Shamelessy Bad

14. Advice

"My life isn't perfect!" I scream after him.

I don't care who hears. Tears burst out of my eyes like a fire hose. He stops at the doorway and looks back at me.

"Could've fooled me." He gets ready to continue walking but bumps into my dad. "Don't worry, sir. I'm leaving. Back to a house where my parents don't care about me." He snarks. I hear him slam the front door and watch him as he stomps across the street and into his own house.

"I came up to see if you had eaten yet. I brought some chocolate chip waffles from the diner a couple of blocks away. What the hell is going on?" He holds his hands out palm side up.

"It's nothing, Dad. We had a fight. It's over." I sniffle. He sits on my desk chair as I speak.

"What was the fight about?" He asks crossing his arms and leaning back in the seat.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

I wipe my nose with my wrist and look out the window. I keep waiting for Carl to come back, but he doesn't. I see Mickey show up and go inside with some woman with a big belly. She looks like she could pop at any moment.

"Since when do you keep things from me?" He asks sounding hurt. "You used to tell me everything." I take in a big breath and let it out slowly.

"Last night, I snuck out with Carl. We vandalized an overpass and got caught by a cop. He took us to Carl's house and dropped us off. Then I snuck Carl over here and slept with him." I confess. Daddy raises his eyebrows.

"You two, uh. You two had uh-" I cut him off.

"No! All we did was sleep. But I think I really hurt him." Daddy shrugs.

"Well, darlin' it sounds like you made a mess that you've gotta clean up. I'm disappointed that you snuck out or even felt the need to, but I know you'll make things right." He tells me. "But in the meantime, there are waffles waiting to be in your stomach downstairs when you want them."

He gets up and walks back downstairs. I grab some shorts, put my hair in a ponytail, and head down to eat. I sit and eat at the table facing the window and watching the front door. Dad is in the living room watching TV. I only get a couple of bites down before Mickey walks out, leaving the woman behind at the house. I wait till he gets a couple feet away from the house before I chase after him.

"Mickey, wait. Mickey, please." I call to him as I catch up. He stops and gives me his usual glare.

"Are you fucking lost or something?" He asks.

"No, I have a question. You were just at the Gallagher house, right?"

"No, I was in Oz visiting the wizard for a brain." He says sarcastically. I roll my eyes. I match his pace as he dawdles down the sidewalk to his own house. "Is that your question? 'Cause I got shit to do."

"No." I shake my head. "Was Carl there?"

"Yeah, he was moping about something. The fuck did you do to him? Did you break up with him or some shit?" He speaks loud.

"No, yeah. Uhm kinda?" I stutter indecisively. Mickey stops and turns to look at me.

"Well, which is it you, fucking loop? Did you break up or not?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't think so, but I said something kinda mean to him. I wanna fix things but I don't know how." I put my head down.

"Why'd you come to me, then? Do I look like a damn Cupid? What am I supposed to do?" He holds his arms out to his sides. "I don't know if you remember, but our last exchange wasn't exactly rainbows and unicorns. You tried to castrate me."

"From what I've heard you and Ian have gotten through so much. I thought you'd know what to do." I mumble. "Please, help me, Mickey." He looks me up and down.

"Alright, come on." He starts walking again. "You're not gonna win him back like that."

"Like what?" I ask. "What's wrong with the way I am?"

"Being a goodie goodie. Carl may act like he likes it, but trust me, he wants a bad girl like the rest of us." Mickey chuckles as we reach the house.

"What do you mean 'the rest of us'?" I ask. "I thought you were gay."

"Oh, uhm. Nothing, don't worry about it." He opens the door, allowing us access. He walks me straight to Mandy's room. She's laying on the bed listening to some loud music while reading a magazine.

"Uhm, what are we doing here?" I ask him.

"We're getting help. All I can tell you is to drop the good girl act. Show him more of the rough and tough you used against me the other day. He'll love it. Mandy can show and tell you more about how to act and what to wear. I've gotta go take Svetlana some stupid coverup or some shit." He explains.

"My pleasure. I love a good makeover." She chimes. "I got this Mickey." She says, shooing her brother out of the room.

He leaves and she shuts the door giving us privacy.

"You ready to be a trollop?" Mandy jokes. I nod my head laughing.

We spend hours as she tells me what to and what not to do. She shows me what to wear and ways to do my hair and makeup. She lends me an outfit and does my makeup. She cuts my hair into choppy layers that frame my face. Then she takes a flat iron to it, making it pin straight. My eyes are smoky and dark and my lips are red like the ripest apple of summer. When she's pleased with her work, she takes a step back, gleaming.

"There. Perfect. Now all you have to do is strut over there and apologize. He'll be yours like that if you do it well enough." She advises. I nod my head and walk out the door.