The Walking Dead: Infinity

Episode Seven: "No Place Like You"

"Wow! Thanks, A.J. So, how did you sleep?" Clem asked.

"Great! When I woke up, Louis was gone. But I just guessed he was in here with you, and I was right!"

"Haha, that's right, little man. So, Clem. I'm supposed to be hunting today, mind if I take A.J. with me?" Louis asked.

"Sure, go ahead. If he wants to, of course."

A.J.'s eyes widened. "Of course I do! I'll go get my stuff," he yelled, tearing out the door and down the hall.

Clem and Louis locked eyes, smiling. They sat in a trance, caught in each other's gaze until A.J. returned.

"Guys? GUYS! Louis, I'm ready."

They broke their stare. "Okay, A.J., I'm coming. See ya later, Clem," Louis said, giving her a quick kiss before leaving with A.J.

Clem smiled. A.J. was finally realizing that he could trust other people. "Louis is perfect for him, to show him that," she thought. She slipped on her hoodie and jacket, finished her coffee, and left her room. She opened the door leading to the courtyard and instantly felt Gabe's gaze on her, sending chills throughout her body. She (as quickly as one new to a prosthetic can) scampered to the Admin building.

They had moved the more important things from the upstairs office and into a smaller one on the ground floor. Clem's physical state kept her from climbing the staircase, and Louis insisted on moving whatever she needed to the bottom floor. "You'll hurt yourself even more," she said to herself, playfully mocking him. She opened the small office door and sat behind the decrepit desk. She was going over her list of tasks when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

It was Violet, a conniving look on her face. "So, Clem. What's my assignment for today? Probably something boring like inventory, cuz I can't leave the school alone now." She touched her scarred face.

"Actually," Clem began. "I was going to see if you'd first clean our medical equipment. It hasn't been touched in two weeks, and it needs to be ready, just in case."

Violet smirked. "That's fine, I guess. Boring as hell, but at least I'm not dead. Oh, yeah. Why was Gabe in your room last night? I thought I heard something, and when I walked around the corner I saw him enter your room."

Clem grew cold. "Uh, he just wanted to talk. About Maiya, ya know. And thank me for letting him stay with us. Nothing major," she said nervously. She could see that Violet wasn't convinced.

"Uh huh. You know, I've seen the way he fucking looks at you, Clem. All I'll say is, you'd better not break Louis' heart. If you do, I'll break your neck," Violet threatened.

Clem was taken aback by the threat. "Excuse me? I'll handle my relationships without your interference, thank you! I'm not going to break Lou's heart. Nothing happened last night between me and Gabe. Ask Louis what did happen and you'll put this fucking idea of yours behind you. Now, get to work," she snapped.

Violet huffed as she left the office. Clem buried her face in her hands. "Oh, God," she thought. "If Vi does any kind of digging, she'll find out... Maybe I should tell Louis before this gets out of hand." She decided she would tell him that night.

The rest of the day proceeded without much hassle. Gabe and Willy had returned from their fishing, and Louis and A.J. returned shortly after. As the sun was beginning to set, everyone took their seat at the tables. On tonight's menu was Chef Omar's "famous" fish stew.

"I can not wait to get stuff growing in the greenhouse. The menu's options will definitely increase," Omar joked.

"So, how did everyone's day go?" Clem asked.

"It was bad, we didn't even see any animals," A.J. said. "But Louis told me some funny jokes, and taught me a riddle!"

"Oh, yeah? Well let's hear this riddle then," Clem beckoned.

"Okay. So imagine you're in a boat in the middle of the ocean. The boat is surrounded by sharks, and it's sinking. How do you survive?" A.J. asked with a smirk.

"Uh..." everyone said.

"You..."

"Hmm."

Louis and A.J. laughed.

"Okay then, smart guys. How do you survive?" Clem asked.

"You stop imagining it!" A.J. yelled happily.

Clem put her hand on her forehead and shook her head. "Wow, now that was really good! Never would've gotten that."

The rest of the meal was relatively quiet. As they were finishing up, Clem looked at A.J.

"Hey, A.J., I need to talk to Louis in my room for a minute. Mind sitting in his room until we're done?" she asked.

"Uh, sure," he replied.

"Thanks, Goofball."

She turned to Louis. "Lou, can I talk to you. Alone, in my room?"

Louis smiled. "Yeah, sure thing."

They made their way to her room. She sat on her bed, gathering her thoughts while Louis closed the door and lit a candle.

"So," he began as he took a seat next to her. "What did you want to talk about?"

Clem felt a few tears rolls, then a few more. "Please don't be mad at me... I'm so sorry..."

ClementineMyDarling

Episode Eight: "Heartbreaking Honesty" coming Sunday, May 26.