old neighbor || carl gallagher

thirty three

i walk up the stairs of my house and see my mom through the window talking with some guy. as i i walk into the house and they both ignore me.

i run up to my room and jump onto my bed laying on my back.

i thought about carl and how happy he makes me. he's changed so much. he's changed me too. i used to be this run down girl who didn't want anything to do with anyone except my old bestfriend. it all happened because we moved and i didn't have him by my side. he would beat anyone up who got in my way. he was the bestfriend anyone could ask for, and now he's not just a bestfriend. he's more.

"you need to go somewhere else, i don't want you home when my friends come over." my mother said standing in my door way.

"its my house too." i said quietly.

"LEXI!" she screamed and walked up to me and i sat up.

"what?" i rolled my eyes.

she just stared at me then she slapped me. she hasn't laid a hand on me in months.

i looked at her and held my cheek. my eyes pricking of tears. "mom." i whispered.

"LEAVE!"

"THIS IS MY HOUSE TOO, WHY?" i screamed at her.

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU HERE, I DON'T WANT YOU WHEN MY FRIENDS COME. I CAN'T INTRODUCE THEM TO MY PATHETIC FUCKED UP DAUGHTER."

i stopped moving and closed my eyes trying as hard as i could to hold back my tears. i felt a tear fall down my cheek and thats when i just let them go. no point in holding them in.

"YOU NEED TO LEAVE, AND NOT COME BACK UNTIL I TELL YOU. THIS IS MY HOUSE AND I DO NOT WANT YOU HERE WHEN MY PEOPLE COME, NOW GET OUT!" she screamed once again.

"i thought moving here was supposed to be better than before, but no, you're just worse than before. you still hit me, you never tell me you love me, you get drunk and bring new guys home every night, and you kick me out of my own goddamn house." i say my final words and leave.

i ran out the front door, still some tears rolling down my cheeks. i stopped running and looked up at the gallaghers house. i whipped away a tear and someone behind me said my name. i feel my body tense before turning around.

"lexi, what's wrong?" v says as she gets closer to me.

"mom, she slapped me again."

"here, come on, let's go inside and talk to fiona."

"no." i pull back from here and she looks at me with wide eyes "carl, he, i don't want him to see me crying."

"hes not home. he's with lip and kev. they took the ice cream truck out."

i stoped and she grabbed my shoulder. "come on."

she walked us into the house and sat me down at the table, grabbing a bag of peas from the freezer, handing them to me to put on my face.

fiona then walks out of the bathroom, "i swear, if carl.." fiona started but i cut her off. i stood up from my seat and hugged her.

"fiona thank you for always being there for me. you were always better than my own mom and i'm can't thank you enough for that."

she hugged me back "lexi, did your mom do something to you?"

i pulled away and looked at her. "she slapped me because i told her it was my house too and she can't just kick me out."

"are you fucking kidding me? here hold these damn earnings while i go beat the shit out of this chick." v said attempting to make me laugh.

i laughed and that made v smile, "she shouldn't have hit you, and fiona and i aren't letting her get away with this."

"she doesn't care what anyone does, she used to hit me all the time." i shrugged, fixing the peas on my face that were slipping.

"lexi," fiona and v both hug me "we care about you and we don't want you to worry about her, she may be the person who gave birth to you, but she can't do these kinds of things, and it's not going to happen anymore." fiona said.

"thanks guys."

"we love you a lot lexi, we love you like family." v sends a smile my way.

"i love you guys too."