GIBSIE
SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2004

I THINK I LIKED HER EYES THE MOST. I'm not sure if it was because of how pretty they were or the way she would look at me.

They were brown. Not honey brown or a poopy brown, it was just brown like the tree roots. For a while I had assumed that they were Hazel, but then when she got really close, I realized that they were brown. Completely brown.

I wanted to find that exact shade of brown and paint everything I owned that color.

I've seen so many different girls with brown eyes, but none of them were quite as beautiful as Michelle's.

That moment when she came so close to my face, I felt like I had completely forgotten to breathe. I'm not even sure I heard what she had said, my mind was in a complete panicked state while trying not to freak out over the little amount of space between our faces.

If she was any other girl I probably would have made some random sexual joke to relieve some of the tension, but it wasn't any other girl, it was her and somehow, for what felt like the first time in my life (even though it definitely wasn't), the words wouldn't leave my mouth.

This was going to be a problem and I knew it.

"Johnny, it's so bad." I groaned, pressing my head against my locker.

We had just finished up practice and I messed up almost twenty times because I let myself get distracted by the thought of my girl.

"What is? Your playing? I know." Johnny said, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Michelle." I groaned. I let the insult about my playing go because I knew he was joking and I had more important things to talk about.

Johnny paused, squinting slightly "Who's Michelle?"

I wanted to hit him and yell 'Who do you think, genius' but I didn't, instead I settled on "my girl! The love of my life!" I rolled so that my back was now pressed against the locker.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing!" I was almost offended that he assumed I had done something. "It was like I couldn't stop talking. First I told her about you and how we met because she wanted to know who you were, then I went on to explain how I met almost everyone else in my life because she asked me if I had any other friends, and—oh my God—it was so bad."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. I think Hughie was right. She might be a witch."

Johnny scratched his chin "Maybe it's the accent?"

I hummed, sliding down my locker "maybe."

"Is that all you told her?"

I nodded "sorta. After that I brought up Brian and I told her that story about how he attacked me for no reason." I still had the claw marks on my heel.

"And?"

"And she called him an asshole."

"So?"

"So? You all called me over-dramatic, but she understood me." I flopped onto the floor dramatically.

"Lad. You haven't even known her for twelve hours. I think you might be right. It's bad." Johnny lightly kicked my rib as a sign to stand up.

I pulled myself up, grabbing his hands "fix me, Johnny. Please. Fix me."

Johnny pulled his hands out of my grasp "you're so dramatic." He smiled, wrapping his now free arm around my shoulders as we exited the locker room.

Michelle wouldn't have called me dramatic.

"Hey." Johnny paused, staring down at the end of the hall. "Isn't that her?" He pointed to where he was looking.

I spun in the direction, excited for my eyes to land on her.

When they did, I nearly jumped for joy.

She was sitting on a bench, her legs crossed by her ankles, her head was resting against the wall, her braids resting on each shoulder, her face was blank of emotion and her eyes were closed. I think she was sleeping.

"Yeah." I hummed, already making my way towards her.

"What's she doing here this late?" Johnny asked, following me down the hall.

I shrugged before calling out her name "Michelle" her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head up, her eyes immediately meeting mine. Maybe I would've felt bad for disturbing her, but I got too distracted on the fact that she was looking at me.

"Gerard? Hey! What are you doing here?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting themselves together.

"Rugby." I answered faster then I'd ever answered a question before. Then I asked "You?"

Before she could answer, the door beside her swung open and a short red head came marching out, holding, what I think was a guitar case. She looked so mad that I wouldn't be surprised if her hair lit on fire.

"Let's get the fuck out of here before I kill myself." The red head glared over at Michelle.

Despite our size, it took the girl almost five minutes before she noticed me and Johnny standing there and her angry expression turned confused.

Michelle pulled herself up, smacking the back of the ginger's head. "Language, ya idiot"

The ginger dropped her glare on us and sent it towards the girl who just hit her "oh, fuck off. You have no room to talk" before Michelle could yell at her again the gingers turned back to us "Why are they talking to you? Aren't you too weird?"

