Teagan spent the next few hours passing the time by twiddling her thumbs during the tedious group activities they were forced into doing. Even going head to head against James in tense thumb wars. After she beat him too many times he decided it wasn't helping his 'hard lad' image and just held her hand instead. Luckily, she had avoided sister Micheals watch and managed to stay with the girls.
Not that it was any better than being pally pally with the other group of Protestants. Worse actually. Michelle was hyper focused on making it painfully obvious of her true intentions for this weekend, whilst Erin just awkwardly stood stiff as a board next to her assigned Protestant, who seemed to have a severe attitude problem.
James, Orla, and Teagan all shared the same Protestant. She didn't bother to remember his name, despite it being right in front of her on his badge. Instead she pondered names for her wee new teddy, and tried her best to get on James's ... nerves. Telling him the room number she was staying in, and informing him what time Jenny would force the others to go asleep.
Poor boy nearly swallowed his tongue. Orla practically pounced to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on him. Sister Micheal just glared and told him to keep it down. James didn't say a thing after Teagan's suggestion and she marvelled in her ability to render him stoic.
And, when nine-thirty rolled around she sat on her bed for the night idly waiting for a faint knock on the door.
Yes, Jenny made them all go asleep before most granny's did. Teagan nearly threw herself out the window when Jenny announced their group Bible reading session before bed.
The thought of spending time alone with James was the only thing keeping her from doing something to warrant her getting sent home.
She sat with her legs crossed on top of the scratchy quilt and watched eagerly as the clock ticked down the seconds in the corner of the hideously decorated room.
The rickety metal bunk beds they were forced to sleep on creaked as she reached over to switch the song on her cassette player.
Her bulky headphones carefully confiding her music from a very light sleeping Jenny, Teagan could hear her make the slightest move across the room as the cheap bed groaned.
Her music of choice actually wasn't her choice at all. For her birthday James made her a mixtape of all the songs they both enjoyed, that reminded him of her, or just some of his favourite songs. Of course, the song they they listened to during their first kiss was number one on the list.
She continued to sit and listen to the ticking of the clock, Jenny's earth shattering snoring, and to the music. Loosing both her hope and patience as the clock struck ten. She specifically told James half nine. To allow the others sharing her room to properly fall asleep, and for him to sneak away from the others undetected.
Just as she was about to give up the ghost and retire to bed ready for the long day Of Abseiling ahead of her, A quick rapid knock on the thin wooden door to the room made her almost jump out of her skin. With eyes Like a hawk, she stared at Jenny's unmoving form, and prayed to whatever higher being decided to listen to give her some luck. Just this Once.
After Jenny stayed still for a few more seconds Teagan punched the air and carefully got off her bed and casually checked herself out in the long mirror nailed to the back off the door. Scrutinising the way her brown hair just ... lay there like a dead animal, she tried to fluff it into something, anything better.
And well, she was expecting James after all, so she fixed her askew black tanktop and slightly pulled it down at the bottom, tucking it into the grey plaid pyjama bottoms she was wearing.
With one last glance towards Jenny and finding the results to her liking, she shuffled on her grey dressing gown and her pair of old tattered bunny slippers that had seen better days. Poor guys were missing a ear each. Teagan pulled on the cold metal of the door handle and quickly slinked around the narrow gap she allowed.
"Hi" she breathlessly sighed to who she assumed Was James, but nearly crapped herself when she saw the other four surrounding her. A sheepish James stood to the side, shaking his and shrugging his head in response.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered, her voice unintentionally tight and peeved.
"Annoyed we're not ballbag over there?," Michelle asked, nodding towards James in annoyance "I know all about your sick little rendezvous" she accused tightly.
Teagan believed Michelle had learnt that word from Erin. But she just rolled her eyes at Michelle's attempt at judgment. "Like you're not here to do the exact same thing?" She challenged.
