I've known Lip Gallagher for a very long time although I doubt he knows me. We've been going to school together since we were kids. I've never been on his radar because I'm not like everyone he hangs out with. Even though we are from the same part of town I have never considered myself one of them. I've never felt like part of the community. I don't drink, or smoke or party like the rest of them. I've always kept my head down and concentrated on my schoolwork. Just like the rest of the neighborhood I have to get a scholarship if I have any chance of going to college. I am not naturally smart like Lip is. I have to really concentrate to get good enough grades. It takes a lot of work to get my grades as good as they are. So while everyone is out partying I stick to my books. It means I don't have any friends but who really needs friends. I have gone completely unnoticed all my life and that is fine with me. No one really notices the pale, curvy girl with black hair and hazel eyes. I am completely ordinary therefore I've been looked over. I am perfectly content with where I am and who I am. That is until one fateful day when Lip Gallagher actually does look my way.

It's always freezing in Chicago but I think this winter feels particularly brutal. My gloves are barely holding together but I don't have the money for new ones. Most people I know would just steal a new pair but I could never bring myself to do that. I pull my threadbare scarf tighter around my neck as I begin my long walk home from school. I live as far away from the school as you can be and still be a part of this school district. It is an hour long walk to and from school every day. Even though I have grown up in this neighborhood I have never felt comfortable walking alone. Too many bad things happen around here. I take out my book and read it as I walk. I stop to look before I cross the street to check for cars. As I begin to cross a car comes out of nowhere and almost hits me. The mirror of the car catches on my backpack and throws me to the ground. The car keeps speeding away as I lay in the freezing and muddy water in the street. I start to get up when a hand grabs a hold of mine. I look up to see Lip Gallagher standing above me. He has his typical cigarette in his mouth as he looks at me.

"Are you alright?" he asks as he pulls me to standing.

"Yeah, it didn't hit me. It just hit my backpack."

My backpack is dripping water so I know that everything inside of it is soaked. It is so cold outside that I can already feel the water on my clothes turning to ice. Now this walk is going to be even worse than it normally is. I realize I am still holding on to Lip's hand and I quickly let go. I don't have time to stand here any longer. My teeth chatter before I can stop them.

"Thank you." I say as I readjust my wet backpack.

I start to walk away but Lip runs up beside me.

"Rose, its Rose right?"

I had no idea he even knew my name.

"Yeah."

"You are soaking wet and it is freezing out here. I live right around the corner. Why don't you come inside, clean off, and warm up."

He finishes his cigarette and throws it on the ground.

"I don't know. I don't want to intrude and I hate to walk home in the dark." I say.

"There are always a ton of people at my house so no one will even notice another person. You can stay for dinner and then I can walk you home tonight."

I narrow my eyes at Lip. He has never once looked my way so why is he now? I've seen the girls he hangs around with and I am nothing like any of them. Why would he be nice to me now? What is he looking for?

"I don't know…"

He gives me that signature Lip smile.

"I'm not trying anything I swear. I'm just trying to be nice. I don't want a nice girl like you freezing to death on the way home."

He seems sincere enough and I am getting way too cold to stand out here and decide. I will take my chances with the Gallaghers.

"Okay, thank you." I say in defeat.

Lip leads the way to his house. He pulls out another cigarette and lights it. He offers me the pack.

"Do you want one?" he asks.

"No thank you."

"I didn't think you smoked. Just thought I would offer."

He puts the pack and lighter in his pocket and we continue our walk. It's getting harder to keep walking in these frozen clothes. I never would have made it all the way home. We get to his house and he holds open the front door for me.

"Welcome to Casa Gallagher." He says as he closes the door.

The minute the door opened I could hear the chaos inside. We step into the living room and two of his siblings are fighting over the remote while the baby smacks a wooden spoon on the table.

"Debbie, Carl stop. This is Rose. Rose this is Debbie, Carl, and Liam. Where's Fiona?"

"At the store." Debbie says as she yanks the remote from Carl's hand.

"Where did you find this one Lip? She looks different from the rest." Carl says.

My cheeks flame red.

"Shut up Carl. You two watch Liam and stay down here. We are going upstairs."

