The Truth Is

Chapter 11 - You care

I start to walk back downstairs and Carl follows me. We head to the main room where everyone is huddled. Before we get there Carl stops me and grabs my wrist.

He gives me a sly smile like he's going to say something that I don't want to hear, and of course Carl being Carl blurts it out.

"BROOKE LIKES NOAH!" All eyes are on me. I can feel my face getting red. "No I don't!" I scream. "Then why are you blushing?" He laughs. "Because you told everyone I like him when I really don't and now they are going to think I like him."

Everyone is still staring at me. "WHAT!?" I scream. "Nothing." Glenn says trying to hold in a laugh. I guess he couldn't hold it in though because he bursts out laughing. "Oh my god!" I yell and walk outside.

I know Carl was just joking but I don't think everyone else thought he was. Ugh.

"Hey." Someone says. I don't want to look up because I don't want to hear what anyone has to say. "Just leave me alone." I say back. "It's fine. I know you don't like me." He laughs. I look up to see Noah. "Yea well, everyone else thinks I do." We don't say anything for a minute.

"I'm overreacting aren't I?" I say and let out a laugh. "Little bit." He says laughing.

There's a long moment of complete silence. So quiet, that I can hear Noah's heartbeat. Then he breaks the silence. "Who were the two guys that did that to you?" He asks.

I hate saying their names. "Nicholas and Aiden." I say. "And they just stabbed your foot and left you?" "Yup." I really hated those two. "Well they will pay for that." He looks into my eyes and smiles.

"What else happened to you?" He asks me. "Well before I got to the hospital, I had to go through this cave with a bunch of walkers. I almost didn't make it out of there alive. I got shot in the leg but I took care of that. And um.. a guy named.. named.." I pause. I hate this part. "Who? You can tell me anything. If you don't want me to say anything to anyone, I won't." He really means that. I can tell from his eyes. "A guy named Negan. He killed my friend. He hit me a few times but one of his people let me go when Negan wasn't looking."

"I thought you were alone since the farm?" He sounds confused. I would be too if I were him though. "I was. Well, for most of it. I was with this other girl about my age for about a month. We found Negan's group and we thought it was safe. We thought wrong." This was the worst thing that's happened to me yet, but I can think of worse things that could happen, loosing my mom, or Noah.

"You had to go through all that?" He asks me. "yea" "I'm so sorry." He says. "It's fine. I had to in order to find my mom." Now that I have my mom back, none of the stuff I had to go through really matters to me anymore.

"I didn't know you had to go through all of that." I turn around to see Carl. Noah gets up and leaves so Carl can talk to me. Carl takes Noah's spot in front of me. "I'm sorry about that. I was just joking be-" I cut him off. "I know."

"Why didn't you tell me you went through all of that?" why does he even care? "Because it doesn't matter." "What are you talking about?! It does matter! If you get stabbed, or shot, or hurt, I want to know. I care about you!"

I doubt that he really cares. He cares about Sophia, not me. And whenever he sees me, he sees sophia. "I'm not just saying this because of sophia! I honestly care about you. Everyone here does." It's like he read my mind.

I don't say anything. I just look at the ground. "How long ago did that Negan guy hit you?" He asks. "Like six months ago, why?" "How hard did he hit you?" "Enough to give me bruises. Why are you asking so many questions?" "Didn't I just say I care about you?" He smiles and I smile back.

"Do you still have them? The bruises?" "Um probably not. He did give me a scar though." This is starting to get a little uncomfortable. "Where?" "My stomach. Why?" "Uh. Never mind." I think he wants to look at it. I sigh a little and lift up my shirt just enough to reveal the scar.

He looks at it. "Has it ever become infected?" "No, at least I don't think so." He touches the scar and I jokingly wince. "That hurts?" He asks. "No" I laugh.

"Are you serious?!" He laughs "I thought I hurt you." He says. "You really do care." I say under my breath. I didn't know he heard me but I guess he did. "Yes."

I don't know what to say. I don't say anything at all. But when I'm about to speak I get interrupted by someone screaming. "We have to go! Now! Get your stuff, everyone!"

Whatever this is, can't be good.