Chapter 6.
Parent's Night is the main focus of this chapter and also the beginning of the plot. Hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to review! It's always appreciated.
Special thanks to: gelpenVEVO, guest, oliviahood18, Kylie Winchester, GeorgaLin, I'm judging all of you and kida30821!
Disclaimer: I do not own Shameless.
The ringing of the bell was practically a godsend for Daniela who was nearing death from boredom. She hated Tuesdays, mainly because her last period of the day was Physics.
She got to work packing away her things as hastily as possible, desperate to get out of the classroom. But as she made her way to the exit with the rest of her classmates, she heard her teacher's sharp voice call out over the chatter. With a deep sigh, Daniela turned slowly to look at Mr. Davis who was stood in front of the board, unimpressed.
"Yes, Mr. Davis?"
The man gave her a pointed look and gestured to a desk at the very front of the class.
Stifling a groan, Daniela knew she had no choice in the matter and made her way over, her butt plopping down on the plastic seat. She raised her eyebrows expectantly and watched as her teacher wordlessly walked behind his desk, opened a drawer, and lifted out a stack of papers. Daniela bit back a grimace at realizing that the papers were the test she had done the week before.
The papers were dropped unceremoniously onto the girl's desk, a big fat F staring her in the face. Although Daniela knew that it was likely to happen, it still caused a sinking feeling in her stomach.
Covering up her disappointment, Daniela fixed her aging teacher with an innocent smile.
"Oops?"
Mr. Davis made a dissatisfied grunt and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Oops indeed, Miss Kaufman," her teacher's sharp voice caused Daniela to drop her smile and stare down at her hands resting in her lap. "I know that Physics was not on your agenda originally. However, I at least expected you to put some sort of effort into my class, and this, Miss Kaufman, is simply unacceptable."
"I understand, Mr. Davis," nodded Daniela solemnly. Her teacher held a hand out to her, signaling that he was not yet finished.
"Am I right in thinking that you will be attending Parent's Night tomorrow?"
Daniela chewed on her lip unsurely and shook her head. "Not really, sir. You know, since my mom is in the hospital and all." She had hoped to avoid another parent-teacher night this year given both of her options were otherwise occupied.
"And what about your brother? Jakob?" Asked Mr. Davis, his eyebrow raised.
"I'm not really sure," shrugged Daniela.
"Well, I would like to request for the both of you to attend tomorrow night. I cannot allow this to continue," the man waved a hand at Daniela's test before picking it up and placing it back in his drawer.
Looking back up, he gave Daniela one last look before nodding his head to the door. Taking the hint, she quickly rose from her seat.
"I look forward to seeing you and your brother tomorrow night."
The girl paused in the doorway and turned to her teacher. She gave him a single nod before leaving.
/
"I have to do what?" Asked Jakob as they made their way to the hospital. His sister walked beside him and rolled her eyes for the fifth time.
"All you have to do is wear a nice shirt and show up at Parent's Night to talk to my Physics teacher."
The tall man shrugged and nodded his head as they entered their mother's hospital room. "Sure thing."
They both looked to see Camille propped up in bed watching a Spanish drama on the television in her room. The woman's eyes filled with joy when she took in her children and waved them over.
Daniela placed a soft kiss on her mother's cheek before getting on the bed beside her and joining her in watching her program. It had been a thing of theirs for years now. At first, Camille had firmly denied having an interest in the telenovelas but one night Daniela had caught her mother curled up on the couch, immersed in an episode.
"I don't know what you two see in these things," sighed Jakob with a shake of his head. Camille lifted a finger to her lips and Daniela glared at her brother.
"Oh please, don't act like you don't enjoy them either," scoffed the girl. The man heaved a sigh and pulled a chair up to the bed so he could rest his elbows on it.
Rolling his eyes, Jakob waved a hand at his sister before settling in and staring up at the television with them. "Well, I was curious as to whether Eva was going to pick Alejandro or Marcos."
/
The next morning, Daniela made her way to Ian's to meet up with him so they could walk to school together. As per usual, the girl headed into the kitchen and found her friend loading up a cooler with items from the fridge.
"Don't worry about the ketchup. Just the meat and milk so it won't spoil," ordered Fiona as she threw together the lunches for the kids.
"Hey guys," greeted Daniela with a wave before gesturing to the cooler. "What happened?"
