getting ready for school in her bedroom, addison had just packed her backpack up with all the books she needed for the day. it was part of her very organized daily routine.

just as she was about to zip up her bag, a light tapping against her window caught her attention. addison's eyes widened in surprise as she opened the it up to find lip standing outside. "can i help you?" she smirked, leaning against the window sill.

"you weren't picking up." lip explained, referring to the missed calls on her cell. "because i'm getting ready for school. why aren't you?" addison questioned, a playful glint in her eyes.

"do you want to go with me to the university of chicago, today? that professor from the sat invited me for a tour." lip inquired, knowing she'd definitely say yes in a heartbeat. addison was a huge dork when it came to stuff like this.

addison's face lit up with excitement. "i'll be down in five," she declared proudly before shutting the window.

throwing on her coat, scarf, and gloves, addison hurried down the stairs ready to head outside. but as thrilled as she was, it all came to an immediate halt as the girl froze in place at the bottom of the steps, her mind struggling to process the scene before her. her mother, who was usually passed out from alcohol benders at this hour, stood at the stove with a spatula in hand, flipping pancakes.

"mom?" addison's voice was barely a whisper, her surprise evident in her wide eyes. brooke turned around, a tired smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "morning, honey. thought i'd make us breakfast today."

addison blinked, still trying to comprehend the sight. it was rare to see her mother sober, let alone preparing a morning meal. the scent of pancakes filled the air, mingling with her disbelief.

she glanced around the room, noticing sydney sitting at the table eating. she looked equally as surprised, but she seemed to just be going along with it.

"are you.. feeling okay?" addison asked cautiously, taking a hesitant step forward towards her mother. brooke nodded, the fatigue evident in her eyes. "yeah, just had a good night's sleep for once."

as a long silence filled the room, addison's eyes peered around, noticing no jordan in sight. "so, where's jordan?" she whispered cautiously, her stomach knotting with apprehension.

her mother's smile faltered slightly, a shadow crossing her features. "oh, he's... he had to run some errands this morning." addison's squinted at the evasive response. she knew all too well that running errands was often a cover-up that they'd gotten into a fight. she exchanged a knowing glance with sydney, who mirrored her understanding.

"sit, sit! i'll fix you a plate." brooke offered, attempting to maintain this newfound normalcy.

"uh, it looks great, really. but i've gotta get going, get to school early today. syd, you'll be fine going with ian, debbie, and carl, right? don't forget, we're meeting kev and v's foster kid later." addison asked, heading towards the door.

sydney nodded, earning a relieved smile from addison. "have a great day, sweetie," brooke called out as her daughter attempted to leave.

"uh, thanks, mom." addison replied, feeling the discomfort of the situation linger as she stepped outside. making her way over to lip, she couldn't shake off the unease that clouded her mind.

noticing the perplexed look on addison's face, lip asked softly. "you okay? you look like you just saw a ghost." he was half-joking, but his smile quickly faded as the girl's face remained unchanged.

addison took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts before explaining to lip what had just transpired inside. "yeah uh, so you know how my mom usually spends her mornings passed out on our couch after a night of drinking?"

lip nodded, his expression growing more serious as he listened intently.

"well, when i got downstairs just now, she was cooking breakfast in the kitchen.. like, sober and everything." addison recounted, her brow furrowing with confusion.

lip raised an eyebrow, his expression reflecting his surprise. "huh, did she say why she was suddenly playing martha stewart?"

addison shook her head, a perplexed frown creasing her brow as she ran a hand through her hair. "no, not really. she just said she had a 'good night's sleep', but she was just.. really energetic. and get this, when i asked her where jordan was, she got all weird and dodgy about it, saying he had errands to run. you know what that means."

lip's expression darkened, understanding dawning in his eyes. "he's a piece of shit and she kicked him out."

"exactly," addison nodded. "it's like... i don't know, i'm happy he's gone.. but something's off.. maybe i should stay back and watch her."

lip paused, his gaze softening as he looked down at her. "look, in all honesty, jordan will probably be back by tonight and get your mom back off the wagon." he spoke with a tinge of solemnity.

"yeah, you're probably right." addison sighed, a sense of resignation creeping into her tone. she didn't want it to be true, but lip was just being realistic.

📸

before heading to the university tour, lip insisted on picking up karen first. addison wasn't exactly thrilled about her joining them, but she agreed for lip's sake. she was well aware of karen's sentiments toward her, and vice versa—it wasn't news to either of them.

knocking on the jacksons' front door, sheila quickly answered, "hey, sheila, karen already leave for school?" lip inquired as the woman let them in.

addison was silently hoping for a yes. spending the day with karen wasn't high on her bucket list. "no." sheila answered, "have you seen frank?"

"what, he hasn't been here?" lip raised a brow in confusion. "not in a few days." sheila sighed. "that's weird." addison commented, exchanging a glance with lip.

"i'm rather worried about him." sheila admitted, her expression somber. "i'm sure he's just on a bender. he'll surface." lip shrugged, reassuring the woman as karen came down the steps.

