Gold Dust Woman- Lip Gallagher

a close call

"My dad's going to murder me," I said, looking around the station as we were handcuffed to a bench. 

"Isn't Jenna a bail bondsman?" Lip said.

"Yea, but there's no way she's getting our asses out of this one," I said. 

"If I get convicted, I can't enlist," Ian said. 

"What?" Lip said. 

"In the Marines," Ian said.

"Good. I was planning on knee-capping you in your sleep to keep you out of Kandahar anyway."

"Was hoping for Korengal."

"Isn't that where Todd Igulden's brother lost a foot?" I said.

"Got him a silver star."

"And a handicapped placard to hang from the mirror of his mom's civic," Lip said.

The officer finally came over to us.

"Phillip Gallagher. No relation to our favorite overnight guest, Frank, I hope."

"Son."

"You're Frank's kid? And this is your first felony bust? Getting a little late start for a Gallagher, aren't you?"

"Slow study, I guess."

"And Ian," the officer said, "Another Frank progeny?"

"Afraid so?" Lip said.

"You always let your brother speak for you?"

"He's mute."

"I can talk," Ian said. 

The officer looked at me, "And you, Maelyn Antonelli?" 

"Yes, sir."

"Haven't heard that name around here."

I shrugged. 

"So, you three geniuses stole a Porsche Cayenne, and what? Decided to go on a late-night White Castle run? Come on, Ian, Maelyn. You two do not wanna do prison with those faces."

My eyes widened, and my heart raced. It still didn't fully sink in that I was most likely going to jail.

"I stole the car," Lip said, "Neither Ian nor Mayo knew anything about it."

I sighed, knowing Lip was going to be in a shitload of trouble. He could've easily ratted out Steve, but Gallaghers don't snitch. 

_________________________________________________________________

A few hours later, they moved us downtown. And then, we somehow got released. The Gallaghers, Kev and V, and my family were waiting outside. My dad was there too surprisingly.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. You can punish me all you-

Instead of getting yelled at, my dad just hugged me, and so did Jenna. After getting hugs and witnessing Fiona hit Lip and Ian, she hugged me too.

"Maybe it was a good thing I didn't come after all, huh?" Diana said jokingly.

"Yeah, you got lucky," I laughed.

______________________________________________________

We went home, and after my dad scolded me for what felt like forever and took a much-needed shower, I called Lip.

"Yo, what's up?"

"Do you and Ian want to see a movie with me and Mandy tonight? They're showing some old movies from the '80s and shit."

"I'll ask Ian, but I can't make it."

"Why?"

"I'm going to see Karen. She hasn't been answering my calls."

"So, leave her alone. Jesus, Lip. I know you're a straight-A student, but you're so dumb."

"What's your problem?" he said.

I scoffed, "The fact you don't know why says everything. Tell Ian if he wants to come be at my place by 7:30."

I hung up and practically threw my phone across the room.

"Fucking idiot!" I yelled, pushing a stack of books I had over, "You fucking asshole!"

I'd done so much for him in the past week, maybe even two. More than Karen ever did, and he still was hung up on her?! When was it going to end?! When will I have given enough?

I was about to smash something or break something or throw anything I could get my hands on when Mandy came in, startled. 

"What's going on here?" she said.

"I, I-

Mandy walked over and held me while I cried softly.

"I'm just not enough," I said, "That's the reason. I'm not enough for him."

"Shhhhh, don't say that," she said, "You didn't do anything wrong. He's an asshole."

Diana came in too, "Mayo, what happened?"

"Gallaghers," Mandy said.

Diana joined us in the hug. I filled both girls in on what happened in the past twenty-four hours, and we decided to ditch the movie and have Mandy sleepover. If nothing else, at least I had my girls. 

____________________________________________________________________

"Mayo! Mandy! Get up!" I heard Diana say.

I groaned and rubbed my head, "What?"

"Look at what just got sent to me," she said, holding her computer and turning it towards us. At first, I saw Frank, and then I saw a girl with black hair on top of him, riding him.

"What the fuck?" I said, rubbing my eyes and realizing, "Wait, is that Karen?!"

"Yeah," Diana said.

"Why would she post that?!" Mandy said.

"Because she's a whore," I said, taking a closer look. It hurt when I looked, but I couldn't look away, "Is she raping him? Because he keeps saying no."

Diana closed her laptop, "I don't know. That's fucked, though. Like I feel sick to my stomach."

"You and me both," I said, feeling unsettled.

"Should we tell Lip?"

I shook his head, "Nope. He knew what he was getting into."