"Aye, but unlike you I'm actually in possession of taste. Harry is into me, and is more than willing" Michelle explained to all of them, "so we just go up there and ... build bridges" Michelle raised her penciled in eyebrows at her joke.
Teagan just sighed, "and why do we all need to be present Michelle?" She asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Well ... i'll be too busy ," a smug grin from the curly haired girl. "and someone needs to make sure Erin doesn't knock this all tits up" she explained.
Erin's face scrunched up, "I will not Michelle!"
She protested, but Teagan wasn't convinced.
She just groaned and buckled under pressure from Michelle's glare. "Fine, Fine!" She sighed, holding her hands up in defeat.
Michelle celebrated and pulled Teagan under her shoulder. In an attempt to pull her away from James so they couldn't sneak off.
"Maybe you might find a real fella Teagan"
Teagan's mind was filled with thoughts of Classic literature and revenge.
She was seriously going to get back at Michelle somehow. For dragging her along to this ... nightmare was the only way she could describe it. She sat on the bottom bunk of one of the lads beds with her back slumped against the wall and her copy of Pride and Prejudice opened up to a random page as she tried her hardest to drown out her surroundings.
She had never actually read the book, but just carried it around all summer to get back at Erin, who thought she was the bees knees because she read a few books one time. She was determined to read the whole thing and then witter on about its themes for months, just like Erin did.
But that was easier said then done when all she could see out the corner of her eye was Michelle shifting with one of the fitter looking boys on the bottom bunk next to her. Even when she turned over the view wasn't any better, watching Erin make a tit of herself never got easier to watch despite how many times she had witnessed it.
And trying to drown everyone out wasn't working because James and Orla were fighting over their Protestant on the bunk above her.
James hadn't stopped blabbering on about all the manly things he liked.
Bear, football, poker, and tits.
Ach, Teagan actually pushed her foot up against she mattress at the last one, aiming for where she could see James legs dangling down. Why did he have to be such a pig.
She heard his gasp and his whispered apology, probably hoping the Protestant didn't hear him. Apologising when you've been a pig wasn't very manly apparently.
"Yeah, he may be a lad, Jon, but I can offer you protection, " Orla scooted closer to him as the bed creaked. " I have a hunting knife" she muttered loud enough for Teagan to hear.
Suddenly Jon jumped off the bed, making Teagan almost fall forward.
"Wait, wait where you going?" James rushed off the bed after him.
"Natures calling" he answered shortly. Eager to get away from the madness that was Orla McCool, and unusually, James maguire. Teagan felt she was the only sane one left. The only one Who wasn't obsessed with the Protestants.
Teagan dropped her head into the pages of her book in shame when Orla began to pester Jon whether he was going for a shit or not.
But she also stored the information away, in case she did ever find Herself desperate for a shit one day lost in the woods. You can never be too sure.
Once Jon Made his lucky escape, Teagan closed her book and moved to sit on her knees, looking up at James.
James deflated and turned to Orla.
"Cant you let me have anything for myself?" He snapped.
"I let you have Teagan" Orla declared angrily, gesturing to the O'Ryan girl below.
At the mention of his potential — confirmation still needed — girlfriends name, James looked down to find her already looking up at him. And she wasn't happy.
"James," she began, her voice low to avoid the others hearing her. Not that Michelle was paying attention to anything other than snogging.
"We can still just ... sneak off..."
she suggested, her attempts to not grin failed her, but James didn't seem to notice.
Her words seem to paralyse him for a few seconds before he came to his senses and began nodding. Reaching out to take her hand in his so they could run out the door.
"yeah, we should shouldn't we" he replied.
Suppressing a squeal as he gently pulled her to her feet, Teagan shrugged her dressing gown back over her shoulders and dropped her book back in the pocket. She could feel James tapping his foot quickly against the floor in anticipation next to her at her slow pace.
Finally she adjusted her dressing gown and James linked their hands together again.
Orla was too busy admiring her hair to notice the pair, and Michelle had pulled Erin over into the corner and was furiously whispering to her.