"hey, what are you doing here?" karen smiled as she reached the bottom of the steps, though it faded once she saw addison standing next to him. she hadn't gotten over how close she was with lip, and still found it rather suspicious.

"uh, the sat guy that popped me... he's dragging my ass out to the university of chicago." lip explained casually, as if it were a chore.

addison couldn't help but notice his change in demeanor when he spoke to karen. when he originally told addison about it, he seemed genuinely interested in checking the school out, but now it was a whole new tune.

"you're planning on going to college?" karen scoffed, her tone dripping with condescension. "fuck, no." lip downplayed, his enthusiasm dampening. "i thought we'd check it out though, you know, maybe steal some sweatshirts from the bookstore."

addison's eyes shot up at him subtly, but he didn't seem to notice. "okay." karen shrugged dismissively.

📸

"so when you're not busting sat cheaters, you're a teacher?" lip inquired with a lopsided grin as they continued the university of chicago tour with professor hearst.

as they ambled through the main building's lobby, addison and karen trailed behind lip and professor hearst, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors.

the professor's teaching assistant walked beside them, her presence barely registering in addison's mind as she took in the grandeur of the surroundings.

the campus interior surpassed the brunette's expectations, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the space with natural light and tasteful décor adorning every corner.

college had always been a distant dream for addison, a goal she aspired to but feared she might never attain. she had resigned herself to the idea of attending a community college, scraping by to cover the costs, but always wished she could do more.

"professor," hearst interjected with a chuckle, "sat is a side gig. pays for my boat."

"which gets you laid, i'm guessing?" lip smirked mischievously. professor hearst shook his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement, "nah, the beard gets me laid. chicks dig a beard."

"i'll keep that in mind." he nodded instinctively.

professor hearst didn't engage much with addison and karen, focusing his attention mainly on lip, the boy genius. even though addison was just as intelligent, lip's quick wit often stole the spotlight. she was used to it by now.

"you planning on going to college?" professor hearst's teaching assistant asked the girls, "you know, professor hearst thinks lip's a genius."

karen evaded the question with a nervous laugh, "i think he is too, heh."

addison's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she eagerly jumped into the conversation. "oh, absolutely! probably community but i've always wanted to be a teacher, i love kids and i really enjoy tutoring so—" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with passion.

the teaching assistant nodded approvingly, intrigued by addison's passion for education. "that's wonderful to hear," she remarked with a warm smile. "teaching is such a rewarding profession."

as addison continued to share her dreams, karen's annoyance grew. she felt left out and overshadowed by her enthusiasm, unable to find a way to insert herself into the conversation.

as they stepped onto the escalator, professor hearst revealed his aspirations for lip. "i'd like you to attend the university next semester," he declared.

"i can't, i still have a year and a half of high school left." lip explained, shaking his head. "well, test out." professor hearst encouraged, "you know you're capable."

"pay for it with what?" lip shrugged dismissively, "beard get me money too?" hearst shook his head, a hint of amusement in his expression, "no, there's grants you can apply for. there's loans. it'll pay for the school, the dorm, your meal card."

"yeah, and then i end up in debt with half a million bucks," lip concluded skeptically. "i don't have that kind of money."

"well, you're a clever kid. you'll figure out a way to stiff uncle sam." professor hearst reassured him, confident in lip's capabilities.

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

"it's better than the alternative." the man remarked solemnly. "and what's that?" lip inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"well," hearst paused, casting a glance back at karen. "your girlfriend back there?"

"uh-huh." lip acknowledged.

"you'll knock her up. or someone like her. and she'll say it happened accidentally, but you'll always wonder if it happened accidentally on purpose." professor hearst continued with a somber tone.

"you'll get a job at best buy," hearst elaborated, "and with luck, you'll make it to assistant manager by the time you're thirty."

"unless of course," the professor went on, "the anger that you suppressed finally bubbles over, and you mouth off to the wrong person and get your ass fired. and from that point on you won't be able to hold a job because you'll always know the truth."

"and whats that?" lip questioned, raising a brow. the man put a hand on his chest to stop them from walking. "that you never lived up to your potential. and the only way to numb the pain of underachieving is with booze...and with, meth." professor hearst concluded, his voice heavy with implication.

"you know, 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 retorted, skepticism lacing his words.

"oh," hearst muttered, halting in his steps. "i mean, how many of us has that actually worked on?" lip challenged. "not enough," hearst replied bluntly. "there's no shortage of brilliant kids just like yourself, who are too stupid to get out of the 'hood."

addison and karen were a few steps behind now, so they couldn't hear every word that was being said. but addison was able to catch professor hearst's last faint words, and hoped it would bring some sense to lip. she'd always worried he'd end up that way, preaching south side forever when he had all this potential to do more.

lip glanced back at the girls, who observed the exchange with raised brows. "and how do we usually respond?"

"you tell me to fuck off." professor hearst answered without missing a beat.

