โLook, itโs Mister Boombastic himself,โ Hughie Biggs called out when I rounded the courtyard and found the lads standing around the front entrance of the main building.
โHowโs the Vengaboy?โ Patrick Feely offered, clapping me on the back. โCongrats on the marriage โ youโre a dark horse.โ
โIโll say,โ Hughie laughed. โAny babies yet, lad? Sail any boats?โ
Arching a brow, I turned to Gibsie who was leaning against the wall. He had a cigarette hidden under his sleeve which I thought was pretty fucking pointless given the smoke that was wafting around him. โYouย toldย them?โ
โI told everyone,โ Gibsie shot back with an unapologetic grin. He slid his free hand under his school jumper and began to slap his hand against his chest. โBoom, boom, fucking boom, buddy!โ
Jesusโฆ
โIs she here yet?โ Ignoring their ribbing, I kept my eyes on Gibsie. โHave you seen her?โ
Feely frowned. โWho?โ
โShannon Lynch,โ Hughie filled in, sounding amused. โIโm guessing.โ
โAre you with her now?โ
I turned to look at Patrick. โWhat?โ
โShannon,โ he repeated. โAre you with her now?โ
โWell, he was with her in Dublin,โ Gibsie piped up. โAnd at his house last weekend.โ
โI heard about what happened,โ Hughie said, eyes laced with sympathy.
Yeah, I bet he had. The people in this town were un-fucking-believable for gossiping.
โIs she okay?โ he pressed.
I donโt know because I havenโt seen her in a week,ย I wanted to roar, but held it back. โSheโs grand.โ
โHe hasnโt seen her since Mammy K went to town on her mother,โ Gibsie laughed.
Feelyโs brows shot up. โThey had a fight?โ
โShe went for her,โ Gibsie chuckled. โKav had to drag her away.โ
โChrist.โ Hughie blew out a breath, sounding impressed. โGo Mammy K.โ
โYouโre a dirty rat,โ I growled, narrowing my eyes at my best friend. โAfter all the shite I keep under wrap for you.โ
โCalm down, you big vagina,โ Gibsie laughed. โSheโll be here, so just calm your tits.โ He exhaled a puff of smoke and rolled the butt of his cigarette between his fingers. His brows furrowed and he gave me a peculiar look. โYouโre acting allโฆโ he paused to wave a hand in front of himself before saying, โneedy.โ
I gaped at him. โNeedy?โ
โNeedyย andย clingy,โ Gibsie confirmed solemnly. โYou might want to tone it down a tad.โ
โCheers for the advice, Gibs,โ I bit out. โIโll be sure to take it.โ
โYouโre welcome,โ he shot back. โAnd speaking of appreciation; thank your dad again for me for getting me off the hook with Twomey.โ Sighing, he added, โIt was bad enough last week, I would have been miserable at home without you for another one.โ
I rolled my eyes. โIโm glad youโre not suspended, too, lad.โ
โAm I allowed home?โ he asked. โCan you have me back yet?โ
Feely arched a brow. โYouโve been separated?โ
โTemporarily,โ Gibsie replied, sounding defensive. โIt wonโt last.โ
Feely chuckled. โWhat did ye do?โ
โThe usual.โ Gibsie shrugged and waved a hand around aimlessly. โBroke the rules, stole a girl, got in some shit.โ
Feely shook his head. โI donโt know about you two. I honestly donโt.โ
โI didnโt steal her,โ I corrected, temper rising. โShe came willingly.โ
โShannon?โ
โWho else?โ Gibsie snickered.
โWell, itโs good to see you back on your feet, Cap,โ Hughie said, wisely veering the subject away from Shannon before I had an aneurism. โBut you need to get your ass back to training as soon as possible. Barrettsfield RFC hammered Ballylaggin into the ground at the weekend.โ
And just like that my bad mood worsened. โBarrettsfield?โ My voice was laced with disgust, not masking my horror. โJesus, lad, theyโre second division.โ
โHe doesnโt need to worry about it,โ Gibsie interjected, tone serious for once in his life. โItโs just a game, lads.โ
โWhat can I say,โ Hughie sighed, ignoring Gibsieโs words. โWe were lacking in the backline and down a captain.โ
Guilt filled my body. โFinal score?โ
Hughie grimaced before saying, โ48-26.โ
โJesus!โ Anxiety churned inside of me. โHow was your kicking form?โ
โ16 points,โ he replied. โTwo conversions and four penalties.โ
โFair play, lad.โ I slapped his shoulder. โYou kept them in it.โ
Hughie smiled. โI tried.โ
โHow did the checkup go?โ Feely asked then, holding the door open for me.
