friend thinks you are hands down the best-looking girl at school.”
“Does your friend have a death wish?” Casey laughed. “Because my friend’s boyfriend will kill you dead, Cha. Dead, I tell you.”
“So, he’s still your—"
“You can tell your friend that I’m flattered, but I’m still very much taken.”
“And you can also tell your friend that his friend has an impressive set of balls on him to attempt a steal on Joey’s Lynch’s girlfriend,” Casey snickered. “I mean, seriously.”
Charlie shrugged sheepishly. “It was worth a shot.”
“God loves a trier,” Casey agreed, eyes dancing with mischief. “But Aoife loves Joey.”
Taking my sweet time returning to my last class of the day, after being excused to use the toilet, I dawdled outside the girls bathroom, admiring the latest aesthetic offering of art on display in the main hall, courtesy of the leaving cert art class.
Reluctant to return to my business class, because I had a handle on ABQ’s like I had a handle on my life, I dragged my heels, pausing every couple of moments to inspect a picture hanging on the walls, or pretending to read the latest newsletter.
When I passed the boys bathroom, and heard the sound of coughing, I felt myself halt in my tracks again, but this time, I wasn’t lingering without purpose.
No, because I recognized that cough.
Filled with mischief, I slipped inside the bathroom, tiptoeing past the row of empty cubicles. Ignoring the stench of urine coming from the disgustingly yellow-stained urinals, I reached the cubicle at the end, the one with access to the window. The door was slightly ajar, and I ever so gently pushed it inwards until I had just enough of a view to see Joey. However, any notions I had of mischief quickly died when my eyes took in the sight before me.
With one knee resting on the closed toilet lid, Joey leaned in close to the windowsill, and, with the rolled-up fiver in his hands, snorted a line of white powder up his nose.
Frozen in horror, and unable to make a single sound, I watched as he rested his elbows on the window, and dropped his head in his heads, sniffing and twitching his nose, as he exhaled a sigh of what sounded an awful lot like relief.
Minutes ticked by where I just stood there, watching as the tension in his shoulders slowly loosened and his body began to sway.
A small groan escaped his lips then, and he heaved himself closer to the window, resting his weight heavily against it now.
As his high took over and his body grew limp, I felt my heart shrivel up and die in my chest.
I couldn’t go through this with him again.
Not now there was a baby involved.
My hand moved to the slight swell of my stomach, and, for the first time since realizing the mess I was in, I felt a surge of something peculiar rise up inside of me.
Something that felt an awful lot like protectiveness for the baby growing inside of me.
Something that felt an awful lot like love.
Something that grew hotter and fiercer with every breath I took.