Cas woke up earlier than usual, still on edge from the day before. It was different having so many people nearby, but she was pretty sure she liked it.
When it was clear that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, she got up and headed to the band room. Isaac was already skulking around – he'd always been an early riser. She sat next to him under the railing by the chalkboard.
"How are you doing?" She asked quietly, her voice echoing in the silence. She'd learned a long time ago that loud noises startled him, even in the middle of the day. That's why the camera room was good for him; she couldn't imagine staying shut up in that little space all day, but he enjoyed it.
"I'm alright. They're very loud," he added thoughtfully, guessing at what she'd really been asking, "But they seem nice."
"She smiled. "Good, I'm glad. Maybe the company will be good for you."
He shrugged listlessly. "I'm not sure if anything can be good for me anymore."
"Don't say that," she insisted.
"Did you know," he replied, "That in one of the African countries, the day started when the sun rose, and not at midnight? Just one country, in the middle of the continent, where the day started six hours later than all the rest. Fascinating."
"Do you remember which country?" She asked, trying to indulge him.
"No." She'd never heard him sound so sad as when he had to admit that he'd forgotten something.
"Maybe you could find it in the library or something," she suggested. "You should get some books, it'll give you something to do while you're in that tiny room."
Their quiet conversation was interrupted when the door to the practice rooms opened and a few of the newcomers came out. Cas was terrible with names, but she knew for sure that two of them were brother and sister, and she thought the third might be called Carol.
"Good morning," Cas smiled, standing to greet them. "Are you guys hungry?" They responded by nodding sleepily and rubbing their eyes. "Come on, I'll take you down to the cafeteria." They followed her from the band room like sheep as she led them to food.
"How did you sleep?" Cas asked over her shoulder to break the silence.
"I woulda slept better if somebody hadn't been snoring all night," the younger woman said pointedly to her brother. He either didn't hear or was ignoring her on purpose, because he didn't respond. She added, "All night, Tyreese," to get his attention.
"Sasha, if it had really bothered you, you would have moved away," he said gently.
Tyreese and Sasha. Cas made a mental note as they entered the cafeteria. "Do you want eggs or something? I can scramble pretty well," she boasted. Before they could respond, there was a loud clatter as a pot fell in the back room.
The newcomers immediately shifted into their fighting stances, but Cas was a little slower to draw. "Hello?" She called out quietly, holding out a hand to keep Tyreese from stalking forward.
A large figure shuffled from storage, hiding in the shadows. "Who's there?" A soft, frightened voice responded. Cas smiled with relief.
"Don't worry, it's just Cas."
"Who are those people with you?" The figure shambled closer.
"Some people we found yesterday," she explained, waving for Tyreese, Sasha, and Carol to relax. "They're friendly, you just startled them."
"Oh." The figure finally came into the light, and a large man was revealed. He had a large beard was scruffy but not unwashed. It and this thick-rimmed glasses hid the roundness of his face, which was framed by hair that probably would have been curly if it hadn't been so long. His warm brown eyes shone through all the hair, smiling even though he looked somber.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, raising a hand in greeting. It was attached to a muscular arm – as well-built as the rest of him – and Cas wished for about the tenth time he would come down and fight alongside them. He was spectacular in combat, but Cas had only seen that spectacle once and didn't expect to see it again; not unless the man in the ceiling's life was on the line.
"It's alright," Carol said with a tiny smile. "I guess we've just been out in the world too long."
He nodded solemnly, but didn't respond. Cas could tell he'd had just about enough human interaction for one day. "I was just getting some snacks," he told her, holding up a few granola bars.
"That's fine. You're always welcome to anything."
"Thank you." He hesitated, and Cas thought he might stay a while longer, but his reclusive nature won out. "Well, I should probably be getting back. Lots to do."
"Okay. See you around." They watched him amble away until he rounded the corner and was out of sight. Cas took a breath and asked again, "So, eggs, anyone?"
…
When they'd found some food and had begun to eat, Sasha asked Cas, "So who is he?"
Cas shrugged. "We don't know. He was here when we showed up, but other than that, we're in the dark. You saw how he was; it's taken years to take the relationship that far."
"So he just hides in the ceiling all day and takes your food?" Carol asked. "Doesn't sound very brave."
Cas shrugged. "I don't think he's worried about being brave. He's just trying to survive. I think something happened to his family," she added, "Something that he saw but couldn't stop."
They nodded somberly, understanding exactly what she meant. From down the hallway sounds of life could be heard, and it wasn't long before everyone else starting filing in two or three at a time. Rick came in carrying a crying Judith, which no one was too happy about. Then Elliot broke out the baby food they'd found just two weeks before and everything was peaceful again.
Normally Cas, Jonathan, Elliot and Claire all sat together, but when everyone had taken a seat, Cas noticed that the pattern had been broken. Across from her, Jonathan and Elliot were taking turns cracking jokes, trying to make Michonne laugh – so far, they'd been sadly unsuccessful. Claire was at the end of the table next to the kid who'd been hitting on her the day before.
"I don't believe this," Cas muttered to herself. She waited until Rick got up for seconds, then stalked around the table. She surreptitiously turned down the voltage on her electric rod so it would sting but not damage, then walked by, casually brushing it against Carl's back.
He jumped and yelped, but everyone was talking loud enough that the noise got swallowed up by the general din.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was on!" Cas apologized quickly.
Carl frowned but shrugged it off. "It's okay," he said, turning back to his food. Claire, however, was not so easily fooled.
She stood and walked out of the cafeteria, with Cas close behind. "What was that about?" She snapped once they were alone.
"You know what it was about," Cas retorted. "Why didn't you sit by me?"
"Because I wanted to sit by Carl," Claire shrugged. "Why, are you jealous?" She asked with a grin. When Cas didn't answer, the smile slid away. "Oh, come on. You can't be serious, he's just a kid."
"But do you like him?" Cas asked.
"He's a sweet boy, of course I – "
"But do you like him?" She repeated.
Claire huffed an impatient sigh. "No Cas, I don't like him. Damn, what's gotten into you?"
"I guess I'm just not used to sharing you. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"Good." A playful expression stole over Claire's visage. "You know, he did call me pretty. That was nice. You never say I'm pretty."
"You're pretty, Claire." Cas responded in a monotone, and the other girl laughed.
"Be still, my heart!" Claire leaned in and gave Cash a gentle kiss on the cheek. "He's just a kid who needs a friend, Cas. No need to get all green on me."
"Ha, ha."
They rejoined the crowd, taking their respective seats. Cas started taking turns trying to make Michonne laugh, feeling much better.
