the derry girl || james maguire

twenty

Niamh's pov

I had woken up with Erin's face above mine, she was all dressed and ready to go.

"Jesus Erin, are you alright?" I ask.

"Come on Niamh, get ready we have to go. We have Miss De Brún today." She smiled.

"Aye I'll be there in a minute."

and so I quickly got changed into my uniform, and put my shoes on. I looked at the boring black shoelaces, and remembered what Miss De Brún had taught us. Next think you know I've got my neon pink laces out my boots and threading them through my school shoes. I smiled. They looked nice.

"Well, that's us away." Erin said when we got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Where's your socks, love?" Aunt Sarah asked Orla.

"They're just not for me, mammy. I'm sorry."

"You'll be foundered."

"I know what I'm doing."

"Niamh what's happened to your laces?" Aunt Mary asked.

"Oh, I've not a clue Mary, sorry, got to go, can't be late." I smiled.

"Have a great day, everyone." Erin shouted.

"What are you in such a good mood about?" Mary asked her.

"Just, you know, life."

"You're up to something. The pair of you, and I'll get to the bottom of it. Honest to god, between you and keyser soze, my head is turned." Mary said.

"Who's keyser soze?" Erin questioned.

"God almighty." Gerry whispered.

-

"Take a seat, please, ladies." Sister Michael tells us while rubbing Miss De Brún's name off the chalkboard.

"Where's Miss De Brún?" Erin asked.

"Gone. And she's not coming back."

"What?" I say.

"I knew it. When I woke up this morning, I had a feeling something terrible was going to happen and also that essentially deep down, I'm quite an evil person." Clare said.

"It's called a hangover, Clare. You'll be grand." Michelle tells her.

"I will be taking this class for the rest of the term, which makes me want to pull off my own face, but needs must." Sister said.

"This was you, wasn't it? What did you do? What did you say?" Erin yelled at Jenny.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Aye, so you don't. Supergrass!"

"That's quite enough."

"You don't understand, sister. Miss de brun, she touched us."

you could have worded that better Erin.

"What?"

"She made us think, she made us feel."

"Thank god. That would be all I need."
Sister sighed.

"You can't sack her! You just can't!" Erin yelled.