The Secret (Boston's Best 1)

Chapter One

It's hard to let go of everything you've ever known. But in the end, at one point or another everyone will have to do it, it's just happening a little earlier for me than most.

And I know that sounds very dramatic but moving to a whole different continent is a scary thing to do, even if it's the place you've always wanted to live.

But my best friend can't really seem to come to terms with the fact that on Sunday I will no longer be living in Ireland but in Boston, Massachusetts.

"You're not going, Maddie. End of discussion." Aebhín says as she slams my locker door shut.

I pull my hand out of the way "Dude! Are you trying to chop my hand off?"

"If it keeps you here then, yeah, I am."

"Mulligan, seriously I love you but I can't stay. I can't ask my mam to decline the job offer of a lifetime just for me to stay here. I mean she's going to be the Head of Neurosurgery at Mass Gen."

She sighs "Yeah I know."

"And besides, in five months you'll be right there with me but we'll be studying at MIT! And we'll FaceTime every day and I'll text you everything all the time, your phone won't have any time to stop chiming. You'll be sick of me by the end of the week."

"More like by the end of the day. I take back everything I've said, let's get you cleared out and gone asap."

I shake my head at her while I put the rest of my hardbacks and textbooks into my bag, while she dumps all of the empty water bottles and chewing gum wrappers –the diet of an overachieving 6th year– into the bin.

I throw my bag over my shoulder and turn to her "It's Irish now, yeah?"

She makes a face "Yeah, and Mrs O'Shea is gonna kill us for being late."

I smile "Ah stop making a such puss face, it's my last day and my first time being late so it'll be grand."

"Yeah, for you ginger spice. I still have to go to this bloody kip for nearly four more months."

I link our arms and laugh "Come on then, let your death sentence commence."

We start to make our way down the ramp until we see our Deputy Yearhead at the end of it. "One-way system girls!" He shouts up at us.

We turn around and Aebhín whispers to me "He can shove his one-way system up his arse. Like no one is even in the halls. Why do we have to walk a certain way when our class is just at the end of the ramp?"

"Cause he's a prick and I won't miss him in the slightest sense."

We walk the proper way and the longer way to class and I open the door just in time for Mrs O'Shea to scold us. "Ms O'Brien. Ms Mulligan. Why are you late? Class started," She flicks her wrist up to her face bashing her lanyard all over the place to see her watch, "27 minutes ago. Huh?"

I shut the door "Sorry miss, it's my last day today so we were just cleaning out my locker."

"As Gaeilge, Madeleine."

I rack my brain trying to think of the words. "Ehm, bhíomar ag glanadh amach mo...locker? I can't remember the formal word for locker."

She sighs "Taisceadán, Madeleine."

I nod trying to hold back a laugh "Right. Go raibh maith agat."

I look at Aebhín and we sit down at our desk and just let the class pass by while trying not to piss ourselves, either laughing or crying.

I don't know what I'm gonna do without her.