โYeah.โ Gibsie grinned and took another deep drag of his cigarette before exhaling a cloud of smoke. โDid the good doctor give you your green card?โ
โNope.โ Too pissed off to give him a lecture on his lungs, I stepped inside. โAs predicted.โ
โBad luck, lad,โ Feely said as both he and Hughie followed me into the school.
โAh, itโs not all doom and gloom.โ Taking one last drag of his smoke, Gibsie tossed the butt away and fell into step beside us. โAt least youโre down to the one crutch.โ
โGo me,โ I bit out, ignoring every smile, wave, and โHey, Kav,โ and โHowโs it going, Johnnyโ as I stalked through the hallway on my way to my locker.
โJust give yourself time,โ Feely replied calmly. โEverything will work out.โ
โExactly,โ Hughie added, patting my shoulder. โRome wasnโt built in a day.โ
โYeah, well Rome needs to hurry the fuck up, lads,โ I muttered, leaning heavily on the crutch in my left hand. โBecause Iโm a little short on time.โ
โYou still have two months, Cap.โ
โI have forty-six days,โ I corrected, agitated. โAnd counting.โ
โAt least theyโre letting you work out again,โ Hughie offered, tone optimistic.
โUpper body only,โ I muttered. โThatโll be handy when I need to run a fucking drill, wonโt it?โ
โJesus, youโre a moody bastard,โ Gibsie quipped. โThereโs no pleasing you.โ
โWell, lad, if you spent your morning with three old dollโs feeling you up while youโre Da was in the room, you wouldnโt exactly be shitting rainbows.โ
Gibsie scoffed. โIf I had three women feeling me up this morning, I can guarantee you that Iย wouldย be shitting rainbows.โ
Hughie and Feely laughed.
โTrust me, you wouldnโt,โ I grumbled.
Gibs arched a brow. โWhen you say oldโฆโ
โI mean geriatric old,โ I barked, stopping in the middle of the hall to glare at him. โMrs. Lovellย old.โ
Gibsie paled. โLad.โ
Encouraged by the sympathy in their eyes, I continued with my sorrowful rant, โThink up the best possible s*xy nurse fantasy you have.โ
He grinned. โGot it.โ
I nodded in approval. โNow swap that nurse with your granny.โ
All three of my friends groaned in sympathy. โFuck.โ
โYeah,โ I confirmed grimly, walking again. โFuck is right.โ
โDid you at least get your cum card?โ Gibsie asked then, and not quietly, when we reached the fifth-year locker area. โSurely, you got the green light for โโ
โYou had to do it, didnโt you?โ Hughie sighed, resting against the locker next to mine. โYou always have to go that little bit too far, Gibs.โ
โIโm worried,โ Gibsie shot back huffily. โIโm being aย concerned friend.โ
โYouโre being a freak,โ Feely offered dryly.
โI got the cum card, Gibs,โ I decided to say, knowing that if I didnโt tell the eejit, he wouldnโt give me a minuteโs peace. โItโs all good.โ
โYou did?โ His eyes danced with excitement. โThen what the fuck are you doing at school, Johnny?โ
โExactly that,โ I shot back. โBecause Iย haveย school.โ
He arched a brow. โIโm still waiting for an actual reason, lad.โ
โBecause I could hardly tell my Da to take me home so I can fuck myself,โ I sneered sarcastically. โGet a handle of yourself.โ
Gibsie stared blankly back at me. โI see no problem with that.โ
โDonโt encourage him,โ I snapped, glaring at Hughie and Feely who were snickering.
โYouโre the one who needs to get aย handleย of yourself,โ Gibsie countered, still staring at me in disbelief. โWith both hands.โ
Give me strengthโฆ
Jaw ticking, I turned my attention back to my locker and yanked the metal door open, only to gag when I was hit by a god-awful smell.
All four of us jerked away from the locker simultaneously.
