Chapter 2

*Tina's POV*

I had never really envied Lyla before. I mean, I was obviously the pretty one and I was way more outgoing. But now none of that seemed to matter. I couldn't hunt, not to mention quiet and stealthy were barely in my vocab. I had always loved Lyla like a sister, we grew up together, knew each others deep dark secrets. And she was really the only person I could tell anything to. I had always thought her dad was a dick for the way he raised her, but maybe he was some kind of psychic or something. Now I was the useless one. And let me tell ya, I really didn't like the feeling.

Now every man was going to be looking at her like she was some kind of super model, not because she was or anything, but because she could pull her own weight. It's not like I was pampered or anything, I just never had an interest in learning how to cook or do laundry or, for fucks sake, hunt. My goal was to become a model, and I wouldn't need to know any of that stuff to do that job well. When we first got her and started setting up camp I was totally enjoying the gawking looks I was getting. I mean, I'm not conceited or anything, but I'm hot, and I know it. But every day that went by, they started to realize that I was just a pretty face, and Lyla was the useful one.

It's not like I was mad at her or anything, she totally hated the attention she was getting. That's why our friendship had worked so great for all those years, I wanted to be center stage, and she wanted to be behind the scenes. Now that was shifting, and she didn't know what to do. People would come up and start talking to her about something and she'd just stand there and fidget all nervous like. I started rescuing her from the awkward silences after she nearly decided to spend the rest of the end of the world in a tree. It was a half selfish act, I got the attention that she didn't want, and she got to slink away.

Lori had decided to start trying to teach me how to cook and do laundry. The laundry thing wasn't so hard, kinda like washing your hair, scrub, rinse and repeat. The cooking sucked balls though, I couldn't figure anything out! It was like being shoved into a lake when you didn't know how to swim. I kept getting popped with the yucky grease, made me feel like I was always slimy. Not having a hot shower didn't really help either. I was getting more and more frustrated ever single day. And it's not like there were any available, hot guys wandering around. Shane was obviously shacking up with Lori, and everyone else was either way too old, or just really not my type.

Then Shane brought back that yummy Daryl guy. I mean, rednecks really weren't my thing, but damn that boy was hot! And it was just my luck that he was almost as unreadable as Lyla herself. His brother obviously had the hots for anything with tits, a pussy, and a pulse at this point. But I thought of him as a last resort. It's not that he was ugly, he was just vulgar. All around vulgar, from the way he talked to the way he smelled. I really wanted in on some Daryl action though. All that sexy rolled up into one man, mouth watering.

I'd sit and talk his ear off all day, making sure to wear my lowest cut tops. But he'd just kind of sit there and keep doing whatever it was he was doing. I really hoped he wasn't gay, I mean what man can resist my perfect boobs? One that was batting for the other team, duh! I hoped I was wrong, maybe he was just more socially awkward than Lyla.

Today I was trying, again, to get his attention. I was supposed to go down and do laundry with the girls, so I made sure to put on some short, tight shorts and my bikini top. I smiled down at him as I walked up to him, hoping to distract him from the crossbow sitting in his lap.

"Hey Daryl!" he responded with that stupid grunt that always made me wanna hit him, but I kept my cool. "I'm going down to do laundry with the girls, but I really don't want to get a sun burn. Do you think you could put some on my back?" I asked, as innocently as possible. And, of course, he looked at me like I'd sprouted another head.

He looked down at his hands and mumbled something about how they were too dirty. Before I could say anything else, Glenn popped up. "I'll do it!" he said eagerly, causing me to sigh.

"Fine, but if you even think about copping a feel, I'll have Lyla kill you in your sleep." he looked at me and actually gulped, I could see it!

"Boys," I mumbled, rolling my eyes and walking over to Glenn.

*End Tina's POV*

*Lyla's POV*

It was getting harder and harder to avoid these people. What was their problem? Why were they always up my ass? I brought them food so they'd leave me alone. But that seems to have backfired, now they all think I really give a flying fuck about them. The only people I could stand being around were the kids, Tina, and Daryl. At least he kept his mouth shut, we could sit on watch together in complete silence for hours, and it never felt weird. Must of been a kindred spirit or something. And as for the kids, I always liked kids, they were so honest and innocent. Sophia was by far my favorite.

