Macon was beautiful. Clementine had spent hours upon hours of her time during the week researching the history, tourist attractions, and shopping centers of the town. Every photo she saw made her fall in love more and more with it. No longer was it in disarray- littered with bodies, debris, and crashed cars- but instead green, blooming, and full of life. She had even spent time looking up the field Duck would be playing at. It was a decent size. Clementine had never been much for baseball, or any sport really (besides soccer but she had lost interest in it years ago), but it seemed nice.

Her mind always wandered to Saturday. There was never a day where she didn't spend a good chunk of her time pondering- no worrying- over what would happen. The most probable scenario would be that she would enjoy herself, bond with Kenny and Katjaa, and form at least an acquaintanceship with Duck. But if something went wrong? If she met Lee again? There were so many possibilities (the worst being they all die or the walkers returned. Both were highly unlikely, but it happened before!) and there was an ever-constant pit in her stomach. If her parents saw her worry, they would joke about her 'crushing' on Duck; that couldn't be further from the truth. While she was excited to see her childhood friend, she wasn't that excited. He was okay in the pictures she had seen, but at the end of the day it was Duck. It would never happen.

Apparently, though, having boy or girl troubles was normal when you became a teenager. Whenever they were done joking around (more like pissing her off), Ed and Diana would try to make up for the jab and repeat over and over (like hammering a nail) that it was normal. She was normal. After living in hell on Earth for about five years, Clementine knew she would never be normal, but damn did she want to be. If crushing over boys, keeping up with the latest fashion and trends, and liking terrible boy bands was what she had to do to belong she'd do it in a heartbeat.

For some reason, someone or something was being compassionate enough to give her a second chance, and Clementine wanted it to be right. Her outfit selections weren't for any man-though her parents believed otherwise- but for herself alone. If she looked like a loser she would never fit in and get friends! What if people judged her? She had seen on television how mean her peers could be and she was not going to take any chances. She could survive walkers, gun fights, and death. Clementine had grown accustomed to it all and did okay. But a normal life? The pressures of the teenage years suddenly thrusted upon her? That was another ball-game.

Clementine had thought she had more time to prepare for Macon; back before the days felt like years. But, she had no entertainment when the world ended (or didn't in this universe). Here? There was always something to do- there was always something going on. On Wednesday, she and Ed went out on a long drive through the countryside and explored the different small towns Georgia had to offer. On Thursday, her mother took her to the mall. They didn't get anything, but she did see these weird guys in Spencer's swinging long, floppy, suspicious objects at each other before Diana steered her away. She had no idea what they were doing, but judging by the older woman's horrified expression maybe that was for the best.

Today was the big day. Clementine found herself completely terrified (a rare for her) when her alarm woke her up with its shrill beeping. It was still dark when she pulled off her covers, made her bed, and crept out of the room to take a shower. It was about six in the morning. Kenny wouldn't be picking her up until eight thirty, so she still had some time to get ready. Her clothes and towel were neatly folded on top of the toilet seat. She had left them there since the night before.

Showers were a luxury back when the world was hell. Clementine could have gone weeks upon weeks without cleaning herself- which she hated- because there was no source of water around. Even then, if she found a lake or stream, it wasn't as if she was truly washing off the dirt and grime. Any soap she had was used on AJ and the water was probably contaminated. Luke let her use his shower (much to Nick's annoyance because she used up the hot water) when she first arrived at the cabin, Jane gave her a bucket at Howes and told her to go wild, and David wouldn't even allow her that 'privilege.' She had to 'earn it.' It was foreign for the teenager that she could simply hop into the shower whenever she wanted and stay in there as long as she desired (or at least until she ran out of hot water). Gone were the days where the water would be cold as ice as soon she stepped in or a disgusting, yellowish-brown. Feeling the hot water on her skin made her realize she was in paradise- she didn't need glorious gardens in heaven- all she needed was this.

She would have stayed in the shower longer had she not began to lose the hot water. Clementine's fingers were pruning when she finally stepped out and dried herself off. She hadn't felt this refreshed in so long. Clementine ran her towel over her head, groaning when her already curly hair became even more puffed out and wild. God, it had been so long since her curls had been able to come out. The thick grease that remained unwashed for years had acted as a gel, smoothing it out. Gross. The only downside to her now natural hair was that it was somewhat difficult to put up in pigtails. It took a while, and a few broken bands, but she eventually managed to do it.

