Fat puffy flakes like cotton balls drifted from blankets of white. Like someone ripped open a duvet over the entire sky. Scattering the cotton like a broken pearl necklace.

My breath misted in front of me, the snow melting as soon as it landed on my crossed legs and sunk into my jeans a little at a time.

The snowflakes collecting on my eyelashes and in my hair.

I'm cold — can't feel my fingers — but I don't wanna go back inside just yet.

It's been ages since I've gotten to just stare at the sky.

"Hey."

I looked over my shoulder as Carl came and stood next to me.

"What are you doin' out here?" he looked around and I smiled and pointed up.

He looked up and I watched the confusion on his face as he tried to figure out what I'm looking at.

I pat the ground next to me and flinched back at how cold it is. It was not this wet when I sat down.

Despite that, Carl took my offer and sat down next to me.

I watched his shoes rub dirt off into the snow. His ratty old sneakers that look too small now. The soles are so thin I can almost see his feet moving through them.

"What?" Carl looked down at his foot, almost hitting me in the nose with his sheriff's hat.

I tapped his shoe with my finger and I was right, I can feel the bottom of his foot.

"You need new shoes."

Carl's foot wiggled around. "I'll put it on the list."

You know what.

I stood up and dusted my hands off on my wet jeans and offered him a hand. "Let's go."

His eyebrows knit together as he took my hand and stood up. "What?"

"There's a couple houses around here with boys rooms. Let's go find you a new pair of shoes. And maybe some other stuff."

"Wait — what about my dad?"

I rolled my eyes. "We'll be fiiiine. We're just goin' next door. We'll get Glenn and Randall to come too."

I turned on my heel and Carl followed after me into the house. "I don't wanna get in trouble."

I ruffled his hair and winked, giving him a reassuring smile. "Leave it to me."

"Just around the neighborhood?" Rick asked for the 2nd time.

I sighed and nodded. I've already explained that the kids (the youngest of our group; no matter if they are actually kids or not) all could use a few things that we can find in the houses around us. Plus it'll give us a chance to double check our surroundings and make sure we haven't missed anything. And give them all a little more experience which they could use.

I have given him more than enough reasons to let us go. I'm being nice by asking in the first place. I would've just gone to get the shoes myself — probably after telling Daryl and he'd probably come with me — but still. I'm choosing to respect Rick's authority because if he challenge him all the time, it'll undermine him. Especially if I'm taking Carl with me.

Personally, I just wanna get the kids out for awhile. They've all seemed kinda down and … like child soldiers as of late. That doesn't sit right with me — they deserve to have a little fun where we can afford it.

I hope we can find some more comics in these teenagers rooms. I think Carl's finished all the ones I snatched from the book store.

Rick cocked his hip and stared at me. Why does he look like he doesn't believe me? I mean he's smart not to, but even so.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt officer, and brush it off as you being nervous about Carl. Just because I'm in a good mood.

"How long will you be out?"

I poked my tongue into my cheek, thinking for a second. "An hour or 2. 3 tops."

Rick thought for a second before sighing and nodding. "Ok. Be back before dark at the latest. If you're not back in 2 hours I'mma send someone after you — I mean it."

I smiled and practically skipped out of the room, almost smacking right into T-Dog.

I gave him an apologetic smile which he waved off before I headed for the front door, where the boys are waiting, + 2 extra.

Glenn gave me a cheeky smile, "I figured Daryl & Beth should come with us too."

I feel like the fun aunt. Cool.

I am the fun aunt.

I threw a shirt at Glenn for 8th time and watched him pull-off a superhuman duck as it Randall square in the face and Carl & Beth burst into laughter.

I tossed another pair of shoes at Carl for him to try on.

Daryl snorted from his place sitting on the desk. The one he literally pushed the textbooks off of to clear a space when he realized we're gonna be in here for awhile.

Beth crawled over the clothing scattered bed until she got to the closet with me.

"There's not really anythin' else in here." She poked through it while I held up a blue hoodie in Carl's direction, trying to eyeball the size. He's gonna be a teenager soon and every teenager has to have a ratty hoodie at some point. It's practically a ceremonial robe; a coming of age thing.

Nah, I think this is gonna be too big on him. I mean but … it's not by much. He could definitely grow into it real quick. Boys shoot up like fireworks at the skip of a rock. You take your eyes off for two seconds and then BAM! Fully grown human. Nature's weird.

"Hey, I think there's more stuff under the bed."

"Wait!" Half the room — myself included flung themselves up. I'm the one who got to her first though and Beth looks like she barely managed to stop herself from screaming at the sudden outburst.

I loosened my grip on her forearm and wrapped my arms around her (awkwardly) and waited until she looked at me before shaking my head.

"Do you know what the rules are for being in a teenage boy's room?"

"No…?" Beth looked between the guys and back at me, all of them except Daryl blushing madly. Daryl's just over there snickering while even Carl knows to be embarrassed and he's not even a teenage boy yet! He probably doesn't even have anything to be awkward or embarrassed about.

"First rule, Beth, and the only one you need to worry about now. Never look under the bed."

"Or the mattress." Glenn interjected. I nodded with a confirming hum and gave him a thumbs up.

"Or a shoe-box in the closet. Especially if there's shoes on the floor." Randall interjected. I hummed once again, nodding.

"Why?" Beth asked, looking holy confused. You poor inexperienced muffin. "What if there's somethin' useful?"

Daryl snorted, almost bursting out laughing himself. "Trust us, there ain't."

It's a teenage boys bedroom. Something useful for anything other than blackmail is gonna be in plain sight where he can grab it easily at any time.

Oo, speaking of which.

I climbed on the desk chair next to Daryl, using his shoulder to steady myself as I stood up. Wow, this bedroom has a weirdly high ceiling. It's not even a loft bedroom or anything.

"What are you doin'?" Randall asked as I pulled the baseball stuff off the shelf.

A few gloves of different sizes, stacked around a few medals and some small trophies. Probably from different points in this person's life.

And the baseball bat & cap that look an awful lot like the ones Glenn used to have.

I didn't even notice he stopped wearing his cap until just now.

Sadly, I think this one's a little too small for him. Might fit Carl though. Assuming he's willing to hang up the sheriff's hat for a game or two.

Daryl took the baseball bat from me without a word, while I grabbed the ball on a little plaque that says 'First home-run'.

I smiled and tossed it in my hand a few times. It has a nice weight to it. It's been a long time since I held a baseball. Our time is almost up anyway. If we go back sooner, we can be outside for awhile before dark.

"What d'ya say we head back and play some ball?"

Sorry if the writing's not as good as usual, I was in a little bit of a rush today and am frantically trying to prepare to start ssn3.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed your escape from reality, and I'll see you next chp! Don't forget to Favorite, Review, and Follow for more!

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