Rule # 7

Keep your promises, always

Rule #8

Just cause you think the boy sitting next to while you're writing this rule down is cute, don't fall in love with him or his beautiful blue eyes

Rule #9

Shit, don't let said boy see you writing stuff in your journal about him

"You think I'm cute huh? With my beautiful blue eyes, right Bonnie?" He teased as we were sitting together on a couch eating some snacks as I punched him in the gut.

"Watch it Grimes, just because you know my Uncle doesn't mean I won't shoot you later on," I threatened as he dismissed what I said, not believing it one bit.

The two of us have just been spending the past two hour together talking about our families and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to get back to his father since he was passed out for who knows how long. So Carl Grimes and I just talked and talked and talked some more. Our personalities were very polar opposite but we shared some of the same interests that all teenagers do. Music, books, movies, comics, all that sweet entertainment. So as we were talking I turned on my CD player and we listen to some good old Queen.

"Okay, I have a question. It's sorta of regarding your journal. Why are you so persistent on not falling in love with me? I mean what's so wrong with liking someone like me?" He questioned and I sighed knowing I had an huge explanation to give him.

"You see the thing is, if there's one thing I've learned in three years by myself, is to not fall in love. Period, it's not even directed at you. I can't let myself fall in love with anyone. That's what gets people killed. Think about it, what killed your mom? Love because she got pregnant out of love and died that way. Or take my mother for example, she saved me at the start of this godforsaken apocalypse. She died and I survived. Why? Because she loved me. When you love someone, you lose sense of your own life. I'm not about to give up my life because my hormones think I'm in love with some dumb boy."

"Hey, being that I'm the boy you're talking about, I take offense to that," Carl retorted as I rolled my eyes.

"Oh shut up…" I stated pushing him away from me a bit, jokingly.

"I see what you mean though. A horrible way to look at it but it makes sense. Who knows, I might just change your mind on your views."

"The hell you will, come on, get up. I think we've sat on our asses long enough. Let's head back to your father and get the hell out of this neighborhood. I just got to pack some things up first. Grab all the food you can that's in the pantry. There's more orange soda if you want to take it all for the trip." I told him as I ran upstairs grabbing my biggest duffle bag that I could find. Screw packing light, I'm taking all the shit I own.

I rolled up almost all my clothes into tight balls which I learned a way to make it take up the least amount of space. Once all my clothes were packed, I packed the necessities for cleanliness, tampons, pads, toothpaste, deodorant, all that good stuff that's hard to come by nowadays.

After that I made sure to pack all things that really mattered, like my music, books and movies, along with my DVD and CD players. As well as batteries, pencils, my journal, and random shit I wasn't ready to part with. Oh and don't forget my precious sniper rifle and other guns I found in my journeys. My sniper is my favorite, my little child out all my guns. Sue me, I love my gun.

Anyways, once I was done with the packing that took all but fifteen minutes to do, I did a quick sweep of the house and grabbed my duffle bag ready to head out whenever Carl was ready.

"Got all the food I can carry and fit in your bag. Hopefully we'll meet up with the group soon. Ready to head back to where I left my dad?" He asked me and I nodded picking up all my stuff as I headed towards the door.

"Ladies first," I joked letting him walk ahead of me as I shut the door behind me. "Goodbye old friend. Hello adventure," I mumbled under my breath as Carl lead the way to his father. It was getting to be night time as Carl and I approached a house and he led me to the back.

"We secured the front door, if my dad still hasn't come to by tomorrow morning I'm not sure what we're going to do." Carl explained to me earlier what was going on with him and along with this whole backstory of his adventures since the zombie apocalypse. "Dad!" He called out as we walked inside the house. There wasn't an answer.

"Guess he still hasn't come to then?" I asked him and he nodded as we approached, the would have been the living room where his father was laying on the couch completely passed out. "You check for a pulse?" He nodded once again as I walked over to him checking again. Yep, he was still kicking it, I don't know for how much longer but he ain't dead yet.

"We'll just wait out the night I guess. I don't know about you but I'm exhausted," Carl yawned as he sat on the floor his back against the couch his father was sitting on.

"Wanna fall asleep to a good old movie? I've got the sappy romantic, action packed, slapstick shitty comedies, anything that's a DVD we can watch," I explained to him as I pulled out my DVD player but he shook his head.

"I'm good, do you just want to talk for a bit? I feel like I've told you so much about myself and I don't have a clue about your life other than you're Daryl's niece."

"Whatchu want to know?" I asked him as I sat next to him stretching out my legs.

"Doesn't matter whatever you're willing to tell me. Like that journal? I'm guessing you recently started it. What's it for?" He asked as he pointed to my duffle bag and I had already taken it out and placed it on top of the bag for easy access, along with my gun.

"I don't know, I just started it like a week back. I figured I've lived three goddamn years by myself in this hell hole of world and I've survived just fine, so I might as well as write some rules down about how I've done it. Basically, I'm a badass Anne Frank in the zombie apocalypse. When I die, I want to be remember and what better than the way I've survived," I told him and he just smiled at me.

"That's so sweet and didn't seem like something you'd do," he responded and I rolled my eyes.

"Shows that you know shit about who I am, now go to sleep you dork. Great first day with you Carl Grimes."

"You too Bonnie Dixon," he replied as I got up, heading upstairs to find a bed to sleep in.

"You know it, I'm amazing after all." I shouted and with that I found a bed and went to sleep for the night. I trusted Carl to keep watch downstairs. Weird never did I think I could trust someone so quickly, but here I am. Maybe Carl Grimes might actually bring something special out in me. Love? Hell no but something much more special.

A quarter past who knows when, I was awoken from my sleep to a very soft whimper. I was an extremely light sleeper since I forced myself to be over the past couple of years. You can't be knocked out cold from exhaustion 'cause one of those things could sneak into your house and that's the end of little ol' you.

"I can't…" I heard Carl cry out as I rushed down the stairs grabbing a knife that I left on the night stand. He was just sitting there looking so defeated.

"What's wrong?" I called out to him running towards him as his father was on the ground with him, his hand on Carl's leg. He can't be one of them.

"Carl…" He croaked out and I sighed in relief as Carl did the same. Not a zombie, yet. "Don't go outside, stay safe," his father mumbled as he collapsed on the floor. Carl looked to me in distress and I didn't know what to do. His father was still breathing but Carl was broken.

"Bonnie, I don't know what to do. I'm scared… I'm scared," he expressed to me as I kneeled down to him pulling him in for a hug.

"Hey, he ain't dead yet. He'll be fine, I promise. Go on upstairs, I'll be up and we'll keep the door locked. Give him the night, hopefully he's okay but if he turns I'll help you put him down," I explained to him as he nodded. "Grab your gun and go."

He did as he was told as I propped a pillow under Rick's head and headed upstairs with my gun in hand. I walked back into the bedroom locking the door behind me as Carl was already under the covers sniffling.

"Do you really think he's going to be okay?" Carl asked me as I hopped in the other side of the bed completely unaffected about the lack of personal space and Carl was clearly too distressed to give a shit about being in bed with a chick.

"I ain't gonna lie to you. I don't have a clue. Be hopeful though, I mean that's all you can really count on these days. If we gotta put him down, I'll be by your side. I'm not going anywhere Carl Grimes."

"Good, thank you Bonnie."