Truthfully, Clementine would have just left her hair untouched, thrown on her hat, and called it a day. No one was going to grab it and yank her back anymore, and she had always loved how it looked when it was down. But, she couldn't do that- at least, not yet. If she bumped into Lee again, she wanted him to know she listened. That she followed his advice and thrived. Clementine had kept her hair short just like he told her to. Oh, he would be so proud! She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when they saw each other again (though the odds of that happening in Macon were slim to none, she wanted to believe)!

While she still wasn't thrilled about her outfit- the jersey looked like she was trying too hard- Clementine begrudgingly put it on anyway. Maybe she should stop at the mall again later on to get an actual jersey... Oh, she could get one of the team on her hat! It would be better to have an actual sports team on her shirt than some corporate, soulless brand like Abercrombie and Fitch. She wouldn't look like such a 'poser'- someone who thinks they know a lot about something but in the end doesn't know anything at all- if it seemed like she had some idea of what she was doing. It would spare her from a total social suicide, for now.

Turning off the light, she left the bathroom and slowly crept down the hallway. Her parents were still asleep; their bedroom light would be on if they were awake. Ed and Diana would be up soon enough anyway, so it didn't really matter if she woke them up or not, but she wanted to be considerate. They deserved the extra sleep. Her mother's week long break would be ending soon and she'd back at work soon. She was an OB-GYN- she delivered babies for a living- and it required her to be up early and stay late.

Maybe if she was there for Christa and Rebecca things would have ended better for them. Hell, even Jane could have decided that life was still worth living. She and her baby would have been safe with Diana. She was the best doctor in the world!

The sun was beginning to rise. As Clementine walked down the hallway, the sun's rays peeked through the windows, barely illuminating her way. It would be another hour before there would truly be any natural light. Her bedroom was still completely dark. Clementine turned left and barely entered her room before her heart stopped.

There was a humanoid figure standing in the corner by her bed.

Her breath hitched. Her mind began to race- her legs felt like jelly- and she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. Of course, how could she so stupid? Why did she think this was going to last? Nothing good ever lasted for her, she should have known that by now. Why would she allow herself to get comfortable? Either she was finally waking up from this dream, was it turning into a nightmare, or would she be living through it all again? Clementine couldn't survive if she lost someone again.

She leans back on the wall and recollects herself. It had been so long since she had killed a walker. Something that Clementine was so used to- mastered- made her suddenly feel nauseous, helpless, and scared. When did she ever feel fear due to a walker? Not since it all started...

Clementine's got to take care of this before they have a chance to get out of the bedroom and attack her parents. If they had gotten into her room, then could that mean they already did get to her parents, though? Their room was closer to the steps than hers. Her heart dropped at the thought, but she quickly got a hold of herself and raced back to the shower. Pulling open every cabinet by the sink, Clementine frantically searched for something she could use. Neatly folded wash clothes were crumpled messes, tampons were thrown across the room, but none of those would kill a walker. You can't smother it to death and you can't stab it to death with a tampon. She needed something sharp...

Scissors! She needed scissors!

They weren't the best. The tips were somewhat smoothed out and the handle didn't give much security in case she missed and they turned around to get a bite, but Clementine could manage. She ran back to her bedroom, her legs still shaking, and stopped outside the door. This was it. Everything was about to change. Her paradise- her week of security- was about to end. Hopefully, this time she could keep the ones she loved safe.

Clementine held her breath and reached her hand inside, scrambling to find the light switch. The walker stood there, unmoving. Her eyes never left it as she turned on the light and stepped forward. And... and... and...

And smugly grinning back at her was the life-sized cardboard cutout of Jason Blades. Clementine went lax, her shoulders slumping forward. She glanced back at the scissors in her hands, tightly held in a fist that was ready to fight, and at the cardboard. She felt (and looked) like an idiot. Her embarrassment quickly dissipated and anger took hold. That damn cutout had given her the creeps for the past couple days. It was unsettling having him stare at her- his perfect, white teeth reflecting off her light- his eyes remaining dead and unblinking. Why would you have that in your room? What would she need this for? She didn't even know Blades, but she hated his stupid, handsome face for nearly giving her a damn heart attack.

