The O'Connor Girl

2: O'Connor Brothers

O'Connor Brothers

Second term started and I had come to the conclusion that my time in Oldham would be spent thinking of Mystery Girl and fixing up the house with Mum. Not a single soul had reached out to become my friend. My free time was spent working on either homework or traveling about Oldham, hoping to run into Mystery Girl. But I had only found a popular afterschool spot, the local sandwich spot off of the main street. Most of my school peers met up here, sipping on either carbonated drinks or stuffing their faces with sandwiches. As I sat in my corner booth, I amused myself with the typical scene.

Girls refused to eat, preferring to try to gain the attention of their current fancy while he filled his gob with as many sandwiches as could fit. Boys had competitions, seeing who could do what faster. Those who were in relationships shared a table, trying to have a conversation amongst the immense noise created by their schoolmates. In a corner booth similar to mine a group of boys sat rambunctiously, teasing each other while they sipped their drinks, occasionally calling over to their booth mates to inform them of something ridiculous. From my discreet inspection, they all seemed to be related, with the same dark hair and lanky frames.

The girl behind the counter called my order, a burger to treat myself after doing quite well on my maths quiz, and as I went up to grab the meaty goodness, one of the dark-haired boys approached me.

“I have lived in Oldham my entire life and have walked every street, but I don’t think I have ever seen the likes of you.”

His face was angular, but with soft cheeks and short hair. He stood a few inches taller than me, but seemed to be about the same age. He wore a red baseball shirt similar to the one I had seen Mystery Girl in and jeans, his arms crossed against his chest.

My social anxiety started to kick in and I wondered why I had dared venture past school and home. My palms were starting to sweat and the lady behind the counter tapped her foot as she waited for me to grab my order. Lips parted to speak; my mouth was dry and unable to produce any sort of noise. So the taller boy was left to stare at me imitating a fish out of water.

“C’mon man, I’m just asking if you’re new. O’Connors know everyone.”

My voice seemed to come back to me as I went to grab my burger from the woman. “I’m Aden. I moved here about a month back.”

He seemed to take this in before giving me a friendly smile. “Well, welcome to Oldham, Aden. I’m Liam. Are you here with anyone?” I shook my head. “Well, come sit with me and my brothers. I promise they won’t bite. Or at least, Nick won’t. He will barely speak unless my sister is with him.” I nodded and was lead to the table with the loud boys.

There were three of them. Liam, who seemed to be the middle child; Nick, a younger boy who didn’t talk much with dark curly hair; and Charlie, an older boy with neatly combed hair and stubble. All three were nice, taking polite interest in my life while stuffing their roast beef sandwiches down their throats between questions.

“So, you haven’t met many people since you moved here?” Charlie, who seemed to be the only sensible brother, asked. I shook my head; suddenly embarrassed about the fact I had been here far too long not to make a friend.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Liam began, who seemed to sense the flush threatening my pale cheeks. “If it weren’t for the fact I have three brothers and a sister and was born here, I doubt I would have made friends. The kids here are polite, but they don’t like to associate with outsiders. Tell you what, you come home with us and have dinner and we’ll show you what actual Oldham hospitality looks like. Plus, our sister is gone for the night, so she and her awful boyfriend won’t be there to ruin the roast.”