Southside ~ Shameless

Chapter 25

Ever since finding out Karen was pregnant, Lip had been staying out late and sleeping in during the day. Nobody knew how he was feeling as he was avoiding them and when they did see him he didn't want to talk.

Fiona and Hollie had told Carl that he needed to contribute to the squirrel fund and since the Chinese woman that Frank rented his room to had left after having her baby, Carl had decided to rent the room out again to a hooker named Bev or as she is more widely known 'Double-Bag-Bev'.

Hollie had already had to stop Carl and Little Hank from drilling a peephole into the wall of Bev's room and Fiona was fed up with her taking hours in the bathroom and using the washing machine all the time.

Hollie was in Fiona's room helping her figure out what she was going to wear for a date to a wedding she was going to later that night when Lip had finally got out of bed and trudged through the hallway.

"Hay finally up," Fiona smiled. Hollie peeked around Fiona to see Lip, "hey Hermit, welcome back to the land of the living. smoke?"

"Yep," Lip stepped into the room and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

"You know there's a prostitute in Frank's room?" said Fiona. Lip nodded, "Double-Bag-Bev. Needed a place to stay. Win, win."

"As long as you can't catch AIDS from a washing machine," Hollie muttered.

"Mm. They got drugs for that now," Lip informed, "it's like a cold,"

Fiona scoffed, "pfft. She's single-handedly catapulting Carl into puberty," she said as she took the cigarette from Lip and sat down on her bed against the wall.

"At least She's not bringing her work home," Lip shrugged.

"She better not," said Fiona.

"My room is right next to hers," Hollie grimaced as she sat down on the bed and took the cigarette from Fiona, "I do not need to hear any of that," she took a long drag before handing it bag to Fiona.

"And no more washing machine freebies." said Fiona, "if she charges by the load so can we,"

Hollie laughed in disgust, "that is possibly the grossest thing I've ever heard you say," Lip cleared his throat and sat down on the bed too, "you talk to Karen?" Hollie questioned.

"Why would I?"

Fiona and Hollie both gave him a scolding look. "Look it could be anyone's kid," Lips defended, "uh, Owen Lindquist... the guy in Wolcott with the lazy eye and the mustang. Frank."

"You use protection?" Fiona asked.

"She's on the pill,"

"So she said," said Hollie, "you should never trust that shit, you never know if she could be lying. how many times you sleep with her?"

"What, you guys keep count?" Lip challenged. Fiona rolled her eyes, "ballpark. How many times a week,"

Lip thought about it for a second before answering, "six, seven,"

"Yeah, for what, like eight months? That's—"

"Around 224," Lip finished for Fiona.

"And what about other guys? Ten sound about right?" Fiona posed, "that's 20-1 odds. You're the one who takes book. You like those odds?"

Lip blew smoke out of his mouth, "if you're gonna yell at me go ahead,"

Fiona shook her head, "I'm not your mother," she said before smacking the back of his head.

"So what are you gonna do?" Hollie questioned, "because you are not dumping this on us. It's your responsibility,"

"I'm not taking care of another kid," said Fiona firmly before standing up and leaving the room.