falling for 13 || Johnny Kavanagh

Devil Pussy

G R A C E

Katie Wilmot was someone that I'd always known  of growing up, Clara lived in the same terrace as her, and whenever Mam let me outside to play— which was a rare occurrence — I would always play Tip The Can, or something similar with her. Clara, Aoibh, and Orlaith too, sometimes even Joey's girlfriend, Aoife, and her best friend Casey Lordan. But saying that, we weren't very close, we went to different primary schools, and like I said I was rarely allowed out to play. So a couple months ago, when we both ended up working in the local garage— Seamus Reilly's— I didn't know what to say, it was awkward first, but over the summer and start of school we both slowly came around to each other, and now we talk everyday. In school, at work, practically any chance we have, we're talking.

Katie didn't have many friends in Tommen, so when I asked if she wanted to sit with the girls and I she immediately agreed, because in her words, "Rugby boys can be boringj if you sit with them for too long." Hughie took it that she was mad at him for something, which wasn't the case, but that brings us up to now. Johnny Kavanagh, Hugh Biggs, Gerard Gibson, and Patrick Feely approach our table, walking like they owned the place.

Johnny spotted me almost immediately, his eyes locking onto mine with that familiar smirk playing on his lips. My stomach did a stupid little flip, and I hated it. Hated that even after everything, he had that effect on me.

"Oh God, here we go," Aoibh muttered under her breath as the lads made a beeline for our table.

They didn't ask if they could sit down, of course not. They just slid onto the benches around us like they belonged there. Hugh squeezed in next to his girlfriend, while Johnny dropped himself onto the seat across from me, grinning like he'd just won some invisible game.

"Alright, girls?" Johnny said, leaning back casually. "What are we talking about? Something exciting, I hope."

Orlaith rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smirk. "Yeah, because your riveting conversations about scrums and lineouts are so much more exciting."

"They are," Hugh insisted, flashing a grin at Clara. "But don't worry, we're here to liven things up."

Katie rolled her eyes, leaning into her boyfriend's side, looking up at him, "You're such a gobshite."

Johnny's gaze flicked back to me, his smirk still firmly in place. "You look like you're having the time of your life, Gracie."

I raised an eyebrow, trying not to let his tone get under my skin. "Well, it was peaceful until you lot showed up."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "You're welcome. Thought I'd grace you with my presence—wouldn't want you getting bored."

"Yeah, right," I shot back. "Like I'd ever get bored when you're around, Johnny."

The banter was easy between us, but there was always this underlying tension, this sense that we were waiting around something bigger, something completely unspoken. And today, I wasn't in the mood for it.

"Speaking of bored," Johnny continued, his grin turning more playful, "I heard you're training hard for that athletics thing. Should I be worried? You know, in case you start thinking you're faster than me."

I rolled my eyes. "In case I start thinking? Johnny, I already know I'm faster than you."

"Oh, is that so?" His grin widened. "I dunno, Grace. I've got these legs, after all." He gestured down at himself with a wink.

I let out a laugh, shaking my head. "Yeah, sure. You might be faster than me—if you were running away from Bella Wilkinson."

That got his attention. His grin faltered for a second, and the playful spark in his eyes dimmed just a bit. "Bella's got nothing to do with this."

I raised an eyebrow, leaning back in my seat. "Doesn't she, though? Seemed pretty relevant the last time she cornered me at work. You might want to keep your guard dog on a shorter leash."

He winced, and the guys all exchanged glances. It was one of those moments where the entire table fell quiet, everyone awkwardly watching us like we were performing for them. Johnny shifted in his seat, clearly trying to stay composed, but I could see the tension in his jaw.

"She's not my girlfriend, Grace," he said, his voice low but firm. "And I told you, I had no fucking idea about her doing that, so just leave it off, alright?."

I crossed my arms, my gaze never leaving his. "She seems to think she's got some claim on you. Funny how that works, isn't it?"

Johnny groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Christ, Grace, it's not like that. Bella's... complicated. And yeah, she oversteps sometimes, but I'm not interested in whatever shite's coming out of her mouth."

"Oh, so you're not interested," I said, the sarcasm dripping from my words. "Good to know. Maybe you should tell her that next time she decides to play attack dog."

Johnny opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again, shaking his head as if he couldn't quite find the right words. There was something in his expression that almost looked like regret, and for a moment, I wondered if he actually meant what he was saying.

"She's not my girlfriend," he repeated again.

"Well, maybe someone should tell her that," I muttered under my breath.

The lads, sensing the tension, awkwardly tried to lighten the mood. Gibsie clapped Johnny on the shoulder. "Lad, you're really going to have to sort that one out. It's getting messy, with Devil pussy."

Johnny shot him a look, clearly irritated, but didn't say anything. I wasn't sure if it was because he knew I was right, or because he was just tired of the whole thing. Either way, I wasn't going to be the one to back down.

Clara, clearly trying to diffuse the situation, jumped in with a change of topic. "So, are you guys coming to the athletics competition next week, or are you too busy with your rugby stuff?"

Johnny glanced at me, then back at Clara, his smirk returning just a bit. "Oh, I'll be there. Wouldn't want to miss seeing Grace eat my dust."

I snorted, unable to resist one last jab. "In your dreams, Kavanagh."

Johnny grinned, the tension easing just a little. "Guess we'll see."

And just like that, the moment passed, but the undercurrent remained. We could banter all we wanted, but there was something else going on between us, and it's tiring.