Being sat opposite Ron Anderson, alone in his room wasn't what I expected my day to start like. When I'd knocked on his door and asked for some company, he was shocked to say the least. He led me to his room where I sat cross legged on his bed. My mind was on my father, on Tara and Noah. It was everywhere it shouldn't be.
Ron didn't ask me why I was here, didn't ask why I wasn't tailing Carl like usual. I liked the fact he didn't push for answers I didn't have.
"What game do you want to play?" Ron asked, as he shuffled through the deck effortlessly.
"A new one," I answered. "I'm sick of the other ones."
Part of me didn't want to play Jacks, Twos and Eights for the plain fact of I couldn't play very well, and I also didn't have Carl to help me. Whilst liking that fact, I knew I wouldn't be able to play it without my mind drifting elsewhere.
"What about Snap?" He asked as he continued to shuffle the deck, most likely just for the sake of it.
"What's that?" I asked.
He began sorting the cards into two piles. "So, you'll get a pile of cards and we each take it in turns putting one down. If we put one down the same suit or number as the other person's, you say 'snap!' and take the pile." He handed me my pile of cards. "First one to lose all their cards loses."
I nodded, and we began to play. I was a lot better at this game to the other games him and Mikey had taught me and Carl, but I also knew this wasn't as hard as the other ones. This game was purely down to reaction time and reflexes, all of which I had the upper hand in. It was a quick game, and Ron didn't seem all too bothered that he lost; shuffling the cards again and making two more piles.
"Enid's avoiding me," he said, and I had to avoid my laugh from escaping.
"So much for her talking to you then," I said. "Snap."
The door opened and I watched as Pete stuck his head through the door. His eyes scanned both of us and he seemed almost annoyed by my presence. The air grew thick and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up from his gaze.
"Oh, hello Amelia," he greeted, the annoyed expression gone in an instant. "Healing okay?"
I nodded. "It doesn't hurt anymore so," I gave my best attempt at a smile to help ease the tension but it didn't do anything.
"Good, good," he drawled, before nodding and looking at Ron. "I'll talk to you later today, son." He left, closing the door slightly but not fully.
"Amelia?" Ron said.
"Mhm," I answered, avoiding eye contact after the awkward atmosphere seemed to settle.
"What was hurting you?" He asked and I sighed, throwing my cards down and then flopping on my back on the bed.
My arms lay behind my head as a pillow and I considered my answer.
"I got shot," I replied and the silence that followed was deafening.
"Why? Where?" I lifted my shirt slightly, showing the new pink scar that adorned my abdomen.
"Was a while ago" I answered and after not hearing a reply from Ron, brought my shirt back down.
"Oh." Ron stayed quiet a moment. "Did it hurt?"
"Afterwards, but I didn't have time to think about it anyway," I felt the bed dip next to me and turned to see Ron laying down too, a distant look in his eyes.
"I wish I could just not think about things," he said quietly.
"It's different in here to out there. In here, there's nothing to do other than think about it," I tried to explain. "But out there, you can't think about it because there's stuff you need to do, more important things to think about."
He stayed quiet, and the comfortable silence was actually something I didn't mind too much. It was easier to say nothing than to think of other things to say that wouldn't actually change anything.
"Can you take me?" He asked and I frowned in confusion, turning to look at his hopeful face. "I don't know what it's like out there but I want to go out there. Forget about things and think about more important things."
I turned away, to look at the blank ceiling. "You want me to babysit you outside the walls?" I asked.
"Well no." He paused. "Well sort of. Just until I can look after myself."
I sighed before looking back at him and getting up.
"Fine. We need to stop back at my house to get my knives. And you do exactly as I say or I leave you out there and no one will even know I was involved, got it?"
———————
I didn't bother attaching my leg strap just incase we bumped into anyone on the way, instead just tucking my knife into my waistband. Ron was quiet for the most part, bouncing on the balls of his feet every now and then.
"Come on then," I covered the handle of my knife with my shirt and began my walk out the door.
"Wait, are you not bringing a gun? What if there's walkers?" He asked, seeming not so excited anymore.
"Deanna took them when we first came, and we aren't going to be firing one anyway, that's what the knives are for," I explained.
"But why? We could avoid getting close to them and then we'll be safer."
I blinked back my anger at his plain ignorance and stupidity.
"Safer," I agreed. "Until a herd comes after hearing the shots. And then when you run out of ammo, you'll be eaten by the horde. Still sound like a good idea?"
He shook his head, as I took him to the part of the gate we'd be climbing over.
"Didn't think so." I concluded. "Listen, we'll be fine with the knives, just stay close by and I'll teach you how to use it later."
The walk consisted of Ron's nervousness and my assurance. I had already threatened to take him back multiple times but he was insistent that we continued. Part of me worried about when he'd see his first walker; would he freak out? I didn't know, but as long as he didn't fuck us over, I didn't care.
