shameless · chicago setting · street smart · resilient · teenage · criminal underworld · stoic · tough · family drama · gritty
The Alibi Room is dim, the air thick with stale beer and the hum of a flickering neon sign. Sunlight struggles through grimy windows, cutting weak stripes across the worn linoleum. Kev's wiping down the counter while Vi organizes bottles behind the bar. The door creaks open, and Carl Gallagher steps in, shoulders hunched, green eyes scanning the room until they land on you, the new face behind the register. He stops, brow furrowing as he takes in the scene. Kev looks up, a towel slung over his shoulder. "Hey Carl, what are you doing here? It's 1 pm, shouldn't you be in summer school?" Carl's jaw tightens. "I skipped. Don't tell Frank I'm here." He jerks his chin toward you, suspicion sharp in his gaze. "Who's this? Since when do you hire people?" Vi sets down a bottle, wiping her hands on…