Middle Child Syndrome- Ian Gallagher

a gun at a wedding reception

Almost a week had passed, and Ian still wasn't talking to Lip, and vice versa. I decided not to get into it because it wasn't my business, but it hurt to see them fighting, and I know it hurt Fiona.

Lip even came to work one day to tell them Frank's mom was out of jail and was crashing at their place, and Ian still didn't say a word.

"What? You're playing a game of I'm gonna support whatever the fuck my boyfriend does because he's my boyfriend?" Lip said to me, noting my silence.

"Not my monkeys. Not my business," I said.

Lip started causing a scene in the store, throwing shit around and breaking stuff. By the end of it, the store was a mess, but Ian still didn't give in.

I just sighed because no matter what I did, it wouldn't change anything.

After work, Ian and I went back to his for lunch. Fiona, V, and Debbie were already in the kitchen with a bucket of fried chicken.

"How's Ethel doing?" Fi asked, changing the subject.

"She's in shock I think," V said, "Poor thing. Husband murdered in prison."

"Who got murdered?" Ian said as he and Carl came down, taking some chicken also.

"Ethel's husband, Clyde," Debbie said.

The poor girl was younger than me and had a husband and a child.

"Cool," Carl said as Debbie tried to smack him.

"Kev thinks the state might send her back to the cult now that her sclerotic husband is dead."

I hoped they wouldn't. She and Jonah shouldn't be kept in a cult. She should be with loving people like Kev and V and have a normal childhood.

"Grammy still here?"

Debbie shook her head, "Left with Frank."

"Somewhere in Chicago a priest is being mugged," V said before looking at me and touching my hair, "I wish I had hair like this. This natural?"

I nodded and smiled.

Lip came in, took some chicken, and flipped Ian off.

"Oh, grow up!" I said.

"Still?!" Fiona said.

"What was that all about?" V said.

Ian and I went upstairs with our chicken and sat on his bed. 

"I'm only gonna say this," I said, "I don't care what happens for the rest of the summer, but I need you guys this school year. I'm not taking anyone's side here but you need to level with each other, ok?"

Ian didn't say anything or even look at me, so I grabbed his chin.

"Please?"

"Ok," he nodded, kissing me quickly.

_________________________________________________________

The next day was Karen's wedding reception. Lip wasn't invited. Apparently, Karen made it explicitly clear she didn't want him there.

Jody might've seemed like a boring and weird guy, but at least he didn't seem like a douche. If it made her happy, that's all that mattered...

Ian and I grabbed two beers while I snagged a few mini hot dogs from Kev. 

"Hey!" Kev said.

"Sorry," I said, shrugging.