Derry Girls: Impossible to Ignore

Chapter 2: No More Waitin'

     Erin and Orla's joint birthday party was a couple hours in, and everyone was having a cracker time. Sure, they were still sharing a parish hall with some wains having their first communion, and they had hijacked the guests and entertainment from Jenny Joyce's swankier party. But it was still a great time! James was of course going around recording as much as he could, wanting to know what it felt like for all of them to be adults. Naturally, he interviewed Erin.

"So, we're all 18 now," James began. "We're all officially adults. So, tell me Erin. How does that make you feel?
"It's good," she replied.
"Very profound," he teased.
"No, shut up," she chuckled. "No, it's good. It's exciting."
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Yeah. And maybe a wee bit scary too, you know," she continued. "There's a part of me that wishes everything could just stay the same. That we could all just stay like this forever. There's a part of me that doesn't really want to grow up. I'm not sure I'm ready for it. I'm not sure I'm ready for the world. But things can't stay the same, and they shouldn't. No matter how scary it is, we have to move on, and we have to grow up, because things... well, they might just change for the better. So we have to be brave. And if our dreams get broken along the way... we have to make new ones from the pieces.
"You should write that down," he said with a warm smile as he stopped recording.
"Well, maybe I will someday," she smiled back.

The two shared a dance, with everyone else caught up in the music as well. At some point in the evening, Erin was sat alone at a table, not smiling like she had before.
"Aye, but this is a cracker party, so it is!" Orla exclaimed with a big smile, sitting down next to her cousin.
"Aye, it turned out better than I could've imagined," Erin replied with a slight smile.
"Ye look sad, Erin," Orla pointed out.
"I'm fine, Orla," Erin replied. "Just... thinkin' of things."
The two sat there for a couple minutes in silence. Orla couldn't help but notice her cousin sharing a couple stares with James, who was sitting across the hall at another table with Michelle. Just how much Orla noticed around her was anyone's guess. At times she seemed completely oblivious, but other times sharp as a tack.

"How come ye n' James aren't together?" Orla suddenly asked.
"What are ye goin' on about, Orla?" Erin side eyed her cousin. "We were just dancin' together earlier."
"No... I mean how come you's twos aren't in some kind of relationship?" Orla made herself more clear. "Ye two seem really fancy each other, so ye do."
"Catch yourself on, Orla!" Erin chuckled sarcastically. "What... what in God's name gave ye such a silly idea?"
"You's twos shared a kiss that time in Donegal," Orla pointed out.
"I swear to Christ, Orla," Erin groaned. "How many times have I told ye not to be readin' my diary?"
"I didn't know from readin' yer diary," Orla replied. "Although I did read that entry. Very poetic, it was."
"Then... ye saw us?" Erin asked, glossing over the fact Orla was STILL reading her diary.
"Nah," was all Orla said in reply to that. "But I heard Michelle have a cack attack over it, I did. Pretty sure Clare was still asleep. She hasn't said anything about it."
"How come ye never said anythin' till now?" Erin asked.
"Been quite rude to bring it up, I figured," Orla shrugged in response.

Erin was more than a wee bit shocked. She figured only Michelle knew about the kiss. But Orla knew this whole time, and that was over a year ago, and she hadn't gone blabbing about it. She wasn't exactly known for being able to keep secrets. She wrote a book report on Erin's Diary for feck's sake!
"Well, if ye heard Michelle's cack attack, then ye know why James and I aren't together," answered Erin. "So why mention it now?"
"Why would you have Michelle get in the way of a fella ya fancy and fancy's ye back?" Oral asked.
"Cuz James isn't just any fella, Orla," Erin retorted. "He's Michelle's cousin! If we broke up... it would cause problems with our friendship!"
"Do ye think you'd ever break up if ye got together?" Orla asked.
"I... I can't say for sure," Erin admitted.
"Doesn't seem possible to me," said Orla.
"Why?" Erin asked arching an eyebrow.
"Cuz of the way James still looks at ye," answered Orla.
"How does he look at me?" Erin asked.
     "Ye ever see the way Granda looks at a pic of Grandma?" Orla asked with a warm smile.
     "Aye, I 'spose so," Erin answered, she had in fact noticed on multiple occasions.
     "Or the way Uncle Gerry glances at Aunt Mary when she's not lookin'?" Orla asked without answering the previous question.
     "Aye, I 'spose so on that too," answered Erin, having also witnessed this on several occasions. "What are ye gettin' at with it, Orla?"
     "James looks at ye the exact same way, he does," Orla answered, her smile growing. "Like ye're the most special thing in the whole wide world. As if nothin' else matters 'cept ye."