Chapter 9: To Make you Feel My Love
Clementine slowly opens her eyes as she is lying with Louis on the mattress inside the shack after being trapped in there all because of the herd of walkers blocking their escape to go back to the safety of the school. She thanked her lucky stars they managed to go undetected and stay hidden from the horde. Clementine notices the sounds of the walker groans are no longer in range and they must have moved on, making it safe now to get back to the school. She knows AJ will be looking for her. A soft grumble beside her shook Clementine from her thoughts as she slowly turns her head to look at Louis who is sleeping next to her. Clementine smiles brightly at the boy before her, as Louis has his hand wrapped around her tiny waist keeping her safe and guarded.
She slowly turns her body to face him admiring this moment of him in deep slumber. She loves waking up in his arms, and if she could she wishes she can be in his arms all day and breathe in his sweet scent. Clementine slowly raises her hand to Louis's face and with a gentle touch; she touches his cheek and lightly strokes it with her forefinger. Clementine takes a moment to really adore him. She looks at his handsome face and counts the freckles on his cheeks and pretending like they are their own constellations where she can get lost in. Louis didn't even flinch at her touch and that made Clementine giggle a little as he was in a really deep sleep. She looks down and notices his freckles continue down onto his chest. She hasn't seen Louis with his shirt off and a curious wonder comes across her mind. She was so lost in admiring him she flinches when there was a knock on the door.
"Clementine, Louis? Are you two okay?" Aasim's voice calls out.
Clementine looks at Louis and crawls out of his embrace and goes to undo the boarded-up door. Once she removed the safety precaution from last night's unfortunate events, she opens the door and is greeted by AJ right away. "Whoa bud, I'm okay."
AJ holds onto Clementine, "You made me worry. I thought I have lost to you again."
Aasim looks at Clementine, "We all did. But I knew you saw the herd before Willy and I did, and made a beeline for the shack."
"Yeah, I saw the herd approaching, and Louis and I barely made it to the shack in time before they came upon us. We knew we had no chance of making it back in time, so we stayed in here all night. Luckily we never got detected by any walkers." Clementine explained to Aasim.
Louis slowly emerges from the bed he and Clementine slept in for the night. He sees AJ holding onto her closely as he knows the danger is passed. Louis comes up from behind Clementine and yawns a little. "Now, Aasim, we don't need a rescue party."
"Nice to see you up and about Lou." Aasim casts his look to Louis and Louis gives Aasim a sneer. Aasim ignores the look as he looks at Clementine, "Do you know where Violet has gone?"
Clementine looks at him with a puzzled look. "No. She just said she wanted to go out scouting for supplies alone but I told her to take someone with her or have Rosie. That was yesterday morning before Louis and I came here to fish. She never made it back to the school?"
"Not when the herd of walkers came. I figured you and Louis had no chance to get back in time as Willy and I barely made it back to the school when hunting." Aasim said.
"I am guessing you need a second pair of eyes to track Violet's whereabouts," Clementine suggested.
"Yes," Aasim said. Clementine looks down from the little porch and sees Rosie. Clementine then looks back at Aasim.
"Why is Rosie with you? She is supposed to be with Violet." Clementine asks.
"Violet never took Rosie with her after when you and Louis went out here," Aasim said.
"So she left without someone else with her?" Clementine looks at him. Aasim nods. Clementine grits her teeth out of frustration. Something fishy is going on with Violet and it is worrying Clementine a bit. Clementine looks at Louis, "Okay, Louis can you head back to the camp with AJ? I need to find out what is going on with Violet. Something is off and I don't like it."
AJ looks up at Clementine, "No! I am not going without you, Clem."
Clementine looks down at AJ and kneels by him, "It is just for a little bit kiddo. I need to go with Aasim to track where Violet is and bring her back. I promise I won't put myself in any danger."
It took some convincing then AJ sighs, "Okay….but don't take too long."
Clementine rises to her be eye level with Louis, before they all go their separate ways Clementine looks at him, "Don't let him worry too much about me, okay."
"I won't. AJ and I always have a good time together." Louis looks at her with a dorky smile. His smile soon fades a little when he looks at Clementine, "What is going on with Vi? She never would be this careless."
"I don't know. That is what I need to find out." Clementine said.
Louis then comes near her and holds her close. "Be careful, okay Clem."
Clementine closes her eyes as she embraces Louis in a hug. "I will, I promise." Clementine felt a kiss on her forehead as it is Louis's way of telling her you better be. He can sense Aasim is growing annoyed at the two lovers and made his affection with Clementine brief before picking up the bucket of fish and walking with AJ back to the school.
Clementine watches Louis leave with AJ by his side as she turns to look at Aasim, "Where do you see Violet head off to?"
Aasim moves away from the truck he was leaning on as Clementine and Louis have their moment and Clementine whistles for Rosie to follow them. Aasim falls back a bit from Clementine; "We saw her take off and head in the direction of the trap area shortly after when you and Louis made your way to the fishing shack. I didn't think anything of it. But when Violet never came back when the herd came it got Ruby and me worried. Something is going on with Violet Clem, and I don't know. A few days ago, Ruby said she was acting rather odd."
That got Clementine's attention as she turns to look at Aasim, "Odd? What does Ruby mean by odd?"
Aasim glances back at Clementine as he explained what Ruby told him a few nights ago, "When Violet came back from doing fishing duties she came back with an injured leg. Ruby offered to inspect it, and Violet was acting squirrelly that she didn't want Ruby to inspect her leg."