The only person who saw them trying to make their escape was Claire, who looked frightened to death, but just looked away from the two of them. Her promise to say nothing.
Teagan tried not to laugh as she felt james place a antsy hand on her back and begin to eagerly push her towards the door.
But just before she could reach for the handle, it crashed open from the other side and Jon came hurdling back in the room.
"She's coming!" He panicked.
Teagan stumbled back but luckily James caught her, placing their joined hands over her stomach as they listened to Jon's frantic muttering.
"Who?" Erin asked
"The woman!" He told them, panting "small angry penguin woman"
"Sister Micheal!" Claire whimpered, sending them all into a panicked frenzy.
Teagan and James separated and rushed to help hide the bottles off the table, but ran to stand in front of the evidence with the others when sister Micheal barged through the door with Jenny at her side.
Teagan tried to act natural, wrapping her arms over her chest and plastering on the biggest smile she could muster. But internally face palmed when she realised she was standing right next to James, who had grabbed the book out her pocket and pursed his lips, pretending to be reading its contents.
"Oh, good evening sister, " Erin began, trying to act casual, but failing immensely. "we just popped round because we had a few questions about the British empire, which the boys have cleared up for us now, so" she nodded, turning behind her to nod at the Protestants. They all nodded along.
"They weren't talking about the British empire, sister" Jenny told sister Micheal, glaring at Teagan specifically, "they were having a party, I heard her talking to them" she gestured to Teagan who took to studying the ceiling in a effort to avoid the angry gaze from Michelle.
"You will go far in life, Jenny" sister Micheal began, "but you will not be well liked" she muttered, leaving Jenny to dwell on the thought as she turned back to her students. Teagan sniggered but straightened up again when sister Micheal glared at her a second.
"Honestly, girls! I need my eight hours" she started "and I've had Mary Quinn on the phone frying my head and now this!"
Teagan turned her head at the mention of Erin's Ma. She looked at her friend in concern.
"My mother rang? Why? Is everything okay?" Erin asked, her voice high and shaky.
Sister Micheal shook her head "she was very distressed. She wanted me to pass on a message" she concluded.
Erin leaned forward, awaiting the message "Are you gonna?" she asked.
Sister Micheal just sighed and rolled her eyes, before pulling out a scrunched up piece of paper from her pocket.
She cleared her throat as they all waited in silence "Erin, I need some information. Can you find out in a subtle way .. if Michelle's mother was given the big bowl she has since fallen out with..,"
They all rolled their eyes and glared at Erin, and her Ma.
".. and if she can no longer bring herself to look at the bowl because it's just too painful, all your best, your mother Mary" sister Micheal concluded.
They all turned to Michelle, awaiting her answer, "no!" Michelle answered.
"Shift it! Let's go," sister Micheal ordered, ushering them all out the room. Teagan followed after James. One by one the girls filed out, before sister Micheal closed the door.
"O'Ryan, this way" sister Micheal called over her shoulder and clicked, making Teagan cringe in embarrassment at getting caught trying to sneak off.
She fell into step with Jenny who still wore that smug look on her face.
"Sleep with one eye open, Jenny" Teagan muttered to the girl, as they continued on down the hall.
Whoever decided waking up at seven in the morning to climb a steep as fuck hill was a good idea, was seriously on Teagan's shit list.
She swore she would melt within the next five minutes under the intense heat bearing into her skin.
Her legs were squished into her Ma's old waterproof pants from the bloody 70s. Her and her Ma definitely weren't the same size. Judging by the way Teagan had to roll around on the floor earlier to even get them above her thighs. Buttoning them up was a whole other fight.
She even had to borrow Aylish's child size armbands, the colourful cartoon characters only confirming she was a fashion victim.
And her dads old wellies she borrowed kept threatening to trip her up when she wasn't paying attention to her footing.
After way too many near death experiences, almost toppling of the edge to her death, James held her by the elbow to keep her upright.
