Page 52 of Releasing 10
Before Joe moved out, they’d spent every spare waking hour of the day together, but now that Gibs had to split his time between Sadhbh’s and Joe’s, they were even more annoying.
Gibs wasalwayslooking at her, and on the rare occasion he wasn’t, Claire was looking athim.
Our mothers called it harmless puppy love, but I wasn’t so sure about that.
I had a niggling feeling they would always look at each other like that.
I wasn’t sure what to think about it.
“I wouldn’t touch him if I were you,” Feely warned, keeping a wide berth of them both, while he readjusted his black sombrero. “He just puked nine jelly snakes.”
“You did?” My sister’s eyes widened to saucers, and she looked up at my oldest friend like he hung the moon. “The most you did last time was seven!”
“I told you I’m going to get in thatGuinness World Records, Claire-Bear.” Proud as a peacock, Gibs set her down on her feet and swiftly reached for her hand. “Come on. There’s a tray of brownies in the kitchen with our names on them.”
“Claire, haven’t you forgotten someone?” Mam called out in a frazzled tone, but it was too late. My sister had already disappeared inside the house with Gibs in search of sugar.
“Ah, crap,” Feely muttered under his breath. “Another one.”
Meanwhile, my heart started to thump violently in my chest.
She’s here.
“I’m sorry about Claire, sweetheart.” Rounding the car, Mam opened the back passenger door and smiled. “She doesn’t have a spark of sense between her two ears.”
“It’s fine, Mrs. Biggs,” a familiar voice replied. “I’m used to it.”
“Call me Sinead,” I heard my mother instruct. “And my husband’s name is Pete. None of that Mr. and Mrs. Biggs talk, ya hear, love?”
“Just keep backing up,” Feely whisper-hissed, moving backward in the direction of the house. “Maybe your mam won’t see us.”
“Yeah,” I tossed back with a forced laugh but made no move to follow him. I had no intention of running away fromthisgirl.
“Hugh? Oh good. Come here, love. You can bring Lizzie inside.”
Yes!
“Sorry, lad, you’re on your own.” Snickering, Feely bolted for the door. “I have four sisters,” he called over his shoulder. “I suffer enough.”
“Hugh!”
“Yeah, Mam, I’m coming,” I called back, feeling my palms sweat with every step I took toward the car.
I would never admit it to a soul, not even Gibs, but Iwantedto see Lizzie Young again. I’d thought about her a lot over the weekend and hoped she would come today. Now she was here, I felt nervous and sick and excited all at once.
“Ah, here’s my birthday boy,” Mam said when I reached them. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to her side. “I promise this one has much better manners than his sister.”
Usually, but right now, I didn’t have a word left in my head to fulfill my mother’s promise because all my words had flown clean out of my head, and all I could do was stand there and take in the sight of her.
Last week, on the school bus, when I told her my party was fancy dress, I could tell she wasn’t a fan, but she was here right now, rocking the coolest costume I’d ever seen.
“You’re Dr. Sattler,” I finally found my voice and said, eyes raking over her costume with approval. “FromJurassic Park.”
Unlike the other girls, who were dressed in princess costumes and fairy wings, this girl wore khaki shorts, brown hiking boots, a blue vest, and a pink button-up shirt tied in a knot at her waist. Attached to the brown belt around her waist was a plastic walkie-talkie and a yellow lanyard.
The fact that Lizzie showed up to my party in full costume made me feel special, but knowing that she was matching me? Well, I didn’t know how to handle the way that made me feel.
“Happy birthday, Hugh,” she said, extending her hand to me. “I mean, Dr. Grant.”