Clementine looks at the ground "Yeah that is rather odd?" then Clementine started to pick up the weird behavior just yesterday, "And she did seem rather too eager to want to go out scouting alone yesterday when I was trying to rotate people out of chores to do at the school. Like she openly volunteered to want to go out and scout."
Aasim looks at his friend, "You think she is trying to hide something."
"Something or she is secretly meeting someone that she doesn't want anyone else to know," Clementine spoke.
When Clementine said those words it clicked with Aasim, "Did Louis tell you whom they encountered when they got back from scouting for supplies a few weeks back?"
"Yes, they met a few people from my past that I try to forget." Clementine clutches her fist as she tries not to get angry with Bonnie. "Why?"
"Well, Louis told me they met up with an Indian girl who threaten Louis with an arrow over a bore. Violet mentioned to me that this girl from that group is named Maya." Aasim looks at her.
Clementine looks at Aasim and then it clicks, "You think Violet is secretly meeting the girl from the Caravan group that I deemed as hostile?"
"I don't want to jump to conclusions without all the facts Clem. I just noticed Violet has a shift in her behavior." Aasim looks at his friend.
"Fuck we got to find her before something bad happens and Violet gives away the safety of the school. I don't know if she is changing her loyalty but I don't like this." Clementine said out of anger. "I don't trust that caravan group, and if Violet is meeting someone from there it could spell trouble for us in the future and we may need to defend ourselves again."
Aasim looks at Clementine and is starting to get worried, "Are they as bad as…Lilly?"
Clementine focuses her eyes forward and on Rosie, "Not as bad, but bad enough."
…
Maya stayed up all night as Violet slept in her arms. All night Maya kept eyeing Violet and trying to come up with ways to tell her how she feels or even show her how much Violet has come to mean to her. Looking at Violet asleep made Maya's heart swell up. She didn't expect this to happen to her, especially in the zombie apocalypse. And she always thought she would find a boy to fall in love with, but never in Maya's life would she fall for a girl. Maya softly reaches out and tenderly strokes Violet's cheek, as she giggles a little see Violet snuggle deeper in her lap. She then takes a lock of her golden hair and tucks a strain behind Violet's left ear. Maya smiles at her as Maya let Violet dream a little bit more, before she wakes her. Plus Maya can't help but stare at Violet as she sleeps peacefully in her lap. Maya sighs and looks up on the horizon as the sky slowly changes from a navy blue-black, to a twilight color and a hint of orange, as the sun slowly climbs the sky singling it is morning.
When daybreak broke the morning sky Maya looks down and sees most of the herd has moved on. She looks down at Violet and gently wakes her and in a tender voice, "Vi...Vi wake up."
Violet slowly opens her bright hazel green eyes that Maya adores so much, as she looks up at Maya and smiles a tired but happy smile, "What time is it?"
"I don't know, don't exactly have a watch, but if I had to guess it looks to be the early hours of dawn." Maya glances at the sunrise and estimated the time, "I say around 6 in the morning."
Violet looks at her, "How do you know that?"
"Know what?" Maya looks down into Violet's eyes.
"The exact time." Violet stares back up into Maya's eyes while still in Maya's lap.
Maya chuckles a bit at Violet's curiosity, "Apparently you never relied on the sun on telling time have you."
"No, I always had a watch." Violet smiles at her as she rises up from Maya's lap to be beside her.
Maya returns her smile and can see a shift in Violet's character, as she is growing fond of her. "Okay...you see the sunrise on the horizon there." Maya reaches out to the east through the branches of the oak tree, and Violet nods following Maya's finger. "If the sun is directly on the horizon below the tree line, it is approximately 6 am. If the sun is about 45 degrees up from the horizon it is about 9 am. And if it is directly above you, it is essentially noon."
Violet looks at Maya and felt this strange warm sensation in her heart when Maya was teaching her how to read the earth, "It amazes me how much I learn from you." Violet casts her gaze out on the rising sun, "I always feel some kind of pull of gazing at the sky, rather it be sunrises or even at the stars. It is a place where I feel the freest, and escape this reality."
Maya looks at Violet as she sees beauty in her as the sunrise lights up Violet making her so beautiful and Maya can't help her affection toward her anymore, "You love looking at the stars?"
Violet nods, as she feels Maya's hand on top of hers, and Violet feels comforted by her touch, "Yeah. I don't know why it calls to me, and I feel at peace when I am at my favorite spot in my camp."
Maya smiles a tender smile this time, "I have the same feeling actually. Sometimes at night I will lay awake and gaze out at the stars. Reminds me of my homeland in Jackson, and my tribe."
Violet turns her gaze from looking at the sunrise to looking at Maya, as Maya is a reflection of Violet. "Really?" Violet then links her fingers to Maya's, "What was Jackson, your homeland like."
Maya felt Violet's fingers and Maya blushes a bit and felt off guard by that touch as she nervously chuckles, "Oh...um...sce-scenic, has beautiful mountains like the old west, beautiful meadows and springs, and rivers you can swim into take the edge off on hot summer days. But my favorite is sitting around the fire listening to stories of my people and using the stars to map out our stories from previous generations. That and song and dance. Each constellation in the sky by my people has a unique story behind them."
Violet loves to listen to Maya talk. "I would love to hear about it. The stories I mean of the stars." Violet glances away out of nervousness.
