NAVIGATING 5 - tadgh lynch

MAKINGPROMISES

TADHG

time jump

March 13, 2005

I was first up this morning. Well, I'm not sure where dad is. I haven't paid him much attention since he met Lilibeth, but he would ask me about her and then hit me if i didn't give him a response he liked. I was scared he would do something to her. I see him fooling around with all these women, and I don't like the way he was looking at her. Joey said he wasn't that stupid, and wouldn't stoop that low, I wasn't convinced, but he's kept his hands to himself, so I'm not all that worried. Aoife took us out this morning, first out for food and then to the pitch. I think I impressed her with my class hurling skills, she deserves better than Joey. I'm better then Joey, obviously. She refuses right now, but I'll charm her soon. 

When we got home, Joey rang Aoife and told us mam had to go to hospital. They didn't say what happened in front of Ollie and Sean, but I got the jist. That baby was not coming out alive. Apparently, Shannon has been getting friendly with Johnny Kavanagh, you know, that hot shot rugby star? I've seen him once or twice, considering he's best mates with Lilibeth's cousin, Gibsie. Don't think Gibs is too fond of me. Anyway, Shannon's staying at his house until Joey goes back to collect her. 

I rush to the top of the stairs when I hear the front door open, hoping to see Joey, but I see him instead, so I rush back to my room and put my music full volume in my ears, 'Mr. Brightside - The Killers' blasting in my ears. I manage to drown out most of the noise, and I fall asleep to 'Traveling Soldier - The Chicks' that night.

***

"Somethin' got your knickers in a twist, Lynchy?" Oisin asks as I approach him. There was some weird tension in the kitchen when I went downstairs this morning, so I told da I was going down to the pitch with Oisin, which wasn't a lie, for once. 

"Fuck off, Sheeny." I grumble as I pass him a sliotar. He smiles cheekily, hitting it back.

"I was onto Annalise, she said she's going to come over with Tiger in a bit, they're out in the city looking for confirmation dresses or something." He tells me after a few minutes. I nod, and sure enough, after a few minutes, Annalise and Lilibeth come strolling onto the pitch, giggling at something as they approach us. 

Several minutes later, the four of us are in the stands beside the pitch. "Tadhg." Lilibeth draws my attention from the road across the pitch.
"Yeah?" I turn to face her. She slips something into my hands and closes her hands around my own. 

"I want you to take this. I don't know what's been happening with you recently, but i want you to be able to contact me whenever." I open my hands, revealing a Nokia 1100, her phone.
"I'm not taking your phone, Tiger." I shove the phone back into her hands. She shakes her head and shoves it back. 

"I got a new one the other day," she pulls out a brand new Samsung D600, "I got a new number and all. Please, Tadhg. It'll make me feel better." I huff, letting her close her hands around mine. She smiles.

 "My numbers already in there, along with Lise's and Oisin's. Use it, Tadhg. I mean it." I shove the phone into my back pocket and held my hands up. 
"Happy now?" I ask, and she smiles.

"Very." She confirms, and that's all I need to hear to put a smile on my own face.

sorry for the boring chapter, but there's been a scene between Gibsie and Lilibeth I've been DYING to get out of my system, so i needed a filler chapter

also i was re-reading keeping 13 yesterday and realized I've been using the wrong spelling of Tadhg this whole time. forgive me pls.

and.... I know people use the nickname Tiger for Tadhg but in this story its a shortened version of 'tiger lily' like the flower.