Chapter 8

Claire decided we stay in the store for tonight, she said it's best for us not to travel in the dark and the store was big enough to hold is all. Carlos issued out shifts for people to keep watch throughout the night. I never kept watch and neither did any of the other kids in the convoy, I suppose only adults can do it. I decided to sleep on the floor in the store with most of the others. I was nice and warm by the fire, cuddled up under my blanket, hugging my teddy.

I was so close to falling to sleep until I felt a hand shaking my shoulder. I instantly grabbed my knife from under my pillow and sitting up straight holding the knife ready.

I grumbled tiredly, "we under attack?" a chuckle and Kmart's voice sounded in my ear "no, we aren't everything's ok" I yawned and nodded, flopping back onto the floor, missing the pillow.

"Ow" I groaned, my hand researching out for it. Kmart pushed it towards my hand "thanks," I grumbled, stuffing my knife under my pillow.

"You always have a knife under there?" Kmart questioned, I nodded and yawned again. "Yeah… Claire got me into the habit of it" Kmart chuckled again.

I rolled onto my side facing Kmart "what you need?"

Kmart shifted slightly "I was wondering if I could sleep in your bed tonight, I keep dreaming bad… things" she whispered nervously.

I smiled sadly and shifted back to the edge of the pillow "hop in."

I heard her breathe a sigh of relief as she scooted in. I picked up the blanket and laid it over the bother of us. She snuggled up to me as I put my arm around her waist, still holding my teddy.

"Don't worry…" I whispered softly in her ear "I get bad dreams too."

She settled down and whispered back "about what?" she asked innocently. My parent's screams filled my head, I winced and shivered before they gently faded as I squeezed my bear.

I shrugged "just things" I buried my head in my pillow, letting sleep take over.

I woke next morning to find myself laying on my front, my head against the pillow, with something resting against my back. I turned my head to hear it snoring, loudly. I ran my hand softly over the top of it to find long hair slip through my fingers. She snored again and I chuckled quietly, feeling my back wobble, Kmart's sleeping form groaned quietly, her arms wrapping around my hips as she continued to sleep. I smiled and rested my head back onto my pillow.

I heard a familiar chuckle from the bed next to me "Shut up Sam" I mumbled.

I heard him move about and lean closer "room for another?"

I waved my arm about, lazily trying to slap him. I heard him move away as he continued to chuckle and sniffed the air around me, "but you need to wash first."

I frowned "shut up perv and go fetch me some food" he chuckled and patted my head, "Sure thing smelly."

I heard him walk away as I felt Kmart lift her head off my back and crawl up to rest her head on the pillow beside me. I turned over to face her, smiling "hey, how'd you sleep?" she yawned, pulling the blanket up to cover her more.

"Ok, first time I've slept throughout the night without waking up"

I smiled and nodded, sitting up and stretching. "So where do we get food?" she asked, sitting up as well. I grabbed my knife from under my pillow and put it in the holster around my ankle.

"Don't worry, I asked Sam to get some" Kmart chuckled "is he your brother?" I frowned slightly thinking of my family and of Darren then quickly shook my head "no he just… does most things I ask."

Kmart paused thoughtfully for a second "why's that?" I shrugged "he shot me by accident."

I stood up stretching again, she choked a laugh "how'd that happen?"

I chuckled and smiled "you ask a lot of questions, you know that?"

She chuckled "yep, always have." I heard her stand as I couched to the floor searching for my back holsters "well, it happened a couple of months ago in Oklahoma and…"

I told her some of our group's adventures, all the way back to when I first met Carlos and LJ. Kmart sat and listened along with questioning most things that I said, Sam gave us both breakfast and decided to stay and listen to my stories until Claire told him to help Liam pack up some of the stuff so we could 'ship out' as LJ says.

"So how did you meet Claire?" Kmart asked and I gulped.

I knew she'd ask sooner or later, I'd hoped it would be later though, "just did I suppose…" I said gathering some of the stuff off the floor, helping put them in one of the trucks so we could use them another time.

"She's not your sister then?" I shook my head "no, she not related by blood or anything but she's like my sister."

"So how did you meet?" Kmart asked again, "she err…" I sighed scratching the back of my head, shrugging "she… found me."

I didn't want to tell her the whole story about my parents dying less than a foot away from me. I hadn't told anyone else in the group, neither had Claire. She knew it was a hard subject for me and I knew the subject about her, before she saved me, was tough for her. She hadn't even told me. It's not like we don't trust people, I have to put my trust in people because I can't see it all myself and Claire trusts me with her life… I'd like to think. But the past was a bad wound for the both of us and we liked the past to stay in the past, where it belonged.

"Found you where?" Kmart asked innocently.

"God, Kmart!" I snapped at her, "Just stop asking questions!"

I stuffed the remainder of the gear in the truck and slammed the boot of the truck down, breathing heavily. Kmart hadn't made a sound. Great, I've know the girl barely 24 hours and I've already yelled at her, this wasn't like me. People knew me for my calm and collected demeanour and I always supressed any anger I felt.

I breathed heavily again "I'm sorry Kmart, it's a subject… I-I'd rather not talk about." I waited awhile before I started to wonder if she'd left, "Kmart?"

I heard her cough "oh yeah, sorry forgot you can't see, yeah don't worry about it, surprised you didn't snap at me earlier. My grandma said I could talk forever and always questioned everything."

I smirked "my nana said I was the opposite of that, said I was always so hard to get to talk but I like silence means I can hear other things."

Claire's footsteps walked towards us, "like Claire, coming this way, hi Claire!" Claire chuckled, "you showing off"

I pretended to be shocked "me! Never" I smirked as she nudged me. Claire turned to Kmart "Kmart do you want to travel with the other kids or in one of the cars or trucks?"

Kmart thought for a sec "where you going, Fox?"

I raised an eyebrow for a spilt second, taken back by the question, "I'm… going in the hummer with Claire." "Can I stay with you guys then?" Kmart asked cheerfully.

"It's fine with me, so hurry up" Claire said as she turned away from us to go to our hummer. I smiled slightly and heard Kmart stand next to me, linking arms with me.

"Yay! I get to stay with my best friend" she giggled as she pulled me towards the hummer.

I grinned, signing happily "my best friend."


Hey peoples, thanks for the patience's been a long week haha
Hope your liking the story so far if so please review and if not… well tell me why and I hope to get it to be better :D