Maya smiles a genuine smile at her, "Well...maybe one of these nights when it is not raining, I would show you sometime, if you want, and try to share the stories behind them."
Violet looks into Maya's brown gaze, and responds to Maya's question, "I would like that actually." Violet then sighs, "I wish I can explore more and go out west. You're lucky to have the experience of it. I would love to visit the Grand Canyon."
"It is beautiful out there I will admit it, and it saddens me I had to leave it when shit hit the fan." Maya had a hint of sadness in her voice of missing her homeland. Maya soon shakes off her sad tone, and fixates her eyes on Violet's, "However, if I would have stayed out there, I wouldn't have met someone who has beautiful spring meadow green eyes I ever saw, and someone as beautiful as you." The words flew out of Maya's mouth without Maya ever thinking about it. Shit! Way to go, Maya, you idiot. You are letting her know you like her more as a friend.
Violet looks at her and sees Maya's face as she looks at her. There was a moment between them that was strong and both of them felt it. Violet's heart raced as she felt a pull of desire to play with this new feeling sparking in her heart. And she senses it in Maya too. Violet closes her eyes as her breathing shallows and her heart pounds in her ears. The feeling is growing stronger, and she can feel Maya's breath mixed with hers. Violet slowly closes her eyes and was lost in the moment with Maya to have her first kiss.
What broke the spell between them was when Maya jerked away as she hears something down below. Maya goes into defense mode as she guards Violet against a potential threat down below them. Violet has never seen Maya guard her with her life. She really is a warrior, and it attracted Violet a lot to Maya.
Maya peers through the branches of the trees and sees a dog, a teenage girl with one leg and a prosthetic one, and a teenage boy with a bow and arrow scouting for something or someone.
Maya hears Violet curse under her breath, "Oh shit.."
Maya turns slightly to look at Violet, "Who is that?"
Violet casts her to look aside not meeting Maya's gaze, "that would be my leader, Clementine."
Maya looks down at the black curly hair and squints her eyes a little. She looks tough for her age almost like Maya herself. Fierce and ready to defend what is important to her. Maya sighs, "What do we do now?"
Violet eyes Maya back, as she doesn't want any harm to come to her new flame of potential romance. Before Violet could answer Maya's question she sees Rosie approach the tree she and Maya are up in, as Rosie let out a few barks to let Clementine and Aasim know Violet's location. Fuck. I guess there is no point in trying to hide anymore, Clementine found where I am. "Well she has Rosie with her, and they know where we are. So there is no point in trying to hide." Violet looks down and sees Clementine approaching the tree. Violet closes her eyes for a moment then cast her to look into Maya's.
Clementine approaches the big oak tree as Rosie sat down beside her. Clementine looks up and begins to call out to Violet, "Violet I know you are up there. Rosie caught your scent. Please come down." Clementine then looks to Aasim and nods for him to lower his bow. She turns her head back up to the tree, "And whoever is up there with you, might as well come down as well."
Maya glances back and nods for Violet to follow Clementine's directions. "I guess we have no choice in the matter. You go down first so I don't pose a threat to your leader."
Violet silently nods and felt a reassuring touch from Maya. She wanted to explore more of what just happened between them but was scared to admit her true feelings to her. Violet moves a bit past Maya and slowly makes her way down the trunk of the tree to stand before Clementine. Once Violet was on solid ground facing her leader she slowly eyes Clementine.
Maya comes down and stands slightly behind Violet. Maya looks up at Violet's leader as she was slightly shorter than her but holds a lot of history of pain behind her fierce amber eyes. She can tell by the look at Clementine she has seen so much shit in this lifetime.
Clementine looks at Maya now with her eyes fixated on this new girl, "Who are you and what are you doing in my territory."
Violet looks back at Maya and spoke first, "She is no threat, Clementine. She helped me a few weeks back with my leg."
Maya places her hand on Violet's shoulder, letting her know she can speak for herself, "It's okay Violet, I can speak for myself." Maya looks back at Clementine and in a non-threatening matter gives her an explanation. "My name is Maya Kadoka and I only came into these woods to collect herbs for my group that is it."
Clementine looks at her and sees this stranger for the first time. She noticed Maya had a scar above her left eye, that almost mirrors Minerva's scar but not quite. Clementine stares her down and places her hand on her hip, "Why herbs?"
Maya looks to her as she makes a step forward, "I make my own medicine for my group and use mother earth as my source of resource. I mean no disrespect in stealing what is rightfully yours. Honest."
Aasim looks to Clementine and then to Maya, "How can we know she is telling the truth?"
Maya heard his question, "Look believe me or don't, but if I wanted to I would have taken stuff from your land and told my group about this, but I didn't. I am not that kind of person."
Violet looks to Clementine, "She is telling the truth, Clem. She poses no threat to us and she hasn't been stealing our food source."
Clementine shifts her gaze to look at Violet, "And how do you know that Violet?"
Violet looks into Maya's eyes and then back at Clementine. She sighs and spoke the truth, "Because I was with her the past few weeks as she helped healed up my leg with the medicine she makes by hand. I fucked it up pretty badly when I fell into the rapids after I...I said goodbye to Minnie up on the bridge. I saw Maya in our territory and followed her until a walker cut me off and I lost my balance and fell into the river rapids. Maya saved me before things could have been worse."
Clementine's eyes shift from Violet's eyes as she was explaining the story and her amber eyes were fixated on Maya's. When Violet finishes speaking Clementine looks at Maya. "Is this true?"
