At Seventeen

Chapter 22

Eoin took most of her 'scoops' with a pinch of salt.  They usually involved scandal.  Eoin was not interested in scandal.  He wrote about the local news, such as the starting of youth clubs, fundraising events, et cetera.  Not women leaving the town's nightclubs topless.  After Victoria had spotted one of these women, she had insisted it was her duty to inform the locals.  Even when Eoin had told her in no uncertain terms that his readers were not interested in the topic, it had taken a while for her to relent.

Now she lay sprawled on the floor with the suitcase of his Chief Correspondent, who glared at her furiously.  She ignored him, rose, dusted herself, and addressed Eoin.  "I've got a great front page story.  A picture of Kian Egan and his girlfriend."

Eoin was still skeptical.  Westlife being local heroes, any story related to them was always met with great interest in the area, but he had other things on his agenda.  "Has it been stated by Louis Walsh that they're officially going out?"

"No," admitted Victoria, "but would I call it a great story if he had?  They were in a petrol station just outside Collooney, kissing and hugging, they're only asking to be discovered with that kind of carry-on in public."

"But Victoria," said Eoin, his voice dangerously level, "this is a local newspaper.  Kian Egan is a local resident.  Sligo is the one place in the world where he feels he can 'carry-on' or whatever you call it, without it being broadcast to a larger audience.  We can't afford to offend many people.  If the man is not prepared to talk about it, then we can't publish it.  End of story."

Victoria began to protest once more, but her complaints fell on deaf ears.  From now on she would refer to Eoin and only him.  He was the Editor, and had full control of what could be published and what could not.  It was foolish to assume otherwise.  She was just a Junior Correspondent still, gaining work experience.  She would not interfere in the running of the newspaper.

At this, Victoria exploded.  After a torrent of abuse towards Eoin, the Champion, and Sligo in general, she left the office, announcing her resignation.  Eoin gave a sigh of relief.  She had finally sacked herself, a task he had been endeavouring to do for the past month.

"I don't want to go," whined Jane, as Kian slowly moved himself from the back seat.  "Come on, Jane, you know we have to."

"No, I don't," said Jane.  "I can just tell Bryan that I don't want to be with him anymore."

"It's not fair to him though," sighed her struggling companion.  Jane had attached her arm around his neck, and would not let go.  "Jane!"

She removed her hand reluctantly.  "No one is going to know..."

"It's not fair..... it's not safe..... and Bryan is my colleague and close friend, Jane!"

"So you don't care about me anymore," said Jane sulkily.

"I never said that!" Kian paused.  "You've got to choose."

"What?"

"That's right.  Choose between me and Bryan.  I give you two days.  Either you break it off with Bryan - with as much sensitivity as you can muster, or I walk out of your life.  Permanently."

Shane, Eimear and Bryan walked to the hospital in compassionate silence.  It wasn't that they had nothing to say, they just did not know a way to express it.  In Shane and Eimear's case, too, they felt so uncertain of their own minds that they could not even begin to talk as normal.

On reaching the hospital, they decided with mutual consent to see Mark together.  For Shane it was welcome news.  He did not wish to spend any more time with Eimear on his own than necessary.  Eimear was divided, on one part she was disappointed, who knew what could happen if they were alone together?  But then again she knew herself too well other than to assume she would have remained tight-lipped had the scenario arose.  So really it was a good thing.

Mark seemed lively - true, his complexion was far paler than Shane or Bryan had ever seen it before, and he seemed frail.  But he was sharp, he caught every word in the conversation and contributed a few himself.  All four were laughing as the visit ended.

Bryan, Eimear and Shane, relaxed and happy, left the private room with something like joy in their hearts.  Mark was well on the road to recovery, according to a blonde student who had made a beeline for them as soon as she had heard Mark had visitors.  Bryan thought he had sensed disappointment in her voice and offered to sign a piece of paper for her.  Eimear knew the real cause of despair.  The nurse was Geraldine, Kian's admirer.  She had thought he was there.

The trio departed.  An air of understanding seemed to have spread between them, and they spoke no words again on their return journey.  But just on leaving the hospital, Shane saw a black sports car approach them.  "Nicky!"

A head popped out of the open car window.  "Shane!"  He stopped the engine, and Bryan and Shane crossed the road to talk to him.  Eimear followed, already feeling out of her depth.  She had never met Nicky.

"How is Mark?" Nicky was asking panickedly.

"He's grand, Nicky, he just needs a few days to recover," said Bryan reassuredly.

"What?" Nicky cried.  He had by now joined them on the pavement.  "You texted me and said he was in a life threatening situation!"

"He was!" cried Bryan.

"But you never told me he was out of it!"

"We've been busy," said Shane shortly.  "Bryan didn't hang about in Dublin, he was here on the spot when Mark needed him!"

""Are you blaming me now for spending the Christmas break with my family?" was Nicky's accusation.  "While Bryan left his the day after Christmas!"

Eimear was afraid that a major row would break out - Bryan was about to counter Nicky's attack, but Shane stopped any chance of that.  "What the hell is she doing here?"  He pointed at a tanned grinning girl with straw-coloured hair, and Nicky looked to where Shane was pointing.  "Cassie? She was hitching on the N4, I had to pick her up!"

"Why couldn't you have stayed in L.A. where you belong?"  Shane yelled at her, as she stepped, gracefully it had to be said, out of Nicky's car.  Eimear felt an emotion she rarely felt overcome her - jealousy.  Cassie was about six inches shorter than her, though Eimear was petite, yet she still managed to have long legs which greatly resembled sticks.  Thin ones at that.

"Well, how ya doin', honey?" she purred.  Eimear noted another thing that irritated her for future reference - Cassie called Shane "honey".  At this moment Eimear knew for certain that she wanted to hit Cassie again and again until she fell to the ground.  The violence of this thought shocked her.  She really did feel for Shane.  What if she lost him now?  For Shane's anger was slowly subsiding as he looked Cassie straight in the eye.  Neither of them said a word.  Cassie was smiling.  And then Nicky said the words which broke Eimear's heart.

"There you go, Shane.  I knew you'd calm down." He grinned at Bryan.  "You'd have to say, Macker, that it doesn't happen every day."

"What?" asked Bryan, momentarily lost.

"That I bring his girlfriend back to him for the New Year."

Unfinished Stories

Home