At Seventeen
Chapter 2
Bryan thought of the two girls as he walked down the road. They
had actually treated him as a normal person - that didn't happen often nowadays.
Half the time he felt like quitting - but days like this made it worthwhile. The
short girl in particular had been friendly - and quite pretty too. Not that he'd
get involved or anything....
But he couldn't stop thinking about her. He wondered how he could get to see her
again - how long was she in Sligo? Was she staying in the hotel or somewhere
else? What was her name even? He cursed himself for not finding out the simple
facts.
Finally, Kian's house. He rang the bell. A tired, worn looking Kian answered,
looking like he hadn't slept in weeks. Bryan was taken aback. "God,
Kian...?" "Yeah. You'd better come in." Kian was normally
articulate enough in such situations. But he barely talked as he led Bryan into
his room. There, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands, was Shane. Bryan
was stunned at the sight. If anyone had a brave outlook on life and what lay
ahead, it was Shane. Something must be seriously wrong.
Something in the back of his mind stirred - Cassie? A girl Shane had met in
America and had gradually grown close to. A fan. Shane had said he'd never go
out with a fan - until Cassie came around. "Is it Cassie?" Bryan was
almost afraid to speak the words. Kian nodded. Shane seemed beyond talk.
"She rang him last night. She's going out with another lad."
"Cassie? Are you sure?" From what Bryan could remember of her, she had
been totally devoted to Shane, so in love with him... how could she turn to
another? "She said it was the long distance thing." Shane found the
words, sounding bitter. "She said that she loved me but that it'd never
work out. Of course, she lied. If she'd loved me, she wouldn't have gone for
that other lad...."
"Shane, calm down." Kian was growing nervous at the sight of Shane's
anger. "No, I won't be. I stayed loyal to her, and look what good it did.
She still left me. I'll never trust a fan again - they're all so
two-faced." He practically spat the last word out. Kian looked pretty calm,
he had obviously heard this before.
Bryan was so amazed that he looked about to faint. Thoughts were racing through
his mind at a thousand miles a second - Cassie and Shane in LA at a meet and
greet, the attraction between them, how they eventually got it together - and
then tonight, outside the Silver Swan, himself and Eimear, her smiles and
laughs, so like Cassie's in a way. Could this happen? Supposing he fell for her.
And Shane's words - "I'll never trust a fan again - they're all so
two-faced." Bryan didn't think he could take it.
He had to see Eimear again. And he couldn't let Kian, or least of all, Shane,
find out that he was intrigued by a fan. She wouldn't turn out like Cassie - of
course she wouldn't. And he wouldn't fall for her. Shane was such a romantic in
that way - he'd leave that to him.