Is Irene about? on Pecari Commons

Elly Eriksson

August 30, 2009 8:50 AM

Is Irene about? by Elly Eriksson

It was indeed very selfish, but Elly had almost been avoiding Irene since the students returned back to school after midterm. She'd heard the news about her father, and she just had no words. She really ought to be good at consolling and comforting her friends by now - she'd had enough practise. Yet as it was, Elly barely knew how to behave. Irene had told her over the past few years about her father, and his drinking problems, and how he was getting so much better now. Yet seeing as Irene lived with her Uncle Mike and Elly had visited there several times, Irene's other family had slipped Elly's mind. It made her wonder how Irene now felt, not being there for her father.

Elly shuddered in the commons and pulled on a cotton jacket, even though it was warm. She couldn't believe how much she'd complained about her family in the past. At least they were all there. Exhaling, Elly suddenly felt awful for not having spoken to Irene properly about this. What sort of friend was she? Without another thought, Elly scurried down to the commons and was pleased to see Irene there (if she hadn't been, Elly would have had to seek her out, and she was already feeling pretty awful about the situation). She walked over to her friend and co-prefect.

"Hey," Elly said with a kind smile. "How's my favourite fifth year? Don't tell Josiah I said that," she added with a wink.

0 Elly Eriksson Is Irene about? 92 Elly Eriksson 1 5

Irene Liddowe

September 16, 2009 2:12 PM

Who? ;) by Irene Liddowe

Irene felt strange being back at school. Midterm had separated her world from reality. All she knew were black clothes and Kentucky accents. Admittedly, not many people had shown up to the funeral, but the family, neighbors, friends, and guilt-stricken acquaintances all paid their respects. It was a shock to see how few rows were filled. Had he really not left the house? Did these people know as little about her father as she did? How could his whole have been filled with so little? After Mom, it was almost as if nothing had happened at all. The bitter resentment still sat in Irene’s stomach as she remembered the situation of his death. Maybe in another year, those pews would have been full. How two-faced was it to hold his funeral in a church? Dad never went to church. Had they all gathered only to ask something of God when it was needed, only to gain their own closure? It’s okay. He’s in heaven. But… What if he wasn’t?

The couches in the commons were as warm as ever. Same plush feeling, same glow of the embers, same chattering sounds buzzing… Irene, however, felt as if everything was different. Dad’s dying affected nothing in her life other than her midterm events. A year ago, she had still been sitting here fatherless. Yes, she had hoped the summer would contain lunch meetings and conversations and maybe even some typical father-daughter fights, but that wasn’t going to happen anymore. Honestly though, all that was lost was potential. And how was she supposed to mourn potential? How is it that his death caused so much change? Irene’s mind never stopped turning. Empty years… How many of those had she had? Would there be more? Would her funeral be full of empty pews? When the time came to share stories of her life, would her “friends” look around, struggling to remember?

Irene returned to Sonora with a new fierceness. Memories were going to be made, dammit. Irene wasn’t going to be defined by her Prefect, Chaser, Pecari labels. It wasn’t like she was going to let anything terrible happen. Her control was greater than ever now. She couldn’t afford to waste time, dwelling on something that changed nothing in her life but her perspective.

Irene looked around, her dark ponytail swaying slightly as she did. Elly had arrived on the scene, bearing gifts of bright smiles. "Hey, how's my favourite fifth year? Don't tell Josiah I said that.” Irene grinned widely and let out a laugh.

“Hi, Elly!” She said, pulling her friend in for a hug. “I’m still going, so that’s a start, right?” She said with a smile. “I’m so bored just sitting here though…” though she could be doing her essay… “How about you? How was your midterm?”

0 Irene Liddowe Who? ;) 106 Irene Liddowe 0 5

Elly

September 20, 2009 7:04 AM

You! by Elly

Elly found her smile came more easily as Irene pulled her into a hug. What had she been worried about? This was Irene, not a stranger. Mentalling slapping herself for being so silly, Elly curled up on the sofa next to her friend as she professed her boredom. Elly nodded in understanding; returning to school sometimes had a dulling effect. For Elly, though, it didn't tend to last long: she made her own mischeif.

