At Seventeen
Chapter 14
For a while, Eimear forgot who she was, where she was, and what
was happening, all she could feel were the tears falling down her cheeks. And,
eventually, Shane's arms around her. As soon as she became aware of that
particular fact, butterflies began to crowd not just her stomach, but just about
everywhere... Enough of that, she told herself. Cop on to yourself. Stop getting
emotionally involved. She recalled reading a magazine article the week before on
that topic. It had reminded her of her relationship with John, she'd been head
over heels in love since the first day she'd met him, and now it seemed to be
going the same way with Shane.
You've only known him a day, Eimear reminded herself. Just 'cause he's noticed
you exist, doesn't mean he likes you. "Shall we go into the hospital
now?" she asked Shane abruptly. "Yeah, I suppose." He looked
puzzled at her sudden change of mood. This girl was puzzling all the time,
really. You couldn't read her at all. He wondered if he was getting a bit too
interested in her. Maybe she thought he was trying to chat her up, and she had a
boyfriend back home. That's probably it.
"Be cool," was what Kian had said to him when he and Cassie had been
on the rocks. It was useful advice for this situation too. From now on, he
wouldn't act so interested in Eimear, and maybe she mightn't be so hostile
towards him. Apart from when she'd started crying just now. For a second, Shane
had been sure that he'd felt his heart race when he took her in his arms. But
only a second.
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Kian was panicking. Jesus Christ, not Mark. This couldn't be happening. Bryan
left the club with him, he remembered. I have to call him. Bryan answered
straightaway. This means bad news, thought Kian miserably. Oh God, no. He'd been
in Mark's class from 1st year through to 6th and they'd been close enough since.
This couldn't be happening... not his friend.
"Hello?" Bryan was depressed and the last thing that he wanted was
some eejit dialling up his mobile. "Hello?" "Bryan, it's
Kian." Kian hoped he sounded calm. "Where have you been? Where's Jane?
Did your mam tell you?" "We were just in the nightclub, okay, she went
back to your hotel." Please God let this sound natural, he pleaded to
himself. He was not a good liar. "Do you know... about Mark?"
"Yeah." "And Jane?" "No, as far as I know."
Bryan sighed. He would have to tell her so. "Well thanks anyway, Kian, for
looking after her for me." You'd think I'd done something heroic, Kian
mused. At that moment he hated himself with a passion, but he could still say,
"Yeah, Bryan, it was nothing. She's a nice girl." "She's
beautiful," Bryan sighed. "Have you called Shane by the way?"
"No. Is he not around?" "I rang his house and there was no
answer, so he mustn't know. Unless..."
"Unless what?" "Unless Eimear rang him." "Eimear?"
Kian was puzzled, before it came to him, "Oh, Eimear. The girl Mark was
chatting up?" "Was he really?" asked Bryan. "I didn't
notice." "Yeah, well you didn't notice anything but Jane." Kian
was surprised to feel a wave of jealousy come over him as he said it. He was
actually angry with Bryan that Jane loved him. Bryan only laughed. "If I
didn't know you better, Kian, I'd say you were jealous." Then you obviously
don't know me, thought Kian bitterly. I thought I knew myself better too.
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Nicky was angry with Tara. Raging. Really mad. He wished she had never darkened
his doorstep. He wished he had listened to his mother, Yvonne, when she had
noted that "that girl's trouble". And he wished... that it had been
different. That he didn't feel guilty. And what to say to Georgina. Oh God.
He turned on his mobile. 2 text messages. Well, well. From Georgina? If one was
from Tara, he didn't know what he'd do - probably throw the phone into the
gutter or something. The first was from her, it had been sent earlier: "C U
TONIGHT. LUV TARA" He deleted it instantly. He just didn't care anymore. If
the second one was from Georgina, he'd read it, but otherwise there was just no
point.
That is, until, his eye caught the words "NICKY, I'VE BEEN RINGING FOR
AGES. WHERE ARE YOU, OUT WITH GEORGINA? MARK IS IN HOSPITAL WITH SUSPECTED
MENINGITIS. CAN YOU COME UP TO SLIGO TOMORROW? BRYAN." Nicky went into a
state of shock. No, no, not Mark. It couldn't be.... could it?
His taxi pulled up. "Baldoyle?" asked the driver. Wasn't that yer man
from Westlife, the lad going out with the Taoiseach's daughter. His own daughter
had the posters all over her room, she was mad about the band. Nicky just
nodded. "I see you've had a heavy night," he said kindly as Nicky slid
into the back seat. Wait till he told Teresa. She'd be telling all her friends
that her da had driven Nicky Byrne in his cab. "By the way, you couldn't
sign this for my daughter, could you? Loves you she does, a big fan."
Nicky smiled and took the pen and paper as the cab crossed the river, heading
northside. It would take his mind off things anyway. "What's her
name?"
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Eimear felt nervous, walking through the hospital corridor with Shane beside
her. He met a neighbour of his, who stopped to talk to him, and eyed Eimear
curiously. Shane answered her inquisitive enquiries vaguely - "She's a
friend of Bryan's from Dublin". And then they sighted Bryan sitting on a
bench. He was on the phone talking, but he gave a wave as he saw them. Eimear
could see his despair. She heard him say "Well I'll see you tomorrow,
thanks" before hanging up.
"You rang Shane?" he asked her, indicating in his direction, where he
was consoling Mark's mother. "Yeah." Bryan didn't notice her
despondency. "Don't worry. He'll get better in no time and come to his
senses. He really likes you." For a second, Eimear honestly thought Bryan
was talking about Shane, and her heart soared. But then she came back down to
earth. She looked plussed, and Bryan glanced at her, concerned. "Did you
not know? I thought it was obvious that Mark liked you." (This, of course,
was a lie - he had only found this out from Kian's observations.)
Eimear looked stunned. She had obviously had no idea at all. Bryan put his arm
on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. He never said. But I just thought..."
"No, no, it's alright." Eimear had to sit down with the shock of it
all. Mark? She had never guessed. Never known. He had been very nice to her, but
she'd thought that was only him being the perfect gentleman. Had she expected
too much? Supposing he liked her. What, then, did she think of him? Eimear was
unable to think straight.
At that very moment, Shane looked over at her. She looked very stressed. Why did
he need to look at her like this? He hadn't a clue. He just somehow had to, to
see her face every few minutes. He wanted to go over to her and ask her what was
wrong. He wanted to comfort her. But he didn't know why. He glanced at Bryan,
who looked back sadly at him. There's something about that girl, thought Shane,
but I don't know what it is. I don't know anything at the moment.