You make it a few feet away from the Barnes and Noble and then feel bad. So, you turn back. Stebbins isn't in the front of the store, filling bags with books anymore. In fact, the bags that he'd previously filled with books were stacked neatly by the check-out counter.

You spend a few moments wondering where Stebbins is before you decide that you don't care.

After seriously considering turning around and leaving (again), you decide that you're a nicer person than that and should at least figure out if Barkovitch is okay. So, you do. You pick your way through the bookstore until you find the Children's Section again. Stebbins is there, looking awkward. Barkovitch hasn't moved. You wonder if you shouldn't just leave after all.

"Is he okay?" you ask Stebbins. Stebbins shrugs.

"Probably not," he says. You figure he's right, but you don't really know what to do. You could always go over there and be really sappy, friendship movie-esque and give him a hug or some shit like that, but you don't really want to touch him. So, you stay where you are.

"So," you say to Stebbins. "Are you going to do anything?"

"I'm not sure what to do," he admits.

"Neither do I," you say. There's an awkward pause. "Wanna go find something to eat?"

He agrees, and the two of you leave Barkovitch to… whatever he's doing. You end up heading to the Pizza Hut in Target. There are a few pizzas in the 'keep warm place', so you grab one while Stebbins gets drinks. The two of you sit at a booth right across from each other and you wonder if you should go grab some cookies from the Target for dessert. You decide that you're too lazy.

Stebbins picks the pepperonis off of his pizza and eats them first. You're normal, so you just eat your pizza normally. Between the two of you, you manage to polish of an entire medium pizza, and you figure that you could probably stand to eat a little more, but you don't feel like getting up to get the other pizza. It's been quiet, almost awkwardly so, but you've been eating so you excuse the awkwardness.

Stebbins finishes the piece he's been eating and the two of you just sit there.

"So," you say. "How's it been going since I was gone?"

"The same as when you were there, only there is nobody to break up fights between McVries and Barkovitch," he says. "I find their antics amusing."

"They act like they're brothers or something," you say. "It's kind of weird. They fucking hated each other."

"Death changes a person," he says. You disagree, but don't say anything, because you're exactly the same as you were when you were alive. "I only wonder when Ray Garraty will join us."

"If he joins us," you point out. "What if there's some… victor's town or whatever. All the sets of Walkers get their own weird little town, and all the victors are shoved together."

"That's an interesting hypothesis," he says. You wonder why he's so goddam weird. "I hope it isn't correct, however. McVries would be almost unbearable if it were."

"Yeah, you're right," you say. "God, he really liked that kid, didn't he?"

"I believe so," Stebbins says. "It really was heartbreaking when he sat down."

"Idiot," you say. You'd thought McVries was with you on the whole 'love doesn't fucking exist' thing, but apparently not. You decide that it's time to head back and see if you can find Baker. "Well, I'm gonna split. Nice seeing you."

"It was nice seeing you, too," Stebbins says. He looks like he's thinking. "I believe I'll go see if I can get Barkovitch home. Feel free to drop by whenever you'd like."

"Alright," you say. You don't mention that you'll probably end up moving back in soon, because you seriously don't feel welcome with Baker and Abraham and Parker, though you haven't seen him yet, so he hasn't really made you feel unwelcome. And Baker hasn't, either… really it's just Abraham.

You really hate Abraham.

…

By the time you get back, Parker's up. He glances at you and doesn't say anything, which is weird for someone like Parker, but you decide it's better than him insulting you. Baker waves. You decide to head up to your room.

It's going to be a long night.

it's sort of short but whatever once again no idea where this is going i'm sort of just making it up as i go along but eventually i'll know what i'm doing probably