kind of a badass//Carl Gallagher

18

The skatepark was crowded. Mainly a bunch of children at this time of day. The parents watching ever so closely, making sure their precious daemons don't fall over and hurt themselves. I used to skate for competition. That ended when i was too worried about my brothers than my own happiness. Almost got sponsored by this small company. Nothing too big. Could of helped with money issues but i couldn't leave my brothers alone with their dad and our mom who knows what would have happened to them. I stared at one of the little blonde girls. Pink elbow and knee pads, pink helmet, and a skateboard with a skull painted on the bottom. I started young myself. "No mommy i got it. I'm okay." I couldn't help but smile when i saw the little girl push her mother away after she fell. At this moment in time i was glad my parents weren't so protective over me. 

"Go on. I'm just going to sit here and watch." My uncle pointed at a bench. I shook my head, took his and carls hands, then took them to the more empty side of the skatepark, the bowl. "You think i was going to skate with all those moms looking at us, freaking out if we skated too close to their oh so precious children? No." I explained myself when i got some questioning glances from the two. A mom that was walking her child into the park, obviously hearing my not so quiet words, rolled her eyes and muttered the words, "southside bitch" and scooted closer to her child. I rolled my eyes and looked her in the eye. "Boo." Stepping forward. Snobs. She then ran off to the child filled area. 

"You are so mean." I shook my head at kev. "Nope. Just observant and truthful. She called me a southside bitch." They both shook off the conversation with laughter. "so let's see what you got Delilah." Carl smirked. Obviously not knowing this was just another thing i would some how beat him at. I even saw uncle Kev trying not to laugh. No, I'm not the best at everything, but i am pretty talented in the sports and acting things. So yes, i have confidence i will either embarrass or be a little out of his league at least in skating. "Watch and learn, pretty boy." I ruffled my hand in his soft hair, then moved to the edge of the bowl, dropping in immediately. When i reached the flattest part of the bowl, i pulled off a 360 pressure flip. Landing on the other side of the bowl. I walked back around to the both of them. "Now. Lets see what you got, Gallagher." His eyes were wide. He didn't even take a second to look at my uncle before wrapping me in his arms and kissing me roughly. I pulled away, awkwardly looking at my uncle who was pretending to be interested in the clouds. "What was that about?" I asked, handing him the board. "I picked the best girl. You skate, smoke, lift, run, draw, act... what can you not do?" I laughed shaking my head. "I can't ice skate. if that helps." His eyes grew wide again. "Okay this winter i am teaching you... or maybe i shouldn't so i you can have one imperfection." I rolled my eyes and punched his arm. No way. "Okay kev your turn." Carl pushed the board towards my now paying attention buff uncle. "Oh... not a good idea carl." I laughed, remembering the last time Kev tried to skate. Carl gave me a confused glance. "okay, so a couple years ago he-" Kev cut me off putting his hand over my mouth and pushing me out of the way. "I got this Delilah." I raised my hands as if saying, "whatever. it's your medical bill." He stepped on the board and immediately dropped to the floor. He put his hand on his arched in pain back. "I told you-" In a pain-filled exhale, my uncle cut me off yet again. "I'm fine i was warming up." I shook my head walking over and helping him up. 

"Yeah i think that's all you're going to be doing. Don't you have a bar to run now?" He nodded and sat up. "alright carl up to you." We battled and skated for about two hours before more children migrated their way towards the bowl. Not using it, just skating around it or sliding down the sides on their asses. 

On the way back, Carl got a phone call and was a bit too quiet when responding. Im not the crazy jealous type.... but it was a bit sketchy. All i could hear was a word now and then and that was "okay" not much to go on that. I shook the thought from my head and turned the radio on. Blasting blink 182. 

"Kev where were you? Don't you think it would have been nice to wake me and tell me where you were going before you left?" V blurted the second all three of us stepped in the door. She was clothed and sitting on the floor playing with the girls. "I took these two to the skate park. My bad baby." He leaned down and kissed her. "We are going to my room." I pulled Carl upstairs so my aunt uncle and the girls could bond. "Who called you on the phone babe?" Okay i'm not crazy but the curiosity was killing me. "Just some friends. When i sold the monica meth, some people owed me some money and they did me a favor instead. All is well." I nodded. It sounded reasonably true. "I have a laptop if you want to watch a movie...?" He wrapped his arms around me tightly. "Anything is fine with me." I walked over to the nightstand and pulled out this plastic feeling laptop i bought a long time ago. 

"We have to watch a slasher movie though. Or horror." He plopped down on my bed, patting his hand beside him on the bed. I lay down next to him. "You know me so well." I smiled.

We were almost finished with the movie, "Paranormal activity" when a knock came on the door. "Yeah!" I shouted so the person would come in. Both V and Kev were at the door, both looking to at me with sadness washed over their faces. "We have to tell you something... We don't want you to feel guilty for anything. It isn't your fault." They were buttering up the point. This was obviously bad news. I sat up, carl following my movements. My Uncle sat on one side of me, my aunt on the other. They both wrapped their arms around me. "Okay what happened?" I asked sternly. I looked up at my uncle kev and his loss of hair. Hoping that if it was bad news i'd be too focused on his funny hair to care. "Your mother was shot last night. They couldn't identify the people who shot her. said they used an unregistered gun and stolen bullets." I sighed. I was upset... the news hit me like a truck actually. If this was a ploy i would have just gotten a call not them. 

My mother may not have been the best but, she didn't deserve to get murdered. No one does. I shook my head, staring into space. "Hey... honey..." V wrapped her arms around me tightly. Not letting go. "The funeral is in a week do you want to go?" I shook my head. "No." my uncle then began to join the hug. "Guys. I'm fine really. Im not upset she is gone, just... no one deserves to be murdered. No one."  They removed their arms from me. "Thank you guys for worrying though." They nodded and stood up.  "Well, We will be downstairs if you need anything." I nodded at V and they left the room. 

I turned to Carl who had looked worried. "I'm fine." I assured him, laying back down on the bed. "We gonna finish this movie or not?" He nodded and lay next to me. When the movie finished, my mind was in a million places. "What's wrong?" He asked me, shaking. i nodded. I turned to him, giving him a little smile. Thats when i saw his still worried stare. Tears down his cheeks. 

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Authors note: 

I don't know if this is interesting for you guys anymore. I've had writers block. Anyways, Leave little opinions on what you think happened.(:

~Delilah B. xx