Mandy couldn’t be more thrilled to finally be away from her mother and out on her own, even if it wasn’t anything like she’d imagined. A part of her had always just assumed she and Michael would end up getting a place together and maybe going to school together. Instead, she was on her own, and things were far quieter than she had anticipated. She was getting used to using her car and finding her way around town, and had already found a doctor for herself and set up classes for the fall.
In the meantime, she was opting to learn more about the community, while avoiding the Strip itself. There was time spent learning the campus and meeting other students, as well as hiking some nature trails — which were beyond beautiful. Though the desert climate could be rough, she did her best to be careful, and loved the scenery. Occasionally, she’d take pics with her phone or jot down a few words here and there.
Social media was another thing she had to adjust to. She’d spent two years without any access to it, so when she logged in there would be a barrage of messages. Some of the more recent ones being from her mother and her new family, which irritated Mandy on multiple levels. She’d been pestered with calls and texts from them already, and had ended up blocking them, so she proceeded to do much the same with her social media and email.
By Halloween, she’d dated a handful of guys, though most proved to be people she didn’t mesh with or ones who misrepresented themselves. These lasted anywhere from a couple dates, to a few weeks at best. At a New Year’s Eve party, she hooked up with another guy — they lasted a couple of months before she discovered he’d been seeing someone on the side. At this point, she swore off dating for a while, proceeding to work hard on school, with breaks now and again for some fun or self-pampering if she felt she truly needed it.
Communication with the people she considered close to her, she had maintained, talking about her dating life to Michael, as well as her ‘Uncle’ Dave and Dad. After the most recent boyfriend, though, she decided not to mention dating all that much to her father in the future, due to his knee-jerk overprotective reactions. She was a little sad that she didn’t get to see or talk to him as much as she was hoping. It seemed that work was keeping him extra busy now, and often he seemed to be travelling.
In spring the following year, Mandy decided to attend a Beltane ceremony and gathering being held by the local Pagan community. She hadn’t been able to make it as much as she might have liked, typically blaming school though more than likely there was some semblance of guilt due to her mother. A bit nervous at first, she began to feel at ease fairly quickly. A lot of the people were friendly, and willing to help her learn how to do things to discover the right path for her, or even outright teach her.
The gathering lasted all day and into the night. Though the bulk of it took place outside, there was indoor space available to take time out of the heat. Things were still going in the evening, though the group was smaller, with some people having joined later. A fire had been built for Beltane at dusk, and was kept going strong. It was both for warmth, gathering, and, it was explained, jumping over it was supposed to heal old pounds and bring good luck.
Not everyone gave it a try. There were some who did, and while there might have been some light jesting about people not doing it, though no one was pressured into doing so. Initially, she wasn’t interested in trying, though later, with perhaps a little influence from a bit of homemade mead she’d tried, she went for it. A little wobbly at the start, she managed to just succeed in jumping over it. Surprised at herself and feeling a rush, she laughed as others cheered. She bowed, sweeping her arm out as she did so — though ended up smacking someone with it.
Immediately apologizing, she turned to face them and stopped, finding herself staring into the most intensely colored eyes she could remember seeing. Blue? Green? She couldn’t be sure at the moment, but would later learn they were more blue. He introduced himself as Conor Walsh. After a try or two she was able to compose herself long enough to introduce herself — it didn’t help that he had an accent she loved. They sat together the rest of the night and talked some about themselves, though mostly about why they were there and how they’d felt the celebration had gone.
On occasion, they were interrupted, and at one point Conor had been asked to recite something. Trying to protest at first, a couple of people insisted, though the comment that got him to agree mentioned he could show off his talent to his new friend. Though he acted reluctant, he was smiling a bit as he got up to the head of the group around the fire. As he headed up there, one of the others sitting nearby explained that he was considered their local Bard, and they often liked to hear him sing, recite or just tell a story. It was something everyone really enjoyed, even looked forward to on Sabbat celebrations like this one. When he got to the front, he looked over the crowd and thought a moment. Before taking a pose and a moment to prepare.
“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.”
