Weeks later…
Life with Merle and Michonne was defiantly not easy, hell it was beyond easy. The first week or so with the two of them was nightmarish; they always found a reason to fight, whether it was Merle being the racist son of a bitch he is, or Michonne countering with something else, and guess who had to be the one to break them up? Can't guess? It was me, why I got stuck with that job was beyond me. I guess because I didn't take sides, all I wanted was peace between the young black woman and the one handed redneck. But I got my wish eventually and they both shut up with the comments with each other. Instead of the racist names, he just stuck with the pet name "Mickey" with I guess he could live with because she seemed to really like that name. I guess they just ran out of things to attack each other with.
Since we've encountered that governor douche bag the first time we met Michonne, he's re-entered on our doorstep a few more times along the way. I seriously didn't understand the guys problem with us at first, (even though Merle had the idea that it was because Michonne royally fucked him over in some way.) but I eventually just assumed that it was because we took down a few of his men during our first meeting. It's not like this guy wasn't hard to manage we just move on when we saw him, all this jackass and his merry men are just more bastards trying to eat us. The only difference was that they could use guns, have a pulse, and drive. Though when I thought about it that way was enough to keep me up at night.
It's not like I was sleeping soundly to begin with. Ever since that dream with Merle that first night with Michonne in our group, they've been more and more frequent. The first part wasn't anything new; those particular dreams were running around in my head since I was with Morgan and Duane. But eventually those faded and they were just the sex parts with Merle. All I ever thought, when I woke up from them was "what the hell is wrong with me?" Merle whatever-his-last-name-was (okay so I never asked. So? What are last names to us anyway? Especially now?) Is the last person I would ever end up with. He is the kinda guy you'd have one drunken mistake with, and then realize you got a drinking problem. But never the kind of person you would have a relationship with long term.
I was thinking this while I was in the kitchen of a new house that we had taken refuge in, one of the many houses that we've raided, while taking stock of what was left behind, a pretty good amount of canned food, bottled water, and one or two books that were actually worth reading. We were pretty lucky to find this place because before it we were just moving from one place to another, most of them barley lasting a night.
"Ya keep thinking that hard, eventually your heads gonna explode." A southern drawl said behind me. I blushed despite myself, even though I was getting sick and tired of hearing his condescending voice.
"I got a lot to think about." I said while mindlessly stacking the canned food that we had.
"What in god's name could you be thinking 'bout?" he asked with his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised.
"None your damn business, that's what." I snapped back at him. I heard him chuckle behind me.
"Pretty girls like you shouldn't swear darlin'." Merle said, that just made me blush even harder. I turned around to look at him, his blue eyes staring into mine.
"Do you want something or are you just here to bother me?" I asked with my arms crossed at my chest.
"Just wonderin' where our little navigator thinks we should head next." He said, sarcasm dripping from his words.
"I thought you passed that job off to Michonne." I said lightly as I read the back to one of the books that we found. Right on cue after I said that Michonne walked down stairs with her katana strapped to her back.
"The walkers haven't noticed that we're here, but it's only a matter of time before they do."Michonne stated in her usual deep monotone.
"Always looking on the bright side, eh Mickey?" Merle smirked. Instead of commenting on his statement, Michonne just glared at him. Obviously tired of telling him to stop using the pet name he grown accustomed to using, and then she turned to me.
"I think while we're here we should plan on where to head next." She said. I nodded in agreement; I glanced at Merle and saw a smirk plastered on his face, so I guess they still looked to me for directions.
"I was thinking that we should head north." I suggested. I looked at both merle and Michonne and saw the look of confusion on both of their faces so I realized I had to explain.
"I mean, considering all the walkers seem to be coming from the north right? They all can't be from the city, so I was thinking maybe its better up north, less dangerous." I explained. Everyone was silent for a moment or two, obviously mulling over my idea. Merle was the one to break the silence.
"Let's say your little observation is right. What if it's twice as worse up north?" Merle asked, though he obviously didn't like my idea.
