Like Mother, Like Daughter

Chapter Four: The Eleventh Hour

Suffice it to say that after the obligatory family dinner that I'd been subjected to after the graduation ceremony, I returned to my bedroom quickly that night when Mom, Dad, and I had returned home. With Clayton and Fionn still at their party, and Carla and Charlie spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's place, I knew that my parents would be taking it to their bedroom sooner rather than later. I trekked upstairs to my bedroom, shutting the curtains around my window and shutting the door behind me.

Popping my earbuds into my ears and cranking up Rogue Traders Voodoo Child into my ears, I felt as if the song was my personal anthem as I slipped off my dress, and yanked on a sports bra and a pair of shorts before I hastily tapped up my knuckles. I made a grab for one of my hair ties atop my dresser then, combing my hair with my fingers and yanking it into place, so as my raven mane was in a long ponytail down my back. Facing my punching bag head on, with each second that ticked by, I readily poised myself, bracing my wrists for impact. The smash that came with each swing of my fist was quite pleasant, my right hook very impressive, which Pops had worked on with me for the past five years.

"Being half-Milkovich in this neighborhood," he'd told me, "you've got a reputation to hold up to, kid."

"Think I can do it, Pops?"

"I know you can do it, kiddo. You're also half-Gallagher. Milkovich's know how to fight, and Gallagher's know how to never give up."

"Never. Give. Up!" I said through gritted teeth, suddenly jumping back to the present with my thoughts, repeatedly slamming my fists into that godforsaken bag. Had to have been one of the best presents Pops had procured for me; it was a total shocker at my tenth birthday party, but a ready hit with me, literally. "You're half-Gallagher, half-Milkovich, dammit," I went on, always through my teeth, ignoring the drips of sweat which dripped down my temples. "Never. Fucking. Give. Up!"

I went on and on that way for what must've been a solid hour, until the bones in my arms were threatening to crack under pressure. Ripping my earbuds from my ears, I rolled my shoulders and ripped the tape from my knuckles, grabbing a towel and moving towards my bathroom. As the oldest child, my parents had had an en suite bathroom installed for me, in what used to be a linen closet in the main hallway. It didn't matter to them; I was a naturally a private person when it came to bathing habits, and I didn't want just anyone to catch me in a towel. Stepping inside, I shut and locked the door behind me, hanging up my towel on the peg behind the door and taking off my sports bra and shorts.

Turning on the hot water quickly enveloped the bathroom with steam, and I flicked on the fan to prevent suffocation or some shit. Stepping into the shower, I felt my muscles responding almost instantly to the hotness of the temperature, unknotting themselves easily. I shampooed and conditioned my hair expertly and quickly, making sure to get the sweat particles from my body as the hum of the fan echoed in my ears. After a few minutes, I let myself out and made a grab for my towel, drying my hair quickly and stepping back out into my bedroom, throwing my dirty clothes in the hamper.

I caught sight of my phone then, raising my eyebrows as it lit up from its place on my bed, where it was plugged into the wall charger beside it. Perplexed, I went to my dresser and grabbed a pair of panties, yanking them on as I migrated back over to my phone. Seeing Fionn's number and contact photo popping up, I rolled my eyes, but nevertheless swiped right on the green phone icon and placed the electronic device up against my ear.

"Yeah?" I said into it.

"Thank god you picked up!" Fionn said into the phone, his voice desperate.

Immediately, I was concerned, and my heart thudded in my chest. "What the hell is going on over there?!" I demanded, trying to keep my voice down.

"Clayton chugged a keg and he's passed out," Fionn said, obviously not wanting to get into trouble himself.