Walking Dead: To Be Loved

Chapter 8 of my Walking Dead story, enjoy.

Reviews

Boris Yeltsin: Oh yes, sadly so, but that's of course not the only issues going around :(
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Walking Dead or its characters.

Chapter 8: Between Childhood Friends

Carl let out a sigh as he walked into the local park, allowing a small smile to grace his lips as he looked around. The park hadn't changed much over the years, much to his surprise. It had been a favourite hang-out spot for him as a child.

'Of course, apart from cutting through...there's only one reason I'd actually come here anymore.' He mused to himself.

Sure enough, he soon reached the park bench, set by the side of the main path, roughly in the centre of the park. Seating on it, absently toying with a strand of hair, was Sophia. Her look reflected his own as she remembered the park from his own childhood too.

"Hey." He greeted her as he walked up to the bench.

She smiled. "Hi there."

He sat down and they both lapsed into silence for a while.

Finally Sophia smiled. "We both used to play here together all the time when we were kids."

"I remember. This bench is actually where we first met." Carl replied.

"I don't know why...but I felt the need to come here...like I had some things on my mind and I just felt like, being here would help me make sense of them." Sophia explained suddenly.

Carl nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that, is that why you asked me here?"

"Well, you said you had the same thoughts, so I thought maybe…"

Carl just smiled, understanding her reasoning.

They lapsed into silence again however until Sophia sighed.

"God, I know I said I wanted to talk, that I think we should share what's bothering us…"

Carl turned to face her completely. "Sophia, we're friends, we have been for years. If we can't be honest with each other, who can we be honest with?"

Sophia bowed her head. "I just don't know where to start."

Carl pondered for a moment, then an idea came to him.

"Okay, so, we've not done this in a few years but...why don't we try, friend therapy again?" He offered.

Sophia quirked an eyebrow at that, friend therapy was a little thing they devised when Sophia's dad was finally arrested and she was still adjusting to life without the abuse, while Carl was coping with his dad being in a coma after being shot in the line of duty. It basically consisted of them taking turns with one being the therapist and the other being the patient and spilling their problems while the other listened and offered what advice they could.

Sophia grinned. "Sounds good to me...you therapist first?"

"If you want me to be."

Sophia grinned and settled back in the bench. "Well 'doctor' Grimes...let me share my troubles with you."

Carl grinned. "As you wish, Miss Peletier, let's start with whatever is causing you the most worry right now."

There was a brief silence as Sophia gathered her thoughts.

Finally she sighed.

"I'm worried about a certain friend of mine, whom I've recently begun to notice I actually have a crush on." She explained. "I'm afraid that she may be in trouble but is too scared to come forward and if I say anything to her about it, she might react in a panic. In other words, I wish I could help her but I'm too afraid of making her situation worse."

Carl nodded slowly, he knew right away she meant Anna. "I see, that is not an easy situation to be in at all. Everyone is different, sometimes you have to take the plunge and risk it to aid them, other times, you need to just support them and give them the encouragement to break free of their troubles in their own time. But unless you have all the information, it's almost impossible to know what's the right call to make."

"Huh, that's actually...pretty deep. Really helpful too, it certainly puts things in perspective." Sophia admitted.

For she knew Carl was right; she knew Anna was in a terrible situation but didn't know the true depths of it. It was something she'd have to figure out if she wanted to help Anna.

But she knew she had something to take care of first. "What about you, Mr. Grimes, what troubles do you have to share today?"

"Well 'doctor' Peletier...I'm dealing with a real piece of work who bullies me and my friend and makes...inappropriate comments to us." Carl revealed. "Of course I'm offended but I'm more worried about my friend who actually seemed even more offended than me, although for the life of me, I can't see why."

Sophia was a little startled by this. "Oh...and this friend, how do you...feel about him?"

She looked at Carl worriedly, she knew he was talking about Mikey and it seemed Brandon had made homophobic comments to them. But from Carl's description Mikey's reaction was surprising and even a little scary.

Carl's eyes said the whole story even before his mouth did. "I...don't know…"

He was struggling in the turmoil of possibly crushing on one of his friends and not knowing for use how said friend felt about him. Something Sophia was very familiar with.

Standing just out of sight, staring at Carl and Sophia sitting on the bench together, Mikey felt as if his heart was constricting. The way they looked together, so comfortable and at ease. The way they talked and then, right there, at that moment, the hug.

'How could I have been so stupid, they've know each other so long.' He berated himself. 'Of course they'd end up like this...I...I never had a chance.'

Despite his feeling hurt, he didn't want to cause a scene. So he simply turned and fled, hoping to get away before either of them saw him there.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.

Well, next up, things take a drastic turn, be ready.