Chapter 18
We bumped along the abandoned road, stray dead leaves flying out as we passed by. Fall would be here soon which would make the possibility of another attempted escape much more difficult as the weather became colder. We just might be unlucky enough to have to wait until spring if we couldn't figure anything out within the next few weeks. I was hoping against hope that we would come across some sort of opportunity while in Alexandria, find a way to stay or escape somehow, but I knew it was only wishful thinking.
Daryl continued to mope out of the window as did I. Negan had stopped his game of twenty questions to correspond with the other caravans behind and ahead of us. The break was a relief but I knew it would start back up soon and I would be the one in the hot seat. I wasn't exactly ready for what they were going to ask, but I told myself that I could be as truthful as I wanted to be. They wouldn't know the difference otherwise.
"Keep the same distance. I want you to arrive a few minutes ahead of us to get everyone prepared before we show up," Negan let go of the button on the walkie-talkie, bringing it down and looking out of the window as he waited for a response.
"Copy that," a voice crackled out and the walkie went dead. Negan tossed it up onto the dashboard and put his arm across the space between him and Freddy. He flicked his brown eyes over his shoulder at me and they crinkled with a smile. Your turn, he seemed to be thinking.
"Same rules apply, sugarplum, and don't get cute. I wanna know some real fucking information here. This is family bonding time!" Negan reached back to squeeze my knee and I moved my leg away from his touch. He gave me a fake pout.
"Well, I guess we gotta start somewhere," Negan said and turned his body to lean back against the passenger side door. "I'll start off easy again. Where are you from?"
"Georgia," I replied.
"Not the same area as Daryl, though," Negan squinted his eyes at me. "That's fairly obvious. I bet you were right near Atlanta if not living in the city itself."
I shrugged my shoulders. It wasn't a question, but an observation. I had no obligation to elaborate any further unless he asked me to.
"Have you been with Daryl since the beginning or did you guys meet up somewhere?" He continued.
"We met up a year and a half after everything happened. The whole group found me," I said. "I started off with other people, a small band of us. When some of us started dying off, everyone panicked and eventually just started to fend for themselves. That whole thing lasted about a year, and then I drifted north on my own for a few months until they found me."
"So, you're a fucking survivor, too, huh?" Negan asked, then his eyes widened marginally. "Don't answer that! That was rhetorical."
I smiled slightly despite myself, finding his reaction a bit humorous. I didn't know if he did it on purpose or not. He was always so articulate, if not in a vulgar sort of way. He thought things through and stated his thoughts clearly. It was a bit strange to hear him say something impulsively.
"What I want to ask is how did they find you?" Negan said.
"Almost starved to death and severely dehydrated," I answered, remembering the hot asphalt on my skin as I lay weakly on the road, unable to go any further. "I really thought that was it for me. And then I saw Rick and the others. They were just about as bad as I was, but we made it through. They are the most persevering and kindred group I have yet to meet."
"How sweet," Theodore sang out facetiously. I cut a sharp glare at him.
"It fucking is, Theo," Negan fixed him with a slightly annoyed smile. "I know you haven't wiped your own ass this whole time, pretty boy. Maybe we should throw your punk ass out to give you the damn experience."
Theodore cleared his throat, clearly caught off guard and embarrassed, and shook his head. I could say that I felt the same because I didn't know why Negan wanted to stick up for me all of a sudden. I thought Daryl and I were both fair game when it came to the insults.
"So, you've only known the Alexandria clan for, what," Negan shrugged and shook his head questioningly, "several months, not even half a year?"
"Basically," I said. I had pretty much met Rick and everyone a couple of months before we ended up in Alexandria. That didn't mean I hadn't made any strong bonds with them; that they weren't my family. "The people in Alexandria offered us shelter and we took it. Their community provided safety and a home when they could've left us outside to die. They're our family now."
Negan lifted a finger at me, a devilish grin on his face, "Were your family."
Remember? His facial expression seemed to say, and I did all too well. According to him, Alexandria and the occupants who lived there are no longer a part of my life nor Daryl's. Our new home was the Sanctuary and our kin the dumb assholes who called themselves the Saviors. Saviors of fuck all, I fumed.
"Did you have a girlfriend?" Freddy asked.
"Yeah, and if so, how old were you when you first realized you liked pussy?" Theodore piped back up, his previous mirth back in full force.
"No," I glared up at the review mirror before turning to Theodore, setting him up with direct stare and lowering my voice, "and I've always known, Theodore."
