MAKNAE [twd] *editing*

【61】

As Aiden and Nicholas leave Deanna's office, I ease into the door to see her sitting alone at her desk. I wasn't sure what to say to gain her attention, so I close the door a bit louder to make a noise. It works as she lefts her head from her papers to look in my direction.

"For a second I thought you were Maggie," she laughs.

"She's still with Glenn," I say, taking steps toward her.

"Is there something you need?" she asks, resting her hands on the desk, looking proper as a politician does.

"I want to join the run crew."

She hums, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, "Why?"

"Being here is nice- safe. But, I need to be out there sometimes, too. To remember what the real world is like so I don't forget."

"This is the real world. Here, inside these walls," she points out.

"This is a ghost of life before with less pollution," I rephrase.

"There," I point to the window like I was pointing outside the walls, "That's the hand we've been dealt. That's life now. Even if those walls stay up and we never see a walker from outside come in, that.. sickness. That disease.. It's in us. No matter how we die, we all turn."

"So I've heard and seen," she nods.

"It's in us. It's not going away because we are a part of it. I just need to see it up close again."

"Are there any other reasons?" she asks, though she already knew.

I was forever see through to her.

"What's a nice way of saying I don't trust your sons with my brother and friends and want to be with them just in case?"

"You don't trust my sons?" she asks and I could see a faint smile dare to cross her lips.

And God did I want to wipe it off of her face.

"My dad used to say that he hoped when I have a kid that they would be exactly like me so I could see what he's raised. He wanted me to see the struggle and work that goes into shaping someone like me," I recall the story.

Deanna tilts her head, listening intently.

"I asked him if that's what his parents told him. He said they told him the opposite so that he would be a better parent than they were. Which, is funny on it's own. My grandparents are good people and my father is a good man. So, I always wondered what happened when they were raising him.."

"Point is.. kids only grow up good if they had a good person to guide them. A parent, a sibling, grandparents, a friend.. It depends how much work that person put in to raising and shaping the child before they were an adult."

An incredulous smile grows on Deanna's face as she begins to sort through the innuendo.

"And yet you're downing my sons.. What are you trying to say about me?" she asks.

"It's nothing on you per say.." I hum, placing my hands on the desk and leaning toward her.

Her face morphs into a mixture of intrigue, confusion, and a hint of anger.

"You were a politician so odds are you were probably never home long enough to give any one of your three stooges attention when they needed a bedtime story or a slap on the wrist. Your husband was an architect who probably traveled a lot for work and was also never home to give any father-son bonding time."

"And you only have the three sons. So, my guess is that you either paid off some babysitter that was either eye candy for a bunch of horny teenagers or an elder that already had one foot in the grave. Or, you left the oldest of the three in charge and they all grew up to be just like each other."

"Either way, they were probably hell on earth while growing up. And unless that hit from my brother knocked some sense into Aiden, my guess is that they still are under those douchebag smiles that think they own the world all because their mommy is in charge."

Deanna huffs a laugh of disbelief, looking to her paperwork before meeting my eyes again.

"Thing is.. They aren't two year old's that throw tantrums in the store. If this was the old world, they'd probably be behind bars for starting a fight in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, like I said. This world is the hand we were dealt. Rick and Michonne may be your new cops, but they aren't going to lock your sons up out of fear that you'll turn your back on us and take your frustration out on our group instead of the assholes that deserve it."

"People like that in this world? They are the ones that their own selfishness gets in the way of safety and the good of the group. They make mistakes. They fuck up plans. They aren't safe to be around and they aren't loyal enough to keep around."

"People like that now? They get people killed," I state, leaning back up from my position.

Deanna is silent, her jaw ticking as she looks to her papers again.

"You're not being added to the run crew," she finally speaks.

I scoff, stepping away from the desk. Turning to the side, I shake my head in annoyance.

"Because, I have a different job for you," she finishes.

I only turn my head to look at her, being graced with one of her trademarked smiles that told me she once again had everything figured out.

She eases up to stand, "But, I'll only let you in on what it is and your position if you agree to one thing."

She holds her finger up, a visual of the promise for the catch.

"What?" I ask.

"You have to go to the party tonight."

"Party?" I repeat.

"I'm hosting a welcome party for you and your group. Everyone will be there. Now, I know that the whole- new people thing is heavy for you right now. But, it's one night and then you get to know your job. As long as you come see me at the party and I know for a fact that you put an effort in and came, then we'll call it fair."

"Fine," I nod, "I'll go to your party."

"Good," she claps once, celebrating her victory, "Be sure and dress nice."

I scoff again. Dressing nice used to be normal attire for me back home. Dad said we had to keep appearance for the sake of the family's reputation.

After all, grandfather was a retired judge, grandmother was a physician, dad worked in the music and television industry, Angela was a fashion designer, and I was a representative of my school.

Prestigious and hardworking was the Rhee family's reputation back in Seoul.

God bless Glenn and his pizza delivery career in Georgia.

"After all, don't you have someone to impress?" Deanna asks.

"Someone to impress?" I repeat.

"Well.. from what I've seen, you have a couple to impress. And who knows, maybe even more by the end of the night."

"I do this party and I get a job?" I ask, wanting to get back on track.

She laughs, but nods her head in affirmation, "Go to the party, get a job."

"Then, I'll do the stupid party."

--

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

hi deanna and hana are so fun to write for its like playing chess