all in favor | ian gallagher

FRIGHT [ONE]

Unlike the broken up lovers that could not support nor care about their own kids, Ian Gallagher had earned himself a spot for redemption. Half of his family forgot their hopes and dreams while the other stayed strong. Right smack in the middle, there he was; protecting his younger and older siblings no matter the cause.

At fourteen, he faced a hard pill to swallow. Those people - who neglected his upbringing and only cherished their substances - would be staying the way they were for a long time.

Near his sixteenth birthday, he met a girl. During then, Ian worked at Kash 'N Grab.

Seconds after he refilled the beverage machine is when Ian noticed a person walk past the counter. They wore an indecipherable look on their face as they strutted down the aisles, treating each one like it were a runway. None of the other convenience store customers would even have the bravery to make such a scene in drastic change of its boring atmosphere.

As he eyed them from the supply closet, Ian swore he felt Cupid's arrow fly behind him. Maybe even an angel's wing.

"Do you work here? I need help finding mints."

Yanked out of his daydreams, Ian shook his head to rid every blush creeping onto his cheeks and moved toward the unfamiliar feminine tone.

A teenager with vibrant green hair stared back at him.

"Yeah! Yeah," he cringed at how squeaky his voice went at first. "I do. They're by the register."

Thanking him, the girl nodded and started for the direction in which he'd pointed her, leaving Ian to finally blush. He was grateful that someone finally communicated with him after receiving little to no customers all day.

But before she got a tin of the original flavor mints, a sudden confidence flooded Ian's bloodstream.

"If I let you have them for free, I can walk you home," he suggested nonchalantly.

The girl's teeth shone under the pale fluorescent lights when she threw him a smile. "Why not. I heard the city gets pretty dangerous at night."

In Ian's brain, her words would promise a miracle down the line. Someday, once he found a new job, he might gain the money to buy her an infinite amount of mints.

All because she enjoyed the taste so much.

"Great— then we've made a plan," giggled Ian.

Taps on his shoulder from the girl almost caused him to fall into a hypnosis. If a bolt of lightning could be a person, this was her.

"I haven't told you my name, have I?" she mentioned.

Ian didn't respond.

"It's Petal. My family just moved here Friday."

Drawn to the unique and rare name of his new acquaintance, Ian recalled how many flower petals he'd touched throughout his life. Hundreds, if not thousands at the least. His favorite were marigolds because of their velvety texture and warm hues. They reminded him of the jack-o'-lanterns he carved as a child.

With a chuckle, Ian told her, "Petal. Like a flower. That's cool."

Petal took a glimpse of his forehead which led her to suppress another grin. Once he realized that she had seen the droplets of moisture on his skin, he hurriedly wiped the area with the sleeve of his gray long sleeve shirt and gestured at the ceiling.

"Woo, this AC must be broken," he said. "It's like a thousand degrees!"

Awkward tension would brush over them within an instant. If only Ian knew a way to impress her. One that wasn't standing on a ladder. More could've been done there, but Ian's pessimistic mind disagreed.

Luckily for him, Petal sensed this and tried easing his insecure mind.

"Chicago is surprisingly hot today. We ain't the only ones who will swelter to death."

Both of them were beside the lower shelf on the right side of the wall and stayed put until the same door Petal had gone through was kicked open by a group of older boys.

There appeared to be a leader. Though he was smaller and shorter than the rest, it was obvious that he had a destination. The others simply followed him.

Distraught, Ian slid a box of candy off the shelf and winced when the heavy contents hit his toe. Tiny packets of the lollipops which were inside scattered across the ground.

"IAN GALLAGHER!" one of the boys hollered from the opposite end of the store.

"Shit," muttered Ian, ushering Petal around and placing a finger on her lips to shush her baffled whispers.

"Not now. Not now."

Ian froze when he heard the words grow close, so he asked Petal if she would lay under a rack so no one could spot her.

"Don't be a dumbass," she scolded Ian before he zipped away.

"Mandy told us what you did, you piece of shit!"

Petal held her breath and impatiently waited for Ian's return, peeking between a gap she found to watch him. In the meantime, he was on the run from those dumpster-born thugs, searching for an exit that would help him escape.

"You messed with the wrong girl," warned the man who chased his footsteps.

Feeling responsible for whatever might happen next, Petal crawled out of the tight space and began following them.

"Hey, asshole. Cut it out!" she cried.

Shadows of the figure caught her. This man now had his attention set on her, giving Ian a chance to run into the supply closet and turn the lock.

Kash, the owner, listened as their petty commotion increased its volume. It was normal for his work to have several potholes. Kind of like this one.

"Let me guess, you're this kid's dick sucker," accused the man, cornering Petal.

She bent forward and struck his nose hard enough for him to stumble back. Yet again, Petal broke free from his line of fire. Had she not attacked him, who knows what problems she would've endured.

However, when she turned back, a slight frown decorated her lips. Numerous blemishes were nestling against the stranger's face. Voices told her to leave him be, but subconsciously, Petal knew it would be immoral if she didn't get to the bottom of how these marks were there.

Minus that he was the epitome of evil, she could not understand his underlying innocent nature. A chunk of her felt compelled by him.

"Aren't you supposed to be out with your gang, Mikhailo?" she heard Kash force away their confrontation.

"Learn my goddamn name," the other man spat. "Call me Mickey. And for the record, I'm not in a fucking gang."

"Then why are you here?"

Mickey and Kash - rightfully so - were in full shock. Everyone was fearful of Mickey and his buddies, though evidently, Petal wasn't.

"I'm here because that ginger you were with is no good," Mickey spoke.

Curiosity got the best of Petal which drove her to approach him and swing a metal key inches away from his nose. What she was doing represented a threat.

"Not scared," mumbled Mickey. "Listen to me and you'll learn why I hate the kid."

Stood off to the side was Kash, watching as they headed another direction. Mickey paused his actions and let his eyes bore into space.

"Where the hell did he go?"

Making up the best lie he could, Kash sighed then informed him, "Took the back door. Leads to the alley."

For the second time, Petal donned a flat stare. Emotions came and went like a tide. More so a riptide. Every last drop of her predictions as to where Ian truly went became thin air upon the reality of how ominous Mikhailo was. Ominous while also created by secrets.

It was up to Petal; if she would confirm those wonders about him or not. Her first order of business was to make sure Ian didn't end up miserably beaten in the alley.

When Mickey made his departure with the two other boys, she had a gut feeling that he'd be back.