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Game Over
chapter forty two
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THERE WAS MOMENTS WHERE SHE REGRETTED GETTING IN THE MIDDLE OF GALLAGHER DRAMA. This was one of them. She had to suck it up. She had to stop wallowing in her own self pity and get up. She needed to go back to school, which was a big reason why she even went to the Gallagher household. She used the spare key to open the back door, only to be greeted by the two people she never expected to see in the same room together ever again. "Phoebe!" Frank cheered as the girl walked in, hand frozen on the doorknob. Her eyes were wide, lips parted in surprise. "Did Hell freeze over?" she suddenly asked, fingers twisting the knob once more. The sound of the latchbolt sliding in and out proved that this was real life instead of a dream. "Wow. Are those pancakes?" The batter was a little too syrupy for her, but it smelled amazing regardless.
"Come in. Come eat breakfast." Frank waved her forward, but Monica only eyed her. Phoebe was sure the blonde was still mad at her for what happened before. "I can't," she sighed, though she'd love to sit down and dig in with a glass of orange juice. "Is Ian up yet? We're supposed to walk to school together." Frank shook his head, hair whipping around his face. She glanced toward Monica for a moment before setting her bag onto one of the chairs. "It smells good," she admitted, taking a few tentative steps toward the cooking station. "Lip?" Her head picked up at the sound of Fiona's voice, shock becoming evident on her face. "Shit," she whispered, hurriedly grabbing her bag, only resulting in it tumping the chair over onto its back. "Shit," she cursed again, one hand flying to her forehead with a smack. "Good morning, sweetheart!"
Phoebe pulled her backpack closer to her chest and was quick to run when Fiona snapped at her. "Don't you move," she warned the younger girl. The brunette released a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagging. She had been avoiding Fiona for days since Lip landed on their couch. "We don't have any money." Frank navigated through the kitchen with a bottle of beer in one hand and a bottle of orange juice in the other. Phoebe stood next to the washing machine and glanced between the family members. "Mimosa, anyone?" Frank offered, already pouring himself a glass of the liquids mixed. Yes, please, thought Phoebe. The tension was sliced through by the ringing of Fiona's phone. "Stay." She pointed toward the young girl before turning her back,
answering the phone.
"Pancake?" Monica turned to Phoebe. Her face was impassive. Phoebe's fingers tightened around her backpack, wide eyes staring back at the woman. "Yes, please," she responded, her voice small, nervous. Monica plated one of the finished ones and poured a bit of syrup over it before holding it out for the brunette. "You need some meat on your bones." Phoebe stared at the plate for a moment before crossing the room to take it from her hands. "Thank you." Phoebe took the fork she was handed next and perched herself beside the washing machine. It smelled so sweet, filling her senses with a sense of calm familiarity. "Okay, well how much is that gonna cost?" She took her first bite and hummed, pleased with the sugary taste of the syrup.
Her head whipped over toward Fiona curiously. Her attitude had changed drastically, her tone sad. "I–I have to call you back with an answer. Thank you." She sighed, her glassy eyes warm with tears. Monica shifted on her feet. Frank looked guilty of something. The tension had returned, thicker than it had ever been before. "Grammy died?" Phoebe choked on the bite she was swallowing in surprise. Grammy wasn't the nicest lady. She almost killed Carl, and she left the house smelling like a meth lab for weeks, but she was still their family. The waver in Fiona's voice was enough evidence that the death was a surprise and not a good one. "Honey, I am so sorry," Monica said, rounding the counter where she resided. She was quick to reach Fiona's side, but the younger woman backed away in distaste.
"She was my mother. I'm the one who's hurting here," Frank whined. Phoebe shook her head, clearing her throat. Fiona scoffed. "Yeah, well that was the Cook County Hospital Morgue. You need to claim her body or they're gonna cremate her." Frank stood up suddenly, shaking his head. "I am done running around trying to please that woman," he announced. "Grammy died?" Debbie suddenly entered the kitchen with Liam on her hip. She looked between everyone in confusion. "Debbie!" Monica exclaimed upon seeing her youngest daughter. "Oh, Liam." She approached the two hastily, "Look at you, my little brown bear." Debbie stared back at her mother in confusion. "Oh, look how big you are!" Liam was now in Monica's arms and the woman brushed back Debbie's red locks from her face.
