"So my SAT gig is a bust but I could scrape up some money another way if you need help" lip yelled out to Fiona. "I need that" I told him as I walked into the bathroom and saw him on the toilet. He moved over to the steps instead. "It's cool, I got 35 bucks. Plus I'm picking up that temp check later" Fi said from the hallway. "You better not be pooping Lucy" Ian yelled from the shower. Carl poked me in the arm with a taser and made buzzing noises. "Is that a taser? Where'd you get that?" Fi asked him. I got up from the loo and pulled my pants up. "I let him borrow it. Hold Liam for me" Lip asked me. "Carl finally got invited to a party by normal kids. Robbie Rebellos having a paint ball party. Towel" ian said and stuck his hand out of the shower curtain. Fi threw him a towel. "Yeah, but he's not going so I gave him the taser to play with" lip said as he wrapped the empty toilet paper bag around Liam and taped it in place. "Don't worry, it doesn't work" Lip added. "Who's Candice?" Debbie yelled from the stairs. "I have no idea. You aren't going, Carl?" Fi said. "No, it costs $27" Carl said. "Here" Fi said, I looked over to her. She was holding a few notes out. "Awesome!" Carl said and grabbed the money from her and ran off. Lip grabbed Liam off me and I went and brushed my teeth. Lip and Fi stood in the doorway talking then Lip handed Fiona Liam. Ian got out of the shower and left. "Lucy watch what your doing! You're going to get toothpaste on your top" Fi told me, I managed to grabbed the dribble that was about to fall of my chin. "Steve got a text from Candace, 'sweetie, call me. It's important'"Debbie said. "Hey, you don't read other people's messages" Fi told her off, I went over and smirked at Debbie. "Is he dating someone else?" Debbie asked Fi. "Go, you're gonna be late for school" fi told her.
"Is that your sister?" Candi asked. I looked to where she was pointing "yeah" I handed the spray can to Cue and went to the end of the alley. "I want to say hi" Cindi yelled. Fi must have heard as she looked in our direction "Lucy" she yelled. "You better not be tagging stuff" she said when we got to her "it's art" I said "flowers" Cindi added. Fi led me a few steps away from Cindi "you don't think you could get a few diapers, do you?" She whispered "yeah. Cindi we got to get diapers!" I called out "sssh don't" Fi whispered. "We do it all the time for her mom" I said. Fi sighed "just be careful" she said "always" I told her.
Cindi and I caught the train to a nice neighbourhood, the first park was a bust and the second only had 1 target. The third we had a bit more luck. "I'll go play with the babies, that will get all those crackers looking. Get some food too" Cindi told me and headed towards the slide. As soon as she got close all eyes were on her. I walked over to the strollers which had been left in a group and quickly went through the bags. Only a few dollars, a couple of sachets of baby food, cut up carrots and a packet of ciggies plus about a dozen diapers. A couple looked small but I grabbed them anyway. I shoved everything in my bag and retreated. As soon as I was out of sight I heard Cindi yelling "I just want to play! My mumma gave my baby brother to his daddy so I don't get to play with a baby no more. I ain't doing anything wrong!". We caught up on the corner "nice speech" I told her "Thanks, like the bit about mom giving a baby away? I came up with that all by myself. Made them give me funny looks" she said and we laughed.
