Derry Girls: A New Arrival Part 2

Chapter 31: Spring the trap, Part 1

"Will you step into my parlour? Said the Spider to the Fly."

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Erin stressed.

She whispered her curses through gritted teeth as she rewound her Dictaphone and played it back for the umpteenth time. Michelle and Clare glared at her with disbelief while Orla messed about with the multiple buttons on a push button office telephone. They had been sat in isolation in an empty classroom for the better part of two hours. The end of the school day was approaching, and for them, it truly felt like their last. The only outside contact had come from Miss Mooney, who had the displeasure of contacting their parents to attend the school immediately.

They awaited what felt like their last day at Our Lady Immaculate College, something that Patrick O'Driscoll was now able to make a reality with the false narrative he had fed to the Police. It felt incomprehensible to Clare that the Police would simply take Patrick's word at face value, but when she reminisced on their past indiscretions, it suddenly didn't seem too hard to believe. Still hoping that Erin had something that could fight their case and prove their innocence, Clare's lip wobbled with impatience and panic.

"Come on Erin, where is it?!" Clare shrieked, her voice vibrating Erin's eardrum.

"Jesus, Clare! I don't know!" Erin shot back. Her own cack attack came to the forefront.

Turning back to the Dictaphone; Erin had found the last piece of audible material she'd recorded, and pressed play again, sure of the position. Pressing the tiny speaker hard against her ear, the volume turned up to the maximum; Erin listened in vain for the smallest minuscule tone, but there was nothing.

Michelle growled and kicked a chair in anger. "Fuck sake, Erin! The one time we need yer fucking Dicko phone to work..." She was then cut off by Orla.

"Well, that's grand, so it is. But can I speak to someone in a higher authority?" Orla asked.

"Who are ye talking to, Orla?" Michelle asked, spying Orla was speaking on the telephone.

"Well, I thought I was talking to the Police but all this fella wants to do is just tell me the time. I can't get a word in." Orla answered with a perplexed look on her face.

"What?!" Erin stressed.

"We need to tell the Police that they made a mistake. They need to let James and Marco go." Orla stated casually. Michelle snatched the phone and slammed it down.

"The Police aren't gonna help us, Orla! They're already here in case ye forgot, and they arrested James and Marco because Mr O'Driscoll has convinced them that they started that fire!" Clare shouted, her voice reaching a higher pitch level.

"But they didn't!" Orla whined loudly. "They didn't!" Orla started to weep. Shutting her eyes tight, Orla held her head. Michelle walked over and cradled her.

"S'alright, Orla.... Could ye not have said that any louder, Clare?" Michelle snapped turning to Clare.

"I'll say it as loud as I like, Michelle! Has it not dawned on ye that we are well and truly FUCKED this time?!" Clare screamed. Now standing, walking towards Michelle.

"That's not true! There must be some way we can prove we weren't to blame for this!" Michelle stood her ground.

"Ach, and ye think they'll believe us with our track record?! Catch yourself on Michelle! Ye heard what he said... Mr O'Driscoll's just been waiting for a chance to kick us out.... and now he's got it!" Now only a few centimetres away. Clare began to weep as well. Michelle was silent.

"Erin! Can ye put that thing down?! It's obvious ye didn't record sweet fanny fuck!" Michelle snapped. The reality had begun to dawn on Michelle. They heard a knock at the door. A stern-faced, elderly looking nun opened the door and motioned them to follow her.