Southside ~ Shameless

Chapter 29

Fiona and Hollie were making lunches for the kids to take to school. Ian was sitting at the counter doing homework and Liam was sitting in his high chair with a sippy cup.

"Where's Grammy?" Debbie questioned as she came downstairs.

"Frank took her to Sheila's late last night," said Fiona, "she was having trouble breathing,"

"The chemicals from the fire were aggravating her emphysema," Ian informed her.

"Will the chemicals give us emphysema?"

"Probably but we won't know for 50 years," Ian shrugged.

"Don't worry about it Debs, you'll be fine," Hollie assured her.

There was a loud banging from the staircase making them look over to see Carl clumsily stumbling down the stairs, banging his head off of the walls since he had his football helmet on.

"Carl the team give you one helmet and if you break it we can't afford to replace it,"

"Don't matter. Seasons over,"

"What?"

"His coach got arrested for exposing himself at the park," said Ian.

"Delightful," Hollie muttered.

"He was peeing behind the shed," said Debbie, "a couple of 7-year-old girls saw it."

"I don't get it." said Carl as he grabbed his bowl and spoon from Hollie when she handed them to him, "half the world has penises," he sat down at the table and poured himself some cereal, "why do people get so upset about seeing them?"

"Context." Said Ian. Hollie snapped her fingers and pointed to him.

"What's that?" asked Carl.

"When, how, where and with who," said Fiona as she gave Liam a bowl of cereal.

"Ian you played. You could coach."

"I can't. I gotta work after school, bud, sorry." Ian scrubbed his hand into Carl's hair as he got up from his seat and grabbed his bag.

"You going to school early?" Fiona questioned.

"Chemistry study group," said Ian as Hollie handed him his lunch.

"Can you coach?" Carl asked Fiona as Ian left.

"I know nothing about football,"

Carl turned to Hollie, "can you?"

Hollie shook her head, "sorry dude. If it was baseball then maybe, but I am clueless about football,"

Carl groaned.

"It's just boys crashing into one another," said Debbie, "with pads and some...some rules,"

"Ask Lip," Fiona suggested.

"He won't do it,"

"Eh, wake him and ask," Fiona shrugged, "can't hurt,"

"LIP!" Carl yelled loudly without moving from his seat at the table making the others jump.

"I could've done that," said Fiona. Debbie smacked the back of Carl's helmet.

"Upstairs please," said Fiona with a sigh.

A few minutes later Carl came back down the stairs, "couldn't wake him,"

Fiona sighed, "Debbie brush your teeth. Tell lip that ice cubes are going down his shirt next," she said as she lifted Liam out of his high chair, "he's missed a week of school already,"