A New Day
Patrick Gallagher's youngest son, Warren Gallagher, had been too busy running around government offices yesterday to deal with personal matters. But early this morning, with a few relatives in tow, he marched up to 2119 North Wallace Street and pounded on the door.
Bang, bang, bang!
The heavy knocking echoed through the house.
In the kitchen, Fiona was making breakfast, feeling giddy after just receiving a reply from Craig Heisner. She was in the middle of typing back a text and shouted without looking up, "Carl, get the door."
Carl didn't feel like moving, so he yelled at Debbie, "You get it."
"Lazy ass!" Debbie retorted, annoyed, but got up and walked to the front door.
She opened the door and froze for a moment when she saw Warren Gallagher. Once she realized who it was, panic set in. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Fiona," Warren said bluntly. He didn't wait for an invitation, pushing past Debbie and striding into the house.
Debbie, flustered, hurried after him as he marched straight into the kitchen.
Fiona was still looking down at her phone, giggling as she flirted with Craig Heisner. She didn't notice the intruder until Debbie called out, "Fiona."
Fiona looked up and saw Warren.
Instantly, the smile vanished from her face. "What are you doing here?"
Warren Gallagher gave a cold smirk.
His family's house had been blown up. To survive, he'd used his dying father as a human shield, leading to a three-month hospital stay. Warren was no longer the pushover he used to be; he had inherited some of Patrick's ruthlessness.
"This is my house. I'll come in whenever I want," Warren said icily. "Fiona, you owe over three months of rent. When are you planning to pay?"
Thud.
Her heart sank. So much had happened that Fiona had genuinely forgotten about the rent. Hearing it now, her face fell, and her expression turned serious. She gritted her teeth. "I just got out of prison a few days ago. I don't have money right now. Give me two weeks, and I'll pay you."
They were all Gallaghers. Warren knew exactly what kind of people they were. He sneered again. "You've got to be joking. Pay me the rent before dark today, or tomorrow I'm calling the cops to evict you!"
Fiona panicked. She couldn't imagine her family on the streets. "Warren, we're family. Don't be like this. Where am I supposed to get that much money all at once? Just give me a little time, I promise I'll pay."
"You haven't paid rent in over three months, and you promise? Heh," Warren laughed humorlessly. "Before dark today. Non-negotiable."
Fiona: "...Do you really have the heart to see these kids homeless, living on the street?"
Warren laughed out loud. "What does that have to do with me? Did I tell Frank to have so many kids? Before dark!!!"
With that final emphasis, Warren turned and left with his relatives.
In the kitchen, silence fell. Debbie, Carl, and Ian, who had just walked in, all stared at Fiona.
Fiona's eyes were wide with distress.
After a long moment...
"What do we do?" Debbie looked ready to cry. It was way too early for this kind of crisis.
Fiona wiped her face aggressively. "We find a way to make the rent."
"Before dark?" Ian spoke up. "How are we supposed to get two grand in that amount of time?"
Carl instinctively thought of Dexter . He was still a kid and didn't really understand the concept of using people as ATMs, but he simply knew that out of everyone they knew, Dexter was the only one with money.
"We could ask Dexter for a loan," Carl suggested casually.
"No!" Fiona shot it down immediately. "I'll figure something out. Don't worry about it yet. Come on, eat breakfast."
After saying that, she realized Lip was missing. "Where's Lip?"
"In bed," Ian replied, his tone complicated.
"Why is he still in bed this late? Go wake him up. He needs to eat and go to school," Fiona said urgently.
Ian didn't feel like dealing with Lip right now, so he looked at Carl. "Carl, you go."
"Oh," Carl shrugged and headed upstairs.
---
Upstairs
Lip lay on his bed, staring blankly at his phone.
There was a text from Karen from a short while ago: [If I have the baby, how are you going to support him?]
Look at that.
Under the temptation of money, Karen's manipulation skills had leveled up significantly. She was playing games with a baby that didn't even exist anymore.
Lip snapped out of his daze and replied: [I can definitely support him. I'm not Frank!]
Being different from Frank was Lip's biggest obsession...
Ironically, in the original series, this idiot ended up being basically indistinguishable from Frank. He got a scholarship, got into MIT... all he had to do was study and graduate, and his life would have been bright.
Instead...
Frank dropped out of Northwestern because of that bitch Monica.
Lip got expelled because of a middle-aged woman...
Like father, like son.
Karen replied: [I'm asking HOW you're going to support this baby.]