I walked into the house. Lip and Karen were naked on the couch. "Goodbye Lucy" Karen said as she looked over at me. "You better not get the couch all gross" I said and headed upstairs. "Lucy!" Fi yelled as soon as I threw my bag on the floor. I went back down stairs. "Kev and V are on their way over with meat sauce" Fi was telling Lip. "Is that a euphemism?" Lip said "I bought pasta. They are bringing over their foster kid to play with Debs. Lucy did you get diapers?" Fi asked me. "Yeah, in my bag" I said and followed Fiona into the kitchen. Carl barged through the back door "paint ball rocks. I had the best day of my life" he yelled and walked straight past us. He had an eye patch on and paint on his clothes. Fi filled up a pot and put it on the stove. I could hear Kev in the lounge room. "Go say hi to the foster kid" Fi told me. "Lucy, this is Ethel" Kev said and he and V went into the kitchen. "Ethel, Lucy!" Kev yelled out. "Oh my, aren't you beautiful. You will get the best husband in a couple of years" Ethel said. Debbie and Frank burst through the front door. "Frankie's home!" Frank yelled. "Damn it" I said. Lip smirked at me. Debbie push past me, ran around the lounge room then started jumping on the couch. "Oh my god, I am so wired" Debbie said. "Debs, what's going on?" Fi asked as she came into the room. Kev and V followed her. "We got high on sugar because daddy quit drinking" Debbie shouted. "Whose daddy?" Fi asked. "Me daddy. Me, me, me" Frank said as he picked me up and started spinning me around. Frank put me down then twirled me around. The room spun and I lost my balance once he stopped. "Are you sure it was just sugar?" I said from the floor. V came over and gave me a hand up. "We gotta help daddy stay busy and keep him from drinking so he can make $3000" Debbie said. "Hey, everybody, come here. Gather around" Frank said and picked me up again. I sighed but he ignored it. He grabbed Carl by the hand too and walked over to the fireplace. I wiggled until he let me go then ran over to Fi and hugged her so he couldn't grab me again. "I've got something to say. I know I haven't been the most exemplary father for the past 3 … or 20 years" Frank said and put his hands on Carls shoulders. I scoffed and I heard Lip do the same. "But now I'm going to need your help to get through this. From this point forward, we're going to be a family again" he said then stared at Ethel. "What the hell is that?" he said and pointed at her.
After dinner Frank talked us into racing around an obstacle course. We all ran around the house, up the stairs, jumped over baskets, threw toys at each other, ran around Ethel and under a broom. Fi won but Frank, Carl and I were going for a second lap when Frank stopped on the stairs. "Hey, the piano!" He yelled. He sat on the stool, Debbie sat next to him. I went and sat next to Fi on the couch. Frank played a bit of Beethoven fifth symphony "I didn't know Frank played the piano?" Kev said and he came over to the couch. "Neither did I" fi said looking shocked. "Must be a Gallagher thing, being able to play music and not telling anyone about it" V said and looked at me. Frank started to play a different song and sang along to it too "just walk away, walk out the door. Just turn around now" he started. I laughed and joined it, Fi and V did too. "Coz you're not welcome anymore, weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye. Did you think I'd crumble. Did you think I'd lay down and die" I jumped up as started dancing. "No not I! I will survive" I sang while the others clapped to the beat. "I can't believe you are falling for this bullshit. Come on, I'll walk you home" lip said to Karen and headed to the door. "Lucy! Come play" Frank yelled out to me. I went over. "No, I want to" Debbie said "do you know how?" Frank asked. Debbie shook her head. "Umm, well you sit on my lap and put your hands on mine and we will play together" Frank said. He played the start of heart and soul, "know this?" He asked. I sat down and we played the tune. I went to look at Fi but she wasn't there anymore. "Yeah! Beautiful" Frank said. "Any requests for the next one?" Frank asked "carry me home on the cross?" Ethel asked.
Frank was cooking breakfast. I sat at the table drinking a coffee he had made me. "First pub crawl I did was when I was 16. Hit 22 pubs before I hurled. Got right back on the horse, hit 10 more, hurled again. That's how I got the nickname boot'n'rallie" Frank told Debbie and Carl who were watching him flip pancakes. "Cool" Carl said. Debbie brought me over a pancake. "What's going on in here?" Fi asked as she walked into the kitchen. "Daddy made us some Mickey Mouse pancakes" Debbie said as I drowned mine in syrup and rolled it up. "Are you serious?" Fi asked and started poking around under the bench. "What did I tell you? Still not drinking til he gets his money" lip said as he stomped down the stairs. "If I ever drink again" Frank said. I laughed. "Do you have to eat like that?" Debbie asked me. I took an extra big bite from my pancake. "Well drunk or sober, you're still an arsehole" Lip said. "Lip" Debbie told him off. "It's ok, debs. Everyone's got a right to his opinion. That's what makes this country so great" Frank said and brought us over some orange juice. "Where did you get all this stuff to make breakfast" Fi asked. "Traded some old Hustler magazines with Rusty the drunk, he's a dishwasher at the Denny's over on West 95thst. You want some oj?" Frank said. "No, oh found it. I'm taking this to the job center for a few hours" Fi said and held up the laptop then left. "Yeah, come on kids, grab your coats. Told Kev we'd be over in five" Lip said. "Does that weird girl have to come with us?" Debbie said "if she wasn't weird she wouldn't want to be friends with you" I said to Debbie. Carl stuck his hand out and I slapped it. "Where you going?" Frank asked us as he started to clean up. "Bowling, Lip knows a kid who can get us in for free. Wanna come?" Debbie said "no!" I yelled. "No debs, I don't think he can" lip said. "Hey, I'd love to come" Frank said. We all headed out of the kitchen. "Excuse me, clear the table" Frank said.
