kind of a badass//Carl Gallagher

14

"we should go." Carl pulled my wrist and we started running after grabbing my bag. "some people were calling the cops. I'm doing you a favor." Soon enough, as we were sprinting down the road, a cop car and an ambulance zoomed past us. We didn't stop running until we reached the Gallagher's home.

We busted through the door in a hurry and closed it behind us. Lip was on the couch and Fiona was in the kitchen. "woah what the hell did you get into this time Carl." Lip turned to us as we were struggling to catch our breaths. "It wasn't him." I moved over to the kitchen to grab some water. "what happened?" Fiona asked, pulling out a chair next to the one she was at. I pulled out a water bottle and sat. "Well, some girls thought they were funny, took a swing at me." I chugged the water bottle. "Well damn. did you swing back or did you make a run for it?" She raised a brow, now interested. "Well," Carl walked into the kitchen holding out his phone as Lip followed, "see for yourself." He handed Fiona his phone. I leaned over to see that he had recorded me fighting the girls. His shouts of encouragement loud through the speaker. The fight ended so quick.

"Looks like you broke them!" Fiona exclaimed, giving Carl back his phone. "So why did you guys run? I mean you kicked ass." Lip asked, sitting across from me. "Well, I kicked ass and people called the cops. So Carl yanked me from the pool. They cant press charges. They tried to jump me and they threw the first punch." Fiona shook her head. "No they'll lie. Even with video proof, we didn't catch the first punch." They had a point. Luckily none of them knew my name. Then my eye caught a white check on the table. It had a rather large number written across it. "Fi, what is that for?" I motioned towards the check.

She smiled proudly. "I... sold the laundromat for double what I paid." My eyes grew wide. "holy shit!" I exclaimed. Carl leaned towards the check. "Damn Fiona that is a shit ton of money." Lip let out a sigh. "so Debby is out of a job?" He finally spoke. She nodded. "I think she will understand. Now if you excuse me I am going to share the news with V." Fiona stood up. "Do you want to come Deli?" She asked before she went out the door. I nodded and went to follow her. Carl pulled my arm, pulling me close to him and he hugged me. Just a hug. Then I went out to meet Fiona. "So what was that between you and Carl yesterday?" She nudged me with her elbow. "I don't know. I guess we are in a relationship." Her brows lifted and eyes grew wide. "Holy shit. I mean I love Carl, he's my brother, but you could do so much better." I rolled my eyes. Everyone told me that. I don't see what was so wrong with him. Yeah he's been to jail, but he turned his life around by going into military school. In a week he's going to work for the police department(with the help of fake urine on his drug tests) but still.

"I mean, I think he is headed in the right direction. It also kind of just happened. I don't know." She hugged me. "well, you two are cute together." We walked into the house. "I think i'm going to go take a shower." I informed them before going upstairs. Right before I got into the shower, i heard my phone ring. It was an unknown caller. "Hello?" I answered. "Why'd you leave me too? Delilah!" It was my mother. "Mom I've been gone for almost a month now and i haven't heard from you. seems like you care a whole bunch." I sarcastically stated. "baby come home. I have no one. I'm sorry for everything." She sounded hysteric. It was scaring me but i wasn't giving in to her guilt at the moment. "You're just saying that so ill come back and help you pay your bills. I cant keep doing this." i heard her crying getting worse, making it hard for me to argue with her. But i stood my ground. "I promise it's not like that. Hell you know your uncle Kevin has been telling people all his life that he doesn't have any real family. Hell he didn't invite us to his wedding. But you chose him over your own mother."

I felt a tear go down my face. "Mom. Stop. Call me when you aren't trying to guilt me over something. I love you." She mumbled something and then i hung up. I took a few deep breaths and then turned the shower water on. I took a really long shower, trying to not let the call get to me.

when i got out i went straight to my room. I didn't want to talk to anyone. not right now. I knew my uncle had told people he didn't have any family but that's because my mother was in a lot of trouble, caused by herself. I haven't seen my brothers in a long time. Havent gotten calls from them either. I raised them and they cant even call. suddenly i felt a deep pit in my stomach. Depression. I chose to ignore the feeling. Tried to get happy by listening to some Jack & Jack. Their new EP was quite the breakup EP though. Then the song Hurt People (you should really listen to them) came on. The song was so true. I didn't want to hurt anyone because i was hurt. that's exactly what my mom was doing to me. So i swallowed the guilt feeling and i put on some blink 182. I danced around until I felt in a better mood.

