Chapter 27

The semester continues, and Lip spends a lot of time with Robert and some of the other engineers in his robotics design class. The group spends many hours in the lab proposing, designing, testing and reporting on their projects. It's a studious group, to an extent. They work hard, but play hard too.

Robert tries to get Lip to go out with him often. Robert always knows where the good parties are, or at least where the good looking girls are hanging out. Week after week, he asks Lip what his plans are, and his response is he's usually studying or working.

"C'mon Lip. You need to cut loose a little. You've been kicking ass in the lab, and are making the rest of us look bad." Robert teases Lip one day. "Come hang with us tonight. It's Friday. Put the week behind you."

"Nah man, I'm good." Lip doesn't elaborate.

"I know you aren't drinking Lip, but we can still have fun. I know some girls that have asked about you. Let's go meet up with a few of them. Just talk to them. We'll see what happens." Robert says while he winks at Lip.

"No thanks. I have some lab work to do."

"Lip, seriously man, we need to get you laid. I haven't seen you laugh and cut loose yet this semester." Robert is glad Lip and Charlie aren't together, but he'd like to see Lip get over it.

"I'm trying not to complicate things by hooking up with anyone right now. I've got a year of sobriety under my belt, and things are pretty smooth right now."

"Smooth?!" Robert asks. "What fun is smooth? Is that your goal, smooth? Sounds boring as shit."

Lip laughs. "Says someone whose life hasn't been total fucking chaos for as long as he can remember. Yes, calm and smooth are working for me."

"So, you don't have some honey helping you out by keeping your oil changed regularly?" Robert wonders if maybe there is a female in the picture that he doesn't know about.

"Let's just say there is a lot of self-maintenance going on these days." Lip smirks.

"Well, if you have too much work to do now, then let's do something over fall break. Can you spare a couple of days?" Robert is determined that Lip should have some fun.

"Thanks anyway. I'm going home to work at the local bar again." It's just two extra days off of school, and Lip can keep those days pretty busy with some shifts at the Alibi.

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." Robert let's Lip see his exasperation.

When October and fall break come around, most everyone vacates campus for the extra days, and Lip heads home. The break allows him to relax some, but he doesn't like to be alone with his thoughts for too long.

Lip heads over to the Alibi Thursday night for his first shift. The regulars are there, and some new patrons that have bought fixer-upper homes in the neighborhood and enjoy the local hangout. Lip enjoys catching up with the familiar faces, and making small talk with the newcomers.

By Friday night, there is a larger weekend crowd at the Alibi, and Lip is staying pleasantly busy. He loves the activity of serving and cleaning, because it keeps his mind occupied. It's a nice change from studying, when it's easy for his mind to wander and that usually includes Charlie.

As the night gets later, and the crowd gets rowdier, Lip spots Mandy. He sees her break from a crowd and head over in his direction to the bar. Dammit. She must have heard he was around. He really doesn't even want to speak to her.

"What do you want now Mandy?" Lip says in an annoyed tone before she even reaches the bar.

"I just want to say 'hi' and see how you are." Mandy tries to sound genuine, but Lip can't believe her nerve.

Lip reacts quickly. He has lost all his patience for Mandy Milkovich. "Oh my god Mandy. You successfully sabotaged my relationship with the first person I have cared about in a very long time, and you think you can just prance over here like nothing happened?"

"Well, it's been awhile. I thought you might be interested in catching up." Of course her words have a double meaning. She wants him to go home with her.

"Mandy, let me make this clear for you. You and I will never be together in that way again. The only reason we were six months ago was because you roofied me. And did we even have sex? Could I? Or are you just going to let me believe we did?"

"What do you think?" Mandy replies vaguely.

"Probably not, but I'm sure you'll never tell me the truth. I can promise you one thing - I'll never be dumb enough to drink anything else in your presence again, and I'm sure as shit not going anywhere with you willingly."

Lip can see the angry reaction in Mandy's eyes. He knows that in her mind, everything she has done is okay if it brings them together. She has no concept of the damage she did to Karen, or the anguish she has brought to Lip over Charlie. Lip knows he is guilty of sending her many mixed signals over the years, but no more.

"You are dangerous Mandy, and not in a good way. There was a time that quality appealed to me, but I've grown up. I want you to stay the fuck away from me, and the people I care about. Honestly, I think you can make better decisions for yourself, and maybe it is time for you to consider that. Until then, I doubt Kevin wants someone in his bar that has a history of tainting people's drinks. It's bad for business." Lip is fed up. He knows Mandy has a knack for revenge, but at this point, he doesn't feel like he has anything else to lose.

"You can't talk to me like that. You can't talk to me like you are better than me. You and I are the same." Mandy defends herself.

"Yes Mandy, you and I come from the same place, but I'm trying my damnedest to build something for myself. It took me a long time to get the focus to do so, but I have it now. I would appreciate it if you took the hint."

Mandy gets the point, and is not happy. She stares down Lip hard, then turns on her heel and leaves the bar. Lip is hopeful it is the last he sees of Mandy Milkovich.