Georgie

"Earth to Georgie!" Georgie started, and turned her body to see Zxander and Bella standing behind her. Bella burst into laughter.

"You didn't hear a word that I said did you?" She plonked herself next to Georgie, not waiting for an invite, not that Georgie minded. "I was just saying that I really enjoyed the session today, even though I sucked big time." Georgie squeezed Bella's arm and smiled. It was true, Bella had not shown any natural flair for the bow and arrows that had been dug out of the storage area, but neither had anyone in the town. It would take a few more sessions to weed out people with potential. It also didn't help that the bows themselves were in an appalling state. Georgie knew she was going to have words with George and Herman about how they stored the bows. The range was impressive, but it would mean jack squat if they were in such poor condition that they were unusable. She had seen a Parker Cyclone crossbow that Daryl would have knocked her, Matthew and Harry over to get his hands on. If he saw what state it was in…She blinked fiercely. She was going to have to stop thinking about certain people if she was going to start crying every time.

"You ok?" Zxander looked concerned and Georgie forced an irritated cough.

"Freaking hayfever. Because obviously, the undead aren't enough for me to deal with." She sniffed, trying to sound bunged up, and rubbed her eyes.

"Have you been to the Jacks? They might have something for you." Bella idly picked up an arrow and started to sharpen it. Georgie took it off her and passed her an arrow that was actually blunt.

"I've already done those ones. Yeah, Jacci fixed me up. It's just bad today." She turned her attention back to the bow she was trying to repair. The wires were in pretty good condition, but the mechanism needed oiling. She sighed. This was why she preferred long bows to crossbows. A crossbow might have more power, but a long bow was simpler to look after.

"Fucks sake." She put the bow down, fed up with it.

"Is it that bad?" Zxander sat down on Georgies other side, so close she could feel the skin of his arm against hers. She shifted away slightly, and put her head in her hands.

"Kind of. I mean, it's that and the class today. Just…" she trailed off. She didn't know how to explain how the class had affected her without having to go too deeply into feelings she had buried over the last two or three weeks. She shook her head. "You know what, it doesn't matter." She smiled at Zxander and leant backwards, trying to think of something else to talk about.

"BELLA!" Dayo stood in the distance, gesturing at Bella.

"Oh, he looks mad." Zxander leaned around Georgie, grinning at Bella. "What did you do?" Bella scowled.

"Nothing. He just wants me to go to that stupid snare class." She stood up and petulantly threw the arrow onto the pile of sharpened ones. She sighed, and made her way to Dayo. "I'm coming, I'm coming." The two of them walked away, clearly still bickering, leaving Georgie alone with Zxander.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, then Zxander placed his hand on her arm.

"So. Why are you really upset?" Georgie frowned. If she had been going to confess to anyone in the town, it wouldn't have been Zxander. There was nothing wrong with him, she didn't dislike him or anything like that. He was nice enough, attentive and supportive. Since his miscalculated outburst about her staying and not looking for her friends, she had noticed he was more careful around her, like he was afraid of saying something else to upset her. But she didn't know him that well. She didn't know anyone in the town that well. And she didn't like the way he always seemed to be there, like he was afraid she was going to make a run for it. She'd promised Dayo she wouldn't, and Herman had agreed to start looking for other towns, so she didn't understand what he thought he was achieving.

Ignoring his question, she leant back and focused her attention on the school across the street. A teenage girl, probably not much older than Matthew, was leaning over a young girl of about five or six. The girl was clutching her leg, and Georgie could see that her knee was bleeding. The older girl was stroking the girls cheek and talking to her, whilst the little girl nodded and sniffed. After a moment, the older girl swung the younger onto her back and piggy backed her into the school.

Something about the scene was too much for Georgie. To her embarrassment, she felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Any attempt to rein them in and regain control dissolved into pieces when Zxander moved his understanding hand from her arm to around her shoulders. Her only claim to her dignity was that although her crying was relentless, it was for the most part silent.

"I just…I just miss them." She finally was able to get the words out. "I miss them just being there. And that lesson, that was something we did together. I know it sounds pathetic, but it was like being a family. And now it's gone, and I'm alone again. I mean really alone, because before I had Adele. Then I had Daryl and T-Dog. Then I had everyone and now it's all gone." Zxanders arm tightened around her shoulder, and for a moment, she buried her face into his chest.

"I know, what I said before came out wrong. I didn't mean that you should replace all those people. What I meant was, you don't have to be alone." Georgie was silent for a moment, suddenly very conscious of the fact that Zxanders arms were still wrapped around her. Daryls face flashed in her mind, and she slowly pulled herself away. She smiled shakily and stood up, picking up the sharpened arrows.

"I think I'll drop these off. Maybe have a sleep before Dayo collects me for the next class." She walked down the steps, her mind swirling with confused thoughts, very aware of Zxanders eyes watching her walk away.