𝙂𝙀𝙊𝙍𝙂𝙄𝘼 . shameless

~Ill Light a Candle For You Everyday~

Georgia makes me the happiest I've ever been. I can't believe she's been here this whole time and I'm just now realizing that she's the love of my life. Shes the smartest, most creative, funniest, angelic soul I have ever met. She's also so hot.

~ Karter Jackson ✘

"Well I just think that if your GPA was so high you wouldn't have gone back to a bitch that's cheated on you with the same guy over and over." We had only made it half an hour into a hour an half ride into the city and this was already Mandy and Karter's fourth fight. I was starting to think taking a tour of this college wasn't even worth it.

"That's real funny coming from you Mandy, remind me how many married men you've slept with again?" Mandy gasped as the words left Karter's mouth. "How dare you? You're lucky I don't bring up your 40 year old dating sister. What's his name? Jody? Grody? Choady?"

"Guys! Stop! I can't listen to it anymore." I yelled. "She should be lucky I even let her in my car. It's only because I love you so much I let her come with." Silence fell over the car after Karter spoke. I caught Mandy's eye from the rear view mirror. Since summer had began Karter had been saying 'I love you' a lot. I haven't said it back. It's almost like he's saying it more and more to get me to say it back.

~

"Hello folks! Please help us get to know you by finding your name tag here!" A lady way too excited for ten in the morning announced to our group. Our group consisted of me, Karter, and Mandy along with 12 other people that wore my same expression. I grabbed my name tag from the table and clipped it onto my shirt. I noticed the amount of name tags still left after everyone had gotten there's. Over half.

The lady, according to her name tag, named Susan, led us down the endless hallways showing us all the rinky dink classrooms and the meth lab science room. Karter and Mandy stayed silent most of the tour, acting fake impressed, as moral support for me I'd suppose.

It wasn't until we got to the dorms/apartments on the South Point campus that Karter and Mandy started to voice their concerns. "We understand that most of our accepted scholars don't live close to our campus, that's why South Point provides our students with comfortable dorms to make it an easier journey to their courses." It almost sounded good, great even, for a community college, until you saw the rooms.

Roaches in the walls, the carpets, the beds. Rats swimming in the drains. Water leakage stains you could clearly see. This was supposed to be better. "I didn't think houses worse than mine even existed." Mandy whispered in my ear.

"I'm sorry, but is this a joke?" Karter scoffed. "Excuse me?" Susan's smile faltered. "How do you expect anyone to live in these conditions?" A couple people in the group nodded as Karter spoke. "Uh..well.." The lady scanned Karter's chest for a name tag. "It's Karter."

"Well..uh..Karter, you have to keep in mind this is a community college." Susan plastered on a nervous smile. "We aren't obligated to provide housing for our students. We choose to."

"Well, Susan, I know some sidewalks that are better kept than these dorms. This should be reported." Susan's smile wiped completely from her face. "You're welcome to bring it up with the head administrator at the start of your school year."

Karter scoffed. "You think I'm gonna go to this shit hole of a school?"

"Then why are you here?" Susan asked. Karter looked over to me. "For my girlfriend." Susan turned to look at me. "Well, is there anything you would like to say about the dorms? Considering you'll actually be attending our school."

Karter looked to me to back him up. "I think they're fine." Susan looked Karter up and down in a you were wrong and I was right kind of way before continuing on with her tour.

~

The car ride was silent for the first forty five minutes back home. Karter was upset I hadn't backed him up and I was upset he had made a scene at something so important for me. "Don't tell me you're actually considering this."

"I don't have any other options left." I crossed my arms. "If you think I'm gonna let you go to that school and live in those dorms you're crazy. You're better than that, Georgia. There's better options."

"He's right Georgia. I didn't think it was as bad as it was. The yahoo photos lied." Mandy chimed in. "There are no better options. This is it for me. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough to be promised a guranteed 50 dollar an hour job right out of highschool like you, but this school is the top of the line for me. You just wouldn't get that." I turned to Karter as I spoke.

"I think you sell yourself too short."

~

I walked through the back door of the Gallagher house with my share of the squirrel fund money for the week, hoping and praying Lip was anywhere but home.

I found Debbie in the living room holding a knife up to Carl and decided to leave it be, so I could come and go without being noticed. "Well look who it is." Lip stalked into the kitchen. Great. I didn't say anything, didn't even turn his way.

"You missed the versace bag brunch." Fiona had texted me the other day asking if Karter and I would like to join the family for lunch at a hotel because she had found a versace bag on the subway containing an irregular amount of money. I didn't respond.

"Didn't think you'd be funding this family anymore after you moved in with the Jackson's." Lip smirked. "Well there's some people in this family that I still like." I gave him a fake smile.

"Always nice to see you, Georgia." Lip turned to walk away before quickly turning back around. "Oh and I hope your delinquent college works out for you." He patted me on the shoulder. That's it.

"Hey, if you're leaving to go see Karen, I've been meaning to ask her who's bigger. You or dad? Do you think you could ask her for me?"

"Georgia!" Debbie pushed past Lip and came over and hugged me. "Did you know people can die from heat exhaustion? I didn't. Also people poop themselves when they die, isn't that crazy. Also-" Lip left the kitchen angrily as I listened to Debbie go on and on about dead people. I won this time.

~

"Well Jody just told me he's gonna propose to Karen." Karter announced as he walked into his room and joined me in his bed. "Damn it. Wish I would've known that sooner so I could've used it against Lip. How does it feel knowing the love of your life is gonna start getting bent over by her forty year old husband? Something like that."

"You know Jody and Karen don't have sex." Karter laughed. "Jody'll cave soon. It's Karen's superpower." Karter nodded in agreement. "When do you think we're gonna get married?" I looked down at him after his question. "I mean we basically already live together."

"Basically." I replied. "Maybe you should just move in completely." Karter reasoned. "And be just like my dad, no way. I'm outta here one hundred percent once summers over." Karter sat up. "You're not like your dad. We love each other. Move in with me, please."

"No, Karter. I'm sorry, but no." Karter inched away from me. "Do you love me, Georgia?" I had never seen him look at me the way he was looking at me right now. Pleading. "Why are you asking me this?"

"You don't think I notice when you don't say it back? And how much that hurts me. I've been for sure about us since the first night we hung out at the movie theater and you fell asleep on my shoulder watching Forest Gump. It just took me a while to realize it. But I know for sure now. I love you more than anything, Georgia. More than I've ever loved Lindsey, more then I've ever loved anybody. So say it, Georgia. Say you love me back."

I looked into his eyes, and I know how sappy this sounds but his eyes honestly felt like home, felt like a future. How could I not tell him I love him back?