southside trash [shameless]

• Chapter 17 • Mandy •

No matter how mad I get at any of my siblings, I will never be sleeping on the couch to avoid them again.  I wake up with an achy back, stiff joints, and feeling cold to the bone since I only had a thin blanket to cover me.  Not to mention I was woken by my older brother roughly shaking me, which just topped it all off.

"Philip Gallagher if you don't stop shaking me I will stab you in the dick." I threaten, although the intimidation factor is lacking due to my groggy, half-asleep, morning voice.

"Em, you've gotta get up," he persists, "Ian's gone."

I'm about to ask why that is an issue since he's probably just gone out, it's not like we're a family that has to ask permission, but then Lip continues.

"And so is the kill bat." He tells me.

I shoot up, "what?" I ask with wide eyes, "he's gone to the Milkovichs' hasn't he?"

Lip nods, worriedly, "I assume."

"Fuck," I mutter, quickly stand up and run to the back door to grab a coat off of the hook, ignoring the fact that Debbie and 'Aunt Ginger' are cooking breakfast in the kitchen and it actually smells surprisingly good.  Also that Frank's here, sat eating the breakfast at the table, while Carl is microwaving two of his action figures in a bowl.  I pull the coat on over the clothes I wore yesterday and ended up sleeping in, I begin searching for my shoes. "He's gonna get himself killed."

"You're telling me." He murmurs, tying up his shoelaces.

I shove on an old pair of boots, which have the laces already tied, but loose enough so that I am able to put them on without undoing them, "right, let's go."

"Eat some breakfast, you two" Fiona orders us, mouth full of food.

"No we gotta go, but save us some Debs." I smile at my little sister, as I open the door and leave with Lip.

Through the thin door I hear Frank saying how, "It's essential that families share meals together."

I roll my eyes before opening the door and picking up some of the food on his plate, taking a massive bite, while he protests.

"Mm, mm, that's great Debs." I nod, dropping the food back onto the plate, and turning back to Frank, "how's that for sharing?" I smirk, before turning around and leaving the house again.

Lip and I run to the Milkovichs', not speaking to one another, and I can't decide if it's because we're both preoccupied running, or because I'm still pissed at him because of the whole Ian-fucking-Kash-and-no-one-telling-me.  But it's the least of my worries right now, my mine priority is Ian's safety, specifically whether or not he is alive.  As much as I'd like to think Mickey and his brothers wouldn't beat the shit out of my twin brother, I have to remind myself that he behaves very differently with me than with most other people.

We spot him sat hidden behind some bins opposite the Milkovich household, clutching the kill bat close to him, and jog over.  I tap him on the shoulder and he jumps in fright turning around at the speed of light.