She put the scissors down on her dresser. Clementine scowled, threw open her closet doors, and tossed Blades in before slamming them shut.

"Stay out!"

"Kenny said he would be here thirty minutes ago!"

"Traffic's probably bad. He'll be here when he gets here, relax."

She leaned back on the couch and groaned. The anticipation was killing her! Of course, Kenny had to be late. Her mother said he didn't live too far from her house, so what the hell could he be doing? Oh no, what if they forgot she was coming with them? They could be in Macon already without her! Her anxiety- which she thought was in check after the incident an hour ago- was back in full force. Ed was either oblivious or didn't care as he ignored her anguish, flipping through the channels while he sipped his coffee. Diana was making breakfast.

"So, you guys are walking around town after the game?" Ed asked.

"Yeah," Clementine replied, "if they're not already there. They probably forgot about me."

"Oh come on, Kenny and Katjaa wouldn't do that. They'll be here any minute." Diana said as she put her plate down on the table, rolling her eyes.

Ed at this point had decided to just put on the local news, having completely given up after finding a twelve hour Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon. "You know, Macon's got this festival every year that's so nice… Diana, what's it called?"

"The Cherry Blossom Festival, Ed."

He nodded and took another sip of his coffee. "Yeah, that's it! Your mother and I went when we were dating. It's really nice. They got carnival rides and all the trees are pink!" He put down his cup and turned around in his chair. "Diana, didn't we go when we were dating?"

"No, Ed. Remember, we went when I was pregnant with Clem? The smell of the fried food made me sick."

"Oh, I forgot. We went to a music festival when we were dating!" He grinned. "It was like a Woodstock type of thing. Who was there again, honey?"

"Fleetwood Mac, Hot Tuna, Blondie, and I think Journey but I'm not too sure about that one. We were too busy making out by the porta potties when they came on.

Clementine cringed.

"What?" Diana asked with a smirk.

The teenager's nose crinkled and she stuck out her tongue. "Gross!" She whispered. "I did not need to know that…"

"Didn't we go back to that after we were married?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, and a month later I found out I was pregnant."

Clementine cried and pulled her hat down, covering her face. Her dad cackled- enjoying the pain they were putting her through- as her face turned about ten shades of red. She did not remember her parents being so embarrassing before! Oh, they were always this nasty? Was she just too blinded by nostalgia to notice this? This was just like Omid and Christa joked about Vegas night, or when Luke and Jane…

Ding

The sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the living room. Clementine jumps off the couch and sprints to the door, nearly tripping over her own feet. Diana also stands up and begins to make her way over, but she can't beat her. Whoever's out there is still furiously ringing the bell, and it takes Clementine a second before she realizes they're attempting to play a song. Every 'ding' is longer or shorter than the other (which begins to get irritating), making a clunky, awkward beat. All three of them are eyeing the door with raised brows as it continues.

"Is that the 60's Batman theme?" Ed finally murmurs.

Oh, God, there's only one person who would do this.

Diana still stared at the door but said: "I think so."

Duck was standing right outside.

Clementine should have felt nervous. The last time she had seen her friend, he had been on the brink of death. She could recall sitting in the back of the train, watching as his condition quickly deteriorated from bad to worse. He coughed up blood every minute- soaking the dirty, old handkerchief Chuck had given Katjaa- and his breaths were shallow wet wheezes. The once rambunctious, obnoxious little boy was a pale, lifeless shell of his former self. But that was over; things were different now. That rambunctious, obnoxious little boy grew up into a rambunctious, obnoxious teenage boy.

Clementine realized she had absolutely forgotten how fucking annoying Duck was.

Ed opened the door and there he was. He wore a red and white baseball uniform- his helmet and socks were red, everything else was white- and his team name was engraved on his jersey. His cleats were caked in dry dirt. Duck waved, his grin just as goofy as it was all those years ago.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Marsh!" The fifteen-year-old said, glancing at the doorbell as if he was going to go for an encore.

