Wassup? I decided to rewrite my Carl/Amanda story. I think I moved things wayyy to fast, so I decided to slow it down a little. This takes place a few months before the apocalypse. I'm gonna have a few chapters before, so you can get to know Amanda and her relationships with the other characters. I hope you enjoy'
I only own Amanda, her friends, and my plot.
Amanda
My right leg bounced around under my desk, my pencil wiggling in my hand. Five minutes, five minutes. I could do five minutes. My language arts teacher, Ms. Griffin droned away at the front of the classroom, but her words went in one ear and out the other.
My table mate, Kelsie Hotz, nudged me with her knee. She motioned with her head across the classroom, and my eyes rested on my best friend, Carl Grimes.
He tapped his finger on his iPhone, nodding at mine. I have him a queer look, but picked up my own iPhone, wrapped in a sky-blue case. Hitting the home button, a single message popped up.
Carl Grimes: Wanna go to the barn tonight?
Amanda Harrison: Who all's going?
Carl Grimes: Hold up...
Kelsie Hotz, Ryan Sherrard, Hunter Geary, Alaria Welsh, Erin Leafgreen, and Jacob Stoble have been added to the imessage.
Ryan Sherrard: Sup losers?
Alaria Welsh: Ryan! That's not nice.
Ryan Sherrard: Who needs nice when you have sexy?
Kelsie Hotz: Oh my God...
Erin Leafgreen: LOL!
Hunter Geary: So barn tonight?
Jacob Stoble: I'm in.
Kelsie Hotz: Sure.
Alaria Welsh: Yay!
Erin Leafgreen: I'll go!
Carl Grimes: I'm coming!
Amanda Harrison: Why not?
Ryan Sherranrd: What could go wrong?
Carl Grimes: A lot of things, if you're going.
Amanda Harrison: Ooooo kill em!
Jacob Stobel: BUURRNNNNN!
Hunter Geary: The bells gonna ring in a minute. Be at the barn at seven?
Amanda Harrison: Deal. Byeeeee.
All members have left the conversation.
Carl Grimes: That went well.
Amanda Harrison: Yup.
"SUMMER MOTHER FU-"
"Okay, that's enough." I clapped a hand over Ryan's mouth.
The eight of us had just gotten off of the bus, and were walking through the neighborhood to get to our houses. It was finally summer vacation. The thing everybody had been waiting for since school began in August.
"We know you're excited, Ryan, but I don't think old Mts. Pickett will find that an adequate excuse." I mutter through tight lips, smiling and waving at our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Pickett.
"Awwww, Amanda quit being a buzzkill." Ryan elbowed me.
I elbowed him back, "I'm not being a buzzkill, I just don't want you to get in trouble!"
"See you at seven!" Alaria called. She, Hunter, Kelsie and Jacob had turned down Birch street. Carl, Erin, Ryan and I surged forward down Pine street. Erin turned off first, her house being second on the right. Ryan crossed to the left side of the street, and entered the house third on the left. Carl and I walked in comfortable science to the end of the coldesac, where our house stood side by side.
"See you at seven." Carl flashed me a grin, which I returned shortly there after.
"See ya."
I walked up the driveway, being careful to go around the RV sitting in our driveway. It belonged to Dale Hovrath, an old friend of the family. He came to live in our driveway with me and my sisters shortly after our parents died. Dale was like a dad to me. Or a grandpa. So wise and caring, full of advise and hope.
"AAAAMMMMYYYYYY!" I called into the house, "IM HOMEEE!"
"I CAN HEAR THAT!" My sister's voice calls from the kitchen.
I smirk, tossing my backpack into a basket by the doorway.
"How was your last day?" Amy asks as I plop down at the kitchen table beside her. She has iced tea in one hand, and a book about Greek mythology in the other.
"It was good. We watched a movie I every class but language arts." I told her, grabbing a peach from the bowl in the table. "Ms. Griffin made us review everything we had learned all year in that class."
Amy winced, "Yeah, she sucks. She hated me when I had her."
"I've herd." I mutter drily.
Amy laughs, "Go wash that off."
She means my peach. I get up from the table with a sigh and walk to the sink.
"Where's Andrea?" I ask over the sound of running water.
