Chapter 5

Mark's eyes widened and he turned slowly to see Rachel standing there, looking at him curiously. "Huh?" was all he could say. Smooth one there, Feehily, he chastised himself.

"You just said that you always want what you can't have. What is it you can't have?" Rachel looked at him expectantly.

Mark began to squirm and he could feel himself turning red. He had got himself into a fix now. Served him right anyway, talking aloud to himself like a psycho. Now what? He couldn't very well say her, could he? Mark looked around uncomfortably, and in a sudden flash of inspiration, he turned around and blindly grabbed a tape from one of the conveniently located bins of tapes that had been placed outside. "Oh I wanted to get this, but I didn't bring enough money, so I guess I can't buy it. Yeah, that's me, always wanting what I can't have." Mark laughed weakly.

Rachel looked down at the cassette in his hands and gave him a funny look. "Mark, isn't that one of those self-help feminine empowerment tapes?"

"What?" Mark's looked down at the tape too, and his eyes widened when he read the title of it. He started to blush even more furiously. "Ohï¿½yeah, I guess it is." He forced a laugh. "You never know when this type of stuff will come in handy." He quickly shoved the tape back into the bin. "Well, I guess I'll have to get it some other time then, when I have more money." Mark began to walk away.

"Wait, Mark!" Rachel said and Mark turned around. She took the tape back out of the bin. "Mark, look, this tape has the bargain sticker on it. See? Right here." Rachel pointed out the little sticker to him. "Only seventy-nine pence!" She handed the tape back to him, obviously very pleased with herself.

Mark smiled tightly. "Oh, I didn't see thatï¿½I guess I can afford it after all." He took the cassette from her reluctantly. "This must be my lucky day."

"Well sometimes life can work in your favor," Rachel told him, nodding her head wisely. "Now come on and let's pay for it. We're going to the cinema, the movie starts in a few minutes."

Slowly, Mark turned around and headed back into the store and headed for the cashier.

"Hey Feehily, what've you got there?" Matt said curiously.

"Ah, it's nothing," Mark muttered. He tried to give the tape to the cashier before anyone could see it, but Matt suddenly snatched the tape out of his hands.

"One Hundred And One Ways To Get What You Want Without Compromising Your Femininity?" Matt read, incredulously. "Feehily, what the hell is this?"

"It's for me mam," Mark said, blushing furiously.

"For your mam?" Rachel asked, surprised. "I thought you said *you* wanted it."

"Mark, mate I had no idea you had femininity issues," Shane said, patting his back in mock sympathy. Mark shrugged him off irritably.

"Whoa, now don't go pmsing on us Mark," Kian joked, putting his hands up in the air as he backed away. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"Will you guys shut up?" Mark said. Matt laughed and gave the tape to the cashier, who rang it up and gave it back to Mark in a bag. He quickly shoved it in his jacket pocket. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah, the movie starts in about ten minutes anyway," Shane said, looking at his watch. "Hey Mark, we have time to stop by the store to get some tissues for you if you get all emotional watching the film." Everyone began cracking up, but Mark was not amused.

"All right, all right," he muttered, still blushing brightly. "You've had your fun. Can we go now?"

Eveyone calmed down quickly and they headed out the door in the direction of the movie theater. They arrived at the cinema (it is sooo weird to say "cinema" but I gotta do it for realism's sake! lol.) just as the movie was starting so the theater was pretty much full. There was no way the whole group would manage to find enough seats together, so they decided to split up. There were four seats available in one row, so Kian, Shane, Liz, and Karen took those. Mark was trying to work up the courage to ask Rachel if she wanted to sit with him when Melody grabbed his arm.

"Oh, here's two seats together Mark, we can sit here." Mark managed a smile at her enthusiasm, but he groaned inwardly. He hoped she would at least have the decency to keep quiet during the movie. His disappointment plunged even further when he saw Rachel and Matt take the two empty seats right in front of him and Melody. Yep, today is *definitely* my lucky day, Mark thought grimly as he sat down. Immediately, Melody linked her arm through his and snuggled against him, smiling up at his face coyly. Mark shifted uncomfortably. Melody was nice enough as a friend, he supposed, but much too forward for his taste. He sighed and stared at the back of Rachel's head as the lights dimmed and the opening trailers came on. Mark couldn't help but notice the way she would look at Matt wistfully for several moments before looking away again. He sighed. Why did Matt always get the breaks?

