GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER TWELVE

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Game Over
chapter twelve

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                    SHE STOOD IN FRONT OF HER MIRROR, HEAD TILTED, STARING AT HER REFLECTION. Because of her parents, she was dressed in a turtleneck top and a beige skirt, wearing pantyhose underneath. She was forced into a pair of heeled boots, but she didn't mind. She was so high out of her mind that she could hardly tell the difference between them and standing flat foot. "Phoebe! We're going to be late!" her father boomed from downstairs. She could hear he and her mother speaking through the house, along with the clacking of her mother's heels. Sadly, Phoebe grabbed a bag from her closet and placed her necessities inside it: her phone, lipgloss, money, her left over blunt, and a few snickers bars. After making sure she had everything, she brushed her fingers through her straight hair and left her room.

          Not once did her parents question her lethargic movements, or the way she'd smile out of nowhere as they drove toward the school. They didn't notice the way her eyes hardly stayed open when they'd pass streetlights, or what would happen when they'd whisper in the front seat. She sat back and made faces toward the back of her parents' heads. Once they reached the school and her father had parked his car, the Lim family began making their way toward the school. Tons of families were late. It was the norm for their school. It housed many delinquents, many family hating kids. Phoebe wished her parents wouldn't come to these things, despite being extremely proud for herself with how well she did in school.

          Her hands rested in her jacket pockets and as they climbed the stairs, she noticed the Gallagher family at the door. A smile crossed her lips as she saw them. She pushed past her father and hopped the stairs to approach Fiona, Debbie, and Carl. "Hey!" she greeted them, immediately wrapping her arms around Fiona's neck with a childish giggle. Fiona looked surprised at her actions, but hugged her nonetheless. "Hey, Pheebs," she replied. Phoebe rested her head against Fiona's and sighed contentedly. Her face was freezing against Fiona's. "Woah," Lip muttered as he climbed up to them. "Can I get in on the love?" he asked teasingly.

          "Phoebe Lim." Her head turned toward the sound of her name and spotted both her mother and father staring at her in shock. They'd never seen her express an emotion that wasn't anger or annoyance. She sighed heavily. "Okay," she uttered. Slowly, she unwrapped herself from Fiona and smiled over at them forcibly. "That's my parents. Patrick and Millie." Fiona quickly turned to Phoebe's parents and smiled nervously. "Hi, there. I'm Fiona Gallagher." She shook Patrick's hand, but Millie refused to touch her. Instead, she gripped her husband's elbow and forced a polite smile. "You're daughter is one of the sweetest people I know. You raised her well."

          You raised her well. Phoebe felt her body grow warm. A sick feeling settled in her stomach. They never raised her. Her father was never around and her mother was never a real mother. She never cut Phoebe's hair and kept it safe for memories. She never taught her how to cook eggs or bake a cake. She never kissed her booboos when she was hurt. Phoebe couldn't control the tears that blurred her vision. She looked up to Lip with a frown. Immediately, he grew concerned for his best friend. He wanted to reach out to her, take her hand, and lead her away from the disaster that was waiting to happen. But as he felt her father's heated glare, he knew that it would be better to let it be.

          "We gotta go," she sighed, clearing her throat. "I'll see you guys later." She patted Carl's head with a sad smile. Lip watched as she turned back to her parents and lead them into the school building, leaving her real parents behind. "Assholes," he muttered under his breath. Now he understood a bit why she wanted to live with them. "They're pretty uptight," Fiona commented with a scoff. "But I guess you can be when you got money." Lip shook his head disappointedly. "Nah," he huffed. "Money doesn't give you privileges. It just makes them trash."