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★
"GET UP," AMARA DEMANDED, flicking Lip's forehead, who mumbled a few swear words in response. She rolled her eyes, pushing his leg. "Dude, come on. School."
"I don't go to school," he replied, turning onto his stomach.
"Fine. At least walk me, you ass. I don't feel like getting catcalled today. Meet me downstairs in fifteen."
Amara jogged down the steps, pausing on the last one when she saw Margot standing at the stove, flipping pancakes. "Morning, honey."
"What're you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm making breakfast. Your boyfriend gonna be eating with us this morning?"
"He's not my boyfriend, and no. Neither of us are. Already ate."
"Well," her mother continued. "There's some leftovers if you want 'em."
"Right," Amara responded, totally unconvinced as she turned to look up the stairs. "Lip! Let's go!"
★
"Hey, Gallagher!" A male voice yelled out to the pair as Lip walked her home after school, and the two glanced up to see a cop car pull over to the curb. "Fiona around?"
"Haven't seen her," Lip replied. "Why?"
"Your mom's at the station," the cop informed. "Bring bail money."
"Shit," he muttered, meeting Amara's wide eyes, and the duo began to walk faster.
"I thought Fiona said she was better?"
"And what, you believed that?"
"Well, not really. But I mean, I thought maybe it was the same thing with my dad. I mean, I'm not expecting it to last long, but he seems to be doing better for the time being."
"Not Monica," Lip informed, before grabbing her hand, and pulling her into a sprint. He jogged up the steps of his house, Amara following closely behind as he swung the door open. Amara gawked at the appearance of the house. The couch was in the kitchen, blocking the stairway, the chairs for the table were in the living room. Frank was sitting on the sofa with a brown paper bag placed in his hands. He quickly hid it behind him.
"I'm not here for your stash," Lip assured him, sounding annoyed as he opened up one of the cabinets. "I need bail money, I only have a grand."
"You have a grand?" Frank asked, his words somewhat slurred, as if he were drunk, but Amara knew that wasn't the case.
Lip dug through one of the containers he pulled out, and Amara quickly realized what it was—she had one of her own. A squirrel fund. Her parents weren't the most trustworthy people either, except hers was tucked away in her room. "Where's the squirrel fund?"
"What?" Amara asked, walking over to him. "It's gone? That's all of the money you guys saved up for this winter!"
"What the hell is a 'squirrel fund,?'" Frank questioned from the couch, and Amara saw Lip clench his jaw from the corner of her eye.
"Empty your fucking pockets!" Lip demanded, and Frank rolled his eyes as he got up.
"You talk to your father that way?" Frank grumbled, before turning his front pockets inside out with a cheeky giggle. Lip glanced back to Amara, who met his eyes almost immediately, and he nodded his head for her to follow after him. She did, gripping his hand as the two of them brushed past Frank.
They hurriedly made their way to the police station, and the same officer from before led them into the back. Amara instantly took notice of Carl sitting in one of the chairs, dried blood stained on his forehead, as Monica's protests rang throughout the room.
"Get me the fucking key, and get me out of here!" She ordered, her handcuffs clinking against the bench she was chained to as she squirmed around.
"Your brother was driving," the officer informed them. "He's got a nasty bump, but he'll be fine. I told my captain your mom was driving under the influence."
"You feel powerful locking me up?!" Monica yelled, still fidgeting against her restraints.
"She's not making it easy," the cop commented, before leading them to where the younger boy was sitting.
"Hey Carl," Amara greeted, and Lip comfortingly put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"How you doing, bud?"
"Stop treating me like I'm invisible!" Monica insisted. "I'm right here! I am right here!"
"I brought you a lollipop," Amara told the younger boy, shrugging as she spoke. "I mean, I kinda stole it, but here." She handed it to him, and Carl took it without saying a word. The two older teens shared a worried look. Carl was anything and everything but quiet. This event was clearly taking a toll on him. "Shit," Amara mumbled once her phone went off. "I have to go to Silvia's school thing tonight."
"It's fine," Lip waved her off. "This isn't your problem."
She gently grabbed his hand. "You're my family," Amara reminded him, mimicking his words from months earlier. "It is my problem, but I have to go. I promised her. Call me?"
Lip nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll call you."
Surprising him, and even herself, Amara leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek, before pulling away with a small smile on her face. She felt her face flush as his gaze stayed on hers, before she quickly turned around and left the police station, her heart throbbing in her chest as she walked out of the building.
"Holy shit," was all she said once she walked onto the street. "I'm totally fucked."
