How is this my life?

Run Girl Run

Too Soon: Jamie's Interlude

"Run!"

Stupid girl.

Stupid, stupid Jamie.

She should have stayed in the van.

Amy had warned her, didn't she? Had heard her talking with Tanty Michonne that sometimes they just had to let the stupid people do what stupid people did. Did that include children? Sofia was only a couple years older than she was and Max was innocent. He was a good dog and didn't deserve to get eaten just because Sofia was an idiot.

What kind of teenager played with dolls? Jamie stopped playing house and barbies after her mom moved to Atlanta. The other girl was such a baby when they were at the quarry, Sofia was the oldest, she should have been looking out for all the kids like Jamie. Now, because of the stupid girl, Max could get eaten. Jamie could die and so could Daisy. All so they could try and rescue the crazy lady.

Amy had warned her, she may not have been her Mom but she really did everything to show that she cared. It was something that had been missing with her own mom since Judy took her place. Jamie swore that Judy could sleep in her mom's bed, sit in her chair and drink from her mug but she would not ever be her mom. She had kept that promise to herself, it was becoming much harder to keep that resolve when it came to the blonde woman who came to care for her and her brother.

"Why do I have to learn this?" Jamie scowled up at the blonde who had taken her and her brother in. "Mom gave me a gun."

Amy had introduced Emma and Braden along with her big sister Andrea. They all lived in a camper but it was way nicer than her Uncle Brett's pop up that their dad used to borrow. The blonde was nice, nicer than her older sister at least. Amy had brought her clothes and fed her and her brother, had made sure that she was safe and talked to her about what happened to Mom, Dad, and Judy.

"Lots of reasons, chief being that you don't know how to shoot a gun." Amy grinned down at her but on seeing her unimpressed face she crouched down so they were the same height. "You need a quiet way to defend yourself at a distance. I don't want you anywhere near those things and I'm sure you'll be a pro in no time."

"Will you teach me how to shoot a gun?" She asked curiously, watching her little brother easily knocking down tin cans.

"Sure, I just have to find a place." Amy tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, making her blink back tears. She missed her Mom so much. "It's just difficult with four kids and my sister...she doesn't have much experience with children."

"Ma!" Braden shouted from his place in the playpen. Amy's reaction would be funny if Jamie's stomach didn't feel like it was crawling into her chest suddenly.

"Oh, my sweet boy." Amy cooed quietly, lifting the baby into her arms. It wasn't a very happy smile, more a grimace but it was immediately wiped away when she turned back to Jamie. "Hey, you okay?"

"Why are you bothering?" Jamie couldn't help the way her voice cracked, she wasn't Amy's and neither was her brother. The older blonde clearly had other children that depended on her.

"Bothering with what?" Amy asked in confusion, keeping the babbling baby in her arms while she kneeled down to talk to her. It was something she always did for her and Billy, Jamie noticed. "Jamie, I know I'm supposed to be helping you with your aim but Braden needs me too. Don't worry, my little helper will...help."

"No, why are you bothering teaching us all this stuff?" Jamie demanded, drawing the attention of Billy and Emma who had stopped firing at the rows of cans. "We're not your kids! You have Emma and a baby to take care of. You're not our mom!"