after that everyone went to the alibi for the "wake". someone walked into the bar but lip stopped them.

"oh, sorry, buddy, it's a private wake." lip said.

we all turned when we heard kevin tapping a glass.

"can i have your attention, please? uh, frank gallagher. loving husband, devoted father. truly respected and cherished member of this community. he was a good friend and a good neighbor and he will be sorely missed. i just hope that in the afterlife they treat him as kindly as he treated all of us. to frank." kevin said.

"to frank." everyone said raising their drinks.

lip grabbed a cigarette and passed me one and he went to lock the door after the two guys left.

"gonna take more than that to put out the lights on frank gallagher. next rounds on me. yeah!" frank said as everyone cheered.

we all sat around the table and listened to frank tell yet another crazy story.

"i followed the light and there was jesus. he enveloped me in his arms. he was warm... like the inner thighs of an overworked hooker." frank said making lip laugh.

both lip and i got up once we saw ian walk in. i patted his shoulder making him turn to us.

"hey." lip said.

"i take it they're gone?" ian asked.

"are you in a fight club?" lip asked him seeing the bruises on his face.

ian just patted lip and walked off. i stood there and lip and i exchanged a look while i placed my head against lips shoulder. i was tall enough to reach his shoulder thanks to the heels i was wearing.

i had always been so much shorter than lip, even if i wore heels he was still taller than me.

i was only 5'3 while lip on the other hand was 5'7.

everyone was gathering around to listen to frank sing when lip leaned over to talk to me.

"you wanna get out of here?" lip asked me.

"yeah, i kinda feel like spending some time with my boyfriend." i said as he smiled.

"that's the first time you've ever called me your boyfriend." lip said.

"i just want the whole world to know." i said and then an idea hit me.

i walked over to the microphone that frank had and asked him to pass it to me and he did.

"uh, hey everyone i'd just like you all to know that lip gallagher is my boyfriend and i want the whole world to know." i said then everyone cheered as i dropped the mic and walked over to lip and kissed him.

he smiled and grabbed my hand as we walked out of the alibi and went back to the empty gallagher house and had some epic sex.

-

i was walking on my way to school when i heard my name being called from behind me.

"mel!" i turned around and saw lip.

"hey my favorite gallagher!" i said walking over to him and i felt lip pull me in for a kiss.

i smiled into the kiss then we pulled away and i felt lip lace his fingers with mine.

"so, how's everything with your mom?" lip asked me.

"well she just decides to come back in my life when it's convenient and finds the need to fuck up my life. other than that, she's still a messed up crackhead dating every human with a dick she can find." i said as lip laughed at the last part.

"why is she still here?" lip asked me.

"honestly i don't know anymore, i thought it was because she wanted mike, emma and i to move back in with her and be a family but i feel like she's up to something." i said as we kept walking.

"like what?" lip asked.

"i don't know, that's what i have to find out." i replied.

"hey, the guy who busted me for the sat scores told me to check out the university, you wanna come with?" lip asked me.

"wait, so you're going to college?" i asked him as he laughed.

"fuck no, but i thought we'd check it out and try and steal some sweatshirts." lip said as i grinned.

"i'm in." i replied as we made our way towards the university.

-

"so when you're not busting SAT cheaters, you're a teacher?" lip asked the guy as we walked through the college.

"professor." he replied.

"oh." lip said simply.

"SAT's a side gig. pays for my boat." the professor said.

"which gets you laid, i'm guessing?" lip said making the professor laugh.

"no. the beard gets me laid. chicks dig a beard." the professor said.

"i'll keep that in mind." lip said as i grabbed his arm.

"you're not growing out a beard." i told him with a laugh as he winked at me.

"i'd like you to attend the university next semester." the professor told lip.

"i can't, i still have a year and a half of high school left." lip replied.

"well, test out. you know you're capable." the professor said.

"pay for it with what? beard get me money, too?" lip asked the professor.

"no, there's grants you can apply for. there's loans. it'll pay for the school, the dorm, your meal card." the professor explained.

"yeah, and then, i end up owning like a half million buck, right?" lip asked.

"uh, well, you're a clever kid. you'll figure out a way to stiff uncle sam." the professor said patting lips shoulder.

"i don't know. sounds like a lot of trouble to me." lip replied.

"well, it's better than the alternative." the professor told him.

"and what's that?" lip asked him as we walked outside.

"you'll get a job at bestbuy. and with luck, you'll make assistant manager by the time you're 30. unless of course, the anger that you suppressed finally bubbles over and you mouth off to the wrong person and you get your ass fired. and from that point on, you won't be able to hold a job very long because you'll know the truth." the professor went on.

"and what's that?" lip asked.

"that you never lived up to your potential. and the only way to numb the pain of underachieving is with booze and with meth." the professor replied.

"the old philosophical professor who's gonna set the troubled teen on the right track it's a little trite, don't you think?" lip asked him.

"oh." the professor said.

"i mean, how many of us has that actually worked on?" lip asked him.

"not enough. there's no shortage of brilliant kids just like yourself who are too stupid to get out of the hood." the professor asked.

"and how do we usually respond?" lip asked.

"you tell me to fuck off." he replied as lip nodded.

"i guess you saved me the trouble. actually, no. fuck off." lip said making me laugh.

"listen, i got a class. why don't you take a peek inside here before you go? this is the robotics lab. it is the best in the country. just, uh, poke around. come by any time." he told him and before he left he patted lip on the shoulder.

"wear a condom, phillip." i heard the professor tell him making my cheeks turn hot.

when he walked off i saw lip look through the window and i stood beside him looking in at the robotics lab.