Ian gave her a quick smile before placing the lid on the cooler. "Forgot to pay the power bill so we have no electricity for the day." The girl frowned and shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, do you want to put that in my fridge until your power comes back on?"
Fiona turned and gave her a grateful look and nodded. "Thanks a lot, El. We owe you."
Daniela waved the woman's thanks off with a grin. "It's nothing. Ian and I can go drop it off before school." The red-head nodded before lifting the cooler and following her out the door.
"Do you need any help carrying that?" She asked, eyeing her friend. She felt kind of bad just leaving him to do the brunt of the work.
"No it's okay," laughed Ian. "My ROTC training is a lot worse than this." The girl smirked and shoved her hands in the pockets of her coat for warmth.
Making their way up the front porch, Daniela pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, allowing Ian to go through first. The pair unloaded the contents of the cooler quickly before exiting the house and making their way back to his.
"So, how are things with you and Simon going?" Inquired Ian, wiggling his eyebrows. Daniela let out a puff of air and shrugged.
"It's just casual right now. We're still getting to know each other. But he does want to go on another date soon." She had decided that she enjoyed the boy's company. "What about you and Kash?"
Ian seemed unsure of himself as he shrugged. "I don't know. Things after that night at his house have got me all confused. I mean, we were there, in his room, where him and Linda sleep and where his kids sleep down the hall. And it just felt really uncomfortable."
Daniela nodded her head. She reeled in the urge to remind him that it hadn't been a great idea to start up an affair with their married boss. She had a feeling he was finally starting to realize how damaging it could be.
When they entered the kitchen, it was buzzing as the Gallaghers prepared for their day.
"$430? Lip's flush this month," said Steve as he read the power bill.
"It's SAT season," replied Fiona, looking through the cupboards while holding Liam against her hip.
"He's always flush during SAT season."
"SAT?" Steve asked Debbie.
"College tests," answered Ian as he took a seat at the bench. Daniela made her way over beside him and rested her elbows against the counter-top.
"He tutors?"
"No," interjected Lip. "Takes." Steve gave the boy an impressed look and nodded his head.
Ian began to load his lunch into his bag and addressed his brother.
"Oh hey, I got another lead for you."
"Well set it up douche. I'm taking it for someone else today, but there's another session in two weeks."
"All right," nodded Ian, zipping up his bag. Daniela stood from her seat and put her hands in her pockets.
"Shall we?"
"Hey, I'll give you guys a ride," offered Steve as he followed the kids out of the kitchen. Daniela and the others stood outside on the curb waiting for Steve to come out.
When he finally did, he unlocked the car with his remote and watched as the kids piled in. It was then that Daniela realized there wouldn't be enough room for her.
Biting her lip, the girl looked around awkwardly, deciding whether or not she should just walk.
"You coming, El?" Asked Steve, frowning at her from the driver's seat. The girl shrugged and shook her head.
"Not enough room, I'll just walk."
Ian was the next one to speak, leaning over Steve to address his friend.
"Come on, El. You'll be late if you don't." Knowing that her friend was right, the girl relented before shrugging her shoulders.
"Where am I gonna sit?"
"Just squish in, you should fit." Ian was right, Carl and Debbie were tiny and wouldn't take up much space.
With a nod, Daniela opened the door and hopped in. The two younger kids had already moved over, leaving her with just enough space to fit in beside Lip.
As she slid in, her knee bumped awkwardly against his. Narrowing her eyes, she took in his spread legs that hogged most of the space.
"Do you mind?" She asked, signaling to his legs. "I don't wanna touch you more than necessary."
"Why? Afraid you'll catch some of my intelligence?"
Daniela scoffed loudly. "Please, the last thing I'd be catching from you is intelligence."
"You're right," nodded Lip sarcastically. "It would be a miracle if you could. Maybe you'd finally pass a Physics test."
"You are such an asshole."
"And you are such a bitch."
"Jackass."
"Prude."
"Douchebag-"
"Woah!" Yelled Steve, shutting down their ongoing tirade. "There are young, innocent ears present."
The two teens looked at Debbie and Carl who seemed unfazed by their little spat, clearly used to it. Steve sighed from the driver's seat and glanced at Ian with a frown.
"Are they always like this?"
Ian, who had his head rested against the window, nodded tiredly. "Oh yeah." The man beside him threw a cautious look at the two in the back.
"I think Lip will have to sit up front for the rest of our carpools."
"Or she could just walk," suggested Lip darkly. Daniela opened her mouth to fire off another insult but she was cut off by Steve once again.
