Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

blacked out

"I don't have enough room for all my stuff." Xan huffs as Lip is trying to stuff her small backpack. "Here." I say, quickly walking over to my room and coming back with a duffel, "Use this too." I toss it to Lip. Xan is going to live with one of her relatives. I'm glad Lip agreed with the social worker. I bought her a phone so she can stay in touch, especially with Lip. "You want magazines?" Lip frantically walks around his room looking for her belongings. "Lip, she's fine." I chuckle, "Seriously, I'm okay." Xan adds and Lip nods, "Just in case." He holds up a magazine and shoves it in her duffel. "Pillow." Lip says, holding up his pillow, "That's yours." Xan furrows her eyebrows, "Yeah, but you love it." Lip says and she shrugs, "Okay." She says, taking it gently and shoving it under her arm.

"You hungry?" Lip asks as he follows Xan and I downstairs, "We just had breakfast." Xan groans, "Sandwich for the road?" Lip is so nervous, poor kid. "No thanks." Xan says, sitting down on the couch. "Uh," Lip sniffles before crouching down in front of Xan, "I'll come visit you as soon as you get settled, okay?" "Okay." "I'm really sorry you have to leave but I do think it's the best thing for you right now." Lip explains, "Yup." Xan says, she's upset, she told me last night she didn't want to leave but she understands; Lip is having a baby and she just can't stay. I told her not to feel like she's being booted out because I'm not too sure I can stay either.

The knock on the door almost drains my blood from my veins, I didn't want Xan to leave either. I liked having a little friend around now that all my old little friends were grown up. I missed having a preteen around, Liam is an adult in a preteen body and is on a cultural journey which means he's not the same Liam that left this house a couple days ago. I understand his reasoning too but I just miss having little friends around, it's been lonely now that everyone is growing up.

"How's everybody?" Peter, the social worker, asks. "Good." Lip nods. "Xan, you okay?" He asks, "Yeah." She says in a monotone. "Good, you ready to go?" He asks and she nods, standing up. "You got your phone, right?" Lip asks, picking up her duffel bag for her. "Yeah." "Charged?" He bombards her with questions, "Yes." She's slightly annoyed. "Okay." He nods and Xan hugs him. "Call me when you get there." Lip says and he holds her close to him. "I will." She says, pulling away and hugging me next. "Text me anytime you need anything or just need to talk, okay?" I say and she nods, still hugging me. "I hope you do okay when the baby comes." Xan says to me as she pulls away gently. "I'll be fine." I force a soft smile; no I won't. "I made you guys something." She says, digging in her pocket, pulling out two bracelets. "The green one is for Sadie and the purple one is for Lip." She says, handing each of us our bracelets. I immediately slip mine on, "Thank you." I admire it, "You know I can't wear this or I'll get beat up." Lip teases as he waves his pink and purple bracelet around. "Well, the pink that wraps around the other color is me, so we're always together." Xan explains and my heart shatters, why does my girl gotta go. "Xan, thank you." I hugged her once more. "I love you." She says before leaving with Peter.

Lip stares out the window as she gets into the backseat of Peter's car and officially drives away. Lip grows angry once the car is finally out of sight and he storms upstairs. "Lip, what the fuck?" I ask, following him. "Fiona didn't get her shit out so I'm helping her." He says, shoving everything she owns into garbage bags and tossing them out the boys' bedroom window. "I'll see you later, I gotta get to work." I pushes past me, angrily. "Be careful." I call out and he ignores me. I throw my head back in annoyance as I walk down to the kitchen. "Hi Fran, hey Debs." I greet the girls sitting at the table, "What's Lip's deal?" "Xan, Fi, Jason." I explain, grabbing a piece of toast. "Awesome." "You think we can get a pool again?" I ask Debs, "With our current water bill, fuck no." "Debs, I'll pay for the whole thing, it's too hot this year to not have one." "Community pool." "A boiling pot of STDs." I almost gag. "We don't need a pool, Sade and I'm not letting you pay bills in full, it's not fair we always look to you to fix shit." Debbie says and I sigh, "I'll be doing work upstairs." I announce and drag myself upstairs. The fans are not cutting it this year especially because Debbie only lets us have them on for an hour a day. She's really on a roll lately.