Ellie Dixon

Bump in the Road... Literally

We'd been driving for a few hours. When Maggie noticed that I was sad about twenty minutes into the journey, she made me come sit with her and Glenn. I was sitting on Maggie's lap, my head on her shoulder and my back to the window as my legs were stretched onto Glenn's lap. Glenn was holding Maggie's hand with one hand and my calf with another. There was a CD in the bus, I didn't recognise the song, but I enjoyed the soft melody. 

Abraham was driving, Rosita sitting behind him and playing with his hair, she was across from us as me, Maggie and Glenn were in the front row. Eugene was sitting behind me, Maggie and Glenn whereas Tara was across from Eugene.  "It's getting a little messy for you." Rosita commented about Abraham's hair.

"Getting ready for retirement." Abraham countered with a hidden grin on his face. "Relaxing the grooming standards. Thinking about becoming a plumber.  A sheepherder or something."

"You ain't herding sheep now, Abraham." Rosita smiled. "Eyes on the prize."

"Damn straight." Abraham agreed. "That's my girl... Maybe I'll let you shave me down all over. Dolphin smooth."

She laughed and tapped his shoulder before settling back into her seat. "I'll cut it for you tonight."

"Can you do mine as well, please?" I asked her. My hair was halfway down my biceps. 

"Of course, mi amor. But, I think you look pretty with long hair." She smiled at me.

"Yea, don't cut it, Ellie." Maggie ran a a hand through my hair.

"I prefer it short. Less to grab." I responded.

A pained look took over Maggie and Glenn's face. Rosita just nodded with a frown, she didn't know that I was talking about how my mother used to treat me as well. I wanted to tell her, but I didn't know how. "I'll cut it for you tonight, amor." Rosita assured me.

After ignoring Tara and Eugene's short conversation, Maggie started speaking. "Maybe they're right behind us. Maybe Daryl and Carol came back. Maybe they took the map, found some cars and they're just down the road."

"They'll catch up." Glenn insisted. "We're clearing the way for them."

"You really think so?" I asked Glenn.

He squeezed my leg. "I know so."

"Like you knew the Tooth Fairy isn't real but then that dollar showed up under my jacket the next morning. You're not always right, Glenn." I reminded him.

"Yea... Not sure why the Tooth Fairy went out of her way to bring you a dollar when there's nothing for you to spend it on. That one was a shocker. But, I'm right about this, okay?" Glenn smiled.

I nodded, before sitting up straighter to peer over the seat at Eugene. "How long will it be? Once you get to Washington and start doing your science crap?"

"Depends on the number of factors, including density of the infected around target sites world wide." Eugene stated. My eyebrows furrowed, not entirely sure what he just said. Again, ten years old.

"Target sites?" Glenn asked as he and Maggie also turned in their seats to see Eugene. "Are you talking about missiles?"

Eugene stared at the man for a few seconds. "That's classified." Eugene deadpanned. I'd seen the army bomb my school. Most of the nice neighbourhood actually, my neighbourhood stayed untouched, they didn't care about us even at the end of the world.

"I thought we were over that." Glenn stated, talking about the secrets Eugene was keeping from us.

"What if we all live?" Eugene countered.