The soliloquy had been beautifully recited, and after he was handed an acoustic guitar and asked to sing, which he also seemed to have a talent for. Others would eventually join in or take his place for a song or two, which is when he would come back and encourage her to try, though she protested she didn’t really know any appropriate songs. He asked what she did know, and she relayed her limited familiarity with pagan and folk style music. He got up after that, speaking to some others he knew, then grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to the front, telling her to name three or four songs she knew, and she’d have to sing them. He was there to back her up, along with people he’d collected, so she named the songs: Wytches and Away With the Faeries by Inkubus Sukkubus; and Frigga’s Web by Hagalaz Runedance. After a moment of hesitation, she stated Tanz mit Mir by Faun.
The performance by all was one of great fun, and people loved her singing. It was very late when she said goodbye to all, though not before exchanging contact info with several of them – including Conor. No sooner was she home than she began texting Michael, first telling him not to breathe a word to his father or hers before launching into her evening, but especially about Conor.
In the morning, she woke to a text from Conor, that simply read: “I’ve been thinking I’d like to go out with you, if you’re interested.” She responded with a positive, and that was the beginning of a great relationship. He learned some about her – that she was nineteen later that month, had a stepfamily she didn’t care for, a mother she was going no contact with her, a father she adored, and a best friend who was like more than family to her. In fact, at one point she got Michael on the phone for him to do the BFF test on him. Likewise, she learned that he was twenty-two, had been born in the US but had lived most of his life in Ireland, in the Connemara region. He would also state that, yes, he could in fact speak the Irish language.
They had been dating about four months before they slept together for the first time, and Mandy lost her virginity. She had still, by this point, not mentioned to her dad that she was seeing anyone steadily. They both knew Mandy’s first time would consist of some pain, so rather than have a poor association of their first time together that way, they used a toy, and on another, later date night had their actual first time. Through a sheer amount of luck and managing to divert the subject, she was able to avoid telling her Dad much of anything about her steady relationship with Conor until Thanksgiving, when she slipped up.
Her Dad, Michael and David were planning to come out and see her, and she’d forgotten she’d also invited Conor that week. There had been a lot of pressure lately with her studying so hard an intense, that she was stressed and not thinking clearly, trying to gear up for exams. Conor came over the day before and stayed over, keeping her close when they slept together, and generally just trying to take her mind off of the things stressing her out.
Her company wasn’t expected until late afternoon the next day, so when there was the sound of someone unlocking the door in the morning, Mandy was in the kitchen working on a pot of coffee and some breakfast when the door opened and her Dad and Michael walked in.
“Daddy? You’re here early.” she said while hugging him.
“He got impatient.” Michael explained. “We rerouted to Los Angeles and charted a short flight from there to here.”
“Where’s Uncle Dave?” she asked.
“He had come up and couldn’t make it, though said to tell you he’d see you at Christmas.” Michael explained.
“Mandy…” her father said. “Who’s the half-naked man walking into your kitchen, and why haven’t I shot him yet?” he said, referring to a half-dressed Conor.
Mandy turned to look to her kitchen, then back to her Dad, who had pulled a gun from somewhere and had it casually aimed at Conor. Conor, meanwhile, was pouring some coffee and hadn’t noticed.
“Put it away.” she said, pushing his arm down.
“But who is he?” her Dad asked, not wavering.
“Conor.” she answered. “My boyfriend.”
“Oh.” her Dad said, sounding a little disappointed as he put the gun away. “I thought you weren’t dating.”
“Well…” she said, sighing. “I white-lied that one.” she looked a little sheepish. “Please don’t be mad.” she added quickly.
“No, not mad. Just disappointed you wouldn’t trust me enough to tell me.” he said.
“Uhh…spare room free?” Michael asked, trying to make things less awkward. Mandy just nodded, and he moved his and Claude’s bags into there for now. It was around this time that Conor walked into the living room, handing Mandy a mug and offering a bakery bag from Krispy Kreme to Claude.
He stood there a moment, eyeing his daughter’s boyfriend a moment before taking the bag. “Alright. You get a pass. For now.” he said, then reached into the bag, taking a bite of the donut he had pulled out.