"well, i guess you saved me the trouble... actually, no. fuck off." lip retorted sharply.

with their exchange hanging in the air, hearst redirected his attention. "listen, i've got a class. why don't you take a peak 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. wear a condom, phillip."

as they parted ways with professor hearst, addison couldn't contain her excitement. she hurried up to lip, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "lip, you have to go here! look at that robotics lab. it's incredible!"

lip's face brightened at addison's enthusiasm, but before he could respond, karen's voice interrupted. "hey, can we go now? i'm getting hungry," she interjected, her tone lacking the same excitement that addison radiated.

lip glanced at karen, then back at addison, his expression falling slightly. "yeah, let's get out of here," he replied reluctantly, his enthusiasm dampened by karen's indifference.

addison felt a pang of disappointment as lip acquiesced to karen's request. she couldn't shake the feeling that karen's lack of enthusiasm for lip's future was hindering his potential. she exchanged a fleeting glance with lip, silently conveying her concern before reluctantly following karen as they left the campus.

📸

returning from the college tour, addison was filled with a renewed sense of purpose. despite lip's nonchalant facade, she knew deep down he was interested in this stuff.

settling at the kitchen table, the brunette opened up her laptop. it was a shitty desktop lip stole for her at school, but worked well none the less. professor hearst's words echoed in her mind as she explored various student aid options and scholarship opportunities.

as she continued, her mother quickly shuffled through the room. at first, everything seemed fine. brooke had been unusually quiet since she returned earlier that day, addison just attributed it to her strange behavior from this morning.

but as she continued typing away, addison overheard her mother's footsteps pacing back and forth in the living room. glancing over her shoulder, she noticed brooke's expression shift from calm to agitated in a matter of seconds. it was as if a storm was brewing beneath the surface.

"addison, come here!" her mother's voice called out, sharp and demanding. startled, addison quickly minimized the browser window on her computer and hurried to the living room. "what's wrong, mom?"

her mother's mood had escalated rapidly, and the brunette could see the tension in her clenched fists and furrowed brow. "i can't find my keys! did you take them? you always take things that aren't yours!"

addison's heart sank as she tried to reason with her mother. "no, i-i haven't seen your keys. maybe check your purse?"

brooke's eyes darted around the room, her agitation mounting. "don't tell me what to do! you're always talking back to me!"

addison's took a step back, she was beyond frustrated and to be quite honest didn't feel like dealing with her mother's withdrawls at the moment.

without a word, addison turned on her heel and headed for the door, her heart heavy with frustration. she couldn't bear to stay in the same room with the woman a moment longer.

📸

as they lounged on the gallagher living room couch, their bodies entwined, lip and karen savored their moments of intimacy. karen, straddling lip's lap, gazed down at him with a soft smile as their passion simmered.

she paused for a moment, sitting up slightly to address him. "what are we doing here?" she inquired, her tone light but with a hint of uncertainty, a small smile playing on her lips.

lip's playful smirk danced across his lips as he leaned in closer, "seriously, from, uh, my vantage point, looks like we're on the verge of fucking."

karen's brows furrowed as she sought clarity, her tone tinged with hesitation. "no, i mean, you and me. what are we?"

"we've always been friends." he quickly answered, not too keen on anything serious due to karen's actions. "just friends?" the blonde prodded further, seeking clarity.

"yeah, you know." lip's lips found her neck, planting a gentle kiss. "friends who like to do this. right?" he murmured against her skin, seeking reassurance.

karen's affirmation was swift but tinged with an underlying concern. "right, i knew that. i was just checking. but seriously, why do you have to bring addison everywhere we go?" she questioned, her frustration creeping in.

"i just thought she'd wanna see the school, it wasn't anything—" lip began, but she cut him off.

"but i told you that i don't like her," karen interjected sternly, her tone tinged with irritation.

"and i told you that she's not going anywhere," lip replied firmly, his patience wearing thin.

karen sighed, frustration evident in her voice. "well, she really got on my nerves today. did you see how she acted? talking to the t.a. lady like she knows everything. it made me feel stupid."

lip raised an eyebrow, surprised by karen's reaction. "she just gets really excited about this kind of stuff. i don't think she was trying to make you feel dumb."

karen's brows furrowed as she pulled back slightly, her frustration evident. "she's always hovering around, glaring at me like she's wants to steal you away or something. it's annoying."

"no, she's not." lip scoffed, glancing in another direction at the absurdity of the statement. "yes, she is." karen insisted.

lip's jaw tensed, his frustration growing at karen's harshness, "well, what the fuck do you want me to do? she's my best friend. i don't get why you can't just try to get along with her."

karen hesitated for a moment before nodding, "whatever. let's just forget about it for now." she leaned down to kiss him again, the tension between them momentarily forgotten.

at that perfect moment, just as the couple went back to fooling around, addison barged in through the front door, her face twisted in frustration. "hey, brooke is driving me craz—ahhhh!"

"oh, fuck." lip exclaimed, jumping up from the couch in surprise.

as she quickly realized what she'd entered upon, addison immediately covered her eyes with her hands, gasping dramatically. "oh, crap! i'm sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise.

karen scrambled to cover herself with her shirt, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "seriously?" she muttered under her breath, shooting lip a pointed look. she'd just spent the last few minutes complaining about addison and now here she was, ruining another moment.

the brunette's awkwardness kicked into high gear as she began to apologize