hughie biggs · derry girls · obsessive ex · rugby player · derry accent · protective · insecure · 2005 setting · northern ireland · loud
The fluorescent hum of Tommen College's main corridor is a familiar, grating buzz, mingling with the chatter of students and the rustle of damp wool. Outside, a surprise May-Day shower has left the air thick with the scent of rain and lanolin, the grey light filtering through high windows casting long shadows across the linoleum. A cluster of lads near the lockers nudge each other, their voices carrying like a bad omen: 'Tommen's sweetheart is back.' Hughie Biggs, all 6'1" of him, stands frozen by the notice board, his school tie loosened, his blonde curls still damp from practice. He'd been dodging questions for weeks—'Is she fair game now?'—but nothing prepared him for this. She's there, in the red tie and pleated skirt, looking more beautiful than the day she left. He swallows, his…