Third Person
Clementine was woken up in her bed in a place she had come to call home in the last two days, she rubbed her eyes and yawned as she sat up. AJ noticed her awake and walked over with a cup of coffee, passing it to her. He seemed nervous still from last night and was frightened with what he had done.
AJ: Made you some coffee. It was in the kitchen. Tenn and Em said that I could have some. I didn’t steal it.
Clementine took the cup, taking a sip of it, before smiling appreciatively.
Clementine: I’m surprised you remember how to make it. We haven’t had coffee in a long time.
AJ: You put it in hot water.
Clementine: You’re right. Thanks.
AJ got up on the bed, sitting next to her.
AJ: Last night, with Marlon? I heard Louis, and… what he called me. Am I a murderer?
~<>~
They were all in the courtyard, the crowd surrounding Marlon’s dead body.
Louis: No!
Omar: Oh, my God!
Y/n: Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Violet: Shit!
Ruby: We could get medicine. From the nurse’s office.
Mitch: He’s dead! The kid blew his brains out!
Louis looked directly at AJ, anger flowing through his veins.
Louis: You shot him. He’s dead. You’re a murderer.
He then turned to Clementine, his anger now on her.
Louis: Marlon, he--he was down. You had him beat! What the fuck did you teach this kid!?
~<>~
AJ: Louis called me a murderer. But… but we’re supposed to kill bad stuff. Monsters. Did I do it bad? I thought Marlon was bad. He killed Brody, he… he kept telling lies.
The girl thought for a moment, unsure of how to answer.
Clementine: Louis was right. Sometimes people do bad things, like Marlon did. But when you shot him, he wasn’t a threat to us anymore. If you kill someone when they’re no longer threatening you, that’s murder.
AJ: What are we gonna do?
~<>~
The whole crowd still surrounded Clementine and AJ, moving closer, but Y/n stepped forward, followed by Violet, both brandishing their weapons.
Violet: Back off! All of you!
Y/n: Don’t even fucking dare go near them!
Louis looked at me, pain in his eyes as he still gazed quickly at his friend’s lifeless body.
Louis: You talked Marlon down, and then they fucking murdered him!
I turned back to Clementine, meeting her worrying eyes.
Y/n: Take AJ, go back to the dorms.
She nodded and grabbed on to the boy’s arm to pull him with her.
Clementine: Come on, let’s go.
Louis: Oh, just let them go back to the dorms!? What happens the next time one of us does something this kid doesn’t like? Should we expect a bullet, too?
Y/n: Just shut the fuck up, Louis.
Violet: That’s not what happened.
Louis: It’s exactly what happened! It was over, ‘til little Mr. Trigger-Happy decided otherwise!
Clementine: Fuck you, Louis! He’s a little kid, so shut your fucking mouth!
His eyes widened at her response, mouth creased into a frown.
Y/n: We get it, Louis. Just fucking back off.
Louis: Back off? Seriously!?
Clem started to pull AJ back again.
Clementine: Let’s go.
AJ: Clem?
~<>~
AJ: Clem?
She jumped out of her own memory, realising where she was again.
AJ: If I’m a murderer, am I gonna die, too?
Clementine: What? No.
AJ: Well, I think murderers are like monsters, and… I know what happens to monsters. Nothing good. Nothing good at all.
Clementine: AJ, you’re not a monster.
AJ: They think I am. I wish they didn’t.
Clementine: We’re going to fix this. You and me. I’m going to help you atone.
AJ: Atone?
Clementine: It means make up for what you did wrong. We’ll make it alright with the others.
~<>~
Ruby was crouching over Marlon’s body, crying as she tried to wrap bandages around the bullet wound.
Ruby: For God’s sake, someone help me with this!
Clementine and AJ walked further away, trying to get into the dorms, but Mitch stopped them. Y/n caught this, jogging over.
Mitch: Saved you from that car wreck, and you fucking murdered him!?
Clementine: Get back, Mitch.
AJ: Get. Back.
Mitch: Or what?
He drew his knife from his inside jacket pocket, his face menacing.
Mitch: You gonna let him kill me, too? Then who’s next? Aasim? Willy?
Y/n got in between them, facing Mitch as she handled her sword, the blade glinting in the lightning.
Y/n: You’re a fucking bitch, Mitch. Oh! Look, it rhymes. A match made in heaven. Now fuck off!
He huffed, looking at her, pointing his dagger at her face, between her eyes.
Mitch: Marlon was right. You’re a fucking traitor, Y/n.
Then he stormed off, back towards Ruby as she took a shaky breath. Clementine grabbed her hand, rubbing her thumb over her’s.
Clementine: Are you okay?
The girl nodded her head, swallowing.
Y/n: It’s fine. Just get inside and be safe.
~<>~
AJ sat beside her, looking deep in thought as he bit the inside of his cheek.
Clementine: Hey. What is it?
AJ: You’ve killed a lot of people. You murdered your friend Lee, didn’t you?
Her heart jolted at the name, tears threatening to spill at what he had said.
Clementine: What?
AJ: You said he was handcuffed. He wasn’t a threat. So that means you murdered him.
She took a deep breath, unsure if she could keep the emotion inside this time.
Clementine: I killed him because I loved him. I didn’t want him to suffer.
AJ: How? He’d be dead.
Clementine: He would’ve turned. I didn’t want that for him. He deserved better.
There was a pause as she remembered that moment, how she watched the life leave his eyes, as all the pain and stress faded away. She remembered it like it was yesterday.
AJ: I love you, Clem.
Clementine: I love you back.
She wrapped her arms around him, her tears puddling in her eyes. Then there was knock at the door and Tenn walked in.
Tenn: Hey. Y/n and Violet said to come get you for the funeral.
Clementine: Really?
Tenn: We used to have them more. Then we stopped. It seems right, though. I brought something.
He looked to AJ, passing over a firefighter toy to him.
AJ: For me?
Tenn: I figured you’d be afraid, with everyone all upset. But you were brave last night. Like a firefighter.
The boy didn’t seem to want it, he pushed Tenn’s hand away from him.
AJ: No, firefighters are good. I’m a murderer.
Tenn: No, you’re not. You gotta have a trial first. They decide that stuff in a courtroom. That’s how it works. Er, worked. Before. Back then, there were all kinds of rules. About who was innocent, who was guilty. It was complicated.
Clementine: We have to decide things for ourselves now. We can’t rely on other people to make the rules for us.
Tenn: Who decided you’re a murderer?
AJ: Clem. But she’s right. So’s everyone else.
Tenn: I think you’re okay. You sure you don’t want your firefighter?
The boy shook his head.
AJ: You should keep him, ‘cause you’re good, like him. But maybe we could play with him later? Together?
Tenn smiled, like he couldn’t wait.
Tenn: Sure. After the funeral. They buried them already. Y/n/n’ll start it soon. See you out there.
Then the boy left the room, firefighter in hand. Clementine looked at AJ, giving him a knowing stare.
Clementine: This is gonna be hard. Everyone’s going to be upset. We need to show them we care, okay?
AJ: Okay.
And they both get up and leave the room, heading to the funeral.