At Seventeen
Chapter 19
A bright new day lay ahead of the girls in Sligo. Eimear, having
a late breakfast in the hotel restaurant, could not help but admire the swans
that appeared every now and then on the river. She had chosen a table directly
beside the window so she had an unspoiled view of them. Sipping her orange
juice, she at last made some sense of the room around her. An elderly couple sat
at a table just beside the door; a businessman nearby to herself. He was
drinking his tea rather hurriedly and gazing at the river with a distracted eye.
Eimear's attention returned to the elderly couple; they and the businessman were
the only other guests in the room. As she watched the woman apply butter on the
bread roll her husband had been endeavouring to devour, she caught a glimpse of
a tousle-haired, tall young woman of her own age enter the restaurant. She
watched the older woman purse her lips at the sight of her appearance. The girl
was not only untidy, but wore a glazed expression as if she did not know where
she was. With a shock like a physical blow, Eimear recognised the stranger to be
Jane.
No sooner had she called her name than Jane began to recollect herself and her
surroundings. Slowly she ambled towards Eimear's table. Her complexion appeared
paler than usual, Eimear thought. And before she could reflect any further on
Jane, she was sitting next to her. "What time did you come back this
morning?" was the first question Jane received, and the reply was that she
did not know, she was tired, had a headache, and would appreciare it if certain
people would refrain from shouting their inquiries at her. "Hangover,"
said Eimear knowledgeably. "You and Bryan had a good time then?"
Jane did not feign to answer, before at last muttering that Bryan had had to
take Mark home and subsequently to the hospital. As she spoke, Eimear's
understanding of what had occurred in the nightclub increased. "Which
nightclub was it, Toffs'?" "I think so, yeah." Eventually Jane
related the whole story to her friend, excepting the incident with Kian. But she
was not skilled in creating a credible tale which Eimear would accept.
"But what happened when Bryan left Toffs', where did yourself and Kian
go?" A guarded look came over Jane's face. "We, eh, stayed where we
were." "In the bar?" "Eh, yeah. Isn't it obvious, I've got
that bad a hangover." But she looked hesitant. Eimear mistrusted this
account of events, but said no more. With her knowledge of Jane, if she had been
in the bar all night, she would have been unable to get out of bed that morning
- self-pity was a well known trait of Jane's.
As Jane got up from the table to help herself with breakfast cereal, Eimear
finished the last morsel of toast and rose also. Telling the approaching waiter
that her roommate was not yet finished, and both breakfasts would be on the bill
of room 208, she retreated to the room, tossing the key to Jane and telling her
to follow when she had likewise ate her fill. Her solicitude in the hotel room,
gazing out at the window at the busy town below, was one of puzzlement at her
friend's strange behaviour.
Some time later, there was a knock on the door. Eimear, annoyed that Jane should
have lost the keys given to her, was ready to affront her, when she caught sight
of the identity of the person standing in the hotel corridor. "Bryan."
Her face softened. "Come in." He did so, and Eimear closed the door
behind her. "How are things?" "I thought Jane would be
here," he said slowly, as if Eimear's question had never been asked. On
hearing his beloved was at breakfast, however, he visibly relaxed. "I just
wondered where she might be, that's all."
Where else would she be? wondered Eimear, and at Bryan's look at her, realised
she had spoken the thought aloud. "I mean, Jane doesn't know Sligo,"
she added. "Oh, I know," said Bryan easily, "but I guess it's
just me being protective. I asked her out properly last night, you see, so now
that we're officially an item, you know..." He broke off. "I
see," said Eimear, though she didn't see at all - she was thinking that
Jane had never told her of Bryan's asking her out, or that she had said yes, an
interesting thing to leave unmentioned to your best friend...
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Nicky waited impatiently for the rest of the family to be roused from their
slumber. His sister Gillian was first to descend the stairs. "Up early as
usual," she smiled fondly, but froze when Nicky related to her of his
departure to Sligo. "Why? There's nothing wrong, is there?" Nicky said
little to his sister, but led her to understand that Mark was in a serious
condition, and he had no choice but to travel to the West and learn more about
the current situation. Gillian was more than understanding; in fact she
encouraged Nicky to go as soon as possible.
"Have you told Mam and Dad you're going yet?" "No," Nicky
admitted. "I don't want to wake them." "Did you not remember? Dad
said he was going to work early to catch up. Imagine, as soon as his Christmas
break ends." Gillian shook her head exasperatedly and shrugged.
Nicky was at a loss. He didn't want to leave for an indefinite amount of time
without saying goodbye to his parents, especially since he rarely got time off
at home to see them normally anyway. Gillian read his thoughts. "Mam's not
up yet. I'll tell them. No, go. Now," she insisted, seeing Nicky fighting
with his conscience. "Thanks, Gill."
Gillian ignored her brother's gratitude. "Adam, won't we tell Mam and Dad
that Nicky had to go as soon as he could?" Adam looked up from the
television. "Will you bring me back a present?" Nicky grinned back.
"You bet, Adzer."
