Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
★
"I'M SO GLAD YOUR bitch of a mother let you keep Liam," Amara said, her eyes trained on the ground as she walked down the stairs, making sure she didn't slip on the ice. "Because she was about to catch my hands."
Ian chuckled as they stepped under the bus stop, shivering due to the cold. Amara subconsciously stuck her gloved hands into her coat pockets.
"I can't believe Ian isn't Frank's kid," Lip muttered, breathing into his hands, before rubbing them together to keep himself warm. "You're so lucky, man."
"So that's why you're forcing me to come visit your grandma with you?"
"Oh, what? You don't like spending all this time with us?"
Amara rolled her eyes. "No. I hate both of you with a burning passion and I want you to get hit by a car."
Ian patted her shoulder. "You're so kind."
"Thanks," she replied sarcastically. "I try."
"Aren't you a little bit curious to find out who he is?" Lip asked, lighting up a cigarette, and Amara waved the smoke out of her face with a scowl. The blonde grinned at her in response, clearly enjoying how much smoking annoyed her.
"No," Ian answered immediately.
"Come on," he pressed, gesturing to the people around them. "He could be any one of these guys."
"Ooh," Amara pointed to a homeless man with bright lipstick on, who was laying against a streetlight pole. "Like him."
"Look," Ian sighed. "He's gonna be a douche bag no matter who he is."
"True, men are assholes," Amara agreed.
"But he can't be any worse than Frank," the other boy persisted.
"He's a Gallagher."
"Maybe he'll take you to a game, or kick in some scratch for college. Give you a kidney, hell, give you a birthday card once a year. That's a win, right?"
"Do we know any cool dads? Ours is an asshole, Amara's is an abusive dick who did drugs and abandoned his family. Karen's dad called her a whore—"
"—Which isn't a total lie but I don't slut shame," she cut in. "Anyways, continue."
"Mickey and Mandy's dad has been in prison more times than I can count. Eighty percent sure he's an alcoholic, and an abuser too. Who am I missing?"
"Scotty Houston's father is cool," Lip answered as the bus pulled up. "...But he's on that sex offenders list for jacking off in Sherman Park."
★
"There she is," Lip announced, and Amara glanced up to see his grandmother being escorted out by guards. It had totally slipped her mind that she was in prison, the entire building gave Amara the heebie-jeebies. The boys rushed to go sit in front of the separator, and Amara stood awkwardly behind them, staring at their backs because she didn't know where else to look.