It worked. It always had. I went downstairs to see V had made pasta. Fiona was in the kitchen with her. "Where'd Uncle K go?" I asked, taking a bowl of pasta and adding salt to it. "He went out with some friends. It's just us tonight." V smiled, walking over to the living room. "the girls?" I followed. "Still with my mother." I ndded. "Fiona, you staying over for a while?" She nodded and sat on the couch with us. V had started playing her DVD of True Blood she just bought. I had already seen the whole series. I loved it. "Yeah i told Lip i'll probably be over here all night so he has the house." I nodded. Cool just a girls night.

We had gotten to season two, it was midnight. "Suki is a badass." Fiona had stated, in a trance of the show, along with V. My phone started ringing. It was my mother again. I stood up and left the room and went upstairs. I heard V pause it for me even though i had told her not to. "Hello?" The voice that answered was male. "Delilah Baker?" I took a deep breath. Scared. I locked my room door. "Yes?" The male took a deep breath. "This officer Mcdouge. This was the last number your mother called. Sorry to inform you... your mother attempted suicide. We have her on the way to the hospital. Our doctors will try their hardest to save her. if you want to come see her you can." I dropped my phone. My heart shattered. This was my fault. My mother actually tried to kill herself this time, because of me. I did this. The pain in my stomach and chest grew tighter. I couldn't.. i did this. I killed my mother unintentionally. Sure yeah I've watch them save her before. They'll probably do it again. But this was because of me. I'm shit.

(A/N normally i wouldn't add suicide or self harm because i find stories like that annoying and they piss me off because they don't even know how it's really like to try, but i feel like this is a crucial part to the relationship she has with her mother, so stop reading if you'll ACTUALLY be triggered. Not this fake shit these kids play about to get attention.)

I paced around my room, the phone probably still on call. My vision became blurry of tears. i wasn't sobbing. It was pissed off tears. I was beyond pissed at myself. At this point, i was a murderer until they bring her back. But the thought of me being the reason was too much. The emptiness in my gut was overpowering. The pain in my heart. I mindlessly found myself looking for my sleeping medication( i have insomnia) and when i found it, it didn't take me any time to down them. I didn't feel anything at first. I heard knocks at my door. "Delilah, we are ready to start the show again. It's been over 20 minutes." I didn't answer V. "Delilah? come on who was on the phone?" I tried to tell her i was fine and they could play the show and not worry about me. that i was tired. But i couldn't find my voice. "Delilah?" I heard her jiggle the handle. Then she was banging on the door. "Delilah!" I tried to speak again. Nothin.

My vision started getting blurry. "FIona!" she shouted. "Get Ian! Run!" I heard the front door. Then a minute later i faintly heard it again. My body was shutting down slowly. I couldn't move. I heard a bang. Then another one. "V call 911." He sounded worried. He was supposed to be headed for the club about now. Then the door busted down. I saw ians figure in the blur. If i blinked a few times i could see colors as well. Then i saw carl and Lip behind him. Then Fiona and V. Fiona was on a call with my uncle. Ian walked over to me, trying to get a pulse. "No. No." I heard Carl cry. I felt him lift my torso from the floor. He held me there. Sitting down. I could sense he had tears down his face. Lip gripped on Ian. "You and your team better bring her back." Then carls voice became an echo as my vision blackened. "Baby. Stay here." Then... i couldn't hear anymore. Nothing.

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Author's note

like i said normally i wouldn't do that because i hate seeing that shit. but i feel like it gives us a really good example of how Delilah and her mother's relationship is. How close Delilah gets to breaking down when it gets too much. Idk i feel like i just ruined this book. WHat do you think? Leave a comment.

Delila