Unexpected Events

-remember 5.12-

Alexandria. A normal looking place on the outside. But so is every other place. Terminus looked normal, but they ended up being a bunch of fucking cannibals. Hershel's farm looked normal, but they ended up having a bunch of walkers and even Sophia in their barn. Both places looked normal from afar, but really they weren't entirely what they seemed to be.

But after days of no food and water and then a guy shows up with applesauce, I'll trust anything the guy says.

The only thing that sucked about this whole thing was the interview, like I was getting tested if I would work out here or not.

My stomach was twisting when it was my turn. I was the last one to go.

She had a camera to record me and my answers, now I really couldn't fuck it up.

"My names Deanna, I hope you don't mind being recorded." She said with a cheery smile, she looked honestly happy. No bullshit or anything.

"Okay." I told her.

"What's your name?" She asked. She already knew, she just needed this on tape.

"Liam Walsh." I answered directly.

A smile was still plastered to her face, still somehow not phony or fake. "Where are your parents Liam?"

"Dead. My dad was crazy, someone had to put him down is my guess. And for my mom, I hope her ass is gone." I said with a blank expression. Maybe I was overdoing the no emotion. I didn't need to get kicked out for being insane. I was not my father.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what it's like to be out there." She looked genuinely sorry, more emotion than anyone I've seen in awhile. I allowed myself to relax, expression softening.

"It's fine, not your fault." I tried to give her somewhat of a "smile". It was faint, but it was something.

——

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" Deanna asked.

"I don't think so." I told her. By the end of this I felt like I was in what I'd imagine to be like a therapy session. I was itching for it to end, and to go to where the others were. Carl and I had a lot of exploring to do.

"Alright, then that concludes it." She said, getting up to turn off her camera. Finally. I sighed like a weight had just been lifted off my chest.

——

All of our weapons were turned in. Every single one, or so they thought. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who kept at least something on me. I hid my switchblade inside my converse which was extremely uncomfortable, but only a weirdo would check my shoe, the were the low ones that seemed like a place that would be impossible to hide something.

Aaron gave Rick and Carl a little talk which I didn't pay any attention to, as normal.

"Hey wanna come with us to check out the house?" Carl asked as the group dispersed. Everyone going opposite directions.

I turned around to face him, "sure." I grinned slightly.

A couple weeks ago I started to realize I liked him. Not in the way you typically like your friends, I liked him how Maggie liked Glenn. And I may have told Maggie about it. She was the only other person I was close with. She was basically a big sister. She was proud of me, which I didn't really understand why but it was whatever. She was happy for me.

I followed the two Grimes over to the house. Rick immediately went to take a shower as Carl and I looked around.

"This is nice, nicer than what I lived in before the apocalypse." I mentioned. There was a nicely decorated fireplace, the whole place had every little detail you would see in one of those reality shows. Maybe I was exaggerating but this was amazing.

"Check it out." Carl smirked, turning the kitchen faucet on, and then off. "Running water."

"How-" I was shocked. This place had everything I wouldn't expect to see again.

"Only one explanation," Carl looked at me very seriously, but also looking like he figured out a world mystery, "this place is magical." He said laughing, mainly because I actually believed he had a reason.

I rolled my eyes, shoving his shoulder away from me. The smile on my face couldn't be denied though, even while trying to not give him the pleasure of tricking me.

"There's an upstairs, wanna go see it?" I asked.

"Sure." He said going for the stairs. "Is there gonna be a dead body in there?"

"You wish." I snorted as we went up.

Once we got up there an eerie feeling came upon me, which Carl must've felt it too because he grabbed out the knife he had grabbed from the kitchen. I grabbed mine from where it was now in my pocket.

Carl turned to look at me, stopping. We had heard a noise earlier but brushed it off. Now all I could think about was somebody waiting to ambush us.

"Scared?" I asked, failing to hide my nervousness.

"If your so big and strong then you can go first." Carl said, stepping out of the way.

"No way little Grimes is scared?" I said acting shocked, my mouth open like it was a surprise.

"No, it's just your turn to go first and possibly die." Carl said. He was right. We had a thing where we took turns doing dangerous shit and who would go first.

I stepped in front of him, my knife still out as i went to open the door handle.

I quickly opened the door. Nada.

I shrugged proudly, like I had done something more than just open a door.

"Someone was living up here." Carl pointed out, going over to the mattress and comics on the floor.

"Cool!" I said walking over, crouching down and picking one up. "Mine now." I said getting up, folding it and putting it into the back pocket of my jeans.

I knew Carl was better than to take one, so I planned to give him the one I took later on.

Carl mumbled something from behind me before coming over as Rick called us down.

———

Originally it was just a walk with the Grimes. Then it was old people calling us over to meet Judith. And then it was a blonde girl saying to meet her son, which Rick volunteered for us to go do.

And of course when we got there, there was a girl. I don't read much, but I've read enough to know that's never gonna work out in my favor. If it did work out for me she'd be a lesbian or something.

Even if she looked like she hated us, that feeling didn't go away. Carl now had new people to hang out with.

"Hey, you want a turn?" Carl asked, waving the controller in my face. I zoned out... again.

"No," I said taking a deep breath in. I couldn't be in here, I wanted to claw my skin off. I was sweaty all of a sudden, itchy. "I gotta go." I said practically panting. I ran outside ignoring the looks I got from Ron's mom and everyone else in that damn house.

The fresh air hit me, I felt way better.

What the fuck just happened to me?

——

"Hey, you alright?" Maggie asked as I went to our house. Her and Glenn were sitting on the porch talking when I came running back.

"I think so..?" I was basically asking myself.

"You look like you got hit by a bus." Glenn said, which I pretty much knew already.

"Thanks Glenn." I gave him an obvious fake smile before heading inside.

Something is seriously wrong with me.

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