Complicated ✔

Ch. 5 - Run Gone Wrong

KATHRYN’S POV

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve come to stay at the rock quarry. Glenn’s come into the RV every night since that first night, just to sit with me until I could fall asleep and then every morning I’d wake up in my bed and he would be gone. I’ve almost gotten caught multiple times by the man named Daryl while staring at him. Lori still doesn’t like me watching him but I really could care less what she likes at this point. Glenn told me last night before I fell asleep that he and a small group were going into Atlanta to scavenge for some supplies. I woke up early this morning, so I could see Glenn and the others off before they left. I walked out of the RV, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I looked around for Glenn, finding him instantly around some other members of the group. “Hey,” I said walking up to him as he turned around to face me.

“Hey,” he said smiling at me as I smiled sleepily at him, “I was almost sure you wouldn’t be up this morning to see us off. It was pretty late when you finally fell asleep.” “I’m up,” I said smiling, “how long y’all supposed to be gone anyway?” “Um,” he said glancing around at the members who were leaving with him as they got ready, “probably most of the day but we’ll definitely be back before dark, okay?” I went to say something when Merle, Daryl’s older brother, walked by us and opened his big mouth. “Don’t ya worry Princess,” he said, “we’ll bring yer boyfriend back in one piece.” I felt my jaw basically drop to the floor as I looked back to Glenn to see he was looking to the ground with his eyes wide and a blush evident on his face as I’m sure it was on mine.

GLENN’S POV

Well it’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one caught completely off guard by Merle’s uncalled for comment about Kathryn and myself. I glanced over at Kathryn to see she was looking at me, her mouth opening and closing like a fish but no sounds or words were coming from her mouth. I couldn’t fight the smile and chuckle that came after watching her for a few moments. Finally gaining some control over herself, she began laughing with me as we let what Merle said slide right on by and not bother us like it probably should have as we were nowhere near dating. “I guess I should get going,” I said after the laughing died down and she wiped tears from her eyes, “I’ll see you when I get back.” “Be careful out there Glenn,” she said before moving forward and hugging me once again.

KATHRYN’S POV

It’s been a few hours I’d say since the group left for Atlanta. We heard a man on the CB radio not too long after the group left, but he couldn’t hear us. I think there was too much static or something, even Shane tried to get through to him and warn him about Atlanta. I was sitting on the steps to the RV, leafing through one of the few books Dale told me I could read if I wanted to, trying to kill time until our group returned and I knew Glenn was safe. Him and Amy were the only two real friends I had in this group. I just kept to myself around the others. I glanced up from the book in my hand when I heard Amy talking to Lori about the mushrooms I think from over by the fire. I groaned when I caught sight of Lori standing up and walking over to where I was sitting.

“What,” I asked looking back down at the book and hoping she’d go away. “I want you to keep an eye on Carl while I’m out,” she said like I didn’t know where she was going. “Yeah I’ll watch Carl so you can go screw Dad’s best friend,” I snapped as I stood up and stared her in the eyes. I laughed as I watched her face seem to almost drain of all color. “I don’t know what you think you know but I assure you that you’re wrong,” she said as her voice wavered. “I’m 18 Lori,” I said shaking my head at her in disbelief, “I’m not stupid. I know what sneaking around looks like.” She took a deep breath before walking off away from me and towards the RV. “Hey Dale I’m heading out,” she called up as she looked to him up on top of the motorhome.

AMY’S POV

I watched as Lori walked away before turning my attention to a still slightly fuming Kathryn who was walking over towards me. “I know I get the same answer every time I ask you this,” I said smiling as I glanced at her while she continued to hold a book in her hands, “but why do you always give her such a hard time?” “My dad hasn’t been dead a month and she was already screwing his best friend,” she said calmly and looked over at me, “it makes me wonder if she and Shane had something going on before this all started happening.” “I see,” I said nodding before turning back to what I was doing, “so you and Glenn, anything going on there?” “W-what,” she asked as her face turned bright red, “there’s nothing going on between me and Glenn.” “Oh come on Kathryn,” I said laughing as her face turned another shade of red, “I’ve seen Glenn come out of Dale’s RV late at night sometimes.”

KATHRYN’S POV

“Look,” I said sighing in defeat, “there’s really nothing going on between me and Glenn. I just can’t sleep at night anymore. All I see is my dead father’s face. It haunts me.” “I’m sorry Kathryn,” she said quickly moving over to wrap me in a hug. “I think I’m gonna go lay down,” I said pulling out of the hug and standing up. I let Dale know so he could keep an eye on Carl for me even though I was supposed to but I felt a headache coming on from thinking about my dad. I hadn’t really done that in almost a week and now for some strange reason, especially after hearing that man’s voice, I can’t stop wishing it was my dad’s voice. As I laid down and closed my eyes, I saw my dad’s face again but without all the tubes and wires like last time, he was smiling at me.

I’m not sure how long I was asleep for before I finally walked out of the RV rubbing my eyes free of sleep and looking around. I was hoping to see Glenn and the others back but there was no sign of them and spotting Amy over by the fire pit, looking pissed off and worried. Walking over to her, I glanced around to see everyone looking worried. “Hey what’s going on,” I asked as I sat next to Amy in time to catch her sniffling. “The group,” she said looking over at me, “they’re trapped in the department store they went to when they left to Atlanta.” “What,” I asked as I was hoping this was some sick joke, “no. Glenn said they’d be fine. They’d come back safe and sound.” I watched as she looked at me, fear and unshed tears in her eyes as I felt my own watering.

I looked around, watching Lori, Shane, and Carl all over there having a laugh while I was virtually about to break down at any moment. Before I could look back to Amy beside me, before I could even utter another sound to her, I heard what sounded like car alarm headed our way. I jumped up with Amy from where we sat and ran over to the RV. “All be damned,” I heard Dale say from above us. “What is it,” I asked looking up at him then over towards the road. “Stolen car is my guess,” he said lifting his binoculars back up to his eyes to watch. I turned my attention back to the road and watched as this red Challenger pulled to a stop in front of the RV and one person stepped out.

“Glenn,” I shouted when I spotted his worn out baseball cap pop out of the driver side of the car. He turned to me and smiled after popping the hood for Shane and Jim as I ran over to him and jumped into his arms. “Told you I’d come back Kathryn,” he said smiling as his arms wrapped tightly around me as my feet came off the ground. Amy was bombarding Glenn with questions about Andrea but I couldn’t really care because my best friend was back and safe. I turned my attention back to the second approaching vehicle, some sort of truck, and watched as Andrea stepped out of the back and Amy ran straight to her the second she could see her. I watched as Morales greeted his wife and two kids as I felt myself shaking with a silent sob.

“Come here,” Glenn said placing his arms on my shoulders and turning me around where I rested my head in the crook of his neck and watched as Lori tried to talk to Carl and calm him down. “How’d y’all get out of there anyway,” I heard Shane said as I felt Glenn’s hand rubbing up and down my arm trying to comfort me. “New guy,” Glenn said as I lifted my head up to look at him, “got us out.” “New guy,” Shane asked as I managed to look over at Lori and Carl again. “Yeah crazy vato just got into town,” Morales said by his family, “hey helicopter boy come say hello! The guy’s a cop like you.” My attention shifted to Shane in front of me and Glenn when I noticed his reaction. In that second, I heard Carl shout out as my head turned around to face what had Shane so stunned.