Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Party People - 077

Having been there three days, the group split into their two houses. It was easy sorting out bedrooms and that, because Rick organised it... And, he pretty much just chose his favourites. Well, of course Glenn, Maggie and Beth were his favourite, too... But, Glenn and Maggie tend to be... Loud. And, Beth wanted to stay in the same house as Maggie, so that sorted that issue. All of the bedrooms were full and it worked out perfectly.

In house one:
Brooks
Carl
Sophia
Judith
Carol & Merle
Rick
Daryl 
Michonne
Cam

In house two:
Glenn & Maggie
Beth & Noah
Rosita & Abraham
Gabriel
Sasha
Tara
Eugene

In house one, there were eight bedrooms spread out over the second floor... And, one all the way downstairs in the cold basement. Brooks' bedroom was in the basement. She hadn't chosen it, it was nominated to her. It was dark, and cold, and lonely, but maybe Brooks liked that element about it. Maybe she was just used to it and told herself that she didn't mind.

Brooks had slept... But, not in her big, double bed. Every night, she tried getting to sleep in it, but ended up sleeping on the hard wooden floor of her room. On the first night, Carl actually caught her.

Brooks didn't hear her quiet door being pushed open, but when her lamp flickered on, she pushed herself up on her elbows to see Carl standing there. "You okay?" Brooks asked.

"I..." Carl trailed off, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it. "I was about to ask you the same question. Can't sleep?"

"Mhm." Brooks nodded, looking to her bed. "It doesn't feel natural, ya know? Sleepin' in a bed."

He let out a heavy sigh, and walked over, laying beside her. "It's why I'm still awake." He admitted, his eyes staring upwards at the white ceiling. "It's too soft after all those floors we slept on."

"Yea." Brooks agreed, her eyes finally being able to flicker closed with Carl by her side.

"Come on, have you picked something yet?" Sophia asked, walking into the room to find Brooks still looking through the bag of clothes donated to her. One of their neighbours used to have daughters, the same age that Sophia and Brooks are now, but... The girls didn't make it. The kind neighbours pushed aside their grief, and allowed the girls to make use of the clothes.

"No." Brooks sighed, turning away from the bag in frustration. "None of this stuff is going to look nice on me!"

Grinning, Sophia walked over and looked through the bag herself. "It's a party, Brooks. You can't wear your beat-up apocalypse clothes which haven't been washed in over four years." Sophia sighed, pulling out a black dress. "Here, this'll look beautiful on you. And, it's short enough to piss Merle off, your favourite activity." 

Wetting her lips, Brooks nodded. "Yea, you're right." She decided, taking the dress and pulling off her top to try it on. She was just in her bra and blue shorts when Carl walked in.

"Hey, you-" He immediately cut himself off, and in an attempt to run out of the room, banged his head into the door frame. "I didn't see anything!" He yelled, holding onto his pounding nose and running down the hallway and into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Brooks and Sophia embraced the silence for a few moments, before they looked to each other and burst out laughing at Carl's panicked antics. 

After calming from their laughing fit, Brooks slipped on the dress and it fit her perfectly! She pulled down her shorts from under it and kicked them aside, seeing her reflection in the full length mirror. "Well?" Sophia asked, standing behind Brooks and looking at the girl's reflection in the mirror. "You like?"