Ballylaggin Community School—a school?
” “Nothing,” he replied, tone thick with
AUGUST 30, 1999
The Meet Cute
JOEY
“All you need to do is keep your head
down and your temper reined in.
You’re a smart kid. You’ve a smart
kid. You’ve got this. Just keep that
tongue of yours in check and don’t
react to any nonsense. Do you want
me to walk in with you?”
‹ ›
“Do I fuck.”
“It’s okay to be nervous, Joe.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“And it’s okay to be scared, too.”
“Do I look like I’m scared?” I
growled, aggravated by his incessant
coddling. “I’m not a baby, Dar.”
“I know you’re not,” my big brother
conceded as we walked up the path to
:
journey he had taken every weekday
for the past six years. His time at
secondary school was over now, while
mine was just beginning. “I just need
this to go well for you.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Well, we both
know that’s not going to happen.”
“This is your fresh start, Joey,” he
said. “Whatever happened in primary
school is behind you now. Don’t carry
any of that trouble with you.”
“There’s no such thing as fresh starts,”
I drawled. “Just different locations
filled with the same bullshit.”
“You’re too young to be this cynical.”
“And you’re too smart to waste your
time and breath on this pep talk,” I
countered. “I’m not Shannon, lad. I
don’t need the words or the hand-
holding.”
“Is it so wrong of me to want to see
you off on your first day of secondary
“You could have done that back at the
house,” I reminded him. “You didn’t
need to walk me to school. I’m not a
baby.”
“You’re my baby brother.”
“I’ve never been a baby anything,
Dar.”
“Always so self-sufficient.” Shaking
his head, he gave me a sad smile.
“Well, maybe I wanted to spend some
extra time with you.”
“We share a room,” I deadpanned,
shifting the ton of bricks that was my
schoolbag onto my other shoulder.
“We already spend enough time
together.”
“I love you, Joe,” he threw me by
saying. “You know that, right?”
“You love me?” Feet faltering, I turned
to look up at him. “What the hell is
wrong with you?”
emotion. “I’m just… I need you to
know that.”
“Why?” I demanded, feeling unnerve
by his sudden declaration. It was out
of place and felt all wrong to me.
“What’s happening?”
“Nothing.” Smiling, he reached down
and ruffled my hair. “Nothing’s
happening, shithead. I just wanted to
tell you.”
“Okay…” I eyed him suspiciously, no
sure if I entirely believed him. “But if
you even think about hugging me in
front of all these people, I will kick
you in the nuts.”
“Your voice is starting to break.” He
chuckled. “My baby brother is
growing up.”
“I don’t need a deep voice to kick you
ass,” I shot back, hackles rising.
He rolled his eyes. “Sure thing,
squeaky.”