Carl's back got slammed against the wall behind him at the school hallway and this time not in a good way.
His back tingled from the sensation of being pushed onto the wall by the shoulder of a guy he literally never saw before.
"Hey!" Carl called after him as the guy and his friend walked through the hallway after forcefully pushing Carl. The guy looked at Carl over his shoulder and had a smirk on his face that showed that he tried to hurt Carl on purpose. "Yeah, you, asshole, what's your fucking deal?"
"My deal?" he asked and walked toward Carl, his posture straight as if he tried to look broad to prove something. "Everyone celebrates you for what you did to Ross on his birthday but you should be taught some fucking manners."
The guy pushed Carl back by pressing his palm on Carl's chest but this time he was prepared, so he didn't stumble back as much as he did before.
"Nope, not dealing with this." Carl said and tried to get out of the situation but the guy didn't let him go and the guy's friend snickered in the back. "I'll be late."
"As if that ever mattered to you."
That actually confused Carl because who is this guy infront of him to know what matters to him at school?
"Do we know each other?"
The guy looked offended and the friend in the back started to snicker louder. "Shut up!", the guy turned to his friend who abrutly stopped to laugh. "Prescott Wellington? I sit behind you in geography."
"You do? Never saw you before."
"You--"
"Well, whatever, let me just get through." Carl tried to get inbetween them but got stopped again.
Prescott leaned down to whisper to Carl's ear, "Be careful when your boyfriend and you hold hands in public next time."
"Is that a threat?" Carl laughed but Prescott looked at him with no emotions behind his dark eyes.
"Might be." he responded. "Depends on how serious you take it."
Carl could laugh harder than he already did.
*
Even though Carl didn't take Prescott's threat seriously, he couldn't get it out of his head all day. During chemistry class, during english and during fucking geography Carl could feel two pair of eyes staring coldly at him. It made him feel uneasy and the uneasiness didn't make him feel well; he wasn't used to it. Carl didn't know what to do if anything would ever happen to Jack because of him.
During geography Jack sat right next to him, so Carl could feel even more eyes on him.
Under the table Jack reached his hand towards Carl's and as soon as Carl felt the slightest touch he pulled away.
Jack pouted and stared Carl up and down before he nodded as if he understood and looked back straight forward to the teacher.
Jack didn't understand though, Carl thought, and decided to clear things up during lunch break.
It was an awkward walk to the cafeteria. No one talked and there was something uncomfortable in the silence.
"We need to talk for a moment." Carl muttered.
"It's... you know, it's fine." Jack understood what Carl hinted at.
"No!" Carl said. "It's not... I didn't want you to touch my hand not because of the reason I didn't want to at first."
"Carl, it's fine, really."
"Prescott, he--" Carl's phone suddenly buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket to see that Lip was calling him but he ignored the call.
Carl was confused. He had no idea what Lip urgentely wanted to talk about. He looked over at Jack, who had a concerned look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Lip's calling." Carl said and declined the call.
"You should pick up." Jack said. "Or call back, it might be important."
Carl sighed. "I'm at school."
"And since when did you care about that?"
Jack was right.
"If it's that important I'm waiting for him to call ba--" The phone buzzed again and Jack gave him a calming look. Carl breathed in for a moment before he picked up.
"Shit, Carl, why did it take so long?" Lip asked annoyed.
"I was in the middle of an important conversation." Carl said and looked Jack up and down. "What's up?"
Carl could hear Lip breathing softly on the phone before he said, "Fiona's going."
"Going? Where to?"
"Shit, I don't know. She said she wants to go to another country."
"Fuck." Carl said and went over his hair. "I'll be there in 10 minutes."
"Make it 5." Lip said and hung up.
"Shit, shit, shit." Carl hissed and packed his bag.
"What did he want?"
"Fiona..."
"Your oldest sister? What's with her?" Jack asked, suddenly very alarmed.
"Dude, she's not dead or something." Carl said, noticing Jack's alarmness.
"Then what is it?"
"She packed her bags. She wants to go to another country." Carl said and swung his bag over his shoulder. "We'll talk about Prescott later, ok?"
"Of course, that asshole can wait." Jack said and laughed softly. Then he paused and looked at the food trail on the table, as if he was considering something before he jumped up from his seat. This time, Jack was packing his stuff into his school bag. "I'll come with you."
Carl put his hand up. "No, no." he said and shook his head. "We still have two classes left."
"And I only have one boyfriend." Jack winked at Carl and together they went to the Gallagher's house.
