It ain't me. // Phillip "Lip" Gallagher// Shameless US

The beginning

Let's start here, at the beginning;
Hi, I'm Charlotte Cave, or Charleigh.
I'm currently 17 year of age and living on the south side of Chicago.
I know, I know exactly what you're thinking, "oh she must be some junkie, drunk, whore so on and so forth." But I'm none of those things.
It's hard to explain how I ended up here, over the course of the story, you will probably learn.

I'm currently living between the residence of the Gallaghers and their two door down neighbours, Vee and Kev. We're all one big family.

I first met the Gallaghers because, well, Kev, he is my uncle. Ian and I instantly clicked, he was my best friend. Debbie, the youngest daughter, she was like the little sister I never had, Carl and Liam the cute little brothers that always bugged you, but you loved them anyway, Fiona, much like a mother figure but in the for of an older sister type and then there was Lip, how I do begin to describe Phillip Gallagher?
Well, lip and I were great friends, until one day, we just weren't. He started fucking Karen Johnson when I started dating my now ex boyfriend Lucas.

Lucas was a piece of work, now he, also being from the Southside was everything you know about the Southside, I thought I could change him but I know now, no one will every change him.

Lip and I used to do everything together, but now we barely say proper words and we do, they're not nice words. More like fuck you and Fuck off and occasionally, a good name calling session.

As I walked from Kev's and Vee's place down to meet Ian, I quickly ran my hands through my long blonde hair, it was a nice ashy colour at the moment.

I double checked I had my backpack and my phone, important school necessities. I also had this weeks bottle of pills. Okay, I know what you're thinking... "you said you're not a junkie!" And I'm not. See my dearest father, uncle kev's brother, works in pharmaceuticals so he pays me off in two pills bottles a week... one for my own anxiety and the other to sell and make my weekly allowance of around $300, this allowed me to give $100 to Fiona, $100 to Kev and Vee, then $100 to last the week for my own needs, food, clothes, etc.

As I walk up the front steps into the Gallaghers house, there's a man sitting on the couch who smiles at me.

"Hey Char!" Fiona yells from the kitchen, "this is Steve!"

"Hey!" I smile politely as I chuck down my backpack and grab the money I said I'd pay Fiona this week.

"Here Fi, there's an extra $50 so you can grab some food and beer for our family night tonight." I smile, "as well as the $100 I owed you."

"Char, I really don't need that." She smiles at me,

"You know I don't need it, fi, you're my family, take it, put it wherever, for you."

"C'mere, you shithead." She says, pulling me into a hug and kissing my temple. "I love you."

"I know." I say, stealing a piece of her toast, "I love you too." I say, heading upstairs to find Ian.

As I reach the top of the stairs, I push open the door to Ian's, Lip's and Carl's room.

"Hey baby." Carl smirks, winking at me as he puts his shirt on,

"You wish Carl." I laugh as he walks downstairs and blows me a kiss.

"Cmon!" I say, kicking Ian's bed. He was in the year below me and Lip but I always woke him every morning and made sure he went to at least some of his classes. "Ian, you're gonna be late... again. I need to hand in my assignments today."

"I'm up!" He says, laughing, swinging at of bed quickly, "I'll be ready in five."

"Who knew the skank who doesn't have a home wants an education."

"Oh, what was that? Are you talking about Karen again?" I smile and batt my eyes at him.

"At least Karen has a home." He says, sitting up on his bed, before jumping down and chucking on a shirt.

"I have two homes," I say, "sorry for wanting to get an education and actually get out of this hellhole, unlike you who will probably be here forever."

He laughs, "right, fuck you." He says,

"Oh you wish, phillip." I say walking downstairs and winking at him.

This was usually how our conversations went but it's funny, before all the shit with Karen and Lucas, we were so close even Fiona and Vee thought something was going on.

...

As Ian, Lip and I walk through the front gate to get into school, Karen screeches past.

"Baaaaaby." She yells as she hugs Lip, you can tell how uncomfortable and awkward about it is.

See the Gallaghers and I were never shown love or affection like that. So we hated public affection.

"Good morning Ian and Char." She says, pretending to be all angeletic.

"What's so good about it?" I say as Ian laughs and pulls me away from the both of them.

He knew exactly how much Karen made my blood boil and he knew exactly how many feelings I used to have for Lip before he moved to Karen, the neighbour slut. No word of a lie, she's the skankiest girl on the Southside, she gets Lip to 'tutor' her but gives him blow jobs under the dining room table and gives blow jobs to just about anyone who asked for one. She once told me she was addicted to sex. Typical girl for Lip.

"Go hand in your assignments." Ian says as he puts his stuff in his locker, "what time you finish today?"

"Midday." I say, as I rest my head on the locker door.

"I'll see you at home then, I'm 1:15. I promised Fiona I'd get all the shit for tonight."

"See you there, lil berry." I smile at him.

"Oh wow, Charlotte." He smiles, "you haven't said that in years now. See ya, Miss Peachy."

These were dumb nicknames we gave each other when we were literally 6 years old.

I handed in my assignments and headed to my first class. Chemistry. Great, he would be there.