Shameless, Reckless Love (GirlxGirl)

A Very Lib Interlude

Lib walks her slummy streets at around 5:30 PM. She had nothing but her bookbag strapped to her back.

She pondered on her family mostly during her stroll. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by leaving without a single word – a trait done by many of the Gallaghers in her family – but at the same time, Lib found it hard to have much sympathy. This was her own issue. She didn't need to put more stress on everyone when they had plenty enough.

That's when Lib thinks about Fabian. She felt shitty that she acted as if he had no problems whatsoever. And it wasn't his fault that she and her siblings' lives were the way they were.

Lib suddenly senses a fresh drop of September rain plop onto her forehead, and she begins to think about where she'd be staying while she "figured things out". Immediately, she thought of Mitchell's house. Even though his house was Eden's hangout as well, Mitchell knew how to keep secrets, and so Lib takes her chances.

She hurries back over to her side of the neighborhood and successfully makes it to Mitchell's front door without any one of her siblings spotting her.

She knocks quickly on the door, and her body shivers as the rain feels colder behind her. Finally, the doorknob jiggles, but the person who opens it is not at all Mitchell. After a couple of seconds, Lib smirks as she recognizes the young woman's face.

"Iggy!" Lib says. Iggy stares at Lib, and puffs her uneven bangs away from her eyes.

"Who are you again?" she asks Lib. Lib stuffs her hands in her pocket.

"Well, you were on my little league softball team." Lib reminds her. "You're sister, Jamie, plays with my sister, Cora, now." Iggy remains looking confused. "You and Ricki use to shove sand down my pants." Lib adds in. Iggy then bellows out a laugh that resembles a man's fairly well.

"Right! You are so right!" Iggy exclaims. "Damn. Time flies by, don't it, Lib?" she asks. Lib shrugs. It wasn't all that funny. "You another one of Mitchell's girlfriends?"

"No. No." Lib says, curious on why she felt the need to repeat herself.

"'Kay, no need to get all that blush on your face." Iggy says. What blush? Lib asks herself. "Yo! Mitch! Libby's here!" Iggy jokes, then looks back at Lib. "I'm gonna head out. Try not to have sex in my bedroom. I hate when Mitch does that." Iggy grumbles, and then walks past Lib. Lib's face is completely immobile as Mitchell finally comes jogging to the door.

"C'mon in, Lib!" He tells her, and she does. He plops himself on the couch, and Lib sits beside him. His eyes are heavy. After a while it starts to make Lib tense.

"What the hell are you staring at?" Lib spurts out.

"What happened to you the past couple of days? It was like you fell off the face of the earth!" Mitchell explains. Lib sighs, and tilts her head back. "Eden told me about you and school. And Fabian this morning. Do they know you're here?" he asks. He was talking so much that there were no breaths in-between his words.

"No, they don't know, and we are going to keep it that way." Lib orders him.

"Look, man, you know I would. But Eden's worried now. I can't just not tell her you're okay." Mitchell says. Lib sucks her teeth dryly.

"Eden knows I'm fine." Lib argues.

"I don't." Mitchell admits. "What's goin' on?" Lib looks at his troublesome face, not knowing what to say. "Is this about teachers? College?" Mitch asks before Lib has a chance to speak up. She shrugs. Speaking about feelings was never easy for Lib. When she attempted to, she always screwed up anyways. Keeping quiet was playing it safe. "First of all: you'd be better off once you stop comparing what others have, to what you don't. Deal with it! This is the life you were born into, and so this is the life you get to put up with!" Mitchell continues, and Lib is somewhat surprised by his rough tone. "Never regret the shit in your life. It makes all the great things that'll come to you in the future feel so much greater. Second of all: Not going to school is possibly the worst decision you'll ever make. How will you ever take care of yourself?"