The five of them all walked together, Erin and
Michelle made Teagan cringe earlier as they not so delicately told Harry and Dee that they wanted to switch buddy's. Because according to Michelle, over breakfast, Harry was 'frigid'.
"This is my life now," Teagan panted, the air in her lungs starting to burn with every step, "I have climbed this hill and now I will die upon it" she lamented, placing a shaking hand over her overzealous beating heart
Michelle just rolled her eyes at Teagan's dramatics, use to her blowing things out of proportion.
"Tell my Ma and Da that I love them, will you James?" She asked him, looking up at him with near glassy eyes. you too, she thought but wouldn't dare say it
"And tell Aylish she can have, she can have my tv" she winced, clutching her chest again.
James looked back at her with more concern than the rest of them put together, yet still knew she wasn't in any real danger of passing out, not when they could still see the minivan in the car park. "We've only been walking for ten minutes, Teagan" he told her.
She stopped. Holding James back by his hand, and the others stilled out of habit.
"Ten minutes?" She exclaimed, looking at the others for confirmation. "ten minutes, only ten minutes?" She repeated over and over again, each time with more confusion.
"Aye, ten minutes, dicko" Michelle nodded, mocking Teagan's confusion.
"Why am I sweltering? I feel like I'm melting, how are you all so fine?" She panted, desperately pulling at the collar of her friends across the barricade t-shirt to try and make a draft.
"Maybe it's those fucking ridiculous armbands your wearing!" Michelle gestured to the Children's size armbands on her upper arms.
"Yeah," James sighed, turning to Teagan, "why are you wearing armbands?" He asked, scratching his neck. He had been curious all morning but just assumed it was Teagan being Teagan.
"I can't swim, James" she told him, making a face.
"You what?" Erin asked, leaning forward.
Teagan rolled her eyes at them, "I can't swim, I don't wanna drown Do I?" She gestured to the armbands that were going to protect her. What was so hard to understand about that.
James just looked at her even more confused than before. "We're nowhere water, tee" he told her.
Teagan made a face, "we're abseiling James, we're gonna need water" she laughed and turned to the others, grinning at James stupid mistake. She pointed at him, as if to say 'what a idiot'
Michelle Caught on quickly and sighed before running a hand down her face in disappointment.
"Teagan, abseiling is climbing a mountain"
Theres a beat of silence, as Teagan processes what Michelle said.
".... what..?" She whispered. Her voice too embarrassed to speak any louder.
"For Christ's sake" Erin groaned.
Michelle and James tried to stifle their laughs, well James did, Michelle didn't care, and just cackled in Teagan's face. At least Claire had her back, although she hadn't said a word all morning.
Teagan came back to reality and scrunched her face up in anger. "So I've been wearing these stupid armbands all morning and no one! None of you thought to ask why?" She accused, her voice rising unintentionally.
Shuffling and battling the armbands as she tried to pull them off. James tried to help but pulled away, after nearly getting hit by Teagan's flying arms.
"I just thought it was a Teagan thing" Erin admitted, nodding her head.
"Yeah," Michelle agreed, finally leaning over to help Teagan take the stupid things off. "Like that year you tried to make hats happen," she grinned, referencing the time Teagan wore hats to every occasion. Even school. Dark days.
Once they had deflated, Teagan shrugged the stupid things off her arms and wanted to throw them off the edge of the cliff, but knew Aylish would kill her if she returned without them. Ach, for a seven year old, aylish was terrifying.
Orla spoke up for the first time all morning,
"How will you swim now?"
"I think we can all agree that for generations there's been a deep lack of trust between your communities" Father Peter stood infront of the massive mountain that they were supposed to be falling down. Yes, Michelle had explained the rules to Teagan on their trek.
" and that's where abseiling comes in" Peter finished. Teagan didn't know how dropping someone down a mountain would build trust. Relieve anger, however ...
Teagan peered up at the giant rock face and whistled in astonishment. Well ... fear.
