WHEN LOVE BIND

d me into the house with a week's suspension under his belt for beating

ne look at me and pull

e local credit union and took out a loan to pay the admission fees for Tommen Colleg

I had to walk through the doors of that school

hit my

er life, was dangled in front of my fa

estate for attending a private school, I knew it couldn't be wor

y school, would be in my class at Tommen College – the principal, Mr. Twomey, had assured

with Mam taking extra cleaning shifts at the hospital to

were the ones men wore at mass on a Sunday, never on t

xam year – had caused a huge rift in our family, with my father furious to be spending t

tar son, he shut me down, refusing to hear me out, and letting me know in no uncertain terms that he wo

ar from rugby and prep schools you were reared," not to mention my favorit

d hadn't worked a day since I was seven, fending for the family

had never been subjected to bullying a day in his whole life. I

bullied Mam a

I had spent most of my winter break holed up i

though his was much bigger than mine, having shared it with Darren until he moved out. Tadhg and Ol

ouse, with barely any room to swing a cat, I appreciated t

om, kitchen, and one bathroom for the entire family. It was a semi-d, and sit

ed with crime and I avoided

use – and street –full of bustle and mad

rowed time because Ma

rl, I would los

athroom door, dragging me from my impervious thoug

assessment of my appearance. "You can do this," I whis

on the rack and unlocked the door, eyes landing on my brother who was

ng alert and surprised. He was sporting a roaster of a black eye from the hurling match

myself for the jokes he would inevitably make at my expense, but they never came. "Lovely," h

I kept my voice low so I didn'

ld hear my father's loud snoring coming from behind their closed bedroom door, an

, it was jus

wo am

ncerns aloud. I could do that with Joey. He was the only

my uniform and sh

d I knew he was up this early not because he was desperate to use

15 in the

9:05am, but I had a bus to catch and the onl

ut it was the only one that passed the school in time. Mam

if I'd get off my high horse and go back to Ballylaggin Community School li

" Clearing his throat a couple of times, he added, "Hang on – I've got something for you." With that, he padded across the narrow

didn't make much at the petrol station to begin with, and money was hard to come

ssion. "I know Nanny gave you the bus money, but just have something in your pocket. I don'

fighting its way up my throat

wasn't sure who he was trying to convince or console. "If someone gives you even the hint of shit, then you text me a

a soberin

to my voice, needing to believe the words. "But I'll be late if

y coat and grabbed my school bag, shouldering i

y down the steps. "I'm serious, one sniff of cra

ck glance to where he was leaning against the ban

. "I just...I'm here for you, okay?" he finish

to school like an anxious parent would their firstborn. He was always f

see me as more than a little girl t

that fo

him a bright smile and then hurri