Maya nods, "Yes, Violet is telling the truth. I saw her in the rapids and jumped in and saved her."
"Why?" Aasim looks at this newcomer.
Maya eyes the boy behind Clementine, "Because I am not heartless. When someone is in trouble I save them."
Clementine looks at Maya as if she was different than what she expected. "You are the one who attacked Louis and AJ a few weeks back weren't you."
Maya looks at her, "Only because I was hunting a bore I was tracking and the guy got between me and my meal for my group. Sorry if I came across that way as being hostile, but I swear I am not. I even let Louis, AJ, and Vi go that day and defended them against a guy in my group. I haven't been back to that area ever since."
When Maya said those words Clementine got a bit defensive, "You are with Arvo aren't you and Bonnie?"
Maya saw Violet stepping between Clementine and Maya, "Clem whatever you think Maya is not like that guy named Arvo. Honest."
Maya looks into Clementine's eyes just now and sees the pain Arvo caused to her and can sense the hostility between Clementine and Arvo. "He shot at you didn't he?"
That shocked Clementine, as she was stunned that this newcomer knows of her past a bit, "He told you?"
Maya shook her head, "No, he doesn't have to. I can sense it in your pain and how you feel."
Clementine looks at this newcomer and then at Violet. Clementine was about to speak when she saw Maya being alerted of something, "You all need to leave now."
Clementine looks at Maya, "What are you talking about?"
Maya casts her gaze to look into Clementine's amber ones, "Okay one group member to a leader, I am asking you to hide or something."
Aasim looks at her, "Why do we need to hide?"
Before Maya can speak she knows it is too late as she sees Robert, Alberto, and her sister come up from behind Clementine and Aasim. Fuck, Maya thought to herself. Maya casts Clementine a look and then motions for her to look behind her. Maya then steps in front to guard Clementine and Aasim against her group members as her sister has an arrow ready to strike.
"Maya!" Robert calls out.
A growl from Rosie made Clementine looks at these newcomers and sees a man who looks strangely similar to her boyfriend Louis. The man has the same shade of eye color, even down to the freckles on his face. The only thing that is different is his baled at the crown of his head, and what little hair he has left has turned to ash gray. Clementine looks at the other man probably Hispanic, and a young girl similar to Maya. Louis is right they are both sisters.
Alberto came up with his hatchet, ready for battle. "Who the fuck are these kids Maya? Did they threaten you?"
Aniya comments back, "Probably. Can't trust people nowadays."
Maya looks at her group, "No they didn't threaten me. Lower your weapons please."
Alberto looks at the young teen," You are not the leader Maya, Bonnie is, and why the fuck should I listen to you."
Maya pulls out her knife, to protect Clementine and the others, "Don't fucking test me, Albert."
Aniya looks at her sister as she looks at a familiar face back behind Maya as she spots Violet, "Her again! Maya what the fuck is going on, and why are you defending them."
Maya looks at her sister, and flashes her a look, "Look I don't want bloodshed. Let these guys go."
Alberto looks to her and then to Clementine, "Tell her to lower her knife."
Maya looks at Alberto and then back behind at Clementine who has her knife drawn. In a soft voice, she spoke to Clementine, "Please try and trust me. I can only talk them down so much. I know you have trust issues I get it, but please, don't make this worse for you."
Clementine looks into Maya's soft brown eyes, she is being authentic and genuine here. Clementine sighs and puts back her knife and orders Aasim not to raise the bow. Clementine looks back at the man Maya addresses as Alberto, and spoke to him, "Take Maya back with you to your camp and leave this forest. We can do this peacefully without any blood being shed here."
Robert looks at the girl with a prosthetic leg, she is being gracious to them. He respectfully nods to her and orders Alberto to stand down and the same with Aniya, "Do as she says, Albert. You too, Aniya."
"But we can handle a couple of kids, not like..." Alberto looks back at the older man.
"Now, Alberto." Robert hisses at him. "I don't want to patch people up on a stupid fight. We don't have enough resources as it is if things get ugly. We came for one purpose and that is to find Maya, and bring her back to camp."
Alberto grunts his frustration and does what Robert is telling him. Robert turns to look at Maya, "Come on, Maya, we need to get back." He looks at the girl with amber eyes, "Sorry for the trouble. We will leave you in peace."
Clementine looks at the man and felt a strange familiar calmness in his voice. She nods at him out of respect and gets a feeling he is not as hostile as the other two that are with him. Clementine can sense he has the same gentleness to him the same as Maya.
Maya turns to look at Clementine. "I'm sorry for the trouble. I didn't want this, or how I wanted to meet yo-" Maya looks into her amber eyes.
"Just don't come here again," Clementine warns. "Or anyone from your group." Clementine turns and nods for Aasim to head back to the school, and the same with Violet. Clementine whistles for Rosie as Rosie still guards her owners against the strangers.
Violet looks at Clementine and then back at Maya, as the two of them know they are in trouble and probably the last time they will see each other. Maya casts a look at Violet, and her eyes told her to follow her leader. Maya then turns and heads with her sister, Robert, and Alberto back to her camp.
….
Louis walks AJ back to the school as they wait patiently for Aasim and Clementine to return after they set out to search for Violet. Ruby comes and greets them at the gate.
"You okay there, Lou? You all gave us a fright when the herd came through." Ruby asked when she hugged Louis.
