Sweet as honey • James Maguire

1,4• You've got Abandonment Issues

We were all sat in the cafe. Me sitting opposite James and In Between Erin and Orla, while Katya was up at the counter ordering. "I don't know, I just find her a bit, I have a fringe and cigarettes and opinions, and she's also a bit, you know, I hate walls. And she's just not-" Erin started to complain about Katya. "Oh the grateful little peasant girl you ordered?" Clare questioned my cousin. "Yeah. No. I just don't trust her. And that thing she said about my letters being boring, I really think she's playing some sort of twisted psychological game here." Erin told us. "Or maybe your letters are just really fucking dull. Erin" Michelle mumbled. "Aye Erin,
You can't exactly hate her because she's just not what you imagined, or because she hates your boring letters" I started to back Katya up. "My letters are a gripping read" Erin told me and Michelle. "I'm not comfortable with you talking about my girlfriend like this. "You can however, Erin, hate her for that." I whispered to her, then leaning my head on her shoulder, still upset about the fact me and James both admitted, more or less, that we liked each other, and then a day later he starts dating some other girl. "She also fancies James. You don't find that a bit weird." Erin told Michelle more about Katyas strangeness. James looked at me to tell Erin off about her mean comment, but I stayed silent. "Aye that is a bit fucked up in fairness." Michelle said, before smiling at me sympathetically. "I can't get my head around it." Clare told us all. "I'm telling you, she's up to something." Erin said suspiciously. "Even so, I need her to put a word in with that big Russian ride." Michelle told us. "Just ask and Irish lad, Michelle. They're simple enough to get." I told her while James shot me a look. I already had a plan about my ride tonight, but I knew no one would like it. "And I really like the fact she glows in the dark." Orla told us. Causing James to question what she meant. "Because of the radiation, they all glow in the dark." Orla said as if it was common knowledge. "Right" James whispered.

"She's also opened my eyes about how we need to break down barriers here, to no longer define ourselves as Irish or British, Catholic or Protestant but simply as Human, with human hearts and human heads and human hands and other human qualities. Because at the end of the day, we're all... humans."Clare finished her heart warming speech with a smile on her face just as Katya sat down next to James. She then leant over and kissed him, causing me to roll my eyes. "Incoming Ride. I repeat, incoming ride." Michelle turned to us while pushing her boobs up. She then turned to the 'incoming ride' and Jenny Joyce.

"Hi everyone. This is Artem." Jenny told our table. "Well hello, Artem." Michelle said to the sad boy 'seductively'. "Go on then" Michelle whispered to Katya, causing her to say some words in Ukrainian to him, with no response. "He doesn't say much." Jenny told us all. "Is he... is he tied to you?" James questioned the girl. "Yeah he kept wondering off" Jenny said, causing me to scoff. "I wonder why" I whispered to Michelle. "Listen I've a feeling Artem and a few of the others are a bit homesick. It'd be nice for them to spend some time together. So I'm having a bit of a soirée at my place tonight. It's going to be great. I've got a chocolate fountain and everything!" Jenny told us, making Orlas eyes go wide. "Well, chocolate fountain of not, I'd actually prefer to keep our Ukrainians separate, so.." Erin told the girl.

Just then, the door opened, revealing just who I needed... David. Well I didn't need him. But he'd do. I know, I know. We're over, and we are! It's just, I've got to show James that he can't play with my feelings like that some how, and what better way than to make him jealous? "Oh, Christ. David. David Donnelly has just come in. David's here. Right. Okay. Don't look. Nobody look." Erin said from behind me, quickly turning around and chewing. It was now my turn to push my boobs up as he walked towards our table. This made Michelle look at me angrily, not happy at what she thought was my attempt to get David to notice me again.

He walked up to Jenny. "Hi do you have a playlist for tonight then?" He asked her. "I'll need the sound system set up by seven." She responded to his question. "Is your band playing at this thing tonight?" Erin questioned him, making him notice our table, and in turn, me. "Oh no, Christ no. I just do a wee bit of Dj-ing on the side. Make a bit of extra cash. Wacca-wacca, cha-ching!" He said, making me face palm. How did I ever go out with this man? "Oh my band, we don't really do covers. Do you know what I mean?" David started. "In this game, you need a wee bit of integrity." I finished off for him, causing him to look at me amazed at the fact I actually used to listen to him talk about his band.