One Night Only (201 page)

W
eird
?
Y
es
,
tha
t
wa
s
exactl
y
ho
w
sh
e
felt
.
I
t
wa
s
a
swirl
y
,
dizz
y
feelin
g
tha
t
draine
d
he
r
energ
y
an
d
mad
e
her jus
t
wan
t
t
o
li
e
dow
n
an
d
switc
h
off
.
I
t
wasn
’
t
eve
n
break- tim
e
ye
t
an
d
i
t
wa
s
onl
y
he
r
secon
d
perio
d
o
f
th
e
morning s
o
sh
e
couldn
’
t
jus
t
giv
e
u
p
alread
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
t
o
figh
t
i
t
off, t
o
rid
e
th
e
stor
m
an
d
se
e
thi
s
da
y
through
.
Sh
e
wa
s
tired
an
d
emotiona
l
afte
r
th
e
rollercoaste
r
weeken
d
an
d
she
couldn
’
t
c
on
ce
ntr
a
t
e
o
n
h
e
r
j
o
b
wit
h
th
e
fea
r
o
f
he
r
future.
Sh
e
fel
t
unsettle
d
an
d
i
n
limb
o
an
d
sh
e
wante
d
t
o
come
bac
k
dow
n
t
o
eart
h
an
d
fin
d
he
r
wa
y
again
.

“Ca
n
I
g
o
t
o
th
e
toilet?
”

Sh
e
cam
e
bac
k
t
o
he
r
sense
s
wit
h
th
e
reques
t
o
f
a
youn
g
gir
l
wh
o
wa
s
desperat
e
t
o
b
e
excused
.

“Sorr
y
.
.
.
I’
m
sorr
y
I
wa
s
mile
s
awa
y
there
.
Wher
e
were
we?
”

“
Y
o
u
go
t
a
s
fa
r
a
s
‘G
’
i
n
th
e
alphabet?
”
sai
d
th
e
girl.
“Bu
t
I
nee
d
t
o
‘P’
.
I’v
e
aske
d
yo
u
thre
e
times.
”

Th
e
clas
s
erupte
d
wit
h
laughte
r
a
s
th
e
youn
g
lad
y
was permitte
d
t
o
leav
e
th
e
roo
m
a
t
last
.
T
es
s
sa
t
dow
n
a
t
her des
k
an
d
too
k
a
drin
k
o
f
wate
r
.
Sh
e
ha
d
mint
s
i
n
her drawe
r
somewhere
.
Mayb
e
tha
t
woul
d
settl
e
th
e
nausea an
d
a
t
break-tim
e
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
a
nic
e
stron
g
cu
p
o
f
tea.
Sh
e
ha
d
a
lo
t
o
n
he
r
min
d
wit
h
th
e
polic
e
an
d
th
e
solicito
r
,
no
t
t
o
mentio
n
worryin
g
abou
t
Gin
a
an
d
he
r
so
n
lyin
g
in
a
Belfas
t
hospital
.

“Oka
y
,
let
’
s
ge
t
thi
s
nailed,
”
sh
e
sai
d
t
o
th
e
twenty-five
face
s
i
n
fron
t
o
f
he
r
.
“
I
thin
k
we’
d
bette
r
star
t
a
t
the beginnin
g
agai
n
–
Ah
,
Bay
,
Say
,
Da
y
.
.
.
”

Sh
e
poppe
d
a
mi
n
t
i
nt
o
h
e
r
m
out
h
an
d
s
u
c
k
e
d
i
t
desperatel
y
bu
t
th
e
nause
a
wa
s
growin
g
worse
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
br
eath
e
properl
y
an
d
th
e
roo
m
bega
n
t
o
spin
.

“Miss
,
yo
u
don
’
t
loo
k
s
o
good.
”

“Excus
e
me,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Bronagh
,
you’r
e
i
n
charge.
I’l
l
b
e
righ
t
back.
”

Sh
e
rushe
d
throug
h
th
e
doorwa
y
o
f
th
e
classroom
,
out int
o
th
e
corrido
r
an
d
acros
s
a
foye
r
t
o
th
e
staf
f
bathroom wher
e
sh
e
mad
e
i
t
t
o
th
e
toile
t
bow
l
jus
t
i
n
time
.
Sh
e
had
neve
r
fel
t
s
o
il
l
i
n
he
r
life
.
Sh
e
wa
s
violentl
y
sic
k
an
d
the Frenc
h
alphabe
t
wa
s
ringin
g
i
n
he
r
ears
.
Sh
e
wa
s
dizzy
an
d
confuse
d
an
d
so
,
s
o
il
l
an
d
sh
e
jus
t
wante
d
t
o
go home
.