2 a.m., smoking joints and talking shite, she didn’t appear.
The next day Ferdia was glued to his phone, moving around to make sure he had a signal. But even though Phoebe smouldered at him in real life, across the lobby and again in the swimming pool, there was no response to his follow request.
It took until Easter Saturday night, before it clicked. ‘She hasn’t got a phone!’
‘You be high.’
‘Serious. I’ve never seen her looking at her phone. She hasn’t got one.’
Barty was astounded. ‘What are they? Amish?’
‘Doing exams soon.’
In the weeks before the Leaving Cert, parents frequently deprived their children of their phones to keep their minds focused.
‘That’s why she hasn’t shown up at the boat-house. She’s under curfew.’
‘So how are you going to meet her?’ Barty asked. ‘Send a raven? Get Saoirse to befriend her? Some girly thing? They could talk about periods and stuff.’
‘Me?’ Saoirse’s voice wobbled. ‘You ignore me all weekend to stalk that bougie ho –’
‘Don’t call her a ho.’
‘– and now you want me to be your pimp?’ She sounded like she might cry. ‘Dream on, assholes.’
After an uncomfortable silence, Ferdia said, ‘Saoirsh. Sorry. I, ah, yeah, eye off the ball. Forgot about you. A bit. Sorry.’
‘You think I want to be here? Watching Frozen twenty times? Sharing a room with Bridey? Do you know? I haven’t had one drink since we got here and I’m sixteen.’
‘Our bad.’ Barty and Ferdia were full of remorse. ‘Totally, like.’
ELEVEN
A bit shook, Nell let herself into her room. Liam was stretched out on the bed, listening to something on his phone.
‘They were actually on the train?’ He took off his headphones. ‘Thank Christ. I think poor Jessie would have driven back to Dublin and physically bundled Ferdia into the car if he hadn’t come.’
‘He’s here now.’ She unlaced her Converse and kicked them off. ‘Listen, what’s Ferdia’s deal? He was very judgey. About us being here when there’s a housing crisis. I was dying.’
‘What d’he say?’
She stopped. Bad idea, bitching, especially about family. ‘No, forget it. It was just a surprise. He’s been grand the other times I’ve met him.’
Although when had that been? Jessie’s New Year’s Eve piss-up? The St Patrick’s Day party? Where there had been so many rowdy people that she and Ferdia had barely said hello.
‘He’s an eejit,’ Liam declared. ‘Spoilt little fucker. And Barty’s worse. I think Barty’s an actual card-carrying cretin.’
‘Liam.’ She gave a guilty laugh. ‘You can’t say that word.’
‘But he is. And a total mini-Ferdia. Every time Ferdia gets new ink or a new anything, Barty copies him. Check out the rings they both wear.’
Her phone buzzed. ‘Oh! Email,’ she said. ‘Oh! Liam, it’s …’ Quickly, she scanned it and turned a wide-eyed face to him. ‘Liam, I got it! The gig! The show at the Playhouse.’
‘Oh? The one about time?’
‘Timer. Yeah.’
‘Wow.’ He seemed stunned. ‘That’s – that’s amazing. How much money?’
‘Feck-all. But I don’t care. This is my first time being head designer. They trust me, Liam! They liked my ideas! We must celebrate. How long before dinner?’
‘About an hour.’
‘Just long enough.’ Looking him dead in the eye, she unzipped her boiler-suit a couple of inches.
His whole demeanour changed, becoming still and alert. ‘Like that, is it?’
‘Totally like that.’
With supple grace, he unfolded himself from the bed, crossed the room and wrapped his hands around her waist. Softly he said, ‘Hello.’
‘Hello.’
He cupped his hands around her face. ‘You are so, so beautiful.’ Her hands fumbled open his jeans and they steered their way to the bed …
Their doorbell buzzed frantically, accompanied by open-handed slaps on the wood. ‘Open up, open up!’ girls’ voices commanded.
‘What the hell?’
‘Ignore them,’ Nell begged.
‘We know you’re in there!’ The ringing and slapping continued.
Wide-eyed, they stared at each other, as the mood trickled away.
‘You’ll want to see this!’ someone – probably TJ – yelled.
Admitting defeat, Nell leant her forehead against Liam’s. ‘Later? You decent?’
‘Just about.’
As soon as she opened the door, the ball of energy that was Dilly, TJ and Bridey hurtled towards her. ‘Nell, come quickly! You too, Liam, if you want. We’re spying on Ferdia’s new girlfriend. The one from last year. She’s out on her balcony!’
‘Wait for me.’ Liam tugged his T-shirt down over his jeans.
Bridey looked scandalized. ‘Were you two …? That’s disgusting! Wash your hands.’
‘There’s no time!’ Dilly was about to explode with impatience.
‘Where are we going?’ Nell asked.
‘Mum’s room,’ Bridey said. ‘Ferdia came up to borrow a charger –’
‘– because,’ TJ interjected, ‘he’d forget his arse if it wasn’t