"No, she won't. We can work this out."
"Could you tell him to move his leg then?" Asked Daniela, crossing her arms over her chest. "His man-spreading is taking up the whole back seat."
"Lip," said Steve, hoping they would just listen.
Sucking his teeth, the boy shifted his legs together, allowing Daniela more space for her own legs that were originally pressed against the door.
"Happy, Princess?"
"Very." Daniela shot him a sickly sweet smile causing Lip go flip her off. She didn't hesitate to return it.
"See?" Smiled Steve from the front, his tone encouraging. "That wasn't so hard now was it?"
Daniela wasted no time whipping open the door the second the car reached the curb outside their school. She breathed in the fresh air before being shoved out of the way by Lip who was also eager to be free of the cramped car.
She glared darkly at him. He didn't bother responding and simply thanked Steve for the ride before walking up to the entrance. She noted his departure with relief before doing the same with Ian.
/
"So are you guys are going to the parent-teacher conference?" Asked Karen, perched up on the windowsill. She, along with the Gallagher boys and Daniela, was spending their lunch time in the bathroom.
Both Lip and Ian laughed outright at the girl's question and shook their heads.
"Need a parent for that don't you?" Joked Ian with a smirk.
"I suppose it's off the cards for you too then, Daniela?" The girl looked up from her position against one of the toilet stalls to Karen who was staring at her, a cigarette dangling from her delicate fingers.
With a shrug, Daniela answered. "I have to go. Mr. Davis wants to talk to my brother about my work in Physics."
"Or lack thereof," commented Lip to himself. The girl still managed to hear him and shot him a dark glare.
Sensing the building hostility, Karen decided to change the subject to a lighter one.
"Hey, Louise got an A on the paper you wrote for her English class. How do you keep doing that?"
"Well, to master the art of the book report, you just take any novel, no matter when it was written, and you argue that the main character is a latent homosexual." Ian and Daniela scoffed at the boy's statement but he quickly explained why it was foolproof.
"And it works every time?" Frowned Daniela, clearly not believing him. Lip looked at her smugly, placing a cigarette between his lips and smirking.
"Every time."
The sudden sound of the door opening followed by two of the jocks entering gave Daniela a slight fright.
"1870!" Whooped one of them, locking arms with Lip in the way guys did as a form of handshake. The jock seemed to be ecstatic with the results Lip had gotten him and passed high-fives around the room.
The second jock, who had yet to say anything, stayed behind and stared at Lip.
"What happened, Tire? Not satisfied with your results?"
"Haven't come back yet," answered Tire in a clipped tone.
"Any day now," reassured Ian.
"I better not look stupid," warned the jock with a threatening look to Lip who simply shook his head.
"Impossible."
/
Later that night, Daniela and Jakob made their way up the school steps. The man scanned his eyes around the place, noting that it had hardly changed since he had gone to school there.
As they made their way in, they came to a table where one of the office ladies handed them a schedule detailing the times of interviews with each of Daniela's teachers.
"Who's first on the list?" Asked Jakob, looking over his sister's shoulder to see the paper. Daniela dragged her finger across the page to read the name.
"Mrs. Carlisle. My Art teacher."
The girl was happy that this particular teacher was the first one as she was also her favorite and knew that the woman would have nothing but nice words to say about her.
"She hot?" Smirked Jakob as he followed his sister to the Art room. Daniela rolled her eyes and threw him a pointed look.
"She's married."
As they entered, they saw Mrs. Carlisle who was finishing up displaying the students' artwork. The woman turned when she heard them come in and threw Daniela a wide smile.
"Daniela! Lovely to see you." The blonde-haired woman dusted her hands off before offering one out to Jakob. He accepted it and gave her a charming smile, causing his sister to elbow him sharply in the side.
"Married," she reminded him, hiding it behind a cough. Her brother gave her an amused look before turning back to the now-flustered teacher.
/
"I would appreciate if you refrained from flirting with any more of my teachers," groaned Daniela as they made their way out of a meeting with her history teacher, Miss Williams. Her brother had once again cranked up the charm on her teacher who was nearing her 50's.
Jakob let out a loud laugh and clapped his hand on his sister's back.
"Okay, okay. Where to next?" Daniela glanced down at her sheet and groaned once more when she saw that it was Mr. Davis.
"Physics," she muttered dejectedly.