She was 100% sure if she went up their she would boke her guts up. She was fine with rollercoasters and any other height, but
apparently she drew the line out falling down mountains.
"Claire Devlin" the mention of Clare's name dragged Teagan's fearful gaze over to Claire who began shaking like a leaf.
" I'm — im not so sure about this" Claire whimpered.
Teagan's heart went out for Claire it really did, but better her than herself. Plus if Claire fell off the edge or passed out, Teagan was pretty sure they would all have to go back.
"You'll be grand!" Michelle said as she pushed Claire to the front.
"No, listen, you don't understand.." Claire began, seemingly on the verge of having a cackattack, but Peter just asked for her buddy to go up.
One of the lads from last night walked up next to her and Teagan noticed Claire nearly jump out of her skin and inch away from him, glancing at him in fear.
Teagan grimaced as she watched Claire and her buddy walk up the other side of the mountain, nearly swaying on her feet as they got
higher and higher. She must of physically turned green because James pulled her under his shoulder and asked if she was okay. All she could manage was a nod. It didn't even look that high up, but still Teagan wanted to vomit even glancing up at her friend.
"Philip will controle Claires descent, by feeding her rope through whats know as a belay device" Peter explained to them as Claire was getting harnessed up. "So he'll be the one actually dictating the speed of her drop"
"JESUS" Claire screamed, it seemed to echo throughout the canyon.
Teagan looked up instantly, forgetting why she wasn't in the first place. She was grateful, more than ever, for James arm around her shoulder as she nearly fell backwards, looking up at Claire dangling off the side.
Peter didnt seem the care about Claire's wails,
"Are you ready Philip?" Teagan Couldn't hear, but presumed Philip agreed.
"Ok, everybody, so, on three" Peter encouraged.
"Seriously folks, I'm not feeling great about
this" Claire panicked, her voice high and fearful.
"One" Peter started counting down. Teagan had to hide her face in James chest. "Two"
Claire screamed once again when Peter shouted three and Philip let her go.
"Stop it, stop get me out of here! He's trying to kill me!"
Slowly, Teagan moved her head away from James's chest and peeked up at Claire who was clinging onto the side of the mountain for dear life. "He wants to kill us all!, all the catholics, look at his eyes he's a mad man" Claire yelled. " a fenian hating madman"
Teagan officially wasnt scared anymore, she was to busy grinning up at Claire making a idiot of herself. "Jesus Claire!" Erin groaned.
"Christ" Teagan agreed.
"He said he hated us!" Claire said, pointing up at Philip. Everyone's eyes followed. "No i didn't" he replied. But Claire shook her head
"last night you said you hated catholics, admit it!" She bellowed.
Philip just shook his head "I said I hated athletes, I'm not much of a sports fan"
Teagan blinked. Seriously having no idea what was happening.
"But we weren't even talking about athletes!" Claire replied.
"Well I thought we were"
"Why would you think we were talking about athletes?"
Teagan had to agree, those two weren't the same.
"Because I'm dead in one ear!" Philip yelled.
Teagan suddenly realised Claire's mistake and so did she and everyone else.
"Catholics sounds a bit like athletes to be fair to you" Michelle yelled up to Claire.
Everyone started to mumble in agreement.
"Aye, athlete catholic" Tegan turned to James.
"They're all assholes!" The lad Erin had been paired up with yesterday said.
The girls all turned to him, Teagan wasn't quite sure she had heard correctly. But she definitely had. "What the hells that supposed to mean?" Erin asked, turning towards them.
The other boy stepped forwards, "you tired to swap us!"
"Because all Protestants are the same arent they girls?" Dee mocked.
"Yes" Michele agreed, but Erin shook her head "no!"
James and Orla's buddy spoke up from next to Teagan and pointed at James "this guys kinda creepy and sexist" he said.
