Sweet as honey • James Maguire

1,6•Theres a difference between these three and Erin.

Me and James were walking home, Slightly behind the rest of the group, so they wouldn't see us holding hands. See, over the weekend me and James went on another date, and he finally asked me to be his girlfriend! I know! I was over the moon when he asked me. We both agreed, however, to not tell the girls yet, knowing that they'd have more then enough to say on the matter.

As we entered the house, all chatting away to one another, Mary let out a creepy looking smile. We then found out that it was because she wanted to wash our coloureds. We had all eventually stripped to just our shirts and underwear, making me slightly embarrassed as James subtly looked me up and down as we were doing the dishes.

"Hey! Let me look at that" Mary told James as she was peeling the potatoes for dinner. She looked at the plate. "And you call that clean, do you?" She questioned the boy. "Different standards you see,
Mary. You're not in England now, son" Sarah told her sister. "Orla was the one who washed it." James told my aunts truthfully. Orla placed the rag in the sink before turning round to James. "Oh, okay. Okay. I have had it with you, James, and your picking picking picking, and I wont take it anymore. Do you hear me?" Orla asked the boy, who had really, done nothing wrong. "Is everything okay, Orla?" The boy then asked her, concerned. "I warned you, Orla. You're putting yourself under too much pressure." Sarah told her daughter, making no sense. I looked between them both, confused. "Can't fail, Mammy." Orla told her mother. "Sinse when have you been troubled by Exams?" Erin questioned our cousin, just before I could. "Exams? What are you on about, Erin?" Orla said, making me even more baffled then before. I looked at Michelle, to see she was just as confused as I was. "What are you on about, Orla?" Erin asked again, not seeing what Orla could be troubled by. "Step." Orla said, as if we should have known. "I'm sorry?" Both me and Erin asked at the same time, having no clue what our cousin was on about. "Step aerobics." Orla told us, looking between us both. Me and Erin looked at each other, confused as anything, as Sarah started to speak. "Orlas got really into step aerobics. Her instructor says she's a natural. Says she's got what it takes to go all the way." Sarah told us all. "All the way in step aerobics?" Mary asked exactly what I was thinking. "But it's out of control now Mary. She's stepping morning, noon and night. Apart from anything else, it's dangerous. She nearly came through the ceiling yesterday. Okay she might be gifted, but I just want her to have a normal childhood." Sarah ranted to her older sister. "I won't give it up. I can't. " Orla refused. "Listen to yourself,
Love." Sarah told her daughter, only to be interrupted by Mary. "Now, whites." She asked us, making us taking our shirts off.

It was the next morning in school. Where Erin had abandoned us for the schools newspaper committee or something. Me and James spent most of the day with each other, as well as the rest of the girls. The day went slowly, seeming as if the lessons dragged on for ages. We were all sitting underneath the stairs at lunch, still no sign of Erin. "So what's Erin doing again?" Michelle questioned me. "Well she told me this morning that she's becoming a part of the school paper. But I honestly have no fucking clue what she's up to." I told the girl. "Ach, that'll be here ignoring us for a while then won't it?" Michelle said, rolling her eyes. I laughed. "You know her too well, Michelle. It's definitely going to become one of her 'I'm better then you' activities" I told her. Making everyone else giggle, knowing about Erins mood swings towards our friendships.

School was over, and there was still no sign of Erin. "What if she's been kidnapped?" I questioned the group as we were walking home. "She's not been kidnapped, Caoimhe. She's too annoying for that" Michelle reassured me, sort of. James sensed that I was still nervous about my cousins where abouts, and kissed my forehead before grabbing my hand. "I mean, Aunt Mary's gonna kill me if she's gone missing" I told the girls truthfully. "She's not missing, Caoimhe! She's still at school." Michelle told me again. I huffed in response. We were silent the rest of the walk home until we got to my house. Me and Orla walked up the steps, turning around and waving to our friends who were waiting by our gate. "See ya tomorrow!" We shouted at them. "Aye! And tell Erin that I don't want to hear about her paper tomorrow at all!" Michelle told us, before dragging Clare and James away.