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“Bullshit.” I pointed to where they had moved to the middle of the makeshift dance floor. “Look at that boy. He’s clearly besotted with her, and she’s staring at him all gooey-eyed like he hung the moon.” I shook my head. “Nah, K, they’re clearly doing the deed.”
“I swear!” Katie laughed. “They’re really not.”
I cocked a disbelieving brow as I watched them break into an impressive Irish dancing set jig. Completely in sync with each other’s bodies and with their entire focus on the other, they laughed and danced it out to the beat, uncaring that a huge portion of their schoolmates were watching them.
“No way.” I choked out a laugh. “Boy moves like Lord of the Dance.”
“Pretty sure his mam made him take Irish dancing lessons in primary school.” Katie giggled. “There’s a bunch of medals on display in the cabinet in Hugh’s front room from feis competitions that they competed in.”
“Who? Gibsie and Claire?”
She nodded.
“Aw, they danced together?”
“Uh-huh.” Katie laughed. “Until he hung his dancing shoes up for rugby boots.”
“You’re honestly trying to tell me that those two aren’t in love?”
“I never said they weren’t in love.” Chuckling, she added, “Only that they’re not together.”
“Hmm.” 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, Aoife,” 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 hadn’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 toward 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 toward 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!”
