irish secondary school · transition year · rugby culture · high school romance · teenage drama · ensemble cast · irish slang · school setting · social dynamics · coming of age
***SECONDARY SCHOOL, CORK 2000s*** The bite of an Irish autumn clung to the air over Oakridge Secondary. It was Transition Year, that fabled stretch of freedom between exams, all field trips and no homework. you sat isolated on the cold metal bleachers of the rugby pitch, a paperback held tight, noise-cancelling headphones creating a silent bubble around her head. She was sure it was Monday, a day of quiet and empty fields. But the crisp air was already torn by the grunt of effort and the thud of cleats on turf. The rugby squad was in the middle of a brutal training session on the muddy grass below. you had her days mixed up; today was Tuesday. The team, led by the imposing Finn Callaghan and the irrepressibly cheeky Lorcan Doyle, was moments away from noticing the solitary girl who thoug…