what was i made for, walker

028. dark humor

The Walkers, aside from Cordell, are outside of the ranch and waiting for the grandparents to be ready to go in. Liam walks over to his parents.

"I don't see why I have to be here. I already have a concussion, now I gotta deal with this?" Janie questions.

"Just... humor me." Stella says.

"Why?" The blonde asks.

"Cause you love me." Stella hopefully smiles.

"I know they say love knows no bounds... but it does." Janie clicks her tongue.

"Janie, please." Stella begs.

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes.

As they walk towards the kitchen door, Gale opens it.

"Hey, there y'all are. You find us okay?" Gale asks. Janie rolls at her eyes at the woman's joke.

"Yeah, we were-- we were just--" August starts.

"She's kidding, August." Abilene tells him.

"Oh, and you brought things. You shouldn't have." Gale says. "Um, Geri is, um, whipping up a salad. Yeah, family recipe."

"For salad?" Bonham questions.

"How do you have a family recipe for salad?" Janie quietly asks, her and Bonham sharing a confused look.

"So, I..." Liam holds up a couple bottles of wine.

"Oh. That was really thoughtful, Liam, thank you." Gale tells him, taking the bottles.

"I-I didn't know whether or not to pick white or red, but it felt like the situation called for wine." Liam says.

"Where's Cordell? Protesting?" Gale asks.

"Oh, don't worry. He's just at work." Janie says. "As usual." She mumbles.

"But he'll be here soon. Uh, where's Dan?" Liam asks.

"I sent him out to get ice, but he'll be back." Denise says.

August and Janie walk over to where Stella and Colton are.

"Okay, are you two sure this was a good idea?" August asks.

"Well, we can't all be scared to be in the same place the rest of our lives." Colton says.

"I think it could be kinda fun." Janie shrugs. The three look at her. "What? Drama's a lot more fun when you're not directly involved."

"You are directly involved." Stella says.

"Nobody's picking a fight with me so, no, I'm really not." Janie says. "Just gotta stay quiet, leer about, make sure they want the other adults dead instead of me."

"I mean, look, you two get to go off to college and escape. Janie and I have to stay back and deal with these guys." August says. "So just... let me take the lead on this."

"There's no leading. We just want to sit down at a nice meal to show everyone that it's possible." Stella says. "It's gonna be great." She says, Bonham humming in disagreement as he passes.

"Hey, gramps." August follows his grandfather.

"I vote somebody's dead by the end of dinner." Janie comments. "Either Denise kills Liam, Liam kills Dan, Mawline or Gramps kill Gale, or dad could shock us all and just wipe all three out." She says. "Sorry." She tells Colton, patting him on the back as she walks off.

~ ~ ~

"Y'all, dinner's ready." Gale calls out. They all get to the table, Bonham and Gale going for the same chair, Abilene and Denise also doing so.