Hurry Up and Wait

Chapter 16

It was mid-December and the week before the Christmas exams. Tensions were running high throughout Our Lady Immaculate College.

Clare was back on the Red Bull and was shaking like a leaf. She had a presentation, assignments, exams, and now a girlfriend that she had to deal with all at once.

She had managed to get back in touch with Laurie from the record shop and they had gone on a few dates and were now going steady as Clare put it. Even though it made Michelle practically boke every time she said it.

"Is she a teenager in 1950s America?" Michelle had asked after Clare had excitedly told them the news.

It was also the day of the dreaded presentation, and they were all sat in their English class waiting their turn.

Michelle and Jenny had been up first. Jenny's hand had shot up as soon as Sr Michael had asked who wanted to go first.

Michelle had sighed and followed Jenny up to the front of class. At least she would get this pile of shit over with she thought.

Their presentation had actually gone pretty well. Jenny had been the only one in the class who had a PowerPoint presentation. Something she had only delighted about and had bragged about making on her father's laptop computer.

"My dad's a surgeon at Altnagelvin. He has a laptop. Oh boke!" said Erin mimicking her. Which made James laugh. He entangled his foot with hers under the desk. They were sat at the back of the class so no one would notice. She smiled back at him.

They had been together just over a month, and it was going well. Apart from having to hide it all from Clare, Orla, and their families.

Erin suspected her mother knew but she hadn't said anything outright but when she had been extra inquisitive of late whenever she left the house without Orla or Michelle and Clare.

It had been hard, at times, trying to meet up alone without raising suspicion but they luckily had the project as an excuse.

Their attention returned to Michelle and Jenny. Actually, mostly just Jenny. In reality Jenny had done the entirety of the presentation to ensure Michelle wouldn't make her drop a grade.

Michelle's entire contribution had been typing out the crap Jenny dictated at her during their 'study sessions' as Jenny had called them.

Although Michelle had written a paragraph about how the book was about love, death, and finding yourself. She hadn't even read the book but that was what every single book was about. She thought that was quite deep when she thought about it.

Jenny had adapted into the presentation and had given Michelle cue cards that she wasn't allowed to deviate from.

The presentation had ended with credits:

Script: Jenny Joyce

Research: Jenny Joyce

PowerPoint: Jenny Joyce

Graphics: Jenny Joyce

Performed by: Jenny Joyce and Michelle Mallon (in the tiniest font)

"Thank you, girls...that was very...PowerPointy," said Sr Michael. God did she really need to give them a response every time.

"Up next Sorcha Ni Chuinn and Clare Devlin," said Sr Michael.

Sorcha began: "Welcome to our presentation I'm Sorcha..."

"...and I'm Clare...." said Clare as launched herself into what could only be described as a Red Bull fuelled rant about the book.

"Jesus Christ Clare!" muttered Erin.