Chapter 3
•Carl•
She kept wiping the blood from her neck, letting it seep onto her fingers. I grazed her up and down. She was wearing a flannel shirt, one that I would usually wear, but the sleeves were cut off. She was wearing jeans that she tucked into her high, light brown laced up boots and they had mud and patches over them.
Her jeans had a huge hole at her knee and a tear on the other side that started at her thigh, and disappeared into her boot. As I looked from her jeans to her face, she was looking at me, her eyes seeped into mine and her light lips shadowed from the light that came through the window. We stood there for a second, our eyes locked, and then she broke it as she turned to go, grabbing her things and her knife and she headed through the doorway, only to be stopped by Michonne, Maggie, and my dad.
She stumbled, backing up. My dad looked at me, then eyed the girl.
"Who's this?"
He asked.
I shrugged. I looked at her and her lips were squeezed together, as her eyes gazed to the floor.
"Joslyn...Harris. Joslyn Harris."
"Well, Joslyn,"
Michonne cut in.
"You have a group?"
She shook her head. My dad looked at me, not knowing what to do. I shrugged and mouthed I dont know to him. I looked at Maggie and Michonne for help as Maggie stepped out from behind.
"You want to come with us."
The girl looked up and Maggie looked at her. The girl looked back, and Maggie raised her hand with the bag we found outside wrapped around her wrist.
"Is this yours?"
The girl smiled and she reached for it, but I walked up to them.
"Wait,"
They looked at me. I saw my dad smirking out of the corner of my eye, then it dropped to a frown.
"If you want it, you have to come with us."
I saw my dad laugh a bit, his cheek being bit on the inside of his mouth with his molars. Michonne smiled, same with Maggie.
"Deal?"
Maggie asked Joslyn.
Joslyn nodded. Maggie handed her her bag and she slipped it around her shoulder and over her head, letting it hang in front of her.
"I'm only staying for a while,"
She added.
"I have a family."
Rick looked to Michonne, crossing his arms and walked towards her, trying to intimidate her.
"Well, Joslyn, they might-"
"I know what your going to say, and you should just save the shit."
My dad stumbled back and all three of them looked surprised, my dad looked pissed as he squinted his eyes and crossed his arms.
Only three seconds. She's been here for three seconds...
"I know they're alive,"
She looked at me.
"They ain't dead."
My dad's jaw tensed as he stepped towards her again.
"If you try and pull any of this shit..."
He motioned to me.
"You wont be seeing your family."
"Rick-"
Michonne began.
Joslyn passed them all and she headed out of the room and they all looked at me. I shrugged.
She headed into the old living room, sitting under the window and she hugged her knees for a moment. She set her bag against the wall and the scooted foreword, sinking her head on the top of the bag.
"Well..."
My dad raised his eyebrows and squeezed his lips.
I remember that look. My teachers would always give that look when students would show disrespect or did something wrong. In this case, he was referring to Joslyn.
Why the hell is he worrying about that in the middle of a world that is hell.
"We should all get some rest."
We all headed to a different spot, none of us going into the family room.
"Carl,"
I turned towards my dad.
"Why don't you go and take watch on Ms. Snippy over there."
He whispered and looked at her. My breathing got heavier and my eyes smoldered at I felt the words from my mouth come out like lemon juice on a fresh cut.
"Why me? Oh, yea. Because I'm the only one who cares wether another person dies or not."
My dads skin looked dark against the moonlight shining in which emphasized the anger in his eyes even more.
"Maybe we should just kick her out of the group now, it's obvious that none of you guys care about her. We can watch her die. Prove mom right."
After that, the cut was stinging. My dad stepped towards me.
"She has to learn that in this world, people do what they do to survive. She is gonna be gone soon Carl, don't get too attached."
He walked away and I turned towards Joslyn who was glued against the wall. I walked in and sat on the dusty, beaten couch, resting my elbows on my knees.
Well, Joslyn seems to have something in common with me...my dad is clueless when it comes to her.