i hate you » carl gallagher

twenty-two - grammy

noel

"Carl, where the fuck are you," I spat into phone after my fifth try calling him in the past five minutes. "Just thought you'd like to know that you have a new niece, her name is Francis. I- Just- Bye." I hung up the phone after a loss of words.

I walked back inside the house where Lip and Sean were sitting on the couch, still shocked at what they had just seen.

"She named the baby after Frank? Frank? Of all people," Sean said, breaking the silence.

"Well, Frank has been helping her out a lot with her pregnancy, I guess," I said, sitting on the couch between the both of them.

"Fuckin' Frank," Lip whispered, rubbing his chin and taking a sip of his beer.

"Wow," I sighed after a minute. "Debbie just had a baby. Can you believe it? It was like just yesterday we were kids getting ready for Gallagher Daycare." I laughed, remembering all of the crazy times we had back then.

"You guys are still just kids," Sean said. "Growing up too fast."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm gonna head home. See you guys later."

"Hey, stop by Patsy's tomorrow. I want to talk to you about something," Lip said. Confused, I nodded as I got up to leave, throwing my coat and shoes on.

"Be careful crossing the street there," Sean said as I opened the door.

"Yeah, thanks Sean," I said as I walked out the door and headed across the street.

As soon as I reached my front steps, my phone buzzed in my back pocket. I pulled it out and saw that I had a message from a new number.

Unknown: hey Noel, it's Blake. i was wondering if you want to hang out tomorrow after school or something?

Blake😊 was added to your contacts!

Noel😌: hey Blake! i'm meeting up with a friend at Patsy's tomorrow after school to talk about something, but it shouldn't take long. maybe we could meet up somewhere after?

Blake😊: okay, cool! can we talk more tomorrow before school?

Noel😌: of course!

Blake😊: have a good night 😙

Noel😌: you too!
read 9:32 pm

I slipped my phone back in my pocket as I reached my front door. I walked inside the house and found only my dad downstairs. He was half asleep, half awake on the couch. He didn't say a word when I walked in, so I just went up to my room.

When I opened my bedroom door, aunt Daniella was sitting on my bed, startling me and causing me to jump back.

"Daniella," I groaned, "What the hell are you doing?" I flipped my light on and threw off my jacket and shoes.

"Have you seen Carl," she asked me. I let out a long, frustrated sigh and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from my closet.

"Not since Patsy's this morning," I told her. "Why?" I stood against my closet door with my arms crossed.

"I was driving back from the store earlier, I saw him walking with that Dominique bitch," as she said Dom's name, my stomach dropped.

"Psh, no. He wouldn't talk to her over me. He hates her," I told her. "You must have him confused with someone else."

"I don't think so. What other white boy walks around the southside of Chicago with gold kicks and chains?"

"Okay, well maybe you have Dom mixed up with someone else," I said in denial. I can't afford to believe this right now.