"Fine, Clem and I bunker down in the fishing shack since we couldn't make it back in time. Was scary shit, though," Louis admitted.
"Swear," AJ said beside Louis.
Ruby and Louis chuckled at AJ's remark, and then Ruby turns to Louis, "We kind of figured you two would bunker down that is why Aasim didn't send a search party for you two until the herd cleared." Ruby said. She noticed her boyfriend and Clem are not back, "Speaking of which where are Clementine and Aasim?"
"They went after to try and track down Violet, as she never came back when the herd of walkers came." Louis said, "Hope they find her."
"Is it just me, or is she acting strange lately?" Ruby asks.
"Who, Clem?" Louis arches his eyebrows at Ruby.
"No, Violet," Ruby said. "She started acting all funny and weird a few weeks ago and wouldn't let me look at her leg. And I noticed she likes to sneak off to god knows where."
Louis thought for a moment and then looked to Ruby, "I don't know, maybe she needs time and space from everyone after….Minnie."
Ruby nods, "true. But still, she never acted this way even when she found out about Minnie and Sophie's death, or supposed death." Ruby thought for a moment then shrugged it off, "Well, I am glad you and Clementine were safe and had no issues. Just next time, can you two not worry the rest of us so damn much."
"Hey if I knew a herd of walkers was heading this way I would have planned it out better." Louis shot back, teasing Ruby a little.
Ruby gave Louis a playful shove as she wonders the courtyard a bit. Louis makes his way over to the graveyard to have a reflection on Marlon's grave before making the finishing touches to Clementine's tree house and surprising it for her birthday which he recently discovered from last night's card game with her.
Louis stands before his best friend's grave, looking over the dirt-filled mound covering Marlon's body. Louis closes his eyes as he hears a faint voice in the distance on a distant memory of him.
"Dude, don't fall for the new girl we just brought in," Marlon spoke at Louis as Louis was lying down on his back on his bunk bed, tossing a ball into the air of their shared room. They both retire to their dorm rooms after the night and Louis's card game.
"I'm not," Louis spoke.
"Louis, I am serious. Now is not the time for romance or whatever plans you have to romance the new girl. It only clouds your mind. Besides, I am not sure if this girl Clementine and her kid will stay here." Marlon advises. "I just don't want to see you heartbroken like before."
"Okay, I wasn't heartbroken before." Louis shot back, being defensive a little.
"Okay fine, rejected, but still you had your heart set on someone, and you were mopey for quite some time, and Brody, and I had to rearrange the school chore system just to campmate so you can get things done." Marlon looks over at his best friend. "I know when you have your heart set on something Lou. And this new girl Clementine is not worth getting your heart smashed to pieces. We don't know her that well, and for all, we know, she could be trouble. And what if she doesn't like you back the way you like her."
Louis looks up at the ceiling and closes his eyes. Louis sighs, "I know." Louis looks up at Marlon, "Okay, I will try and lay off my flirtations, but if she throws moves at me, I can't promise I will reciprocate it back. She is irresistible at times, you know."
"Well, try and hold back your behavioral nature. I just don't want to see you hurt and fall for someone whom there is no hope for." Marlon said. Marlon slowly moves off of the dresser he was sitting on and moves to his bed for a night's sleep. Marlon kept it from Louis that night of keeping Clementine and AJ here temporarily to offer up as trading barging chips for safety with the raiders.
Louis stops throwing the ball in the air and turns to look at his best friend. Louis sees Marlon is trying to sleep in the bunk in the opposite corner and Louis turns over in his bunk trying to not let his heart be set on Clementine, but her amber eyes and soft voice captivated him that he couldn't stop his heart from falling in love that day.
Louis looks at the cross that marked Marlon on it. Louis sighs as he squats down next to his best friend's grave. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to your advice, bud. I know what you did was fucked up, and I am sorry for not recognizing your struggles sooner. But I got just one thing to say…or confess, really." Louis sighs. "I know you had a thing for Brody in the past, and I kept my mouth shut about it, but I don't know what you felt with Brody is the same thing I am feeling with the girl you advised me to not fall in love with. Yes, Marlon, I have fallen in love with Clementine. And I think she could be the real deal for me. I never had these strong feelings with you know who I speak of, the way I do for Clementine." Louis looks at the grave marker then his eye slowly travels down to his best friend's dirt mound. "I just don't know how to say what I feel about her or how to go about it on confessing I love her. Sometimes I wish you were here so I could have my bro moment with you. But knowing what you told me when Clementine first came here, I know you will not approve of my love for her."
Louis looks at his best friend's grave one last time before getting up and going to his task, "I guess that is something you are just going to have to deal with, Marlon, on me loving Clementine. I couldn't stop my heart from falling in love with her any more than you couldn't stop your heart from loving Brody. I hope you can make peace with that even though AJ killed you. I still love you as a brother, even though I know what you did when Clem expose your lies and treachery to the group, I don't think I can get over what you did or understand it." Louis shook his head to clear it, "I didn't come here to bash at you but to say I am sorry. Goodbye, for now, my brother." Louis gets up and makes his way to the tree where he and Aasim built Clementine's tree house. He was going to put the finishing touches on the door when he saw Ruby and Willy near the gates to let Clementine, Violet, Aasim, and Rosie back into the courtyard.
