ᴍᴇʟᴏᴅɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ

Chapter 26: My Rock

Knocking had never been so nerve-wracking. Your fist trembled as it inched closer to the door but you couldn't bring yourself to do it. The racing drum of your heart arose a dreadful pool in the pit of your abdomen. Stepping back, you folded your arms, a vacant gaze lingering at the base of the door. Your fingers tapped a jarring pattern into your bicep, silent as they patted your clothing. The buzz welling in your chest was uncomfortable, eliciting a quiver in the rest of your figure. Upon taking a deep inhale, you realised you'd been holding your breath. Exuding the air past your lips, you mustered all courage, your knock ricocheting in the desolate corridor.

The bed creaked as Louis rolled off, his booted heels clicking against the floorboards. A sharp breath was suddenly sucked in as the metal of the handle twisted with a screech, pulled inward to reveal Louis. "What do you want?"

"To talk." The reply was instantaneous, your eyes flicking up to meet his, his usual pools of honey narrowed to a pinprick. 

Reeling the door fully open, Louis beckoned, "Fine." You muttered a thanks and shuffled in. He gently shut the door as you entered. Louis' corner reflected his personality: there was a corkboard mounted beside his bunk, pictures of him with different faces were pinned, each smile a happy memory, on his desk was a bobblehead of a musician you didn't recognise, the paint having peeled with the toll of time, there was an Ericson pennant taped to the wall as well as a poster for the baseball team he used to like. Everywhere else remained untouched, the remnants of those who'd passed still fixed to the wall, layers of dust accumulating as time ticked on and their memories disfigured. His room felt lonely knowing there were previously others whom he shared with. "Well?" Your head snapped around as he folded his arms, stripping you of your observations. 

"Sorry," you turned back, "I've never been in your room before." 

"Well, you're here now." You weren't used to this annoyed tone. "If you only came to look at my room you can go."

"No. No, obviously I'm not here for that." Shaking your head, you fully faced him, his piercing glare shooting through your heart. 

Louis frowned. "Then start talking." 

You were taken aback by his hostility. Stammering, you spoke, "I, um, I wanted to talk to you about Marlon. Look, I get he's your best friend and I'm so, so sorry things have turned out the way they have -  I really am - but I'm doing the best I can. I'm not expecting you to fully understand why I've done what I have but you need to realise how... fucked this whole situation is."

"I do." Annoyance dripped off Louis' tongue.

"Then why are you taking Marlon's side?" You stepped forward. "He gave me away like I was nothing. Gave Brody away, Sophie, Minnie. And you..." you glanced down, "you just didn't seem to care."

"Are you serious?! Obviously I cared." Likewise, Louis inched closer. 

"You didn't act like it." You combated. "You just seemed to prioritise Marlon." 

"Are you joking?! Honestly, (Y/N), what part of you thinks I agree with what he did?" Louis stared at you angrily.

"The part that saw you forgive him the second he showed remorse." The tension was thick, tightening your lungs. "I almost died, Louis; Brody did die; and the first thing you did was check on Marlon!" Angrily thrusting your maimed finger into view, you added, "They cut my fucking finger off, all because Marlon couldn't keep a group in order. He wasn't there to protect me, so you're fucking delusional if you think he'll still protect you. If you two weren't so close, you'd be in the firing line just as much as the rest of us." Pent-up fury erupted like a volcano, red hot venom exerting out. Your frustration tended to be taken out on walkers - the violence a high - not those close to you, but before all you had were walkers; the people you had didn't stick around. Huffing, you stared at each other: silent.