"She went to the store. She and I are making a cake for the barn party tonight. Are you gonna go?" Amy asks me.
I sink my teeth into the juicy peach. "Yeah. Carl, Ryan, Alaria, Kelsie, Erin, Hunter, and Jacob are going, too."
"What are you gonna wear?" Amy takes a sip of her tea.
"Um, this?" I ask, looking down at my blue t-shirt and jean capris.
"What?" Amy sounds appalled. "Amanda, it's a party. You can't be a tomboy all of the time."
"I bet my friends aren't dressing up!" I protest.
Amy raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
She shrugs. "Why don't you ask them?"
"I will!" I whip my phone out from my back pocket and hit the power button.
Amanda Harrison: Are you guys dressing up for tonight?
Erin Leafgreen: Duh. It's a party.
Alaria Welsh: I am!
Kelsie Hotz: Me too.
Amanda Harrison: Oh. Okay, see you at seven.
Erin Leafgreen: Byeee!
Kelsie Hotz: See ya.
Alaria Welsh: Bye!
I put my phone back into my pocket and sigh.
"I guess you're right."
Amy laughs, "Awwww. It's okay, sis. I'll help you. Go get in the shower."
I smile and run up the steps.
"Where's my curling iron?" Amy asks.
I sit on a stool next to Amy's vanity in an oversized pajama shirt and underwear. She's already blow-dried my waist-length hair so it hands in a smooth curtain, but I guess that isn't enough for Amy.
"Found it!" she yelps from the bathroom, making me jump.
Twenty long minutes later, my hair sits in tiny blonde ringlets. Amy waterfall braided part of it, to keep it out of my face.
"What should I wear?" I ask, oddly giddy as I stare at the girl in my reflection.
"I was thinking maybe your jean shorts and that white tank top? It's long, so you can tuck it in and wear you brown belt. And maybe your cowboy boots?" she suggests.
I smile, "Perfect."
I thrown on the outfit and fun back into Amy's room.
"Well?" I ask, spinning a circle.
"Lovely." Amy giggles, "Come here, let's do your makeup."
Amy brushes a glittery eye-shadow over my lids, a bit of liquid liner above my eyes, some sparkly pink blush against my cheekbones, and finishes of with a sheer, shiny lip gloss.
I can hardly recognize myself.
"Woah..." I tough my face, and the mirrior-me, the pretty me, does too.
Amy laughs. "Go help Andrea make the cake. I have to get ready, too."
I run down the steps. "Andrea!"
"Hey little sis!" Andrea hugs me when she sees me.
"How do I look?" I spin a circle.
"Beautiful. I bet all of those boys you hang out with will be speechless." She says.
I blush, "Yeah, right."
"It's true! You look so grown up. My new almost-eighth-grader!" Andrea twirls me around.
I laugh. "I can't BELIVE how fast seventh grade went by."
"Yeah, well eighth grade goes by even faster." Andrea tells me.
"I just don't know if I want it to." I whisper.
"I know how you feel." Andrea runs a hand over my cheek. "Now come on! We have a cake to make!"
"Blue or yellow?" Amy asks. Andrea and I sit on her bed, helping her decide what to wear.
"Blue." I say, "It brings out your eyes."
"Agreed." Andrea fist-bumps me.
Amy shakes her head and laughs, "Blue it is then."
Amy comes put of her bathroom a minute later with a blue sundress on. It's strapless, and goes a little past her knees.
"Well?" She ask.
"Perfect."
Andrea wears a navy blue and white striped maxidress, and does her hair in a side braid. Amy wear set hair straight.
I look at the clock. 6:50. It takes us a little less than ten minutes to walk to the barn.
"Let's go!" I call up to my sisters.
They come down the steps, pretty as a picture. We meet the Grimes family outside. Carl wears a red and black plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a white t-shirt and jeans. His eyes widen when he sees me, making my face go red.
"Hey, Carl." I say.
"Uh, hi. You look... Really good." He manages.
I laugh. "So do you."
He visibly relaxes.
"Hi Lori! Hi Rick!" I greet Carl's parents.
The six of us walk down the street to the barn.
