Gold Dust Woman- Lip Gallagher

steve's back

"Bingo!" I said, "I'm not talking to him either. I don't deserve to be treated like shit."

She sighed and rubbed my shoulder, "Look, I know this sucks, but I want you guys to work this out."

"Fiona, you don't understand-

"Look, I'm sorry, but I don't have the time to worry about this right now," she said, "I need you guys to work this out before school starts."

I sighed, "We'll see."

__________________________________________________________________

I visited Ian while he was working and helped with stacking.

After helping out a customer, Lip walked in, and I did what I usually did whenever I was over. Not acknowledge his existence. Lip grabbed a beer and put it on the counter.

"Grammy's back," Lip said, "Just showed up in an ambulance. You know, she didn't even call."

Ian just put it in the register to give Lip his amount while he kept talking, neither of us saying anything.

"That's it? Nothing? From either of you?"

Ian just looked him dead in the eye. Lip then proceeded to throw random fruits and vegetables. I was about to do something before Ian put his arm out in front of me. By the end of it, there was a tomato on the window and a smashed watermelon on the ground.

__________________________________________________________

After his shift, we cleaned up, and we went back to the Gallagher's where Fiona was angrily folding laundry.

"You good?" I said, not even noticing V on the counter eating fried chicken.

"Nope," she said, "Steve's married."

"Married?!" V and I said. 

"Yeah, to some teenager in Brazil."

"Ew, like my age?" I said, cringing at the thought of being married right now.

"Nah, maybe a little older," Fiona said.

"She cute?"

"Very."

Debbie came downstairs, "Who's cute?"

"Chicken in the bucket," Fiona said.

"Steve's back. Married to some South American teenager," V explained.

"Really?"

"So, what did Adam do?"

"Took off, left me there."

"Can't blame him," V said.

"Why? You bang Steve in the bathroom or something?" I laughed, but I stopped laughing when Fi gave me a look, and I realized, "Oh, shit."

"How's Ethel doing?" Fi asked, changing the subject.

"She's in shock I think," V said, "Poor thing. Husband murdered in prison."

"Who got murdered?" Ian said as he and Carl came down, taking some chicken.

"Ethel's husband, Clyde," Debbie said.

"Well," I said, "Considering he's a predator, maybe it's for the best. But don't repeat that to her, ok?"

Carl thought the whole thing was cool, though.

"Kev thinks the state might send her back to the cult now that her sclerotic husband is dead."

I hoped they wouldn't. Those places horrified me, and she seemed happy with Kev and V. Even if she wasn't, she was in better hands with them.

"Grammy still here?"

Debbie shook her head, "Left with Frank."

"Somewhere in Chicago a priest is being mugged," V said.

"As we speak," I added. Lip came in, and I went silent again. He flipped Ian off, and I flipped him off back.

"Still?!" Fiona said.

"What was that all about?" V said.

"He's retarded, that's what," I said.

"Will this Summer ever end?!" Debbie groaned.

Fiona sighed and looked at me, "Look, Mayo, I know you're upset, but I'm serious, you need to figure it out and apologize to each other."

"And I'm serious when I say I'm not apologizing," I said, "This is all on him. If he wants to fix it, then he will. If you were in my position, you wouldn't apologize either, Fi."

"I completely agree, Mayo," V said, "You stand your ground. Hey, are you still going to the wedding reception tomorrow?"

"Yeah, my whole family is," I said, "I'm only going for the free food and drinks."

Karen and Jody went to the courthouse and got married, hence a wedding reception. Lip allegedly wasn't invited, which was a good thing, but I bet a hundred bucks he'd be crying on her porch while it was going on.