Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

squirrel fund

"Here is your backpack and some clothes. I made Jimmy-Steve pick them up for you on his way back here last night." Lip says, pointing at my laid out clothes, "Thank you." I yawn and sit up, "I also ordered you toast and some fruit, I know you like that. Uh, take your time I'm gonna drive you, Jimmy is letting me borrow his car." Lip says, I glare at him, "Last time we used his car we got locked up." I tease as I sit up and bite into my apple, "Yeah well this time it'll be okay, Tony isn't around and stalking Fiona." Lip says and kisses my forehead.

"Can you please come back to school? I know you can talk your way out of being un-expelled." I complain, he shakes his head, "I'm not going back." "Loser." I say and throw a piece of my apple at him, "Yeah yeah. Get dressed." He sounds annoyed and he sits on the couch next to me, I roll my eyes and quickly get dressed, in front of him.

"Ready?" He asks, grabbing my backpack and his, "Not going, just need it for today's errands." Lip says as I glance at his backpack, I scrunch my nose at him and walk past him, "So mean for leaving me all alone in that ugly ass school." I say as we step into the elevator, "You have Ian." He says with a smirk, "He's a junior you dick, I barely see him. I have to spend lunch in the bathroom because you aren't there and I hate everyone. And that Justin kid noticed you're gone and won't leave me alone." I lie a tad, Justin hasn't talked to me since Debs kicked him in the balls, "He touch you?" Lip's jaw clenched, "If you were at school, you'd know." I say, hoping he'll come back, "I'm not fucking going but if he touches you, I'm killing him. You better let me know if he does." Lip says, jaw clenching, I nod, "Okay." I say softly as we step out of the elevator and walk to Jimmy's car.

The car ride is silent, Lip's jaw keeps clenching, he's pissed. I rest my hands on top of his as it's gripping my thigh, "You okay?" I ask, "I just don't want anybody touching you. Especially not that douche bag." "Please consider coming back, I need you." I say to him and he glances over at me, "You what?" a smirk appears on his face, "Shut up." I gently smack his shoulder, "Sadie Mitchell needs me, huh?" He smiles with his tongue in his cheek, I roll my eyes, "Don't worry," he squeezes my thigh, "I need you too." he smiles as he pulls up to the curb outside of school, "I love you, make good choices." He says teasingly as I get out, I flip him off and lean into the window, "I love you, be safe." I say, his gaze softens, "I love you too." He leans over in his seat and kisses me softly, "Bye." I say and hurry into school.

++

"Aww no car?" I tease Lip as I walk outside of school and see him leaning against the building, "Nah, Jimmy is pissed, he lost Marco again, some shit." he rolls his eyes and takes my backpack, "How did Milkovich go?" I ask, "Uh, you know who the father is?" Lip asks me, "Uh, no, why? Did she tell you?" I ask, "Yeah, her father." He says in a whisper, I'm silent, "Uh, so what happened? Like when you and Ian were there." I ask, "Terry caught us, tried to kill Ian again and Mandy came out and defended him so I guess we're good now." Lip says and shrugs.

"Hey, Gallagher!" A male's voice calls from behind us, we looks back to see a cop car rolling up, "Fiona around?" The cop on the passenger side asks, "Haven't seen her, why?" Lip asks, "Your mom's down at the station, bring bail money." The cop informs as the other one drives away, "What the hell?" I mutter as Lip and I run to the house.

My eyes widened at the appearance of the house as we barged in through the back, "Jesus Christ, what happened in here?" I mutter as Lip storms over the squirrel fund, "Don't worry Frank, we're not here for your stash we need bail money." Lip scoffs as Frank hides his drugs.

Lip opens the squirrel fund container and begins rummaging through it, I look over at him as I hear empty envelopes, my jaw drops, the money is gone. Lip begins to breathe heavily, "Where's the squirrel fund?" Lip asks Frank, "What the hell is a squirrel fund?" Frank scoffs, "That's all the money we saved for winter!" I yell at him, "Empty your fucking pockets!" Lip yells too. Frank rolled his eyes as he got up, revealing empty pockets followed by a cheeky giggle, "You talk to your father that way?" He asks Lip. Lip grabbed my wrist and we stormed out of the Gallaghers.

