When I come down for school Monica's standing in the kitchen. "What?" I mumble to myself and she turns around and hugs me. "Wendy!" She says excitedly. "okay.. my names Emma" I remind her. "Arent you staying for breakfast? Monica worked her ass off" Frank asks me as I put on my light jacket, since its starting to get cold. "A friend is coming to walk me to school" I tell him and leave. Caleb walks past and I join him. "So I told you about my life, tell me about yours" I ask lighting a cigarette. "Well mom and dad split when I was pretty young and mom got remarried over the summer and shes got a baby on the way and all that good stuff. She's not at old as you think, she had me when she was sixteen" he tells me. "Do you like the new husband?" I ask him and he nods. "Super nice guy. Takes care of us. For awhile it was just me and mom and we struggled but then she met Bob and he changed our lives." He explains to me. "Thats great that your mom found a good guy" I smile at him. "Thats the first genuine smile youve given me" He tells me but my smile quickly fades when I start thinking about Lip. "So how about Lip left last night" I tell Caleb. "He'll be back" He tells me. "I dont know. But his crazy mother showed up this morning" I roll my eyes. "You can come stay at my house whenever you need" Caleb says and gently places his hand on the small of my back. My breath hitches in my throat when he does. See, I never really had a boyfriend or anything even close so Lip was the only guy thats ever held me in his arms, or laid his hands on places that normal people dont. I see Karen and shes on the phone, probably with Lip. They seem to be fighting though.
Later that night when Monica and Frank got home they brought a party with them and was singing and dancing and had the music turned up so loud. I was sitting in the kitchen doing my homework when Fiona came down the stairs first and asked them to stop, then Ian came down and him and Frank got in a pushing fight and I hear a slap so I assume Frank slapped him so I run in and it turns out Monica slapped Frank. "Apologize to Ian!" She tells him and he actually apologizes. Then Debbie comes down and Fiona tries to get her to go back to bed because we have school tomorrow but Monica tells her she doesnt have too. I grab my backpack and run upstairs and stuff a change of clothes into it. "I'm going to stay at a friends house. I have a physics test to study for and I cant study like this" I tell her and she nods. I leave for Calebs and on my way I pull out my cell and send him a text so he knows im coming. I scroll down to Lips name and hit the call button, but he doesnt answer.
"you seem upset" Caleb says as were walking home. "I'm just worried about Lip. I mean who knows where he is or what hes doing" I sigh. "Hes probably at Karens" Caleb tells me as we split our separate ways and I meet up with Ian. "He isnt at Karens" Ian whispers to me and I sigh. We go to Carls football game and were cheering for him when Lip walks up. When he see's Monica he starts fighting with Fiona and then he tells us hes staying with Steve and Fiona gets even more pissed. He walks off again. "Too bad you dont have a door to slam" Fiona calls after him. I get up and catch up to him. "Lip" I say and he turns around and grabs my face gently. "Ive missed you so so much. When I get back on my feet, your gonna come live with me and were gonna be so happy and I'm gonna take care of you. No more Karen after she gets rid of the baby" he tells me. I smile and kiss him gently, but this kiss was full of passion and love. "Dont give up on me" He tells me and I nod and he kisses me again before walking away. "You two have got to make your mind up" Ian laughs when I come sit next to him. "You two nothing. LIp. He says all this shit that sounds so nice, but I'll believe it when I see it" I tell Ian and he pats my leg.
After Carls game we went back to the house and everyone else partied but I go upstairs and take a shower and lay down thinking about Lip.
The next morning when I come down to leave for school Frank and Monica are sitting at the table putting Grammy's ashes into joints and smoking them. Ian comes down about the same time the back door busts open and a man attacks Ian and is beating the shit out of him. Monica manages to pull the guy off Ian and I recognize him as the Milkovich father. "My Mandy's pregnant, and this little shits gonna pay!" He tells Ian but automatically I know that the baby cant be Ians, but it could be Lips.
