The End of Days

-48-

"I'm telling you, he's obsessed. The only one that ever gets to be a hero around here is him. I so much as come close- 'no.' Grounded. How is that fair?!"

Paige huffed, mouth clamping shut as she tossed on the huge hood over her head. She knew she hadn't let Kenji get a word in but that didn't really stop her.

"I think it makes sense." Kenji shrugged innocently, hands signing to meet hers. She rolled her eyes.

"Says the one with the chill military dad who also gave his son permission to the very program he teaches and the very one I'm yelling about!"

Kenji stared for a moment, buffering for the correct response. "Yeah no you're so right, your uncle sucks." He gave a blatant doubtle thumbs down although Paige was thinking more along the lines of a different finger.

They slowed to a stop in front of Ken's front steps. He offered a smile and she sighed, not wanting him to leave. Pissed he was going without her too but mainly the former.

"Sorry for bitching, I'm happy for you. Go kick ass out there." She told him.

"Thanks. And sorry P really, I wish you could come. Your Uncle's taking Fred out on a run, right? If only they were going out a bit earlier, you could sneak by. See what it's like maybe. And..maybe we could hang out after; you know, if there's time?"

Paige gasped suddenly in shock and his eyes buldged. "Or not, it's cool! Seriously forget I said anything!"

"No, not tha-," she waved a hand at him dismissively. "Fred! I can get him to cover for me, keep Liam distracted! Shit, wait..what about your dad?"

Ken's dad was running the training for the new privates and him and Uncle Liam were friends. What's to stop him from snitching?

"Uh yeah, I don't know. Maybe just forget about it, he might come around eventually. We can sneak out to the grotto, get some more target practice in. Checked this morning, some more walkers got caught in the nets. It'll be fun."

"No, I'm tired of scrounging around just to get my hands dirty, I want to fight. I can't just sit on my ass waiting for his word while people die to feed me, fuck that."

"Well I don't know what you're gonna do," he admitted with a helpless look. "They got pretty tight I think and your uncles..pretty intense. My dad's cool but not that cool."

Paige glared, mouth pressing in a firm line. An idea came to her briefly, smile pulling at her lips which soon planted on Kenji who jumped back.

"What..was that?"

"Down payment. For my favor." She smiled brightly, hands held together. "You get the rest after..?" He stared with a dropped mouth, cheeks still flushed.

"..y..Sure. I'll make it work."

"YES! Thank you Kenji, you're the best!" He stumbled back at the girl that suddenly dove into his arms, scrambling to leave before he even understood what was happening.

"Page me with the deets, I'll go find zombie face!" She signed to him as she paced backwards, feet itching to go in her excitement.

"Uh dad? DAD! She kissed me dude, she kissed me!" He nearly ran into the door, neck craning back out the window as his psychotic dream girl ran off into the sunset. "Someone pinch me.."

—

Fred stared at his sister and the intense expression she wore, tossing a yo-yo in his hands where he slouched.

"No." He said although he didn't truly give a damn, he just wanted to piss her off. Paige rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Come on, you owe me." she demanded.