Taming 7

In class, Gibsie overhears Jamie talking to his friend about Claire. When he makes a comment about trying to sleep with her, Gibsie angrily confronts him. Johnny pulls him from the classroom, insisting that he can’t get into trouble in school again.

After school, Claire walks two miles to Lizzie’s house. After their fight, she realized that they were approaching a point of no return, where their friendship would be ruined if Lizzie didn’t get her life under control. She then decided that she needed to talk with Lizzie’s mother, Catherine, before it was too late.

Catherine invites Claire inside. Claire realizes that she has not been to her house in years. After Lizzie’s sister died, their parents stopped being friends. Despite this, Catherine is happy to see Claire.

After they catch up, Claire asks where Lizzie’s father is. Catherine tells her that they split up several months ago. Claire is shocked that Lizzie never told her. After hesitating, Claire tells Catherine that she believes “Lizzie is cutting again” (221).

Later that night, Gibsie goes over to Claire’s house. He tells her that he can no longer take the “tension” between them. He apologizes for touching her; Claire is shocked, insisting that she wanted him to. He tries to say that he was wrong to do so, but she argues with him.

Their conversation is interrupted by Lizzie, who starts yelling downstairs. She comes into the room and demands to know why Claire would talk to her mother. She tells Claire that she made everything worse and should have minded her own business.

Upset with how Lizzie is talking to Claire, Gibsie interrupts, telling her to back down. Lizzie accuses Gibsie of being related to a “rapist.” She tells him that she will never forgive his family, as Mark ruined Caoimhe and caused her to jump from a bridge, and now he gets to be happy.

In that moment, Gibsie realizes that the story Lizzie knows is different from what he knows about the events of that night. He now knows that she believes them—that they’re her “truth”—and nothing he ever says will change that. There is a rift between them that will never heal. He leaves and goes home.

When Gibsie gets home, he is shocked to find Mark there. Keith excitedly tells him that Mark is being transferred for work and will be coming home to stay.

Sitting in the kitchen, Claire apologizes repeatedly to Lizzie. After Claire spoke to Catherine, she went to the hospital with chest pains, going into a panic over the thought of losing Lizzie.

Lizzie tells her that she did not lie about the cut on her thigh, as she cut it on a fence on Feely’s farm. Claire apologizes again, then asks why Lizzie didn’t tell her about her father moving out. Lizzie points out that it happened when Shannon’s parents died. Claire realizes that they all had been focused on their own problems. Eventually, Lizzie seems to calm down, giving Claire hope that their friendship can be fixed.

As soon as Lizzie is gone, Claire goes to Gibsie’s house to check on him. He isn’t home, and she finds his room completely destroyed. Mark comes into the doorway, making a comment about how Gibsie still has “tantrums.” It takes a moment for Claire to figure out who he is, as she has not seen him since he left six years ago.

Back at home, Claire tells Hugh that Mark is back. He immediately gets angry. Claire tries to calm him down, insisting that they have to remain neutral because of Gibsie and his mother. Hugh ignores her, going immediately over to Gibsie’s house.

Hugh confronts Mark. He demands to know why he would come back, but Mark tells him that he was innocent, as the police investigation ostensibly proved. Hugh warns him to stay away from Claire.

Not wanting to go home, Gibsie spends the night at Johnny’s house. In the morning, Johnny demands to know what is going on. Gibsie tells him about his fight with Lizzie and about Mark coming home. Never having heard the story, Johnny asks what happened between Lizzie’s family and Gibsie’s family.

Gibsie tells him that, for several years, Caoimhe and Mark dated. Everyone tried to tell her that he was a bad person, but she refused to believe them. Then, after Caoimhe died, Lizzie’s parents claimed that there was a note that Caoimhe left that accused Mark of rape. However, the police investigated and never found anything. Johnny asks if Gibsie believes that Mark did it, and Gibsie says yes.

Gibsie avoids Claire at school the following day. She goes to his rugby match, then confronts him in the locker room afterward. She asks him about Mark being home, but Gibsie still assures her that he is “always okay.” She grows angry, telling him that he has to open up to her and tell her how he feels. He insists that he can’t, prompting her to angrily leave the locker room.

When Gibsie gets home, his mother confronts him about destroying his room and leaving the night before. Gibsie expresses his anger over not being told about Mark coming home. His mother tells him that Mark is family and that he should be happy he came back. She insists that she read the suicide note from Caoimhe and that her parents misunderstood it. The police proved that Mark did nothing wrong.

Gibsie asks her if she ever doubted Mark’s innocence. When she responds that she never did, Gibsie realizes that his mother isn’t “willing to believe the truth” (252).

Three weeks later, Claire is frustrated by Gibsie’s efforts at pretending like nothing is wrong. He has returned to his old self, joking with everyone, but Claire can tell that he is still upset about Mark. He also never brought up their night together again or expressed any interest in doing anything else physical together.

After lunch, Gibsie confronts Claire about why she is upset. She hesitates, then tells him that she is going to agree to a date with Jamie. She can tell that it angers Gibsie, but he instead tells her to do whatever she wants. She angrily walks away from him and up to Jamie, telling him that she wants to go out with him.

Gibsie learns that Claire is going out with Jamie that night. Stressed and angry, Gibsie goes over to Johnny’s house. He repeatedly brings up the date, annoying Johnny.