The rest of the day went reasonably well. Claude eventually apologized for his remark, and Mandy explained why she had left him out. She left Claude and Conor to talk, while she and Michael worked on the dinner they were to have. The night was fine until she got a phone call from an unknown number. Normally, she would have ignored it, but she had been waiting to hear over break from one of her professor’s anyway, so she answered. It was a mistake.
No sooner did she answer, then she had to hold the phone away from her ear due to a combination of screeching, yelling and crying from a voice most people recognized. Claude took the phone from her after seeing how it was upsetting her.
“Kathy.” he began, and then stopped. “Katherine,” he continued. “She does not want to talk to you, and she doesn’t have to.” another pause as he listened for a few moments. “No, Mr. Norwood, I will not put my daughter on the phone. You will not call again.” another pause. “Please do. See how quickly it doesn’t get anywhere.” he said, and then hung up, taking a moment to block the number on the phone before handing it back to Mandy.
“What the hell was that all about?” Michael asked.
“Mandy’s mom.” he explained for Conor’s benefit. “She was demanding Mandy come home. When I got on the phone her husband took over, demanded she come home. Then threatened to file a lawsuit.” he shrugged.
“Against who?” Conor asked.
“Myself for ‘putting evil ideas in her head’.” he said, and Michael rolled his eyes. “He mentioned suing Mandy for the tuition he paid out, among other things, while she was living with them.”
“Ass.” Conor said.
“Daddy…how are we going to deal with something like that? Samuel doesn’t make threats he doesn’t keep.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve got connections he doesn’t. We’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Have I ever been wrong?”
“Not that I remember.” she said.
“There you go. Now let’s eat.”
The rest of the dinner went nicely, and everyone got along well enough. Her Dad and Michael were due to stay a few days, so at evening’s end she and Conor said good night at the door with a kiss, and met up again after her company had left. Not long after, she met the cousin he was living with, and things proceeded as normal.
When their one-year anniversary rolled around the following May, they planned a special day when they’d take a short vacation, and made the time all about one another, capping it off with a night of sex and romance. Sex between the two of them was always more on the gentle side, but always enjoyed. Something similar happened for her birthday later in the month, when Conor made the day all about her.
In October, he announced he had to head to Ireland. A family situation had come up, and he was needed. He had promised to keep in touch with her, though told her he wasn’t sure how long he would be gone. She saw him off at the airport, and talked to him as often as she could, between classes, studying, and the time zone difference. A few weeks in, and the amount of contact began to dwindle, until she hadn’t heard from him in a long time. Eventually, she got a text.
“I’m sorry, love. I need to ask for a break – too much going on here. I hope to be home soon, but I don’t know. It’s not fair to keep you caged in uncertainty. Save a dance for me. ~ Love, Conor”
It broke her heart a little, but she texted back that she understood. Mandy put herself wholeheartedly into school in order to leave as little time as possible to think about the situation. This mostly worked, as by the time she was finished with all the schoolwork and projects, she was often too exhausted to remember to eat a full meal before falling asleep. Now, however, she’s graduated, earning a double Bachelor of Music degree in Vocals and Composition, with a certification in Music Tech.
She hasn’t yet told anyone they’re broken up, despite it technically having happened a couple of months ago. Now when there’s a storm, she feels more lost and lonely than ever before, and even Sir Mister is a meager comfort.
There came a day when she received a nasty note in her email from her step-sister Bethany, calling her a slew of perfectly Christian slurs, telling her that she was irredeemable, and might as well work as a stripper or escort. Mandy field it away in case she needed harassment proof, but otherwise blocked the email address.
She’s making an effort not to wallow in depression, however. She’s been trying to work with the pagan group, and get back out into nature some, while also exploring the Strip, ignoring the casinos themselves in favor of some attractions, clubs, museums or shows they offer. Still, she would prefer to keep busy, or find some good friends to hang out with regularly, so she tries meeting new people, and tries seeing if she can get music related work, even if it’s only DJing for now, occasionally doing karaoke or amateur nights at bars or clubs for fun.