โJesus,โ Hughie choked out.
โUh, lad,โ Feely groaned. โThatโs bad.โ
โYou dirty bastard,โ Gibsie strangled out, his words muffled, as he covered his mouth with his hand. โJesus Christ, Johnny.โ Glaring at my locker like it was his mortal enemy, he hissed, โEver heard of a rubbish bin?โ
โI forgot it was in there,โ I laughed, retrieving the plastic container that was now growing fur. โDidnโt exactly have time to clear out my locker for the holidays.โ Holding it as far away from my body as possible, I walked over to the waste bin and tossed it in before turning back to the lads. Grinning sheepishly, I asked, โWhat do you think it once was?โ
โChicken,โ all three lads groaned in unison.
โHey, Johnny,โ the bane of my existenceโs voice peppered through the air then, as irritating and unwelcome as always, and taking with it any semblance of humor. Now, I was the one to shudder in pure, unadulterated repulsion as I watched Bella Wilkinson swagger towards me, all hips and tits and pain in my hole. โHow are you feeling?โ
โKeep walking,โ I instructed coldly, hackles rising. Dick move or not, I made a beeline for the lads, finding sanctuary โ and safety โ in numbers. โI have nothing to say to you.โ
โCome on, Johnny, I just want to โโ
โIโm not doing this with you again,โ I grumbled, interrupting her. โWeโve had this talk a million fucking times. Itโs done with โweโre done with โ so justย walk away.โ
โSo, what, I canโt even talk to you?โ she shot back, looking wounded. โI canโt ask how youโre feeling?โ
โIโm fine,โ I deadpanned. โThanks for asking. Now leave me alone.โ
Her breath hitched in her throat. โJohnnyโฆโ
โYou heard the man,โ Gibsie ordered, good mood forgotten, as he pointed a finger towards the hallway. โJust keep on walking.โ
โFuck you, Gibsie,โ Bella growled before turning her gaze on me. Batting her blue eyes, she smiled up at me, expression hopeful. โI know things ended badly between us, but I was so worried about you.โ
โIโm sure you were,โ Hughie mused. โAnd I bet Cormac really eased the worrying for you.โ
โJust stop.โ Exhausted from months of back and forth with the girl, I scrubbed my face wearily and said, โI donโt want to fight with you. Iโm done, okay? So, please just walkย away.โ
Bella cast a scathing look towards Hughie before looking back to me. โI was just hoping that we could talk for five minutes โโ
โAnd I was hoping to win the lotto at the weekend,โ Gibsie interjected and then frowned. โBut it didnโt work out that way because I forgot to buy a quick-pick.โ
Feely snorted. โYouโre under eighteen. Whoโs going to serve you?โ
Gibsie waggled his brow. โI have connections.โ
Feely rolled his eyes. โDee?โ
Gibsie winked. โMaybe.โ
โWhatโs your point here, Gibsie?โ Bella demanded, glowering at my best friend.
โMy point is fuck off, Bella,โ Gibsie told her. โFuckย rightย off, if you want me to get technical. Far, far away to the land ofย Johnny doesnโt want to be with you so get a life.โ
โYou canโt talk to me like that,โ she challenged, shaking now.
Gibsie arched a brow. โAnd why not?โ
โBecause!โ she spat, flustered. โBecause โโ
โBecause I have a dick and you have a pussy?โ he offered knowingly. โOh, please. Iโm a twenty-first century guy. I support equal rights for everyone, which includes the right for me, a dick owner, to tell a stalkerish female, such as yourself, toย fuck off!โ
โThat was impressive,โ Hughie mused.
โIโm an impressive guy,โ Gibs shot back with a smirk.
โJesus,โ I muttered, cringing when tears filled her eyes.
โEight months, Johnny,โ she sobbed, looking up at me. โAnd itโs like this?โ
Biting my knuckles, I resisted the urge to scream. โListen,โ I finally said, striving for patience. โThis is pointless. I donโt have anything to say to you, and you have nothing I want to hear. Iโm not interested. I wasnโt even interested when I wasย supposedย to be interested. So justโฆplease! I am begging you to just leave me alone, Bella.ย Please.โ
โReally?โ
โYes!โ
โAnd thatโs what you want? For me to just walk away?โ
Dear godโฆย โYes!โ
โFine!โ she screamed, crocodile tears miraculously gone now as she glared up at me. โYou want me out of your life, Johnny Kavanagh? Fine. Consider me gone!โ
I released a huge sigh and sagged in relief. โThank you.โ Obviously, I didnโt give Bella the reaction she wanted because she narrowed her eyes and kicked my crutch out of my hand, causing me to stagger backwards. โThanks for that, too,โ I bit out, catching a hold of Feely to balance myself.
