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Game Over
chapter five

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"I COME BEARING GIFTS!" Phoebe announced as she entered the Gallagher house. Shopping bags hung from her arms, her phone held tight in her hands. Once she closed the door behind her with her foot, she started unwrapping the scarf from around her neck. Liam, Carl, and Debbie were the only siblings home. Fiona had told her before that she was going to a function with Tony and she knew Ian's work schedule by heart, but she was surprised to see Lip was missing. "What did you get?" Debbie asked curiously. The older girl skipped into the living room where the kids sat and placed the bags onto the couch. "I bought you a new jacket. I thought it was super cute and I know you've been complaining about the zipper on your old one."

She pulled out the baby blue jacket by its hanger and dangled it in front of Debbie. The girl gasped in surprise. "My mom paid my fifty bucks to leave the house so I thought I would spend it well." Debbie took the jacket in her hands and thanked Phoebe graciously. It wasn't long before she was ripping off the tags and slipping it over her arms. "Woah," she exclaimed. "It's so soft!" Her eyes basically sparkled as she looked up to Phoebe. She quickly wrapped her arms around the older girl and squeezed tight. "Did you get me something?" Carl asked, pulling at the white plastic of the bag's opening. Phoebe scoffed. "How could I ever forget you? Go put the jacket in your closet, okay?"

Debbie obliged and released Phoebe's waist, hurrying up the stairs to put her new jacket away. Now free, Phoebe reached into another bag and pulled out another plastic superhero. The arms waved at its side when she shook it. "Please don't melt him right away. At least give him a warm up period," she advised the young boy. He looked excitedly toward the toy. "Two days. That's all I'm asking." She finally held the toy out for Carl to take and he wasted no time in putting it to use. He used it to battle his trucks, beat up Debbie's old Barbie dolls, and crash into empty cans stacked on the floor. The sight alone made Phoebe feel proud.

"I also bought cream soda, but you've got to save some for your brothers." She plopped down onto the couch behind Carl, grabbing a tired Liam. He sat on her lap and leaned into her. His tiny hands reached at the necklace she wore, taking the small P in between his fingers. Softly, he pulled at the silver chain, his tired eyes staring out into space. She stayed quiet. She knew that it wouldn't be long before he'd be down for the night. After all, it was getting close to eight o'clock, which was another shock. Normally Lip would be home, and yet he was missing.

She rubbed up and down Liam's back, humming a lullaby softly. Debbie returned down the steps and sat on the other side of Phoebe. She had already changed for bed before Phoebe had gotten home and it was just then that Phoebe noticed the dampness to her hair. "Hey, Carl," she spoke up, tearing the kid's attention away from his destructive play. He turned toward her, his blue eyes wide. "Have you showered yet?" she asked. He hesitated for a moment. Usually when he lied, he got into trouble. But with Phoebe, sometimes she appeared oblivious. "No...?" he responded, narrowing his eyes.

          Phoebe sighed. "You have thirty minutes before you get in, okay? You have to take a shower before bed." He almost groaned. He hated taking showers. He didn't understand what was so bad about accepting one's dirt and filth. "Okay?" Phoebe repeated, to which Carl finally nodded. At least she was giving him time to play before getting in. She turned back to the tired toddler leaned against her, his head resting on her shoulder. His lips were parted for him to breathe, cheek squished against her. She ran a hand over his hair with a small smile.

After an hour and Carl's five minute shower, Phoebe had gotten Liam down for the night. Debbie stayed in her room to read without the likes of Carl's noise ruining her concentration. Both Phoebe and Carl, however, stayed up to watch the monster truck rally. He sat in front of her with his trucks at hand. Her legs were tucked beneath her and the clock was surely ticking away. As the night air grew colder and the house grew even quieter, Phoebe felt as if she could fall asleep right then and there. But the opening of the front door was enough to wake her up, especially since it was Ian and Mandy Milkovich.

          "Hey," she spoke up, smiling over at the two as they entered the quiet Gallagher home. "Hey, Pheebs," Ian responded nervously. Mandy remained quiet, eyeing the girl sitting on the couch. "We saved you a cream soda in the fridge." She turned back to the television, unaware of the discomfort Ian was feeling. He sighed gently. "Does she live here?" Mandy asked curiously. Ian quickly shook his head in response. He lead Mandy around the couch to sit, Mandy sat between Ian and Phoebe. "Are you guys hungry, or thirsty? I can make hot pockets." Ian shook his head. He sat so stiffly. "Do you have any beer?" Mandy asked.

