Length: Long
Author: Debbra
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: What happens when you meet a lovely man but his wild twin boys work against you?
Chapter 1
“John O’Donoghue, I have had enough of you today.”
John sat and smirked at his twin brother, identical twins who looked just like their father, they had that same naughty smirk.
The O’Donoghue twins were the Bain of every teacher’s life at St. Benildus College and this was only their first year but they had a quite a reputation already.
“But Miss he started it.”
Amy Jackson leant forwards placing her hands on her desk, she had been teaching teenagers for ten years now but the O’Donoghue twins took the biscuit and this was the first time she had ever regretted being a teacher.
“John sit at this desk here please.”
John got to his feet and dragged his rucksack along the floor, once at the desk at the front of the room he threw himself into the chair making as much noise as possible and the rest of the class laugh at the joker. Amy tried to ignore him and returned to talking to her class.
This time it was Luke’s turn and he put his rubber on his ruler and flicked it at his brother. It hit John on the back of his head and he turned around glaring at his brother.
“Don’t be such a dick!”
He shouted out at his brother, Amy couldn’t stand it any longer.
“That’s it, Luke go to Mr Russell’s office and tell him why I have sent you.”
John got to his feet and went to the door. Amy rolled her dark brown eyes.
“John sit down!”
Luke held his hands out to his sides.
“But I am Miss, that’s Luke, I’m John.”
Amy lost her temper now and shouted loudly at the pair.
“Both of you get to Mr Russell’s office now and you tell him why I have sent you.”
To the sound of cheering from their classmates the twins left the classroom and Amy returned to teaching the class properly.
Danny was sat in the studio with the rest of the lads going over the recording for their new single. Danny’s mobile phone suddenly rang out and just as Danny went to press the reject button he noticed it was the school. His instant thought was something had happened to one of his boys or they were ill.
“Hold on lads, I gotta take this, it’s John and Luke’s school.”
The lads nodded as he placed the phone up to his ear.
“Yeah, Danny O’Donoghue.”
Danny listened for a little while and then his face seemed to pale. Glen elbowed Ben who turned to look at the worried expression on their friends face.
“Er yeah, I can be there…………… Four O’clock, yeah I’ll get finished up here and be straight there…………………….. Classroom D6 yeah, I still can remember it myself.”
Danny gave a half-hearted laugh and then ended his call. He sighed deeply as he sat down running his fingers through his dark hair. Mark was the only one brave enough to ask.
“Are the boys okay Dan?”
Danny slumped back in the green heavily padded sofa and looked up at the ceiling.
“I’ve been summoned by the Headmaster seems the twins have gotten themselves into trouble.”
All three of the lads laughed now, Mark punched Danny playfully in the arm.
“What again? I thought they promised once they got to St. Benildus they would knuckle down and work.”
Danny shook his head.
“So did I, little sods didn’t even last six months. I’ll kill ‘em I swear to God. If there mother was alive this would all be so different.”
Everyone quietened now as they thought about how Danny had coped as a single parent since her death from cancer. He had met other girls over the years but either one or both the boys wouldn’t like her and Danny put his boys before everything and would end the relationship. As a consequence he was still single; the twins had him all to themselves.
He made his way up the staircases and along the corridors, it was as if he has never been away, he still remembered it as if it were yesterday. Finally he stopped outside of room D6, the grey painted door looked the same as it had done in his day. He looked through the square window that had the little square wires running through it to prevent it shattering into tiny pieces if it was broken.
He saw John and Luke sitting at two desks at the front of the classroom writing on some paper and a woman, obviously the teacher who wanted to see him watching them. She had long shiny dark hair, she looked friendly enough from what he could see and he felt sorry for her knowing what the boys could be like.
Danny knocked on the door and both John and Luke looked towards the door smiling at him. Danny wanted to throttle the pair of them but they had such a hold on him he couldn’t stay angry for long, he always saw their mum in them and he wanted to keep that.
Danny didn’t look at the teacher he looked directly at the
boys and held the car keys out towards them.
