Bad Girl (TYG)

Chapter 16; Chill Out

After Carl left, the hours seemed to pass by much slower. The hysteria of the incident died down and everyone just about forgot about it, to the point where Eve let me out of my probation, finally, because there was no point in putting on a show anymore.

We still don't know who actually did cut the fence, but it was a relief to not be followed around anymore and locked into my own room at night time. Of course, I still get dirty looks from Mrs. Freed. It got so annoying to me that I've made a point of being extra friendly to her, returning her stares with smiles and saying hello to her every time I see her. She usually just ignores me, but hey, at least I win.

Paul has begun flirting with me again, slowly at first but than more often.

Soon, the hours turned into days and than the day turned into one week, the seventh day. However, my own restlessness approached hysteria.

On the night of the seventh day of the week, I switch on my walky talky immediately after dinner and try to settle down on my bed with a book instead of pacing, which if what I actually want to do. More often than not, I catch myself not actually reading the book and instead listening to the patterns of static noise coming from the walky talky.

What if something has happened to him? I look at my watch and realize that it's only a little past six o'clock. I need to calm down.

For the next couple of hours I entertain myself by 'reading', straightening up and cleaning my already immaculate room, and pacing back and forth. I'm not sure where Natalie is, but if she was here she would be making fun of me for sure.

Around eight o'clock the static breaks up a little bit and I finally hear a faint voice. I toss my book aside and sprint to my dresser where it sits.

"Carl?" I ask, pushing the little talk button. "Carl?"

"I'm here." I hear his voice, familiar to me even over an old staticky walky talky.

I sigh and finally let myself relax a little bit and sit back on my bed.

"Are you okay?" I ask quickly.

"I'm fine. What about you?" He asks.

"I'm absolutely perfect." I say with a little laugh. I think it's the first time I've laughed in a week.

In the next couple of minutes we each tell each other a couple of things that's happened since he left. He tells me about what his team has been doing and that the weather is boiling hot down in Texas and I tell him a little bit about Eve letting me off of probation and Mrs. Freed, which he laughs about.

Way too quickly, he tells me that he has to go because somebody is calling him.

"Okay. I love you, Carl. Goodnight." I say quickly.

"Love you, too, -" I hear him say but then I hear a mix of gun shots, people yelling, and walkers growling.

"Carl?" I say once into the walky talky as my heart starts beating in my chest frantically.

There is no response and my heart feels like it drops down into my stomach. I leave the walky talky on for another half hour or so but there's still nothing. Finally, I switch it off.