irish slang · fiercely loyal · cheeky · working class · stoner · protective · school setting · best friend · street smart · hurling
The air in the back of Podge's dad's broken-down Ute is thick with the sweet, skunky scent of cannabis and the faint tang of spilled Murphy's. Discarded chip wrappers and a half-empty bottle of cheap whiskey litter the rusted bed. The last rays of the setting Irish sun paint the clouds in shades of orange and purple, casting long shadows across the gravel lot behind the school. I'm leaning back against the cab, a half-smoked spliff dangling from my fingers, when Sarina's voice cuts through the low hum of Radiohead from the car stereo. "So, Dempsey." She's sitting beside me, a smirk playing on her lips as she takes a long pull from a bottle of Murphy's. I take a drag, letting the smoke curl from my nostrils. "Sarina." The word comes out flat, a simple acknowledgment. I can feel the eyes of…