JANUARY 7TH 2002 AOIFE
JOEY WAS late to school on our first day back after Christmas break. When he finally showed up, fifteen minutes into the third class of the day, the circles under his eyes had my anxiety rising at a rapid pace.
“Jesus,” I whispered, when he slumped down beside me. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks,” he grumbled, dropping setting his elbows on our desk and dropping his head in his hands. “You look like dinner.”
I flamed with heat at the compliment. “Thanks.” “No problem.”
“What happened to you?” Glancing around class, I checked to see that our teacher was looking elsewhere before leaning in close and whispering, “Are you high again?”
“No, Molloy,” he mumbled, slumped over our desk. “Not high. Just tired.”
“Why?”
“Because I haven’t closed an eye all night.” “Again, why?”
“Because—“ he paused to yawn. “Sean’s cutting a tooth.” “Sean?” I stared blankly at his head. “Who’s Sean?” “He’s my baby—“
“Your baby?” I interrupted, eyes widening.
“Brother.” He lifted his head to glare at me. “Give me some credit, will ya?”
“Sorry.” I winced. “I just…I didn’t know that your mother had another baby.”
“Yep.”
“When?”
“Halloween.”
“Halloween?” My mouth fell open. “Joe, we legit talk every day and you never once mentioned that your mam had another baby.”
“Why would I?” he asked, confusion etched on his face.
“Because that’s the sort of thing that friends tell each other,” I explained. “Friends tell each other personal details like that.”
“Molloy, my mam had another baby.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not two months after the event.” He shrugged in response.
“So, tell me about Sean?” I asked, resting my elbow on the desk, and twisting sideways to face him.
“What’s to tell?” Joey replied, mirroring my actions. “He’s small, he’s cute, he shits everywhere, and he screams the house down.”
“And he kept you up last night crying?”
“I told you,” he growled defensively. “He’s cutting a tooth. It’s not his fault.”
“I know that,” I coaxed, resting my hand on his forearm. “I wasn’t blaming him. I was just thinking that the walls of your house must be paper thin if he kept you up all night.”
Joey looked at me for a long time before shaking his head. “What?” I asked. “What does that look mean?”
“Nothing.” “Liar.”
“Maybe I’ll tell you in another two months.”
I bit back a smile. “You look like you could use a pick-me-up.” “Yeah, I know, but I don’t get paid until Friday.”
“I was talking about chocolate, Joe.” “Do you have some?”
“I always have some.”
