“I’m grand,” he was quick to say, reaching up to remove my prying hand from his face. “I’m grand, Molloy,” he repeated, pressing another hard kiss to my lips.
“Yuck, guys,” Shannon groaned from nearby. “Get a room.”
“Hey, Shan,” I said, repressing a shiver of pleasure when her brother slung his arm over my shoulder as we walked up the footpath towards the school entrance. “How was your weekend?”
“Hey, Aoife,” she replied with a small smile. “It was okay.”
Better than your brother’s I hope, I mentally replied, taking in the sight of her thankfully unmarked skin.
Slipping a hand into the back pocket of his grey school trousers, I gave his ass a little pinch, and then leaned into his side and resisted the urge to drag him into the bushes so that I could keep him safe – and get him naked.
"Keep on pinching my ass, Molloy, and I’ll have to retaliate," he said in a husky tone, lips brushing against my ear as he spoke. "I have behavioral problems, in case ya haven’t heard.”
“You know, I think I’ve heard that a time or ten.”
“According to my file, I can’t control myself when confronted with a physical altercation.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, that’s so.” Pulling me flush against his chest, I felt his hand slide up my bare thigh and under my skirt, not stopping until his fingers trailed over the hem of my knickers.
“Oh my god, you did not just do that!” Shannon wailed, covering her eyes with her hand.
“Ah fuck,” Joey declared with a dramatic sigh, as he pulled the elastic of my knickers and let it snap back into place. “Period knickers.”
I threw my head back and laughed at his forlorn expression. “How would you know anything about my period knickers?”
“Oh my god, you did not just… You know what…? Never mind. I’ll see you guys later,” Shannon groaned, as she clenched the straps of her school bag, and hurried away.
“Come on, Molloy,” he said with a lopsided grin. “You’ve worn granny knickers for a grand total of five days a month, every month since we’ve been special friends.” His voice was low and ridiculously sexy, as his eyes burned with heat. “I know this because those are the only five days each month that you won’t let me put my—“
“Okay, la-la-la, I get it. You’ve got my menstrual cycle down to a tee,” I laughed, clamping a hand over his mouth. “But I think that you’ve just scarred your sister for life in the process.”
“She’ll recover,” he replied, giving my ass a firm tap. “But I won’t.”
“It’s only for a few days.” I rolled my eyes. “Get a handle on yourself.”
“I’d prefer if you got a handle on me instead.” His hand gripped me tighter. “Again.”
“Okay, you’ve officially shamed me into silence.” My cheeks flushed bright pink. “You win this round.”
“Thanks.” Grinning, he caught a hold of my hand, and led us towards the main building. “I look forward to your comeback, Molloy.”
“Oh, you better believe it’s coming, Joe,” I replied, entwining my fingers with his.
We were crossing the teacher’s carpark when a familiar Honda Civic flashed its lights.
I felt Joey stiffen beside me, and my heart plummeted into my chest.
No.
No.
No.
“Joey, don’t.” I tightened my hold on him. “Just ignore him.”
“He’s clearly here for me.”
“So?” I clutched him tighter. “Just keep walking.”
“Molloy.”
“Please don’t.”
The sound a car horn beeping erupted.
“I better go see what he wants,” he muttered, gaze flicking to where Shane Holland was signaling him over. “I’ll meet you in class.”
No.
No.
“Joey.”
“I’m just going to talk to him,” he assured me. “Just talk. That’s it, Molloy.”
I stared up at his face, soaking in the image of his clear, focused eyes, and made a silent vow to God that I would rain hell down on that asshole Shane if my boyfriend returned to me in any other condition.
“Promise me,” I heard myself beg. “Promise me, Joe.”
“Everything is fine,” he soothed, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. “Stop worrying.” He kissed me again. “I’ll meet you in class,” he added, giving my chin a playful nudge with his fist before he turned on his heels and jogged across the carpark.
Feeling sick to my stomach now, I clutched the straps of my school bag and stomped towards the entrance of the school, growing more agitated with every step I took away from him.
“Is that Shane Holland?” Shannon asked in a small voice, as she stood under a tree near the front door of the school, with a look of concern etched on her face that resembled the one on mine. “I thought he was gone.”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “So did I.”
“Cunt.”
Shannon’s breath hitched, and she shifted closer to me.
“Yeah, you heard me, cunt!”
I hated that word.
There were few words in the English language that I chose to avoid, but that particular one was not included in my vocabulary.
Swinging around, I locked eyes on none other than Ciara Maloney and Hannah Daly.
Two vicious little bitches from the year below me that needed to be taken down a peg or ten.
“Now.” Taking a firm stance in front of my boyfriend’s sister, I planted my hands on my hips, and arched a brow, “Which one of you thick fuckers has a death wish?”
“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 need anyone to tell me what a piece of shit I was, my conscience was more than willing to do that, as it screamed liar with 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.