Gibsie asks Johnny if being with Shannon was “different” for him than being with other girls. Johnny responds that it was, as his feelings for her were so strong that the physical part of it didn’t mean as much to him anymore. Gibsie admits that he thinks he feels that way about Claire, so Johnny tells him to “do something about it” (261).

Claire goes shopping with Lizzie, Shannon, and Johnny’s mom, Edel. Claire tries to back out of the date with Jamie, but Lizzie tells her that she needs to give him a chance.

In the car on the way home, Edel asks about their upcoming plans. Claire tells her that they are having a party the following Saturday for Hugh’s birthday. Edel tells her that they are having one for Sean that afternoon as well, as his birthday is on Halloween, too.

When Gibsie gets home, his mother is there alone. She tells him that Keith and Mark are out of town for a few days. She insists that she is there to support Gibsie, even if he is mad at her. Gibsie decides to tell her about Claire going out on her date. She responds that, if he wants to keep Claire, he has to tell her how he feels and mean it.

During the entire date, Claire thinks about Gibsie. When Jamie tries to kiss her during the movie, she avoids him by eating popcorn. Then, after the date, he unexpectedly kisses her in the car, causing her to pull away and say “ew.” She then runs inside her house and to her room.

Just after she gets home, Gibsie comes over. He asks her how her date went. She tries to pretend like it was okay, but he interrupts her to admit that he was “hurt” by her actions. She points out that he has kissed several girls over the years. He tells her that he “was afraid” or “never felt worthy of” her (278), but that he can’t change the things he did in his past.

On Friday, the day before Halloween, Gibsie and Johnny go back to his house after a run. They find Shannon with Aoife and AJ in the annex. When Joey comes in, Shannon tells him that their oldest brother, Darren, is in town to see the boys and took them to the cinema.

Although things turned out okay with Darren after their parents’ death, he and Joey never got along. Then, when Darren found out Aoife was pregnant, he tried to give her money for an abortion. Since then, Joey has avoided talking to him. He tells Aoife that he does not want Darren meeting AJ. Shannon protests, but Johnny and Gibsie agree with him.

On Halloween, Claire gets home from her first day of work. Her mother is in the kitchen talking with Gibsie’s mother. They mention not seeing him lately. He has not been to Claire’s house since the night of the date; he has been staying at Johnny’s.

Claire’s mother tells her that she got a letter from the school. They canceled the ski trip they normally do. Instead, they’re doing a Winter Ball. Claire is excited, already making plans with her mother.

Gibsie shows up at her house. He tells her to get her costume, as they’re going to Sean’s party, then to Hugh’s.

Claire and Gibsie ride in awkward silence for most of the trip to Johnny’s house. Gibsie breaks the silence when he asks if Claire is going on any more dates with Jamie. She tells him that she might, which prompts him to tell her that he is talking all around the school about how he plans to have sex with her. She responds that it’s nice someone wants to, causing Gibsie to get angry. She orders him to pull over the car. Despite the pouring rain, he complies.

Claire walks by the side of the road in the rain while Gibsie follows in his car. He begs her to get back in, but she refuses. Finally, he gets out too. She tells him that she’s not getting back in because she is mad. Gibsie apologizes, but she insists he doesn’t even know what he’s apologizing for. She confronts him, shoving him, and tells him that he has to tell her how he feels. Gibsie yells back that he can’t because he’s “afraid.”

Gibsie admits that he is afraid of hurting Claire, feeling like he isn’t good enough for her. She responds by telling him that he is wrong. Their argument escalates, with both of them yelling at each other in the rain. Claire tells him that he has never shown how he feels, while he is adamant that he has always told her he is in love with her, and that will never change. They then go from yelling to kissing, with “flair and need and desperation” (299). Finally, Gibsie pulls away, telling her that they have to get out of the rain.

Three hours later, Claire and Gibsie arrive at Johnny’s house. They apologize for missing Sean’s party. They spent the entire time kissing at Claire’s house. They get ready for the Halloween party, with all of the couples dressing as famous pairs. Claire and Gibsie are Sandy and Danny from Grease, while Joey and Aoife are the Joker and Harley Quinn.

Gibsie is unsure how to act around Claire at the party. He is torn between kissing her again and apologizing so that he doesn’t ruin their friendship. Through it all, Lizzie constantly glares at him, calling him a “traitor” at one point. Gibsie drinks several Halloween-themed shots.

The party is interrupted by commotion outside. Claire goes out and finds Hugh and Mark fighting in the driveway, as several people try to break it up. Mark charges at Hugh, causing Lizzie to fight Mark. Eventually, Johnny breaks up the fight as Sadhbh and Keith arrive and Pete and Sinead come out of the house.

Sadhbh apologizes to Sinead for sending Keith and Mark over to get Gibsie instead of just coming herself. Mark interjects, telling them that he wants to press charges against Hugh for attacking him. Sinead smooths things over. Claire notes how much her parents, especially her father, hate Keith; however, they have always tried to be close with Sadhbh after Gibsie’s father’s death.

As everyone goes home, Claire realizes that Gibsie is gone.

Gibsie sits alone at Biddies. He thinks of the “truth” that he needs to tell, which he has kept hidden for years, but he can’t find the words to do it. His thoughts are interrupted by someone dressed as Catwoman, who flirts with him. He realizes with surprise that it’s Dee. He immediately turns her down, walking away from her.

Hours later, Gibsie goes to Claire’s bed. He apologizes to her for running away, then kisses her. She tells him that she wants to have sex with him, but Gibsie tells her “not tonight” (318), then moves down her body, kissing her.