Louis abandons the idea and rushes over to greet his love. He can tell there is tension between the girl he loves and Violet as they make their way inside the safety of the school. Clementine eyes Louis and her eyes tell him to wait a minute as she and Violet need to talk. Louis watches the two go inside the admin building and up to Marlon's office. Aasim stands beside him as he, too watches Clementine take Violet in for a private conversation. Louis looks over at his friend, "What the fuck happened?"
"Clementine and I caught Violet with the girl from the Caravan. Clem thinks Vi may have been spilling information." Aasim filled Louis in.
"Did she?" Louis arches an eyebrow at him.
"From what I gathered, no, not by the looks of it, but it may seem like Violet has been spending time with this girl named Maya, which I am gathering you two came in contact with before." Aasim looks up into Louis's soft brown eyes.
"Only once back when Vi, AJ, and I went out on a supply run, but that was weeks ago. Are you sure it was Maya the Indian girl? With a scar above her left eye, brown eyes, and dark brown hair, and she has a bow?" Louis asks.
"Clem and I didn't see any bow with her, but she did identify herself as Maya, yes," Aasim confirmed. He looked to the ground and then rubbed the back of his head out of nervousness, "There is something else I picked up."
Louis turns to fully look at him, "And that would be?"
"You know I have a sixth sense of reading people right and feeling out their emotions." Aasim hinted.
"Yeah, which is an annoying gift I might add." Louis groans.
"Well….I kind of get a sense Vi and Maya are…." Aasim subtle hints.
"Are what?" Louis asks again.
Before Aasim could answer, Ruby comes over and hugs Aasim, kind of pushing Louis aside. Aasim eyes Louis, then Ruby and Louis get the hint as he enters the admin building. Once Louis was inside, he went to the grand central staircase, looking up where Clementine and Violet went. He plants one foot on a step but is hesitant to continue up the stairs. He senses tension between the two of them and not good tension. Louis closes his eyes and turns to head to the music room. He can sense there will be a fallout between Clementine and Violet again, and Clementine will need his calming music to help her through this setback with one of his best friends.
…..
Clementine walks past Louis once she leads the rest of the group back to the school. Clementine eyes Louis and told him not to come to her, as she needs to be a leader now and not a lover to him. Once Clementine and Violet are up in what used to be Marlon's office, Clementine closes the door for a private discussion with Violet, a friend she once trusted and now seeing her loyalty shift. Clementine makes her way to the desk, and her eyes fall onto Violet, "Let's start with how you two met."
"I told you everything, Clem." Violet looks at her. Clementine will not let up, so Violet caves in, telling her everything, "We met when Louis, AJ, and I went scouting for supplies that one outing. I haven't seen Maya since that day until I went to the bridge to let go and have closure of the feelings I had for Minnie. I wanted to do that privately and on my own away from everyone."
Clementine nods and then eyes her, "And you waited til now to have this discussion with me."
Violet now has anger in her eyes, "I didn't think of telling you because no one knows how much it hurts to let someone go you once loved. I wanted to move on from my love, what I thought was love from Minnie, Clem. I didn't run into Maya again until she saved me from the rapids." Violet confesses. "I know I should have told you when I met her again, but I wanted to feel her out before I shared it with you, and things got out of hand."
Clementine eases her sharp look at Violet a little. "It would have been nice to know." Clementine then questions Violet's loyalty a little, "Did you tell her anything about our school and where it is located?" Clementine grills her some more.
"No. I am not that stupid." Violet looks to Clementine. "Why are you acting like I betrayed this group?"
"Because you flat out lied to me and Ruby when you set out to do what you said you were going to do and then didn't do a damn thing you said promised us. How can I trust you again after that?" Clementine eyebrows furrowed with concern and frustration.
Violet sighs, "I….I didn't know how to tell you, Clem. And I was getting medical supplies from her, or learning how to abstract and make medicine from her teachings."
Clementine looks up from the desk as she looks at her, "What?"
"Maya has been teaching her way of abstracting medicine from plants. That is why…I sneak away. She is resourceful, Clem." Violet came out with the truth. "Here…" Violet digs out the vials of juices Maya and her abstracted before the herd and places them on the desk in front of Clementine. "These are some medicines we made before we...both got trapped by the herd."
Clementine looks at her and then at the vials on the desk. "How can you be certain it works?"
"I don't..but I trust her," Violet spoke the words she wished she hadn't spoken. "She healed me up with the medicine she used to put my leg a few weeks back."
"I still don't trust her Vi. She is with the group leader I don't trust and had my judgment the moment I met her back in the ski lodge in Tennessee." Clementine eyes her.
"You are not even going to give her a chance?" Violet looks at her.
"I am grateful she eased the tension with her group mates, but I still don't know her, Violet," Clementine said as she eyed Violet with her amber gaze. "You said it yourself back when I first brought James here when AJ was injured that you can't trust anybody outside these walls. What makes it okay with this girl you met a few weeks ago and spent a little quality time together?"
Clementine's words got to Violet. She eyes her with furry now, "You just don't know her Clem, as well as I. She is nothing like the guy we met Arvo or the other woman you mention." Violet noticed how Clementine tensed up at the word Arvo. Violet shook that off and looked at the wall beside her. "I don't understand why you don't give Maya a chance. She can help us, you know?"
Clementine grits her teeth to hold back her anger, "Because I don't trust the people she is with Violet. If she was on her own, then maybe, but the fact she is with the bitch that left me to die in the snow when I was 11 years old is all I need to know not to extend my trust." Clementine huffs out a sigh as she looks over at her friend, "I am trying to keep this group safe from a potentially dangerous threat or war between us and that group. I don't want bloodshed. You and the others have seen far too much of it lately. I am trying to keep this group alive and looking after everyone here and their safety. Something a true leader does and protects the group, can you understand that?"