With her shoulders slouched, the brunette led her brother down the hall to where her Physics class was. On the way, she spotted Simon who was stood beside a woman who looked very much like him. She realized that it was most likely his mother and gave him a quick smile and wave when he caught her gaze.
"Is that the guy you went on a date with?" Asked Jakob, throwing a curious look Simon's way. Daniela nodded as they entered the Physics room.
Mr. Davis was already waiting for them and became alerted when the siblings finally stepped in. Rising from his chair, the man offered a hand out to Jakob before gesturing for the two of them to sit.
"Mr. Kaufman, it has come to my attention that Daniela is struggling quite a bit in my class."
"That's a gross understatement," muttered the girl, sliding into her chair.
"You see, she is unable to answer the questions I give her and has failed multiple tests since the beginning of the year."
"Gee, got any nice things to say about me?" Sneered Daniela, crossing her arms in a huff. Her brother threw her a warning glance before looking back at her teacher.
"I understand sir, but from what my sister's told me she didn't even want to be in this class."
Mr. Davis rested his elbows on his desk and made a steeple with his hands. "I am well aware of Daniela's lack of interest in my class but that does not mean I will tolerate her lack of effort." The girl simply sat there in silence, anger filling up inside of her.
Knowing that she should just keep her mouth shut to prevent her from getting into any more trouble, she opted for a simple roll of the eyes.
"Is there any way Daniela would be able to fix this?" Asked Jakob. Mr. Davis nodded sharply before casting his eyes to Daniela's.
"In order for Daniela to pass my class, and also the year, she would need to maintain a B average."
Shooting up from her seat, Daniela stared at her teacher with wide eyes. "B average? How is that supposed to happen?"
The old man remained calm and collected in the sight of the teenager's frustration. "I would suggest a tutor who could help you with Physics. Someone who is very brilliant."
Daniela slumped down in her chair once more. "And who exactly would I get to tutor me?"
/
She knew the answer as soon as she spoke the question, but that didn't mean she was going to ask.
Daniela couldn't stand Lip, and vice-versa, so why would he even entertain the idea of helping her? Plus there was the fact that she couldn't really pay him as basically all of her money went to helping pay the bills.
Walking out of the classroom alongside her brother, Daniela caught sight of the boy she was currently thinking of. He was stood down the hall, with his siblings- excluding Ian, who Daniela knew was working.
"Maybe a tutor is a good idea, Dani," said Jakob, glancing meaningfully at his sister. The girl threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Whose side are you on?"
"I'm on the side where you graduate school and actually get somewhere with your life," argued Jakob. Daniela looked down at her hands and knew that her brother was right.
Making it out of this shit-hole was everyone's dream- including hers. She raised her eyes to meet her brother's, a look of defeat on her face.
"Okay." Turning her head, she tried to find Lip again but saw that he had already left. Heaving a sigh, she and her brother made their own way home.
/
Later that night, Daniela noted that Ian's shift would be over and that he would most likely be home already. With a quick goodnight to Jakob, she began her walk to the Gallagher house.
Stepping through the door, she saw that Ian had indeed just got home and was in the process of taking off his winter jacket.
"Hey," he smiled, noticing her. "How did the meeting go?" Daniela collapsed down onto the sofa and tilted her head back.
"Mr. Davis wants me to get a tutor but I don't know where I'm gonna get one." The girl felt the sofa sink down beside her as Ian relaxed.
"You could always ask Lip," suggested the red-head lightly. Daniela scoffed and shook her head.
"He'd never say yes. Besides, I wouldn't be able to pay him."
"You'll never know if you never ask him," shrugged Ian.
The pair were then bombarded by the rest of the Gallaghers (plus Steve), making their way into the lounge and sitting down.
"Good you're home," acknowledged Fiona to Ian who frowned at her.
"What's going on?" Asked Daniela, scanning everyone in the room.
"We're having an intervention for Carl," stated Fiona simply. The young boy was plopped down in the middle of everyone, his eyes traveling over all of them.
"I don't need an intervention," grumbled Carl as his older sister took hold of his hands.
"Carl, we're serious. The stakes are really, really high. We love you and we need you in this family- in this house. You need to stop biting and punching and hurting people," urged the woman seriously.
"Well, how else do I make them cry?"
"Gossip and slander," answered Lip casually.
"Yeah, blackmail is always a good way to go," encouraged Daniela with a soft smile.
"You know when I get really angry, I usually just count to 10," added Steve as a way to divert the two teens suggestions.