Debbie glanced at Fiona. "How long is she staying?" she asked. Fiona was about to respond, or maybe finally deal with the girl hiding in the corner, but Monica interrupted her. "Only forever and a day!" Phoebe shoveled another fork full of fluffy pancakes into her mouth. "Are my camo pants still in the dryer?" At the sound of Ian's voice, Phoebe stuffed the remainder of her pancake in her mouth. "Ian! It's Ian!" The redhead stared amazed at the person in front of him. That sarcastic smirk plastered onto his face. "Hell is she doing here?" he asked, pushing past her. Phoebe placed her plate and fork into the sink, sucking the syrup from her fingers. "Let's go?" she spoke up, pointing toward the front door, praying that Ian was ready to go. "Um, no—"
"I asked your mother to come home," Frank stated, once again seated at the table. "Oh, wait, you live here now too?" Fiona grabbed Phoebe's arm and directed her toward the living room, away from the chaos in the kitchen. "Lip staying with you?" she asked, her hands falling to her hips. Phoebe's eyes widened suddenly, unable to formulate coherent sentences. "N–No, what? Why would... That's crazy, I mean—" She ran a nervous hand through her hair, a shy smile forming on her face. "Yes, he is," she finally admitted, unable to lie to Fiona. Fiona sighed. "I couldn't let him sleep on the street, Fi. Lip's basically my left side, you know? We're like Chip and Dale, or Shaggy and Scooby." Fiona waved her hand in front of the girl, cutting off the rant that was sure to come. "You need to talk him back into finishing school."
"I swear I'm trying. He's so stubborn."
"If anyone can do it, you can."
Phoebe scoffed. "No pressure, right?" Fiona took hold of her shoulders, holding her tight. Phoebe stared at her with confusion. "If he doesn't cave, I want you to kick him out." Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Her brain couldn't wrap around the thought of Lip living on his own. "Fiona," she went to argue, but the stern gaze on the brunette's face shut her up. "He has to finish school, Pheebs." Phoebe felt sick to her stomach. She didn't want to do this. Why did she have to get stuck with this part? "Okay?" She wanted to shake her head. There was no way she was going to let her best friend sleep on the L train or on the Alibi's front steps. "Okay," she sighed, giving Fiona a tight lipped smile. "Can I go to school now?"
Phoebe didn't think Fiona wanted to do this. There were bags growing under her eyes. Her skin was pale. She didn't look like she was sleeping very well. "Yeah," the older girl sighed, releasing the girl's shoulders and placing her hands once more on her hips. "Things will work out," Phoebe blurted out with blind optimism. "He's gonna come to his senses. He's just got to lick his wounds a bit." Fiona nodded her head. "Get to school, okay?" Phoebe smiled sadly toward Fiona. Fuck, she thought. Damn Gallaghers and their drama.
—
"Are you crashing here or Karen's tonight?" Alan asked as he plopped down on the couch beside Lip. He took the joint held out to him and placed it between his lips. "Here if that's okay. Karen said she's gonna charge me a hundred bucks for rent. Can you believe that?" The front door finally opened and in walked a tired Phoebe. She sighed as the door closed behind her, going through the motion as she locked the door and tossed her jacket onto the coat rack. "I'd rather fucking die than do this paper," she stated, lethargically stumbling into the living room. "Is that weed?" Both Lip and Alan glanced back at the girl in amusement. "Here." Alan held it out for her, arm outstretched over the back of the couch. She took it with a small smile.
"Drop out," Lip joked. It was always obvious how little Phoebe ever smoked. Every time she hit a cigarette or a blunt for the first time, she broke out into a fit of coughs. She passed the joint back to Lip, covering her mouth as she coughed. "I got bad news." She waved her hand in front of her face, hoping to dry the tears that filled her eyes. Alan slapped his thighs. "That's my cue." The brunette glared at her fiancé. He always seemed to dip when there was bad news regarding the Gallaghers. "Fiona got to you." Lip didn't seem surprised. He watched as Phoebe switched her weight onto her opposite foot, fingers pulling at her sleeves. "You gotta go, Lip..." He stared at her, his expression going from knowing to surprised. He turned toward her in his seat, a disbelieving smile on his features. "You're not serious."
