Someone was knocking on my car window. I groaned and looked over. It was Lori. I opened the hatch back and climbed out.
"Hey." I smiled.
"Hi." She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. "I was a little worried when you didn't come back up to camp last night."
"Sorry." I sighed. "I was just really tired." I sure wasn't going to tell her about my conversation with Daryl. I was still confused about it myself. I didn't need other people wondering about it to.
"I can understand that." She nodded. "You had a big day yesterday.
I nodded in answer. "So what can I do to help around here?" I beamed at her. I needed something to take my mind off of everything that was going on.
"Well there is plenty." She put her arm around me motherly like and started leading me up to the center of camp.
Over the next few minutes she explained how things worked around camp and who did what. I would have offered to do a little hunting but I didn't want a repeat of that had happened when I caught the rabbits. I would never be able to live with myself I were to get them all killed just by shooting off my gun.
I offered to help with the laundry, mainly because all my stuff needed a good washing too. So I grabbed my bag out of the back of my car, emptied it out, and refilled it with all of my dirty things. I trudged down to the quarry where a few other of the women were already at work washing.
"Hi." I smiled sitting down in the empty space next to a girl who I thought I remembered as Amy.
She smiled back pleasantly. I got my clothes out of my bag and got to work. At least it was clean water we were using.
After a couple hours and some small talk our little group made its way back up into central camp.
Everyone was gathered around talking when we arrived.
"Do you think this is a good idea?" Asked the little Korean kid, I couldn't remember his name.
"I don't think we have a choice." T-Dog replied shifting back and forth nervously on his feet.
"It's just that I'm pretty sure that I could do this better on my own."
"I'm sure you can Glenn." Shane informed him. "But we need way too many things for you to be able to go by yourself."
"What's going on?" Andrea said from beside me as she sat her basket down.
"We need to make a run into town." Shane answered.
"But town is over run!" I exclaimed panicky.
"We have gone in before." Shane assured me placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. This made Daryl look at Shane with daggers in his eyes. I didn't think that those two were very fond of each other.
"Who all is going?" I asked, trying but failing to keep my eyes off of Daryl.
"A small group." Shane explained. "Merle, T-Dog, Glenn, Jacqui, and Morales."
I didn't know why but I felt so much better that Daryl wasn't going into town with the group. Even though for his sake I didn't much like the idea of his brother going either.
"I'm going too." Andrea said from beside me.
"No way!" Amy told her panicking.
Andrea turned to her sister.
"I need to go." She explained hugging her. "I can help."
Amy started to cry and walked away. Everyone let her go.
"Ok everyone" Shane said clasping his massive hands together. "Get ready tonight. You guys go out first light tomorrow."
Everyone nodded and moved off in their own way to get ready. I made my way back to my car with my wet clothes. I was pretty sure that if I laid them out on the hood of the HHR that they would dry in no time.
My underwear would be a problem I thought looking around. I thought maybe I could open the car windows and hang them over the seat to dry. They were small and wouldn't take much time.
When I was done I sat on the back of my car and thought about everything going on.
I was taken in so easy by this band of misfits. Every race, gender and age occupied our little camp.
I was glad that Daryl had found me alone in the woods.
"Thinkin hard there lil kitten?" Merle asked as he walked up to the back of my car.
I groaned. "Why do you call me that?" I asked kind of annoyed, but also kind of touched that he took the time out to come talk to me.
Merle shrugged. "You look like a lil lost kitten to me."
I laughed.
"Well how old are you? Fourteen?" he asked.
I laughed harder. I always knew I looked younger that I was, but not that young.
Merle stared at me with amusement in his eyes.
"I turned eighteen last month." I informed him.
"Ah," He smirked. "So you're not a kitten now are you? Yous a full grown Pussy cat."
I didn't like the way he was looking at me. I smiled meekly.
Merle reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair from my face just as Daryl walked up.
I jerked away embarrassed. Don't get me wrong. Merle was very good looking in that rugged redneck way. But he was also like way older than me. I wasn't sure how much but I knew that he was too much 'Man' for me.
"Hey baby brother." Merle said looking at Daryl like nothing had happened.
"Shane wants you." He told him emotionless.
Merle winked at me before leaving wordlessly. I let out the breath I was holding in a long sigh.
"Everything ok?" Daryl asked.
"Fine." I gave him a fake smile.
"What did Merle say to you?" he asked sitting down next to me.
I laughed uneasily. "I thinkā¦" I started then took a deep breath. "I think he was hitting on me."
I could see that Daryl got instantly tense.
"How old are you?"
"I turned eighteen last month." I informed him.
Daryl shrugged still tense in his posture. "Yer legal," He said simply. "If ya'll like each other." He looked at me raising an eyebrow with the last part.
I shook my head. "No"
He seemed to relax slightly.
I smiled at him.
"Anna," he stared, just as we heard Shane holler at him from across camp.
Daryl muttered something under his breath and left without saying a word to me.
"Well" I smiled to myself. I do believe that Mr. Dixon might like me. I sat in the back of my car blushing and smiling like an idiot.