"I don't get why Enid sneaks out here, it's not safe," Ron said after a while of quietness.
"Well why are you wanting to do this then?" I flipped my knife in my hand absentmindedly, looking to see him already looking at me.
"To clear my head I guess," he shrugged and we entered a small clearing in the trees, much like before.
"Ever thought Enid does it for the same reason?"
Ron didn't answer, and I didn't know if it was because I said something wrong. He didn't seem annoyed though.
"So what now? You wanna sit for a bit or?" I asked once we had came to a stop in the middle of the clearing.
He nodded, his hair bouncing a bit and he had to flip his head a bit to get it out of his face again. He sniffed, scrunching his face and I hid my confusion. I didn't know what he was doing and that worried me slightly. I didn't have time to think on it though, as I could both hear and smell the approach of a walker.
Ron's head darted to it, and then back to me. He looked terrified and disgusted, so much so that I knew it would be no use trying to teach him how to kill one now. I huffed, holding my knife tighter as I approached the walker. I grabbed his shoulder, my fingers embedding in its skin, and quickly stabbed it in the forehead before it got a chance to bite my arm.
It fell to the floor and I wiped my hand on my jeans absentmindedly to rid it of the brown blood that coated my fingers. It was silent; I'd expected some noise or words from Ron and as I looked back all I saw was a pale boy looking back at me.
His face contorted as if he was in pain, and within seconds he was throwing up.
"Want me to hold your hair back princess?" I teased, wiping my knife's blade on the ripped clothes of the walker.
He glared at me, wiping his mouth as he breathed heavily.
"Oh, come on, I was joking. I cried and threw up after seeing my first walker, it's fine." I replied, rolling my eyes and going to the log and sitting down.
"Can you show me how to kill one?"
I raised my eyebrows.
"I know you have to get the head, but you know," he mumbled and I got up anyway without protest.
"Fine. Start shaking branches on the trees and keep an eye out for one."
Ron smiled as he shook the branches, the leaves and twigs rustling as they brushed against each other. I didn't want us to start shouting and attract more from further away, so instead I thought we'd settle for any near us and if none came then we'd wait till another day.
————
I was about to give up, my arms aching and the noise beginning to irritate me.
"Look!" Ron shouted, and I slapped his arm, frowning at him as he recoiled.
"Shut up, we only want the one," I hissed, looking at the walker that slowly approached us. "Watch what I do. When it gets back up, I want you to try."
He nodded quickly, and I didn't hesitate before pulling my knife out. Ron wasn't ready to take them head on yet, not on his first try anyway, so instead I ran straight to the walker and ducked under its arm. I spun, not giving it time to turn around and kicked the back of its knee. It fell forwards, face first into the dirt, and I knelt down, my knee to its back and my knife to the back of its head.
"Don't give it chance to grab you, and make it a quick stab." I said, watching the walker try and reach me from its position but it was no use as it was completely overpowered in this position. "Ready?"
Ron nodded, and I quickly got off the walker and ran to him before the walker could get up, handing him the knife. He grabbed it with a shaky hand, and I nodded encouragingly to him.
"I've got your back."
Ron breathed out heavily, and ran to the walker. I had high hopes for him, until he froze in front of it. I wasn't going to give him a chance to compose himself as the walker's decaying hand reached for him and they began to struggle. I quickly dragged the walker off of him and threw it into the floor, stomping on its head and watching its brain and blood spill out under my shoe. It was an ugly sight.
"I had it!" He shouted, and I scoffed.
"It didn't look like it."
He gritted his teeth, throwing my knife onto the ground and stomping off. I rolled my eyes, picking up my knife and tucking it back into my waistband. It wasn't hard to follow Ron's tracks even though he was walking relatively fast. He was heading back home.
"We can try again another day, you'll be fine," I said, loud enough for him to hear.
"And you're gonna actually let me do it next time?" He commented snarkily.
"Are you actually going to do it, or are you going to offer yourself up on a platter again?"
"Fuck you, I had it under control."
"Oh please, I've seen Judith react better to walkers than that. You'll get better at it but when you're not doing good you have to let me help you and not bitch about it," I tried to explain as best as I could but that was as good as it was getting.
"Whatever. I'll ask Enid to help me next time. You're just a shit teacher," he insulted.
"Thats if she acknowledges you," I argued back, watching as he strutted through the gate trying to close it on me behind him as he walked off.
It was a pitiful attempt, and I was going to shout at him after I closed it until I saw the scene unfolding in front of me. Rick was on top of someone that I couldn't see from here, but there was blood and people looked terrified. Carl and Enid stood next to each other, looking at Rick. Carl's eyes lifted and locked with mine and I froze. My gaze was switched though when I heard a hit land, Rick falling down and Michonne over him.