rag doll | TWD

[4] chupacabra

bless the broken road---rascal flatts

♮♮♮
[JJ]

"JJ, hey, what're you thinkin' bout today?" Maggie asked as we walked out of the house and down the porch steps. 

"I figured I'd help with the search." I told her.

"Just don't get lost like you did Memorial Day."

"Okay, that's on you for not clarifying there's three different lakes within two miles of here." 

Maggie laughed, "No... that's on you for not knowing your left and right."

I rolled my eyes, "whatever."

"I'll catch up with you later, JJ." She grinned. "Good luck."

"Hey, Rick," I turned my attention to my brother who had walked past me in the direction of the group. "How's Carl feeling?"

"Better. Slowly getting his strength back." He told me, "He's been asking about you. Bout when you're gonna come visit."

I pursed my lips, nodding, "You sure you and Lori'd be okay with that?" Rick looked over to me with an apologetic look.

The number of conversations about me I had heard between them was what ultimately drove me away. I couldn't stand the thought of weakening their marriage just because I couldn't follow some simple rules when I was in high school.

"You know, if I hang around too long, I might turn Carl into a walking disaster." I recalled one of Lori's insults- one of her best, if you ask me. 

Rick immediately knew where it was from, "She never meant those things."

I bit my lip, scoffing, "Kinda think she did... but, I get it. I was a horrible teenager, and was even worse when I went to college." I shrugged, "Carl didn't need to be around that shit, and you can't blame Lori for not wanting that for him either."

Rick stopped, "I just never understood what happened. One day you were the JJ who won homecoming queen and was home by 10 because Jeremy Lanson tried to kiss you, and then-"

"Then I was the teenage delinquent JJ breaking into neighbor's houses?" I sighed, "yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Wasn't your fault." 

It was Shane's.

"Can we start over? Forget what happened?

Rick nodded, happily agreeing, "Yeah."

We made the rest of our way over to the group and Rick greeted, "Morning, guys. Let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover." 

My brother set up the map on the hood of the truck again. "All right, everyone's getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far."

"I'd like to help." Jimmy walked up to us. "I know the area pretty well and stuff."

"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick questioned. 

"Yeah, yeah, uh. He said I should ask you."

"All right then. Thanks."

"Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me." Shane announced, "Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse."

"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea asked. Look, I'm a fan of cowboy hats and all, even got a few myself, you know, for frat parties, but hers is just stupid looking.