GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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Game Over
chapter fifteen

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                    "NICE ROOM." Phoebe's eyes lifted from the array of college brochures spread across her bed. Standing at her dresser was Alan Dominguez. He wore a denim jacket over his white t shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. An earring dangled from his left ear. She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Sure," she replied with a slight laugh. He picked up the glassless frame with furrowed brows. The picture was a class picture. He could easily spot Phoebe amidst the group, sitting between two girls he didn't recognize. She was probably ten in this picture. She had braces and her hair was pulled into pigtails. She looked cute. "No, I'm serious," he told her, looking over his shoulder to find her reading the entirety of a brochure to Northeastern Illinois University.

          She tossed the brochure to the side and picked up the next. "Are you planning on staying in Chicago?" Alan asked as he moved closer to the bed. She had a suitcase sitting on the wall close to her closet. Beside it was a standing lamp the color of slate rock. It's shade was in the shape of a geometric sphere. "I don't know," she admitted. She glanced up from the paper before returning to her reading. There was only six reasons to stay, those reasons being each of the Gallaghers. She didn't really have anyone else to stay for. She was almost positive that once she graduated high school, her parents would finally leave Chicago and go their separate ways. They'd escaped the hold Phoebe supposedly had on them.

          "Get out of here," Alan sighed as he plopped down onto her bed. He kicked his shoes off one by one and stretched his arms behind his head. Phoebe laughed at his attempt of getting comfortable. "Go somewhere you want to go. Hell, leave the country." Her hands fell into her lap and she peered over toward the older boy. A soft, minuscule smile found her lips. "Go to a beach, a wooded forest. Swim with the dolphins, go bungee jumping, become a survivalist." His hand inched forward, softly taking the stray strand of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail between his fingers. The seriousness on his face was enough to make her snort. "With what money?" she asked, seriously. "Once I'm out of the house, my parents are dipping. That means no money, no home, nothing."

          He tucked the hair behind her ear with a heavy sigh. "I'll go with you," he suggested. "For financial support. I've got a little something saved up." Her smiled broadened. She laughed to herself, hiding her face from his sharp eyes. Her hand came to cover her lips, a sheepish blush cradling her skin. "Don't you think you're moving too fast?" she inquired with a joking tone. They had only met recently, though they could say they've known each other from school. He shrugged his shoulders. "You've got, what? Another year? So, no. I don't." She scoffed at his confidence. In one swift moment, she slid over to face him fully. "What makes you think we'll still be talking in a year?" she asked him curiously.

          "Call it a hunch," he hummed, eyes fluttering closed as a confident smirk rested on his lips. She couldn't believe her ears. He was so arrogant. She kicked his side slightly, shaking her head. "No, no. You gotta go," she teased. When he didn't budge, she pushed at his side with her hands. He began moving gradually, until he caught her wrist. A shrill squeal left her mouth as he pulled her onto him, their chests colliding. His laugh was like wind chimes on a spring evening during rainfall. It just sounded like it made sense. His arms wrapped tight around her, trapping her there. She gasped aloud, her hands pressed to his abdomen. "This isn't fair," she grunted out, her fingers pinching at his stomach. "You're stronger than me!"