Cherry ≫ Lip Gallagher

• Prologue •

It was the third week of June and the heat of summer had finally reached its way to the buroughs of Chicago. The Gallagher family fought the heat with multiple electric fans which they had borrowed from the Alibi, the local bar. The living room was empty, as the family was out making the most of their vacation time, except for the baby-faced girl who was stretched out on the couch reading a novel and the boy leaning in the kitchen doorway.

    "Stephen King, huh?" The teen asked, pointing an unopened beer bottle towards the hardback in the girl's hand.
    "Yeah, found it in my neighbor's yard," The girl shrugged. "You ever read him?" Her thick Chicago accent filled the space that once was occupied by silence.
     "Once or twice, sort of overrated in my opinion," the boy placed a half burned cigarette in between his lips and took a drag. "Name's Lip, by the way." He smirked and the proceeded through the doorway into the kitchen.
"I know." The girl said.
~~
"I didn't expect her to still be there." Lip laughed as he handed the beer to a bleach blonde named Hannah who was tangled in the covers smoking a joint.
"Yeah, she does that," The blonde chuckled. "Follows me around like a puppy."
"What's her deal?" Lip asked, wrapping  himself around Hannah.
"Jennie has a lot wrong with her, 'ya know," Hannah sighed, "I'm the only one she's got, her parents basically left her, they show up every once in awhile."
Lip just nodded and got up from the messy bed. He realized that he had a lot more in common with the girl patiently waiting for her friend on the couch than he thought. He wondered silently if this is how people described him, although he had 5 other siblings and wasn't necessarily alone. It wasn't long until he came back to reality and realized the time.
"Kev is probably wondering where I am." He said, kissing Hannah on the forehead before leaving.