"It's a gamble, I know. But we're running out of options. Once there is no more food in the city it's going to be more chaotic than it is right now, it's best to get out the area while we can." I explained, silently wishing that for once Merle would have faith in me for once.I looked over at Michonne to see where she stood with my idea, but with her emotionless expression it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
"Only time will tell I guess, but for now I say we just stay in this area." Michonne said flatly. What I figured from her answer she either didn't know what to think or she agreed with Merle and didn't want to admit it. I was a little pissed off, considering no one I was with had zero faith in my train of thought, but I didn't want to start an argument. I just nodded numbly grabbed my sword and bag, and went upstairs. But on the way up I couldn't help but notice the shit eating grin on Merles face; and I came to the conclusion that he must have thought that, in a way, Michonne agreed with him.
How could I like that redneck jackass? I thought as I went into the room at the end of the hall and basically slammed the door shut. I then laid on the bed and closed my eyes.
"Hey, Zach, if I ever got a girlfriend, what would you want her to be like?" Troy asked looking up at me as we were eating breakfast. I set my glass down without taking the anticipated sip. Completely confused at the completely random question.
"What kind of question is that?" I asked wondering if my older brother actually found someone to love.
"Just a question." Troy said as he shrugged. "Why do you seem so surprised by the question?" he asked glaring at me halfheartedly.
"Gee, I don't know maybe because your seventeen now and no girl has ever given you the time of day? And possibly never will?" I replied sarcastically.
"Man fuck you. If mom can manage to keep a man under her spell for a few months why can't I get a girlfriend?" Troy asked with his eyebrow raised at me.
"I thought you said Mom isn't a role model." I stated lightly as I drank out of the glass in front of me.
"we'll continue this conversation later. You have to go to school now."
"I don't have to go, you just make me." I said irritably.
"Mm-hmm bitch about it when you get home, your gonna be late." Troy said as he took my plate and put in the sink.
"Kurt Colbain didn't finish high school, and look what he accomplished." I said as I reluctantly got to me feet.
"You're not Kurt Colbain, just suck it up and go." Troy answered back while rolling his eyes.
"Love you." He said lightly.
"Love you too." I said in the same manner.
I never would have guessed that that would be the last conversation I would ever have with my big brother.
It was common for whenever I was alone or having trouble sleeping that my mind would wonder back to happier times, before you had to worry if the next day might be the last day you spend on earth. Menial memories like movies and TV show I used to watch, food I used to eat, music I used to listen to, but no matter what my thoughts always had to trace back to Troy. His laugh, his warm smile, his eyes, and the way he used to be so over protective on me. But a voice in the back of my mind told me that those memories might be the only thing left of my brother.
At the start of all this I told that voice to fuck off, with each passing day and the dead population growing more and more, that voice just keeps getting louder, and I'm afraid that it might be right, I mean before all of this Troy could barley open a peanut butter jar without my help, so excuse me if I have my doubts. The other part of me says that Troy would be okay, that a few dumb dead bastards wouldn't be enough to kill him, but I still had my doubts.
When Michonne and Merle weren't with me I always thought about the last conversation that I ever had with my brother, at least thankful to god, or whatever is up there, that the last words I said to him was I love you. And one time just thinking about it made me break down and started crying, hell he was the only family I had that gave a damn about me, and he could be dead and I wouldn't know it. That was the first time that id shown any emotions except for fear, anger, exhaustion, or desire (referring to my problem with Merle) since this whole shit storm started. Though no matter what one question did bounce around in my head; what was Troy gonna tell me? Why out of nowhere did he start that random conversation? I hoped that one of these days I'd have an answer, though I had a nagging suspicion that it would always remain a mystery.
The next two weeks where pretty uneventful. The lingering walkers eventually caught on that we were there and they started to claw at the windows and front door. Michonne said that if we just stayed quiet they'd eventually go away. But Merle grew impatient and tired of hearing the moans and banging he went outside, and maybe an hour later he came back covered in blood and seemed pretty pleased with himself. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop on a sponge.
Though that little solution only lasted a good day and a half, because more of the undead came to the door, and we all decided that we had overstayed our welcome, and decided to leave. The night before we left was used to pack up the food and anything else worth grabbing. Well me and Merle did, Michonne was planning our next location. Though that didn't stop Merle from bitching and complaining about us doing the grunt work. He eventually shut up, though that didn't stop him from grumbling under his breath about it.