“You two get in the car and I will deal with you at home.”
John got up and walked past as Luke moved closer to his Dad’s ear and whispered to him.
“Just charm the knickers off her Dad you know you can do it.”
Danny gave Luke a flick around the back of his head.
“Get in the car!”
The boys walked out and closed the door but they hid round the corner to see what would happen and if their Dad could use his famous O’Donoghue charm. Once they had gone Danny prepared himself for the backlash from their teacher now but as he turned to look at her he was in for a very pleasant surprise.
His hazel eyes met with a very familiar, warm friendly dark brown pair of eyes.
“Amy? Amy Jackson? No it can’t be?”
Amy gave a warm smile to her former school friend.
“Yeah, it sure is, ‘know it all Jackson.”
Danny stopped smiling but Amy pointed to a chair for Danny and sat herself down. Danny followed suit.
“Oh come on Danny, I’m sure you knew all the names you were known by too.”
Danny eased a little as he relaxed back into his chair.
John looked at Luke.
“Oh crap he knows her!”
Luke started to walk off.
“Come on John, we’ve had it now, best work on him when he gets back in the car.”
Both boys walked solemnly from the school and towards their Dad’s car.
Amy was pleased to see Danny again after all these years; they had known each other and been friends but not close ones. Danny would always copy Amy’s maths homework in the playground before the start of school. He was the ultimate charmer even at that age.
“Well I never expected to see you here, a teacher, who would have thought it.”
Amy gave Danny a wry smile.
“Wow a Rock star, who would have thought it.”
The pair laughed as for a while they reminisced over their school days. Eventually Danny broached the subject of the twins.
“Right my sons?”
Amy placed her arms on the desk and then tidied her hair behind her ears, this brought back memories for Danny of the smart girl in the class everyone wanted to copy from.
“Yes John and Luke… Well, you on a day when you were at your most obnoxious times that by your worst mood ever and then double it and you have John and Luke O’Donoghue. Oh Danny they are true O’Donoghue’s.”
The conversation continued as Amy filled Danny in on all the antics of the boys. Danny wished he was surprised but he wasn’t.
“So I suggest we work together on the boys, I propose each teacher writes a small report on how they behave in each lesson and then once a week we all get together to go over everything and decide what to do.”
Danny wasn’t sure, nothing he had ever done had worked so far, being a single parent was tough but a single Dad of two wild boys who had a high profile career was harder.
Amy leant forwards and touched Danny’s arm that was rested on her desk.
“Danny we can do this, work with me and we can sort the boys out, I promise, I’ll be here for you and will help.”
Danny felt something inside his heart, someone who hadn’t given up on his boys, someone who had seen them at their worst and still had faith in them and wanted to help. She was full of so much compassion.
“Thanks Amy, you are an angel to me… … Right I guess I’d better go before they drive off in the
car on their own.”
Danny took his wallet out and pulled a business card from his pocket.
“Here, take this. It has my mobile, my home number and my email address.”
Amy took the card and then scribbled down her numbers on a piece of paper which she handed back to Danny. He looked at it and smiled at the handwriting.
“Still the same neat writing I see.”
Amy held her hand out to say goodbye to Danny but Danny leant forwards and kissed her on the cheek.
“Thanks Amy…………….. And it’s really great to see you again.”
“And you Danny, I’ll call you soon okay? And any worries just pick up the phone alright?”
Danny started to walk out of the door when he turned around having a wicked idea from his school days.
“See you later Jackson.”
Amy was collecting her papers together so she didn’t look up.
“Not if I see you first O’Donoghue!”
Danny closed the door behind him and walked down to the car. It had been great to see Amy again after all these years and to think she was teaching his sons…… Yes he thought to himself, John and Luke O’Donoghue, you boys are in for a shock here.
Chapter 2
Danny didn’t speak to the twins all the way home and his silence bothered them, the last time he had given them the silent treatment was when they had hidden their Granddad’s briefcase up that contained some very important legal papers. They were only nine and thought it was hilarious; however it wasn’t so funny when the Garda started to search the house to find them. John and Luke both admitted their joke and produced the case which they had buried in the flowerbed at the back of the house. Danny had given them the silent treatment until they got home and then he was like a volcano erupting. He shouted and read them the riot act which resulted in them being grounded for a month and banned from all television and video games.
