HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

03 | things change

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AMARA NEVER KNOCKED, BUT as she stood on the back deck of the Gallagher's house, the urge to do so was stronger than ever. It was weird going there, now. Lip had always been the one who made her feel the most comfortable, and after years of spending the night and practically living there, she finally relaxed. But now that barrier was up again. Lip dumped her, and the one thing she'd been clinging to for some sort of safety net was no longer there.

She hesitated, still, but then finally decided against it. She could hear Lip's voice from inside, and Fiona demanding for him to go back to school. Amara decided the Gallagher's had enough on their plates with the entire eviction thing, and she turned on her heel to walk back down the stairs.

"They didn't have anything?" Silvia asked, still crouched over Margot, who was coughing up blood into a bucket.

"Uh, no."

"Don't get why we can't just call an ambulance," Gloria stated, crossing her arms. "It'll get her off our hands and out of our hair, wouldn't it?"

"She's still Via's legal guardian," Amara explained, going to grab a wet rag. "The cops will ask questions and the next thing we know, DCFS is here to take Silvia away for child neglect or something."

"But I'm here now," Gloria reminded her. "And you're an adult."

"Yeah, I know," Amara replied, wincing as Margot resumed coughing. "But the system is fucked up, so it's better if we just keep it on the down low."

"What did you have?" Silvia asked. Margot just shook her head, Amara rolled her eyes. "Mom tell us-"

"Don't call her that, she doesn't deserve the title," Amara said sharply, glaring at the woman on the floor.

Margot reached to grab her wrist to stop her from standing up. "I'm going to stop," her voice was raspy, and the fierceness in her eyes almost made Amara believe her, but she yanked her arm out of her grasp. "Amara- I will, I'll- I'll get better. You don't deserve to have to-"

She leaned over the bucket again, coughing harder, before she wheezed and laid back onto the floor. Amara inwardly sighed as Silvia got her something to drink. "Here."

"My beautiful daughter," she stroked the hair out of Silvia's eyes. "Thank you."

Amara huffed and turned on her heel to go upstairs. "For fucks sake."

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When Amara came home from work the next day, she was surprised to see everything from next door out on the curb. She quickly got out of the car, confusion written on her features as she looked around at all of the Gallagher's items, tossed aside like they were trash. Fiona came down the front steps with a box, noticing her almost instantly.

"Sheriffs came. Bank wants us out."

"So they just... dragged everything outside?"

Fiona sighed, and put the box she was carrying onto the sidewalk. "Pretty much. Why're you dressed like that?"

Amara glanced down at the green uniform she was wearing, it fit her loosely. "Don't like the scrubs look?"

"Didn't take you for a doctor."

"Job requirement," Amara shrugged. "Apparently it makes people think that their food is safer or cleaner or something if I'm wearing polyester." She ran a hand through her hair. "Let me get changed and I'll help you pack? You can keep some stuff at my place."

Fiona shot her a smile. "Yeah, thanks. Hey," she called once Amara had gotten a few steps away. "Margot okay? Silvia came by earlier... Said she was coughing up blood?"