GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER ELEVEN

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Game Over
chapter eleven

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THIS COULD VERY EASILY BE HER FAVORITE PICTURE SHE HAD EVER TAKEN. Seated right next to the happy couple sat Phoebe in a red dress, and the rest of the Gallaghers (minus Lip). The photo taken in the Alibi at the Ball's wedding sat in a picture frame on her nightstand. The days after were as eventful as they could be. She had drank more than she could stomach and ended up passing out in the kitchen where Lip stayed with her until she could come to. She ate a package of stale oatmeal cookies for breakfast one day and puked all the way to school. She had even racked up another point in their little game after spending some alone time with Elisa Martin, the school's head cheerleader and possibly one of the prettiest girls Phoebe had ever laid eyes on.

But everyone knows that good things must come to an end some time. A hesitant knock came from her doorway where the door stood open just enough to allow Phoebe to see who was there. Millie Lim stood outside the door, dressed her best, her dark hair pinned back with a hair clip. She even wore makeup that wasn't smudged under her eyes like she had slept in it the previous nights. "What?" Phoebe asked the woman standing there, setting the picture back down on the wooden surface of her nightstand. She was already dressed for school, however she had to wait a bit longer for her cellphone to charge.

          Millie twisted the ring sitting on her left hand nervously. Her eyes avoided those of her daughter. "Tonight is parents' night," she stated. She hated bringing up the dreaded time where she'd have to sit with Phoebe's teachers and listen to everything the girl had done. There was never anything bad, usually, except for the occasional skips. She never got in trouble for speaking out of turn or for bad grades. The Lims never thought it to be a good idea to go, however they did to keep up appearances. "So?" Phoebe pushed, blinking over at her mother.

"You father is flying in today to attend." Phoebe's eyebrows rose for a moment. She was astounded he'd leave a business trip for something so small. She hardly would believe it if he even showed up to her graduation. "Wow," she breathed out. "So he can take that woman's tit out of his mouth long enough to show some support for his child?" Her last sentence wasn't meant to be heard. She actually hadn't even meant to speak it aloud. After their last quarrel, she had been seething with anger and resentment toward her father. He always wanted to seem better, more attractive, more approachable, more everything. But he wasn't more anything. He was a jerk who basically abandons his family for sex.

The mere mention of her father's extracurricular activities was enough to have Millie's composure crumbling. She did know about his indiscretions. She knew about every woman he slept with and paid off to keep it hush, and she knew of ever transaction she made in every place he traveled. Because she wasn't dumb. She knew that the love they had before their lives changed forever was gone, like a flame once it reached the end of a candle wick. There was no redemption, but she wasn't ready to give up. He gave her a pleasant life. He bought her things, treated her nicely when face to face. He pretended, letting her live in her own fairytale. Too bad their daughter didn't get the memo. "Do not talk about your father that way," Millie sneered.

"He's the reason you have this life. He's the reason you can call that boy whenever you want without worrying about a phone bill." Phoebe scoffed. She didn't give a fuck about her phone. If she could, she'd throw it right back in his face. It wasn't like she couldn't walk wherever she needed to meet up with anyone. The only person she truly texted was Karen. "I didn't ask for this life!" she replied. Her voice rose in aggression. She stood from her place on her bed with a look of disbelief. "I never asked for a phone. I never asked to be born!" Her hands tightened into fists at her sides. Millie stood there silently. Her lips formed a tight line and every muscle in her face was tense.