GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER TEN

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Game Over
chapter ten

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                    PHOEBE HELD OUT A JELLYBEAN FOR KAREN TO TAKE WITH A SMILE. The two girls sat at her dining room table with open books, though the brunette wasn't paying too much attention to her Geometry book. Instead, she watched as Sheila mapped out a wedding dress for Veronica. "You don't have to go crazy, Sheila, but as close to Vera Wang as you can," Veronica assured the older woman with a slight bored tone. She had been acting strange for a day or so, though Phoebe would never question it. It was none of her business, or else she would know. She popped a pink jellybean into her mouth as she watched the show in front of her.

          "You are going to make a beautiful bride," Sheila gushed in awe. She definitely wasn't used to having so many people in the house, but she was holding it together well. It was obvious Karen was very proud of her mom, with the way she'd smile whenever Sheila would talk freely amongst them. Veronica smiled down at Shiela with an astounded expression. "Oh, Sheila. You're making me feel like Cinderella." Phoebe almost cooed at the interaction. Ever since the news broke, and after her night in with Lip, Phoebe had been feeling sentimental. Everything was making her emotional.

          "Screw Cinderella," Karen suddenly chimed in. "Little doe-eyed bitch. Probably one of the worst role models for little girls." Phoebe shook her head over at her blonde friend. "That's where you are wrong. If anyone is a bad role model, it's Aurora." The others looked to her in confusion. "Sleeping Beauty," she clarified. "In the original story, she was raped by a king and woke up when the baby she had been forcibly impregnated with was breastfeeding. And she still married the king." Karen grimaced at the dark story, to which Fiona coughed. Debbie sat in one of the chairs with a frown. "Okay, then second worst," Karen stated matter-of-factly.

          To lighten the conversation, Shiela stated, "I think Cinderella was a feminist." She smiled proudly as she fixed every flaw she noticed in the fabric with new pins. Karen scoffed. "The whole idea of marriage is a useless vestige of an archaic civilization." Phoebe looked over at her friend, utterly impressed with her wording. She knew Karen was smart, she had figured that out quickly, but it never seemed to surprise her just how smart she was. Debbie, however, looked unimpressed. Rather she looked annoyed. "How would you know?" she asked with sass, glaring over at the blonde in irritation. Karen lazily looked to Debbie with a half assed smile. "I watched one unravel."

          It looked like Debbie was ready to pick a fight, however Phoebe wasn't really in the mood. "You can't possibly think that every marriage is a sham," she huffed. "What about Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher?" Karen shook her head. She pointed her pencil toward the girl, "Eddie cheated on Deb with Elizabeth Taylor." Phoebe scrambled to come up with another iconic couple after Karen had suddenly popped her bubble. Way to go, Eddie. "Okay, what about Elvis and Priscilla?" Once again, Karen shook her head. Phoebe gulped. "Elvis was a groomer, Pheebs. Priscilla was fourteen when they started dating." Phoebe didn't want to give up. There had to be someone out there who could prove that love wasn't some sick illusion.

          "What about Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal," Shiela suggested. "They were in love, were separated, and then found their way back to one another." Triumphantly, Phoebe tossed a jellybean into her mouth before grinning over to her blonde friend. She wasn't sure why she cared so much. Perhaps it was to prove that her parents were just not meant to be instead of throwing the name of love into the trash. "Whatever. Regardless, in old times marriage was nothing more than a legal exchange of women for property." Fiona snorted. Karen was not letting up. "Maybe you're being a little pessimistic," Fiona suggested.