this town

8. The only truth

Niall

            The day after the disco, in school was strange. Everyone kept staring and pointing at us. It wasn't hard to tell they were talking about us. I felt very uncomfortable, and I could tell Brooke did as well.

            "Congrats mate" said a boy from one of the other classes. "Nothing happened" I told him.
"Sure" he replied with a wink.
All day people have been patting me on the back and congratulating me.

            I decided to be the bigger person and ignore it. At lunch people were still whispering. I was fed up at this stage. I seen a lad across the canteen from me make eye contact and wink at me. I rolled my eyes and gave him the fingers.

He stood on his chair and told everyone to listen up. I stood up in anger.
"Hi everyone. I just wanna say congrats to my g Niall for banging up his bird Brooke last night." He laughs. Everyone laughs and cheers with him.

            I walk over and push him into the wall. Brooke follows me. "Cmon Niall stop trying to protect your bird"
Brooke comes up beside him and punches him right across the face and decks him.
"I'm not anyone's bird" she states.
The fella is lying on the floor passed out, after the nock he got from Brooke.
"Jesus" I say surprised at the power of the punch.
"What? It's not like you were gonna do it." She teases.

The whole canteen is in chaos with the drama. A teacher rushes over to the huddle around us, and pushes their way through. She grabs both of us by the shoulders and pushes us out of the canteen, through the hall, and into the principal's office.

              It didn't help our case that every time me and Brooke looked at each other, we burst out into a fit of giggles. It was very hard to hold it in. The principal rang our parents to come pick us up as we were suspended for a week.

            Brooke didn't take it very well. She has always done well in school and was very smart. She was quite upset because she was just standing up for herself, but principal McCarthy wasn't having any of it.

xxx

            "So?" Evan asked.
"Cmon Horan! The suspense is killin' me here" Stephen begged.
"We're just suspended for a week. Calm down"
"And how's she taking it?" Evan asked looking towards Brooke.
"Not well" I reply. "You know how she is"
"Anyway it's just in time for Easter. Soo you get three weeks off instead of two" Evan says optimistically
"Mmm" I don't even open my mouth to answer.

            I'm still getting winks and pats on the back in the corridor. I guess there's nothing else I can do about it. I keep telling everyone the truth but no one cares. All everyone cares about is the latest gossip, and were it.

xxx

            "It just annoys me that no one believes me" I tell mam on the way home in the car.
"Just leave it honey. They'll believe what they want to believe" she tells me.
"But I just keep repeating myself over and over. Like it's the only truth. You know how I feel about Brooke." I blab on to her.
"I know Nialler. It's worse for Brooke though."
"I know! That's what annoys me."
"Oh and those are good lyrics for your little song your writin"
"That's what annoys me?" I ask confused.
"No ye eejit. Over and over, it's the only truth" she laughs at me.
I start humming a tune in my head. It's not a great one but it'll do for now.

            I start to sing.
"Over and over, it's the only truth" "no that sounds weird" I say to myself out loud.
"Over and over, the only truth"
"That's gorgeous chicken" mam says. "Brooke's gonna love that song!"
"It's not about Brooke!" I say uncertain.
"Ok..." she says while concentrating on the road.

            I never thought about what the song was about. I guess it was kinda about Brooke. Oh god she can never know that. I'll just have to scrap it. Or I can tell her how I feel with the song? But what if she doesn't feel the same? No I'll just write it and not mention it to her. And I might tell her when we're older. Yeah.