I knew she was damaged, watching your father beat your mother would do that to anyone. The way I saw it was that her mother asked for it. She's the one that married that prick and staid with him. So I kept out of it, but if I ever found out he was hurting Sophia, that would be a different story. She never asked to be born into a fucked up family. My least favorite kid was Carl. That boy was obnoxious. And his mother wasn't much better either. It was like she thought she was running the damn camp just because she was fucking the so-called leader.

I didn't understand what was wrong with these women. The world ended, and they wanted to sit around and play little Susie homemaker. Except for Andrea, she was always bitching about doing 'women's work'. As far as I was concerned, if you couldn't even shoot a gun right, you had no business doing anything but being another bitch to protect.

My dad raised me like the son he always wanted. I didn't have any gender issues. I knew I was a woman, and I wasn't a virgin. But maybe the way I was raised gave me a little bit of insight into both genders. The men were pompous, the women were stupid. That's the way it had always been, everyone dying off didn't seem to change that much.

I was glad I still had Tina, she'd come over and save me from the dumb asses trying to chat me up. I hated it, my whole life I had been background, and I was perfectly fine with it. But now it was like I was lil' Miss. Popular or some shit. It wasn't sitting well with me. I knew just what my dad would of said, "There ain't shit left, Ly. Course they gonna be crowden ya. That's what happens when folks panic." That thought made me sad. I missed my dad. If he had been here with me, it would of been so much easier. He'd tell all these fuckers to steer clear of his prodigy. He never called her his daughter, he never wanted one. So when her mama died trying to bring that son into the world, then he didn't even make it past a week, my dad was all I had left. I was about three, and my dad sat me down and said he don't know how to raise no girl, so I wasn't gonna get raised like one.

He taught me to hunt, fix cars, fish, spit, all that shit that a man is supposed to know how to do, according to him. It never mattered much to me, he was proud of me, and that's what counted.

Today was like any other day, I was cleaning my latest kill when I realized I was being watched. It was Carl, that obnoxious little prat. I gave him my 'what the fuck you want?' look and he started chattering away. Some stupid shit about wanting to know how to do things I could do. I never wished for a roll of duct tape more than right then and there. Why wasn't he asking his new daddy to be teaching him this shit? Why was he over here bugging me?

I heard some heavy foot steps coming up behind us, hoping like hell it was Shane coming to drag this kid away. I heard a thwack followed by a little yelp, whipped around just in time to see Ed, that fat tub a lard, lowering his hand. Yeah, I didn't like Carl, would of hogged tied him and plopped him in his tent if I thought it would of done any good, but you don't hit a kid. Ed was hissing something about leaving the 'pretty lil' lady alone to make my dinner' when he got cut off. Mainly cuz my hunting knife was at his fat fucking throat. His less than mainly yelp got everyone's attention fast. And now came the part I hated.

"You best back the fuck off unless you want me to skin you next." I hated talking, everyone always stared at me funny when I had to say something.

Shane and Lori were running up, neither of them having a clue what just happened.

"Lyla, put the knife down, don't do nothin stupid." Shane was saying, acting like he was some damn hostage negotiator. I looked past him, to Lori, who was staring at her son cowering behind me.

"You need to keep a closer eye on your boy. Keep him away from this dick-less moron." I used my free hand to guide Carl out from behind me and in the direction of his mother. Then I stepped up closer to Ed, my blade cutting a bit at his neck. I got right in his ugly face. "If I ever see you lay a hand on one of these kids again, especially that lil' girl of yours, you had best learn to live without sleep, cuz I'll gut you when you least expect it." I snarled at him. I'm pretty sure he pissed himself, I could smell that someone did.

I turned back to my truck and continued my work, knowing everyone was staring at me while Ed stumbled off. Luckily, Tina was sauntering back into camp with Glenn and Amy. They broke the tension that everyone's eyes on my back was causing. And just like that, camp life went back to normal, and all but three sets of eyes were glued to me. I glanced around quick like, two of those sets of eyes belonged to Carl and his mom. She was staring at me with some confusion, Carl like I was some kind of superhero.

The last pair of eyes were in Daryl's head. I couldn't read his face, or the look he was giving me. But for a second, I thought maybe it could of been admiration.

*End Lyla's POV*

This story makes me kind of sad. I was hoping it would do well, but it's gotten like 98 hits and no reviews =-(. Maybe I'll just stop this one, dunno yet.