HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

11 | excited barf

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"HEY," LIP GREETED AS she came down the stairs. She looked around in awe at the dozens of baked goods lying around the table, which usually would've made her foam at the mouth, but she felt sick just thinking about coming near them. "Morning beautiful. May I interest you in a croissant?"

"Un, no thanks," she replied, stepping away from the plate he offered in order to avoid the wave of nausea that threatened. She continued pulling her hair up into a bun before grabbing her purse. "I have to run. Vanessa wants me to beat the other company at this new fifties ice cream place opening up further north so we can get our article out first."

"Oh," he nodded as Debbie stood up. "Good luck."

"Do you have money?"

Amara rolled her eyes and pulled out a fifty before handing it to her. "Here your highness. Can you tone down the bitchiness now?"

Debbie held up her hands and walked to put the cash into the squirrel fund, Lip shifted and glanced between them. "Don't forget the foster paper signing is at one."

She waved him off and grabbed her purse, ignoring the stomach cramp that came with it when she bent down. "I'm done at twelve. I'll meet you two there."

"Okay," Lip watched as she left. "Love you!"

Amara paused and opened the door slightly more to blow him a kiss, pulling it shut once he grinned at her, and she was off to work not long after.

☆

"See, no, I don't understand the placement of this," Vanessa was saying. Amara pressed a palm to her eyes and stood up. "It doesn't make sense."

"It's a semicolon," Amara tried to keep the annoyance out of her tone. "It's used like a comma, or when you're comparing things. It's not in the wrong spot."

"You see, that's exactly what I'm looking for," Vanessa straightened as well. Amara blinked and eyed her. "I have had countless 'professional' editors come in here for interviews over the last couple of weeks, and not one of them could explain the significance of what a semicolon does."

Amara shrugged. "I learned about it in like fourth grade. English was really the only class I paid attention in."

"I've been testing you," she said.

"I'm aware," Amara replied. "No offense, but you're not exactly subtle."

Vanessa smiled. "Nothing slips past you, huh?"

"Guess not," she grinned back.

"I have been reading your article, but to be honest, I think you're overqualified as a journalist. And since Frank was fired a while back, we've been looking for replacements for the editor position. I think you're exactly what I want. What do you say? It's an extra four dollars an hour, and you get your own office. You'll be mostly in charge around here, but if anything major happens you still have to call me."

Amara was so thrilled she might've puked—but that was the thing—she did. At least there was a nearby trash can to hide it, and her burning face which flamed in embarrassment. Vanessa stood back awkwardly. "Please tell me that was an excited barf."

Amara would've laughed if it weren't for the sense of dread in her stomach. "Fuck," she groaned. "Not again."

☆

The Gallagher house was tense as fuck when Amara stepped through the door later that day, it was practically pitch black out. She was surprised to see Frank sitting in the arm chair, munching on candy corn, but even more surprised to see Fiona close to tears. Nobody acknowledged her as she walked in, and she shifted awkwardly on her feet before pursing her lips and going up the stairs.

"Never heard this place so quiet," Logan murmured as they maneuvered around the house. She gently grabbed her arm. "Good luck telling him, want me to stay incase he has a bad reaction and I need to kick him in the balls?"

Amara managed a weak smile. "Nah, he'll be fine. We've uh... been through this before."

"Right," Logan nodded. "But last time you didn't want to keep it."

Amara shushed her. "Just... stay in the hall if you'd like. There's snacks downstairs if you get hungry while we bang it out."

Logan cringed. "Fuck outta here with that."

Amara snorted and watched her go. Lip was lying on his back staring up at the ceiling as she entered his bedroom. His gaze barely flickered over to her. She furrowed her brows. "Jesus, did someone die?"

"I'm not in the mood," he rolled so he was no longer facing her.

Amara fiddled with her fingers subconsciously before speaking again. "I have something to tell you."

"That you don't want to keep Xan? Yeah, I figured that out on my own, thanks."

"What?" She reeled back at his tone and the accusation. "Why would you- oh, shit. Fuck. Lip, I'm sorry something came up I completely forgot about the signing."

"Don't worry about it," he did not sound very convincing. "Fiona already fucked that up too."

Amara swallowed and, against her better judgement, sat on the open spot next to him. "Babe what's going on-"

"Don't 'babe' me right now," he shifted even farther away from her. "You're always preaching to me about talking how I fucking feel, but the second it's your turn you just don't show up for when I need another signature. You should've just told me you don't want to foster Xan."

"Lip," she felt the bile rise up in her throat again. "That's not what I was-"

"Look, just go, alright? I don't want you here, not if you're going to fight me on the Xan thing."

"I-"

"Go!" He snapped, her hand fell from the mattress as she stood.

"You're an asshole," she heard Logan sneer behind her as Amara fled from the house, already wiping the tears spilling out from her eyes.

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a/n

i hate that scene where lip screams at fiona and throws her out SO BAD i physically cannot watch it