Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The O'Hara house was bustling.
Maeve was running around trying ever so hard to get her 5 year old sister, Nessa dressed, Cillian was singing as he cooked bacon and eggs for the family for breakfast, and Aisling was yelling from the upstairs bathroom at her mother, Caoimhe who had yet again turned on the kitchen tap which cut the hot water from the shower.
Just usual life.
"Ness babe, you need to sit still" Maeve scolded the girl as she tried to brush her hair, the younger whining and whinging about the tangles and how it hurt.
"But it hurts!" The younger cried out, her hands in tight fists.
"Aye, I know. But it'll only take a second". The older O'Hara quickly tied the younger's hair into a ponytail, putting a hair clip at the front to hold back her always messy fringe. "See, done!"
"Tank you!" Nessa said sweetly as she slid off the kitchen stool, baby talk still evident in her vocabulary even at the age of 5.
"Ma, Da, I've got to go!" Maeve called out to her father and grandmother as she slid on her school blazer, pulling out her hair as it got trapped under. "Tell Mammy I said bye!"
"Aye!" She heard Ma call out, too busy washing dishes from last night to pay too much attention. Her father however had other plans.
"Mae, make sure you look out for the wee lass that Michelle is housing yeah? She'll need some guidance!" Cillian called out, giving the girl a stern glance, pointing the grease covered spatula in her direction.
"Aye, Da! I'll make sure I look after her!"
Maeve walked to the front door and opened it, but not before spinning around to look at her sister. Clenching her hand to make a gun, she pointed her two fingers at the youngling and fired, her mouth silently mouthing the word "pew". The younger O'Hara let out a gasp, folding onto the floor, her tongue sticking out and her eyes closed. All of this causing the older girl to laugh loudly. "Bye Nes"
"Bye Mae!"
—
Maeve made her way toward the Our Lady Immaculate School bus, where she always met her friends. Usually the group would go to Dennis' Wee Shop and try to grab a few sweets, but the life threatening need to dress and style her sister's hair was top priority this morning. The ginger's hair blew over her shoulder in the wind as she rounded the corner, and ran over to where she could see her friends standing.
Erin, Orla, and Clare were at the front of the bus as Maeve approached, a wide grin on her face.
"Morn!" She said loudly into Erin's ear causing the three girls to jump in fright, Erin more so.
"Oh christ Mae!" She swore, a scowl etched onto her face, Maeve laughing at their reaction. The girls chatted about their morning— especially Erin babbling on about David Donnelly, only being interrupted by the arrival of Michelle and her cousin.
Maeve looked around Michelle, wanting to welcome the new girl who would be not only attending their school but also joining their friend group. However, she wasn't met with the sight of a new girl; rather a new boy?
Michelle blabbed on about her newfound use of the word "motherfuckers", but no one was listening, everyone too focused on the clearly uncomfortable and shy boy standing before them. Sensing the awkwardness Maeve let out a quiet "hello" to the curly haired boy, offering a small smile. His eyes snapped to look at the red-haired girl, a warm pink creeping onto his cheeks for being acknowledged.
"Who owns the fella?" Erin said bluntly, which caused an elbow to plow into her side from Maeve.
"Me" Michelle said nonchalant, rolling her eyes at the prolonged silence that followed. "Well, come on, then ball-ache. Are you introducing yourself or what?"
The boys eyes widened at the question, gripping the strap of his bag tightly with one hand as he waved with the other. "Hi. I'm Michelle's cousin, James".
Maeve subconsciously let a warm smile fall into her face as he spoke, she loved meeting new people. However the same couldn't be said about the others.
"Why's he making that funny noise?" Orla whispered loudly to Erin, James clearly confused about what was going on.
"He's English, Orla" Michelle said plainly. "That's the way they talk" Maeve flicked her eyes back and forth between the cousins seeing some family resemblance. But she was just excited about the fact she would have a new friend. "He's my Auntie Kathy's wain. I told you about my Auntie Kathy. She went to England years ago to have an abortion, never came back. Never got the abortion either!"
Maeve watched James' face fall as Michelle spoke, the boy clearly never hearing this story before.
"Lucky for you, James, aye!"
The curly haired girl, slapped James on the cheek before skipping off with Erin, Orla, and Clare, leaving Maeve who was smiling awkwardly at the boy.
"Hi, I'm Maeve!" The ginger said tightly, sharply bringing her arm out to shake James' hand.
"Uh, hi. I'm James." He smiled weakly, shaking her hand back, the realisation that he already introduced himself hit James quickly however, which caused him to screw up his face in embarrassment. "But you already knew that".
Maeve let out a small laugh at the awkwardness exuding from him, before nodding her head towards their school bus, trying to not make him feel any more uncomfortable than he already was. "Come on, we don't want Michelle to whine about not getting the back seat".
Jogging over, the pair caught up fairly quickly with the rest of the group, everyone piling onto the Our Lady Immaculate bus. Michelle began handing out copies of Avon to girls as they all shimmied up the aisle to the back, but they came to a halt when they saw all the seats were taken.
"Michelle, let's just sit up front" Maeve smiled cautiously to the Mallon girl, knowing fully well that this wouldn't end nicely.
"No, why should we sit up front? We're fifth years, and they're fetuses!"
Maeve watched as Michelle proceeded to harass and threaten the first years. The O'Hara girl smothering her hands over her face as it progressed to finding out one of the wee lass' sister was Big Mandy. They were buggered. Maeve was sure her Granda would be rolling in his grave with the lack of niceties floating around.
"I think. There's been a wee bit of a misunderstanding" Michelle spoke slowly, as the information processed inside her head.
"Thought so. Now fuck off!" Little Mandy spat at the group, Maeve getting pushed from behind by Orla as they all began quickly shuffling toward the empty seats at the front of the bus.
"Fuck me" Maeve muttered under her breath as she quickly sat down next to the window in the seat in front of James, Clare and Erin piling in her row after. The girl wasn't having as fun of a first day as she planned.
She spun around as much as she could on the crowded seat, looking at James, a warm smile making it's way onto her face. "Welcome to Derry".
