company ; gallagher

ii

two – robbery for pharmaceuticals

—

2 weeks later

Being the daughter of a nurse/porn star and of a bartender/porn star, made life interesting sometimes. Hailie knew she wasn't blood related to her mom or dad, but they always assured her that they would love her the same if she was or wasn't.

Hailie never took interest in finding out her birth parents. Carl told her if they were nice or rich enough, they would have kept Hailie. Carl's idea or theory then washed away all of Hailie's form of sympathy for her so called 'parents'.

Although, Carl still finds a way to wiggle his face into any business that isn't his, he will constantly ask Hailie to contact her parents. Just to see if they are rich or nice, so then maybe, he can pull the whole, "You abandoned me" act on them, instead of Hailie doing it. Disagreeing, Hailie always smiles at Carl's attempt to scam or steal money, even though it's illegal.

"You okay?" His male voice questioned from the other side of his room. He was reading a porn magazine, while Hailie finished the last chapter of her book. The girl tried to get Carl to read many times, but it always resulted in him throwing her book across the room or him reading his 'magazine'.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hailie reassured, not making eye contact. Her eyes fixated on the word liar, which caused her heart to pound faster. "It's just my stupid anxiety,"

Carl grinned, a twisted idea forming in his brain. "You still want pills?"

   Hailie's blue eyes shot to Carl's, "The pills for anxiety? Yes. Drugs? No." Carl's eyes wavered around Hailie's face, her eyes's were normally soft and still, but right now, they were filled with a sign of hope. The boy felt a wash of desire and excitement as the vulnerable girl was pleading for help with her eyes.

   The Gallagher's words was low in Hailie's ear, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "I'll get your anxiety pills for you, babe."

—

   "You gotta have more selection!" An angry shout came from the teenager's lips, as he shuffled through a bag of pharmaceuticals. The older man let out a grunt, his scruffy beard made Carl's chin itch, almost feeling the uncomfortable facial hair rub off on him. "You got  anti-depressants, pills for blood pressure – but no fucking anxiety pills?!"

   "Listen here, kid." The old man's raspy voice cursed, ripping the plastic bag out of Carl's reach. "You asked for 'pills', 'medicine', and this – is what you fucking got. You weren't fucking specific!"

   The teenager rolled his eyes, leaving the smelly man on the street corner by himself. Carl's hands were pocketed in his hoodie, he strolled the empty streets of the South Side, trying to come up with an idea to get Hailie her medicine. Ranking his brain for any way to get his girl some pills, to make her feel normal again.

   Carl remembered the days were Hailie was confident in everything she did and said, which was what drove him in, in the first place. But as she got older, she grew more self conscious and nervous of social situations. He had watched her grow this way, he blamed himself for knowing but not doing anything about it. Every time her hand starts to twitch, or her breathing becomes hesitant, he blames himself and everyone else for not helping this vulnerable girl. Now, he had the chance too. Carl Gallagher had the chance to help some that wasn't himself. He could get the medicine for Hailie, she would get back to normal, and everything will be normal again.