Basorexia - J.MAGUIRE

[3.52] in their eyes

Chip and Eoin walked arm in arm backstage in search of her friends. He had desperately needed out of the house, after a rather awful argument with his Ma, and she had been quick to suggest he come with her to the stars in their eyes evening instead of just wallowing around Derry surrounded by his own self pity. She spotted Erin standing in front of the mirror before she could see the others and quickly headed over there. "Erin? You grand?" she asked softly as Erin popped up from a shimmy, glancing into the mirror. As she saw that Chip and Eoin had joined the crowd of people around the mirror, she quickly turned around.

"Aye, yeah I'm grand..." she stammered, clearing her throat.

"This is Eion. That's Michelle, Clare, Orla, Erin and James," she introduced, feeling rather pulled to do so due to the tension swallowing the conversation.

"Nice to meet you guys and good luck," Eoin smiled, the smile pretty much fully directed towards Erin who instantly blushed. Then he turned, whispered about going back to the main room into Chip's ear, then disappeared.

Once he was completely and fully gone, Chip reiterated her previous question, "You sure you're okay Erin?"

"Totally, yep, mhmh," she hummed, being about the least believable she possibly could be. Before Chip could ask any further questions, the news that the show was beginning quickly spread amongst everyone backstage. Her literal cue to leave.

"Well good luck," she responded, glancing at James but he quite literally did everything in his power to avoid meeting her eyes. With a small and rather confused frown, she left.

-

The show was a pretty huge success, with some acts being better received than others. Just as she began to wonder when the act that she had come to see would be on, Peter announced, "Please welcome to the stage, Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James!"

Around them applause echoed as the group all walked onto the stage, various states of panic showing on their faces. Chip and Eoin were pretty much making the most noise out of the entire audience and were quickly noticed by the group because of it. "You're dating James, aren't you?" Eoin asked somewhat quietly as he leant closer to Chip, eyes focused on the tell tale look in her eyes that he always searched for.

"Fuck sake Eion, can't hide shit from you," she laughed softly, gaze still focused on the stage as Peter began to go through the rehearsed questions and the entire reveal of who they were going to be.

"You know I can read you easily Chippers, what did you think was going to happen?" he chuckled softly, muffling it just slightly with a closed fist. She turned towards him, rolled her eyes, then turned back to the front. "And he knows too, doesn't he?"

"Aye they all do," Ciara replied with a soft and rather content sigh as the group disappeared behind the curtain. Her focus did not stray from the stage so she did not see Eoin's wide eyes and his prideful smile. He was just instantly happy for her and the progress that she had made - knowing himself what an awful thing it was to go through.

Their performance was nothing short of perfection to begin with. As they walked back onto the stage in costume, the crowd cheered loudly but not as much as Chip when James and Orla walked on. She knew how nervous he had been and wanted to do everything she could to make him feel somewhat comfortable. They absolutely loved every second, until Erin suddenly stilled and ran back through the entrance to the stage almost in tears.

"Stay here," Chip whispered to Eoin before she and the rest of the group, all ran after Erin hastily.

She turned the corner to where the others were crowded, including Erin's extended family, and managed to catch the very end of Erin's exclamation, "I know about you and Gabriel!"

Mary, who had previously been stunned into silence, suddenly blurted, "What?"

"Clare heard you arranging your dirty little rendezvous," Erin accused with pure disgust leaching through her every word. Chip by this time had stopped next to Orla who had preemptively covered her ears. Chip placed one of her hands over Orla's, hoping it would help to comfort some of the disease she felt surrounded arguments. "I know you went to his fancy house."

"I've never been to his house!"

"We saw you, Mammy. Stop lying!"

"I'm not having an affair with Gabriel!" Mary argued, stopping all the fights that had suddenly surrounded them all. Erin's Da was fighting her plumber and her Grandad was starting to get involved also. It was turning into quite an affair, similar to that of Soap Operas that her Mammy would so enjoy. "I was at night for an English course! At university!"

"I can't believe you Mammy... I was going to be the first person in our family to go to university and now you're absolutely stealing my thunder!"

"Really Erin?" James commented disproving, shaking his head subtly. The group remained whist the adults disappeared back to the hall, wanting to enjoy the rest of the show. It had pretty much been ruined for them so they just remained in the hall, filling Ciara in on all that she had missed backstage and before she had turned up.

A clearing of a throat stopped the conversation suddenly. The group all turned and Ciara soon walked over to Eion, who was stood at the very edge of the corner that turnt into the room. Chip, suddenly remembering that he was here too, walked over to him hastily. She did however have time to notice how Erin's eyes had lit up completely. "Shit sorry, drama," she apologised quickly, glancing in the direction of her friends so he caught the idea.

"It's fine Chippers," he smiled, instantly forgiving her as it wasn't that big of a deal to him. Plus, he was marginally distracted by someone else. "They just announced the winners, some Joyce lass."

Michelle fumed, "Oh for fucks sake!"