Things went on the same way for the following week. After school Erin and James would go back to James's to work on the project. Then he would drop her home and he would kiss her before saying good night.
They had been joined by Michelle and Jenny Joyce one of the days while they had been working at home.
Other than having to drop Jenny Joyce home before he dropped off Erin, nothing had changed. Plus, the drive all the way back from Jenny's to Erin's had been the perfect chance to have some more time together.
It was Thursday before mid-term and they were in James's room finally finishing off the book. Normally Erin would have read it twice over in that time, but she had been a bit distracted.Michelle had been banished to Jenny's for the day because according to the bilateral Assignment Protocol 1997 that Jenny had drawn up. Michelle had to spend at least two of the days up in Southfork as they called Jenny's massive house.
Erin was in her now usual spot on the bed when she let out a loud yawn.
"You're not bored by Jane Austen Erin!" said James with mock disapproval.
"I'm just shattered. Orla has me awake half the night. She's stepicising in her sleep"
"I thought she lived next door?"
"Yeah, but our Sarah said the stepping was running her beauty sleep, so she sent her in to ours. More specifically my room. That's the crappiest thing. About being our age. We've absolutely no control on our lives"
"Not yet. But we will," said James. He pictured a future where he could date Erin without Michelle or anyone else sticking their oar in.
"Aye, when we all have jobs, and we all move away and become boring," said Erin.
"Well, most of the adults we know can hardly be considered boring," said James.
"But still, we're just replacing our parents with bosses and kids and bills to the point that none of us will have time for each other anymore. That's if we're even in the same place" the thoughts of college and leaving Derry had been on Erin's mind lately. The thoughts of moving away from James even more so.
"Well, I will always have time for you Erin. I promise. Come on" he stood up and sat back down at the head of the bed. He opened his arm and motioned for her to sit with him.
"We can't control the future. As much as we'd like to. But we can control doing a bloody good presentation and get good marks so we can choose whatever we want to do and go to whatever college we want to," said James.
She ducked under his arm and settled into his shoulder. She wrapped one arm around his and the other around his stomach.
He relished the closeness of her. He really wanted to kiss her again, but he felt like it would be crossing an unsaid boundary. Other than when he dropped her home in the evening it was like things were before with them, just friends.
While the hours spent in his room together had been emotionally charged it had always remained nothing but chaste.
But now she was in his arms.
He just tried to focus on reading out what was agreed to be the best part of the book. When the confessions are made and the characters true intentions were to be laid bare: "I cannot make speeches, Emma:" he soon resumed; and in a tone of such sincere, decided, intelligible tenderness as was tolerably convincing. — "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am.—You hear nothing but truth from me."
"I always love that bit. That he literally loves her that much that he physically can't speak it," said Erin.
"Like me in Donegal. I like me. And in the car" He laughed to himself. It was the first time they had really mentioned Donegal. They had hung out and had snogged but that little moment in that house had been almost taboo.
He loved that he could joke about that with her.
"Was that how you felt? About me?" She knew he liked her but not so much that it had stopped him speaking.
"Yeah, it wasn't just being hit bit the van. That just made me realise I had to tell you. It had been going on for weeks, months, since..." James stopped himself. He couldn't admit that. It was too cheesy.
"Since?" She looked at him as he looked down at their entwined hands.
"Since the prom?" she asked.
"Yeah" he looked up and smiled at her.
"That's the nicest thing anyone has done for me, let alone a boy," said Erin.
"It was nothing Erin"
"No, it wasn't. I know you mostly did it because Mammy rang you..."
"I did it because I wanted to go with you Erin. I wanted to make you happy" replied James softly.
Erin reached up and pulled him to her.
It wasn't like their previous kisses, it was much deeper, like the connection between them was even stronger.
"A-fucking-again!"
The pair of them jumped.
"You have to stop doing that Michelle" said James as he clutched his chest.
"No, you two absolute filthy sleeveens, have to stop this"
"Michelle, again. This is absolutely none of your business," said an exasperated James.
"Then why haven't you told anyone?" asked Michelle.
"Again, because it's no one's business. Except us," said James
"Us?!" said Michelle.
"So that's it" she addressed Erin. "Us! You'd choose him over me. After everything we've been through. He's barely been here a wet day!"
"I haven't chosen anyone Michelle" replied Erin.
"You have! You've chosen him by going behind my back. Sneaking around. God knows what the pair of you have been getting up to up here every day. You're so desperate Erin!"
"What?" replied Erin.
"You can't find a fella on your own, you have to pounce on my wee English prick of cousin"
"Thanks a lot Michelle" Erin pushed past her and out of the room.
"Well done, Michelle," said James.
Michelle pulled him back by his arm: "Where do you think you're going fuck features?!"
"After Erin!" replied James.
"Oh no you don't!" said Michelle who wouldn't let him go.
Downstairs Erin threw on her coat. She just wanted to go home. Did Michelle really think that little of her? Before she knew it, she was crying. Because of what Michelle had said but because she knew it couldn't happen. Her and James.
"You alright love?" It was Deirdre.
Erin wiped her eyes before turning around to face her: "Oh aye, I just tired with all the work"
Deirdre wasn't fooled. Something was going on with the three of them. Well between her and James at least. As she was working nights, she still hadn't been able to have a chat with Mary to suss out what exactly was going on.
"Do you want a lift? I can drop ya?" asked Deirdre.
"No, I'm fine. I don't mind the walk," said Erin.
"Are you sure love? It'd be no trouble," said Deidre.
"No, it's fine. I think I need a bit of fresh air" What she really needed was to hide the fact that she had been crying from her mother.
"Ok, well will you ask Mary to ring me, to let me know you got home ok. I've been meaning to catch up with her"
"Sure, night Deirdre"
"Night love"
James had eventually freed himself from Michelle and ran down to try and catch Erin. Michelle quickly followed behind.
However, Deirdre was stood alone in the hall: "I don't know what's going on between you three to upset that girl like that but so help me God you better sort it and apologise. Do you hear me!" said Deirdre.
"Thanks a lot Michelle" said James as he forced his way past her and up to his room.
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Hurry Up and Wait
FanfictionHurry Up and Wait: Following on from Derry Girls Series 3