HAVING 13 - Johnny Kavanagh

4. Step, wait, breathe, creak

MISSY
January 12th 2005

I don't know how I ended up handing in an envelope with several thousands of euros inside and my student file to a certain Mr. Twomey, but since Shan had been concussed by a rugby ball, I decided I couldn't leave her alone at this school. This lead to me paying a year of tuition.

Monday during school, Mam called me. She told me Shannon was in the hospital because a boy at school had concussed her. His name was Johnny Kavanagh.

I was definitely going to confront him. Not especially because he hurt Shannon, but 'cause the boy from that night was also named Johnny Kavanagh. I needed to know if I'd finally found him, if it was the same Johnny Kavanagh, the one I'd never get over.

I didn't talk to people at school usually, but suddenly I was asking every classmate, even the ones that usually bullied me, if they knew him and where to find him.

I found out immediately that he hung out around a bar called Biddies often. After school, I didn't go home.

I walked from school all the way to that bar and, once I was inside, asked everyone in which year he was and if they had a picture. Someone had pulled out a newspaper and showed me his photo. Great, an Academy kid, I thought. But it was him. I could recognise his eyes.

That boy from the party in January 2004. Close to a year ago.

Tuesday, I had to go to school and straight to work after, so I couldn't deal with him yet. I had a lot of time to think, though, so I decided that I would transfer to Tommen College for Shannon.

I threw Joey and I's plan out of the window, sorry, and chose to spend the thousands of euros on tuition. I would find other ways to get money quick.

I printed some stuff out at the local library on Tuesday night, had Mam sign some papers for me before she went to sleep, and by 9:30 in the morning, I was halfway on the drive to the private school, still borrowing Nanny's car.

I never stopped to think about everything I was risking, I just needed to be able to protect my sister. Call me a helicopter sibling, but I would only give the kids who hurt her a hard time. I wouldn't hover behind her and glare at anyone who talked to her. It'd be like back at BCS, just at a posh rugby school.

Plus, back at BCS, I was also being ambushed. Monday morning, Ciara Maloney had poured glue on the ends of my hair while I was getting a book from my locker. I had to trim it. Luckily, my hair was already a mess, so it didn't make much of a difference.

Maybe I didn't want to admit I was scared and looking for an excuse to leave BCS. Looking out for Shannon was just a small reason.

So, I was officially a student there starting next Monday—my birthday—and I could buy the uniform and books at the secretary's desk.

I stood there for a while, waiting for her to finish up something. Finally, she turned to me.

"What can I do for you, pet?" She asked kindly.

"Can I please order a uniform and school books for fifth year, if that's alright?" I nervously requested.

"Yeah, just hand in the paper," She said, eyeing the papers in my hands.

I paged through them and fished out the request paper that Mr. Twomey had given me quickly. I handed it to her and she smiled.

"The uniform should be delivered here at school on Friday, since it's not one of the usual application periods." She added the paper to a pile of other loose pages.

"Thank you," I started. "So, I have to come pick it up on Friday?"

"Yes, that's the general idea," She said.