Carl didn't know what to make of her.

A young girl, maybe a year younger than he was, reaching up to stab walkers with a sharpened broomstick. She was about his height, dirty auburn hair, and wide brown eyes that still had a mischievous glow to them. She thrust the broomstick into a walker wearing a sequined dress and screamed, "You're not eating us, bitch!"

So, like any fourteen-year-old boy with a lack of options, he went up to the crazy girl laughing as she stabbed reanimated corpses. God, how was this his life?

"Why are you laughing?" he asked.

"Why shouldn't I?" she countered.

"It's horrible. Killing walkers isn't a game. It's not for fun. It's to survive," said Carl, wishing she would stop grinning and making him feel like an idiot. It struck him as hilarious that after two years surviving the end of the world, he still had no idea how to deal with pretty girls.

The girl scrutinized him. Finally she said, "Has nobody said the z-word yet?" He noticed that she had a northern accent.

"What?" asked Carl.

"The z-word." She lowered her voice. "Zombie."

Carl didn't quite know what to say to that.

"Dead bodies walking around eating people? More of the dead ones than live? Hate to break it to you, buddy, but that is what is called a zombie apocalypse. Why does everybody fail to call them zombies? They are zombies. It really annoys me," the girl said. She leaned against the fence, oblivious to the walkers scrabbling at her leather jacket-clad back. "I should probably stop making the First Son feel uncomfortable," she laughed, and stuck her hand out. "Laura," she said.

Carl stared at her, completely mystified.

Laura waited with her hand out, looking at him with chocolate-brown eyes. Wow, he missed chocolate.

"Carl," he said slowly, shaking her hand. "My dad isn't the President. Tell me again why it matters so much what people call them."

"Sure he's not," Laura said, smiling. "Your people look at him like he's God. It doesn't matter, it just pisses me off. So, tell the apocalypse stories." She turned and continued to stab walkers.

"Let's not start with personal questions," said Carl. The thought of Shane made him sad and angry and loving and hateful all at the same time.

"Gotcha. So, you ever killed anyone?"

"I thought we said no personal questions."

"All right, all right. You're such a grump," Laura said. She shook the blood-covered broomstick in his face and he shied away.

"Fine, then. How about you answer some personal questions?" Carl asked.

"Fine by me. I got nothing to hide."

"Apocalypse story," he demanded. She sighed.

"At first, we were okay. It was only when it went global that we were hit really badly. So I was in bed, and I wake up, because I hear these hideous noises. I opened my bedroom door, and there are zombies crowded outside my door. I slammed it shut, but I guess one of their heads got caught in the door, and zombie brains covered me. I climbed out the window. Outside, my entire family was just milling around. I didn't know they were zombies. My mom tried to eat me. So I killed them and ran. I did find my uncle alive. But, um, he asked me to kill him. He got bit," said Laura. Her eyes were glassy with tears.

Carl looked at her. "I'm really sorry," he said sincerely.

Laura paused and wiped her eyes roughly. "Doesn't matter," she said.

"Are you okay?" Even as he said it, Carl marveled at his own stupidity.

"Mm, I'd tell you, but you don't look like my therapist," said Laura lightly, seeming to have forgotten what she had just told him. Carl chuckled.

"Yes! Victory!" she crowed. Walkers shuffled to the fence, moaning. "Oh, shut up," she said, killing a few.

"What?" he asked. Why was he constantly confused with this girl?

"You smiled, Carly. It was a historic moment," Laura said, blinking innocently. Carl glared at her.

"Don't call me Carly."

"Ah, there's the Carly we all know and love."

I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M WRITING SO MUCH WALKING DEAD FANFICTION. You know, I have become so obsessed with this show, I was thinking about who would be best with Daryl during my test today? Like, the one that will decide my future. Yeah. Anyway, expect more of both this and Hate, my other Carl fanfiction. I love Carl. If he were my age I would totally date him.