I follow Lip up the stairs with the redness still on my cheeks. How many girls has he brought up here before? It makes sense that his family would think that is what I am here for too. I would have turned around and gone right home except I never would have made it in this cold. I am trapped here at the Gallaghers and there is nothing I can do about it. We go to Lip's room and he clears off the space heater.

"Here I can hang your wet clothes over this to dry while you shower. Let me find something for you to put on in the meantime."

I didn't think I needed to shower until I catch a glimpse in the mirror and realize I have muddy water in my hair. I take off my backpack and my coat. Lip takes my coat and lays it over the heater. I put my boots next to the heater. Lip opens up my back pack and pulls out a wet notebook.

"I'm going to lay these out to dry. Here is a hoodie and some sweatpants you can put on after your shower. I can go grab a pair of Fiona's socks for you because I think mine would be too big. I will just slide them under the door. There are towels in the closet and you are welcome to use Fiona's shampoo and conditioner."

I look at him and smile.

"Thank you Lip. I really appreciate this."

He smiles back at me.
"You're welcome."

I find the towels and take one into the bathroom. I move the toys off the floor and set the clean clothes on the sink. I double check that the door is locked before I peel off my wet clothes. Thankfully my bra is dry but my panties are not so lucky. They are soaked. Thankfully they have a blow-dryer so I can dry them off and I won't have to go commando. I check the lock on the door one more time before I step into the shower. I turn the water on as warm as I can stand and put my body under it. My fingers and toes tingle from the warmth coming back into them. I wash the dirty water out of my hair with shampoo that smells like berries. I try not to take too long because I don't want to use up their hot water. I look around and realize that this is where Lip showers. I am in his house and in his shower. I turn off the water and dry off quickly. I try to turn on the blow-dryer and it doesn't turn on. It must be broken. I check Lip's black sweatpants to make sure there are no holes since now I have to go commando in them. I put them one and they are a little tight at my hips. My hips are a lot wider than Lip's and so is my ass. I pull them down a little so they sit low on my hips and it's a bit better. I put my bra back on and I pray as I pull the gray hoodie on. If this hoodie isn't really baggy I'm totally screwed. I pull it down and it covers the gap left at my waist by the sweatpants. It fits just right and I sigh a breath of relief. I don't know why but I can't help myself and I hold the hoodie against my nose and breathe in. It smells amazing. It's a scent that is uniquely Lip. Even though I've never really had anything to do with Lip doesn't mean I'm blind. He is really attractive and I've always harbored an unspoken crush on him. It's a far away crush since we could never be together. I'm not his type. I grab the red socks that Lip slid under the door and I put them on. I feel so warm now that I'm dry and dressed. I grab my wet clothes and I roll my panties up and shove them in my jeans' pocket. I don't need my panties out on display in Lip's bedroom. I dry my hair a little more with the towel and quickly put my long hair into a braid. I take my clothes and towel and go back into Lip's room. I walk in and he is shirtless and pulling on a pair of gray sweatpants.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I say stepping back out of the room quickly.

"That's okay. You can come in. It doesn't bother me."

I come back in the room but I don't look up. I didn't see much but the view I did get was enough to give me goosebumps. His body is perfect. He throws on a navy blue hoodie.

"I'm decent now. You can look." He says with a smirk.

He holds out his hands for my clothes and I give them to him. He hangs them over the heater and throws the towel in the clothes hamper.

"It's my night to make dinner. Wanna help?" he asks.

"Sure. It's the least I can do for your hospitality."

Lip laughs. "That's a word I don't hear too often."

I follow Lip back downstairs where Debbie, Carl, Liam, and now Ian are all watching TV.

"That was quick Lip. You must be losing your touch." Ian says without looking away from the TV.

Lip grabs the object closest to him which happens to be a magazine and throws it at Ian's head.

"Shut up or I won't make enough dinner for you. This is Rose. Rose, that asshole is Ian."

We get into the kitchen and Lip looks at me with an almost sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry about that. My brothers' are pigs." He says.

"Well they wouldn't say it if it wasn't partially true. Something tells me this isn't the first time you have had a girl in the house."

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I can't believe I actually just said that. I can feel my cheeks get red again. Lip smiles a real smile at me this time.

"Touché." He says as he opens the fridge, "So, can you cook?"