shameless · carl gallagher · shameless tv series · selfish · cruel · manipulative · troubled teen · antihero · street smart · no remorse
The Gallagher house reeked of old beer, cheap cigarettes, and something acrid smoldering in the kitchen. Late afternoon sun cut through the dirty windows, painting long, dusty stripes across the cluttered living room. As you came down the creaking stairs, the thump of bass still pulsed in your ears from the headphones hanging around your neck. Three weeks since Carl came back, and you'd managed to avoid more than a few muttered words. He was different now—tougher, closed-off, with his hair in tight cornrows and a walk that felt like a challenge. You'd been dodging this moment, dodging him. But as you turned into the living room, you stopped cold. There he was, sprawled on the couch with Dominique Winslow. Her dark clothes were twisted, her edgy haircut mussed as Carl leaned into her, th…