Gold Dust Woman- Lip Gallagher

dna tests

"Look, I need a new calculus textbook. I can get it used. Only costs 20."

I sighed and pulled out a twenty from my wallet, handing it to Lip, "Here."

"Thanks," he smiled.

"Where are our lunches?" Ian said.

Monica looked stunned as the rest of the children looked at their mother.

"What is everybody looking at?" Bob said, "Start spreading peanut butter on bread!"

"You're one to talk," I said to her, "We've been running around all morning, and you've been sitting on your ass."

"Watch it, girl," she said, "Last time I checked, this isn't your family."

"Not really your family either, so," I said sassily.

It took Monica a bit, but she made half-assed lunches and gave them to the kids.

"We won't be here when you get home from school," Bob said.

"Why?" Debbie said.

"What?"

"Fiona always tells us why."

"None of your damn business why!" 

"Bob!"

"Your mother said go, so go!"

Ian and I took Debbie and Carl outside while Lip stayed behind. As we walked to the end of the street, Lip came outside, Monica calling after him and trying to talk to him. I could see the pain in his eyes. He wanted to trust and forgive her, but he just couldn't. 

______________________________________________________

Lip and I walked outside where Ian Mandy and Diana were. 

"Mandy," Lip said, "That's a nice outfit. What is that, uh, pirate wench?"

"You like?"

Lip chuckled and looked to Ian, "What's your third period?"

"Health. Same as Mayo. Why?"

"We need to miss some school."

___________________________________________________________

We were in a random person's car, and Lip was driving. Mandy and Diana both had English, so they couldn't come with. 

"Where'd you get the car?" Ian said.

"Borrowed it from Steve," Lip said, "I've been working with him a little bit."

"Doing what?" Ian asked, not gaining a response from Lip, "You're better not let Fiona find out about it, or she'll kill you."

"And him," I added.

"You doing ok?" Lip asked.

"Lot going on."

"Yeah, it's weird having Monica back."

"Yeah, that too."

"What, something else?" I said.

"It's a lot to explain."

"Try me," Lip said.

Ian took a deep breath, "Mickey's gay, and we're doing it. And Kash shot Mickey because of me, and Mickey would rather go to juvie than admit he's gay. So, I'm doing both Kash and Mickey. Well, not so much Kash lately. When Kash and I were hot and heavy, Linda found out about it and is blackmailing Kash into having another kid."

My eyes widened, "Did not see that one coming."

"Yeah."

Monica and Bob went out the door with Liam, so we followed Bob's truck. We ended up at the DNA clinic and waited until they came back out, and when they did, Bob was pissed. She was screaming and cursing up a storm. The three of us went inside and found the lady at the receptionist's desk.

"The two women who just left must not have been happy with the news they got," Lip said to her.

"Yeah, happens," she said, "Had a guy last month hang himself from a pipe in the men's room. So, can I help you?"

"Yeah, I think maybe you can."

The boys decided to take DNA tests on the off chance that they weren't Frank's, and we were going to open the results later. 

All I could think was, how was Liam Frank's? I mean, he was black, Frank and Monica were white, and all the other kids were white. It doesn't make sense. 

We went back to the Gallagher's and in the boys' room.

"It says here all we have to do is swab our cheeks and send it back in," Lip said. 

"Yeah, and pay them 150 bucks each."

"On the off-chance, we're not Frank's? It's totally worth it," Lip said, swabbing his and Ian's cheek, "It's pretty cool. We could learn a lot from ourselves from these."

 "Like if we got the alcoholic gene from Frank."

"Or the dummy gene from Monica."

"Or if any of you are gonna turn out to be gay," I said, laughing.

"Good one," Lip smiled, high-fiving me.