Seeing You - Boys of Tommen

Hot Chocolate, Freedom, and Boys

Lizzie's POV of Keeping Thirteen, Chapter 38 - Pushing Back

Lizzie:

After everything came about Shannon and her father, I felt beyond guilty. Claire and I knew something wasn't right, but Shannon had refused to talk to us. 

If I hadn't been such a coward I could have reported it years ago, but I respected her wishes and let her deal with it in her own way. 

Shannon and Joey ended up in the hospital, because of that piece of shit excuse for a father. 

But now, he was out of their house, Shannon seemed to be doing better and I was glad for that. I think a lot part of was to do with Mr. Rugby himself, Johnny Kavanagh. The lad was obsessed with her, and Shannon felt the same way. 

As much, as I always wanted to hate Johnny and all of this rugby pricks, he was good in my books. Of course, if he ever did anything to hurt Shannon I'd make injure far worse than any of those rugby players ever had, future of Ireland's rugby or not.  

Since everything went down, Shannon's older brother Darren moved back in and Shannon had way more freedom, although I think that was more to do with the backbone Shannon had suddenly grown, and I was proud of her for it. She wasn't taking her family's shit anymore. 

After some fight with her eldest brother, she walked all the way from her house to Claire's and now we were all in her room chatting and drinking hot chocolate, listening to Claire go on about her conflicting love for both Johnny Depp and Patrick Swayze. "I love them both, but Patrick was my first love, and you know how the sweet flame of first love burns forever." Don't I know it.

I love Claire, but her penchant for crushes on American movie stars will always disturb me, "I don't know how we've made it through eleven years of friendship." I say sarcastically. 

Shannon looks contemplative and then says, "I missed this, I missed you guys."

My heart melts a little for my friend, I rarely felt emotions like this, which is why I have come to value our friendship so much.

"We missed you too." I replied truthfully, "I had to suffer the adventures of Thor and his cat on my own the last time I cam over."

"Leave Gerard alone" Claire declared annoyed, "So he likes his cat. Big deal." I didn't mean to offend Claire, but I couldn't help if I hated the man, she had been obsessed with for years. Frankly, I didn't know how she could stand him, let alone forgive him for his family's actions.

Deep down, I knew Claire's love and friendship for that huge, blonde lunatic wasn't meant to hurt me, and she couldn't help the way she felt. But it still hurt me. It was unreasonable of me to expect Claire and Hughie and Patrick to drop one of their best friends. But I still wish they would have. 

"He walks with his cat. With a glittery, jewel-encrusted collar and lead." I say trying to make her see reason. "Please tell me you don't think that's normal."

I know most people would expect Gibsie and I would have bonded over the losses we've had to suffer at young ages but we hadn't. Mainly, due to the role his family had in my sister's death but also because he was handling it a lot better than I ever had.

I remember for months after her death, he made an effort to try to comfort me. He said we knew each other's pain. I think he even thought he would have someone to relate to. But, I could only see Mark when I looked at him, especially in that first year. Physically, they looked nothing alike, they were step brothers but it didn't matter then and it still doesn't matter now.

"I think it's cute." Claire replied defensively.

"Of course you do, you think everything that big eject does is cute." I say annoyed and resigned. "What about you, Shan? What do you make of Gerard?" I really hoped Shannon had my back with this.