"I have two thousand." I reach into my backpack and show my money, "That's what I have left from summer, you?" I ask, "I have a grand, it should be enough to bail Monica out." Lip sounds so stressed, "I can't believe Fiona allowed this shit to happen." I sigh, "I know." he sounds defeated. We continue our walk to the station in silence, I'm at a loss for words.

++

The same officer that informed us, walked us in the back, I instantly see Carl with blood all over his head, I ran over to him, "Carl, honey, are you okay?" I ask as I look at the nasty bump on his head, "I can help you at home, okay?" I say, "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go with Lip. Monica and Frank spent the squirrel fund." I informed him, "All of it?" He sounds sad, I nod, "I'll be right back, stay here." I say to Carl and walk back to Lip, "So what happened?" I ask, "Monica let call drive, he crashed, they're blaming it on Monica though so Carl is good. Uh, concussed but he'll be alright." Lip informs then nods in Carl's direction indicating us to walk over to him.

"Hey bud, you alright?" Lip asks Carl, he nods, "Tired." Carl says groggily, "Well, we can't sleep for a few hours alright?" I crouched in front of him and put my hands on his knees, "You can rest but no sleeping for two hours, okay?" I instruct Carl and he nods. "Stop treating me like I'm invisible!" Monica cries, I roll my eyes. "How much is bail?" I ask the officer, "We want her out of here so, five hundred dollars and she can go." The officer says and I hand him what he asked for, "Sade, I could've did it." Lip mutters, "It's my fault. I should've been watching the house while you were gone instead of being with you." I put myself down, "Hey, this isn't your fault and it's not your responsibility to watch us. Fiona should've been more responsible." Lip reassures me, I nod softly. Monica comes out and tries to hug us but we both ignore her and go over to Carl. "Want a piggyback ride home?" I ask him, crouching down in front of him again, he nods softly and I pat my back, "You sure you got it?" Lip asks, I nod, "Yeah, all in the legs." I pat my muscular thigh, "Softball." I say and walk out with Carl on my back. Poor baby, he's anything but quiet and now, he's so sluggish and quiet, I feel so bad for my baby boy.

++

I walk into the house first with Carl on my back, "Here, let's lay on the couch for now." I say, helping him slide off my back, "Where the fuck have you been?" Lip storms in right for Fiona, "Oh you guys back for good or just visiting?" Fiona says sarcastically, "We just had to bail Monica out of jail." Lip says Fiona's expression drops, "What, why?" "What the fuck Fiona, where have you been?' I say annoyed, walking over to her from the living room. "Lip dropping out was an awful decision I know, but that shouldn't have changed how much you pay attention around here. You know OUR squirrel fund is gone? Monica and Frank spent it." I say, pissed that she allowed that to happen. "She let Carl play bumper cars with a Buick." Lip explains as Fiona is walking to the cabinet to check the container, "Is he okay?" She asks, looking through the container, "Concussed." I answer, "Don't let him sleep." She commands as she is still rummaging through the container, "You're AWOL all this time and now you're giving orders?" Lip slightly raises his voice, "You're not gonna find shit in there stop looking, she spent it all. The first rule you learn in this house, you hide the goddamn money!" He's yelling at this point. Fiona looks at him in disbelief, "She seemed better." Fiona mutters, "Look at this place, the sofa is in the kitchen!" Lip scoffs "She tried to get Ian enlisted." I add, "What?" "What did you think was gonna happen, Fiona?" Lip questions, she shrugs, "I thought it might be different this time." Lip nods as he's holding back tears, "Well, how'd that Kool-Aid taste going down?" Fiona runs upstairs to find Monica. Lip wipes his face and sits down, I hug him as he cries into my chest, "Honey, you need to go back to school, you gotta help the kids." "That's the problem, Sade. They want me to finish school so they can do fuck all and rely on me to buy them all houses and bust my ass for them." He's pissed. "Fiona has busted her ass for so long for you guys," I sit on his lap, "Lip, you're so smart, don't waste your potential, don't you want to be better than the rest of your family, not just for them but for yourself?' I gently scratch the back of his head, "I know this isn't the best time to give you another lecture but I think this will be the time you actually listen." I say then gently kiss his forehead. "Let's get out of here." Lip holds my hand and walks us out of the house, "Your place?" he asks, I nod and we head to my house for the quiet night we need. I hope he makes the right choice.