Bad Things; Lip Gallagher ♡[1]

Why do they call him 'Lip'?

-Lip-
I looked at her and squeezed her hand thankfully. She smiled slightly and played with my fingers, walking me down the stairs. We heard Veronica talking to a male voice that we hadn't heard before and gave each other another look.

"l nearly peed myself when you hit him," laughed Veronica. "Well, l did a little."

"Hey," smiled Fiona when we got downstairs.

"Hi," I nodded.

"Wait," said the guy we've never seen before. "How many of you guys live here?"

"Not me, I'm one down."  said Veronica, who we could now see was patching him up. He must have got into a fight or something. "But the old guy next door died in March, which I guess technically makes us next-door neighbors."

"So you're a nurse, Veronica?"

"Used to be."

"Lying bitch," Fiona scoffed a laugh.

"She works housekeeping at Cook County," I said, "bedpans and shit-sheets."

I sat down next to Debbie and pulled Kirah against me, in between my legs. Not in a sexual way or anything, I just wanted to hold her and she knew that I felt like shit so I don't think that she was surprised when I wrapped my arms around her and rested my chin on her shoulder. She leaned into me and held onto my arms, filling me with warmth. Steve and I stared at each other; he then looked to Kirah, then back to me, then both of us together.   

"Fine," said Veronica. "But I was offered a place in the nursing school."

"Fine," Fiona mocked her. "But it never happened. They fired her for selling medical supplies on eBay."

"Will you shut up? We don't even know him."

"Steve," he held his hand out to Carl who was sat on the coffee table with Chloe.

"Carl," he smiled.

Steve then looked to Chloe who nodded, "Chloe."

"Lip," I said when he looked to me.

He then nodded to Kirah who smiled, "Kirah."

Fiona introduced Debbie who was sat writing things down in a notepad for some reason.

"How you doing, Debbie?" Steve asked.

"Nice watch," said Debs.

"Oh, thanks. Panerai." 

"What'd that set you back, about six bills?"

Kirah laughed lightly.

"Did you get in a fight?" asked Chlo.

"He decked a bouncer at the club we were at," said Fiona before gesturing to Ian walking down the stairs. "This is Ian."

"Hey," nodded Steve and Ian waved. He looked at me before turning to Debbie. "Hey, Debbie, why do they call him "Lip"?"

I smirked, "A- you stink, B- you're not as funny as you think you are and C- you whacked a bouncer, you're gonna be dead soon so it's pointless getting to know you."

 Everyone laughed and I felt Kirah chuckle against me, I smiled.

"Stuff like that," grinned Carl.

"Yeah, stuff like that, boy meets death wish," joked Steve.  

"His real name's Philip," informed Fiona.

"Yo, Veronica!" called Kev as he walked through the front door. "You got my keys? What's going on here?"