Mark continued to stare at the two of them, ignoring the movie completely. It didn't seem as if Rachel was paying too much attention to it either - she was still sneaking furtive looks at Matt while he watched the film. Finally, Matt looked over at Rachel while she was staring at him. Blushing, she turned her attention to the screen. Mark's stomach tightened when Matt grinned and put his arm around Rachel, and his heart twisted a little more when Rachel looked up at him, an adoring smile lighting up her entire face. Instinctively, she placed her head on his shoulder and Matt started to play with her silky strands of hair absently as they both continued to watch the movie.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rachel smiled dreamily as Matt ran his fingers softly through her hair. This was a dream come true. She looked up at Matt and sighed inwardly in happiness as she studied the lines of his handsome face. She was so excited, she could just shriek right there in the middle of the theatre (hey, dya like that? Spelled it the British/Canadian way! Hehe. Okay, I will shut up now. Seriously). If only she could get rid of that nagging feeling that kept pestering her. Rachel couldn't exactly put her finger on it, but she thought it might have something to do with the knowledge that Mark and Melody were both sitting right behind her. She resisted the urge to glance back as they were probably snogging like mad by now. For some reason, the thought made her uncomfortable. Rachel tried to concentrate on the movie, or even more importantly, on the fact that she was sitting with her object of adoration in a dark movie theatre (theatre. hehe. Okay, okay, I'll stop!), and he had his arm around her, but she was having a hard time doing it. It seemed like forever until the film was finally over and the lights came back on. Rachel picked up her bag and stood up. She turned around to see Mark and Melody standing up also. She quickly decided that their still neat appearances and Melody's disappointed and irritated expression meant that nothing had happened between them during the movie. She kept back a relieved smile as everyone met up again and walked out of the theatre together. Everyone was commenting on the film they had just seen but Rachel kept quiet, as she didn't remember a thing about it. She noticed that Mark was silent too. She also noticed that Melody was no longer hanging all over him like she had been all night. Rachel was puzzling over that when she heard Kian's voice saying her name.

"What?" Rachel asked, flustered.

Kian smiled at her. "I asked you if you're coming."

"Coming where?"

Liz laughed. "Rachel, where were you? We're going out to Equinox (*shrug* I couldn't think of anything else). "You coming? We know you're always up for a party, eh?" she said smiling mischievously.

"Oh!" Rachel said. "Ermï¿½actually, I don't really feel like it tonight."

"Are you sure?" Karen asked her.

Rachel nodded. "Yeahï¿½I'm kinda knackered. I think I'll just head home."

"Then we'll go with you," Melody offered.

"Oh don't Mel, you guys go and have fun, I'll be fine," Rachel insisted.

Melody looked uncertain. "Are you sure Rach?"

"Why don't I walk you home?" Mark suggested. Rachel looked at him in surprise.

"Oh no really, you don't have to do that," Rachel said, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm a big girl, I'm sure I can manage," she laughed.

"No, I want to," Mark said. "I don't really feel like going out to the clubs tonight either."

Rachel hesitated. "Alright then, if you want to... Thanks." She couldn't help but smile at the grin that lit up Mark's face when she accepted.

"Okay then, that's settled!" Shane said. He leaned forward and hugged her. "It was really nice meeting you Rachel."

Rachel smiled and hugged him back. "It was nice meeting you too," she said. She hugged everyone else goodbye, and the rest of the boys echoed Shane's sentiment. When she hugged Matt, Rachel expected to feel that little shiver that would run down her spine whenever she looked at him before, but for some reason, she didn't feel anything, and that puzzled her. She and Mark waved goodbye to the group as they headed off in the direction of the club, and suddenly, they were both left alone, standing together on the sidewalk. Mark glanced at her shyly and smiled.

"Why did you do that?" Rachel asked him.

