Time To Grow Up
Chapter 4: Runs and Run-Ins
…Cara's POV…
…A Month Later…
It has been like two months since the world ended, I think it is August, but I am not sure. It feels like August. Since the fight, Carol and Ed haven't been letting me talk to Sophia. It is incredibly difficult to not talk to her.
We are twins, fraternal twins-but twins nonetheless. Sophia has our mother's blond hair, while I have our father's dark hair. Sophia has our mother's blue eye and I have brown, like our father. Sophia is flat chested, whereas I have little boobs. I guess puberty hit me in certain aspects before they did her. We are both tall for our age, but I have a more athletic build then she does. She is innocent and I am not. When we were in school, she wore dresses and I wore jeans. We are different. And not just in the looks department. Our personalities are different too.
Sophia is the embodiment of innocence and purity. She looks like that too. I protected her from a lot of the violence that was brought upon us as young children. That is what protected her innocence and purity, nothing else. She is the type of girl that likes to make friends and act ladylike. She doesn't talk back or stands up for herself, she sits on the sidelines (like our mother) while someone else (most likely me) does it for her. She used to all her homework and more. She is shy and quiet. I am afraid that this world will be too much for her and she won't make it.
Me? I am the embodiment of anger and maturity. I look innocent and kind- which I can be- but I am not always. I never had anybody to fight for me, I've always had to do it myself. Nobody protected me. I am the type of girl that likes to be out in the woods learning to survive. I never liked homework or doing more than what was expected, but I still got good grades. I can be loud and I can get in people's faces. I am afraid that this world will change me and I won't like who I will become.
Before the world ended, Sophia and I were close. Now, we can't even talk without one of our parents dragging her away from me. I've heard them- and by them I mean my father- tell her that I am a bad influence and I'll only cause her pain. That hurt.
Now, I spend a lot of time with Daryl and Glenn. Sometimes, I hang out with Dale. He has been teaching Glenn and I about the RV. How to fix it and other things. It has been an interesting experience. In the last two weeks, Daryl has been real distant- which bugs me.
Then there is Carl. When I was a loud to talk to Carl, we got a long great. I thought he was my best friend, but after I yelled at Shane I haven't been able to talk to him. I see him looking at me sometimes, like at dinner or when I am reading on top of the RV. Which is where I am right now.
I am reading a book about fishing on top of the RV with Dale. I am supposed to be helping him keep watch, but that boring. So, I grabbed a book from the box in the RV.
"Hey, Car! (Pronounced like Care)" A voice yelled, causing me to look away from the book.
"Yeah?" I ask, leaning over the side of the RV. It was Glenn.
"I am about to go on a Run. Can I get a hug for luck?" His smile was cheeky and broad.
"Sure." I nodded, moving towards the latter. I jumped down when I reached the last step. Glenn pulled me into a hug, holding on tight. I wrapped my arms around him. "Stay safe."
"I always am, kiddo." He whispers, pulling away from me.
"I know." He patted my head before walking away.
…A Month Later (So September)…
About a week after that run, Glenn and I were talking. It was random at first, then it got serious. He asked me if I regretted getting into fights with my parents and Shane. I told that I regretted yelling at my mom and Shane- only a little bit- but never my father. He told me that I should go talk to them, them being Shane and mother, so I did.
I talked to my mother first. We were washing laundry together down at the lake. She apologized for never standing up for me and Sophia. She said she wished to go back in time and do that. I believe her. So, our relationship is on the up and up. I get to talk to my sister now, but only when Ed isn't around. We are closer now than ever before. I have been teaching her some ways to protect herself, not only from our father but from Walkers too. She is still a little hesitant to do either of those things.
Then I talked to Shane. I apologized. I told him that I have a lot of pent up aggression, because of the things that I have had to deal with in my life. I told him that I lash out when things get difficult for me. I had to tell him about this one time I lashed out and broke a kid's nose. He laugh and told me that he understood. He apologized for hitting me. I accepted. Now, I can hang out with Carl. I was excited. I haven't taught him anything, because Lori has been keeping a close watch on us when we are together.
Me apologizing to Shane doesn't stop me from thinking he is creepy. I still think that he is going to go crazy one day.
I haven't talked to Daryl in a month. He has been avoiding me, as if I had the plague. He is supposed to be my best friend, my protector, and he left me. He didn't actually leave, he just stopped talking to me. I have tried to talk to him, but he just pushes me away. Sometimes, he literally pushes me away from him. I slapped him that time before running away from him. I haven't tried to talk to him since then.
Just like a month ago, I am sitting on top of the RV. Unlike a month ago, I am not reading. I am actually writing in a journal. It is mostly filled with a calendar. Glenn found me a calendar when he went on a run two weeks ago. Whoever had this calendar marked off the days as they came, which made it easier. I have been keeping count of the number of days we've been out here, so I marked off the appropriate number of days. After that I began to make a calendar in the notebook, starting on January 1st. I realized that Sophia and I's birthday was several months away.
"Hey, Cara!" Carl's little voice called from below me.
"Hey, Carl!" I yelled back, looking away from the notebook.
"What are you doing up there?"
"Making a calendar."
"Why?"
"To keep track."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"Cool. Do you wanna play?"
I paused. Dale nudges my foot, nodding at me to go.
"Sure." I climbed down that latter, glaring at Dale as I went. All he did was chuckle.
"Sweet."
"What do you want to play?"
"Amy gave me some cards. We can play Gold Fish."
"That sounds fun."
We sat down at the picnic table and played. We played for hours, Sophia joined in too.
