It's you I'm thinking of > Patrick Feely

7 || ???????? ??? ??????

"What's been going on with you these past weeks, Feel?" Hughie asked, as I booted it out of the car park of Tommen.

I'd known Hughie since junior Infants, as well as Gibsie. The three of us were best friends until Johnny joined our class in sixth class, when Gibsie latched himself on to Kav. The four of us were friends but I was closer with Hughie which is why I had no idea what to tell him when he asked what was going on, because I had no idea.

"No fucking clue, Hugh." I let out a breathy laugh. With Johnny or Gibsie, I would have acted dumbfounded but I couldn't with Hughie, he would have seen straight through me anyway. Whether I admitted it or not, Hugh was my best friend. He was sort of the only person who stuck by me all of these years. He knew me inside and out.

"I've never seen you as distracted as this. Are you sure there's nothing going on at home?" He asked.

Hughie asked that question at least once a week, he didn't know what it was like to come from a broken home and I envied him for it. He got on so well with Claire that I wanted to scream every time I saw them with each other. And his parents were an even more sickening sight. I, however, avoided having him at the house as much as I could and I was lucky enough that he didn't mind. Or maybe he didn't notice. He wouldn't ever get the feeling of being more at home in a Pub with friends than at his own house. I tried not to blame him for it but I didn't understand why he was born into such an amazing family and I wasn't. What did he have that I didn't? What made him more special than me?

"Home is fine. I've just been messed up a little." I answered, tapping my leg sporadically as we waited at a red light.

"Messed up? About what?" He asked.

I shrugged. Mainly because I couldn't even form the words.

"Okay. . . Is it school or rugby, or maybe that new girl you haven't kept your eyes off of for a month." He said as if it was the most casual thing.

I shivered lightly. He was right. Ruby occupied my every waking thought and the fact I hadn't had a proper conversation with her in two weeks was eating at me.

"Fuck, Hugh." I sighed, pressing down on the accelerator harshly. "Is it that obvious?"

Hughie chuckled and when I glanced over at him he had an amused grin on his face.

"Piss off." I grumbled, taking a sharp left.

"Do you fancy her?" He asked, with a grin.

I shrugged again. I didn't even know, but I was sure that I at least needed to know how she was.

"I don't know, lad. I have spoken to her in two weeks and it's driving me mad. Is that a bad thing?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"Wait." Hughie said, suddenly. "You've actually spoken to her. I thought you were just admiring from afar." He snorted. I didn't appreciate the comment but decided against saying anything.

"Yes, I've fucking spoke to her. I spoke to her the first day of school. And then I gave her a spin home with her little brother from the cubs. And then I practically stalked up to her at Biddies that night and then I walked her home later that night and then I gave her another spin home with her brother that day she and Erin came back to school stoned and then I invited her to the club match and then I practically forced her back to the house and—". Thankfully whatever was about to come out my mouth next was interrupted by a gaping Hughie.