Mark looked surprised. "What?"

"You don't live anywhere near me," she stated. "How come you offered to walk me home?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, only curious, but Mark misinterpreted it.

"Well exCUSE me," he said defensively. "I was trying to be a gentleman, and I wouldn't be one if I let a lady wander around all alone on the streets at night, but obviously my efforts aren't appreciated."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Will you chill out?! I was just curious, okay? You don't have to bite my head off. As far as I'm concerned you can just bugger off, alright? I could have managed fine without you." When Mark made a sarcastic noise, that was enough for her. Rachel turned on her heel and began to stalk off.

Mark stared at Rachel's retreating figure, shocked. When he finally got his bearings, he ran after her. "Wait, Rachel! Rachel!" She ignored him and continued walking. Mark caught up to her and grabbed her arm, but she wrenched away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she said, trying to get away from him, but Mark jumped in front of her and grabbed both of her arms while she tried to free herself. "What are you doing? I swear I'll scream for help!"

"NOW who needs to chill out?" Mark demanded. "Will you calm down? I just want to talk to you."

"FINE!" She glared at him. "Talk."

Mark sighed and then started to laugh, much to her confusion. "Stop laughing," she ordered. He just laughed harder. "Are you insane or something? Why are you laughing?"

"I don't know," he gasped.

"You need help. If you don't stop laughing right this minute, I'll smack you, I swear. Are you always this infuriating?"

Mark calmed down. "Don't you find it funny that somehow we always manage to end up arguing?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "No, I do not. In fact, I don't find it amusing in the least."

"Why do we always end up arguing?"

"Cos you're an idiot."

"No, I'm serious ," Mark said, looking down at her. "I don't like fighting. And I don't want to fight with you, especially."

Rachel looked up at him and caught her breath as she looked into his eyes. The intense blueness of them rendered her speechless and it was like there was nothing else in the world except for those eyes. They stood in stillness for a moment, neither of them were aware of anything else. Rachel swallowed hard and looked away finally.

"Well maybe if you weren't such a deutz, you wouldn't piss me off all the time." She pushed past him and starting walking again. Mark rolled his eyes. This girl was a real handful. He turned around and ran after her again. "Rachel!"

"WHAT?" She turned and looked at him, an irritated expression on her face.

Mark sighed. "Can we just call a truce? Just for tonight? Come on. It'll take fifteen minutes to walk to your house, can't we at least be civil for that long?"

Rachel was silent for a long time. "Fine, whatever," she conceded. She turned around again and started walking, and Mark fell into step beside her. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Mark realized where they were.

"Hey, we're in Hazelwoods!" he said, surprised.

"Wow, aren't WE the sharpest nail in the toolbox of life," she commented sarcastically.

"TRUCE, remember?" Mark said her sternly.

Rachel looked down to hide a smile. "I like taking this path home. I love it here."

"Me too." They entered a little clearing that was familiar to Mark and he stopped. Rachel continued on, until she was aware that Mark wasn't beside her anymore. She turned around to see him standing in the middle of the clearing.

"Why did you stop?" she asked.

"I'm kinda tired, can we rest?"

"I never knew you were such a wuss."

"TRUCE!"

Rachel laughed before she could stop herself. "Okay okay, I will be good now. I promise." Mark sat down on a log and she walked over and sat down next to him, a safe distance away. They looked out at the lake together, watching the moonbeams gleam on the surface of the water. A breeze blew through, rustling the leaves and making Rachel's auburn hair flutter in the wind. Mark breathed in, catching the sweet scent of her shampoo.

"Rachel?" Mark said timidly.

"Yeah?" she relied, not taking her eyes off of the scenery.

"I'm really sorry."

At that, she turned to look at him. "Sorry? For what?"

Mark shrugged, then smiled. "For whatever reason you seem to dislike me for."

"Who said I didn't like you?" she asked, surprised.

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Well, you didn't make it seem like it was otherwise."

Rachel was silent for a moment, thinking. She laughed a little. "Well, we kinda got off on the wrong foot, I think."

"Yeah," Mark agreed. "So why don't we start again?" he said suddenly.