Lip didn't hesitate: [I'm not going to school. I'll start working today. With my skills, I can make a lot of money!]
Karen smirked as she read it. [I'll wait to see your results. Otherwise, I'm going to the clinic to get rid of it.]
Lip saw the message, and a vein popped in his forehead. [Don't you dare. I'll get the money!]
[I'm waiting.]
[Fine!]
Just then, Carl walked into the room. "Lip, get up. Breakfast. School."
Lip glanced at Carl, then looked at his phone. Seeing no further reply from Karen, he put the phone away and got out of bed briskly. "Let's go."
He washed up, ate breakfast, and headed toward school like usual. He didn't tell anyone about dropping out, planning to walk part of the way and then make up an excuse to leave.
Coincidentally, Ian had a similar idea.
Not long after they left the house, Ian came up with an excuse first and split off down another path, heading toward Mickey's house.
Lip didn't care to check; it made things easier for him. The brothers went their separate ways.
Once he was sure Lip wasn't watching, Ian, who had no intention of skipping school, suddenly picked up the pace, practically jogging toward the Milkovich house.
When he got near, Ian didn't just walk up. He found a corner to hide in and waited until he saw Mandy leave the house before making his move.
Bang, bang, bang!
Mickey was already up. Hearing the knock, he assumed Mandy had forgotten something. He walked to the door, cursing under his breath. "You stupid bit—"
He stopped mid-insult as he opened the door and saw Ian. Mickey's expression shifted to an unnatural scowl. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
Ian gave a shy smile.
"Smile my ass," Mickey barked, looking even fiercer.
Ian didn't mind. "Let me in."
"Whatever. I gotta go to work soon." Mickey stepped aside, then walked toward the couch without looking back.
Ian followed him quickly. "I know. There's still a little time."
Mickey knew exactly why Ian was here and what "a little time" meant. But his pride wouldn't let him admit it just yet.
"There ain't no damn time," Mickey grumbled, plopping onto the couch.
Ian sat down next to him, saying nothing, just smiling.
A few seconds passed.
"Fuck!" Mickey couldn't handle it. He cursed.
Then, nature took its course.
Ian leaned in, habitually trying to kiss Mickey.
Mickey panicked. "You try to kiss me, I'll kill you!"
Ian smirked but didn't push it.
The battle commenced.
When it was done...
"You gotta go to school. I gotta go to work." Mickey lit a cigarette and walked straight for the door.
"See you tonight?" Ian asked, lingering.
Mickey glared at him, hesitated for a second, then muttered, "Wait till I get off work."
"Okay."
---
Dexter 's Bistro
Maybe it was an illusion, but Dexter felt like something was off about Mickey today. He seemed... slightly happier than usual.
Why?
He missed work yesterday, and today he was a changed man. Something wasn't right.
The only logical explanation was that something good had happened.
But what good thing could happen to Mickey? Did he rob someone? Sell some drugs?
Dexter , having nothing better to do, brainstormed for a moment. Ding! He got it.
Ian.
Haha, interesting. Mickey's life had changed so much, yet he still managed to get tangled up with Ian. was this destiny?
Dexter decided to test the waters. He walked over to where Mickey was working.
Mickey looked up, confused. "What?"
"Mickey, do you know Ian?" Dexter asked, his tone casual.
Hearing the name, Mickey's body visibly jerked. His expression went through a chaotic shift.
"Why the fuck would I know some Ian?" Mickey roared.
Hahahaha!
He's panicked! He's panicked!
This stubborn tsundere is hilarious.
Dexter was thoroughly entertained. He laughed happily. "If you don't know him, you don't know him. Just asking."
Dexter turned to leave, then paused and whispered, "Employees get benefits when they get married."
Then he walked away.
"!!!!"
The words hit Mickey like a thunderbolt. His pupils dilated, and he froze, unable to move a muscle.
A second later, his eyes widened to their limit as he stared at Dexter 's back, questioning his entire existence.
How does this guy know?
Did that damn Ian say something?
Or is this guy watching me?
Mickey couldn't figure it out, and panic set in. Instinctively, a thought formed: I have to kill Dexter.
I have to take him out. If he talks... The more Mickey thought about it, the more panicked he got. He wanted to run home, grab a gun, and blow Dexter away!
But Mickey wasn't that stupid. Kill someone in broad daylight?
Have to do it at night!
Mickey calmed down a fraction, taking several deep breaths to force himself to steady. He gritted his teeth and went back to work, silently plotting how to off his boss later that night.