…Two Weeks Later…
Daryl is on a hunt. Glenn is on a run with T-Dog, Merle, Morales, Jacqui, and Andrea. And I am stuck here. The last week has been hard. My father has been walking by me, muttering inappropriate comments. I don't say anything, because I don't want to start a fight. I have been trying to work on my anger issues. I've been helping out a lot more with the laundry and cooking. I can point out the good mushrooms and berries (thanks to Daryl). I have found some wild herbs that have helped season the food, so that it isn't bland.
"Do you want to go look for mushrooms and berries?" I ask Amy.
"Sure." She nodded, leaving to grab the bucket.
I went to my tent and grabbed my knife. When Daryl was actually talking to me, he told me to never go anywhere without my knife.
"Kid, I'ma tell ya once. Never go anywhere without ya knife. If ya do and I find out, I'll skin ya with it. Got it?"
Good times. Good times that will never happen again.
"Come on, Cara. We have to hurry. Andrea is going to be pissed, if she gets back and I am not around. You know, Glenn is gonna be the same way if you aren't here."
"True!" We both laugh, heading into the woods.
We spent twenty minutes looking around for the right berries. We found some raspberries and blackberries. Then another twenty minutes trying to go to the bathroom in the woods without peeing on ourselves. That was a funny experience, which ended in us laying on the forest ground laughing our butts off. It took us ten minutes to be able to look at each other and not laugh. Add on another ten minutes to catch our breath. When we were able to breathe correctly, we left to look for the mushrooms. We grabbed as many as we could before heading back.
On the way back, we heard rustling and a low squeal. I looked at Amy with wide eyes, her face matched mine. We peaked through a bush, seeing Shane and Lori on the ground. I back up quickly, running deep into the woods. I could hear Amy coming up behind me. I cut to the right, then headed back towards the camp. Daryl taught me the area all around the camp, so I know it pretty well. We went separate ways once we got back to camp.
I slipped into my tent. I removed the dirty button down, replacing it with a black tank top. My shorts went next, only to have a pair of tight fitting jeans replace them. I brushed my hair, pulling it up into a ponytail. The dark curls fell over my shoulder as I slipped on my tennis shoes. My skin tan from spending so much time outside and my natural skin tone. I got my dad's tan coloring when the parental traits were being passed out in the womb. Sophia is as pale as a ghost, like our mother.
"Someone is coming!" I heard Dale yell, then the sound of a car alarm. I exited my tent, heading towards the crowd.
Glenn popped out of the car, a bright smile on his face. Shane ran up, forcing his way through the crowd.
"Turn the damn alarm off!"
"I don't know how!" Glenn panicked, as Shane ran forward. He popped the hood and pulled at some wires. The car stopped making that loud noises.
"What the hell were you thinking? You just led every Walker from here to Atlanta to us! You rang the dinner bell. We're all dead now and it is all your fault." Shane yells, getting into Glenn's face.
"I-I didn't. I drove around for a long time before coming back here. They don't know where we are. I swear."
"You piece-" Shane started.
"Where is Andrea?" Amy asks, walking forward, "Where is everyone?" She looked about ready to cry.
"They were right behind me. We got stuck in the building we were searching. A man came shooting up the place. Atlanta, not the building. I-"
"What?!" She shouted, I grabbed her hand.
"I went and got the guy, then Dixon started shooting. That brought even more geeks down on us.-" A box truck pulled up, causing him to stop.
"They're back!"
Everyone from the Run group came walking towards us. Everyone but Merle. Shit. Daryl is gonna be so angry. The Run group members, went to their families. I ran up to Glenn, hugging him tight.
"How did you all get out, if you were surrounded?"
"Helicopter dude. He used dead geek guts to get him and Glenn to the Box trucks. Glenn got the car with the alarm and drove by, which distracted the geeks. We all were down on the lower level waiting for him to show. When he did, we came back as fast we could." Morales replied, hugging his wife.
Carl looked at me. 'Helicopter dude?' He mouthed. I just shrugged.
"Helicopter Dude come on out!" T-dog yelled, looking towards Shane. "He is a cop like you."
The man walked out from behind the truck. He looked around the group before locking eyes with Lori and Carl.
"Dad?" Carl whispers, pulling away from his mom.
"Carl?" The man whispers, looking about to cry.
"DAD!" Carl ran forward.
"CARL!" The man does the same. They met in the middle. Carl tackles his father into a hug.
"Rick." Lori finally reacts. She joins in on the hug.
I look over at Shane. He looked like his brain was going to explode. His face was getting red, I don't know if that is because he is glad that his friend is alive or if he is angry that his friend is alive. I am thinking it is the latter one. I look away from them and focus my gaze on Glenn.
"What happen to Merle?" I ask, pulling on my ponytail.
"He was- He was shooting up the place. Acting like Rambo. He started something with T-dog and Rick knocked on his ass. While he was out, Rick handcuffed him to a pole on the top of the buildin'. When it was time to go, I dropped the key down a pipe. I couldn't get it, so I chained the door shut. And I left. I-I could do anything." T-dog explained, looking down.
"What are ya'll going to tell Daryl?"
"I don't know."
A/N Hey! I hope you like this chapter. I did a lot of time skip this chapter. There was a lot of character development with Cara this chapter. She is trying to get rid of all the anger within her.
Someone reviewed! That is AMAZING! I was so happy! I want to thank silverfoxkurama for the lovely review! She asked me what Cara looked like. I picture her looking like Rowan Blanchard from Girl Meets World. She looks more like her dad then she does her mom. She may look innocent and weak, but she has a big personality.
Please Review some more!
Thank you, dolls.
G-V Princess