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"Kian, I need to talk to you," Jane demanded. "What?" It was
early morning, Kian's head was in a state, and the girl he had been seeing
everywhere in his dreams, whom he knew was impossible to be his, was now ringing
him on his private mobile number, the number which he was certain she would
never have access to. He tried to be more intelligible. "How did you... my
mobile..." "I can't talk long." Her voice was harsh and sounded
loud in his eardrums. Had he drank that much last night or was she shouting on
purpose? "I'm supposed to be having breakfast now. Eimear's up in the room
waiting for me. We need to talk, but not now."
"What's there to talk about?" Kian felt this whole conversation was
going nowhere. "You're going out with Bryan, I take it. He got in
fast." "Stop it," Jane snapped. "It's nothing to do with
you." "Oh yeah it is though. How many times has he kissed you? How
many times have I? It is to do with me. Are you saying he's a better kisser than
me? I find that hard to believe."
"You see, you just assume what I'm going to say!" Jane screamed.
"You have to be such a presuming bastard, you think I'm ringing you to say
of course I love you and I'm going to dump Bryan for you. It doesn't work like
that, Kian. Welcome to the real world." "I..." Kian couldn't
speak, his ears rang with her accusation. "I'll see you in the hospital car
park at two," Jane continued, ignoring Kian's efforts to speak.
"But... where?"
"You'll know where to find me," she replied simply. And hung up,
shaking. His confidence had really got to her. Did he really believe that a
single kiss meant she had fallen head over heels for him? She had never, before
this moment, entertained a thought of it, as far as she had been concerned she
was with Bryan, and last night with Kian had been just one big mistake.
But doubts began to creep into Jane's mind, doubts that had never been there
before. Kian had sounded so angry with Bryan for being with her in the first
place. Even over a phone line, she could detect his bitterness. Jane began to
feel the irreparable holes being created - she began to wonder if Kian and
Bryan's friendship would suffer, and if it did, so would their working
relationship; if that occurred, what would become of the future of Westlife?
She returned to the hotel room, to find Bryan and Eimear in small conversation.
Both heads immediately turned to hers at her entrance. Jane had never felt as
confused in her life, yet for their sakes, tried to appear as unconcerned as she
would normally, and had to devise a very good excuse when Bryan suggested that
they meet up at the hospital to visit Mark at two.
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Shane was totally unaware of the chaotic happenings operating around the Silver
Swan, involving Bryan, Eimear, Jane and Kian. Although Kian had related of his
heartache to Shane the previous night, they were not on great terms since his
rudeness last night. He had returned home, answered the anxious enquiries of his
parents, particularly his father, who remembered being woken up as Shane headed
to the hospital only too well.
He was now pacing his room, gazing out of the window at alternative
circumnavigations of the room, trying to figure out some sort of speech or
apology. Certainly Kian would be in no mood to receive one; he could not tell
how Eimear would take it, but he was willing to give it a try. No matter
reaction he would get, he deserved all the abuse he could get. It was only
natural that she was hurt by his treatment of her last night. Who wouldn't be?
And, Shane reflected with a certain triumph, this just might be the corner he
needed to turn after the trauma of the past few days. Not only Mark's dash to
casualty last night, but Cassie's announcement of her wish to dissolve their
relationship. For the first time in the last three days, her face did not float
before his eyes. On the contrary, it was Eimear Cleary's. But that, of course,
was because he was dreading to admit he was wrong, especially to a girl he knew
very little of.
He remembered how his heart had very briefly stopped when she had cried in his
arms outside the hospital, after telling him of Mark's meningitis. It had only
been brief. He didn't know her well enough. It was not love, no, nor any similar
feeling. If you keep thinking you're in love, he told himself angrily, you'll
believe what it says in the papers about you.
One more thing about the last night and early morning puzzled him. It was his
visit to Mark, admittedly at an hour of the morning which would not be agreeable
to either in normal circumstances. Mark was slightly delirious, but he had still
been able to grin and converse with Shane reasonably. He had wanted to know if
Shane had seen much of Eimear. What a question. Shane had laughed it off. He
forced himself to disregard it now. How could a man back from the verge of death
recognise the beginnings of something between one of his closest friends and a
girl he barely knew? Especially when they themselves were ignorant of any such
feelings?
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Nicky was unable to get Kian on his mobile, it kept going to his answering
machine. Shane's seemed completely dead, he didn't seem to have charged it. The
same seemed to have occurred with Bryan's. In desperation, he rang Mark's family
home. His mother answered.
"Hello, is that Mrs Feehily? This is Nicky Byrne." "Nicky! How
are you?" "Fine, thanks, I've been trying to get through to the lads
all morning, but their mobiles seem to be out of action. Is there any chance of
getting a message to them, to say I'm on my way?" "On your way to
Sligo? Oh, Nicky, that is very kind of you!" Mark's mother was touched. Now
that he was out of danger, she hadn't expected Nicky to come.
"Mark and I are friends, I owe it to him." Nicky was confused as to it
being supposed kind of him to visit Mark, when Bryan had told him last night he
was in a life-threatening situation. Even if it had been just a text message.
"Well, I think someone is going over to Mae Filan's now, I'll send the
message with them for Shane," Mrs Feehily promised. How typical of Nicky.
He was a nice lad, they all were. She was extremely glad, at this moment, that
Mark had chosen a music career with Westlife, instead of opting for tennis. The
five of them were so close, almost like brothers, and she had never heard of a
row between them in her life. They must agree on almost everything