Pieces [Lip Gallagher]

Chapter 14:

------- Time Skip --------

We stepped off the curb onto the street.

"Gotta love these half-days." Ian said.

"Good thing public education is broke." Mandy said.

"Yeah. Waste of time anyways. The only thing those people are equipped to teach is how to live with crippling disappointment." Lip added.

Mandy and Ian started hitting each other before Mandy turned to Ian. "Hey. Wanna catch a movie later? Brandy can sneak us in."

I felt Lip's hand brush against mine and I started looking away.

"Can't. Gotta be at work by three." Ian said.

"Nice jacket Kash bought you by the way." Lip said looking at Ian.

"Thanks." Ian said looking down.

"Yeah. Tell Kash I'll take it in the ass if it gets me free stuff." Mandy said.

Lip started laughing slightly.

"Hey!" A man behind us called.

We turned around to see a man walking towards us.

"Hey. Yeah. I'm talking to you." The man said pointing at Lip.

Lip walked over to him. "Yeah?"

"You got a phone?" He asked.

"What. Your truck break down?" Lip asked.

"No genius. I like standing in the middle of a shitty neighborhood with my dick in my hands. Look I'm already two hours late on this load. I try to take one shortcut and this is what I get. My goddamn kid drained my phone playing "Doodle Jump." My goddamn wife took my charger." The man explained.

None of responded.

"Listen. I'll give you five bucks if you let me use your phone. Just one call." The man negotiated.

"We don't have a phone. Our dad says not till we're eighteen." Lip said. "Um but you know what? There's a bar, I think, about ten blocks that way. What's it called? O'Flaherty's. Tell them your family's from County Cork."

"Ten blocks?" He asked in disbelief.

"Maybe five. Straight shot." Ian added in.

The man sighed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out five dollars. "This is yours if you keep an eye on the truck."

"Five bucks?" Lip asked and looked over at Ian and Mandy then to me.

"Oh cool. Thanks mister." Ian added in.

The man started walking away but turned back around to face us. "Hey. Hey. Make sure no one gets near it."

"Will do." Lip said pointing at the man.

The man started walking away and Mandy handed Lip a phone. Lip took it and pulled his glove off. He dialed a number and put his phone to his ear.

"Yo Kev. Forty-third and Halsted. Bring a crowbar." Lip said.

He hung up the phone and handed it back to Mandy. We started back towards the truck.

Once Kevin, Veronica, Fiona, Steve, Debbie, and Carl showed up, the back was crowbared open. Lip and Kevin pushed the door up to reveal meat hanging from the ceiling and boxes. Everyone stared in awe while Kevin and Lip climbed into the back. I stayed back while everyone else started climbing in and getting stuff. Soon everyone from the neighborhood flocked the truck.