"Or you could always take up a sport. You know, release all that anger," nodded Daniela.
"Hey little man, you know what we're gonna do? We're gonna get you some pads and skates, get you out on the ice."
The group's suggestions of alternative ways to release anger seemed to work because Carl quickly agreed, making everyone happy.
When that problem was solved, Daniela relaxed once more with Ian and Carl on the sofa.
Hearing steps coming down the stairs, the girl peered behind her to see Lip making his way to the phone. Ian seemed to notice his friends unsure look and nudged her.
"It's worth a shot."
Daniela nodded, building her courage, and stood from her seat.
"Hey, Lip," greeted the girl cautiously. She realized that this was the first proper time she had ever properly addressed him. It sounded strange.
The boy looked up at her curiously, wondering what she wanted. He watched with a raised eyebrow as she shuffled awkwardly in front of him. Her eyes seemed determined to rest anywhere but on him.
"What is it?" He asked impatiently. He needed to make some urgent calls to the people he had taken the SAT's for.
"I was getting there," she shot back, sending him her signature glare.
"Well, do you think you could do it in this century? I have important phone calls to make."
"Ugh. You are such a dick."
Lip bobbed his head and turned back to the phone. "Good chat."
"Wait!" She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking upwards like this was some kind of chore she had to take care of. Her next words were clipped. "I need a tutor for Physics. And since you're the best in the class I thought you would be the best option".
Lip stared at her, letting her proposition wash over him. "Did hell just freeze over or did you just compliment me?"
Daniela's narrowed eyes dropped to meet his. "Don't let it go to your head."
Smirking, Lip assessed her carefully. "And what do I get out if it?"
"Hmm...the pleasure of knowing you helped someone succeed," smirked Daniela, tilting her head. The boy gave her an unimpressed look and shook his head.
"Sounds tempting but no."
Daniela's face fell at the sting of his rejection. Lip, not caring, returned his attention to the phone and began dialing a number. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to pass Physics without his intellect, she sighed and slammed her hand down over the receiver.
Lip glared daggers at her, and his hand wrapped around her wrist to relinquish her hold on the phone.
"I'll pay you," said Daniela through gritted teeth. "I'm not sure how considering I'm running a little low on funds...but I'll find a way."
The boy looked her up and down, a new expression on his face.
"Fine," he sighed. "We'll figure out the payment later. But, I'll do it".
Daniela's eyes softened; she had never thought a day would come where she'd regard the boy in front or her so highly. But she was too grateful to care.
"Thank you," she said.
Lip nodded, a little caught off guard by how genuine she was. Brushing it off, he looked back at where his hand was still wrapped around her wrist. Letting it go, Daniela gave him one last smile before heading back over to the sofa.
Her friend greeted her with a knowing smirk causing her to roll her eyes. "See? All you gotta do is ask."
"Yeah, yeah."
/
Daniela had managed to pass out on the sofa with her legs spread out over both Carl and Ian's laps. Suddenly, an angry yell nearby startled her awake.
Jolting up, she tiredly looked around to see Tire yelling at Lip about his SAT score.
"I won't be able to play ball in college!" Fumed Tire as he chased after Lip up the stairs. Daniela frowned at him. It wasn't Lip's fault that the jock wasn't smart enough to successfully take the SAT's himself.
Daniela was content to stay down in the lounge where it was safe, however the rest of the Gallaghers became alerted when they heard a big bang from upstairs. They all quickly rushed up with the girl following sluggishly behind.
The girl's eyes widened when she spotted Tire dangling Lip out of the window by his feet.
"Holy shit," she breathed, now fully awake. Ian rushed forward, trying to get the jock to pull his brother back in but backed off when Tire threatened to drop Lip.
"Let him go!" Roared Carl as he ran in, the baseball bat ready and waiting in his arms.
"Get my brother back or the kid swings the bat," warned Ian gesturing to Carl.
"Okay. Keep your shit straight, I'll pull him in."
Once Lip was safely inside the house again, Tire turned to Carl with both hands up. A genuine gasp fell from Daniela's lips as her hands flew up to her mouth when Carl swung the bat, hitting Tire's kneecap with a loud crack.
The room erupted into cheers as Carl was carried out on the shoulders of Steve and Lip.
With a smirk, Daniela noted that baseball would be a good option for the boy.
Hopefully, you enjoyed. Please let me know how this chapter was in a review!
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