Dexter , carving fruit at the counter, glanced at Mickey and chuckled.
Haha.
This was going to be fun for a long time.
---
School
"Mandy, is Mickey done with school for good? Is he gonna work at Dexter 's restaurant forever?" Ian, love-struck and seizing the opportunity, asked casually.
Mandy had no idea her brother was gay. Hearing the question, she was just curious. "School is useless for him, same as me. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing. I just saw Mickey this morning by chance. He seems to have changed a lot," Ian lied.
Mandy didn't suspect anything. "Yeah, big change. But it's a good change."
Ian didn't really think so. To him, Mickey working at Dexter 's Bistro as a dishwasher had no future.
"Really? Being a dishwasher forever isn't exactly great," Ian said.
" The pay is good, and he doesn't have time to cause trouble. It's a good thing," Mandy replied.
Ian asked a few more 'casual' questions until Mandy started looking suspicious, so he stopped.
---
Clothing Store
The customers were being helped by other salespeople, leaving Fiona with a moment of downtime. She was frowning, worrying about how to get two thousand dollars for rent.
Borrow it?
Fiona really didn't want to borrow money. And even if she did, from whom?
Steve? Tony? The store manager?
The faces of the three men flashed through her mind.
She didn't want to ask any of them, but she knew deep down that without a loan, getting two grand today was impossible.
Her internal bottom line was actually five hundred dollars.
Pay one month's rent first, shut Warren up for a bit, buy some time, and then pay the rest slowly.
But even five hundred... was hard to come by.
What to do?
While she was fretting, Fiona suddenly saw a customer paying with a credit card.
Dexter .
She could get a credit card, borrow from the bank, and pay it back as soon as possible.
If she had a choice, she wouldn't do it, but she really had no choice.
After thinking it over, Fiona made up her mind. She would rush to the bank during her lunch break and get it done.
Decision made, the immediate threat of homelessness for her family of six was averted. Fiona let out a long sigh of relief.
Just then, her phone rang.
She checked the screen; it was an unknown number. Confused, she answered. "Hello?"
It was Mr. Heath from the school. After a brief greeting, he got to the point. "Lip didn't come to school today. Did something happen?"
"Huh?" Fiona was baffled. "I watched him leave for school this morning."
"He's not here," Mr. Heath confirmed.
"Okay, I'll call him and see what's going on. Thanks," Fiona frowned, unsure what drama Lip was pulling now.
"No problem... Fiona, Lip has a very real chance to get out of this place. Don't let him ruin his future," Mr. Heath urged.
"I promise I won't!"
The call ended.
Fiona immediately called Lip.
Lip saw the call and ignored it.
Fiona called again.
Same result.
"Lip, where the hell are you? Call me back the second you get this. I want a reasonable explanation!"
After several failed attempts, Fiona left an angry and worried voicemail, gave up for the moment, and put her phone away.
She had barely pocketed it when it rang again.
Thinking it was Lip calling back, she whipped it out.
It wasn't Lip. It was Craig Heisner.
Seeing the name, a smile instantly appeared on Fiona's face. She answered. "Craig Heisner."
"Fiona," Craig laughed. "What happened this morning? You stopped replying."
Fiona shook her head slightly. "Family crisis. It's handled."
They started chatting.
Fiona's constant phone usage naturally attracted the attention of the other saleswomen.
And keep in mind... these women were normal people who understood the basic rule that you don't make personal calls during work hours.
So...
"What's up with Fiona? She's been on the phone non-stop."
"Heh, probably has something to do with the manager."
"Definitely. Just yesterday..." one particularly gossipy saleswoman lowered her voice. "I walked by the stockroom yesterday and heard..."
Before long, the news that Fiona and the manager had hooked up in the stockroom yesterday spread to every saleswoman in the store.
Consequently, and with perfect justification, the women began casting scornful looks at Fiona.
The workplace hierarchy of contempt isn't complex. A woman like Fiona, who sleeps with the manager just days after starting, naturally falls to the bottom of the food chain.
Fiona didn't notice. She was too happily focused on flirting with Craig Heisner.
"It's a date then. Eight o'clock tonight," they settled on a time and place.
"See you tonight."
The call ended. Fiona put away her phone and got back to work.
Of course, Fiona had no idea what this little flirtation with Craig Heisner would bring into her life...
She wouldn't have guessed it anyway.
After all, her pants were loose. She was used to it.