I sat at the table as I smoked my cigarette. A knock came at the door before Ian came in. "Ian!" I called out and got up rushing over to hug him. He pulled away "I'm making cookies for a hot firefighter, wanna help?" he asked and I smiled.
"Fuck yeah!" I said. We went to the kitchen so get the supplies he needed and we went back to the Gallagher household. When we finally made the cookies Ian went inside while I stayed outside to... enjoy the view. They were holding a training class outside in the heat.
I grabbed my phone as one of the guys came over. "What brings you here?" He asked and I bit my lip, before I said "My brother is dropping cookies off." He nodded and said "You're really pretty." I put a hand on my heart, "Aww. Thank you" He chuckled and said "I'm Parker" he held a hand out and I placed mine in his, "Delaney." I smiled at his baby blue eyes, as he said "Are you still in school? I'm just wondering because I'm transferring to the school here in the south side from the north side."
"Yeah. I go there" I chuckled and placed a hand on his arm as we smiled at each other. "Can I get your number?" He asked and I nodded. He pulled out his phone and I told him my number. "I sent you a text" he said and my text tone went off. "Lane lets go" Ian said and I giggled, "I gotta go" I said and walked away sliding my hand off his arm. I walked after Ian and as we made our way home he laughed at me. "He was cute" Ian said and I laughed "RIGHT" I said and we both laughed.
"I got a place to be" I said and split off going down another road. I walked up to the bike shop where Carl and Nick were. "Aye Laney" Carl called out and we did a handshake. "Did you find one you like?" I asked Nick and he nodded. I smiled as they went in to pay for it, and I stayed outside to smoke a cigarette.
My phone buzzed and I bit my lip to see a text from Parker.
'What are you doing Friday?'
'I don't think I have anything scheduled'-me
'Parker- Wrong. You're going on a date with me'
'Oh really? Guess I have to go shopping'-me
I locked my phone as they came out of the shop. "I gotta dash" I said and started walking home. When I finally get home I laid in my bed with a huge smile on my face. I got up and grabbed a cigarette and walked out of the house.
I went to the Gallagher household and plopped down next to Carl. "Whats happening Laney?" He asked but I shrugged as I laid my head on his lap. I sighed and he absent mindlessly ran a hand through my hair. I smiled as he played with my hair. I love it when people play with my hair. Especially Carl.
"I met a hot guy today" I said and he stopped. "Why'd you stop" I pouted, and he just gave me a look. "Who?" He asked and I shrugged. "Said he's a North Sider. His name is Parker now less talky more playing" I said and he rolled his eyes running another hand through my hair. I smiled and closed my eyes as I enjoyed it. "Ugh. I missed you" I said, "Nobody plays with my hair anymore" Carl pffted and I opened my eyes to see him smiling.
A knock came at the door and I leaned up so Carl could get the door. Next thing I knew two officers, a social worker, and Chuckie stood in the living room. Ian went to get Fiona, as I turned to Carl giving him a look. "Behave. You want to get arrested right now" I mumbled to him and he glared at Chuckie. "Holy shit." Fiona called out. "Hi, Aunt Fiona." Chuckie said, and I walked over to Ian who stood in the doorway. "Fiona Gallagher?" The social worker asked. "Uh-huh."
"I'm Alyssa with Juvenile Detention Services. Charles is your nephew, correct?" That's when I noticed the swastika. "Holy shit. Is that a fucking swastika on his head." I called out. "This is listed as his address. His mom is incarcerated, and we have no other family on record."
"Could I, uh..." Fiona said motioning her so they could side bar. "Not to sound harsh, but there's got to be somewhere else he can go." I heard Fiona whisper. The social worker Alyssa just says "Eventually we'll find him a foster home, but that could take a while. And there's a lot of minorities in the state facility. Not sure how long he'll survive."
She looked at us and I mouthed 'fuck no.' "He can stay here until we find another relative, any relative." Fiona told her. "Need you to sign and confirm that you're a legal adult, that this is a drug-free household, that you will maintain--" Fiona cut her off, "H-hold on." He turned grabbing a marker and instead of a swastika it looked more like a window panel. "Much better." Fiona told her and I laughed. "I'm hungry." Chuckie called out. "Ian, would you get your Nazi nephew some breakfast?" Fiona asked
Carl walked up to Fiona and said "If you let the cracker stay, bitch gonna get a shiv in his neck... right here." He made a fist and indicating a stabbing motion at his neck. "No, no shivs in Chuckie's neck, and no race wars in the house. Got it?" Fiona told them.
My phone buzzed and I grabbed it biting my lip. "I gotta.. take this" I said and slid to accept. "Hello?" I asked and walked to the front door. "Hey Hot stuff" Kellin called out and I rolled my eyes. "I'm kinda busy right now" I told him and he whined, "But baby. I miss you." I raised an eyebrow. "Kellin we never dated. Just sex. No pet names. This was your idea. You caught feelings didn't you?" I asked and he was silent. "I gotta go" I said and hung up.
