Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Hey Cal, come join us!" Lori shouted over to her teenage daughter. The young girl was still doing everything in her power to avoid the others around camp.
Cali had a feeling that most of them wouldn't be around that long anyway. She just didn't feel like it was a good idea to get too attached to anyone. The girl kept away from everyone instead opting to hide inside of Shane's Jeep.
Hesitantly, the brunette made her way out of the Jeep and over towards the small fire pit that her mother and some other survivors were huddled around. She plopped herself down in between her mom and brother. Shane was sitting on the other side of Carl. It was time for dinner and on the menu was a delicious can of beans and a hot dog. It was the only food that they currently had.
"We're going to have to come up with a plan to get more supplies." Shane stated sharing his hotdog with Carl. "Maybe a small group could go for a run into the city to check things out."
"That might be a good idea." Nodded an older man. Cali had heard a few other people call him Dale. He seemed like a nice man.
"I'd be willing to make the runs into the city." The man with the baseball cap said from his place beside Dale. Cali thought he was quite cute as she studied his features. This small action didn't go unnoticed by Shane who was secretly staring at the girl our of the corner of his eye.
"That would be great Glenn." Shane nodded stiffly. After that Cali kind of tuned out the conversations going on around her. It amazed her how happy everyone seemed. It was like their lives hadn't totally changed. They acted like they were simply on a camping trip.
Cali thought that there was something wrong with herself. Why couldn't she pretend like everyone else? She wished that she could forget that her father was dead. She would do anything to reverse the fact that she killed her best friend. Cali may have not been the happiest person before but she would do anything to go back to that.
"So Ms. Cali when are we going to learn about you?" Dale questioned breaking the teen out of her thoughts.
"Um what do you want to know?" She said awkwardly glancing around at all of the people staring at her expectantly.
"Anything." Amy the blonde that her mother had been trying to set her up with spoke up smiling at Cali from across the fire.
"There's not really that much to tell." She shrugged. "I'm 18 and a senior in high school. Or I guess I was a senior. I was excited about going to college but doesn't look like that'll be happening anytime soon."
"What were you planning to major in?" Jacqui questioned from Cali's right.
"It's kind of lame but I've always wanted to become an English teacher." Cali replied nervously. "I love to read and write so I guess that had something to do with it."
"Maybe you can help teach the children here." Dale smiled.
"Yes! That would be awesome. Myself, Carol, and some of the other mothers have been talking about continuing to school the kids." Lori explained. "We think it'll be good for them to still learn at least the most basic things."
"It would give you something to do." The older blonde muttered sarcastically. Andrea didn't really like Cali. She felt like the young girl was a drama queen that was too good to do any work. Cali couldn't help that she was a little depressed about her father and best friends deaths.
"Yeah, that sounds fun." Cali smiled sweetly in Andreas direction. The blonde rolled her eyes turning her attention back to her little sister. Shane sent Cali an amused look lightly shaking his head at her antics.
"Alright kids time for bed." Lori announced standing from her seat. Carl groaned refusing to stand. "Carl come on!"
"Go on bud." Shane said patting Carl's back. "Listen to your mom."
Lori sent Shane a thankful smile as Carl got up. Cali didn't know why but she didn't like the way Shane was acting like their father. She understood that Carl needed a male figure in his life but the idea of it being Shane made her uncomfortable.
"Cali are you coming?" The Grimes woman questioned looking at her daughter expectantly.
The brunette almost snorted. Was her mom serious? She was 18 not 8. She didn't need a bedtime like her little brother. Cali curiously glanced at Shane seeing him trying to fight back a smile. He thought it was funny that her mom was treating her like a little kid.
Scoffing the girl shot up storming past her mother. She hastily entered the tent that was meant for the remaining three members of the Grimes family. Shane of course had his own personal tent.
Cali quickly changed into one of her dad's t shirts that her mom had packed. She decided to just wear the shirt with no pants seeing as it was big enough to come down to her mid thigh.
The brunette was already laying down on the small makeshift bed when Lori and Carl entered the tent. She had her back to them pretending to be asleep. Cali could faintly hear her mother helping Carl get ready for bed. It wasn't until the small frame of her brother slide into bed next to her that she relaxed.
When Cali was sure that her mother had exited the tent she turned over towards her brother. Carl looked up at her with tears running down his face. She immediately wrapped her arms around the young boy pulling him into her chest.
Cali couldn't even imagine how difficult this all was for Carl. She made a silent promise to herself and her brother that night. Cali vowed that she was going to be there for him no matter what. He was her main priority.
