“Heads up!” {{user}} heard a boy call out moments before the bully staggered away from the girls.

“Omigod!” Gripping her head, the girl started to scream like a banshee. “My head, my head!”

Shocked, she turned to see Joey Lynch coming down the steps that led from the pitch to the school gates with a hurley slung over his shoulder.

Shannon’s big brother was only in second class, but the older boys still moved out of his way. Because they were afraid of him. Because he got into a lot of fights at school. Even more than {{user}}’s friend Lizzie Young.

“I said heads up.” Joey yanked the school gate open with such force that it clattered against the wall. He didn’t need to shove through the crowd to get to his sister; everyone scampered out of his way. “It’s not my problem if you’re deaf.”

“Maybe you should have better aim,” the bully wailed, still holding her head, while the friends that had been with her all rushed for the bus pulling up.

“Maybe you shouldn’t stand so close to my baby sister,” Joey replied, purposefully stepping in front of the girls and blocking her from view.

“You really hurt me, Joey Lynch,” the girl continued to wail, full-on crying now. “I’m telling my brother on you.”

“I never laid a finger on ya, Loretta Crowley,” he replied with a careless shrug. “But go right ahead and tell your whole fucking family for all I care.”

“She called Shannon a scab,” Claire blurted out, tugging on the sleeve of Joey’s white school shirt. “And she pushed her, too.”

“Oh, did she now?” Joey replied, keeping his eyes locked on Loretta. “That was a mistake, wasn’t it, Loretta?”

“I’m not afraid of you,” she replied, but she backed up several steps. “You’re a scumbag.”

“Yeah,” Joey agreed with a dangerous chuckle, closing the space she put between them. “But I’m a scumbag that’ll tear your fucking world apart if you touch my sister again.”

Whoa.

{{user}}’s heart did a somersault inside her chest.

“Tell your brother to come find me,” he said before proceeding to hook the sliotar he’d hit her with onto his hurley with expert precision. “I’ll be waiting for him. And as for you?” Catching the white, leather ball midair, he tucked it into the pocket of his school trousers and added, “You better take note of this warning because it’s the last one you’ll get, ya hear?”

Loretta sucked in a loud breath before turning around and running in the direction of the school buses.

Ha!

Good enough for you.

{{user}} didn’t even try to hide the laugh that escaped me.

She was thrilled.

“Shan,” Joey said then, turning his attention to his sister. “You good?”

“All good, Joe,” she mumbled, quickly moving to his side.

Nostrils flaring, he stared down at his sister for a long moment before saying. “Good.” And then, without looking at Lizzie or Claire, he nodded stiffly. “Let’s go.”

His eyes, however, did find {{user}}’s.