Frank was bowling two games at once and carrying on every time he got a strike. Debbie and Carl cheered him on. "Hey guys don't get to used to this ok?" Lip said as he sat on the chair behind us. "What?" Debbie asked. "Well, dads not always gonna be so nice" Lip said "yes he will" Carl said. I scoffed. "No, not when he starts drinking again, ok? He'll go back to his old ways. I don't want you getting hurt" Lip said. "Hurt?" Debbie asked. "I get it" I said. Lip smiled at me. Debbie and Carl still looked confused. "It's Frank, he is an arsehole. He always will be. He will run out of whatever drugs are making him happy and be shit again" I added. "No he wont" Carl said and got up. Lip looked at Debbie. "Yeah, I get it but I'm still going to enjoy it while it lasts, if that's ok" Debbie said. "Yeah, sure. That's a good plan" Lip said and Debbie left. Lip looked at me, I shrug "a party for shit reasons is still a party right?" I said. Lip chuckled "you're a smart kid" he said.
Frank was reading a book to Debbie and Carl in the lounge room, I was sick of him hugging me so was hiding out in the kitchen. I heard someone walk into the room and got up off the floor. Fiona was crying. I went around the bench and hugged her. She jumped "sorry, I didn't realise you were here" she said and quickly wiped her eyes. I hugged her even tighter; she sobbed a bit more then took a deep breath to stop herself. "Hey, I'm going out" lip said as he came down the stairs. He stopped and looked at fi. "What's up?" He asked. "Hard day" fi sighed. Lip sat down on a stool. "Why are you so upset with Dad?" Fi asked. "Fiona we've been through this before. Remember? The last time dad was sober?" Lip said. "Yeah, so?" "He had a bet with some guy at the bar and became the perfect dad. It was the first time he ever came to one of my little league games. And I hit a double. Fucking never saw him so proud" lip said. "You knew he was gonna go back to his regular shitty self" fi said "no that's the thing, I didn't know" Lip said and left. Fi looked down at me. "I know, and Debbie does. Carl doesn't, Lip tried but it's carl" I said. Fi bent down and kissed the top of my head.
Frank swung the sledgehammer at the wall. "Dad, what are you doing?!" Fiona yelled as she ran down the stairs "you fucking kidding me?" Lip said as he came down the other ones. "Remodelling. Son, grab that copper wire. It's worth a lot of money these days" frank said. Carl reached into the hole "no!" Fi yelled and pulled Carl away. "Dad, stop" Fi told Frank. "Why the fuck is our couch on the wall" lip asked. "We need a fresh start" Frank said "there's a gas line right there" Fi said. "Oh, alright. Fine. We'll start the demolition in the bathroom, kids" Carl cheered and he and Debbie rushed upstairs with Frank. "I'm hungry" I said to Fi and headed into the kitchen. Lip and her looked through the hole in the wall. "Last time he ripped up the floorboards, remember?" Lip said. "Shit" fi said as she started cleaning up the mess. "Said he was gonna put in Saltillo tiles. Of course, never did" lip continued. "Yeah, and I had to date that flooring guy for a month to get him to finish work" Fiona said. "What are we going to do?" Lip asked "really?" I said as I got milk out of the fridge. "We need to get him drunk" Debbie said. I nodded in agreement. "Daddy and Carl are up in the attic getting ready to put a hole in the roof for a skylight, it's time to turn him back" she said as she walked up to Lip. "You sure about this?" Lip asked her. "It'll hurt less then if we wait two more weeks" Debbie replied. "okay" Lip said and grabbed a bottle of vodka out of the freezer. They all went upstairs. I sat down at the table and ate my cereal but could hear yelling.