Her mother crossed her arms and stared him down, clearly unamused by the display of his 'musical genius.' "Hello, Duck. That was quite a lovely performance."

"Thank you!" He beamed, completely oblivious. "Anyway, are you ready Clementine?"

She nodded. "Yeah," she began, "I've been ready for a while."

"Awesome!" He gave her two thumbs up. "My parents are waiting in the truck, so we should probably get going. It's a long drive."

"Have fun, kids!" Ed cried as the two kids began to make their way to the red truck parked on the other side of the street.

'I got my big, ol' truck, and a whole lotta luck, and I'm thinking it's time to have some fun. There's a pretty, little honey sittin' on the back of my trunk, her eyes are bluer than the skies above! I'm saying 'pretty Honey with the bleach blonde hair, you look like my cousin but I just don't care!' Ow, she's got an American flag on her shirt, my jingoistic pride is so bad that it hurts. I got my red cup and my dog Billy-Bob by my side, now it's time to get full tonight… With patriotic pride!

My country, the United States, is the best country and that I will state. I love my guns, Ronald Reagan and God, and most of all I love my big red truck! And when I see you standing there, with your blue eyes and bleach blonde hair! I'm reminded of why I care- instead of thinking where I went wrong- I'm singing this good ol' American song.'

This was hell. This was suffering. Clementine stared out the window, watching the cars go by on the highway, hoping to God they would get to Macon soon. She had been sharing an earbud with Duck for about a half an hour, but even then Kenny's fucking country music would blare through. It wasn't even good country music. This was something you would play at Gitmo during interrogations to finally get prisoners to start talking. Hell, Clementine was positive Carver would've used this as a type of torture. Thank fuck for Duck, honestly. He seemed to hate it just as much as she did, which was surprising. He had stuck his bud in her ear- she would worry about germs later- and turned up his phone to as loud as it could possibly go without making them go deaf. Though, at this point maybe that was mercy. She wouldn't have to listen to whatever in God's name this was. If she had to listen to another song about Ronald fucking Reagan, some redneck's dog, and a 'bleach blonde honey' she was going to jump out of the car. Every single one of them not only sounded the same, but it felt like it was just the same people over, and over, and over again.

Katjaa's sitting in the passenger's seat. She doesn't look much different than the last time Clementine saw her (going a bit gray at the ends, but that's what aging does) and she's just as kind. The first thing she did when Clementine got into the car was compliment her beauty and give her a huge snack bag. Clementine found herself going through most of it- there were even Yummy Cakes- and if she hadn't her appetite was already ruined from the music. Kenny had been good to her too, but he was still as stubborn as ever and getting way to into his country music. He was even singing along! Duck at this point was unfazed and simply turned up their volume louder.

Duck wasn't annoying. She owed him her life!

"Kenny, I think it's time to change the station," Katjaa says, eyeing the teenagers from the rear-view mirror.

"Come on, Kat, this is fine," the Floridian replies. "This is good music!"

The older woman sighed. "Kenny, the children aren't happy."

Kenny shook his head furiously, scowling. "I'm not puttin' on no rap-crap or that head-banging shit that Becca likes to listen to!" He turned to his wife. "You know, I let that little punk get a hold of the radio once, and I'm pretty damn sure one of those creepers were yelling 'Hail Satan!'"

"Kenny, does Clementine look the type to listen to heavy metal?"

He stared back the girl and his face softened. "No, Clem's a good kid," he began before scowling again. "But Becca? That girl needs God in her life or something!"

"Don't you think you should put on the pop station and let her enjoy herself?" Katjaa asked, finally breaking through to him. "Kenny, the girl's miserable."

"Aw, man, I don't want her to not be havin' fun…"

"And that song- Blonde Honey- was from Bubba Barkley down from the good, ol'(and one of the best states, by the way) Mississippi. Mississippi brothers, represent! But, to be honest, I like to believe all states have a hierarchy of greatness. Obviously, Texas and Mississippi are the greatest, but I think every state is beautiful in their own beautiful way. Except for New Jersey and California. New Jersey can go to hell and take those Jersey Shore and Housewife clowns with them. And California gave us the Kardashians. Need I say more cow-gents and cow-gals? I saw an episode of those bozos the other day and I-"

The sounds of an angry, old redneck ranting about the Kardashians changes into the upbeat vocals of Lady Gaga. Clementine's eyes widen- her ears no longer bleeding- as she slowly pulls out the earbud. She sits up and stops for a moment, taking in the glorious sound of 'Poker Face.' God has entered her prayer in the form of a middle-aged Swedish woman. She didn't owe just Duck her life, but Katjaa as well. Thank God.