Violet angrily looks away, "You're trying to keep me away from her, is that it?"
"Violet, that is not true. I am trying to protect yo-" Clementine tries to be a gracious leader, but Violet doesn't see it that way.
Violet angrily shouts at Clementine, "You have your deep prejudice against her because of something awful that happened to you in the past well, you are wrong, and you are acting and taking shortcuts just like how Marlon used to lead us and refuse to take any chances or risks. Well….fuck you!" Violet storms out of the room in tears as she knows what she said she did not mean it and knows Clementine is looking out for her safety. However, Violet feels hurt, confused, and messed up with these new love feelings, and Clementine becomes her scapegoat for facing the truth of falling for Maya.
"Violet! Violet, wait!" Clementine calls out, but Violet pays no heed to what Clementine has to say. Clementine sighs and ponds the desk with her fits, as she lets out a curse, "Goddamn it."
Aasim slowly makes his way to the door that is ajar and sees his leader distraught. He carefully steps into the room, "You okay, Clem?"
Clementine looks up at Aasim and wipes the tears from her eyes, "No…not really." Clementine looks out over the courtyard and sees Violet going to the back gate to her favorite spot as her voice rings through her mind like an endless loop.
"She's wrong, you know," Aasim spoke out, breaking Clementine's thoughts.
Clementine turns slightly to look at Aasim, "What?"
"Of her comment that she made, you are acting and taking shortcuts like Marlon. You are nothing like him, Clem. You are this group's best leader, and I couldn't ask for a better one like you." Aasim encouraged Clementine a bit. "Being a leader is not easy, and sometimes you got to make the shitty calls to ensure everyone's safety."
Clementine casts a look down at the ground with that compliment and wipes more tears out of her eyes, "Thanks, Aasim, I appreciate it a lot."
"No problem." Aasim smiles.
"How much have you heard?" Clementine looks up at him.
"Just the part of you not trusting Maya and the group members she is associated with." Aasim looks at her. "Don't worry. I am a vault. I won't repeat what I heard." Aasim leans beside the desk, "I got just one thing to ask. Why does the group this Maya girl belong to trigger you so much that it withholds your judgment of trusting? And why did Maya asks, 'He shot at you,' and you responded the way you did?"
Clementine looks at him as she leans her back against the doorpost of the balcony, "You want that whole story on why I have trust issues with her group?"
"Whatever helps me understand what happened back there," Aasim responded.
Clementine nods moves a pace or two back inside the office, and stands beside the wall just a foot or two from the desk. "Back before I came out this way and when AJ was just an infant, just barely two weeks old, I was a part of another group. A group of broken people I thought I could find a home and be with, but I was wrong. A woman in the group named Rebecca, AJ's birth mother, went into labor, and we need to find a secure spot for her to give birth. I went scouting with another woman named Jane for a secure place for Rebecca to give birth to AJ safely."
Clementine describes her past to Aasim, how she came in contact with Bonnie and Arvo, and why she has a deep disdain for them now, even after all these years, "Jane and I came across a teenage boy named Arvo as he was stuffing a bag of medicine in the trash. Jane wanted to steal from him, but I didn't want that on my conscious, so I gave Arvo back the meds. Well, later on, a few days after AJ was born, we came across Arvo again as he ambushed me and my group with some of his buddies who are armed, and accused me of stealing his stash, which I didn't. There was a shootout, and a bullet killed his sister as he tried to bring her back to life." Clementine pauses as she retells her story back when she was 11 years old. "I saw Arvo's dead sister turn and had to do the only thing I could as his walker sister was heading for me and AJ. I shot her and ended her suffering, but Arvo didn't see it that way, and still to this day holds it against me that I was the cause of her death."
Aasim nods as he starts to get a picture here, "So that is why he shot at you?"
"He shot at me when I warned Jane and Kenny when he, this guy named Mike, and a woman named Bonnie were going to steal all of our supplies, including food for AJ and our only working vehicle. I don't know what happened after I got shot. I only know from what Kenny told me hours later when I woke up, that they escaped on foot somewhere." Clementine growls. She took deep breaths to let the anger go. Clementine flashes her amber eyes at Aasim, "They left me to die, Aasim, and they could've let AJ die as well."
Aasim nodded as he got the full context of what happened. "You think this Arvo dude has a vendetta against you for something that happened years ago."
"Maybe, but I don't want to find out if that is the case, which is why I don't trust this Maya if she is a spy getting into Vi's head and then leading her group here," Clementine said. "This place others will do anything to claim it is theirs. I've seen other places fall and burn, but this place is well protected, and many other survivalists will try and steal it."
Aasim looks to Clementine, "I get your point, but still one question you didn't answer, how did Maya knows about your past, and why she said that."
Clementine rolls her eyes, "I don't know, maybe she got it from Bonnie or the weasel Russkie himself since she is in their group."
Aasim nods in agreement, then he looks up at her, "You want to go over some more winter plans, or are you.."
"Maybe another time, been one shitty day," Clementine admitted.
Aasim sighs, "I hear you. Well, Louis is down in the piano room, if you want to….let loose of what happened. I know you two have a thing for going in that room unwinding after unfortunate bad events." He moves to the door, and before he turns to leave, he looks to Clementine, "Give her some time to cool off. Maybe she is clouded by her judgment; she can't see your side just yet." Aasim turns to leave Clementine alone for her time to sort things out.