          Phoebe nodded her head. She glanced toward Ian for a moment, who nodded. "Okay." She stood up from the couch and stepped over Carl with ease. As she left to the kitchen, Mandy scooted even closer to Ian. It was obvious what her intentions were. Phoebe wasn't sure if Ian was aware or if he just wasn't interested. Either way, he didn't react like most boys would when a pretty girl showed them interest. Phoebe, however, knew girls. She knew how they thought, how they worked. "So, why is she here?" Mandy asked. Ian glanced toward the kitchen where Phoebe had disappeared. "She and my brother are basically attached at the hip," he answered.

"Are they dating?" He quickly shook his head. "No. No, they're not dating." Cutting off the conversation, Phoebe re-entered with three cans. She held out one to Mandy, who took it with a smile, and passed another to Ian. They drank basically all of the time to escape the horrific realities of their fucked up lives. She plopped back onto the couch, running her hand over Carl's head before leaning into the furniture. Silence filled the room as Ian sat awkwardly, fearful of what was to happen. A chorus of pops filled the room for a second as they all opened their drinks in unison. It didn't take long for the three to down the cans as they watched the rally on the screen.

          "Tropic Thunder is right on Grave Digger's back wheel," the announcer stated. Phoebe was drifting off. "He's hooked himself to the Digger's bumper." Carl smashed his toys together excitedly, only tearing his eyes away from the television for a nano second. She felt the couch shake as Mandy forced herself even closer to Ian, her hand coming to rest on the upper portion of his thigh. His entire body stiffened before he jumped up, stumbling over his words. "Um, do you want... do you want another beer? I can, uh, I can get you another one." He pointed toward the kitchen, already racing to get there. Phoebe, despite her tired mind, picked up on the discomfort Ian was expressing from his body language alone.

          Once Ian had left the room, Phoebe turned toward the younger girl. Her whole body turned to face her. "You like him, right?" she asked. Mandy's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What?" Phoebe's elbow leaned against the back of the couch, her head resting in her palm. "You like him?" Mandy wasn't sure how to answer that. There was an inkling of interest, of course, after the deal with Mr. Bancroft. "Sure," she responded. Phoebe nodded her head. Her lips pursed for a moment before she breathed out a sigh. "If you like him, then why are you disrespecting his boundaries?"

          Shocked, Mandy scoffed. "Excuse me?" Phoebe noticed the hostility in the girl's voice. Obviously she wasn't used to being called out for her actions. "You wouldn't want some guy coming onto you so aggressively. What makes you think Ian wants that?" Mandy's arms crossed over her chest, amplifying her assets. She tore her eyes away from Phoebe. "Think about it, Mandy. If some guy came up to you and started touching you in personal places, or invaded your bubble, how would you feel?" Phoebe asked sincerely. She knew of the Milkovich's reputation. She was known for sleeping around, but that didn't make a difference. Whether a person engages in sexual acts a lot or not, that doesn't give anyone the right to touch them without their consent.

          "If you want him to know you like him, then tell him." The conversation was ended the moment Ian returned. He watched as Phoebe turned back to the television. Carl was smirking on the floor. Mandy, however, looked annoyed. "Alright. Bed time," Phoebe announced. She patted Carl's head once before standing up from her spot on the couch. She stretched her arms over her head, feeling her toes curl as every bone in her body cracked and popped under pressure. "Wait, you're leaving?" Ian asked nervously. Phoebe turned toward Mandy, her eyes reading loud and clear. "Yeah," Carl responded with a devious laugh. "Enjoy getting herpes."

          Phoebe kicked him in the butt as he walked away, eliciting a yelp. "I'll be upstairs, okay?" She patted his head, ruffling his hair with a warm smile. "Have fun." Carl had already made his way up the stairs, leaving Phoebe to walk after him. Phoebe followed Carl into the boys' room and left the door open in case Ian called for her. "Alright, big man," she sighed as Carl climbed into bed. She sat on the edge and handed him his headphones. "Goodnight." Carl took the headphones and slipped them over his ears. He settled into bed. With a smile, Phoebe pulled his comforter over him and tucked him in at the sides.

          The sound of running footsteps echoed up the stairs, startling the girl. Ian charged into the room and closed the door tight behind him, hyperventilating. "It hasn't even been three minutes, what the hell happened!?" Phoebe asked in disbelief. Ian placed his hand on his forehead, the other sliding against his hip. "I couldn't get it up," he blurted out. "She kissed me and started kissing lower– And I tried to tell her to stop, but she kept going and I couldn't get it up!" Phoebe's jaw dropped for a moment. After everything she said to that girl... "Are you okay?" she asked. She grabbed his arms tight into her hands. "Ian?"

