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“We weren’t talking to you,” Ciara replied, trying to act tough, but withering now that she was faced with someone older, taller, and stronger. “We meant her.”
“Her?” I looked around me. “Who’s her?”
“Me,” Shannon whispered, trembling behind me. “It’s me.”
“If by her, you’re referring to my fella’s sister, then I’ll give you a five second head-start to get the fuck out of her face before I cut your ponytail off and strangle you with it.”
“Stay out of this, Aoife,” Hannah tried to interject, glancing around nervously. “This isn’t your fight.”
“If you fight her, you fight me,” I warned, as unaffected by their bullshit as I was unwilling to back down. “So, are we fighting, or are you bitches keeping your hair for another day? I’m down either way.”
They both looked at each other and then Shannon before shaking their heads and stalking off in the direction of the main building.
When they were out of sight, Shannon released a huge breath and clutched the sleeve of my jumper. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
“I know.”
“They might go after you next.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’d like to see them try. And if they go near you again, all you need to do is come and find me. It doesn’t matter if I’m in class or not. Just come and find me and I’ll help you, okay?”
She looked up at me with the biggest blue eyes I’d ever seen, so full of sadness and uncertainty, and whispered, “Why?”
“Because I love your brother, and your brother loves you. Keeping you safe is important to him, which makes it important to me.” Smiling, I threw my arm over her skinny little shoulders and walked her into school. “And who knows? Maybe in time, you’ll be coaxed out of that pretty little shell, and we can be friends.”
“You want to be my friend?”
“Is that okay with you?”
“Yes.” She nodded uncertainly. “Please.”
My heart cracked in my chest.
She was so small.
So vulnerable.
So broken.
“Then it’s official.” I gave her a reassuring hug as I walked her down the corridor to class, making sure that every catty bitch in this school got a good look at us. “We’re friends.”
OLD HABITS DIE HARD
SEPTEMBER 1ST 2004
JOEY
I didn’t needanyone to tell me what a piece of shit I was, my conscience was more than willing to do that, as it screamedliarwith every step that I took closer to the car.
It had been screaming at me last night, too, when I sent that text.
Now, as I found myself climbing into the passenger seat beside him, I felt a level of self-loathing that I hadn’t plummeted to before.
“Lynchy,” Shane said the minute I climbed into the car. “You look like hell.”
No shit Sherlock.
“Yeah.” Knees bopping restlessly, I blew out a shaky breath. “I feel like it, too.”
