Southside ~ Shameless

Chapter 39

"Okay, listen up Gallaghers. Nick. And Milkovitchs," said Fiona as everyone gathered in the kitchen, "they're digging up the sewer main in a few days and shitting off the water. So we need to-" She paused as Mandy reached over her to grab a plate of food, "-do laundry and dishes beforehand."

"What about toilets?" Jimmy asked.

"I guess we just won't flush that day." Fiona shrugged.

"Well, we could fill up buckets," Lip suggested.

"Gross," said Debbie.

"He crippled or something?" Hollie mused as Mandy held up a slice of toast to Lip's mouth for him to eat.

"Just so helpful. Must be nice having a spouse," Fiona teased looking at Lip as she knew it would bother him.

"Wait they're digging up the lawn?" Nick asked, a frown on his face. Fiona nodded, "Yeah,"

"Didn't Frank bury your guys' Aunt Ginger out there?" He reminded them.

"Oh, shit."

As Nick and Fiona left for work and Debbie for the pool, Hollie went outside while the others took care of the daycare and found Frank asleep on the grass. She grabbed the shovel that was leaning against the stair railing and prodded him in the back with her foot.

"Jesus," Frank groaned.

"Guess who came by today?" said Hollie, "the city. They're digging up the yard to work on the sewer line." She told him as he rolled over and pushed himself into a seated position, "You need to find Aunt Ginger before they do."

"Who?" Frank questioned cluelessly.

Hollie knelt down next to him, "The dead relative whose social security check you've been cashing? You buried her," She dropped the shovel and it smacked him on the back of the head, "You unbury her," she patted him on the back and used his shoulder to help push herself back to her feet—with great difficulty that made her regret kneeling down in the first place.

"You know when your mom was pregnant with you she could do a damn back bend," said Frank unhelpfully, "looked freaky as hell,"

"Yeah, well mom was on crack the whole time she was pregnant with me and I'm not doing that either," said Hollie as she left him to his own devices in the yard.

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After work, Hollie was helping Fiona unpack what she'd brought back from her job at the grocery store while Debbie handled the daycare parents who were late picking up their kids.

"Joanie was late picking up her kid again," said Debbie, "Guess what the excuse was."

"Flat tire?" Hollie and Fiona recited as the woman used the same excuse every time.

"Flat tire," Debbie confirmed following them around the kitchen as they put groceries away.

"'Haddy Birtbay Juby'?" Veronica questioned, reading off of the sheet cake as she joined them in the kitchen.

"Bakery guy is dyslexic," Fiona explained, "Where's Frank?"

"Haven't seen him," V shrugged. Fiona looked to Hollie who shook her head as she swiped some icing off of the cake and ate it, "I don't know but yes gotta fill in that hole where Ginger was. It reeks."

"He forgot where he buried her," said Debbie.

"You're kidding."

"We couldn't find her," said Carl as he stole a bagel. Debbie nodded, "and Carl busted the sewer line." She said accusingly.

Hollie grabbed Fiona's hand noticing there was blood on her fingers, "You picking up guitar?" She mused.

Fiona flexed her fingers, "bitches at work giving me shit." She told her, "thumbtacks in my change drawer. You believe that?"

The front door opened and Lip came in with an arm full of fireworks and Kevin in tow on his crutches.

"Blowing up the Hancock building?" Fiona jested.

"Nah. We don't have any more room in the truck can we store some here?" Kev asked.

"Are you nuts? Look at that kid's face," she pointed at Carl who had an evil grin on his face.

"I promise I'll put it in a no-Carl zone,"

"As if that exists," Fiona scoffed.

"Don't touch it," Kev warned as he entered the kitchen and sat down at the counter with the sheet cake in front of him.

Jimmy, who had been acting weird since finding out about his dad and Ian, got up from the couch and moped his way into the kitchen bathroom, "What's up with Jimmy?" V questioned as he shut the door, "That shit with his dad?"

"He's pretty broken up about it," said Fi.

"No one's dead, wounded or incarcerated,"

"What do you expect?" Kev questioned rhetorically through a mouth full of cake, "Rich kid from the north side,"

"It's his first big family crisis," Fiona dismissed, "he's taking it pretty hard,"

"Guess he's not used to it like we are," Hollie shrugged, stealing Kevin's fork from his hand, "Left side of your mouth," she pointed to the cake on his face as she scooped some cake in her mouth, "other left." She mumbled through a mouthful of cake when he wiped the wrong side. He wiped the cake from his face and stole the fork back from her.

"Dude's got daddy issues." Said Lip, "No wonder you dig him,"

"I can hear you," Jimmy called out, his voice muffled by the bathroom door. The group in the kitchen snickered, unbothered that he heard.

"Hey Lip, reorganise the truck." Kev instructed, "Put the weed in the fridge, poppers in the freezer, smokes on top, bangers under the seats." He shovelled more cake into his mouth before giving the fork to Hollie and standing up with his crutches while she stole his seat.

"Cake for dinner?" V questioned.

"I gotta get to the alibi," said Kev, "Hey what did the doc say this morning?"

"Never had a chance to go," Veronica lied. Kev nodded, "Okay. I love you." He kissed her cheek before leaving out the back door. As soon as he left V started aggressively hacking at the slab of meet she'd been cutting into smaller portions.

"Hey," Fiona caught her attention halting her actions, "what about a surrogate?" She suggested.

"You offering?"

"Hell no." Said Fi, "Bet you could find someone good on Craigslist."

"Bitch gets paid. IVF docs get paid, medical bills, maternity clothes, lawyer fees, contract fees." Veronica listed, "Low end 40 grand. I'd need a truckload of slave play to raise that kind of scratch."

"What'll you do?"

"Something." Veronica shrugged.

A/N Guess who's back again! I really hope you are enjoying this book. I love seeing all your comments and votes to support my writing. I had no idea that this book would become so popular when I started it's honestly crazy how many people read it.

🖤H🖤