The Gallagher family are sat in the kitchen. Lip is preparing breakfast for his siblings he's the only one besides Liam who isn't dressed.
"So you're missing school again?" Ian asked Lip sounding concerned.
Lip nodded. "Can't leave Liam, if you guys miss too much school family services get involved"
"Your still under 18 too" Ian stated.
Lip shrugged. "Only for another month and anyway can't leave Liam"
"I'll watch Liam" Carl offered giving Lip a toothy grin.
"Hell no" Lip and Ian said at the same time.
"Why not? I never get to miss school" Carl replied.
Lip ruffled Carl's hair as he placed bowls of cereal on the table. "Yeah there's a reason for that buddy"
"You could ask Sheila" Debbie suggested.
Lip shook his head. "I don't wanna face Karen"
"Still not over her dumping you?" Ian questioned with a smirk.
"How's lover boy enjoying juvie?" Lip retorted as he took a seat next to Debbie.
"Fuck you" Ian responded as he smirked to himself.
Debbie stood up and went over to the refrigerator. She opened it to find an almost empty jug of milk and a half empty bottle of beer.
"Uh... Lip, we really need groceries" Debbie pointed out.
"Yeah, I know, Debs. We're just running a little short on money right now" Lip replied.
"Are we gonna starve?" Carl asked with slightly widened eyes.
Lip chuckled. "Uh no not yet. We've got a half loaf of bread and some peanut butter"
Debbie looked at Lip doubtfully. "Isn't that for our lunch?"
Lip sighed and stood up. "Yeah so I better make it, huh?"
"What are we gonna do for money?" Debbie asked sounding worried. "Water, heating and electric will be due by the end of the week"
Lip ignored Debbie and started to make peanut butter sandwiches.
Debbie looked to Ian. "Don't worry, Debs. I get my paycheck in two days and I can ask Kash or Linda for an advance of next months wages"
Debbie frowned. "That still won't be enough"
Lip began to put the sandwiches into brown paper bags.
"What are we supposed to drink?" Carl asked Lip noticing that he was only getting sandwiches for lunch.
"Take a water bottle" Lip told him as he placed the bags of sandwiches on the counter.
"Carl, Debs, you should get going if you want to catch the bus" Ian said.
Carl nodded then he grabbed his backpack and sandwiches. Lip ruffled his hair as he walked toward the door.
"Debs, can't have you being late" Lip stated as he noticed that Debbie hadn't moved.
Debbie got up and lifted Liam onto her hip. "I'll take care of Liam you can get a job"
Lip and Ian exhanged a look then they both turned back to Debbie. "No"
"But-"
"No way, Debs. You're 11, you are not dropping out to look after Liam" Lip insisted then he took Liam from Debbie and placed him back in his highchair. "Get to school"
Debbie pouted. "I just want to help"
Lip placed a gentle hand on Debbie's arm. "You are helping by just going to school. You help out enough. I'm gonna sort this, alright? We won't starve"
Debbie nodded. "Promise?"
"Promise" Lip confirmed.
Ian grabbed Debbie's sandwiches from the counter then passed them to her. He placed a hand on her back and guided her toward the door. The door slammed shut after she left.
"I can take Liam today" Ian told Lip. "You can go to school see who's willing to pay you to do their homework or tutor them"
Lip smiled at Ian. "You have Rotc today, you can't miss that for me. I'll figure out some other way"
Ian furrowed his eyebrows. "You sure?"
Lip nodded. "I got this. Go to school"
Ian clapped Lip on the back and kissed Liam's forehead before leaving.
Lip is outside the alibi with Liam in his stroller. He opens the door with one hand and pushes the stroller inside.
"Lip" Kevin beamed from behind the bar. "How you doing?"
"Alright mostly. Uh Kev there aren't any jobs going are there?" Lip questioned.
"What here?" Kevin questioned.
Lip nodded. "Yeah"
"You're not even 18 yet" Kevin stated.
"I know but i mean we aren't exactly convential around here. I need the cash" Lip replied.
"Sorry buddy, Stan is barely willing to pay Kate and I. He'd never take on somebody else" Kevin responded.
Lip gave Kevin a small smile. "Thanks anyway"
Carl is sat on a swing at the empty playground eating his peant butter sandwiches. After finishing eating he got up and walked toward the gate. He saw a brand new looking bike chained to the bike rack outside the playground.
He went into his backpack and pulled out a pocket knife then he began sawing at the bike chain. After a few minutes the chain broke then Carl clambered onto the bike and cycled off.
Debbie is stood outside a classroom eating her sandwiches.
Two girls, one blonde and the other brunette, dressed in designer clothes enter the corridor and head over to Debbie.
The blonde sniggered at Debbie. "Wow Gallagher your family really do take being poor to a whole other level"
Debbie put her head down and did her best not to look at them.
The brunette snatched the sandwich out of Debbie's hand and throws it to the ground. "Peanut butter? Gotta admit I'm surprised, i thought it would be actual shit like out of a toilet"
"Debbie doesn't have a toilet, she shares a bucket with the rest of her inbred family" The blonde remarked.
"Is it true you and your family all sleep in one room?" The brunette questioned.
A teacher entered the corridor. "Girls, is everything okay?"
"Yes, Debbie dropped her lunch, sir. We were offering to by her something but she told us she didn't want our help" The blonde lied.
The teacher smiled. "That was kind of you. Gallagher clean up that mess"
The two girls and the teacher left the corridor.
Two tears rolled down Debbie's cheek, she quickly wiped them then bent down to pick up the sandwich from the ground.
Carl is pushing the stolen bike up the street. He has a large cut on his cheek and a new rip in his jeans which shows a cut on his leg.