It seemed like hitting me over the head with a sledge hammer wouldn't knock me out. It's kinda ironic, not Alanis Morissett ironic, actual ironic. Before I couldn't stand the thought of sleep because of the dreams I was having. Be them getting eaten alive or fucking a redneck I could barley tolerate. But now I'd have given anything for at least five minutes of sleep.
I got up to see if Merle or Michonne were awake, they weren't the best for conversation, but they were better than nothing. When I sat up though, to my surprise Merle was leaning in the doorway of the room I was in. no matter what though whenever he was in the same room with me I always managed to blush. I just didn't get it, when I was conscious I could barely stand the idea of me and him being together, it made me want to throw up. Though there was something about him that appealed to me, though I couldn't put my finger on it. But no matter what when I was with Merle I always found my cheeks getting red when I looked at him.
"hey." He said easily.
"Hi." I said
"how long have you been standing there?" I asked.
"I wasn't watchin' ya sleep if that's what your askin' girlie." Merle answered lightly. I sat up and crossed my legs as Merle walked from the door frame to the bedpost. We were quiet for a moment until I decided to speak up.
"So… what do you want?" I asked.
"Why always think I want somthin' from ya?" Merle asked lightly.
"Because usually when you bother me, there's a reason. You've never been one for small talk." I stated lightly as I rubbed my eyes to get more awake.
"I don't see how you can relax here at all. Like a fuckin' horror movie." Merle grumbled.
"Please, I was watching horror movies since I was five, it doesn't bother me. And to be fair our life is a horror movie now I would have thought that you'd have gotten used to it by now." I said.
"So you don't scare easy then, huh?" Merle asked with his eyebrow raised at me.
"No I don't." I said.
Then as if on cue there was a sharp thud outside on the roof and the surprise was enough to knock me off the bed when I jumped. Not the most graceful thing I've ever done, especially in front of someone other than my brother. I heard Merle chuckle and I started to blush like crazy. Idiot I thought to myself.
"Yeah you really don't scare easy do ya?" Merle said sarcastically.
"Shut up Merle." I said as I got back on the bed. While I did that Merle walked over to the window to see what the noise was, though I had a good idea of what made it.
"It was probably Michonne." I said. Merle looked at me with confusion and then I realized I should probably explain.
When we stayed at a house Michonne sat on the roof at night looking at the stars. Sometimes I was on the roof with her and made small talk, but usually she would drift off into her own world and I just left her alone. Though sometimes when I was just walking by an open window I heard her talking to someone. It took me like five minutes to realize that she was talking to herself and not anyone in particular. I didn't think much of it. Hell before this apocalypse even started I used to do that. So I didn't call her on it. Hell all of us had been through a lot and she was probably use to doing that, considering when Merle and I found her a month or so ago she was on her own with two mutilated walkers with collars.
Though when I told Merle this he didn't take it so lightly. "I knew she was fuckin' crazy." He stated. I sighed after rolling my eyes at the man.
"Come on Merle let it go, Jesus she's been with us for over a month and you still don't trust her?" I asked completely amazed at the one handed man. And I thought I had trust issues.
"You and me have been through shit, but you or me haven't been talking to ghosts." He said with his arms crossed. I realized fighting with Merle wasn't going to help with anything, l so I put my hands up in surrender
"fine, forget I said anything." I said trying to keep peace between the two people I considered my friends.
"Whatever." Merle said flatly and walked out of the room, I had a feeling though this wasn't the last conversation that we'd have about this particular subject.
i am truly sorry about this extreamly late update. school started and ive had like a million things to do. i sincerly do apologize and i hope you can over look it, im crappy with updates and with school and all i'll try my best to keep posting more often.
for those of you who have been waiting ever so patiantly for this installment of 'What Bad Luck Can Get You' here it is. im sorry its still the power triangle of Zachariah, Merle and Michonne but i promise in the next chapter or so we will see new people... well people we know and love but people who are new to the story. sorry about the random flashback but i was thinking, instead of paying attention in math, about the fact i have no back round on Troy Andromeda (for those of you who forgot thats Zachariahs last name) so i decided to start developing him just from Zach's point of view.
if you guys want to see anything else out of this story so far let me hear it. favorites, comments, follows and etc. are apreciated if there is anything you want me to add, put in, or forget, tell me! it can only be enjoyable if you people tll me what you want to read! thanks or reading, im sorry again about the update, and more to come just bare with me! ^_^