At Seventeen
Chapter 12
So that was what she'd forgotten to ask him, Eimear remembered.
What did Shane's car look like? How was she to know? Or maybe he was taking his
mam's car. Not that it mattered - she didn't know either of them from the other.
She pulled her lip gloss out of her jacket pocket and put on an extra coat. Her
lips shone like varnish did on wood. But that didn't matter, with Mark lying in
hospital. Eimear had really liked him. He had been so friendly, so warm towards
her...
And now she was finally going to be alone with Shane, it would be in this
scenario. Him moody and worried, she nervous, sensitive and not knowing how to
comfort him. Well, it just shows you, thought Eimear. I'm just no good with men.
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Bryan sighed, as he sat on the bench beside Barry. Barry was no help at all, he
only stared at everything around him in a blind rage, as if they were to blame
for his brother's illness. Meanwhile Bryan felt isolated and alone. He wished
Jane was with him. Where was she? Surely she wasn't still in the nightclub. He'd
never thought of her as a party animal. But then maybe he had underestimated
her... there were probably a lot of things he didn't know about her... but
anyway, he told himself, pulling himself out of his reverie, wherever she is,
Kian's not far away, and that's a comfort. Oh Mark, he prayed, please, please
get better.
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What was he to do, wondered Shane. He had to get going soon, the girl Eimear, or
whatever her name was, would be waiting, but it just wouldn't sink in. Mark was
seriously ill. He knew that much. He didn't want to know more, but he knew he
must. Still, this was the Mark who he'd gone to school with, the Mark he'd had
such a laugh with as a teenager - he remembered when they'd done the musical
"Grease" together. Mark had a wonderful voice, and a sparkling, yet
shy personality. He couldn't die, Shane told himself. He has far too much to
offer. He can't......
Don't even think of the possibilities, he told himself. Just get out there
and... be brave. It shouldn't be hard, he reflected. After all, he had been
acting brave ever since Cassie had made that fateful call from America. Whoever
Dwayne Meiner was, he didn't know - but he hated him deeply at this moment.
First Cassie, and now maybe Mark, was taken away from him. And if it wasn't for
Dwayne, he'd at least have Cassie. Bloody lifeguards, he thought, recalling
Cassie's description of her "new love". Nicky had Georgina, and now
Bryan had Jane - Kian didn't seem to need anyone permanently, and Mark had
seemed alright being single. But Shane desperately needed another half, a
girlfriend really. And now, when he needed her, she didn't even exist. How
ironic.
A creak came from the direction of his parents' bedroom. Shane looked over at
the door to see his father coming out. "Shane, why are you up at this time
of night?" When he heard the story of Mark, he became grave. Shane looked
down at his feet, trying to avoid emotion. His father gripped his arm. "The
doctors will do all they can for him, believe me, Shane." Shane nodded
noiselessly and made a motion as if to leave. But his father called after him:
"No matter what happens in life, son, there will be better times, I
promise."
Shane knew that his father rarely broke a promise, but this time, it seemed too
far fetched to believe that it would be kept.
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The Irish tabloids were out in full force. Nicky Byrne was out for a good time
at the PoD with his girlfriend Georgina Ahern. This had to be in the next
morning's papers. Nicky and Georgina were rapidly becoming one of Ireland's
best-known couples. They'd been together so long; it seemed inevitable that they
would be together forever. Nicky, a young, handsome, talented 21-year-old and a
member of the biggest boy band to come out of Ireland since Boyzone. Georgina, a
dark, pretty young woman of similar age, a student, and daughter of the
Taoiseach. The ingredients were enough to have half of the media swarming around
outside the club.
Inside Georgina and Nicky were blissfully unaware of the bombshell that was
about to drop on them....
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Eimear held her breath. A Ferrari? Is that a Ferrari? as a red sports car drove
up outside. She walked out to where Shane was sitting motionless at the wheel.
Gorgeous, she thought to herself, and then bit her lip to stop focusing on him.
She must be cool, calm. And most of all concerned - because Mark was lying in
hospital in a serious condition.
"Hi, I'm Eimear," she said nervously. "Jump in," he said,
not even looking at her. "To the hospital." She had barely got into
the car when he started the engine and began to career away from the hotel. And
she couldn't help it anymore. Bitter tears flowed. Why oh why did I ever have to
meet him, she thought, or Bryan or Mark or Kian, for that matter. I shouldn't
even care for any of them. I shouldn't care about Mark being sick, I shouldn't
care that Shane doesn't even seem to notice me. But she did, and it hurt.