Junebug • TWD

15. Persistence.

The next morning, I'm sitting around the firepit poking around at some scrambled eggs that I ain't really gonna eat. Lori and Carol are talking about cooking a great big dinner for us all to eat together tonight- Hershel's family and all. That sounds like a nice idea, but it makes me feel anxious, too. 

Carol and Lori think I can't hear them. I know that because, just a few minutes ago, they were muttering to each other about how Daryl's not doing a great job keeping an eye on her and she hasn't eaten barely anything and he doesn't even care. 

These folks think my dad's bad at being my dad. It ain't his fault, though. I ain't exactly an easy kid. I pretended I couldn't hear Lori and Carol, anyway. 

Soon enough, though, Rick comes walking over with a big, old map he got from Hershel. He lays it out across the hood of a car and a few of the adults gather around it, including Andrea, Shane, and T-Dog. Dad comes walking out of our tent, too, putting on a shirt over his tank top. 

"Alright, everyone's getting new search grids today," Rick announces to everyone. 

I'm listening in because I know my dad's going out there on his own while everyone else is going in pairs. My dad can take care of himself, but it makes me nervous, knowing he's out there on his own. So I gotta listen and at least know where he's headed. So that if he gets hurt or something bad happens, I can go find him. 

That's my plan if he says, No, June. You're stayin' here, when I ask if I can come with him.

"If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might've gone further east than we've been so far," Rick's explaining. I'm standing between T-Dog and my dad, standing on the tips of my toes in order to see the map clearly. 

"I'd like to help," a boy interjects. He's Beth's boyfriend. She told me about him. His name's Jimmy. I saw them kiss, too, which is gross. Dad used to joke that I ain't allowed to get a boyfriend until I'm thirty. I bet he'd let me once I got into high school, though. Just as long as the boy I chose ain't a jerk. Anyway, Jimmy goes on saying, "I know the area pretty well and stuff."

"Hershel's ok with this?" Rick asks him.

Jimmy hesitates for a moment before answering with, "Yeah. Yeah. He said I should ask you."

"Well, alright then. Thanks," Rick says, patting Jimmy's shoulder. 

As soon as Rick's done talking to Jimmy, he looks back to the map like he's about to do some more explaining, but Shane interrupts before he can. "Nothin' 'bout what Daryl found screams Sophia to me. Anyone could've been holed up in that farmhouse," he says, sitting on the inside of the car.

Shane's been acting way different. His hair is just gone, if I haven't already mentioned that odd fact that's taking a while to get used to. Plus, he's just angry more. He used to be nice to Carl and I, but now it seems like he hates each and every person here. I knew he didn't like Merle and Dad too much, but now he doesn't seem to like me either. Don't know what happened to him. 

"But it coulda' been Sophia. Worth checkin'," I say bravely. Talking in big groups of adults who know what they're talking about sometimes makes me nervous. 

"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high," Dad says, holding his hand just a few inches above my head. Sophia was a bit taller than me, but she's pretty small for a twelve-year-old, I think. 

"It's a good lead," Andrea chimes in. 

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again," Rick suggests.

"No maybe about it," Dad insists. He starts gesturing around the map. "I'mma borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, take a bird's eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there, I'll spot her," he explains.