AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey guys,

so here is the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. My last computer basically crashed and so I had to get a new laptop!

Anyway, I'll try to update more as long as ya'll keep leaving reviews and such.

In this chapter I tried to take what some of you said and put it into play, so tell me how I did!

Thank you so much for reading!

Riley's POV

Carl turns out to be a great listener, but a terrible talker. Last night we talked and talked—actually I talked and talked— for what seemed like forever. Carl on the other hand, never said a word. And he calls me guarded.

It wasn't like my one goal out of last night was to learn everything there is to learn about Carl, it was to open up. But I would have loved him opening up to me to. Now that I think about it, it made no sense for me to go to Carl and talk about that. It was Beth's question which was keeping me up into the late hours of the night.

Why the hell did I go to Carl?

Carl's POV

Okay, I'm just going to say it. I like her. Like I like her. She talked so much last night, and I never wanted her to shut up, not once. Her voice is like music to my ears. I know she was waiting for me to say something, for me to open up to, but I couldn't. Her stories... they were different, interesting, authentic. But me, what type of life had I lived. Not much of one, I can tell you that.

But Riley... she talked about Heartland Academy and how she took to music so easily and all her friends and everything they got to do. What did I get to do? Well I went to a public school, until there was no more school. Sure, I have a good story to anybody who isn't living in a zombie-apocalypse... but sadly we all are.

So why would I open up to her? All it would show is that I'm just another regular guy, and I don't know if I really want her to think of me like that.

I wasn't dreaming when Judith's crying woke me, and I realized why. I wouldn't have been able to dream something better than what was already happening. Riley never left my room last night. I remember hugging her because she was crying, and what else was I supposed to do? So here she was, head on my arm, pressed against my chest, sleeping.

Judith let out another cry. I didn't want to move, but I had to. I carefully slipped my arm out from underneath her head and went to pick her up.

"Good morning, pretty girl." I said as I picked her up. She didn't stop crying. "Aww, what's the matter, Jude?"

Even if Judith could answer using words that made sense, she wouldn't have gotten the chance. My dad came in the room in a mad rush, with Beth trailing.

"What's wrong?" I asked handing Judith to Beth.

"Grab your gun and knife."

"Why? What's going on?"

"They're breaking the fence." he said as he turned to rush out, but he threw a glance to Riley. "Bring Riley to." then he was gone.

"Riley," I said as I shook her gently.

As she woke, she looked more and more confused. "What—"

"Long story short," I said as I pulled on my boots. "You fell asleep here last night. Anyway, the walkers are about to break the fence down."

"WHAT!"

"Grab your boots, gun, and knife. We gotta go."

Riley's POV

We were outside in under two minutes. I didn't have time to dwell on the fact that I had awoken in Carl's room, all I could think was something bad was happening.

And I was right.

The second I saw the fences I knew that bad luck had followed me once again. Faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, were working hard to get the walkers away from the fence.

There were two trucks about to leave the prison gates to lead them away. I sprinted to the nearest one and jumped in the back.

"Are you crazy? Get out!" A guy with wild, jet black hair said.

"I'm a good shot, you'll need me."

"I don't think so," he replied.

"Max," Carl said behind me, slightly out of breath. "Trust me, you'll need her."

"Carl, get out of the truck. Your father will kill me!"

"Are we really going to argue about this right now?!" Carl yelled. "Drive!"

Max pounded on the hood of the car and it lurched forward and through the gates. They closed right behind us, and I suddenly felt that maybe this was the stupidest thing I've ever done.

Carl's POV

We've had attacks on the fence before, but never something this big. Hundreds and hundreds of them were at the fence. Thankfully the sides of the truck had boards that stuck up, giving us at least a little protection.

Some of them noticed, some of them didn't, but that didn't matter. They were dropping like flies, but I wasn't the one taking the shots. It was Riley. She took maybe two seconds max to aim and shoot. Max and I both stared at her in awe. She never missed a shot.

"C'mon, guys!" She yelled. "Don't make me do all the work!"

And the shooting started.

Riley's POV

We were out there maybe ten minutes by the time somebody had to hand me a silencer for my gun. Everybody else had one and the pop of my gun was drawing an unwanted amount of attention from the walkers. And by the time we reached fifteen minutes, I was positive I had pumped out more bullets than anybody else. This was my home and I wasn't going to let these creepy-ass-dead-people take another one. First Heartland, then New Mexico. No. This is mine. This is my home, and I will not stand by and watch it be taken over again.

So I didn't stop shooting. I didn't stop shooting until they told me to. Until I had to. Because what is that cheesy quote coaches always use before a big game? Oh yeah.

"Protect this house"