As they arrived Frank was on the couch, laying there unbothered with a man cleaning him up with a sponge.
"Is he...?" Jack asked, watching the scene.
"Ignore him." Carl said and stumbled upon Debbie in the kitchen.
"Fiona's upstairs." she said. "She's packing her stuff. Lip's there too."
"Should I wait here?" Jack asked.
"You can stay here with me." Debbie said and Carl smiled at her gratefully. "We still have some juice in the fridge. Do you want orange or, to be fancy, strawberry juice?" Debbie asked him and as Carl walked up the stairs he could distantely hear Jack respond with 'strawberry.' Carl had to restrain himself from asking since when they had strawberry juice in the fridge.
"Fiona?" Carl saw her packing her stuff in a suitcase, talking with Lip who jumped up as he heard Carl's voice.
Fiona looked up and stood up from the bed to give Carl a hug. Carl rested his face onto her shoulder and hugged her back.
"So you're going?" he asked. Carl felt like crying but he held it back. He could understand why Fiona wanted to go and of course he didn't have any say in this; she deserves it, but it didn't make him any less sad.
"Yeah." she said and pulled away.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. Somewhere where it's different, I guess. Maybe where the weather is better." she laughed.
Lip stood beside them and put his hand on Carl's shoulder in a comforting way. "We'll throw a party!" he said and pointed to Fiona. "So don't plan on going anywhere until we're back!"
Carl looked between them.
"Let's go, we'll buy some groceries. We gotta celebrate Fiona for finally getting out of this shithole." Lip tried to drag Carl with him but he didn't make a move.
"Wait." he said. "I... can I have a few minutes alone with Fiona?"
Lip nodded. "Sure." Then he went downstairs and yelled, "come on, Gallaghers!"
Fiona went back to her suitcase.
"So, that's it?"
"Guess so." she muttered and Carl sat on the bed right infront of her.
"You deserve it." he said and Fiona titled her head. "You deserve it. I mean, you've done so much for this family. More than any of us, god, even Frank could have wished of."
Fiona's eyes went red as Carl continued. "You deserve more than this. And... Fiona, thank you." he said and shrugged his shoulder, smiling at her with teary eyes. "Just give us a call sometimes, will you?"
Fiona moved to sit beside him and Carl could see some tears in her eyes.
"Come here." she said and hugged Carl again. "Of course I'll call."
"Promise?"
"Promise." she said. "I'm so, so proud of you."
Then Carl pulled away and looked at his sister who had a conflicted look on her face.
"You should go now." Carl said. "Before you decide not to go."
Fiona nodded and then said briefly, "right, I should."
"We can live without you." Carl joked and helped Fiona pack her stuff.
As they went to the living room, Jack still hadn't finished his juice.
Fiona put something onto the fridge and walked toward Frank with her luggage.
"Your family went out to buy stuff. They told me to tell you that you should buy beer and pizza."
"Won't happen." Carl said and listened to Frank's and Fiona's conversation.
"Why?" Jack asked and followed Carl's gaze and ended up looking at Frank and Fiona as well. "Oh." he realised.
Frank didn't say much, he fell silence and Fiona nodded.
"Well, I'll see you around." Fiona said and made her way to the door. All Carl could do was look after her.
"You did a good job." Frank suddenly said, not looking at Fiona. "Monica wasn't up to it. You stepped in and helped. Thanks."
Fiona scoffed. She didn't seem impressed. "Helped." she paused and looked around the living room. "I did it all, Frank."
Frank laughed. "Yeah, well. If it helps you sleep better."
Fiona nodded for the last time and said, "See you around, Frank."
"I doubt it."
Fiona was about the slam the door behind her but Carl couldn't leave it at that, so he yelled after her, "wait!" Fiona stood still.
"Fiona, thank you. I mean it. Frank's an ass, Monica did nothing. You did it all and I, no we, couldn't be more grateful, really. Frank's just too proud to admit it." he reassured her and Frank scoffed.
Fiona smiled softly at him. "That's your boyfriend?" she pointed at Jack.
"Yeah."
"I'm Jack." Jack said and gave her his best smile.
"Look well after my brother, yeah? Otherwise I'll be back and beat you up." she gave him a fake threat.
"Of course."
"See you Carl, you too Jack."
Carl and Jack waved after her and then she officially closed the door and now Carl was alone with Jack by his side and with Frank who was still getting cleaned by a man with a sponge.
For a moment Carl thought that he saw a tear in Frank's eye.
"You're an asshole." Carl said. "A fucking asshole."
*
[1790 words] - always happy about any kind of feedback ;)