𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 | 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

After all the hammering and banging from the front doors stop, a weak knock thumps against the door. Unintentionally I ignored them and continue to stare ahead, but they didn't give up; this time they, slowly, push the door and step inside.

"Hey, Ken.." His voice is kind and low.

"What!?" I, unintentionally, snap at him; which causes me to lock eyes and soften my hardened expression. "I don't feel so good today and I want to be left alone.."

Carl scoffs, checking me out, looking me up and down. "You're lying." He narrows his eyes, interrupting me before I can say anything. "You have a tell. Your eye does that twitch thing when you lie. So I'll stay with you."

"Dude.. leave me alone."

"Glenn left." He reminded me. "Kareem's gone. Daryl came back and you didn't talk to him, and he left, again. And now you're ignoring me. Something is wrong.. so can you just tell me."

"Are Jeremiah and Kassala okay?" I ask.

"Kendall, please talk to me." Carl begged, ignoring my question while leaning in.

"I feel.. I feel sick, all the time." I confess, continuing to keep my eyes locked on his. "I honestly don't know what's wrong with me, but every night I can't fall asleep, and every morning I can only feel this way.. I, sometimes, can't get myself to get up and do something... Kareem said he thinks I'm depressed and after thinking about it, and after these couple days, I agree." I ramble on. "But I don't have time to be depressed. I need to survive."

He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Carl takes my hand and interlocks our fingers, caressing his thumb up and down my skin gently with care and concern. We lean in closer to one another, ignoring the silence; but when our breaths hitched, we notice that our faces are only inches apart.

I gulp.

He pulls me in, his arms wrapping around my back.

I didn't need him to say anything; this was enough.

As we tear away from our hug, our cheeks graze, causing tingles of electricity to rush throughout my body and course down my spine; and, like a magnet, my eyes lock on his— vice versa. I lean in closer, my hand pressed against his thigh while he clutches his at his sides.

I didn't know what I was doing.

I release a trembling breath after I glanced down at his lips; another tingle runs down my spine which makes me want it more.. I didn't know what it was. I gasped softly as his lips graze mine but the door opens and we move away from each other before we could do more.

"Kendall, Kassala's having a panic attack and I don't know what to do.. Usually it's Kareem that helps her but he's not here.." Jeremiah, who's terrible with social cues, says frantically. Still, I follow him out of the room and toward Kassala; who sits in the corner of the church, beside the door, with a hand over her chest trying to catch some oxygen.

Michonne's kneeled in front of her, trying to help but Kassala refuses; knowing her it wasn't personal.

With quickness, I sit beside her with my legs straightened out; tugging her hands away from her chest, I place them in her lap. I caress her hair, softly, while laying her head in my lap. As she starts to calm down, I begin to hum a song... the exact same song Kareem hummed for me when we were going to Terminus. Kassala was settling and her heavy breathing became light sniffles.