He pushed the bike up to Veronica's door and knocked loudly.
Veronica opened the door. "Carl, hey. What happened to your face? Why aren't you at school?"
"Fell. Can I use your laptop?" Carl replied.
"For what?" Veronica questioned.
"I'm selling this bike" Carl informed Veronica.
"Is it your bike?" Veronica asked with raised eyebrows.
Carl nodded. "My friend gave it to me"
"Come inside let me clean up those cuts" Veronica told Carl as she took a step aside to allow him to enter.
"Wait I can bring my bike in, right?" Carl asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Veronica sighed. "Alright. Bring the damn thing inside"
Ian is sat in the prison visiting room across from Mickey. They're both holding the phones.
"So how long until you get out?" Ian asked Mickey. "Mandy reckons it's only a month or two now"
"You didn't mention anything about-"
"Us? No course not" Ian cut in.
Mickey nodded. "How is Mandy? I told her not to come back again after she pissed me off last time"
"She's fine" Ian replied. "You want me to tell her to come visit you?"
Mickey shook his head. "Fuck no"
"I've missed you" Ian admitted with a smile.
"Don't go all soft on me, Gallagher" Mickey replied trying his best to hold back a smirk.
"I would have gave you some money in but things have been tight since Fiona left" Ian told Mickey.
"Thought, uh what's his name? Lip, I thought he was taking care of things" Mickey replied.
Ian sighed. "He's not really coping"
"Don't worry about me, man. Look after your family" Mickey responded.
Ian's smile grew even wider.
"Stop with the creepy smile"
"Can't help it" Ian said still smiling.
The buzzer rang through the prison alerting everyone that visits were over.
"See you later" Mickey said quickly then he got up from the seat and went straight over to the guard.
Lip is talking to a guy on the corner of the street. Liam is in his stroller.
"I could do with a new delivery boy" The guy told him. "You've got a pretty face, look innocent enough. The kid makes you look less suspicious too"
"I can't sell drugs, man. I got my brothers and sister to think about" Lip replied.
"You said you needed money for them" The guy reminded him. "This is a good steady income"
"Along with the all too real possibility of being arrested. Those kids need me" Lip stated.
"The offer stands until next week" The guy informed Lip as he started to walk away. "After then I find somebody else"
Lip looked down at Liam in his stroller and placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't worry buddy, I won't take you to sell drugs"
Ian is sat at the kitchen table with Debbie.
"So you didn't see Carl today?" Ian asked his younger sister.
"No" Debbie replied dryly.
Ian placed a hand on Debbie's arm. "You okay Debs?"
"I'm fine" Debbie snapped before storming upstairs.
The back door opened and Carl entered into the kitchen with a bunch of dollar bills in his hand. Veronica had stitched up the cut on his cheek andfixed the rip in his jeans.
"Whoa... Where did you get that from?" Ian asked.
"Found it in a wallet on the street" Carl lied.
"What happened to your face?" Ian queried.
"I got three hundred dollars that covers the bills, right?" Carl questioned.
"Covers water and half of the electric" Ian told him. "Where did you really get this money?"
"I told you I found it" Carl replied.
The front door opened and Lip entered with Liam in his stroller.
"Hey, Lip, I found some money for us" Carl beamed.
"You did? How much?" Lip asked as he lifted Liam out of his stroller.
"300 dollars" Carl informed Lip.
"Wow. Well done buddy" Lip praised Carl as he placed Liam into the playpen.
Carl grinned at him.
"I'm gonna ask V what happened" Ian told Carl.
"V doesn't know anything" Carl lied.
"How did it happen?" Ian questioned.
"I fell off a bike" Carl admitted. "My friend let me have a go and I fell"
"That could be true" Lip reasoned. "We need the money anyway so if he did anything illegal we just deny it"
Ian shook his head at Lip then went upstairs.
"Debs home?" Lip asked Carl.
Carl shrugged. "Might be upstairs"
Lip is putting Liam into his crib. "Night little man, sweet dreams"
Ian is stood at the door. "Dinner was actually edible, well done"
Lip grinned as he left Carl and Liam's room. "Thanks"
"You think Carl and Debbie are okay?" Ian asked Lip.
Lip shrugged.. "Carl's as crazy as usual, Debs seemed fine when we were shopping. They're just getting used to not having Fiona here"
Ian nodded. "Any luck with a job?"
"Nope" Lip replied as he and Ian headed downstairs.
"Where'd you try?" Ian enquired as Lip took a beer out of the fridge.
"Alibi, couple places down town" Lip told him.
There's a loud knock at the door.
Ian goes to answer it. He opens the door and sees a large muscled man stood there wearing knuckle dusters.
"Carl Gallagher?" The man said aggressively.
"No" Ian replied quickly. "Lip!"
Lip came to the door with his beer in his hand. "Who's this?"
The man took a step toward Lip. "My son's bike was stolen today. My sister saw it on craigslist, Carl Gallagher was selling it. I've been to your local bar and they told me the Gallaghers were all scum and lived here"
"Think you got the wrong house dude, sorry" Lip responded then he attempted to shut the door. The man stuck his foot out and stopped it from shutting.
Debbie walked downstairs carrying a crying Liam. "Carl woke up Liam again"
"Wrong place huh?" The man snapped then he shoved past Lip and stormed into the house. "Carl Gallagher"
Carl came downstairs. "Lip your shouting voice kinda sounds like... Your not Lip"
"No I'm not. You stole my bike you little bastard" The man retorted then he lunged at Carl.
Lip gripped his bottle of beer tightly then smashed it over the man's head. The man fell to the ground with a thud and blood poured from his head.
Debbie gasped loudly. "Lip, you're a murderer!"