As they walked in the house Danny threw his keys on the dark wood table by the door and walked through to the lounge, both the boys followed him. Danny stood by the big bay window looking out over the front garden.
“Sit down boys.”
He said in a calm voice, Luke looked at John with wide eyes, this wasn’t a good sign at all. Danny remained silent but folded his arms across his chest as he continued to look out of the window.
John tried to pacify his Dad.
“Dad, it’s just……………..”
Danny sighed and again kept his calm and normal voice.
“I don’t want to hear it John……”
Luke went to open his mouth but before a word could leave his lips Danny spoke again.
“……… That goes for you too Luke.”
After ten minutes Danny walked across the room and sat himself in the deep leather high backed chair, resting his arms on the arms of the chair. He looked up at both his sons, he loved them dearly but there were times he didn’t like them very much and today was one of them.
“Tomorrow you will go to school and apologise to Miss Jackson.”
Danny looked between both boys waiting for them to protest but was surprised when they just sat still looking at him.
“You will also get a book or something you have to take to each lesson and get it signed and a note put in it about your behaviour in each lesson. Amy will then speak to me each week and we will all have a meeting………… But honestly boys this has to stop.”
Danny closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
“Carry on like this and I will end up beside your Mam.”
Danny placed his hand on his forehead and rubbed at an imaginary headache. John looked at Luke who looked back at him and then they both looked at their Dad.
“We’re sorry Dad; can’t we have a different teacher though?”
“No Luke you can’t, it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference anyway. You boys are wild, plain and simple and as Amy reminded me tonight you are true O’Donoghue boys. Part of that is down to me and your uncles but even we weren’t such tearaways as you two! It has to stop lads, I’m serious now, you have everything you could ever want and still you do this me.”
John got to his feet and glared at his father, his bright blue eyes burning into Danny’s.
“Not quite Dad, we want Mum.”
Danny felt his stomach lurch, he missed her too, it had been five years now and he still hadn’t moved on. She would have wanted him to love again he knew that, but he also owed it to the boys to make sure they were happy with any woman he chose to date too.
Amy arrived at school as normal, last night she had taken the twins files home with her to read through what had happened throughout their school lives.
Both boys had similar reports; they had the knowledge and were clever enough but never seemed to want to work. It appeared since their mother died they became more and more wayward which she understood but now it was getting out of hand and it had to be stopped. Both boys were dreadful when together but apart they were a lot more trouble, almost unable to cope without the presence of the other twin. So Amy ruled out the possibility of separating them in all their classes.
Eventually the children started to fill the classroom for registration and the noise level rose considerably. Amy went through the names.
“Jamie Adams?”
“Miss.”
Luke O’Donoghue?”
No answer Amy didn’t bother looking up; the boys weren’t getting off to a very good start.
“Luke O’Donoghue?”
She asked more firmly, again she was met with silence, so she gave up on Luke and move to John. She called his name out twice before she looked up and noticed both the twins’ seats were empty. She looked around the whole class.
“Has anyone seen Luke or John this morning?”
No one had seen either of them or at least no one was admitting they had. Amy knew she would have to call Danny as soon as her class had left for their first lesson. Once the students left the room Amy took her mobile phone from her handbag and searched for Danny’s number.
“Good morning Miss Jackson.”
Recognising the voice Amy closed her phone up and looked up to see a smiling Danny O’Donoghue with one hand on John’s shoulder and the other on Luke’s.
“Good morning Mr O’Donoghue, John, Luke.”
Amy felt butterflies fill her stomach as she looked at him. She secretly fancied Danny at school, well most girls did to be honest she had to admit he was better looking now then he was then.
Danny gently moved John and Luke forwards.
“Boys what do you have to say to Miss Jackson?”
“Sorry Miss Jackson.”
