𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 - 𝑳𝒊𝒑 𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒓 UNDER CONSTRUCTION

What Came First? The Chicken or the Dickhead?

"He really beat the shit out of him?" My dad asked as we walked down the sidewalk towards our house, "Why'd he go and do that?" I watched as he flicked his finished cigarette onto the concrete, it rolled towards the curb and went out onto the street.

I sighed, "Well, he's a jealous prick," I stated, matter-of-factly, "An alcoholic, jealous prick," I then corrected myself. 

My dad let out a bit of a scoff and nodded, "With Frank as his dad, one of them was bound to be the chosen one,"  He looked over at me, "I was once that prick, jealous of any guy your mother was friends with- then again, she would fuck them to make me jealous and of course I would always run back to her, no matter what." 

We were nearing the Gallagher house, "I thought he was better," I mentioned, "He went to rehab, I figured that it would work, but I guess it takes more than one fuck up in your life to make you realize how stupid you are." 

"Mabel!" I heard a familiar voice, my eyes widened and I looked towards the Gallagher's house, watching as she ran over, "Oh, wow," Monica smiled and looked at my dad, "I can't believe you're here." 

My dad gave her a confused look, "Monica," He replied, "How long have you been home?" 

"I should be asking you the same thing!" She laughed, "It's so good to see you... Where's Kandis? Is she at home?" Monica looked down the street towards our house. Then I realized she hadn't been around for when she died, who could have told her? 

My dad hesitated to say anything, "Moni, nobody told you?" His voice was soft. 

She gave him a confused look, "Tell me what? Well- I knew about her going to rehab that one time, she called me when she got out, what, did you two put her back in? I mean- you're looking great, I assume you're sober as ever, but you know Kandy, she's not exactly the type to stay sober for long..." She started laughing, "I mean, the two of us, we tried to get sober once, a long time ago and- and," She continued laughing, "Man, we fought every day, you remember don't you? You were stuck in the middle of it!" 

My dad let out a small laugh, "Oh, I remember all of it," He looked down towards the ground. Monica has been gone for so long... Then I realized she probably didn't even know about Franny. "But, Monica, Kandis is, uh, she died a while ago." 

Monica's whole demeanor changed in an instant, "What?" She questioned, "Oh my god, I am so sorry. Oh, Mabel," She then said, opening the gate to pull me into a hug, "I am so, so sorry." 

I was confused why she went to hug me and not my dad, the person who knew Kandis longer than anyone standing here. But then she pulled away and hugged him, "We gotta get home, Moni, see you around?" He was quick to say, she nodded and watched as we walked off; letting out a long breath of relief.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Later that night I went to the Albi with my dad, and lord behold, there was Lip and Monica, sitting at the bar, but far enough apart, making it clear Lip didn't want to talk to her. "Jesus," Lip said as he saw my dad, "Everyone's deadbeat parent back in town?" He had to comment. 

"Nice to see you too Phillip," My dad replied as he sat at the bar next to Monica.

"What are you drinking?" Monica  asked him, "Tequila, whiskey, whatever it is, it's on me!" 

My dad shook his head, "I'll just have a water, Kev," He said.

Kevin nodded, filling up a glass with water and sliding it to me, "Color me impressed," Monica commented, "Are you really staying sober?" 

My dad nodded in response, I sat down next to him, "Not me, I'll take a vodka soda," I said to Kevin. 

"Atta girl," Monica smiled at me.  She then turned around and looked at Lip, "So," She said to her son, "I got Debbie's baby back..."

"Deb's has a baby?" My dad asked, a shocked look on his face.

"You've missed a lot," I told him.

"Let me do something for you," Monica said to Lip, "What do you need? Money? Something for college?" 

Lip shook his head, "Not in college in anymore."

"Why not?" 

"He got drunk," I spoke up, "Smashed up a car with crowbar." 

Monica scoffed, "They kick you out for that? Kids get drunk and smash shit all the time! It's what college is for- those jerks..."

"Not to mention he fucked his professor," I added.

Lip looked over at me, "Shut the fuck up," Monica gasped, "Phillip!"

"I needed something more than I was getting," Lip shot a remark at me and I squinted towards him. 

"God, you are a fucking dick," I murmured. 

"Well, in ten years," Monica just brushed past that, "When you cure cancer, they're gonna come at your with an honorary-"

"Hey, Monica," Lip spoke up, "Fuck off."

That was when Monica's phone went off and she walked away to answer it, "You kids are never nice to your mothers," My dad commented, shaking his head.

"What the fuck do you know?" Lip was now taking out anyone who dared speak to him.

"More than you, kid, that's for sure." 

Lip scoffed, "What the fuck ever," He drank the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down on the bar, nodding at Kev, who quickly refilled it, "You never went to college, you never did shit for anyone, just yourself." 

"Lip, seriously?" I said to him.

He looked at me, "What, suddenly he's sober so he's the picture perfect dad?  You hated his guts for years! So-"

"Which I deserved," My dad spoke over him, taking a drink of his water, "Mind if I smoke in here, Kev?" 

Kev laughed, "As long as you're not shitting on the floor, I don't give a fuck what you do in here," He wiped down the counter and threw the rag off to the side. 

I watched as my dad lit up his cigarette and looked back towards Lip, "Look, buddy, I don't know what issues you're dealing with deep down; whether it's getting kicked out of school or Mabel dating Dean and not you, whatever it may be," He pause to take a drag of his cigarette. "But, you know you're a smart kid, you know that you are worth more than the shit that you're going through, you just choose to beat yourself up because you feel like all of it is your fault," This had to be some junk he heard at rehab that he now spews off to everyone else, "You need to look past that shit, you need to figure out who you are before you try to analyze everyone else and think that everyone is out to get you. I guarantee I'm not here to judge you, I don't think Kev or V are judging you, right?" 

V raised a brow, "Don't bring me into this," She said as she washed some glasses.

"I'm not judging anyone," Kevin said with a nod.

"So, stop being a loser and fix your shit, dude. If I can, you surely aren't far  behind." 

"Jesus, none of you know shit," Lip didn't give two fucks about what anyone had to say to him, fuck off."