Now, if only she could survive the remaining forty-five minutes of this seemingly never-ending car ride.

"Punch buggy, no punch backs!" Duck cries out of nowhere and punches Clementine's arm. The girl whips her head around and stares at the other incredulously; he's got five seconds to explain herself before she kills him. Duck's smile falters a bit- probably realizing he looked like a jackass- and he rubs the back of his neck. "You don't know about the punch buggy game?" He asked.

"No," She replied with a nod. "What is it?"

"You see, when you see a Volkswagen, it's a punch buggy! Whoever sees the car first punches the person next to them and says 'punch buggy, no punch backs!' Then, they can't punch you back! Me and my friends play it all the time!"

Clementine's mouth turned into an 'o' shape and she turned to look out the window. There was a cute, yellow Volkswagen not too far up the next lane over. She glanced at the car and then Duck, her mouth curling up into a mischievous grin, and raised her fist. "Punch buggy, no punch backs!" She hollers like it's a war cry and sucker punches Duck.

"The arm! The arm! You're only supposed to hit the arm!"

Duck banned the punch buggy game. It was a shame because Clementine found it pretty fun. They still had a half an hour until they got to Macon and she was so bored. Kenny had been going on about his fishing stories since he changed his station, presumably to drown out the Sia song playing currently. Katjaa told a couple few anecdotes about her job, but Kenny was stealing the spotlight. Then, there was Duck. She also forgot he was 'dumber than a bag of hammers' because his stupidity was coming out in spades throughout the drive.

There were juice boxes in the bag Katjaa had given her. They were the stereotypical Capri Suns, and while she had two, Duck was downing them down constantly. He not only had half a soda, a bottle of water, but also six or seven Capri Suns. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

They had stopped at two rest stops in the past half hour. The first time, Kenny was still in a cheerful mode. He even bought Clementine a keychain with her name on it (they were very rare) after she used the time to also go. The second time, Kenny was beginning to get annoyed, but still tried to remain positive for Clem's sake. She knew him well enough, though. He was pissed. Katjaa warned Duck afterward to not drink anymore, or at least drink less until they got to the city. But, he's Duck. Of course, he wouldn't listen and gulped down another bottle of water.

And here they were now, on the highway screaming at each other.

Duck's jumping around in his seat- while still strapped in- doing an interpretative dance as he holds his crotch. "There's got to be another rest stop!" He wailed. "Dad, please!"

"Duck, I told you not to drink anymore," Katjaa rubbed her temples, completely defeated. "We already stopped at two in the past half hour."

This was like a train going off the rails and Clementine couldn't look away. This was so entertaining to watch. Kenny's completely red in the face, huffing and puffing, and she knows he's about to lose his shit. Oh, this was going to be so good! She leaned against the window and put a hand on her cheek, smirking.

"Mom, I have a tiny bladder, you can't hold it against me-"

Kenny turns around so fast that he definitely got whiplash. "No, you don't have a tiny bladder!" He begins ranting. "Maw-Maw has a tiny bladder, but you know what, Duck? She can hold her piss in more than you can! You know what you're problem is, boy?" He points at his son. "You down these fucking juice boxes like they're goddamn margarita shots!"

"There's got to be a rest-stop!"

"No, you probably pissed in every rest-stop in the state!"

"What about a McDonald's or something?" Duck pleads.

"No, because then you're going to want McDonald's, I'm going to be tempted by the menu, and then everyone in the damn car is going to want McDonald's!"

"What do I do?"

Kenny abruptly pulls off the highway and parks off to the side. He motions Duck out of the car. "You're going to piss in the goddamn woods!"

"What!" Duck protests as Clementine snickers. "What, no I can't do that! What if someone sees me? What if I pee in poison ivy?"