          "Phoebe, I'm gay." It felt so refreshing admitting that. He watched for any reaction, but nothing but worry presented itself on her face. "Okay," she replied, "but are you okay?" She placed a palm on his cheek to gather his attention. His eyes finally met hers. "Yeah," he breathed out. "Yeah, I'm okay." After a moment of silence, Phoebe finally smiled. She gently pinched Ian's cheek between her fingers. "Good. Or else I would have had to kick her ass." Ian scoffed. "No offense, Pheebs, but I think you'd lose that fight."

—

"So, he told you?" Lip asked as the two walked side by side. Things had been awkward between them since their fight. Phoebe had slept in Fiona's room and left a good while before Lip had even seen her. But when he used the phone to text her to meet, she couldn't say no. "Who told me what?" she responded with a question. Her hands were gloved, hiding away under her armpits. She wore a jacket, though it couldn't really be classified as one with how thin it was. Her pants were ripped up, exposing slivers of her soft skin. "Ian." His own hands were shoved deep into his pockets. He kept them there, clutching onto candy wrappers that were abandoned there.

"What do you think he told me?" She wasn't just going to spill Ian's secret so easily. With the Gallaghers, there were a hundred different answers to her question. Did he tell her about the Mandy situation? Did he tell her that he was the one who stopped up the toilet last fourth of July and was the reason they all had to shit in bags? Did he tell her that he used her perfume to mask the smell of weed on his clothes? Lip looked over to Phoebe pridefully. "That he's..." He paused to look around him, making sure no one was around to eavesdrop. Once he noticed the coast was clear, he looked back to Phoebe. "That he's gay."

          "Are we the only ones who know?" She didn't understand why being gay was such a secret. People could be cruel regardless of your sexual orientation. The first time she had been spotted with a girl, it was hot news for a while. She was called derogatory slurs, and boys would attempt to pay her to watch her get it on with their girlfriends. It was weird, and the homophobia did bother her. It bothered her a lot in the beginning. But that was how the world lived. "Yeah," Lip sighed. She could see the faint color of his breath before him in the cold air. She frowned. That meant that he hadn't told Fiona, or even his other siblings. That meant that he's been dealing with this internalized shame and despair alone.

          "Remember when Kelly Freeman called me a dyke in ninth grade?" she asked. The memory wasn't one Lip liked to remember. It was the beginning of a downward spiral for Phoebe, a spiral he thought would result in her demise. "Yeah. Kelly was always a bitch." Her laugh rang through the air between them, shocking him with how loud it seemed. "Hey, now, you're not supposed to laugh. Aren't you supposed to be a feminist? You know, supporting women?" Her eyes flickered toward Lip. Her cheeks were red and plump, her eyes crinkled as she smiled wholeheartedly. It was a sight he never got tired of seeing, and one he wished he could capture forever in his mind.

"When he told me, I felt kind of... upset? Like, I was upset he felt like that was something he had to explain." She sighed gently, that glowing smile fading from her features. Her arms landed by her sides, swinging with each step she took. "There's nothing wrong with liking someone with the same body parts." Lip agreed, however it was Ian. He felt so protective over his little brother that the thought of people knowing scared him. It scared him so bad that he'd get sick about it. "He's the top, you know. Like he puts his penis in a butt," Lip chuckled, explaining the action as if Phoebe had no idea what sex even was. Surprise crossed her features. Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline, her mouth forming an 'o' shape. "Oh! Really?"

          He nodded proudly. "Yeah," he laughed. Phoebe clapped her hands, an action that seemed so small but so Phoebe. Lip smiled over at her, his eyes locked on her frame. Her head was tucked under a black beanie. Some logo was in the center that he didn't recognize, but it fit her style so perfectly. For once, she even attempted at a little eye makeup. It was heavy, which didn't surprise him, but it still made her look cute. "Hey, I'm sorry for yelling at you the other day." He had been so riddled with guilt that he had a hard time facing her. He wasn't used to getting so frustrated with her. He was just in such a bad place. "It's okay," she breathed out.

          She looked over to see Lip staring at her and breathed out a laugh. "I know that I can be a little much, and annoying. I wasn't thinking and ended up being a little bit of an ass," she admitted. She blew a strand of hair from her face. He felt like he was staring too much. Quickly, a little ashamed, he turned away and stared before them. He took out his cigarettes and fumbled to take one out. But before he could pop the stick into his mouth, it was snatched from his hand. Both Lip and Phoebe turned to see that Karen Jackson had joined their walk. "Hey, guys," the blonde greeted the two, placing the cigarette between her teeth. Lip smiled fondly over at the girl, flicking the lighter until a flame burned at the end of the stick of tobacco.

