A Different Kind Of Dysfunction - A Shameless Fanfiction (Book One)

The phone was ringing again.

It was barely 10 a.m., and Adeline already knew it wasn’t good news.

The only people who called the Whitman house in the morning were bill collectors, CPS, or South Side High.

She wiped her hands on a dish rag and grabbed the cracked receiver, bracing herself.

"Hello?"

Static crackled, then a sharp voice snapped through.

"Miss Whitman?"

Adeline squeezed her eyes shut. "Yeah."

"This is Mr. Harding, assistant principal at South Side. I'm calling about your brother, Rory."

Of course you are.

"What happened?" she said, already knowing it would be bad.

"He’s been involved in another altercation. We need you to come pick him up immediately."

Another pause.

"And Miss Whitman...this is serious."

Adeline bit back a scream.

"On my way," she said, slamming the phone down.

The twins and Leah stared at her from the table where they were picking at stale cereal.

"What now?" Lily asked, voice sharp.

Adeline grabbed her jacket. "Stay here. Lock the door. Don’t answer for anybody except me or Sophie."

Tessa nodded solemnly.

Leah barely looked up.

Adeline yanked open the front door and stomped down the street, the cold air burning her lungs.
Her feet felt heavy, like she was dragging the whole damn house behind her.

---

South Side High looked even worse in daylight.
Peeling paint. Rusty lockers. Cops parked out front like permanent decorations.

Adeline pushed into the lobby, shivering.

A security guard buzzed her through, not even bothering to look up.

She found Rory sitting outside the principal’s office, a split lip and a fresh bruise forming under one eye.
Blood stained the collar of his hoodie.

Jesus Christ, Rory.

He glanced up when he saw her and immediately looked away, ashamed.

Good. He should be ashamed.

Mr. Harding — a pudgy man with watery blue eyes and a bad comb-over — appeared in the doorway.

"Miss Whitman," he said, voice pinched. "Come in."

Adeline followed him into the cramped office, arms crossed tight over her chest.

The other kid was there too — some slick-haired rich boy from the magnet program, dabbing at his nose with a bloody tissue and shooting death glares at Rory.

"Let’s get straight to it," Harding said, folding his hands. "Your brother assaulted another student. He will be suspended for two weeks minimum. Anger management classes are mandatory before he can return."

He gave her a look — the kind of look people reserved for rats and roaches.

"I understand your family's...situation," he said carefully, "but this cannot continue."

Adeline’s nails dug into her palms.

"We'll handle it," she said through gritted teeth.

"See that you do," Harding said briskly. "Otherwise, we’ll be forced to consider expulsion."