TROUBLEMAKER, carl gallagher

02 | slim jim

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ONCE SCHOOL had let out, Silvia was quick to find Debbie and Carl waiting for her by the back doors that led to the courtyard—if you could call it that. It was just patches of dead grass and one picnic table that nobody used. The paint chipped off it years ago, and anyone who sat on it was most likely to get a splinter.

Eagerly, she caught up to the two of them. She'd been dismissed from the office first, what ever Carl had done to get in trouble had been more severe than just talking back to a teacher.

Silvia thought the term talking back was bull. How else were conversations supposed to happen?

The three of them chatted as normal, Carl planned his revenge on his teacher, Debbie was talking about something for class president, and Silvia chimed in with what she'd drawn in her math book instead of paying attention.

"You're gonna be in a museum one day," Debbie told her.

"They're gonna put her in a museum? Gross." Carl muttered, and at the glare Silvia shot him, he darted away from her as if knowing her next move.

He probably did—Silvia smacked him a lot, but only because he said rude things so often.

"Her drawings," Debbie said, pointedly, examining her notebook as they walked. "Really good, Via."

Silvia grinned. "Thanks."

The walk home from school wasn't long, and halfway through, the high schoolers made an appearance from a different sidewalk. This happened every day—though the schools were a few blocks apart, Lip Amara and Ian always cut through backyards to get home faster, and probably to make sure the three of them made it back safely.

Today, however, there was an extra in their group. Amara and Ian walked slightly in front of Lip and another blonde girl, and from the scowl on her sister's face, Silvia could only assume it was Karen. Ian didn't look too pleased, either, but his attention seemed only focused on distracting Amara with jokes.

Silvia caught her eye, but Amara only shrugged. That was enough of an answer for her, and the group started to the open gate that led up to the Gallagher house—the Gilbert's almost looked abandoned next to it. Lights off, empty porch (due to her mother selling the furniture for meth, her sister assumed) and all of the curtains drawn. It was clear to both of the girls which house was truly home.

Steve, Fiona's new boyfriend, was waiting inside already. He grinned at them as they piled in. "Okay, I'm seeing some new faces in here. Who are these three?"

"Amara," Fiona pointed to her sister, who smiled in greeting with a little wave. Lip's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and Silvia leaned forward to see if maybe she had something on it. "Lip's best friend since birth. I think they were born attached at the hip."

"Don't insult me," Amara replied dryly. Lip rolled his eyes.

"Silvia," Fiona pointed to her next. Silvia, unlike her sister, shrank back under the gaze of Steve. She wasn't typically shy, but he made her nervous for some reason. "Amara's little sister, basically Debbie's twin and Carl's delinquent best friend. They cause more trouble together than all of us combined."

Feeling smug, Silvia spared a glance in Carl's direction to already find him smirking proudly at her.

"And that's... Karen," Fiona's hand fell back to her side.

Ian stifled a laugh, and Amara coughed into her hand. Silvia caught Debbie's confused gaze, and she was sure the expression she wore was quite similar.

Veronica came from the bathroom a moment later, sauntering as always and giving Silvia a large smile that Silvia couldn't help but return. Amara had Fiona as a mother figure—but Silvia had always been closer with Veronica.