โI hope youโre crippled,โ she spat. โI hope The Academy drops your ass and you never play rugby again!โ Sneering, she added, โIn fact, I hope I never see your face again.โ
Lovely.
โUnlikely,โ Feely said dryly. โAside from stating the obvious โโ
โThat you go to school with him,โ Gibsie filled in, stating the bleeding obvious.
โYes, Gibs,โ Feely sighed. โAside from school, Iโm sure youโll see him again in the summer.โ Shrugging, he added, โYou know, when heโs on the telly, playing for his country, and youโre sitting at home, watching from your couch.โ
โWith Cormac,โ Hughie added mildly.
โAh, yes,โ Gibsie mused. โHow is Judas Iscari-cunt?โ
โThe four of you can all go to hell!โ she screamed before turning on her heels and storming away. โAssholes.โ
โWeโll see you there, Devil Pussy!โ Gibsie called after her as he bent down and retrieved my crutch and leaned it against the locker. โWeโll see you there.โ
โJesus,โ Robbie Mac whistled, stepping aside for Bella as she barreled past him, Pierce, and half the team. โWhatโs her hurry?โ
โShe needs to get home before the sun comes up,โ Gibsie said loudly. โYou know how vampires tend to burst into ash at the first sign of daylight.โ
โFuck you, Gerard Gibson!โ Bella screamed over her shoulder.
โNot on your life,ย princess,โ Gibsie roared after her. โI wouldnโt touch you with McGarryโs dick!โ
โStop,โ I groaned, holding a hand up towards Gibs. โJust let it go, lad.โ
โYouโre a bad bastard,โ Feely chuckled. โThat was savage, Gibs.โ
Gibsie shrugged. โSometimes you have to be a bad bastard when youโre dealing with a bad bitch.โ
Robbie, Pierce, and the lads from the team surrounded us then, each taking turns slapping me on the back and welcoming me back and asking questions I would never in my wildest dreams give them genuine answers to.
โLads, let Capโs misfortune be a warning to us all of the dangers that lurk behind a decent pair of tits,โ Gibsie announced. โWhen in doubt, rub one out.โ
His comments drew a laugh from everyone โ myself included.
โYouโre a lucky boy,โ Pierce agreed with a shudder.
โDangerous pussy,โ Robbie offered.
โIโll fucking say,โ I muttered, rubbing my temples.
โAnd you guys gave me shit for getting with Katie in second year,โ Hughie mused, sounding awfully fucking smug, as he pushed off the lockers and puffed his chest. โSteady and sensible doesnโt look so bad now, does it?โ
โAfter that outburst,ย youโreย not looking so bad,โ Gibsie offered.
Hughie grinned, while the rest of us sighed heavily.
Donโt take the bait, Hughieโฆ
Youโre walking yourself into itโฆ
โAre you saying that you want my dick, Gibs?โ Hughie teased.
โIโm saying I want your sisterโs pussy,โ Gibsie shot back, waggling his brows.
There it isโฆ
โAround my cock,โ Gibsie continued.
โGibs,โ I warned.
โOn my face.โ
โGibsie!โ Feely groaned.