….
Alberto leads the way back to camp as Robert follows next, leaving the two girls in the back. Aniya falls in line with her sister as Maya keeps to herself. She can sense Alberto is furious with her and a bit of her sister. Maya flashes an annoying look, "I know you are angry at me, Aniya. I can sense it. So say what you got to.."
"Why did you lie to me about where you were going? And out of all people, be with that one blonde we met up with several weeks ago. What has gotten into you, Maya?" Aniya asked. "It is like you are not the sister I once knew."
Maya furrows her brows as she looks up at her younger sister, "I just….I don't know." Maya tries to hide what her heart is showing through.
Aniya picked up Maya's hesitancy, "When you didn't come back to the camp, I got worried. I thought I lost my sister, I didn't know where you were or where you have been, and I thought you….you...Why didn't you come back to camp?"
Maya casts her gaze to the ground, and she eyes Alberto up ahead. Maya lowered her voice so only her sister could hear, "Look, I will tell you everything once we get back…I don't want other ears to hear what I want to tell you."
Aniya looks into Maya's eyes just then, and something has changed. Something she is keeping her in the dark with. Aniya looks to the ground below her, not making eye contact with her sister. In a low voice, she mummers, "Is it with that blonde girl with green eyes?"
Maya looks down over her shoulder at her little sister, "As I said, I will tell you later when we don't have company listening."
"Are you in love with her?" Aniya pressed on, ignoring Maya's words. "Come on, Maya. I read your look when you left that girl's side. I am not blind." When Maya never said anything and just kept silent, Aniya knew in her empty words the truth. Aniya sighed as she cast her brown gaze to the side, "You know it is forbidden to love someone the same gender as you in our culture...and someone who is white."
Maya heaves out a sigh, "I know." She kept her brown eyes focused up ahead. "But I couldn't help or stop my heart from falling." Maya looked into her little sister's eyes, and the two of them said words without them being spoken.
They walked a little way until the four of them came to a bank in the clearing of the river and a beach that looked like a war going on. A boat was half sunk into the river, and burnt ruins layout before them, as many dead bodies. Some walkers, and some not.
Robert, Alberto, Maya, and Aniya all four of them looked flabbergasted at the sight before them. Maya heard Robert murmur out loud, "Jesus…."
Alberto turns to the group, "Look for survivors and keep a look out for hostiles."
Aniya shook her head, "That won't be necessary, Albert."
Alberto turns to look at the young teen, "Why there could be someone he..."
"Take a look at the soot and ash, Alberto. Whoever did this happened a while ago, and whoever survived is probably long gone." Aniya said, scanning the scene before her and being observant.
Robert nods to the young teen, "She is right."
Alberto sighs, "Well…scout around anyways…Never could know."
Robert casts his look at Maya as Maya is picking up vibes about what happened here. Robert walks close to the young girl's side, "Maya?"
Maya closes her eyes as she hears screams, moans of walkers, gunfire, and the sound of the boat blowing up. The other group mean looking at people gunning these kids down. Maya recognized their guns and military symbols. Delta. She hears a familiar voice, Violet. As she is calling out to Minnie, she hears the girl named Clementine as she protects the others. The boy, that looks like a younger version of Robert, kisses Clementine for luck before he takes off to join the other group of kids. There was tension between Minnie and Clementine as a grenade went off, blocking the rest of the group Clementine tried to protect from her. Maya opens her eyes and understands why Clementine was protective and hostile when meeting her. Maya felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turns to see Robert looking down at her.
"Do you see anything with your gift?" Robert looks at her.
"There was a fight. The Delta was here. And that girl we met in the woods an hour ago, Clementine. She fought them and sank their boat. I saw your son, Louis, with her." Maya looks up at him.
Robert eyes Maya sharply. Then in a shaky voice asked, "Dead?"
Maya shook her head, "Alive, at least in my vision." A sigh of relief washed over Robert's face when she said that. Maya looks at him, "Rob, your son may be involved with the girl we met in the woods."
Robert was asked, "Involved? Involved how?"
Before Maya could answer, Alberto, hollers out, "What the fuck is holding you two up."
Maya nudges her head in Alberto's direction, and she whispers to Robert, "I will tell you back at camp when we are alone."
Robert nodded in agreement, and the two pressed on to the smashed-up peer and dead bodies of walkers and others who used to be alive people. Maya comes across a dead woman with an arrow through the throat. Maya examines the body as her sister comes back from the pier. Aniya noticed the brand on the sleeve. "Delta. They were here."
"Yeah, looks to be so." Maya looked at the rotting body.
"So, who was strong enough to take out part of the Delta force? And are they still here?" Aniya asks.
Alberto comes up and then motions the two girls away from the rotting bodies, "Well, I took a look at the boat and can't see a way in, as the bottom of it is underwater and sunk into the river. If there were survivors on that thing, they either drowned, turned, or swam away and got eaten and died another way. We should tell Bonnie about this and warn of hostiles in this area who have done this."
Maya looks at Robert, and he looks back at her with a worried glance. Before they set off, Maya grabs hold of Roberts's hand and softly whispers to him, "I won't let anything happen to your son before you and he can reconcile and mend the past. I promise." Robert nods and squeezes the young girl's hand for reassurance.