THREE YEARS LATER

*beep* *beep* *beep*

"uuhhg..."

Clementines hand shot out from under the pillow, pounding her fist on the snooze button. But after doing so, she reached down and tore the cord out of the wall to prevent it from going off again. The screen froze on the numbers 6:00 am.

Clementine rubbed her eyes groggily, sitting up in bed. Her golden eyes shone exhaustion like no other. She glanced over towards her calender.

September 1st... Ugh...

Why did her alarm go off so early? School didnt start for another two days!

Climbing out of bed, she could faintly smell cooking coming from downstairs. Pancakes? Sausages? Bacon?

Clementine tiredly made her way over to her small mirror, where she looked up her face. She fixed her pigtails, making sure they were just right. Very soon after she moved in with Lee, he had taken her to get a haircut. Clementine didnt know what to get, so Lee chose for her. Cut short enough to be put in pigtails. At the time she didnt like it, but it was easier to put her hat on. Now she just loved it.

She fixed her hat on her head again. Funny thng with the hat. It was her fathers, and as much as she hated him now, she loved the hat. It reminded her of how it used to be, back before everyting went down. When her dad was a good man. Back when she had a normal family. A family that she was actually able to see on a daily basis.

For instance, she hasnt seen or heard from her mom since that last phone call. Three years ago. She didnt know what happened to her. And she hasnt had any contact with her dad. Not like she'd like to.

"She probably left for good." Clementine said to herself in the mirror. As sad as it made her, who would want to come home to this?

"shes just a liar. She said she would come back, and she lied. She is ever coming back."

Clementine turned away from the mirror and threw on a sweatshirt before exiting her bedroom.

"Now, look who is awake." Lee called from the kitchen. He was preparing breakfast the best he could. Ever since his divorce, having a decent-well cooked meal was hard.

Clementine trudged down the stairs, yawning.

"were you the one to set my alarm early?" She asked, settling herself in at the table and leaning on her hand.

Lee looked over his shoulder at her forlorn face. Ever since the day he picked her up at the station, shes been distant. Refusing to discuss anything about her feelings. Shes grown steadily closer to Lee, but hardly enough. The secong Lee tries to get to know her she shuts down. Closing him out and keeping to herself. It made Lee sad, but he was a patient man. Someday she will talk, and he will listen.

"Just getting you ready for school in a few days. Its coming fast, you know. Dont want it to be sudden."

Clementine rubbed her face and nodded. "Yeah... School. Yippee..."

Lee smiled, turning with a plate of bacon.

"i made it the way you like it. Extra soft." He placed the plate in front of her. Eyeing it, she looked up at Lees comforting face.

"Thanks..." She said, and started poking at the meat with her fork.

Lee frowned and sat across from her.

"Whats wrong? C'mon Clementine, you know you can talk to me."

Clem turned her head away and stopped playing with her food. She didnt want to talk to him. She just wanted a real family. She wanted a mother and a father to talk to. She always felt alone. And she wished he would stop acting like her dad.

"nothing." She responded, taking a small bite of the bacon. Avoiding his eyes.

"Clementine-"

Clementine threw her fork on the plate.

"i said, im fine." She repeated, crossing her arms.

Lee reached out, trying to touch her shoulder. he didnt know what was wrong, but he was doing his best. She easily brushed his hand aside and said nothing, but Leenknew if he tried on more thing he was going to get it.

As he sadly walked away, Clementine took two bites of the bacon before standing and grabbing her blue coat.

"Isnt it sort of warm for that?" Lee asked.

Clementne huffed in annoyance and opened the door.

"im going to Septembers house, d-Lee." She stutterd. Wincing as she almost called him dad. She shut the door with a slam.

Lee leaned on the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didnt know what to do with her.

The phone began ringing, Lee lifted his head and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"oh my god... Oh my god... Lee?! Is that you?"

...

Clementine kicked rocks along the road impatiently as she made her way up the street. Leaves had already began to change colors and the originally green trees were now an pretty mix or reds, oranges, and yellows. But Clementine didnt want to see that. She didnt want to go back to school.

She neared the familiar wooden balcolny of her friends house, which was painted a pretty teal color. She stepped up the stairs and knocked on the door.

Septembers father came to the door.

"Hello, Clementine." He greeted. "September was up since six. Shes in the back yard if you need her."

"Thanks, mister." She answered, before backing away and heading around to the back. Septembers father waved goodbye and shut the door.

"September? Clementine called, opening the wooden gate. She heard nothing, then a nerf bullet shot past her ear. She heard it whistle as it struck the wooden fence.

"Dang, i missed!" September said jokingly, coming out and around from behind a nearby tree.

"You had more than a clear shot, to." Clementine added, bending to pick the foam bullet up. She tossed it to September, who caught it in midstride.

"Next time, BOOP! Right in your coconut." September said, tapping Clementines hat with her pointer finger. She smirked and offered the nerf gun to Clem. "You wanna shoot me?"

"No, September. I actually wanted to talk."

September through her hands up in the air. "Hey, dont look at me. You know im terrible with advice."

Clementine sighed, tilting her head and raising and eyebrow at September.

September chuckled. "Alright, fine. But the second you get arrested for listening to me, i never was a part of this" she winked. Clementine grinned and gestured her to follow her over to the porch. Together, they sat down.

"So, what is it?"

Clementine breathed in heavily, feeling saddened all of the sudden. She turned her head to look at September with a side glance up from under her hat.

"its about my mom..." Clementine began.

A/N thanks to Aspect Of Unoriginal Thought for allowing me to use September!