Fuck me, she thought. Her hand ran through her thick locks. "I'm sorry." He shook his head. In the span of a day's time, he was kicked out twice. His luck was definitely going to shit. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She shook her head. She expected this reaction. She knew that the moment she put her foot down, he'd explode. "Look, I love you. You know I do, but you can't stay here anymore. I can't keep getting in the middle of the Gallagher drama," she explained. Actually saying it hurts a lot worse than thinking it, she concluded. "You're a fucking Gallagher, Phoebe!" She frowned. "I'm not, though!" she argued. "I'm not really a Gallagher. I shouldn't be getting in the middle of everything like I do."
"Jesus Christ, Phoebe. All of this because I won't go back to fucking school!?" She didn't flinch at the raise in his voice. She didn't step back when he stood from the couch and turned to face her. She stared back at him sadly, her heart silently breaking. "You're ruining your life," she muttered. Her head was starting to hurt from all of the shit that had been running through it. She still had a shift at the grocery store to handle. "Fuck you," he spat angrily, flicking the joint into the floor. "You think you're so grown up? You're getting married to a guy you barely fucking know. You got kicked out of your parents house when all you had to do was keep your grades up and keep your mouth shut. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have any friends!" Her brows furrowed. Why was he attacking her all of a sudden?
"You say I'm ruining my life, but what about you, huh? When you're seventeen and divorced, don't come crying to me." Having heard the commotion, Alan re-entered the room. "Watch your mouth." His tone was threatening. He stared at Lip with this resentment Phoebe had never seen. The two had already been struggling to repair their friendship after Lip had kissed Phoebe. This seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. "Fuck off, knock off Rambo. You're just as bad," Lip fired back. "You met her at a club. You met an underage girl at a fucking club. How does that sound like a good idea?" Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You go to the Alibi all of the time. But the one time I go to a club for a bachelorette party, I become a villain, right? What, are you gonna call me a whore next?" He flinched at the venom dripping from her words. "Go ahead! You did it with Karen. Just tell me how you really feel, Phillip!"
"Fine!" he shouted. "I think you're a fucking idiot!" She squeezed her hands into tight fists at her sides. "I think you're dumb marrying him. I think you're dumb for falling in love with him." — "You're an idiot for dropping out of high school for a child that might not even be yours," she hissed. "You're an idiot for thinking Karen could ever love you back." He sucked his teeth, his body now trembling. He felt so shaky. "You were supposed to be my maid of honor, Lip. You were the one I trusted to help take care of everything!" His shoulders lifted into a dramatic shrug. Her heart suddenly got caught in her throat. "Honestly, I couldn't care less about this stupid wedding," he admitted. She sucked in a breath. Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears. "Good," she seethed, voice cracking. "You're uninvited. Now get the fuck out of our house."
"Fuck you, Phoebe." She rolled her eyes dramatically, her arms crossing tightly over her chest. "In your dreams, Gallagher." For a moment the corners of his lips quivered upward. He shook his head at her response before snatching his jacket from the couch. In silence, he stormed out of the house. Phoebe's eyes followed his every movement. The door slammed closed behind him, rattling the wall. She huffed, her arms falling to her sides. Without another word, she brushed past Alan and headed straight for the bathroom. She needed a shower desperately. She needed to scream desperately. She closed the bathroom door behind her, drawing in a deep breath. She held it for a bit, attempting to calm her nerves. "Fucking asshole!" she suddenly shouted, kicking the trash bin in the corner against the wall. A pain shot up her leg suddenly and she let out a desperate cry at the feeling, falling right to her knees onto the tiled floor.
"You jerk," she muttered under her breath, holding the appendage with a grimace. "Oh, my God. Why is everything so fucking difficult with these people?" Maybe she was going crazy. Words spilled from her mouth without a second thought. She ran a hand through her hair before tugging at it in irritation. "Fucking Gallaghers," she cursed.
from rumi . . .
this chapter sucks so bad omg
i promise the next chapter will
be so much better. idk what wrong
with this one but honestly i'm not
surprised. i have so many plans that
its getting harder to write everything 😭
how did you guys like the chapter, tho?
what's your favorite part?
like i said, i think this chapter sucks so
i honestly have no favorite part. 😂
don't forget to vote + comment!