SEPTEMBER 18TH 2004
AOIFE
“WELL, YOU MADE IT TO EIGHTEEN,” Casey called over the DJ, as we threw shapes on the dancefloor of The Dinniman. “And with your virginity intact.” Laughing, she added, “I don’t know which one I’m more surprised about.”
“Funny,” I shot back, feeling tipsy, as I readjusted my happy birthday sash across my chest, and bounced around to The Killers’ Mr. Brightside.
Mam, with the help of Casey, had organized this party to celebrate mine and Kev’s coming of age, and the entire place was jammed with friends, family, and most of our year from school.
Balloons and banners were hung all around the bar, and I was on such a high to know that this many people turned out for us.
I was finally legal, entitled to both order and be served whatever I wanted at the bar, and I was taking full advantage of the new perks.
Cupping her hands around her mouth, Casey asked, “Where’s Joey?”
“Where do you think?” I replied, pointing a thumb in a direction to where both Joey and my dad were deep in conversation at the bar.
Dad was nursing a pint of Guinness, while my boyfriend gripped a tall glass of vodka and Red Bull, his drink of choice.
Joey looked incredibly sexy tonight in his jeans and a fitted white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, revealing some mighty fine forearm porn.
He’d gotten a new haircut for the occasion, too. The back and sides were shaved tight, leaving an adorable mop of blond wavy curls on top.
Of course, he was sporting one hell of a shiner under his left eye, but I was determined not to ask him about the bruise
If I did, the chances were that we would end up in a fight, and that was the last thing I wanted tonight.
Joey had opened up to me a few weeks ago but had quickly returned to his usual closed-book persona soon after.
As weird as it sounded, and even though I was still plenty mad about the whole ordeal, Joey getting high and puking all over the walls of my bedroom had unintentionally brought us closer.
He’d been on his best behavior since; with his try-mode reactivated, and Shane’s number deleted from his phone – courtesy of yours truly.
It was like one of the roadblocks that he used to keep me out had been knocked aside. I was one step closer to getting over the illustrious walls he’d built up to protect himself.
Towering over my dad, I watched as my boyfriend leaned a hip against the bar and bowed his head to listen to whatever it was my father was rambling on about, nodding in response every once and a while.
“I think it’s nice that your boyfriend and your dad are such good buddies,” Casey laughed. “They’ve got this cute little bromance going on. It’s adorable.”
“True,” I agreed, linking arms with my bestie, as we stumbled back to our table. “But when he’s bromancing my dad, it means that he’s not romancing me.”
“So, you’re thinking tonight might be the night?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh Christ,” Casey groaned. “The anticipation is unbearable.”
“How are you, Aoife, love?” Mam asked when I flopped down beside her. “How are you, Casey, pet?”
“Hiya, Trish,” my best friend sighed happily, as she plopped down beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. “I’m a small bit tipsy, Trish.”
“Are you now?” Mam replied, tone laced with amusement. “What about you, Aoife?”
“I’m tone-sold-cober, Mam.”
“Stone cold sober, you mean?” Mam eyed me with that look only mothers could master. “I’m sure you are.”
”I love you, Mammy.” Hooking an arm around her neck, I pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks for my party.”
“I love you too, my little rogue.” Worrying her lip, she eyed the hem of my white, skin-tight, boob-tube dress and said, “But I don’t love that dress. I could see the cheeks of your arse when you were dancing earlier.”
“No, you couldn’t,” I snorted, batting a hand in the air, as I polished off what was left of my Smirnoff ice. “Because if you had actually seen what’s on my ass, you’d have dragged me off the dancefloor.”
“What’s on your ass?”
I tapped my nose with my finger. “Nothing.”
“And Jesus wept,” Mam groaned, shaking her head. “I’m warning you now, young lady, I don’t care that you’re eighteen now. You’re not too big for a clip around the ear.”
“You’d never clip my ears.” I grinned at her. “You’re just a big, old softie, aren’t ya, Mam?”
“She looks like a model, doesn’t she, Trish?” Casey interjected, as she pulled at the top of my dress. “Yourself and Tony must have used the good stuff when ye made this one.” With tears welling in her eyes, Casey grabbed my shoulders and stared at me. “You are my bestestest friend in the whole wide world of Ballylaggin, Aoife Molloy.”
“And you’re mine, Casey Lordan,” I wailed back, throwing my arms around her. “You’re the biggest ride in school.”
“No, you’re the biggest ride.”
“No, no, I insist it’s you.”
“Okay, then we’re both rides.”
“Yay!”
“You’re both in love with yourselves, that’s what you are!” Tutting, Mam held a finger up and said, “Listen to me now, don’t be losing the run of yourself with the novelty of buying your own alcohol now, ya hear?”
“I hear you, Mam.”
“I mean it. You are both lovely looking girls,” Mam urged, addressing us both now. “Which is why you need to keep a handle on yourselves and keep your wits about you. Don’t be drinking to the point of intoxication. It’s not safe. You never know who’s got their eye on you.” Frowning, she added, “And don’t be leaving your drinks unattended, either. I was here to watch them, but what if I wasn’t? The bar is heaving to the rooftops with young fellas. You could have been spiked.”
“Relax, Mam,” I cooed, waving a hand around. “Everyone here is a friend of ours.”
“Exactly,” Casey agreed, smiling. “We’re totally safe, Trish, relax.”
“Famous last words,” Mam muttered, unconvinced.
“Omigod!” I squealed, leaping up when Maniac 2000 blasted from the DJ booth. “This is our jam, Case.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet. “Let’s go.”
“Just be careful tonight, okay?” Mam said. “Please girls.”
“Okay,” we both chorused in unison as we stumbled towards the dancefloor. “We will.”