Teagan could agree James's attempts at being a lads lad was absolutely offensive and embarrassing to watch, but still she was offended on James's behalf. She glared at the lad and stepped in front of James, who seemed shocked.
"And she carried a knife!" He yelled at Orla, "and makes people bury their excrement!"
Teagan knew that was just part of Orla's charm, it's not their fault Protestants didn't understand.
Calling out James and Orla had gotten on Teagan's last nerves. She couldn't give a shite what a bunch of Protestants lads thought of her.
That was until one of the lads in the crowed muttered "fucking catholics"
"Which one of you fuckers said that?" Teagan yelled, turning around on her tiptoes.
Apparently alerting James's buddy that she was there too, he turned and pointed at her "and this one, she thinks she's better than us, self righteous bitch"
Teagan recoiled back, not out of shock, she'd been called worse for less, but out of pure anger.
"Because I am!" She yelled out, at the exact same time James shouted, "hey that's my girlfriend!" And pushed his buddy in the shoulder.
Teagan stopped in her tracks, not being able to comprehend anything. Just replaying James calling her his girlfriend over and over again in her mind. Completely unaware of the brawl around her, until suddenly everyone was trying to punch each other and James's buddy collided with her shoulder.
She watched as James pushed him on the shoulder again, she wasn't sure where his confidence was coming from, but she wasn't going to tell him to stop. She pushed a few people out her way and spoke to James.
"You've never called me your girlfriend before!" She had to raise her voice to be heard over the ambush.
James smiled like a idiot and tried to hide it, "well you are .... aren't you?" All his confidence shown through his grin.
Teagan didn't reply, just launched herself into James's arms, luckily he caught her, hugging her back.
One of The Protestants saw what was happening and walked up to James from the side, intending to push him too, but Teagan saw him and got in their first. She tore herself away from James and raised her fist straight to the Protestants face, enjoying the sight of him recoiling away in anguish and gasping as he held his nose.
Her smugness was short lived however, as a searing pain shot through her hand and she too yelped in agony. Soon wailing at the immense pain that wouldn't go away.
Who knew punching someone would hurt?
James Ran to take her injured hand in his and examine the mess as her looked to be swelling up. "Christ, Teagan"
If looks could kill Teagan would be buried six
feet under by now. She wasn't so confident anymore, that her decision to punch that lad was such a good idea. Not as her Ma and Da were glaring at her with their faces contorted in anger.
"Why in heavens name did you punch one of them?" Her Mammy nagged. Yesterday Teagan thought her Da would of been proud of her if she punched a wee Protestant, and she was partially right. She could see his grin fighting against the stern look he tried desperately to put on.
Teagan just rolled her eyes, but gulped and straightened up when her Mums eyes narrowed.
"Because, Mammy he tried to hit James" she explained for the third time, glancing at James and Michelle getting bollocked at by Michelle's
mum. She and james shared a glance between themselves, laughing at their situation, like it didn't even matter because they had each other.
Her Da actually seemed to get angry at the revelation " Can the wee fella not defend himself, he has to get you to do it for him?" He scolded, glaring holes into the back of James's head across the room.
Teagan put her uninjured hand on her Dads shoulder. Her injured one was bandaged up with a ice pack sellotaped around it, thanks to sister Micheals quick first aid.
Even through the agony, Teagan couldn't deny it was hilarious seeing sister Micheal begrudgingly wrapping up her swelled hand. She even thought she saw a ghost of a smile as Teagan recounted the moment to her.
"James was defending me Dad!" She elaborated, "one of them called me a bitch and he started to fight him, its the least I could do!"
And with that simple explanation, James seemingly run Teagan's parents approval that he had been trying to get for months.
Her dad looked over at James who had already been looking over at Teagan in concern.
"Good going son"
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4716 words.
Here's part two!!
It took forever to edit this especially since I've had zero free time this week.
BUT!! Derry girls is officially over??? I'm in denial. I haven't watched the special from last night I'm saving it for when I'm mentally ready 😶
19/5/22