Checking in with Carl & co.

Every day, we wake up, cold and hungry. Dad or Michonne go check any snares they set up the night before, then come back with what they caught, which is usually nothing. We ration our food, then keep following the train tracks to Terminus.

Today, Dad leaves the track at a crossroad.

"What're you thinkin'?" Michonne asks.

"It's getting colder," he says. "We should find a store or something — get some warmer clothes."

I haven't stopped shivering in two days. Still, when Dad looks at me for my input, I force myself to be still. I'm not angry at him anymore, I'll admit. I'm just... angry. Michonne keeps handing me chocolate bars, which helps.

They lead the way down the street. I linger a moment, watching them. After so long, I don't know if I can leave the tracks. I'm afraid that if I do, I won't want to come back to them. Except, Michonne is waiting for me, beckoning me to hurry, so I step off and follow her.

Dad leads us through a small city I assume is called Macon, by the store names: Macon Bakery; Macon Dentist; Macon Millionhairs. We stop first at Macon's Mercenary General Store. Without even entering, we know it's been picked dry, so we move on. There's another store, few blocks down: Macon Outdoor Store. Its café has been looted but the clothing section looks untouched.

Dad throws a couple stones into the store and we wait outside, but the building remains silent, so we go in. Dad finds bandages and changes his. Michonne takes me to the shoe section. She picks out a matching pair of sneakers.

"I don't need shoes."

She glares at me. I just walk away and check the snack-stands at the tills. Some rats scurry away under a counter and I pick through mints and gums, some breakfast bars, and boiled candy. No Big Cat candy bars or M&M's.

"Carl..."

I look over my shoulder at Michonne, who is holding up a dark blue hoodie. Dad's watching me. I ignore him and join her. She hands me the hoodie.

"Here," she says, without looking at me, instead looking through women's waistcoats. I take the hoodie and put it on. Michonne looks at me, nodding. "Suits you." She steps forward, takes off my hat, and brushes my hair with her fingers. I let her because I enjoy it, even though I don't look like I do. She resits my hat again and grins. "Perfect."

I snort, then wait around a bit.

She pulls a brown jacket off a mannequin and puts it on over her shirt. She turns to me, poses. "Look good?"

I shrug.

She looks offended.

"You look great," I tell her.

Michonne snickers. "Really aren't the stereotype, are you?"

I shrug again. "Guess not." I told her about Oliver at some point. I don't remember when. It just came up.

She watches me, then, quietly, tells me, "Your dad wouldn't mind, you know, if you told him."

I shrug. "Not like I ever need to now."

Michonne sighs, then nods and does something she's never done to me before — she steps forward, tugs back my hat, and kisses the top of my head. I get this feeling like I'm going to cry, but I let her hold me until it's safe to pull away and walk away.

I lead the way outside while they chat behind me.

"What did you get?"

"Some string for the perimeter fences," Dad tells her. "Thought we'd start sleeping a little off the track – we'll have more cover in the trees at night. Got some matches, torches, batteries."

"Here, some socks and underwear."

I almost hear my dad smile.

Eventually, we find our way back to the tracks. It doesn't feel good to step back onto it, just more familiar.

Notes

Edit from a few years after posting this chapter: I edited in the Millionhairs Salon because near where I live there's a salon called that and it's dumb and I love it. There's also a To Dye For Hair Salon and it's so stupid ugh good shiiit

Happy reading.