โAll over me.โ
The smile on Hughieโs face morphed into a furious scowl. โTake it back.โ
โNo.โ
โTake itย back, asshole.โ
โNo.โ
โJust take it fucking back!โ
โJust accept it,โ Gibsie laughed, bouncing back on his feet when Hughie took a swing at him. โItโs going to happen,ย brother-in-law.โ
โOver my dead body,โ Hughie snarled, lunging. โSheโs too good for you โโ
โDonโt be an eejit, Gibs,โ I snapped, grabbing the back of Hughieโs jumper and dragging him back to me. โIgnore him, Hugh. Heโs only messing with you.โ
โHeโs not messing.โ Furious, Hughie glowered at Gibs. โHeโs been obsessed with her since junior fucking infants!โ
โTell him youโre messing,โ I growled. โTell him, Gibs.โ
โIโm really not,โ Gibsie laughed. โAnd itโs not just her pussy I want โ although, thatโs high on the list. I want the whole lot of her, lad, and she wants me back.โ He grinned devilishly. โBadly.โ
โMy sister doesnโtย wantย you,โ Hughie sneered. โClaire canโt stand you. She only puts up with you because youโre friends with me.โ
โShe wasnโt saying that last night,โ he replied, completely unfazed. โWhen I was โโ
โFilter, Gibs!โ I barked. โJesus Christ, lad!ย Filter.โ
โYou better keep your filthy cock on your own side of the road,โ Hughie hissed, jabbing a finger in Gibsieโs direction. โSister-fucker.โ
โNot yet,โ Gibsie snickered, thoroughly enjoying Hughieโs discomfort. โBut Iโll take that title soon enough.โ
โIโm going to kill ya โโ
โPack it in, the pair of ye!โ I snapped, keeping a hold of Hughieโs jumper as I gave my best friend a withering look. โAnd use your bleeding brain before you speak, Gibs. Not everything you think in that fucked up head of yours needs to be verbalized.โ
โIโm joking โ Iโm joking,โ Gibsie laughed when Hughie broke free of my hold and tackled him to the floor. Rolling onto his back, he held his hands up, still laughing. โI havenโt touched her.โ
โYou fucking better not have,โ Hughie snarled, bitch slapping him. โThereโs a code that you donโt break! You donโt mess around with your friendsโ sisters!โ
โI thought that rule was about our mothers,โ Gibsie shot back, laughing too hard to defend himself. โIsnโt that right, Kav?โ
โWatch it,โ I warned, glaring at him.
โItโs the clothes,โ Feely sighed wistfully.
โAnd the hair,โ Pierce agreed.
โSheโs the best cook,โ Gibs offered.
โAnd she always smells fantastic,โ Robbie interjected.
โAnd that body โโ
โThatโs my mother, ye sick bastards!โ I snapped, bristling. โYou donโt hear me talking about any of yer Maโs like that!โ
โBecause none ofย ourย mothers look likeย yourย mother,โ Gibsie snickered. โMammy K.โ He sighed dramatically. โMmm.โ
โJesus, yeah.โ Hughie paused, mid-strangling. โTo be fair, Cap, your mother is a pure rid โโ
โFinish that sentence and Iโll shove my crutch up the highest part of your hole.โ Turning to Gibsie, I said, โYou know what? Go ahead and fuck all of their sisters, Gibs. In fact, go fuck yourselves while youโre at it.โ
โI donโt want their sisters โ no offense, lads. Iโm sure theyโre all lovely girls,โ Gibsie snickered. โI only wantย hisย sister.โ
โSee!โ Hughie barked before turning his focus back to Gibsie. โI was only messing about your mother. This prick is serious about my sister!โ
โI think youโre looking at this all wrong, lad,โ Gibsie continued to goad while Hughie resumed his throttling. โIโm loyal. Iโm beautiful. Iโm told I give five-star oral. Iโm a solid bet.โ
โYouโre a solid whore is what you are!โ Hughie snarled. โDonโt forget Iโve known you your whole life, asshole. Which means, I know all about where your cock has been!โ
โI was just biding my time, and practice makes perfect,โ Gibsie laughed and then groaned when Hughieโs fist connected with his jaw. โLad, not the face. Your sister likes me pretty.โ
Hughieโs face turned a deep shade of purple. โSheโs innocent and good and fucking pure, dammit, so you just keep your goddamn hands off!โ
โAh, Johnny?โ Feely muttered, tapping my shoulder. โWe have company.โ
Tearing my eyes off the two eejits rolling around on the ground, I glanced over Robbie and Pierceโs heads just in time to catch a glimpse of Shannon as she hurried away.
Fromย me?
Oh, hell fucking no.
Shoving my way past the lads, I stalked after her, feeling the burn shoot up my thighs as I moved, but too worked up to slow my pace or turn back for my crutch.
โShannon?โ My heart slammed against my chest bone so fucking hard that I thought it would leave a bruise, as I called after her, โShannonย like the river, come back here!โ