Mars? Yeah Right!

Chapter 19

19

It was Monday evening before she came to see me directly.

 I had spent most of the weekend in my room, hiding from my mother. She was like some sort of bloodhound when it came to sniffing out my problems and the absolute last thing I wanted was for her to find out about this one. She'd go mental and tell Dad, who would immediately go all psycho on me and go on a murderous killing spree.

I also spent a considerable amount of time ignoring Teresa's phone calls and texts begging me to let her explain. As far as I was concerned, no explanation was necessary. She had clearly decided to sell me out and let her boyfriend and his idiot bandmates humiliate me. So be it. I didn't need her. I didn't need anyone.

But when she called to the house, I decided to see her, if only to get her to stop bothering me. Both of my parents were out at another function Mam's boss was throwing. He still hadn't given anyone that promotion he had promised and Mam was doing her best to get into his good books.

I opened the door slowly. Teresa stood awkwardly on the front step, chewing on her lower lip like a guilty toddler. I noticed that she was wearing an old friendship bracelet I had made her in fourth class, probably in an attempt to butter me up. It  wasn't working.

"Hey Aine."

I didn't reply.

"Can I come in?" she asked tentitively.

I stood aside to let her pass, but otherwise made no comment. As soon as we were in the kitchen, I turned and faced her, my ams folded across my chest. Waiting.

Teresa ran a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair, then took a deep breath.

"I just came to tell you that...I'm really sorry about Saturday. I should have guessed what Eamonn was planning. I didn't know about the song, I promise you I didn't. None of the band did. Eamonn just gave them the music and didn't show them the words. But I should have been able to put two and two together. I really am sorry, Aine."

Then she looked at me hopefully, waiting for me to give my verdict.

I didn't react for a few seconds. Was she for real? Did she really think that I was only angry with her about the festival? Unbelievable.

"Are you completely stupid?" I asked bluntly. "You think that this is only about that incident? Terry, you haven't been a good friend to me in weeks. As soon as you started hanging out with that twit of a guitarist, you dropped me like a hot potato. So if you think that one little apology is going to make up for that, you're dreaming."

Teresa looked as if I had flung a bucket of ice-water at her.  "What do you mean I haven't been a good friend to you? I -"

"Hmmm, let's see," I said harshly. "You dumped me when we went to the shopping centre to buy your mam a present, you haven't texted me in forever, not counting the ones you sent over the weekend, this is the first time you've set foot in this house since I don't know how long, and whenever I see you lately, you're either talking nonstop about Connor or you've brought him with you.

"When was the last time you asked me how I was Terry? Did you even come over today to apologise because you wanted to, or did you just want to get back in my good books so you could use me some more?"

The whole time I was talking, Teresa's face flickered in a kaleidoscope of emotions.  Finally she settled on the one: anger.

"Actually, I really did come over to apologise to you Aine," she said viciously. "I felt awful about what happened to you on Saturday. And I'll have you know that I actually spent most of the weekend getting people to leave you alone and not bother you about it. The girls from the Silent Rain Fan Club were planning on massacring you as soon as you left the festival, did you know that? Guess who talked them out of that one?"