We're sitting in the back handcuffed to the bench. "If I get convicted I cant enlist" Ian finally speaks up. "What?" I ask. "The marines" He says and him and Lip start arguing about the Marines when a guy walks over. "Phillip Gallagher. Any relation to our favorite over night guest Frank Gallagher?" He asks. "Son" Lip says. "first felony? Arent you getting a late start for a gallagher?" The officer asks. "And Ian Gallagher. Another Frank Prodigy?" He asks. "Fraid so" Lip answers for him. "You always let your brother talk for you Ian?" The officer asks and Lip quickly answers again "He's mute". Ian and I both laugh slightly. "I can talk" Ian says. "And miss Emma Anderson. Havent seen you in awhile. Lisa's still here time to time" The officer says. "I found Maddies father and she lives with him and his wife and I live with the Gallaghers. Fuck Lisa" I tell him. "So you geniusesses stole a Porsche?" the officer asks. "I stole the car. Emma and Ian had nothing to do with it" Lip says and we both look at him. I know he didnt steal the car but he didnt want us to get in trouble.
They move us downtown and tell us that if were lucky Ian will get released back to Fiona but they'll probably charge Lip and I as an adult. We have both had a few run ins with the cops. Lip got for truancy, fighting, drinking, things like that. I've been in a few times with truancy , driving when I was twelve, buying my mother cigarettes when I was 15, shop lifting food and things for maddie. It wasnt gonna be pretty for either of us. "I'm so sorry Emma" Lip whispers as Ian is asleep next to me. "Its okay. Steve stole the car" I whisper and he nods. "I shouldnt have had you or Ian in it though" He shakes his head. "Oh and that bullshit you pulled earlier the whole 'yeah but fiona is beautiful' thing" He mocks me. "You are gorgeous Emma. Any guy would be lucky to be with you" he says and I smile. Ireach my foot over and nudge him. "Thanks Lip" I tell him.
The next day they let all three of us walk. When we walk out the whole fmaily, even Kev and V is there to hug us. "Thank god your all okay" Fiona says hugging all of us. Then she turns to Lip and starts punching the crap out of him. We laugh it off and walk home together. I take a hot shower and then lay in my bunk, exhausted. I can hear Lip leaving Karen another stupid message. "Here's clean towels. You need showers. Your rank. I'm glad Emma isnt as gross as you boys" She says and Lip goes to shower. "Whered you get the car Ian?" Fiona asks sitting down next to him. Ian looks over at me. "Dont look at me Ian. I didnt steal it" I sigh. "Did you get it from steve?" she asks but not a word was said, so she knew we did. As she was getting up to leave Ian stopped her. "Hey Fiona. Im gay" Ian says. "I know" She says. "Your still on my shit list" SHe says walking out.
When V comes in she brings over my favorite boxed wine and shes surprised when she sees Fionas new friend Jasmine over. "Here V, Emma" Jasmine says trying to hand me a glass of the champagne she brought over. "I'll stick my my red" V says. "Yeah me too" I smile and get myself a glass.
After dinner Lip comes in and storms off upstairs. Fi looks at me and nods up the stairs and I take off after him. I get us both a cigarette out and hop up on the top bunk with him. "She dumped me" He says as I light his cigarette for him. "She's a slut and she doesnt deserve you. Your the best and the sweetest and any girl would be lucky to have you" I tell him. He looks at me. "You really think all of that?" he asks me. "Yeah and it helps that your sexy and adorable all at the same time" I add with a slight laugh. He grabs my chin and lift my face to his. His lips land on mine and the kiss was soft and sweet. It was everything I ever imagined my first kiss to be. Not that this was my first kiss but my actual first kiss what when I was 12 and he was like a washing machine. When we pull away he places his forehead on mine. "I thought I was falling in love with her. But now I dont think I was. I think... I think I was just running away from my feelings for you" he says. I smile softly. "I feel like I've waited forever to hear you say that" I whisper and he kisses me again softly.
Later that night Lip and I hear Fiona and Steve downstairs. We always snoop so we can stay in the know, so we head half way down the stairs and sit. We listen as Steve begs Fiona to come to costa rica with him tomorrow. He says they will come back in three, six, maybe a year. She can call us everyday. He goes on to tell her that she needs to start thinking about herself more. "Youve got sixteen more years until Liam is out of the house. then youll be what thirty seven? thirty eight? and who knows if Frank is done dumping kids in your lap to raise" He tells her and then continues to plead for her to go. Once he leaves Lip and I come out of hiding. "He's right you know" Lip says wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close to him. I rest my head against his shoulder. "You should go" Lip continues. "We can handle things around here Fi" I assure her. "You've done more than enough" Lip says. "We'll be alright" I tell her and Lip and I head up to bed. "Do you think she'll go?" I ask Lip as we lay in the top bunk together. "I dont know. Honestly, probably not" he tells me.
The next day me and Lip are on our way home from getting coffee and donuts when a guy walks by laughing. "Those gallaghers" He laughs. "What? Joey what?" Lip turns and asks. "Do me a favor lip, when you and Frank are done passing around 'Daddyz girl' send her over to our place. Somebodys gotta pop this pussys cherry" He says and pushes his little brother. "We'll make sure to double bag his itty bitty johnson" Joey laughs and walks away from us. When we home we run up to Debbies room and find the laptop. "Search Daddyz girl" Lip tells me and I type it in and while the videos loading we have to hold it up and try to get the best wifi. When the video starts we see Karen riding Frank in a chair in her basement. "Oh my god" I say and Lip looks mortified. After that Lip left for a little while and I dont know where he went. When he comes back he has a cut on his forehead so I make him sit and let me clean it up. "Normally when I'm this mad. I'd want to fuck" he tells me. I look him in the eye and he shakes his head. "Your too special for me to fuck it up though" he smiles and I kiss him gently. A little while later Karen is standing on porch. "I'll be back" he tells me and they go off somewhere. When he gets back I decide not to press about where he was or what they were doing. Not really sure I want to know. Later when I'm laying in bed I hear little pebbles hitting the window and Frank yelling for Lip. Frank goes on and on about how sorry he is and Lip and himself are both victims. "How can I ever say how sorry I am?" Frank asks. I hear Lip unzip his pants and he starts eeign on Frank. I go over and watch and Frank stands there and takes it. When he walks away he smiles and Lip smiles back.
