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The four girls stared at James in astonishment. He was a British boy, something they'd never encountered before.
Orla leaned towards Erin and Anya. "Why is he making that funny noise?"
"He's English, Orla." Michelle jerked her thumb behind her in disgust. "That's the way they talk."
Anya could've fainted right then and there. She loved English boys, like Take That, Declan Donnelly, Alex James and Colin Firth. "Can you sing?" She asked.
"N-No?"
"Shame. We could've had money on our hands people, Irish girls love English singers."
"Aye." Erin nodded to her best friend's words.
"He's my Auntie Kathy's wee'un." Said Michelle, "I told you about my aunty Kathy?"
"Oh, aye." Anya nodded.
"She went to England years ago to have an abortion, never came back." The tall girl pointed at James. "Never got the abortion either! Lucky for you James, eh?" Michelle slapped her taller cousin and skipped forward, linking her arm with Erin and dragging her away.
"I didn't actually know that."
Clare and Anya held back, walking along with the strange new boy. Up front Michelle was explaining why James was here and essentially slagging off her Aunty Kathy.
"So, James." Anya cleared her throat. "You're 16, right?"
"Yeah, I am." James nodded surely. "Are you?"
"Aye."
"Wee for 16, isn't she James?" Clare caught James staring down at the youngest Murphy. She knew that look, and Clare would stop at nothing to get them together.
"How tall are you?" He asked curiously.
Anya shrugged, a blush appearing on her face at the attractive boy giving her attention. "About four foot eleven, but if anyone asks I'm five-one."
With a chuckle he nodded. Suddenly, a speeding car dove past them, causing Anya to groan. The bright blue convertible only belonged to one boy, Josh Murphy. With a screeching halt it stopped and Millie Collins exited the passenger side and ran off towards the bus. As the group of six approached the car both Erin and Michelle shuffled to make themselves look more appealing — which for Michelle included unbuttoning her first three top buttons and pushing out her chest.
"Anya, you wee shit!" Josh called, causing Anya to turn towards his car.
"What?" She called back. James watched the interaction between the two and it looked as though the two were carbon copies of one another, only one being male and the other female.
"Mammy knows you nabbed her cigarettes."
"Fuck." Anya slapped her palm against her forehead. It wasn't the first time Anya had stolen her mother's cigarettes.
"Now, you can give me the packet and I'll say I took them into my car thinkin' they were mine, or you can have Ma search your bag later." Instantly, Anya was scrambling to get the pack out of her bag and into her brothers awaiting large hand. Josh was so tall compared to his little sister, as he stood at six foot three. "Good girl." Josh sighed, taking out a cigarette and putting it between his lips.
"Hey, Josh!" Erin called. Josh looked up at Erin and Michelle, who were both giving him their best "sexy faces". Erin looked uncomfortable and Michelle looked like a professional. Josh's eyes lingered on the two before he looked at his little sister, quirking his eyebrow.
"Please just say hi back." She mumbled, her eyes shutting closed in embarrassment. "It'll all be over quicker if you say hi back."
"Hi, girls." He laughed after seeing his sister's uncomfortable face.
"Can you call me a good girl too, Josh?" Michelle twirled her finger in her hair, biting her lip seductively. Josh ignored her as his eyes went to James, who stood securely next to Clare.
"Who's the new girl?" Josh asked.
"That's a lad, Josh."
"What's her name?" Josh asked, clearly ignoring anything that came from his sister in that moment. "That's quite a haircut."
"His name is James!" Anya snapped, flicking her brother's ear. Josh's large hands went up in surrender. He gave one last look at Erin and Michelle before he pulled up his window and drove off.
Instantly Michelle rushed towards Anya. "It was Millie Collins last night?"
"Mhm." Anya hummed.
"What was she like?"
"She was loud, I'll give her that. God, I could barely sleep." Anya grimaced. "I'm surprised his bed hasn't fucking broken."
"That's what I could hear last night!" Erin cried. "Christ, I thought it was a dying cat."
"Aye."
Michelle bowed, motioning to the bus in front of them. "Our carriage awaits, motherfuckers!"
On the bus, the group of six looked straight at the back where a group of first years sat. Instantly Michelle was on their case, trying to get them to move so that her own group could sit there. It ended terribly, with Big Mandy's little sister threatening Michelle.
This led to six to sitting in two rows at the front of the bus. Anya was squished between James and Orla. Clare watched as Orla stuffed her face, a distant look in the blonde's eyes.
"How long is this fast meant to last?" Anya asked.
"Twenty four hours." Clare didn't look away from Orla's food. "So I still have... twenty three hours to go."
"Fuck me, not the Africans again!" Michelle cried, throwing her head back.
Clare reeled back, a menacing glare coming into her eyes. "Imagine being born there and not here. We don't know how lucky we are!"
"Aye. Fair dos. Derry is class."
"Aye!" Anya smiled, high-fiving Michelle. James watched Anya's tiny hand against Michelle's. Her black painted nails stood out and looked old and worn. He wanted nothing more than to grab her tiny hand and place it in his own. Nothing more than to pull her into his chest and kiss the top of her fiery hair.
The bus stopped. A soldier came on board, a large gun in his hands. "Everyone remain seated." His voice was rough and affirmative, causing Michelle to lean forward and whisper to Clare.
"What's going on?" Asked James nervously. Anya smiled at his nervous state, resting her hand on his arm and stroking lightly with her thumb. He gulped.
"Michelle you can't say that!" Clare gasped, causing the others to ask what she said.
"All I asked was if she thought if I told that officer I have an incendiary devise down my knickers he'd have a look?"
"Michelle, he's a soldier!" Erin cried, rolling her eyes.
"Awk, some of them are rides. I'll admit, even if nobody else does, because I'm a beacon of truth, Erin." Michelle sneered, rubbing it in Erin's face.
"You're a mouth is what you are."
"You can say that again." Janes whispered under his breath, causing Anya to giggle. And James had to admit, it was his new favourite sound.