They spoke in unison. Amy smiled and nodded then she took two small red books from her table.
“Thank you for that, now these are your books, they need to go to every lesson with you and I will be checking them each day. After a week we will all get together and discuss how things are going.”
John sneered his nose up at her.
“We are gonna be late for Mr Cope now, he won’t give us a good report will he?”
Danny slapped John round the back of his head for being rude and cheeky.
“John!”
Amy wrote in both the books to explain the boys were late because she had explained the books to them and then she handed them over to the twins.
“You can show me at afternoon registration okay?”
Both groaned and left the room. Danny smiled at Amy and perched himself on the edge of one of the students desks.
“How are you?”
Amy sat on the edge of her own desk so she was facing Danny. Her white summer dress with little red flowers rested on her legs, the fabric was so light the shape of her legs were clearly visible as the fabric clung to her skin. Danny was still amazed she had grown into such a beautiful woman. She certainly wasn’t a bad looking girl at school but being clever she didn’t fit into Danny’s circle of friends who were more ‘popular’, everyone wanted to be their friends; they were the in-crowd. But he had to admit Amy had blossomed into a very beautiful young woman, he wondered who she was dating; if it was someone they went to school with?
“Yeah I’m good thanks, how did you get on last night?
Danny shrugged.
“It was good while I was playing the angry but calm Dad then I started to tell them how lucky they were and John reminded me they didn’t have their Mam.”
“Oh Danny I’m sorry, what about girlfriends, are the boys okay with that?............... Sorry I’m being nosey, forgive me.”
Danny shook his head.
“No it’s fine Amy; you need to know what’s going on if you are going to help my boys. No I’ve met different women obviously but nothing ever happened you know what it’s like.”
She couldn’t understand Danny still being single, it wasn’t right; he was a good guy, beautiful both on the inside as well as in looks.
“And you Amy, are you married, engaged?”
Amy blushed and looked down at her feet.
“Oh no, I haven’t had time Danny, the kids take up my time.”
Danny thought maybe this was the time to ask her out for a drink? He could use the boys as an excuse.
“Why don’t we meet up, you know, have a drink sometime. Talk about old times?”
Amy got to her feet now as students started to file into the room.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Danny got up and left the room, he exchanged a fleeting glance with Amy and they both smiled at each other, looking forward to meeting away from school.
Throughout the day word of Danny asking Amy out for a drink circulated around the school and eventually got back to the twins. At the end of the day Amy was walking back to the staff room when she suddenly noticed Luke and John on either side of her, she looked at them both, who looked back. Luke spoke in a very flat tone.
“We’ve heard all about it, and let us tell you, it isn’t happening, you and our Dad, it ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN! He only looks at you as our teacher that is the only way you will get near our Dad EVER!”
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
Amy thought about what the boys had said as she sat in the staff room marking the books she had, they were fiercely protective over Danny and it was obvious they wanted to keep him for themselves and were not prepared to share him. She tried to think of why they could be feeling the way they did and the only conclusion she could come to was the fact they had lost their mother and were not prepared to lose their father too.
“So, are the rumours true Amy?”
Amy turned around to see Mr Russell the headmaster standing beside her with a concerned look on his face. Amy felt her stomach lurch at his words and her cheeks became hot and pink.
“No it isn’t Danny just said maybe we should go for a drink sometime to catch up, that’s all.”
Mr Russell had heard the rumours going around the school and he knew it would cause trouble with the children and even the parents. He could see the next rumour would be that Danny was dating her to prevent his boys getting expelled.
He pulled up a chair and sat beside her.
“I don’t like to get involved in the staff’s private lives but the thing is Amy it could be very damaging to the school.”
Amy really did not want to discuss this with him nor anyone to be honest, her private life wasn’t anyone else’s business and not only that nothing was going on, they were old school friends and that was all. Danny didn’t fancy her, she was the smart kid who the teachers liked and he was the good looking popular one and she didn’t fancy him. Her mind started to wander at that moment as she thought of him in her classroom that morning. The sexy O’Donoghue crooked smile, those naughty hazel eyes and incredibly sexy body; she closed her eyes tightly not believing her own thoughts.
