Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

For the Last Time - 026

For the trigger warnings summary, go to the bottom of the chapter!!

Brooks was chewing on a bit of bacon while she sat next to Carol on a log. Carol had an open tub of nail varnish as she was painting Brooks' nails. "I don't get it." Brooks said, with her mouthful of bacon.

Carol grinned. "Don't get what, sweetie?"

"Why coloured nails is more appealin'." Brooks answered.

"You don't like having your nails done?" Sophia asked, gently blowing on her pink nail polish.

Brooks shrugged. "Never had 'em done before. I don't see why-" Brooks cut herself off when Carol finished with her hand and Brooks could see the light blue colouring on her nails. "Okay, I get it now."

Sophia and Carol laughed at her. Carol put the lid back on the tub. "I'll do your other hand once you finish that piece of bacon. Don't want you smudging it."

Sophia nodded in agreement. "Smudged nail polish is like the worst thing ever."

Cam turned his head to join in with the conversation. "I'm sure I could think of worse."

"Like what?" Sophia scoffed.

"Waking up to find out your niece put all the fridge magnets on your arm." Cam answered, sighing with a small smile. "Took me an hour to get them all off."

"Your arm's magnetic?" Carol asked, entertained. Brooks and Sophia shared evil glances, the same idea popping into their heads.

"No." Cam denied. "She used Gorilla Glue."

Sophia and Brooks burst out laughing. Their idea of stealing magnets from the Greene's vanished, but the thought of Cam with super glued magnets to his arm was just way better.

"Uhm, guys." Glenn interrupted. Sophia put her hand over her mouth while Brooks shoved bacon in hers to try and supress their giggles of entertainment. They didn't want to be rude to Glenn, but Cam's story was hilarious to the bored pre-teens. "So... Barn's full of walkers."

Brooks nearly choked on her bacon in shock at what Glenn said. She spluttered a little, staring at him with wide and shocked eyes. "I'm sorry... What?"

/----------\

Sophia, Brooks and Carl hadn't been permitted to go down with the adults to the barn while they investigated. However, the three stood shoulder to shoulder, watching them. Sophia being in the middle to separate Brooks and Carl. "What'd you think they're saying down there?" Sophia wondered.

"Hang on. I can lip read." Brooks said, cracking her knuckles and focusing on Rick who was nothing more than a tiny blob. "Okay... Rick's sayin'... My monkey went deep sea divin' with an apple, before he snogged Mr Frog. Then, Gary sucke-" Brooks cut herself off. "Oh, Rick, that's not PG. Alrigh', now Shane is sayin'... No, the turtle can't eat chocolate, cause Daphne is allergic to poppy seeds-"

"You can't read lips." Carl interrupted.

Brooks gasped. "I can too! I read a book on it."

Carl turned to her. "And I read the Gruffalo. Doesn't mean I'm a fury, ugly monster." Carl stated, Brooks smirked, about to speak, but Carl got there first. "Don't even."

Brooks huffed, rolling her eyes. "Fine."

/----------\

"Comin' out with me today, Bambi?" Merle asked.

Brooks had been sitting alone by the fire. Lori and Carol had roped Carl and Sophia into doing school work, but who would make Brooks? Carol and Lori couldn't force her, while Merle and Daryl simply thought it was a waste of time. Besides, Brooks couldn't read without her glasses.