Daryl shot up to look over at me. Theodore's eyes got wide and I heard not a sound from the front cabin of the truck. I slowly looked around, my face relaxing back to normal, and realized every pair of eyes were trained on me. I blushed.
"I'm just kidding," I said abashedly. The joke went better, or worse, than I had planned and I did not like all the attention it brought.
"Bull-fucking-shit!" Negan yelled happily. "I think this may be the happiest damn day of my life, boys! I'm hard as hell right now!"
Oh, my God, I groaned inwardly. I might would've run with it, let them think I was into women and not men, but the goofy ass look that was plastered all over Negan's face made me instantly change my mind. It would be relentless pestering and begging from all the guys back at the Sanctuary, especially from Negan; he'd be the worst.
"Please, for the love of all that is holy, tell us about your first time with a woman. And don't skimp out on the details!" Theodore was so excited his face was turning red.
And there it is, I rolled my eyes and sighed loudly.
"First of all, that isn't a question. Second, I fucking lied, you asshole!" I yelled. "I'm not gay!"
"I don't knooow," Freddy sang out. "I think you may have to prove it to us now."
"Dear lord, if I had known I would've gotten this reaction, I wouldn't have said it," I ran a hand through my hair, flustered.
"You didn't know you would get this reaction? From us? A truck full of straight men?" Freddy asked me like I was stupid.
"You know the internet is gone, right?" Theodore asked. I scowled at him.
"I don't know what you expected, sweetheart, but this is about the most entertaining fucking thing I've seen all week," Negan laughed.
I sat back and crossed my arms stubbornly, feeling completely idiotic. Daryl was still leaning forward in his seat, his curious eyes on me. Theodore began to laugh hysterically and I sunk down into the cushions, hiding my face with a hand. This had really backfired on me.
"She's more fun," I heard Freddy say. "Daryl, she's got you beat so far."
"Next question!" I mumbled loudly from behind my hand.
"Okay," Negan began, "before we go on, I know everyone got excited by that amazing revelation-"
"Joke," I interceded.
"-but you fuckers need to think about what you're asking. I heard about four damn questions thrown out all at once and she didn't answer a single one of them. Everly," he focused his attention on me, "play by the fucking rules."
"Fine," I snapped at him and dropped my hand down. He smiled gleefully at me.
"Well, I can't wait for the rest of this," Freddy said, hunching forward over the steering wheel. Daryl sat back, but he was paying the utmost attention now and no longer glowering out of the window.
Negan got comfortable against his door again and drummed his gloved fingers on his knee, "What was your life like before? Any…complications or was everything just dandy?"
I took in a deep breath, getting ready to go into the one thing I was hoping to avoid. I wanted to keep the past the past. I didn't like agonizing over it, remembering it.
"It was fine, for a while," I started, trying to choose my next words carefully. "My father died when I was very young, nothing too tragic. He had cancer."
I saw Negan's chest hitch, the smile draining from his face. I continued, not really paying him any mind.
"He'd been sick for years, so we were really just wondering when it would happen when finally it did. It wasn't too shocking, and honestly, nothing felt different afterward. He had been bedridden for almost a year, so I think I had pretty much mourned him and prepared myself as his health steadily declined. I was only numb."
"Great, now I'm bummed out again," Freddy said gloomily and sat back.
"Shut the fuck up," Daryl growled out.
"Hey!" Negan bellowed. "Let's not cause a big stink, now, Daryl. You're supposed to be on your best behavior."
Daryl made no response, but he still sat forward with a hard glare fixed on the back of Freddy's head, his muscles straining. Negan reached over the seat, putting his fingertips against Daryl's left shoulder and gingerly pushing him back; Daryl didn't resist and he sat against his seat again, settling his glare onto Negan now. Negan ignored him and let his gaze drift back over to me. His face looked amiable once more, but it also carried a tone of somber aggravation.
"And after?" He prompted.
"And after," I began, but I didn't want to go into anymore details of my life. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it and probably not ever. "After was normal."
Negan watched me, his brown eyes virtually piercing through me to read as much as he could from my body language. I could tell he didn't believe me, but he let it slide. I was thankful for that.
"Well, if you aren't a lesbian," Freddy heaved a great sigh of disappointment, "then do you have a special guy in your life?"
"You asking for a friend, there, Fred?" Theodore playfully punched him on the arm, and Freddy angrily swatted his hand away.
"Not at all, no," I answered cautiously. I didn't want to give them any leverage they could work with to twist my words around.
"Oof," Negan expressed and looked at Daryl, a playful look in his eyes again. "Tough break, man."