"Woah, Phoebe. You look hot." She grinned over at the Korean girl, smoke escaping from her nostrils and billowing from her lips. The end burned red before she pulled it out and passed it over to Lip. "Thanks," Phoebe replied. She couldn't tell if her cheeks burned from the cold air or the compliment, either way she wasn't complaining. Karen pulled a small piece of plastic from her pocket and passed it over to Lip. "Oh, thank you," he hummed in appreciation. Phoebe suddenly felt a little bit like a third wheel. The three came across the PSAT testing location, soon stopping a few feet ahead of the entry steps.

"His focus is math and he wants to get into the National Merit Society," Karen explained. Lip nodded as he pocketed the fake identification card. "Also, I told Richie that your rates went up, so he's giving you one fifty." Lip scoffed in disbelief as an amazed smile captured his lips. His eyes flickered between Karen's before settling on her lips. "You're good," he chuckled. Before he could rethink it, he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, taking both Karen and Phoebe off guard. Once he pulled away, he glanced over at Phoebe, seemingly surprised at his own actions. "Okay," he breathed out.

He nodded to both girls before turning on his heels and jogging carefully toward the steps. "See you in three hours," Karen called out after him. "I'll be out in two!" Phoebe noticed the lovestruck expression on Karen's face. She had worn it not long ago, as well. She shoved her gloved hands into her jacket pockets and ducked her head. She felt ashamed for feeling that small twinge of emotion, her vision almost blurring to green. "Do you want to go get something to eat?" Her head snapped up at Karen's request. She smiled widely over at Phoebe, fingers twisted together, her bottom lip bitten between her teeth. "I'm not really hungry," the brunette responded carefully, adding an apologetic smile to her refusal.

"That's okay. We can just grab ICEEs." She had sparked Phoebe's interest. She pursed her lips for a moment as she drug the toe of her sneaker against the iced pavement. Meeting Karen's eyes, she realized that refusing her a second time would be almost near impossible. "Okay," she finally replied. "That sounds good." The blonde squeaked excitedly and reached for Phoebe's arm, almost instantly hooking them together, but paused. "Is it okay if I do this?" she asked, batting her long lashes toward the brunette. They were near the same height, only Phoebe raising above her by a few centimeters and that could be from her shoes. "Yeah, that's okay." As soon as she muttered her confirmation, Karen interlocked their arms and began dragging Phoebe to the closest bodega.

"I've been wanting to hang out with you for so long, but you're never alone," Karen stated with enthusiasm that seemed so foreign to Phoebe. The only thing she ever got enthusiastic for was blue raspberry jolly ranchers or Scream movie marathons. She looked over to the blonde in interest. "Why?" she laughed. "The last time we talked was at that New Years party in tenth grade." Karen nodded her head. That New Years party was one of the best nights she had. "You left before I could get your number or really introduce myself." Phoebe snorted. The wall she had put up before was slowly crumbling. "You kissed me," she reminded the blonde. "With tongue."

The reminder caused both girls to giggle. It wasn't either of their first kisses, but it was definitely one neither could forget. "Speaking of kisses..." Phoebe wasn't sure if she wanted to bring up the fact Lip had kissed her. She didn't want to seem like one of those people, but she was confused. Lip had told her that he and Karen slept together, gaining him a mark in their game, but he hadn't told her much more than that. "Are you and Lip, like, an item?" Air filled Karen's cheeks as she delved into a deep thought. She didn't exactly know how to answer that question. They hadn't put a label on anything, and Karen was still fulfilling her desires with other people.

"No," she finally settled with, glancing toward the brunette. "We do it sometimes, but we're not a couple." Phoebe didn't know if she was relieved or became even more confused. Either way, she felt like she was being pushed away. Why hadn't he told her? They tell each other everything. "Have you and Lip ever had sex?" Karen asked, digging for anything juicy. She couldn't picture the two not doing it, not with how close they appeared to be. Phoebe scoffed. Her cheeks grew warmer and she shyly looked away. "No!" she responded embarrassingly, her voice raising an octave. "No, we've never done that." A nervous laugh bubbled from her throat.

          Karen gasped dramatically. She quickly covered her mouth. "Seriously?" Phoebe shook her head, eyebrows furrowed. Why was that such a shock? "Have you ever thought about it?" The brunette quickly hid her face nervously. She was getting so personal. How could she know that Karen wouldn't tell Lip? "I mean, maybe.. I don't know. He's been my best friend since we were kids." She looked away, avoiding the blonde's eyes. "It's okay if you have! Lip is gorgeous." Yeah, Phoebe thought. He sure is.

from rumi . . .

i won't lie, at first i really liked karen. and
i liked her and lip. and since i felt that way,
i didn't want to bring this whole girl v girl
drama. you know? so, here we are! just two
women supporting each other, we love to
see it!

don't forget to vote + comment!