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James had followed his mum home, along with Michelle as they climbed into her car and drove off, probably going back to Michelle's house.
Erin looked at Esme, her eyes softening slightly when she saw the girls baffled expression.
"Esme, it's gonna be okay" Erin attempted to reassure her friend
"Why would she come back?" Esme asked "Clearly she's a useless mother if she couldn't be bothered to take him back to England with her"
"James is smart, he wouldn't just forgive her straight away" Erin said
Esme shrugged walking in the opposite direction of her house, forcing Erin and Orla to stare at her in confusion.
"That's the wrong way" Orla stated
"I know" Esme replied "I'm walking home, I need some air"
"I thought you were coming over" Erin furrowed her eyebrows
"Sorry" Esme said
Erin watched carefully as Esme made her way around the corner, becoming yet another face in the huddle of schoolgirls who were making their way home.
She frowned, dragging Orla and Clare towards their bus stop as the mood between the trio completely switched from their usually happy and joking personalities to one of sadness and shock.
"Is James going to go back to England with his ma?" Orla asked
"No, he wouldn't do that" Clare shook her head
"Clare's right, he enjoys his life here and he couldn't just leave it" Erin nodded.
The girls jumped on the bus once it arrived, hoping and praying that Kathy would stay in Ireland, and not take James away from them.
—
Erin and Orla walked into Mary's house, throwing their stuff down as Erin grabbed an orange juice from the fridge
"What kept you two?" Mary asked the girls
"We have some serious scandal, Mammy" Erin said
"I'm not interested in any of your aul schoolgirl gossip, Erin" Mary replied
"I am" Sarah said
"We just met James's mammy" Erin announced
The room fell silent, as the adults stared at the teenagers in disbelief.
"Kathy Maguire's back? Really?" Mary asked
"She tried to set us on fire" Orla said
"She did what?" Mary raised an eyebrow
"She didn't" Erin shook her head.
After a few minutes of Sarah questioning the girls on the state of Kathy's eyebrows, Erin decided to address the situation that was intoxicating her mind.
