SKYFALL, Johnny Kavanagh

Admissions

Maeve's Point of View

Johnny set the plates down on the table with a little more force than necessary, shooting a half-hearted glare at his mother as she continued to beam at him like he was the most entertaining thing in the world.

I bit back a smile as I sat down, watching Edel flip pancakes onto a plate with effortless ease.
Then she turned to me, brown eyes warm with curiosity. "So, Maeve, tell me something about yourself."

I hesitated. "Like what?"

Edel shrugged, sliding a pancake onto Johnny's plate before looking back at me. "Anything, love. Where are you from? Who are your parents?"

My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral. "I'm from Cork originally. Though I did live in Dublin for a couple of years."

Edel's face lit up. "Oh, I'm from Dublin myself. Johnny was born there too, before we moved down here when he was little."

I nodded, unsurprised. "I figured as much from the accent."

Edel laughed. "Ah, so you've been paying attention."

Johnny muttered under his breath, stabbing at his pancake with unnecessary force.

Edel ignored him, her brown eyes twinkling. "And your parents, love? Do they know you're sleeping over at a boy's house?"

I froze.

Johnny stiffened beside me.

For a second, I didn't know what to say.
The truth wasn't something I just handed out.
But lying to Edel – sweet, nosy, genuinely interested Edel – felt wrong.

So I swallowed and said, "They passed away."

Edel's expression softened instantly, the teasing edge in her voice disappearing. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

I nodded, looking down at my plate. "Thank you."

There was a moment of silence before Edel spoke again, her tone gentle. "Who are you staying with now?"

"My uncle and aunt. They live in Ballylaggin."

Edel studied me for a beat, something unreadable flickering in her gaze, but she didn't push.
Instead, she switched gears. "And what about hobbies? What do you like to do?"

I exhaled, grateful for the change in subject. "I read a lot."

Edel's smile returned. "Oh, I love a good book. What kind?"

"Mostly fiction."

"Well, that settles it." Edel declared, pointing her spatula at Johnny. "She's my favourite of your friends."

Johnny groaned. "Jesus Christ."

Edel ignored him, turning back to me. "So, Maeve, how long have you been at Tommen?"

I took a sip of tea before answering. "Only since the beginning of January."

Her brows lifted slightly. "A recent addition, then."

I nodded. "Yeah. My old school offered me a scholarship to finish my studies there, but since my cousin Shannon was starting at Tommen too, I decided to take it."

That was only half the truth.

Edel smiled. "That's lovely. It's always good to have family close."

I forced a small smile, but before she could ask anything else, she tilted her head slightly. "And how did you and my son meet?"

Johnny, who had been unusually silent while shovelling food into his mouth like he was trying to escape the conversation, suddenly perked up.

"We're in the same class." He said quickly, reaching for more pancakes.