I sat on the front steps as Nick and Chuckie came out. Nick was working on his bike, and Chuckie stood next to him. "Yo, what are you doing?" Carl asked come from round back. "Helping Uncle Nick." Chuckie said and I rolled my eyes. "Don't fucking call him that. Get the fuck out of here." I snapped and Carl looked at me. I rubbed my temples and put my head down, as Carl said " He's a white supremacist Nazi. You remember that." Nick looked like he wanted to say something. "You can trust her. I do with my life. She's probably not even listening." I heard Carl say and I lifted my head as Nick said "He don't know shit." I just say "You got that right."
"I went to the DMV. I'm not old enough to get my license, but you are, so I got these for you to study up on the test. You can score wheels, pick up shorty after soccer practice, pull up. She'll be like, "Damn."" Carl said and I chuckled. "Don't want to take a test. I just want my bike." Nick told him. "Man, what's with you and this bike anyway?" Carl asked him and looked at me.
"When I was nine years old, other kids had bikes. I told my pops I wanted one. He beat on me. But I got the money. Took me a year. I got it. A bike just like this one. Had it for one day before Pops traded it for a rock." Nick said and I mentally awwed. "shit. I got some dad stories that'll make how you see me different" I said and Nick ignored me. "They locked me up for what I did to him. When I'm inside, they asked me, "You homesick?" I'd say, "No. I just want my bike.""
Carl nodded and then turned to me. "What about you." He asked. "What about me?" I snapped and then sighed. "Sorry. I'm just.. I don't know" I ran a hand through my hair. "Kellin called me earlier." I said and he nodded. "The fuck did he do?" he asked and I shook my head and chuckled. "We were having sex. No strings attached you know?" I asked and he nodded.
"He caught feelings" I told him, "Well what about you?" He asked and I laughed biting my lip slightly. "I've only loved one person my whole life. Fuck feelings. Love. Love. Love. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." I said and it fell silent between us, as I got up and walked back to my house.
Later that night I had an idea. I bent down on the wooden floor and pulled up the board. I smiled as I grabbed the large cookie tin. I put the board back and walked back to the Gallagher's. I knocked on the back door and Fiona opened it. "Hey Del, Carl's upstairs" she told me but I smiled at her.
"I'm here for you" I said and she gave me a look. I walked over to the counter and placed the tin in front of her. Fiona continued with the look as I smiled. She opened the tin and gawked at the amount of money in it. "Holy shit Delaney! How much is in here?" She asked and I shrugged, "About 2,000 I think give or take" Fiona puts the lid back on and sighed. "I can't take this."
"Fi. My whole life my father beat and molested me. Mick and Mandy raised me to be who I am because they were the only ones who cared for me at that house. They taught me that in a family you take care of each other. You're family Fiona. We take care of each other. Let me help take care of you" I told her.
Fiona got tears in her eyes as she pulled me in to a hug. I hugged her tightly and then pulled away and she placed a hand on my cheek before she said "Okay." I looked over at Sean who smiled. "Did we make you cry to macho man?" I asked and we laughed. "I'm gonna go see my ex boyfriend." I said and Fiona chuckled. "Make up with him. I love you guys together" I laughed as I turned going up the stairs.
When I opened the door Chuckie and Nick was asleep on the floor, Ian in his bed and Liam in his. I tiptoed around the two on the floor, and crawled in next to Carl. He opened his eyes and looked at me. We smiled at each other as he pulled me to him.
"I gave her my entire floor savings" I whispered and he ran a hand through my hair and rubbed his thumb on my cheek. "I missed you." He said and I smiled. "I missed you to." I told him. "I thought about you a lot, and then I remembered what I said to you and my heart ached. I'm so sorry" I took his hand and placed it on my cheek. "I missed having someone who understood my life" I said and he side smiled.
"With Mickey gone. I got out and.. I uh. It felt so strange being by myself" Carl nodded and I yawned. He moved his hand from my cheek to my waist and pulled me closer, as I eventually went to sleep.
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'Hey Fi. I have some place to be so text me what happens'
I sent it and looked up as I smiled at Parker. "Okay. You have my attention." I said putting my phone on vibrate and dropped it in my bag. Parker smiled a big cheesy smile, as he turned to the picnic basket. "I brought, turkey sandwiches, strawberries and chocolate, fruit salad, and chips" I giggled as he pulled out a family size bag of chips. "You're so cute" I said and he handed me a paper plate with a spork.
After we ate we laid back as we watched the clouds. "So tell me about your self" Parker said and I smiled, "What do you want to know?" I asked and he hmmed. "What's your full name?" I bit my lip and said "Delaney Katrina Milkovich" Parker nodded, "Okay. Mine is Parker Thomas Shwin" I nodded, "Cute." Parker then asked "Do you have a record? siblings?" I chuckled, "Yeah.. I'm south side. and I have 4 brothers and a sister." Parker nodded. "Okay. I have two sisters and a baby brother" I awwed and he laughed. "I'm the youngest in the Milkovich house."
Parker placed his hand on mine and intertwined our fingers. "Favorite animal?" He asked. "A fox." I said and he just says "Mines a panda." I heard my phone buzzing and I leaned up and grabbed my bag. "Sorry" I said and grabbed it seeing 5 missed calls from Carl. "Shit. I gotta go." I said and he just asks "What's wrong?" I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "My family went to an auction to get their house back. It must not of went well." Parker nodded. "Want me to give you a ride?" He asked and I smiled "Please?"