SHE DIES IN THE END // shameless

best friend

Reagan Gallagher had always been a quiet, reserved person. She was fierce though. You could probably guess that having four brothers could do that to you, but she was different. Reagan could handle mostly anything. Except for when she saw Gio up on stage.

The Alibi had a "stage night". It was when almost (or) the whole town came and watched people get up on stage to sing, dance, or tell "funny" jokes. Frank was notorious for being a drunk slob that once fell off of the stage on live television.

"Now are you going to go hide in the back?" Kev jokes. Reagan was sitting on the counter so she could see and everyone else was watching Gio. She says, "I'm not scared of him!".

She enjoyed being at the Alibi. Reagan didn't start drinking at a young age like her siblings did, but Kev was like a father to her. And he didn't mind showing up to her school events, or having her teachers think that he was her father.

"I wrote this song about the most beautiful girl I've ever met." Gio says. Reagan quietly scoffs and leans back to Kev. She whispers, "Lindsay.", but Gio keeps speaking. He says, "I met her about a year ago and she basically saved my life... and my face. I was having rocks thrown at my face.".

The audience laughs and he smiles. "Okay, okay." he says. He begins strumming on the strings of his guitar and locks eyes with Reagan as he begins singing.

I guess I should stop looking out for you, like I always do
When will you start looking out for me, too
Instead of leaving me staring at my shoes?
It's just the way you're glancing at me
Something about you just makes me feel guilty for liking you
When you're with him, when you're with him

His voice was captivating and soft. Reagan didn't know that he could sing. Gio was a soccer player. The boy that every girl wanted in middle school could sing.

Kev had a guitar in the back. She hops off of the counter and grabs it. He whispers to her, "So you're actually going to build up the courage to get up there and sing!". She rolls her eyes. Reagan says, "I'm Chicago's best gymnast. I compete in front of professionals multiple times a year.".

Chicago's best gymnast. She was in fact, Chicago's best gymnast. Nobody could take her title. Girls had tried, but they'd gotten no where close to taking it from her. Reagan had let herself forget who she was. Fiona was scared of her becoming someone she wasn't. Anything different than her usual activities Fiona considered a rebellion. So this? This was her final rebellion.

The crowd went crazy for Gio. He had been watching Reagan the whole time, but he went straight to the back to order a drink when he saw that she wasn't applauding.

Reagan pushes past people and makes her way up to the stage. The Alibi was packed. People were watching from the streets. This was what a usual Stage Night was like. And it felt a lot different now that she was performing.

"Hello!" She says into the microphone. Gio had his eyes on her. She adjusts her posture and fixes her skirt. (Kev had his staff dress up nicely, including himself, for Stage Night). "I'm Reagan Gallagher, but most people call me Rae.".

Lip and Ian were watching from the back. Lip had his phone out, filming her, and Ian was watching like a proud brother. Diego and Leo were both with them.

Reagan continues, "I wrote this about a boy that apparently I had saved his life. But in the end, he chose someone else.".

The bar goes silent and some eyes turn on Gio, but almost all the attention turns on her once she starts singing.

When I was a babe I fell down in the holler
When I was a girl I fell into your arms
We fell on hard times and we lost our bright color
You went to the dogs and I lived by my charms