With our stomachs full of fish caught from the creek and canned green beans, I set off to find my partner for the birthday run. Going through the list, I immediately lean towards Michonne, knowing how close her and Carl are, but after an accident on our last run, her ankle still isn't ready for another close call. So, still ticking off names, I run into Glenn in the hallway,
"Glenn! Just the guy I needed to see." I exclaim, giving a playful punch to the arm.
His eyebrows cock slightly, a worried expression gracing his features, "What did I do?" He asks quickly, and I can't help but to laugh at his innocence.
"Umm, nothing? I just wanted to ask you for a favor." I say back to him, and his face takes on a more casual expression, obviously glad to not be in trouble, " Carl's birthday is coming up, and that town about five miles out," Glenn is nodding his head along with every word I say, already devising a plan, "I think it may still have a few things layin' around we could pick through, soooo what do you say?" I inquire now, reading his reaction. And when a grin breaks through, I sigh in relief.
We rush to one of the few offices, and Glenn pulls out a map and pen, plotting out the quickest route to the small town, "Alright, so we're both pretty fast and I'm sure we could make it in about forty-five minutes, an hour tops. There's an arcade I remember from last time, and a couple other places, in and out for sure though. We don't know if any visitors have decided to stick around so, no more than twenty minutes and then we're out again. Sound good?" He asks, and I can't help but to admire how much leadership quality the kid has.
I smile, nodding quickly, "Sounds perfect. We'll leave at first light."
...
Sleep was unfitful at best, but as soon as I see the deep indigo of nightime begin to lighten through my window, I all but leap from the couch. Barely sliding on my boots before quietly running through the halls to find Glenn,
"Oh my god, your hair.", are the first words from Glenn's mouth when he sees me and I remember I had completely forgotten about my hair, braiding it quickly, I stop only to slap his head for his offensive tone before we're out the door. Our journey begins uneventfully, traveling in comfortable silence as the damp morning air settles around us.
Getting tired of all the quiet, I look over to Glenn, his face serious as he concentrates on everything the woods have to offer, "So, how are you and Maggie?" I whisper, pulling him from his own thoughts for a moment.
"Uhh, we-we're good. Yeah, we're great." He replies, caught off gaurd by the personal question, "But.. I think she's been kind of distant lately. Like, she watches me in a different way."
-Ahh, Maggie doesn't ever listen, does she? I ask myself, wondering why in the world people come to me for advice, but never take it!
Clearing my throat, "She thinks you've been looking at some of the other girls." I explain bluntly, not feeling like being mysterious or vague because it's just the two of us, and he can handle it.
Glenn stops in his tracks, his mouth gaping at me, "W-w-what? H-how could she think that!", he manages to stutter out before catching back up to me, "That's ridiculous, she's my wife! I don't even think about other women that way anymore. It just seems... wrong." He finishes, surprise and utter shock still laced throughout his voice, and I'm quiet because he's so right about it being wrong. Yet, here I am, thinking about Daryl in very wrong ways.
I sigh, frustration building within me again, "Well, just make sure you let her know that. Remember, actions speak louder than words, so show her you mean it, not just tell her."
He nods, soaking up my words and for the first time, I feel like someone might actually pay attention and use my advice. Yet, for the rest of the time, we simply listen to the forest around us, making our way quietly through until we see the outline of buildings in between the trees ahead of us. I pull the machete from it's sheath strapped to my thigh, and giving Glenn a silent nod, we break our cover. Crouching and taking turns between rotating to watch the back and front we make it to the first store without difficulty.
As soon as Glenn pulls the door open, I sling the machete through the skull of one walker and kick another that's waiting behind, terminating it before it got the chance to make it off the floor. We move in tandem, clearing every rack and door before giving the all clear and the search goes on like this for three other stores. We take out a couple more walkers on our way out of the town and as we make our way through the woods. The thought of the undead bastards venturing closer to our temporary home makes me uneasy though, and I can tell Glenn is thinking the same thing,
"We'll have to tell the others their coming this way." He states, hanging his head, because, like the rest of us, he's just now starting to feel normal in our country club home too.
A yawn escapes my lips and I nod, "I know. But, we'll do it after Carl gets his presents. It'll take any one of them two days or more to reach us anyway, and they don't seem to have grouped together, so we shouldn't have a problem keeping them away.. I just don't know how much longer we've got here." I reply, hearing the dispair in my own voice.
"We'll make it though, we always have." I feel his arm hang on my shoulder like an older brother would do, squeezing me in some sort of half hug, but I feel all the love and support behind it in the world, bringing a smile to my lips.
...
"I can't thank you both enough." Rick praises Glenn and I, as he helps us wrap the presents in some old newpaper we found in town.
Comic books, pencils and paper, new jeans and even a pair of boots, are all being wrapped up and tied with twine before being hidden under the cabinets behind the bar. I watch Rick, and he doesn't look sad like he did last night, tired, very much so, but not nearly as heart breaking as he had when he first ask me to go on the run. Just seeing him look almost back to normal, made me too happy to even tell him the news about walkers moving this way, at least for right now. And like always, Glenn seems to be right there with me.
As we finish with the last gifts, I smile brightly, holding up my handy work, "Well, let's hope the birthday boy likes our wrapping!"