"What?"

"Let's pretend like we don't even know each other and start again."

Rachel looked at him uncertainly. "I guessï¿½"

"Okay then!" Mark stood up. "Here, you go behind that tree, and then I'll go to that one over there. And then we will both walk into this clearing at the same time, and it'll be like we're complete strangers. Pretend like you don't even know me and then we'll meet each other, the right way. No collisions."

Slowly, a smile began to spread across Rachel's face. Mark couldn't help but noticed how her face lit up when she smiled. "No never mind, this is dumb."

"Aw, come on! You promised!" Mark said. "You can't back out." He reached down and took her hand, pulling her off the log. "Now go and hide behind that tree over there. Go on!"

Rachel laughed. "Okay okay! I'm going." Giggling, she went over to the tree and watched as Mark went and hid behind his own tree.

"Okay, go!" he called.

Still laughing, Rachel stepped out from behind her tree and walked back into the clearing as Mark did the same. He had his hands in his pockets and was whistling nonchalantly. Rachel continued to walk towards him, chuckling and rolling her eyes. Mark was definitely a nutter in the first degree. 'Now what should I do?" Rachel wondered to herself as she began to get closer to Mark, who was still whistling airily, pretending he didn't see her. She got her answer in a second when Mark crashed into her, nearly knocking her over.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!" Mark exclaimed.

"I thought you said no collisions," Rachel grumbled, rubbing her shoulder.

"Excuse me?" Mark looked confused. "What are you talking about? Have we met?"

Rachel smiled again, realizing. "Oh, I guess we haven't. Don't mind my incoherent babbling, I tend to do that sometimes." She stuck out her hand. "My name is Rachel, by the way."

"Rachelï¿½what a beautiful name!" Mark exclaimed exagerratedly, causing her to laugh again. "My name is Mark."

"So nice to meet you, Mark," she replied, nodding her head cordially.

"Would you care to sit down?" he asked, gesturing to the log which they had just vacated.

"I would love to." They both settled themselves back down into their seats.

"Are you from around here?" Mark asked.

"Yes actually, I've lived in Sligo all my life."

"Well, what a coincidence! So have I!"

"Have you really?" Rachel replied, laughing.

"Yeah! So Rachel, where do you go to school?"

She smiled. "I go to Summerhill College."

"You lie!" Mark exclaimed, hitting her arm. "That's where I go!"

"No way!" she gasped in pretend shock. "I don't believe you, you're just saying that to freak me out."

"No seriously!" Mark insisted. "I do! Here, look, I'll prove it." Mark took his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out his student id and showed it to her.

"Well what do you know?" Rachel said after she had inspected it. "I guess you do go to Summerhill."

"I *tried* to tell you," Mark said, shaking his head. They looked at each other and they both started to laugh.

"See? I'm not as bad as you thought I was, am I?" Mark asked her.

Rachel smiled at him and reached out to squeeze his hand gently. "I guess you weren't." Mark looked down at their entwined hands and Rachel quickly let go, blushing slightly. "Sorry." She looked away from him.

Mark studied her for a few seconds, then turned her chin so that she was facing him. Rachel's breath caught in her throat as his blue eyes pierced hers intently. She felt lost in the depths of their indigo blueness. "Sorry for what?" he asked softly.

"I - I don't know," was all Rachel could say. The way he was looking at herï¿½it made her feel lightheaded, and a bit disoriented, but at the same time she could feel an irresistible tingle run through her body as he lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb. But she got a hold of herself and forced herself to pull away.

"Soï¿½" she began, trying to fill the silence. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, Mark Feehily? Seeing as we're total strangers?"

He smiled. "Well, what do you want to know?"

Rachel shrugged. "I dunno. Whatever you feel like telling me, I suppose! We can start with the usual, favorite color, favorite sport, favorite football team, what you want to do when you grow upï¿½anything you like."

"Blue, tennis, Man United andï¿½" Mark started to blush a little. "Promise you won't laughï¿½"

Rachel gave him an odd look. "What makes you think I would laugh?"

He shrugged. "Well, most people would think singing would be an odd choice for a career, especially for a ladï¿½but it's what I want to do."

