Page 141 of Releasing 10
“Do you really want to do this with me?” I asked him, unwilling to back down. “Right here and now?”
Mark must have realized how serious I was because he shook his head and sneered, “You’re not worth going to jail over,” before shoving past us.
Taking that as my cue to haul ass, I carted my friend down the staircase and out the front door before his bully had a change of heart.
“Thanks for that,” Gibs said when we were in my driveway.
“No bother, lad,” I replied, guiding him up the porch steps. “Anytime.”
“I might hold you to that,” he chuckled, still clutching my hand.
For some strange reason, I didn’t pull my hand from his, not even when we got inside. Instead, I let him hold my hand for a solid five minutes before he finally let go.
CINEMA TRIPS AND GOBSTOPPER LICKS
Hugh
FEBRUARY 20, 1999
IDIDN’T EXPECT TO RUN INTO THE CRETIN SO SOON AFTER OUR PREVIOUS ALTERCAtion, but that’s what happened when I opened the door the following day and found him on my doorstep.
Like a bad smell the street couldn’t shake, Mark Allen stood in front of me. He had his arms resting on either side of the doorframe in his obvious attempt to make himself look as imposing as possible. If he was expecting me to cower in fear, then he hadn’t learned a damn thing. Because, like I’d say a thousand times, he could kick me up and down the street and I’d still come back swinging at the fucker.
The only reason I hadn’t returned the favor and slammed the door in his face was the fact that Gibs was there, too.
“What?” I asked in a flat tone.
“I was sent over to ask if you and your sister wanted to go to the cinema with us,” the cretin surprised me by saying.
“The cinema.” I arched a disbelieving brow. “Withyou?”
“Do you want to go or not?” Mark snapped, sounding impatient.
“Do I want togo?” My eyes bulged in their sockets. “Asshole, you must be off your rocker if you think or imagine I wouldeverwillingly breathe the same air as—”
“Please come, Hugh,” Gibsie cut in, looking up at me with a pleading expression.“Please.”
“Come where?” Claire asked, slipping under my arm. “Oh, hi, Gerard.” The beaming smile she had for our friend quickly morphed into a scowl when her eyes landed on Mark. “Ew.”
“Caoimhe’s meeting us at the cinema,” Gibsie continued to say, eyes locked on mine. “The old one in town. It’s her present to me.” He shrugged helplessly. “You know, for my birthday.”
Dammit, Gibs!
He had to play the birthday card there.
“I’ll come.” Claire was quick to accept the invitation. “Hold on,” she added, quickly backpedaling through the hallway. “I’ll go ask Mam for money.”
Dammit, Claire!
Now I had to go because there was no way on God’s green earth that I would allowmybaby sister to get in that asshole’s car without me.
My bad mood quickly lifted when I walked into the cinema foyer thirty minutes later and locked eyes on Lizzie, standing off to the side, while her sister paid for tickets at the counter. Claire and Gibs made a beeline for the refreshments, but I couldn’t move.
Momentarily struck dumb at the sight of her, I could do nothing but stare like a dope and soak the image of her into my mind.
Liz was wearing an oversized, green babydoll dress, an even bigger white cardigan, frilly white ankle socks, and black army boots. Her hair was loose and flowing over her shoulders, and she had a plaster on her knee. The clothes she was wearing swamped her and clearly belonged to Caoimhe, but somehow, Liz made it look so fucking cool. She oozed a lazy sort of confidence that wasn’t common in girls our age.
She was staring off blankly, but when I caught her attention, her eyes literally sparked to life, and then she was moving, weaving through the crowded foyer like a woman on a mission.
