HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

03 | you look like a raccoon

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"DECLINED?" LIP REPEATED, AMARA glanced up from Freddie, who was in his stroller fiddling with a stuffed animal, and felt her brows furrow together. "No, I just activated that. Could you just run it again?"

"Still no good," the cashier told him when the machine buzzed once more.

"Uh," Lip glanced back to her, but she'd already started to pull out cash. "Here, sorry for that. Have a nice day."

"The fuck was that?" Amara asked once they stepped out of the store, holding the box of diapers they'd just bought. "Don't tell me you spent it all already."

"Gotta be Debbie's fault," Lip shook his head and flipped out his phone. "So we're gonna call her, yes we are. Hi, Aunt Debbie," his tone was flat now as they both stopped walking. "It's Lip and Fred calling. And we were just wondering if you happened to use my real fucking Social Security and place of employment when you put me on the bank account for my debit card?"

Amara bit her lip and grabbed Freddie out from the stroller once he started to whine. "Come here," she murmured, moving to bounce him onto her hip.

Lip watched as she sat down on a bench with him but didn't take the device away from his ear. "'Cause I got Sallie Mae calling, and my paycheck got garnished, and this is exactly what I want to be dealing with with a newborn baby. So I'm feeling a little bit like I might stab you in the fuckin' eye. Call me back."

Amara couldn't help the snicker that came from her mouth. "Don't give me that look."

"I'm not giving you any look," he argued, helping her settle Freddie back into the stroller.

"Are too."

"Aren't."

"Shut up asshole," she nudged him out of the way. "Let's go get Burger King I'm fucking starving."

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"Hey, what're you doing?" A voice asked from behind, Amara straightened and turned around to see Veronica standing at the doorway with Liam, who nodded his head in acknowledgement and moved to go up the stairs.

"Baking," she answered, closing the oven door.

"It's one am."

"Stress baking," Amara corrected, leaning against the counter with an exhale. "Lip fell asleep with Freddie but not me. Feels like it's been years since I've actually got shut-eye and when I actually get the chance to I can't. It's bullshit," she scoffed. "What're you doing up?"

"We just got back from the game," Veronica explained. "Kev said I should go to make some friends. Maybe he's right... I dunno. No one can replace Fiona, you know?"

"Oh, yeah," Amara sighed and nodded. "I know." Mandy, Payton, Ian, James. She definitely understood. Not to mention Fiona herself, it actually hurt to think about how much she missed her.

"It feels weird coming over here now," Veronica admitted. "It's like I have no reason to anymore. I still have to catch myself from walking in to see Fiona, then I remember she's not here."

"It's weird living here," Amara shrugged. "I mean, don't get me wrong, when we were younger really the only reason I stayed was because Lip made me so I didn't have to go back home. But Fiona was the one who really took me under her wing. I miss her, but I'm glad she's gone. She deserved better than this place."

Veronica managed a small smile. "Yeah. You're right. She did. Get some sleep, Mara. You look like a raccoon."

"Thanks," she shot back dryly.

☆

"God, why is he crying now?" Lip groaned, parallel parking next to the curb outside of the house. Amara unbuckled her belt and turned in her seat. "Did he throw up or something?"

"Oh my God," she removed her gaze from Freddie to glare at Lip. "You missed a buckle on his car seat."

Lip threw the door open and frantically rushed to the back. "Fuck, is he okay?!"

"Is that music?" She asked, climbing out of the vehicle and staring at the building in front of them. "You planning an early surprise birthday for me or something?"

Lip came around the car with Freddie still in his carrier, brows furrowed. "Definitely not."

She held out her hand and waited for him to take it before the two of them began to head in. When they stepped inside, Amara was surprised to see a bunch of strangers partying throughout the entire area—jumping on the couch, dancing in the corners—she could even hear the sound of distant moaning coming from upstairs, and she couldn't help but grimace.

"Jesus Christ."

"Excuse us," Lip demanded impatiently, shoving past the crowd, his grip on her fingers tightening as they made their way into the kitchen. "A fucking house party, Frank? What grade are you in?"

"Grade A!" Mikey responded. "Frank's the best grade."

Amara's brows quirked. He and Frank were slow dancing in a tight embrace. "This feels exactly like the prom I crashed when I was thirteen."

Lip shook his head and tugged on her sleeve. "Christ. Come on. We're not staying here, let's go to your apartment."

"All of Freddie's stuff is upstairs," she told him, glancing up the steps. "I'll meet you back in the car, okay?"

"No, no way," he handed Freddie off to her. "I'm not having you venture off here with all of these creeps. You go out to the car and I'll grab everything."

"Fine," Amara breathed out after he leaned down to kiss her briefly. "But make it fast, he's getting fussy."

"Finally, a sober person," Liam said, coming out of a small car with some random guy Amara had never met before. "See? It's not that bad. She's staying here with a baby."

"Actually, we're going to my apartment," she said, shifting the carrier into her other hand. "Who's this?"

"MaVar," the new man introduced, reaching out to shake her free arm. "Pleasure to meet you."

"You too," she smiled politely at him. "And yes, Liam. It's that bad. I walked past the bathroom and I'm pretty sure there was an orgy going on in there."

Liam winced. "Gross."

"Mind if he spends the night at my place?"

Amara scanned Mavar. Liam stared up at her as if silently pleading her to say yes. In addition to this, he whispered: "Veronica liked him. He's the one who took us to the game."

"Fine," she sighed. "Only because there's no more room at my apartment. Have fun."

"Yeah," Liam eyed the now crying Freddie. "You too."

She snorted humorlessly. "Oh, trust me I won't."

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