“Danny is an old friend John and Luke are two of my students that is all. It is no different to me helping the parents of any of my students no matter if I know the parent or not.”
She was getting quite angry now, this wasn’t fair at all, and she was being convicted of something she hadn’t even done
Mr Russell shook his head, he felt sorry for her, Amy was a local girl who had remained loyal to the area and the school, he felt sorry for her because she was a good teacher, he just knew how the parents and possibly other teachers would react.
“Amy I know that as well as you do but you know what everyone will say, he’s single, good looking, famous and rich. He also has two very way-ward sons who he is trying to keep in school. I am thinking of you too.”
Amy was fed up with it all now and just wanted to go home. She collected her books and papers up. Some she put back in her locker and others she placed in her bag to take home.
Once she sat in her car she thought about everything and decided it was probably best to warn Danny what was going on, feeling a little embarrassed about the whole thing she decided to text him, it would be easier for her.
‘Danny, sorry to do this, rumour going around we are dating, L & J not happy at all. I’ve been warned by headmaster. Sorry A.’
Danny was yet again with the lads as they were arranging a TV appearance when his mobile blasted out the tune to Rocky making Mark laugh.
“Still the same old shit on the phone Dan?”
Danny laughed and flipped his phone case open, he smiled when he saw Amy’s name and this wasn’t missed by Mark who cried out in a girly voice.
“Oooo, O’Donoghue has a girlfriend, look at his face!”
Both Ben and Glen now joined in the teasing, As Danny read the message, his smile faded and he shook his head, the lads stopped teasing him.
“I’ll kill the little fookers!”
Mark rolled his eyes at Glen and Ben as he mouthed “The twins again”. Danny thought long and hard before his text back.
‘Nice to see nothing has changed then. Ignore boys, they prob feel silly with their mates. Fancy smart arse Jackson getting a warning, that’s a 1st lol. Do we have to meet in secret like we are having an affair? Dan x’
Danny gave a little chuckle as he placed his phone back in his jeans pocket, Mark frowned at him.
“You are up to something, I can tell.”
Danny shrugged his shoulders and carried on with what they had been talking about earlier.
When Amy’s phone beeped she felt her heart jump, she was half scared of what he would say. She thought it would be something along the lines of don’t worry I won’t talk to you again and that would be awful. With her hands shaking slightly she pressed the button to open the message. As she read his words she felt the excitement build up within her tummy now, her body felt warm and she felt like a teenager full of hope but also knowing inside this was a grown man laughing trying to make her feel easier so she decide to text something funny back.
Danny’s phone sounded out again and as he picked the phone out of his pocket it slipped from his fingers and slid along the floor in front of Glen who happily picked it up and opened it. Danny jumped up trying to grab it back.
“Fuck off, Power, it’s my phone and a private message.”
Glen turned his back on Danny and held the phone up as Danny jumped up trying to get it back. Enjoying the childish antics Mark and Ben now grabbed hold of Danny and held him back in the chair as Glen now read the message out.
“Meeting in secret, yes it does sound like an illicit affair; do you need private lessons from a teacher then? LOL A”
Everyone looked at Danny now who shook his head.
“Stop it; it’s just me and Amy having a joke that’s all.”
Glen now scrolled through Danny’s sent messages and found the one he had sent which he also read out to the others. Danny was now getting angry with Mark and Ben.
“Answer her Glen, go on. O’Donoghue needs his love life sorting out.”
Mark cut in quickly.
“No rephrase that…….. Danny NEEDS a love life.”
Danny groaned loudly as Mark typed away and read as he typed.
“That sounds like a plan; you can teach me anything you would like, I promise to be a good student I will do anything you want me to do,” how’s that?” Meet me………..”
Glen looked up now.
“Where is there a nice quiet pub, you know out of the way where they can be alone?”
