TO SAY SAOIRSE WAS DISAPPOINTED would be an understatement. The was no trust fund. Her parents hadn't set any money back for her. Not a penny. She was beyond gutted to come to the terms that she may not be going to France.
The feeling was worsened by the fact that when she mentioned it to her parents they just laughed at her until they realised she was being serious. Her parents then explained that they had no money for her and they couldn't afford the trip.
Eileen feeling sorry for the girl decided to treat her with a chippy for dinner. It wasn't Saoirse' favourite place to eat but it was a change from her mother's dinners which she was happy with.
However, Saoirse then realised that she's be the one that'd have to go collect it. Realising this she lost all the happy feeling as she really could not be bothered going outside. Especially on a Friday night. The night Fionnula's chippy was the busiest.
Saoirse took her parents orders and the money for it and left, wanting to get there quick as she knew it would be busy and she wanted to be home quickly.
She eventually got to the chippy and spotted Erin and Orla inside ordering. "Seven bags of chips. Twelve chicken nuggets. One small battered hotdog. One plain chicken burger." Saoirse hears Erin read off a list as she walks into the chippy.
Fionnula getting irritated and fed up by the girl and the long order snatch's the list shouting "Give me that. Move." "Thank you, Fionnula." Erin mutters walking away just as Clare walks in.
Erin turns noticing her two friends she smiles and asks "All right you two? Any joy with the trust fund?" Clare shakes her head. "Nah. According to my Ma we're actually quite poor."
"Aye, me aswell. My ma and da got a right laugh out of it when I asked." Saoirse grits through her teeth in annoyance. "Aye, I think we might be as well." Erin agrees with the two.
"What's yours?" Fionnula shouts at Saoirse cutting girls off. "Just three fish suppers, Fionnula." Saoirse answers simply. Fionnula write the order down before turning to Clare. "And you?"
The small blonde becomes flustered at the extremely intimidating older woman and stutters out "Uh, can I please get one fish supper and one cowboy special, please Fionnula, thank you please."
"It'll be ready when it's ready." Fionnula tells both girls and walks off at the same time Michelle and James enter the chippy.
Michelle approaches her friends looking extremely pissed as James follows after her timidly. "Well, Jenny Joyce was talking through her fat hole about this trust fund thing."
"What's yours?" Fionnula returns asking Michelle. "Don't rush me, Fionnula!" Michelle shouts back seeming stressed.
"Where the fuck are we going to get the money for Paris now?" Michelle question her friends. "We could sell our organs." Orla suggests.
Saoirse eyes widen, she shakes her head. "Are you fuckin' mad? I'm not selling my organs!"
"We could. We could sell our organs." Clare speaks up seeming like she's agreeing with Orla but continues with "Or, and forgive me if this is a bit left field, but could we not, you know, get jobs?"
Michelle shakes her head at Clare. "There are no jobs in Derry. That's all you ever hear anybody say." "Plus whose gonna want to hire us anyway?" Saoirse adds in a jokey way.
"So what are these?" Clare ignores Saoirse and walks over towards the notice board in the chippy pointing at it. "I never really looked at this before. I just assumed they were all dead cat posters." Michelle explains staring a the board full of open jobs.
"Missing cat posters." Clare corrects. "If you're an optimist." Michelle defends herself.
Erin furrows her brows at the board. "I'm not sure I'd be suited to any of these. They're all very practical, and I'm just more...creative."
"You're more of a slabber." Michelle says. "A job just seems like so much effort....effort that I do not have." Saoirse groans out.
Random girl comes over and pulls contact details off flyer on notice board. This causing Michelle to worry about the availability of the jobs present. "Fucks sake. I think other people are onto this thing, girls." Michelle whispers.
"Oy! I'll not ask you again!" Fionnula shouts at Michelle. "A large curry butty, Fionnula. And don't be shy with the salt now." Michelle finally answers the woman.
Fionnula then gestures to James "What about the wee limey?" "Well, dicko?" Michelle pushes James to answer.
James anxiously looks between the girls and Fionnula which Saoirse. "I'm okay, thanks." James mutters shyly.
Everyone, except Saoirse, turns to James in shock. "What?" Michelle spits at her cousin. "I don't really want anything." James shrugs.
"You don't want anything?" Erin asks in shock and slight horror to which Saoirse rolled her eyes.
'The foods not that good. It's nice but it's not the best. I've had better.' Saoirse thought.
"How could you not want anything, it's lovely." Michelle raises her voice. "I just don't really fancy it, that's all." James tells them.
"Aw, leave the lad alone. He's probably just not hungry. Or not in the mood." Saoirse suggest defending the boy as she notices his anxious behaviour.
James smiles gratefully at the boy but as usual The others do not drop it causing his smile to quickly fall. All of them staring at James with horrified expressions.
"I don't understand." Orla states with pure confusion. "Are you not feeling well, James?" Clare asks thinking it was the only reasonable answer.
James can't take it anymore and erupts. "I don't like it, okay?! It's too greasy! It's much, much too greasy! Even the smell of it makes me feel physically sick!"
Fionnula is beyond the area of pissed. She looked like she could straggle the boy as she clenched her fists.
"I'm sorry that you had to hear that, Fionnula. You're a fucking embarrassment." Michelle apologises before glaring and sending the last part of her statement towards James.
"Get him out of here!" Fionnula yells at Michelle. "You heard the woman." Michelle shakes her head.
James turns and exits the chippy wearing a sad expression on his face. This makes Saoirse frown, feeling sorry for the boy and wanting to comfort him.
Since her order was short it was ready quicker than the rest. She grabbed the food thanking Fionnula and handing her the money before leaving.
As Saoirse exits the chippy she sees a sad James waiting around outside. "Are you okay?" She asks, catching his attention.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry about my outburst. I just-" "I understand. Don't tell the girls this...if you do I'll fuckin' cut your baws aff...but I agree. It's not that nice." Saoirse cuts the frantic curly haired boy off.
James holds his hands up in defence at her threat. "I won't tell them. I promise. If you don't like it then why do you get it?"
"My ma felt bad about no having money fer me to go to France so she said she'd buy us a chippy. And well my ma scares the shit out of me so I wasnae about to tell her I don't like it. She'd crucify me. And it's not that bad...it's just not the best." Saoirse explains.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it." James smiles to which Saoirse returns. "Thanks for trying to defend me in there."
"Well, I saw you were about to shit yerself so I had to try something." Saoirse chuckles making James chuckle as well.
Saoirse then checks her watch and realises the time. "I better go. My ma and da will kill me. And I don't want you being sick on me over the smell off this."
"Goodbye, Saoirse." James smiles and waved at the retreating girl. For some reason the way he said her name made her feel butterflies in her stomach which she just ignored.
"Goodbye, James."