Its a little after seven when we arrive. Lanterns hang from the ceiling inside the old barn in the field behind main street. Fire flies flit around, making the decor seem even more impressive. All of King's County seems to be there. Carl and I climb the ladder to the hay loft. Our friends, along with many other middle schoolers, sit perched up on the hay, talking and laughing.
Carl and I are greeted warmly.
"Let's play truth or dare!" Erin suggests.
We all agree.
"Ryan! Truth or dare?" Erin asks.
"Truth."
"Out of all of the girls here, who would you want to dance with when the music plays later tonight?"
Ryan blushes "Alaria..."
Alaria blushes, too. "I'll dance with you, Ryan." She whispers.
They both stare at the floor as the rest of us try not to go "DAWWWWW!"
"Carl! Truth or dare?" Ryan asks once he's gained his composure.
"Truth."
"Who do you think looks prettiest tonight? Amanda, Alaria, Erin, or Kelsie?"
"Amanda." Carl says without hesitation.
I blush. He thinks I look pretty?
"Ooooo, somebody has a crush!" Hunter pokes Carl.
"No," Carl says casually, "Ryan would get jealous if I said Amanda, Kelsie would punch me if I chose her, and Erin is already taken by Jacob."
Oh. So he doesn't think I'm pretty. "Gee thanks Carl." I say.
"No! You do look pretty! It's just..."
"I'm not the prettiest. I get it." I choke back a sob. Why am I so upset over this?
"That's not what I-"
"No, it's okay. Nobody calls me pretty anyway. It's not a big deal." I manage a smile. "Who's turn is it?"
An hour later, the dancing starts. Carl, Kelsie, Hunter and I watch from the hayloft as our friends and parents dance below us.
"Aren't they cute?" Kelsie asks me.
"Which ones?"
"Ryan and Alaria."
She's right. Ryan and Alaria dance awkwardly off to the side, blushing and staring at the ground. Erin and Jacob are more confident, dancing in the middle of the room, folded into eachothers arms
"Yeah. They are." I say.
"By the way, Amanda. You really are pretty." Kelsie tells me.
"Sure."
"No, really." Kelsie looks at me sternly through her glasses, "You're gorgeous. People are just intimidated by you."
I smile. "Thanks, Kels."
"Anytime." She hugs me.
"Ummm... Kelsie?" Hunter clears his throat behind us.
"Yes?" She asks, turning to him.
He holds out a hand, "Do you want to dance?"
She looks at me. I wave her off.
"Sure." She grabs his hand and he helps her up, and the two of them climb down the ladder onto the dance floor.
"God, we're such loners." I say, scooting closer to Carl.
He snorts. "I know right?"
"Forever alone." I moan dramatically.
He laughs, "Hey, about earlier... You really are pretty."
I look at him, eyebrows raised.
"I'm serious! You are beautiful. Gorgeous. Prettiest girl I know." He tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear, making me shiver.
"Thanks." I whisper.
"Anytime."
We sit like that for a while, me and him. The other couples dance below us. Amy dances with a boy named Jack, and Andrea dances with Shane Walsh. Our friends dance together, their parents dance together. But Carl and I sit in the hayloft, the only two people not dancing.
Carl touches my hand. I look up at him.
"You wanna dance?" He asks.
"You and me?" I ask in suprise.
"As friends." He adds quickly.
"Oh. Okay."
We unpeel ourselves from the hayloft and go down the ladder.
I put my hands on his shoulders and he puts his hands on my waist.
Nothing Left to Say Now by Imagine Dragons plays from the speakers. Before we even start moving, the song ends, and a new one starts playing. It's Firework by Katy Perry. Alaria's hand latches onto my arm, pulling me away from Carl.
The girls and I dance near the boys. I'm spun around by Hunter, passed off to Ryan, to Jacob, and to Carl. Then the cycle starts again. It goes on like that for at least another hour, song after song.
At ten o'clock, the last song plays. It's a slow song. "Lucky" by Jason Maraz and Colby Calliet.
"I think I owe you a dance?" A voice says from behind me.
Carl. I smile "Yes, I think you do."
He takes my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck. We away to the music. I rest my head on his shoulder.
"You are something else, Amanda Harrison." He whispers into my ear.
"As are you, Carl Grimes. As are you."
And the fireflies illuminate the darkness. All was well. For now.