"What do you think about the run?" Aliyah asked as she sat beside Rowen on the metal bleachers.
"I think we need it but I still think it's stupid." The two girls had grown closer, Rowen left the cell more, she talked to more people, she talked to everyone except the boy in the cowboy hat. Rowen and said boy hadn't talked since their argument, which was now nearly two months ago.
"I get why you think it's stupid but it could really help us. With the new group from that old school, we're really low on food." Aliyah explained, Rowen knew this already, but after being with her father on the road for close to a year, she knew that places with the promise of an abundance of food, were always overrun, or already cleared out.
Rowen just nodded along to what the girl was saying, Aliyah had been going on and on about the stupid big spot that Glenn had found and according to him, looked promising. Rowen didn't think anyone could talk about a store this much. But she was wrong, apparently.
"-And Sasha said that if it works out, we could be set for awhile." Rowen stood from the bleachers, she couldn't listen to Aliyah talk about this big spot for any longer.
"Sorry, I-uh just remembered Hershel asked me to help him with the medical cell, he wants me to learn a few things just in case." Rowen waved to the girl as she walked backwards toward the prison. As she was turning to face the prison, she was knocked off her feet. Whoever slammed into her hit the ground next to her, and it was then that she spotted the familiar cowboy hat,
"Do you ever watch where you're going!" He yelled as he stood, grabbing his hat as he looked down at the girl.
"You ran into me, asshole." Rowen voiced out as she rose to her feet.
The boy scoffed and shook his head like the idea of him running into her was insane. Without another word he walked off, heading to god knows where. Rowen turned back to the prison, walking inside and to the medical cell where Hershel had not requested her, but she decided to help anyway.
☆
Rowen had been in the cell with Hershel for the better part of the day, he taught her how to do some basic stitches, just incase.
"So I pull the needle through the skin and knot it?" Rowen asked the old man.
"Exactly" he spoke.
Rowen continued practicing her sutures as Hershel called them on the old tattered cloth, when the old man gave Rowen a nod of approval she cleaned up the mess she made with the needle and thread.
It was nearing lunch when Patrick walked in complaining of a headache that just wouldn't go away. Hershel gave him some expired Tylenol and sent him on his way.
Rowen helped Hershel clean the cell a bit before she left, she went straight to the cafeteria to eat something. She grabbed a bowl, and poured some of the soup Carol had made into it. She sat down on the metal tables that were inside, the cafeteria was crowded which was normal at this time.
She began to eat, she listened as everyone around her, ate and talked with one another. She sat alone, in the farthest corner, she may have been making progress throughout the prison with the others, but she still felt better in solitude.
The second he entered the room she heard his stomps coming towards her, and as predicted he stopped right in front of her, her hand paused with the spoon halfway to her mouth as the looked up at the man.
"Have ya eaten?"
Rowen rolled her eyes, "I'm eating right now." She raised her eyebrows at him, he only nodded once. Over the course of the last couple months, the hotheaded redneck seemed to keep a close eye on her.
"The group is leavin' for the run in a bit, just wanted to make sure ya was fine 'fore I left." He stood awkwardly as he waited for a response.
"Well I am" Rowen dropped her head back down to her bowl and continued eating, he stood there for a moment longer before he left.
Rowen hated when he would check up on her, she can take care of herself, she never had any problems with it before.
☆
Rowen was reading Romeo and Juliet for the third time, she couldn't seem to find a book that compared to it. So the girl sat in the dim cell as she read, she was bored, so far her day had been uneventful. She wasn't on fence duty, she had no chores listed under her name today, and Rick didn't need any help with the farm.
The piglets had grown a lot since she arrived at the prison, and they ate almost double of what the used to. Rowen folded the corner of the page over, before closing it and leaving the cell.
The girl wandered out to the field, her attention being drawn to a group of girls yelling near the fence.
"Nick, look over here!"
"Nick!"
"Hi Nick!"
Rowen walked closer to the group, that's when she noticed Patrick and Carl doing the same thing.
"You're naming them?" She heard Carl say as she got closer,
"Well one of 'em has a name tag. So we thought all of them should." A little blonde girl, who Rowen knew as Mika shrugged.
Rowen now stood beside Patrick and Carl, listening in on the conversation. "They had names when they were alive, their dead now." Carl played with the soccer ball in his hands.
"No their not, their just different." Lizzie spoke. Rowen had only talked to the girl a handful of times, but judging by that comment, Rowen thought she needed some serious help.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Carl said, clearly growing more irritated with the conversation.
"They don't talk, they don't think. They eat people. They kill people." Rowen spoke up, everyone turned to her, all attention now on the red head.
"People kill people, they still have names." Lizzie sneered at her.
"Have you seen what happens? Have you seen someone die like that?" Rowen urged on. She wanted the girl to understand.
"Yeah, I have."
"Their not people, and their not pets. Don't, name them." Carl spoke up again, Lizzie spoke about going to read while the rest of the walker naming group left.
"I'm gonna head up there too, catch you later young sir." Patrick left, now only Carl and Rowen remained.
"Yup" Carl mumbled.
"Young sir?" Rowen asked
"I don't know." Carl looked at the ground. This was awkward, this was the first time they had been completely alone since the fight.
"I don't. I wish you just died with your dad, it would've made everyones life a whole lot easier."
His past words rang through Rowen's head. The one, singular memory, was enough to make her turn around to continue her walk.
That one, singular memory, was all it took for Rowen to vow, never to speak to the boy in the cowboy hat again.
That vow would never last long of course, but she liked to think it would.
✰ Don't forget to comment, and vote!
[EDITED]
-Sadie⭐️
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