waiting for the light that never comes »» #wattys2018

28

PARTY

Karen and Carl quickly got up when they saw Michonne standing in doorway with a wide smirk on her face.

"Please don't tell my dad." Carl said as Michonne raised her hands in surrender.

"Okay, I won't. Your secret's safe with me." Michonne said as Karen sighed in relief. "But don't make another Carl or Jane, please?"

Karen blushed into Carl's chest while Carl just laughed softly.

"We won't." Michonne nodded before she left out the room. Karen looked up at Carl before she laughed softly. "That was awkward."

"Sure was." Karen said before she got up. Karen walked up to the closet and began to look through it. "We should probably get ready for the party. You know what you're wearing?"

Carl nodded before he walked up to her.

"Well, then go get dressed. I'll find something to wear and then go check on Judith." Karen suggested as Carl nodded once more. He then wrapped his arms around Jane's waist from behing before kissing her cheek then the side of her neck, pushing some strands of her hair away from it. "Come on, lover boy. Get changed before we have someone else walk in on us."

~

"Welcome, Rick. Carl. Karen. Michonne. And Little Judith." Deanna greeted as the five smiled to her. "Come on in. We got people here that you should meet."

Karen walked in with Carl, hand in hand; observing the beautiful house that they were in. Carl couldn't stop staring at Karen while they walked around. She wore a floral dress that went to little above her knees, a black blazer, black jeggings and her blue converses.

'Thank you, Carol.' Carl thought as Jane looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just...you're really beautiful." Carl commented as Jane blushed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, Carl." Carl smiled before someone tapped her shoulder. "Hey, Karen!"

"Hey, Kim! Hey, Enid!" Karen greeted as they hugged each other. Then Ron, Mikey, and Sam came up to Carl and greeted him. "You guys look good."

Kimberly smiled before she looked at Enid. "Thank Ms. Fixer Upper here. What I was going to wear wasn't exactly dinner party appropriate, so Enid fixed me up." Enid smiled before Karen nodded.

"Well, it's good to see you guys could make it." Karen said before they walked away towards the food.

"Pasta, spaghetti, tuna? Deanna sure knows what kinds of food I like." Karen said to Enid as she laughed and grabbed some fruit punch.

"So how long have you been out there?" Enid asked as they sat at a table. Karen looked Enid before she looked down at the plate she had in front of her.

"Since the beginning. It was just me, Sasha, and Tyreese. I lost my sister to walkers and I lost my best friend to walkers. I had parents but my mom died before it all started. My father...he was crazy. When this started, he began a community called Woodbury. He was a great leader. Or so I thought. When he found me, he was being a dad, but as I got older and I started to develop, he took advantage of me. He pretended to care about me. But really, he was just making me suffer. But I overcame that. I realized that some people just aren't good for the world. But there are others were care for each other. Like you. Like me. Like the group. The community. That's all that matters." Karen looked over at Enid who nodded in agreement before she looked at her cup.

"I lost my family to walkers." Enid said as Karen furrowed her eyebrows. "My family, we were surviving for a moment. But then our car broke down so we had to find another car. We found one, but then they started coming. I went to shout for them, but some appeared out of nowhere and I hid, watching them eat my family till there was nothing left. I survived on my own. Leaving behind my signature analogies. JSS."

"Just Survive Somehow." Karen stated as Enid nodded. "Well, we've both been through a lot and we all need a break from that. We all need to see that we can still have fun and live in a dead world at once."

"But it isn't our world anymore, Karen. It's theirs. We're just guests living in it." Enid said as Karen sighed softly. She looked over at everyone. Carl, who was talking with Ron and Mikey, Rick and Judith, who was talking with Jessie and Sam, Michonne, who sat with the elders with Carol and Tara, Rosita, who was eating dinner with Abraham, Eugene, Sasha, and Tyreese.

Karen didn't see Daryl but did remember he didn't like parties. And it was best if he didn't either. It was a bit chaotic but it was enjoyable after a bit.

Like she said, this is how it's suppose to be.