Little Morgan Gallagher

61- Juvie

     I followed my family into the court room, spotting Sammi.

     "Look who it is. Worlds biggest wankstain," I snapped at her, but immediately got dragged into my seat by Ian so I wouldn't cause a scene, because god if I had the chance I would deck that bitch. Getting my little brother in all this shit.. I could strangle her.

     I watched as Chuckie was brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, bruises on his face which made Sammi jump up straight away, "Baby, what happened?"

     "Boys hit me, called me a rat," he replied. I snickered, "boy you deserved it!"

     This earned me a sharp nudge from Fiona to keep quiet. I couldn't help it. "That bitch hit Carl!" I whispered to her.

     I saw the anger rise inside Fiona when I told her this, "I'll fucking get her don't worry," she replied.

     "Looks like he gave her as good as he got," Lip butted in from the other side of me.

     "All rise," the man announced, "the circuit cook county court is now in session."

     "Please sit," the judge ordered as she approached the stand.

     Chuckies lawyer stood up after his case was announced, "your honour, defends would like to reiterate that this is defendants first arrest.. and he has an IQ of barely functional intelligence."

     I laughed out loud, "Is that not obvious? He can't hold drugs fucking taped to him-"

     Lip elbowed my ribs, "one more word out of you and I swear I'll strangle you! Shut the fuck up," he whispered angrily. I meant I was only speaking the truth.

     Suddenly Sammi stood up, "Your honour, I'm his mom. May I speak? My Chuckie is a good boy, he was taken advantage of by an older family member. If you're gonna blame anyone, blame his uncle Carl or the family who raised him."

     "Sit down Sammi!" I shouted. I literally couldn't help but get involved, she made my fucking blood boil.

     "Okay.. settle down. We will proceed to sentencing. This court hereby sentences you to a minimum of 120 days at the Illinois Department of Corrections Juvenile Justice Division."

     Sammi blabbered to him as he was taken back out of the room, I completely ignored her though. But that was when Carl was brought in, dressed in a clean shirt and glasses. I tried to hide my smile before leaning over to Fiona, "the fuck did you do to him?"

     "Tried to make him look like a respectful young man for fucks sake," she whispered back.

     I shook my head, "Jesus Christ."

     "Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say he's an upstanding young man," Ian muttered from beside Lip.

     "Just like Ted Bundy," V added.

     The judge introduced his case once again before our lawyer stood up, "Your honour, my client knows that he's made a mistake, he's sorry for what he's done, and has learned from what he's done."

     "Do you regret what you've done Carl?" The judge asked.

     "I did something really dumb.." he started.

     Good Carl.. I really didn't want my brother going away for so long to juvie.

     ".. I trusted a fucking retard with a mans job."

     Great..

     "Next time I move a bunch of drugs, I'll be smarter."

     "Oh fuck," I muttered to myself.

     "If you want to go into my chambers and speak to me off the record. Now is the time," the judge said quickly, "otherwise you will end up in juvenile prison. Is that what you want?"

      I bit my lip. Carl was just like me, stubborn and not afraid of anything.. please be smart Carl-

     "Yes please," he said with a smirk. Fiona through her hands up, Lip put his head in his hands, what the fuck..

     "That's not what I was hoping to hear.."

     "I know what you were hoping to hear," Carl cut across, "if your honour would lose 20 pounds, I would consider tapping that."

     I pursed my lips in attempt to not laugh as I saw Fiona watch in complete shock.

     "That's enough! I sentence you to the maximum, of one year at the Illinois Department of Corrections Juvenile Justice Division. This court is in recess."

     Now I wasn't laughing, my baby brother.. a year in juvie. FUCK

     "What the fuck Carl!" Fiona snapped at him as he was being handcuffed.

     He just smiled at us all, "don't worry, I'm gonna make juvie my bitch."

     Then just like that he was taken away by the guard, "bound to happen sooner or later," Lip shrugged.

     "He'll be fine. He'll be running the joint," I shrugged.

     Fiona looked to us all, "any chance he'll be scared straight?"

      "Hell no," we all responded at once.

***

I walked outside the courtroom with Lip, both of us sharing a cigarette because of how bad the court hearing went.

"I think I'm gonna need Fionas boss to give me a job too," he stated, after he gave me a job after me diagnosis.

"That tuition? Still? What you gonna do?" I asked, taking a drag from the cigarette as we walked out, sitting down on the little wall outside.

"I dunno, face the music I guess," he shrugged, sitting down beside me, "heard you went to the clinic, Mickey hold a gun to your head?"

"Might as well have. Still coming to terms with the fact that somethings wrong with me," I sighed.

Lip put a hand on my shoulder, "yeah but you're gonna get better, right?"

I shook my head, "what in forty years? That's how long it takes for meds to work on their own."

"Hey, you remember that bitch that kept picking on you? Rachel Davids? She used to give you so many black eyes... but you gave her twice as many back, along with a bloody nose. You always got the better of her, always gave her way worse than what she gave you... you can give this disease worse than what it gives you, okay?"

I looked at him, giving him a small smile, nodding, "I know, I always do."

He smiled back, ruffling my hair, "exactly, my little sister, you are the toughest girl I know. You have never.. since you've been born taken shit from anyone... you will NOT start with taking shit from this disorder, okay mouse?"

I nodded, "yeah, I won't,"

He leaned over and kissed the side of my head... he was right. I never did take shit from anyone, no matter who they were. I was not going to let this disease to get the best of me.

***

Ian walked me in to Patsys pies where Fiona worked, because apparently he was still on babysitting duty.

"Hey Fi, Morgans here," Ian said for me.

"Yeah, Morgan's here," I repeated sarcastically to him.

"Come on mouse, I'll show you the kitchen. You're gonna love being a dishwasher," Fiona laughed.

"Oh fuck you," I snapped, which only made Fiona laugh.

New job, new disease, new way of life to get used to Carl being away.. what could be better