"We're friends," Daryl grumbled.
Theodore looked over at him and nodded mockingly, "Yeah, she's just got you perpetually stuck in the friend-zone, huh?"
"Was that twenty questions yet? Are we done?" I asked quickly, wanting to change the subject.
"Hey, I said play by the rules," Negan reprimanded me lightly. "You don't ask the damn questions, we do."
"Then do it!" My patience was starting to run thin.
"Oh, shit," Negan gave me a disbelieving look, his smile widening. "Yes, ma'am."
He let out that husky, drawn-out laugh of his and licked his bottom lip, "I'm warning you, though, you've already gotten me plenty hard so far, don't make me bust my buckle before we even get to our destination. I'll be walking bowlegged and hunched over all damn day."
"Aw, come on," Theodore began to sympathize, "she's not that much of a tease. You're not gonna leave the man with blue balls, are you?"
"That fucking counts as a question," Negan said before I could think of a response.
Irked by the direction this stupid game had taken, I leaned toward him, placing a hand on the back of Freddy's seat to steady myself. Negan leaned forward, too, intently watching my face with open delight.
"I could give a shit about your balls or any discomfort you might be feeling right now. In fact, I kind of enjoy the thought of you in pain. Makes my day a whole hell of a lot better," I said.
"Oh!" Negan fake shivered, enjoying this exchange immensely. "I believe I just came."
I rolled my eyes and sat back. It was a retort I should have expected, but it pissed me off anyway.
"Good job, you got him there," Theodore patted my shoulder. I elbowed his arm away violently. "Christ, are you always this bitchy?"
"Yes," I snapped.
"I don't know how you deal with her, man," Theodore turned to Daryl and was met with an ornery gaze. "Oh, right…"
"Okay, we're winding down here, guys. These last five questions need to count," Negan smirked.
"What's your favorite food?" Daryl asked suddenly and I swung my head at him with a disbelieving grin on my face.
"Marshmallow brownies," I sputtered out with a laugh and gave him a wink. He gave me a small smile back.
Negan seemed pretty miffed and a glaze of annoyance came over his eyes. He worked his jaw back and forth as he regarded Daryl.
"Not fucking cool," he told him.
"Why marshmallow brownies? That's not even a real food," Theodore spoke up, disregarding Negan.
"It was hi-my favorite food," I stuttered, barely catching myself before saying something I couldn't take back. I had almost brought up the one thing I didn't want to talk about. I tried to play it cool, hoping no one could see how panicked I felt inside.
"Well, obviously it was your favorite food, genius. That's what the question asked," Theodore rolled his eyes at me. Daryl gave me a sideways look, a question in his eyes; he had caught my slip-up. I shook my head slightly at him.
"Alright, I'm taking you out all out of the game. It's only me and Everly now. You sorry fucks have lost the privilege," Negan said, irritated.
"What the hell did I do? I've been sitting here, quietly driving!" Freddy burst out.
"Well, for one goddamn thing, you started this whole chain of vapid fucking questions and got tag-along over here to follow suit. Then Cotton Eye Joe decided to pop a few hairs out of his nutsack and chime in with his dumbass question," Negan threw a thumb over his shoulder at Daryl. "I've got three shittin' fucking questions left, and I'm gonna make them count!"
"Sorry, we didn't know you were getting that into it," Freddy replied. "We're nearly there, though. About thirty more minutes."
Negan sat up, and turned his body to face forward. He looked at me over his shoulder, "We'll finish this later."
"Shit," Freddy sighed. "I said we're sorry."
"Freddy, I like you, but shut the hell up and keep driving before I dangle you out the door and make you kiss the ground. That'd be one hell of a road rash," Negan gave him a sideways look. The truck slowed down a notch, Freddy taking the threat seriously.
"Who would drive?" I whispered to myself sarcastically, but I was secretly happy. Negan wasn't going to make me answer anymore questions for the time being, and I hoped that by the end of our trip he will have forgotten all about his last three, but a feeling deep in my gut told me that it was wishful thinking again.
I just want to say thank you (I feel like I can never say it enough) for all your reviews and support and especially to all my guest reviewers! I'm very pleased that so many of your are still into this story and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you continue to be. This chapter was a bit lighter than any of the other ones I've written, so I hope you guys liked it. (It makes me giggle when I read it. :D) Anyway! Have a fabulous weekend and get ready for the next episode. Negan's gonna be in it! YEEEE! Haha.
Edited by lolasskicker.