Denver is a girl from the wee town Derry. As a lesbian who is also a Catholic, you can imagine what her life is like.
ALL RIGHTS GO TO DERRY GIRLS
(I only own the added in characters)
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" happy birthday, orla. "
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1 YEAR LATER
☆
I STAND IN my bedroom and check through my university options. The University of Dublin, Oxford, Cambridge and others. I've gotten two scholarships.
But, I don't know how to break the news to Orla that I won't be staying in Derry. "Orla's on the phone!" Juliet calls.
I pick up the phone in my room and hold it against my ear. "And how are you this morning, Orla?" I ask.
"I'm great, Rose." Orla says. "Are you excited for my eighteenth?"
"I am very excited." I nod. "And, again, I'm sorry I couldn't give you half your present on Erin's eighteenth three months ago."
"Ah, water under the bridge, Rose." Orla says. "Have you heard from your schools?"
I nod. "No. No, I haven't." I lie. I don't have the heart to tell her. "When I do, though, you'll be the first to know."
"Great." I hear Orla's smile through the phone. "What're you getting me for my birthday?"
I chuckle. "You can't know, Orla. It's a surprise." I state.
"But I told you what I got you before your birthday!" Orla says.
"Yes, but it ruined the surprise." I say. "I've got to go, I have to get ready for school."
"Bye bye, Rose." Orla says before hanging up. I get up and put my uniform on before leaving the house and going to school.
As we stand in the auditorium and watch the stupid little play Jenny Joyce is putting on with her friends, I feel myself cringe.
"Are the IRA famous for their swordsmanship?" James asks.
Once the play ends, there's only three people that applaud. Sister Michael walks up to the microphone and stays quiet for a moment. "Food for thought, there." She says.
"The conflict here has led to so many terrible atrocities, and now we must add your play to that list. Just one message this morning, girls. Quite an important one. As Jenny's awful play just alluded to, a referendum is about to take place, the outcome of which could change the course of history. To those of you who have already turned eighteen, I strongly urge you to exercise your right to vote. It's your future. Take it seriously. On the other hand, and I cannot stress this enough, I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in any of you other so-called rights. I don't want to hear your thoughts on the workload, or the uniform, or the fact that you have to occasionally do my ironing."
