Basorexia - J.MAGUIRE

[1.09] cleaning

Ciara stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she mindlessly stared out of the window in the living room. Her focus only changed when her Mammy entered the room and flicked on the kettle. She watched as her Mam turned towards the living room, froze, then turned back around now with a suspicious glare that was directed onto her. "Why is there a boy asleep on our sofa?" she whispered as to not wake him up but Chip could easily hear the wave of anger within her voice. She didn't quite know where the anger had stemmed from, as in her mind she had done the right thing to ensure her friend's safety and she knew James was not a danger.

Chip laughed softly, clearing her throat as she set her mug of tea back down onto the counter top. "That's James. It was too late for him to walk home so he slept here."

"Right,"  Mammy sighed, her shoulders relaxing as she turned back to the now boiled kettle. "You want something to eat love?"

"Oh no thanks Mammy, I'm still full from last night. You know how Fionnula's is," Chip replied with soft, unsuspicious laughter knowing the excuse would work as it was something she had easily gotten away with in the past.

Her Mammy laughed softly, stirring her tea as she sighed, "Oh aye."

-

"Where were you two?" Erin asked as both Chip and James made their way up the staircase in Erin's home. Earlier that morning, seconds after Chip had woken James up with a cup of tea, the phone had rung. Erin had practically begged Chip to come over as soon as she possibly could to 'try and rein in Michelle.' Chip knew that was impossible but went along anyway, wanting to know what antics she had gotten up to this time.

"Well I was pretty knocked out so James took me home then ended up staying round because we stayed up too late watching random reruns on the telly," Chip responded with the story that she had James had pre-planned on the long walk to Erin's. Ciara had wanted Cal to give them a lift but he, mysteriously, was not home and hadn't been since the morning before. James agreed to this story, adding more details that stopped once Chip had crossed the threshold into Erin's room and laughed. "Why've you nicked the Chip shop board?" she asked after Erin had hurriedly shut her bedroom door, almost pushing James into the room so she could do so.

Michelle, who looked rather pleased with herself, grinned without a scrap of remorse. "For jobs, money for Paris. Duh."

"You could have just removed the notices, they're only Blue Tacked on," James commented, glancing over all the papers that were attached to the cork board.

"Fuck off, Dickweed." Michelle scoffed, frustration with her cousin ringing so clear in her voice that it actually made him jump.

"Shall we get on with it?" Erin half yelled, her impatience and need for focus on the matter at hand taking over.

"Well I'm not doing nought, don't want to go to Paris," Chip sighed as she walked across the room, sitting on the bed next to Orla who shuffled over so she would be able to be comfortable. 

"Aye fair enough," Orla nodded, all her attention focused on the plastic wrapping at the end of her hoodie strings.

"She'd just spend the money on weed."

Ciara sat up, as if about to have a go at Michelle then hesitated before leaning back with a shrug. "Sounds about right."

-

As Ciara sat on the sofa in her home, beginning to knit a black beanie for the winter, the hallway phone rang loudly. Thankfully, as she really did not have the energy to move five metres for no reason, Cal walked through the door on the second ring and hurried to answer. "Chip, Phone!"