GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER NINETEEN

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Game Over
chapter nineteen

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                    "YOU'RE HOGGING." Lip glanced toward a tired Phoebe, her eyes half opened as she made grabby hands toward the bag of Frosted Flakes he was currently devouring. A grin plastered on his face despite the chaos running amuck in the kitchen. Monica looped around the space like a chicken with its head cut off and Lip would be a liar if he said that he wasn't enjoying it. He handed the brunette the cereal bag before pointing toward his younger brother. "Monica, Carl needs something from you," he stated, his tone much too chipper. He leaned against the counter as his mother turned toward the boy frantically. "Here." A paper was passed to the frenzied blonde.

          "What? What's this?" she asked. Lip ruffled Phoebe's hair before crossing the kitchen. "Permission slip," he deadpanned. She placed the paper against the cutting board, using a purple washable marker to sign her name. "Oh, you're going to the aquarium. When?" Debbie moved through the kitchen, searching for something. Roberta sat at the table with Liam in her lap. Phoebe couldn't stop herself from glaring over at the woman. "Today," Carl answered. "I need ten dollars." Roberta's head snapped up immediately. "What for?" she asked, eyes narrowed. Carl barely spared her a glance. "Admission fee."

          "School doesn't pay for that?" Lip scoffed. It was pretty obvious no one really wanted Roberta there. Her presence was like a shadow in the middle of the night; terrifying and annoying. "No. And he'll need money for food, too," he explained, glancing over toward their mother. Roberta looked to Lip with an annoyed expression before turning to Monica, who looked through the kitchen as if she was trying to memorize it. "Grab him an instant oatmeal and a poptart," she instructed her girlfriend. "Makes a great lunch." Phoebe rolled her eyes dramatically. "They didn't ask you," she muttered, popping pieces of cereal into her mouth. "They asked Monica." Her eyes almost instantly met Roberta's and a chill traveled down her back.

          The Gallagher family fell quiet, each looking a bit too smug. Phoebe felt her cheeks warm up once she realized how loud she had been. "You don't even live her," she snapped, glaring over at the younger girl. Phoebe's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Neither do you," Lip fired back instantly. "Deb, what are you doing?" Monica asked, quickly changing the subject before the situation could escalate. Phoebe closed the cereal bag and rolled it up with a pout. "I'm looking for a poster board and markers. I'm running for re-election." Lip walked back over to his best friend with two cups full of coffee. Phoebe's was a medium brown, just how she liked it, not too sweet and not too strong. "Oh, you need help? I have some awesome ideas."

Lip laughed aloud, almost teasingly. "Awesome? Is that why you never won?" She elbowed his stomach just hard enough to get a reaction, a tight lipped smile present on her features. After casting him a sideways glance, she took a sip from her coffee. "Ian, could you help her?" Monica asked the red head who sat quietly at the bar. "If you would tell me these things before it'd be a little better in the morning." Her tone was condescending, a tone a runaway mother didn't have the privilege of using. Just hearing it made Phoebe want to throw the hot beverage into her face. She'd get Roberta too if Liam hadn't have been sitting in her lap. Ian placed his cup on the counter and reluctantly followed Debbie out of the room.

As if he hadn't caused enough havoc this morning, Lip decided to speak up once more. "I need forty bucks." Roberta was quick to blurt out a 'no', causing Lip to smirk. Monica grimaced. "Bob, do you have a five?" she asked. The other woman looked to her girlfriend in shock. "In my wallet, where it's going to stay," she retorted. Phoebe looked over the edge of her cup at Lip, a hint of a smile hidden in her eyes. Lip sighed. "Look, I need a new calculus textbook. I can get it used, only cost twenty." Roberta's glare sharpened as she looked to Phoebe. "Share hers." Phoebe gave the woman a sarcastic smile, tilting her head to the side. "Ha, sure. Too bad I'm not in calc."