Michonne walked into the classroom, blinded by the sunlight from the large windows to her left. Anytime before lunch was way too early for her sleep deprived eyes to handle the sun.

She slid her purple backpack to the floor with a thunk as she got to her lab station, Michonne was always one of the firsts to get to AP Chem, since her last class was only two rooms over.

AP Chemistry was easy enough at King County High. She remembered hearing horror stories about the harsh grader who taught it at her old school in New York, but here, Mr. Horvath was nice and forever patient with his chem students.

Michonne pulled out her lab notebook and planner, scribbling tonight's homework from the board at the front of the room.

She wasn't sure if she missed the city anymore, it seemed sort of haunted now. Besides, she had found her groove here.

Michonne remembered what had surprised her most when she moved down south was, first the accents, then the scenery, the surrounding nature. The greens of the Georgian flora and fauna was a stark contrast to smoke fumes and reflective windows of bustling NYC. It was so much of a difference, Michonne had laid on the floor of her new bedroom, paralyzed with home-sickness.

But when she had learned that her cardboard box stuffed house was without wifi, she had been forced to interact with strangers, trying to find the nearest cafe with a signal. The hunt had left her with a sort of fondness for the country. The bugs could go to hell though.

She didn't realize how often she would be needing to escape her house, how vital talking to strangers had become.

Michonne's thoughts were pushed aside as her lab partners, Maggie and Glenn, walked towards the lab station.

Maggie reached the station first, she plopped down directly across Michonne. Maggie placed both hands on the black lab station quite dramatically and said, "Michonne, will you please tell Glenn that seven hours of sleep is definitely not a good or healthy amount."

"It's good for me!" demanded Glenn sliding into the seat next to her, "Junior year, that would have been heaven."

"No, heaven would be like twelve hours."

"Twelve hours!? Do you go into a coma every night?"

Michonne grinned as she watched the good-natured bickering. Maggie and Glenn had been getting closer and closer since the start of the year. Sadly, Maggie had some college boyfriend so nothing had aspired between the two.

Still, Michonne was starting to feel like a third-wheeler, but she didn't mind.

"Well I got like five hours last night," Michonne pulled a hand over her tired face, "God, all these scholarship applications are going to kill me."

Maggie solemnly raised a hand, "I hear that."

"Well, just wait," said Glenn grinning, "Second semester, I'll be skipping so much they'll call me John Cena." He moved his hand back and forth in front of his face, "You can't see me!"

Maggie rolled her eyes, "You're such an idiot."

Glenn pointed at Michonne in unity as she laughed.

The classroom had finished filling up as students were finding their seats and pulling out their notebooks. Just as the second bell rang, signaling the start of the period, an unfamiliar kid walked in, holding a pass.

The class continued to chatter as the boy sidled up to Mr. Horvath, pointing to soothing on a piece of paper - his schedule probably.

Maggie turned to see what Michonne was staring at and quickly spun back around. "Oh my gosh, it's Rick Grimes!"

Now it was Glenn's chance to turn around and stare, "Finally, he's back."

Michonne gave the pair a confused look, "What do you mean 'He's back', who is he?"

"Oh right, you weren't here." Glenn realized, in a hushed whisper he said, "His grandfather died over the summer and Rick hasn't been at school ever since."

Michonne frowned at Glenn's discretion, "Wow, how scandalous."

"His grandfather was a really good man," Maggie explained, "I knew him from church, everyone loved him. Their family took it pretty hard."

"Yeah, it was a big deal." concluded Glenn.

"Oh," said Michonne, feeling guilty all of a sudden, "That really sucks." She looked back up at Rick Grimes, who was being patted on the shoulder by Mr. Horvath.

Maggie reached across the lab station and held Michonne's hand.

She opened her mouth to speak but Glenn interrupted.

"You're not gonna start preaching from the God gospel now, are you farm girl?"

Michonne laughed loudly as Maggie smacked his arm.

Maggie pointed a finger at him, "Don't test this farm girl, I'll have you converted in no time."

Glenn put up his hands in mock-surrender and everyone surrendered to laughs.

Mr. Horvath cleared his throat and the lab station jumped, just now realizing the teacher's presence. Rick Grimes stood quite awkwardly at Horvath's side, nodding to Glenn and Maggie.

"Since you kids have an opened seat you wouldn't mind if Rick joined your group, would you?"

"Not at all!" said Maggie diplomatically, Horvath nodded and walked back to the front of the room.

Rick dropped his backpack down and held out a hand to Michonne, "Rick Grimes."

She had to smile at that proper declaration of his name, "Hey, I'm Michonne." His hand was warm and dry, she pulled back a little too quickly.

Michonne smiled again, "I'm sorry, but is it like a southern tradition to say both your first and last name?" In the corner of her eye, she saw Maggie hide a smile.

Rick grinned, "Nah, my dad's a cop, just runs in the family."

Michonne could have sworn his cheeks got the tiniest bit red and she felt guilty a second time. Rick sat and pulled out a brand new notebook. "Ah..." was all she said.

Glenn smiled brightly at Rick, "So how's it been, man?".

As if hitting the brick wall of realization he stuttered, "I mean - it probably hasn't been good - I - sorry - Well - who knows - it could have been - I mean you know - that's why I asked - Ow!" Glenn's hand reached down to rub his foot and Maggie rolled her eyes.

"What he means to say is, how are you getting along with everything?"

Michonne cringed internally, she sympathized wholeheartedly with Rick. She knew first-hand other people's reactions to deaths close to you. When people tried to tip toe around her, it was never subtle and felt more like a giant stomping around.

Rick smiled at the both of them, "It's been okay, but all these applications are gonna be the death of me."

Glenn, seeming to have recovered, said: "Michonne was just saying the same!"

Rick turned to say something to Michonne, but Mr. Horvath cleared his throat and waved a hand to the slide show projected behind him. He turned off the lights and the class became silent.

"And the hand cramps begin," said Glenn grimly.