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The bell above the door of The Chippy rang as Maeve entered. The girl had a note clutched in her hand as she walked to the counter, a warm smile on her lips.
"Hi Fionnula, how've you been?"
The usually angry woman grumbled as she slowly turned to look at the counter front, but that soon changed when she saw who exactly she was speaking to. The faintest of smiles appeared on the woman's lips, the closest thing to a smile than anyone would get. Sometimes it was good having her parents as her parents.
"'lo Maeve. Order?"
"Mhm!"
Smiling at the woman, Maeve passed the note over, just as she spotted her friends gathered in the corner of the room staring at the bulletin board, Erin, Orla and Clare already ordered. The group watched as a girl from their school walked over and took one of the tabs off a job advertisement, Maeve muttering a "hello" as she joined them all.
"Fucks sake. I think other people are onto this thing, girls" Michelle spoke harshly, no one but James acknowledging Maeve's presence.
"Hiya Mae"
The girl gave James a warm smile, her cheeks involuntarily heating up from the use of her nickname. She'd never said for the boy to use her nickname, but it sounded so nice coming from the Englishman. She did rather like his accent— oh catch yourself on, girl.
"Oi! I'll not ask ye again!"
The group spun the stare at a now angry— well, more than usual, angry Fionnula. All except for Michelle who didn't seem phased one bit.
"A large cowboy, Fionnula" she replied nonchalant. Fionnula staring aggressively at the English boy, wanting to know his order as well.
"What about the wee limey?"
"Well dicko?"
Michelle looked almost disappointed at James but this wasn't anything different— she always seemed completely fed up with purely his presence.
James however looked uncomfortable. Maeve could tell he wanted to leave the shop ASAP. "I'm okay, thanks".
Everyone inside The Chippy stared expectantly at the boy, almost laughing at what he had said. Funny joke.
"What?" Michelle fired, her anger beginning to bubble.
"I don't really want anything" he sighed, feeling the tension grow with each passing second.
"You don't want anything?" Erin added, the group seeming to gang up on the poor boy.
"How could you not want anything? It's lovely!"
One by one things were piling up for James, everyone seeming to take a dig as his choice to not eat at The Chippy. Maeve could see the stress forming as lines across his forehead, knowing fully well he would break sooner or later. And unfortunately, it was sooner.