Rachel smiled. "Well if that's what you want, then bother what other people say!"

Mark looked at her hopefully. "Do you think I could do it?"

"Are you kidding?" Rachel looked at him in surprise. "Do you not know how good a singer you really are? I heard you tonight and you wereï¿½just wonderful. Absolutely brilliant," she finished sincerely.

Mark blushed again. "Thanks. That means a lot to me. Singing's what I've always wanted to do. In fact, Kian and Shane and I are thinking about starting up a band of our own."

"Really?" Rachel said excitedly. "That's wonderful! It's just you three? No one else?"

Mark shrugged. "We're thinking of getting more people to join the band, but none of our mates are too keen on the idea."

"Ohï¿½what about Matt?" Rachel said.

Mark laughed. "No, he can't carry a tune in a bucket. It's terrible. When he sings, or tries to anyway, dogs start howling."

"Oh." Rachel looked away, embarrassed.

"You really like him, don't you?"

"What?" She looked back and took in his knowing expression. "Is it that obvious?"

"Pretty much." There was something in his voice Rachel couldn't quite placeï¿½it sounded oddly like regret, but she brushed it off.

"Does - does *he* know?" she asked timidly.

Mark shrugged. "I couldn't really tell youï¿½"

"Oh." Rachel looked forlornly out at the water, a dejected droop to her shoulders. The disappointed look in her eyes tugged at his heart painfully. Damn Matt. Why did he always have to get everything? Mark sighed quietly, then shook his head, as if trying to clear it of her despondent image.

"Soï¿½" he began. "How about you, now?"

"How about me, what?"

"Favorite color, favorite sportï¿½" Mark prompted.

"Oh." Rachel smiled. "Yellow, football, Liverpool, and someday, I'd like to be a doctor," she rattled off immediately.

"Liverpool?" Mark wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, Liverpool!" she said, hitting him a little. "I don't care what you say, Man United isn't the only football team in the world, ya deutz."

Mark shrugged airily, as if he didn't believe her. "Whatever you sayï¿½"

Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed, then looked at her watch. "We've been sitting here for ages, Mark. I think your legs are recovered enough by now to walk back to my house." Rachel got up from the log and dusted her pants off.

"Oh, eager to get rid of me, are ya?" he joked, although he was secretly disappointed that she wanted to get home already. He got up also, and they began to walk through the woods together. The uneasy feeling that they had both felt before seemed to be gone now, as they talked and joked with each other quite easily. It seemed like hardly a minute passed when they got onto her street.

"Well, here we are," Rachel said, as she stopped at the gate of her house.

Mark stopped too. "Oh, okay," he said, slightly disappointed.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For walking me home, for tonight, for everything." Rachel smiled, and that single movement made Mark's heart beat a little faster. She hesistantly reached for his hand and squeezed it before letting go to turn around and open the gate.

"Wait!" Mark said.

Rachel turned around and looked at him in surprise. "Yeah?"

"I'll see you Monday, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, considering we go to the same schoolï¿½"

"No, I mean, for the lessons. Are you still going to give me the biology lessons?" he asked hopefully.

Rachel thought for only a second before smiling and nodding. "Of course. Now that I know you're not the horrid beast I thought you were, I suppose it's safe to keep on giving you the lessons, isn't it?" she responded cheekily. "Good night, Mark." She turned around again.

"Wait!"

Rachel turned yet again to face him, a touch of amused exasperation on her face. "What is it?"

Mark blushed furiously. "Ermï¿½I just wanted to ask youï¿½erm, if you wanted to go with me to the Christmas Dance at school? It's only two weeks away, so if you don't have a dateï¿½?"

A delighted expression lighted up Rachel's face, and she was about to say yes when Melody's face entered her thoughts. "I - I don't think that's such a good idea Mark," she said guiltily.

"Oh, okay." Mark's shoulders dropped in disappointment. "I understand." He managed a small smile. "Well, goodnight then." Mark turned to walk away, leaving Rachel staring after him, a confused expression on her face.

"Good night," she repeated softly.

Chapter 6

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