Then Michelle glared over at the younger girl. That was the first time I'd ever seen such an angry look on her face.

"Oh my god, Maeve. Could you at least drop the attitude when we are around people."

Aaaaah. Maeve. The sister with the demon cat.

I guess I see where the cat gets it from.

"It was a genuine question. Michelle." Maeve used Michelle's name like it was an insult, earning an eye roll from the older girl. "Seriously though. Why are you two talking to her. She's a loser."

"Maeve!" Michelle's voice went up an octave, yet somehow she still sounded in charge.

"Michelle is my friend." I finally spoke up.

Maeve's eyes narrowed as she gave me a distrusting look.

She didn't believe me.

I looked back to Michelle and my breath hitched. She was clearly surprised that I had called her my friend, but the look in her eyes was so much more. It was like she was trying to say so many things, but the words would only translate through her eyes.

I knew the feeling.

"Hey girls." Another voice joined the conversation.

I turned my left where none other than Baby Buckley had appeared out of thin air.

"Baby Buck?" Both Johnny and I asked in sync.

I didn't know much about him. He was a first year so I didn't see him on the higher class floors, but he was on rugby. He barely said anything during practice. Anytime we would ask him something he would either shrug, nod, or shake his head. I actually think that was the first time I'd ever heard his voice. It was a lot deeper than I had expected.

He was a little bit taller than the red headed girl and his hair was blond—like mine, but his face was almost exactly like the Maeve's. The only difference was instead of having Maeve, or even Michelle's, long nose, he had a small button nose and instead of Maeve's green eyes, he had Michelle's brown eyes.

They were definitely all siblings.

"Cap. Gibsie." He nodded to us, clearly confused. He turned towards the two girls that were still sending each other glares. "What's going on here?"

"Took you long enough, Finnley." Maeve snapped, once again using his name as an insult. "Thought I was about to die of impatience."

Baby Buckley clearly wasn't as offended by the girl as Michelle had been moments ago. He shrugged her off "your impatience is not my problem, Maeve."

Then the little blond boy turned towards us "what are you two doing here?" Asking the same question the little red headed girl had moments ago.

Maeve scoffed "he says he's friends with Mickey."

Baby Buckley nodded, believing it a lot faster than little red "cool."

"Cool?" Maeve gagged. "He's gotta be lying."

Baby Buckley rolled his eyes at Maeve "stop being so jealous, Maeve."

"I am not jealous of her."

"Now who's the one lying?"

Maeve went to jump at Finn, but Michelle must have registered the movement before the girl even started moving because her hand was already wrapped around the little girl's forearm.

"You two." She pointed her index finger and middle finger at the two kids "car. now." She ordered.

Both kids rolled their eyes, but in the end they listened and pushed each other down the hall towards the school exit.

Michelle had her head in hands as she sighed. "I'm so sorry." She looked back up at us. "Those two are a handful. I mean Finn, he's fine when it's just him, but when Maeve's there she just has to start an argument over everything. Only been here a week and I'm already sick of them."

"Why did you move here?" Johnny narrowed his eyes like he was looking for something specific in her face.

"My dad started working too much, didn't want me to be all alone and my mom offered to let me stay with her." I knew she was leaving a few things out, but If Johnny did he didn't ask anymore question.

Then Michelle awkwardly sighed "I should get to the car before the twins convince mom to make me walk home." She gave us each a smile and a wave before walking around us.

"Bye." I called towards her, hopping on my feet when she turned back for a moment just to say bye back. Then I turned to Johnny "what the fuck was that?" I asked, hitting his arm.

Johnny shrugged "I was making sure she wasn't a criminal running from the law."

AUTHOR TALKS!!
Some of these cute scenes make me so sad because I know something you guys don't.

Also longest chapter so far!!! Finally getting my motivation back!

Kinda wanna publish Maeve and Tadgh's book but there is a bug plot twist coming up that is a very important plot point in their book and I don't want to spoil it.