A World Like This [1]

[5]

"Little Ass kicker givin' you any trouble?" A man asked me. I laughed and the nickname he gave Judith.

"No, I'm fine." I assured him. A small almost unnoticeable smile formed on his face before he walked out the door. "What was his name again?" I asked Beth.

"Oh him? He's Daryl. Rick was a bit out of it when she was born and Carl couldn't come up with a name so Daryl started calling her Little Ass Kicker." Beth told me.

"That sounds like something my brother would have done." I said laughing slightly.

"Really? I know I just met Aiden but he doesn't look like someone who would call an infant 'little ass kicker'." Beth said before laughing a little too.

"Oh, not Aiden, my brother, Asher." I told her. The smile that was on my face quickly disappeared at the thought of Asher. I thought I forgot, I almost let myself, but every little thing reminds me of him no matter what I do.

"I'm sorry." Beth said. I looked to her and smiled.

"Thank you." I told her. I went back to feeding Judith while Beth started singing.

"When I'm lying in my bed at night,

I don't wanna grow up.

Nothing ever seems to turn out right.

I don't wanna grow up.

How do you move in a world of fog that's always changing things?

Makes me wish that I could be a dog.

When I see the price that you pay,

I don't wanna grow up.

Nothing ever seems to go my way.

I don't wanna grow up.

The only thing to live for is today." She sang.

"That was beautiful." I told her.

"Thank you." She said smiling. "So..."

"So?" I asked.

"You and Carl huh?" She said with a little smirk on her face. I rolled my eyes at Beth. How could she think I could be so childish and like a guy when people are dying and there are creatures roaming the earth killing and eating people.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He obviously likes you. Why else would he have brought you back?" Beth questioned.

"He knew I needed help. Aiden and I weren't doing too well on our own anymore, we couldn't find food or water, he saw that and he helped us." I told her. She shook her head at me.

"Carl hasn't been the same since his momma died. He's a good kid but he hasn't shown it in a while, not until he found you I guess. I haven't seen Carl this way in months, I'm glad your here." Beth told me. I could feel my face burning without a doubt my cheeks are bright red from me blushing so much. "I see you blushing you like him too. Don't you?"

"Beth, I just met him like today." I told her. It's true you can't like someone you just met and I just met Carl today there's no way he likes me.

"But you think he's good looking right?"

"Okay yes I think Carl is attractive but-"

"Don't say anything else you two are going to be together!" She squealed.

"Shhh he might hear you." Beth laughed. Even through all this commotion Judith was still asleep in my arms.

"Okay, okay just promise me you'll be his friend?" I laughed and shook my head. I never planned on not being his friend.

"Yes, but in a world like this I don't have time for boys and romance." Beth laughed at my answer and we hung out the rest of the day, even in the end of the world everyone needs a best friend.

~*~*~*~

(The Next Day)

I got up early today, if my watch is correct then I woke up at 5:24. It might be an hour or so off but I don't really know anymore. I lost track of the days a long time ago. I walked out of cell block C' the sun was up and it was another warm day in Georgia. I walked along the fences closest to the cell block door. I can see Rick in the vegetable garden from here. I walked through the gates and closer to rick.

"Hey Mr. Grimes, do you need any help?" I asked once I was close enough to him. Rick turned around and smiled.

"Can you grab me that shovel over there?" He asked me. I nodded my head and started walking to get the shovel. "And Ava?" Rick called. I quickly turned around.

"Yeah?"

"You can call me Rick." I smiled at him and continued over to the pigs pen to get the shovel. I grabbed it and walked back to him. "Thanks." He said after I handed him the shovel. He began digging more holes and planting small seeds inside.

"So, what are you planting?" I asked. Rick smiled up at me.

"Peas." He simply stated. "Will you help me?" He asked.

"Sure." I said kneeling down next to him. "What do you want me to do?" I asked him.

"After I dig a hole put this in and bury it." He told me after giving me and hand full of seeds. After each small hole, he dug I buried more of the plants that would one day be food. We did this for a few minutes in comfortable silence.

"Was Carl up when you came out?" Rick asked breaking the silence between us.

"No, but no one was, it's pretty early." I told him.

"Then why are you up?" He asked, emphasizing the 'you'.

"I don't know it was just hard to sleep. I guess when you're so used to waking up in the middle of the night because bit-- I mean walkers are banging on your door, you learn to wake up to any little noise."

"You can call them Biters if you want I'll know what you're talkin' about and you don't need to worry anymore its safe here, you and your brother, you're both safe." Rick told me.

"Thank you, Mr. Grimes."

"Rick." He said causing me to laugh. I don't think I'd be able to call him Rick it's just weird. We continued to garden for the next hour and a half until Carl came outside.

"Why didn't you guys wake me if you were having a party?" Carl acted hurt and upset.

"You are more than welcome to join in on the fun." I threw a shovel at him, luckily for him he caught it. Carl and I pulled some weeds while Rick continued to plant more of the seeds. Rick told me one day all this will be a garden full of many different kinds of fruits and vegetables.

"Carl, Ava why don't you two go feed the pigs?" Rick asked.

"Okay Mr. Grimes." Rick gave me that 'I told you to call me Rick' look that only made me laugh and shake my head at him. Carl and I walked to the pigs' pen and grabbed some of the worms that Rick had already left here. The piglets were adorable. "We should name them." I told Carl.

"My dad said not to name them, they're just food." I frowned at his words. As much as I love bacon these adorable little pigs shouldn't be slaughtered, they are alive even though the world went down they are still here just like us.

"Can't we just name one?" I asked Carl.

"No."

"Please." I asked giving him my best puppy dog eyes. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Oh, fine." Carl said, caving in. "Which one?'' He asked a slight smile forming on his face.

"That one." I said, pointing to the smallest pig there. Carl smiled at me.

"What are you going to name her?"

"Oh, I don't know, how about Violet?"

"Violet sounds perfect." Carl told me.

"Then Violet it is."