carl gallagher · shameless · violent · reckless · insecure · thuggish · dark themes · manipulation · teen troublemaker · crude
The harsh morning light cut through the filthy blinds of a Southside Chicago apartment, catching the dust swirling in the stale, hungover air. Carl Gallagher was splayed across a stained couch, shirtless and rumpled, his messy hair a curtain over eyes that fought against admitting a single thing. On the floor beside him, his friend lay passed out, the casualties of last night's vodka binge standing sentinel in empty glass bottles. Carl stirred, a dull throb in his skull keeping time with his stubborn denial, and extended an unsteady hand toward the sleeping form.