I Can Keep a Secret

'Orla! Get your arse down here. RIGHT NOW.' The front door slammed shut, letting in a furious voice, on the verge of becoming a dragon screech. I rolled off my bed, away from my present company with no words, just a roll of the eyes and a finger to my lips. I padded down the stairs and peered into the front room where, sitting in the old dogtooth patterned (or as I would describe it, tacky) armchair, was my mother. She didn't look impressed, and that was to phrase it lightly. I raised my eyebrows at her, arms crossed, and tapped my foot. I was NOT going to initiate the conversation. Clara O'Connor was not a woman to be toyed with. She was brought up in a small town in the ROI, and could be.. well... for lack of a better word or phrase, bloody fierce. I could push it only so far with her, but I had to tread carefully. After a few minutes of an uncomfortable staring contest standoff, she spoke. 'What have I been hearing about you and Erica McKeon? Fighting? Again? Orla, I thought I told you to keep your head down this year! It's your last year in sixth form. Can't you just stick it out without getting involved for once? Just for a few months?' 'She was asking for it, Mammy.' I tried to keep my cool as she scoffed. 'Sure Orla, no one's asking for a fight. The head left me a message and told me you went right up to her and attacked her! That's not how I raised you. I know you've a short fuse on you but I never expect...' Her voice faded out as I set off on my own train of thought. I'd heard this lecture a million and one times already and I didn't need to hear it again.  The head had been exaggerating anyway. I didn't "just go up and attack" Erica. She'd been spurring me on all day, getting at me about my choice of friends, the way I dress. The final straw was when she made a c***k about my Dad. He'd been struggling all his adult life with mental illness, and I wasn't going to stand for people mocking him for getting help. She'd called him a "demented psycho who wasn't fit to tie his own shoes, let alone raise children." 'That's why your mum took you away from him. He was gonna end up chucking you on your head!' Erica had cackled. All her nasty little mates had joined in too, and I saw red. I ran up and slapped her - hard. By the time one of the teachers could break us apart, I'd ended up with a decent chunk of her hair clutched in my fist. I'd been sent to the heads' office, ranted at, then sent home in exclusion, not to go back for a week. After I went back, I'd have a week of lunchtime detentions and monitored behaviour as it wasn't the first fight I'd been in. 'Aye Mammy, I know. I'm just sick of people ragging on me for things I can't control, and things that aren't even funny.' 'Orla, people will always harp about things you can't control, but what you CAN control is your temper. You really need to start. I've had enough of you being sent home! You're ruining your education and I want you to have a-' 'Good job and a good future, I know. I'm sorry. It was about Da.' She went quiet. Her eyes turned sympathetic, and I was sure I could see a small sparkle of tears forming. She'd left Dad when we were young. She hadn't wanted to but she feared for our safety and his. She'd regretted it ever since but he wouldn't have her back in fear of being hurt again on top of battling with his own mind. 'Right well... it's not an excuse. When you go back, you're apologising to Erica, your teachers, and you're going to stop. You're going to get a hold of yourself and get yourself through. Understood?' Her voice was much softer. Still disappointed, but at least now she could see my reasoning. I turned, and walked back upstairs with a faint 'Yes, Mammy.' Iain had sprawled out in my bed whilst I was downstairs, and he gave me a lazy grin when I re-entered the room. 'She sounded happy. Student of the month I'm guessing?' I flopped onto the bed and swatted at his arm playfully, but not with the same enthusiasm that he was showing.I lay back with my hands behind my head and stared at the ceiling. 'She found out about the fight.' I said. 'Well, did you tell her that Erica is a vicious b***h with no boundaries?' he smirked. I chuckled softly. 'Ah she wouldn't have listened. I told her it was about my Da and that shut her up well enough.' I rolled onto my side to face him. He was conventionally attractive, an instant hit with most girls our age - dark floppy hair, hazel eyes, and a defined jawline. He was tall and lean, and always had a very relaxed demeanour. I wasn't personally particularly attracted to him. I only slept with him because he was the only person who didn't scoff at me for my temper, and wasn't afraid or misjudging of my personal life. Maybe not the right reasons for such intimacy with a person, but we were both comfortable with it so that was all that mattered.. right? 'How's he doing?' came Iain's gentle voice. I sighed and closed my eyes. 'He's doing better, but still not 100%. He's getting the help and that's what counts. He's safe.' I kept my eyes closed. I knew that if I opened them and saw the way he was looking at me, I'd break. I don't want sympathy or pity. It just makes me feel so much worse. There were a few moments of silence, then I felt his lips press very softly against my own. I didn't kiss him back, but I didn't pull away either. It was just nice to have somebody there, to distract me, to have that peace I so needed. I took a deep breath and finally opened my eyes. Iain was looking at me. No pity, just his eyes exploring the details of my face. I gave him a weak smile. 'Now we have to figure out how to get you out without my mum finding out you were here in the first place.' Iain chuckled at that and sat up. 'Already done. I scoped it out while you were downstairs. You have a pretty big ledge, then the conservatory underneath. I'm sure I can climb down.'   This wasn't the first time he had been in my bedroom. It was, however, the first time he'd been in my bedroom and my mother had come home early. Usually I could just let him out of the front door. I guess it was my own fault. He was already opening my window and starting to wriggle out. 'Aye, but can you get down there without making any noise?' He looked down with uncertainty. 'Now that you mention it..' I giggled and leaned up to peck his cheek. 'It's fine. I've got it sorted.' I stood up, walked across the room and put on some of my loudest music. Iain blew me a small kiss, grinned mischievously at me, and he was gone. I crashed back down onto my bed, music blasting, mother shouting for me to turn it down.