Ben and Mark made various suggestions until they decided on a place Danny had taken them all once when he wanted to speak to them about his future in the band and wanted them to be ‘unknown’. So Glen typed it in and asked Amy to meet him at nine o’clock and finished the text with a kiss. Once they let go of Danny he went crazy and snatched his phone away.
“Nice one lads, she won’t ever speak to me again now.”
They all exchanged looks now knowing that Danny did like Amy no matter how much he insisted it was friends. It was about time he met someone and to meet someone who knew him before The Script would be perfect. They could deal with John and Luke later if they needed to.
“You like her don’t you Dan?”
Mark asked, trying to get Danny to talk and open up a little bit. Danny sighed and rested his elbows on his knees and then rested his head on his open hands.
“Yes… No, oh I don’t know, we have a shared past, that’s nice, I like it.”
Mark placed his arm around Danny’s shoulder and shook his shoulder in a friendly way.
“Then just meet up and see what happens, okay maybe it’s only friends, then fine she will be a great friend to you. But if you don’t do something soon John and Luke will have left home and you will be alone.”
Danny knew Mark’s words were true and although they had been playing around the lads were being sincere in trying to help him.
“You will have embarrassed her now so I won’t be seeing her again anyway…. She’s not the sort of girl you can be too rude with.”
Mark shook his head now and opened Danny’s phone.
“Read her message again Dan, she’s flirting with you man, remember that?”
Danny nodded solemnly, he couldn’t deny the fact he was lonely and inside he was breaking up.
When the text came in Amy almost dropped her phone, he wasn’t joking, he was flirting with her and now he wanted to meet up. Could she take the risk of being seen with him? She felt like she had an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other one. The angel was saying. ‘No Amy, you can’t meet him, he’s an old school friend and you need to be professional about all this now.’ The devil on the other hand seemed to be shouting a bit louder. ‘Go on Amy, all those years you fancied him and he wouldn’t look at you any other way than the smart girl who would give him the answers to his homework. Now he’s flirting and you fancy the pants off him, go for it and flirt like hell back’ so she did, she felt so naughty and it felt good and every exciting.
“Ok meet u at 9. What shall I wear, casual or smart?”
Danny smiled when the phone went again and when he read her message this time he looked up at the lads and read it out. Glen held his hands up this time.
“You call this time mate, I’ve done my interfering.”
For a while Danny looked around the room and tried to think of what he should put. So far she had played along with the flirty texts so maybe he should carry on a little and see what happened.
“Something sexy, short skirts and black boots work for me, and as little as possible, in case you get too hot! Xx”
Mark was in fits of laughter now.
“That is so corny, if she turns you down flat now, you asked for it with that!”
As Amy read the text her whole body felt like it was on fire now, how the hell could she feel desire through a stupid joking text? Well two could play at that game and she would give him something to think about now.
“I don’t have anything on now, but I am about to step into the shower and regards your last words, best hope you get lucky then hadn’t you! A x’
When Danny received the text and read it his jaw dropped open at her blatant flirting. He couldn’t believe the words in front of him and now all he could think of was Amy, images of her sitting in her desk in her white summer dress filled his mind, his body started to react to his thoughts now.
Mark read the message over his shoulder and one by one they all offered friendly advice to him, all being very sensible now, they wanted him to find a woman he could finally connect with on every level, he deserved it after all these years alone. Simply knowing Amy from the past was a great bonus she knew Danny O’Donoghue before ‘Danny - The Script - O’Donogue. And knew everything about the boys what little sods they could be, so no shocks for her, maybe the fans but she could get used to that, so yep, all in all they liked Amy and hoped and prayed for Danny, it would all turn right this time.
As they left Glen still had to get one more joke in.
“Right now remember what we have told you!”
Danny frowned at Glen.
“Remember condoms, practise safe sex!”
Danny pushed Glen’s shoulder playfully actually enjoying the banter now and Mark jumped on Danny’s back now as he shouted loudly for everyone in the street to hear.
“And if you aren’t in bed by midnight……….. Come home!”
All four lads erupted into fits of laughter and everything was just like it used to be years ago.
to be continued...
1 comment:
Loving the start already.
Post a Comment