"It's all woods! No one's going to see you! Unless you can hold it in until we get to Macon..."

Duck groans and stomps out into the woods."Remember, Duckie, leaves of three," Katjaa adds before he's out of view. Clementine's cackling at this point, slapping her knees. Kenny's still fuming, but Katjaa turns around and smirks. "Sorry, I guess you didn't expect this huh, Clementine?"

"Oh my God, I forgot how funny you all are!"

"That boy is dumber than a bag of hammers," Kenny murmurs. However, his remaining anger quickly dissipates when he notices a white Nissan Rogue parked not too far up from them. There are two women inspecting what appears to be a flat tire and clearly have no idea what they're doing. The older one, who's wearing a track suit and shades, pulls out her foot and stomps around angrily. There's another, younger one wearing a high-school cheerleading uniform sitting on the curb. Kenny sighs and nods at his wife. "Looks like they got a flat tire. I'll help them out while he's pissin," he said as he got out of the truck. "Shouldn't take me too long."

Clementine decided to follow him. She needed to stretch her legs and it would help her social skills to interact with normal, everyday strangers. Maybe, they were nice! She tags behind Kenny as they approach the broken down car, her smile immediately falling when she's in hearing distance of them.

The older one in the track suit is clearly the cheerleader's mother. She's your average middle-aged woman- her chestnut hair is put up in a bob, there are wrinkles, and her clothes scream that she's rich- but there's also something eerily familiar about her. Clementine can't put her finger on it. Her daughter, on the other hand, was gorgeous (and Clementine used that word lightly). Her dirty-blonde hair is tied up in a tight ponytail, her face is completely clear from blemishes, her nose is cute and petite, her lips are bow-shaped, and her eyes are the color emeralds. Wow, wow, wow, she looked just like the girls on TV! Yet again, there was something eerily familiar about her.

"Thirty minutes?" The mother yells into the phone. "It'll take thirty minutes for someone to come out and fix this tire!" She stamps her foot down and growls. "I am a paying customer and I think I deserve someone out here right away!"

The cheerleader notices the two and waves awkwardly. Kenny's already getting to work, kneeling down to take off the tire, while Clementine sits beside the girl. "I'm sorry," she begins with a frown. "We're probably taking up so much of your time."

"Not at all, kiddo," Kenny replies as he pulls off the flattened tire. "My boy's out pissing in the woods right now, so I needed something to do to pass the time."

She chuckles. "I just feel bad."

"Don't," Clementine says. "Are you going to Macon, too?"

"Yeah, I have a cheerleading competition!"

"Cool, my friend has a baseball game, so I'm going to watch him play!"

"My high school has the best baseball team," the cheerleader interjects. "Everyone always says that our football team is the best, and while I think it's good, our baseball team's even better." She twirls a loose strand of hair. "I always feel bad because they never get any pep rallies. Everyone else does, but they don't."

Clementine frowned. "That sucks."

"I know! I think they're so cool! The best player has an uncle in the MLB! How cool is that?"

"That's neat!"

Kenny's nearly done screwing the new tire in when the mother returns, her cell phone still clenched tightly. Her hair is slightly frazzled and she's absolutely furious. Not even Kenny's charitable deed can calm you down. In fact, she seems to be even angrier about it. Clementine can't see her eyes, but she's obviously eyeing both her and the Floridian down. Great.

"Who are you people?" She asks, pointing at them.

Kenny stood up and held his hand out. "I'm Kenny and the girl is Clementine." She doesn't shake it. "Uh… We saw you had a flat tire and we decided to help."

She relaxed. "Oh, thank you," The mother says and motions her daughter to stand up. "Normally my husband changes tires."

"It ain't no problem, ma'am." He tips his hat and smiles.

"God, I was so stressed," she began. "Normally, I'm a very put together woman, trust me. My daughter just had to be at her cheerleading competition because if she was late, she'd be disqualified!"

"Couldn't let that happen."

The woman puts a hand to her chest and sighs in relief. "Oh, no! My girl is very into cheerleading. You know, she's the best!"

"I feel the same way about my boy."

