Chapter 57 — Hero Against PennyThe Gallagher house never stopped moving.
Even when nothing changed, it vibrated—with resentment, hunger, unresolved arguments, and the constant clatter of pennies being counted and recounted like they might multiply out of pity.
Luke watched it all while washing a mug that had probably never been clean in its entire existence.
Then he spoke.
The Talk with Fiona"Fiona."
She froze mid-motion, keys in hand, jacket half-on. That alone told Luke how rare it was for Lip to call her name without sarcasm or attitude.
"What?" she said, guarded.
"Sit. Five minutes."
She looked at the clock, then at the door, then at the kids. Her jaw tightened—but she sat.
Luke didn't rush.
He pulled out a chair, turned it backward, and sat facing her, arms folded on the backrest. A posture Lip used sometimes—but rarely seriously.
"This house runs on panic," Luke said calmly. "And you're carrying all of it."
Fiona scoffed. "Congratulations. You cracked the mystery."
"I'm not judging," he said. "I'm mapping."
That made her pause.
Luke continued, voice low so the kids wouldn't hear.
"Bills, food, school, Frank's disasters. You plug holes with whatever money shows up. That means you never get ahead—just less behind."
Her eyes flickered.
"That's how it is," she said. "Unless you got a magic solution."
Luke shook his head. "No magic. Just fewer fires."
She stared at him now, fully.
"You drunk?"
"Not yet."
A snort escaped her before she could stop it.
Luke pressed on.
"I can bring in money. Legit. But you've gotta stop treating every dollar like it's already gone."
She leaned back, arms crossed. "You're sixteen."
"Seventeen. And I'm the only one in this house who can turn brains into cash without stealing."
Silence.
Fiona exhaled slowly, rubbing her temple. "You really think you can fix this?"
"No," Luke said honestly. "But I can slow the bleeding."
For the first time that morning, Fiona didn't look like she was drowning.
Just tired.
"Five minutes," she said again. "You got 'em."
Penny vs. HeroLuke understood now.
This wasn't heroism versus villains.
It was heroism versus pennies.
Every bad choice in this house wasn't born of evil—but of urgency. Short-term fixes eating long-term futures.
To fix Lip's life, he couldn't save the world.
He had to outlast desperation.
The Karma Store — Quiet PurchasesThe System finally stirred.
Not with fanfare.
With a soft presence behind his thoughts.
KARMA STORE ACCESS GRANTED
Available Balance: Sufficient (Mission Initiation Bonus Applied)
Luke didn't open the panel visually. He browsed internally, filtering options like a seasoned trader.
Not strength.
Not intellect alone.
This mission was psychological.
He selected two upgrades.
Skill Acquired:Emotional Regulator (Passive)
Suppresses impulse-driven emotional spikes.
Maintains cognitive clarity under stress, anger, humiliation, or temptation.
Note: Does not remove emotion. Allows choice.
Luke felt it immediately.
The dull edge of irritation softened.
The itch to deflect with sarcasm dissolved.
He could still feel.
But he could decide.
Skill Acquired:Scholar's Wisdom (Foundational)
Integrated cognitive framework from multiple academic disciplines.
Enhances learning efficiency, teaching clarity, and pattern recognition.
Particularly effective in mentorship and applied problem-solving.
Memories aligned.
Not new facts—but new structure.
Luke exhaled quietly.
This wasn't power.
This was control.
Returning to the TableFiona stood, grabbing her keys again.
"Alright, genius," she said. "What's step one?"
Luke stood with her.
"Step one," he said, meeting her eyes, "is I stop being dead weight."
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded once.
"Don't make me regret trusting you."
Luke gave a crooked smile—Lip's smile.
"No promises."
But inside, calm replaced chaos.
This wasn't about saving Fiona.
Or Frank.
Or even the family.
This was about saving Lip Gallagher from becoming the smartest man in the room who never learned how to live in it.
And for the first time—
Luke had the tools
to fight pennies
without becoming one.