Shameless

52|Rite of Passage

"Morning." Fiona said, walking into the kitchen as the twins sat at the table. "Where have you been?" Debbie asked. "I will tell you tonight. I've got news." Fiona announced. "What is it?" Debbie asked. "I'm gonna announce it tonight." Fiona said.

"Announcing it?" Carl repeated. "Mm-hmm." Fiona hummed. "We're here. Just tell us now." Debbie said. "I got plans tonight." Carl said. "Uh,so change them." Fiona told him. "For a stupid announcement? No,thank you." Carl said.

"It's news about your sister who you love. Think you can spare an hour?" Fiona asked. "Gallaghers don't do announcements at dinner. We do blackouts and suicide attempts but never announcements." Carla said, taking a drink of the orange juice.

"You knocked up?" Carl asked. "No." Fiona said. "Uh,brain tumor?" Carl asked again. "No." Fiona laughed. "Nothing like that." Fiona said. "We win the lottery?" Debbie asked. "I got 10 bucks on the herp." Carla said. "Yeah,Carla,that's right. I'm getting everybody together to announce that I have an STD. I'll text Lip." Fiona said as Sammi walked inside.

"You're acting weird. " Debbie said. The twins and Liam watched as Sammi rinsed water out of her shirt. "What happened to you?" Debbie asked Sammi. "Just another of life's little speed bumps. Nothing a Gallagher can't handle." Sammi said as she touched her wet hands on Carla's shoulders.

Carla wiped the water off. "You're not a Gallagher." Carl said. "In name,no. Genetics,yes. Where's dad?" Sammi asked. "Couch." Debbie said. "What's Frank doing here?" Fiona asked. "Drying out. And not in the usual way." Debbie said.

"Well,he's got to go." Fiona said. "And don't forget about dinner tonight." Fiona reminded as she left. "I'm--Fuck. I'm sleeping." Frank exclaimed. "We need to go see your lawyer, lady." Sammi said. "Woke up in the park in the middle of a goddamn Filipino monsoon." Frank said.

"We got to get that money. The insurance money." Sammi told Him. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm working on it." Frank told her. "I need that new trailer. I'm calling them now." Sammi said. "What? No. Don't call them. You know how those corporations work. It's layers of bureaucracy. It takes time." Frank said as he stood up.

"Hi. Yeah, I need the number for liberty ---get---." Sammi said but got stopped when Frank took the phone from her. "I already got the money. I don't have it in hand. I'm getting it this afternoon. Lou told me yesterday." Frank said. "Why didn't you say something?" Sammi asked.

"To get you the new trailer. Wanted to make it a surprise." Frank said. "Oh,dad." Sammi said in awe. "Yeah, yeah,yeah,yeah. Come on,no waterworks." Frank said as Sammi hugged him. "I am gonna pack whatever's dry. Oh,and tell Fiona that I need to park my new trailer in the backyard." Sammi told Him as she walked into the kitchen and out the backdoor.

Carla looked at Carl in confusion, knowing that Frank didn't have the money to get the new trailer as Debbie walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. "There's no room in the backyard." Debbie said. "There's no trailer." Frank admitted. Debbie scoffed, "Feel bad for her." She said.

"Sammi? She'll forget about it by happy hour." Frank said. "The sofa's sopping wet." Debbie said. "Because you don't have a bed for me. I'll go fine one on my own from people who actually treat me like family. " Frank said.

"Yeah? Who's left?" Debbie asked. "When I got this new liver, you know what even I got? People who care about me for a change." Frank said. The twins looked at each other before laughing at their father's words.

~~

"Why'd I have to come with you?" Carla asked as she followed Carl. "You said you had nothing to do today." Carl said as they walked into an alleyway. "Now turn around so I can change." Carl told her.