"No, you don't understand! She is the best. No other girl can compare to my Jaime!" Clementine's eyes widen and Kenny's grin falters. "She's the most beautiful girl in her class!" She leaned forward- and as if she was telling some huge secret- held her hand to her mouth. "To be truthful, some of them are very homely," she whispered.

"Mom!"

"She's also very intelligent! I mean you people are probably…. educated…" She pauses. "Well, I mean you at least have your GED, but my Jaime's got a full scholarship to Harvard!" It takes a minute for the friends to realize they were nicely called stupid. "She's president of the student council, future homecoming queen, and she was voted the speaker for graduation! All the colleges have been throwing themselves at her, but can you blame them?"

Kenny crossed his arms. "No," he grumbled, "your girl seems like she's going places…"

"Oh, yes. Not like her sister, though," her words are suddenly like venom.

"Mom!" Jaime pleads.

"You see, you got to be careful about teenagers, Kenny," she continues as if she's some parenting guru. "You got a squash any sign of rebellion before it gets worse. It's like a tumor. I didn't do it to my eldest and now look at her! Working at a hardware store at twenty-five!" She laughs much to her daughter's horror. "Oh, Kenny, don't get me wrong; as a mother, I am absolutely ashamed. But, as a coach? It's hilarious! She's the perfect example of how not to live your life!" Oh, now she thinks she's a comedian! She's glancing at them, thinking that they're going to join her, but they don't. Clementine's cringing and Kenny seems shocked that there's someone more socially awkward than he is. Get the hook and yank this woman somewhere! "Sometimes, I have to tell people she's dead because I'm so embarrassed to know her! Can you imagine if they found out I gave birth to her? She had a full ride to Yale and she screwed it up! How do you do that? Oh well, less competition for Jaime!"

"Don't you have to be at your competition," Clementine snapped.

"Yes, I do," she says, turning her attention to the teenager. "You see, Kenny! It's already starting for her! First, she's disrespectful, then she's skipping school, and the next thing you know she's working at a hardware store! I tell you, if she comes to me and tells me she's pregnant, I'm going to completely cut her off-"

"Okay, that's it!" Kenny turns and begins to walk back to the truck. Clementine turns to follow. "We're leaving, goodbye! You're batshit lady! I should have left you on the side of the goddamn road!"

She seems unfazed. "I'm raising a star, Kenny! You're just jealous because you're a hick!"

"Mom, please!"

The Floridian looks at Clementine and shakes his head. "What a fucking fruit-loop. She's like those type of mom's you see on that pageant shows with the toddlers! Goddamn!"

"I feel sorry for the older girl," she said sadly.

"Yeah, me too. I'd probably go bat-shit too if I had to have her breathing down my neck."

Duck pops out of the bushes. His hair is covered in leaves and twigs, his uniform has dirt patches on it. How he managed to this, Clementine didn't know, but he was completely unaware to what had just occurred. "Hey, sorry I took so long!" He said. "I thought I saw a bear, so I freaked out a little bit, but it was a just a bush. So, what did I miss?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, okay…" He notices the Nissan. The mother's back in the car, but Jaime's still standing out there. He grins and waves to her. "Hey, Jaime!"

"Hey, Duck!"

A/N: I had wanted to publish this when Episode 3 came out, but school sadly got in the way. This is by far the longest chapter so far with over 6,000 words! Whew, I remember a time when I just used to publish 2,000 word long chapters.

RIP Jason Blades. I think, at least for Clem, seeing him in the middle of the night shrouded by darkness would trigger some type of episode for her. She's still traumatized and I wanted to show a little bit of that. But, this chapter is more funny than anything (until that wham! moment at the end. Yeah, guys. I went there.) because Duck is honestly my favorite character to write. He's hilarious. I kind of took his personality already there and mushed it together with, like, every other guy I know. The best thing about being a teenager is that you know your fellow peers pretty well. He went from an obnoxious little boy to an obnoxious teenage boy with a bladder the size of a pea.

Also, you think that Ed and Diana would be those perfect, saint-like parents. Nah, they love to embarrass Clem. The rose-tinted goggles are off.

I had to listen to tons of the most stereotypical country ever to write that one section. I suffered for you guys.