"Oh, midterm was dandy," Elly replied lightly. "Stayed with my Grandma for most of it. She bakes a lot," the redhead grinned. She was sure she'd put on weight while she'd been there. The amount of gingerbread, Christmas cake and cookies she'd consumed over two weeks was ridiculous. "I didn't see Merry or Echo," she added with a frown. It was terribly sad - Elly had been used to seeing her best friends every single day. Now she didn't even get to see them in the holidays. They still sent each other regular and frequent owls, but it wasn't the same. Elly was feeling the distance.

"Hey, if you're bored," Elly said with a mischeivous smile already in place, "you can help me think of ideas for a prank or two!" Leaning in a little closer in case they were overhread, Elly said, "I'm doing something fabulous for the bonfire, I know that much. I also want to do something for Saul." He was leaving at the end of the year, too. Elly knew it, but she almost couldn't believe it. Maybe it was because she'd already been deserted by some of her best friends within the past year, but she couldn't process that Saul would be leaving, too. He'd always been there. He'd helped Elly build a swing right in her first year, and helped out with pranks every year since. He was Saul The Guide; what would Sonora do without him?

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Irene

September 29, 2009 4:14 PM

Me?! by Irene

Irene nodded as she listened to Elly go on about her midterm. It sounded so nice and Irene could almost smell the gingerbread baking... At the mention of Mere and Echo, Irene felt herself glance away and give a sad smile. It was so depressing to see everyone leaving. Irene couldn't imagine not finishing Sonora, all seven years. It seemed so stange that she was almost there. It was strange that the girl across from her was a sixth year! They had began this journey a few years ago, first and second years. They had tried out for Quidditch together every year for the past... since Irene was a first year.

Irene perked up as Elly began her talk of planning a prank. "Perfect!" Irene said, sitting up straight. "I am so up for shaking things up a bit." With the dedication to Saul, this prank had to be fantastic. Irene wanted to be a part of it. "I think it should scream Saul, involving all the things he's all about." Saul deserved a proper send off. He had made a name for himself in other ways than achievements. He had made sure people knew who he was from day one. Irene just hoped it wasn't too late for her to do the same...

"What do you have in mind? You're the experienced one at this," she smiled. "Never done much pranking at school, myself." Hadn't done much at school at all, actually. But that was besides the point. Move away from the past. Look towards the good that lies ahead. Dad had been working on that. He would have been a lot better with everything, but obviously something, someone, got in the way of that. She was going to get out there, try anything. And thanks to Elly, she could start here.

0 Irene Me?! 0 Irene 0 5

Elly

October 04, 2009 12:11 PM

For sure! by Elly

"Perfect!" Irene said, sitting up straight. "I am so up for shaking things up a bit." Elly grinned one of her most mischeivous grins yet. With Irene (and Saul, presumably) to help, the bonfire prank was going to be so amazing, people would be talking about it for years. Stretching out a long arm, Elly reached down behind the back cushion of the sofa where she and Irene were sitting. She brough forth a very crumpled magazine, folded open onto a page with pictures: brightly coloured photographs that were exploding and whizzing all over the page. Elly held the page open for Irene to look, but kept it close enough that nobody else would be able to see.

"That's a brochure from a shop near where I used to live in London with my Dad." She mentally kicked herself for saying the 'D' word, but carried on regardless. "They do these amazing fireworks - dragons and everything." The pictures could practically speak for themselves - the explosions would light up the Quidditch pitch. "Obviously they're expensive," Elly was starting to calm down a bit, "So I can only get about four or five of the big ones, or maybe a pack of twenty smaller ones or something like that. I was hoping maybe you and Saul could help me set them off? Spread out around the bonfire so nobody can be pin-pointed?" Elly knew she was asking a lot of Irene. Saul would be leaving anyway, and she had been doing pranks for years; she wouldn't mind spending her final year in detention, if she was caught. Irene, on the other hand, still had two whole years to get through, and she was a prefect, too. "I'll totally understand if you don't want to, though." Making sure Irene had finished looking, Elly glanced round the commons to make sure nobody was watching, then she hid the magazine again, this time under the seat cushion of the sofa. "Oh, I'm going to do a couple of friendly tricks, too, like trip wires and whoopee cushions and things like that." She was excited at it was obvious.

"As for Saul," Elly continued talking calmly as if she hadn't just been plotting to break the school rules yet again, "you're right - it should be something personal to him. I'm totally blanking on the details, though. All I can think of is pepperoni pizza," she laughed. "Any thoughts?"

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