North and South

Oh So New To Me

The lights turned on burning their closed eyelids.

"Oi what the fuck are you doing?!"

Erin jumped apart from Graham first. She looked at Graham's fluttering eyelashes and red stained mouth.

Liam's hands wrapped around her shoulders pulling her roughly away.

She stood in stunned silence her lips burning and her heart racing.

Her eyes widened as she watched Liam's arm draw back as his fingers formed into a fist.

She glanced at Graham who looked up at Liam like a rabbit in the headlights.

"No! Leave him alone. Stop!" She said as she stumbled to her feet and put her whole body weight against Liam as she struggled to hold Liam back.

She could hear a commotion outside when Noel appeared in the doorway.

"Noel! Help hold him back fuck sake!" She exclaimed as she struggled to hold him away from Graham.

"What the fuck is happening in here?" He asked glancing around confused.

"That posh twat knobhead was trying to shag-"

"No! That is not what happened."

Liam pushed her off and landed the first punch on Graham who was still crouched on the floor.

Erin winced in horror. He'd burst his lip.

"Graham! Fuck sake man fight back!" She pleaded. There wasn't much else she could do.

She didn't know if posh boys knew how to fight.

She gave an approving look as Graham pushed Liam back as they then proceeded to roll around on the floor getting punches in where they could. He wasn't bad for a skinny posh boy that clearly rarely got into fights she thought.

"Fuckin hell." Said Noel as he finally moved to pull Liam off.

Erin helped him as they desperately dragged him off.

Liam fought against them.

"Lemme go! Do you know how old she is?! What were you-"

"Liam! It was my fault. I kissed him alright. He didn't do anything. Please don't." She said desperately.

Graham looked at Erin worriedly. In the light he saw how young she was with the lipstick wiped away. He glanced at her hand she'd been stamped though. She must be 18. Not ideal considering he was 22 but it wasn't that huge of an age gap that it was weird? Was it? He'd been completely blindsided by her. He hadn't intended to kiss her. He gazed into her worried eyes, that he now could see were the most beautiful light shade of blue-green as he wiped the blood away from his mouth that had fused with her lipstick. He could still taste it over the blood. Strawberry and chemicals and her.

He may have did something very stupid and quite out of character for him but he didn't regret it. Even though his face and body throbbed he'd never felt more alive.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as her gaze locked with his.

Noel and Erin managed to drag him back through the private function room. All eyes were on them. Erin felt shame roll through her. She should never have come in here but...she sucked in her lips still tasting Graham's cigarettes. But the kiss had been worth it. Graham had been worth it. Even if she never saw him again he'd given her a hope of escape from this place somehow. And she would never be able to forget him or thank him enough for what he did.

They eventually made it outside but Liam fought them at every turn.

"What the fuck were you thinking?! Did you even think at all? My little sister shagging some posh cunt in a toilet like some-"