STOP THE WORLD | LUKE TWDG

[ THREE ]

tw: references to suicide/hanging(not the main characters)

THREE | GROWING PAINS

˖ ݁𖥔.☁︎.𖥔 ݁ ˖

"Part of growing up means doing what's best for the people you care about. Even if it means hurting someone else" Lee says to Clementine, though he spares a glance to Angel as she sits against the wall of the train car, knees pressed to her chest, a splatter of blood that was not hers on her clothes.

"I don't wanna hurt anyone" Clementine replies softly. Angel can't help but agree. She didn't wanna hurt anyone. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd hurt Duck. Even if it was for the best in the long run. She felt like she had hurt Duck, and her uncle Kenny.

Lee paused for a moment. "It's not that easy" he states.

Angel's eyes slowly crack open, feeling a bit better than she had when she first fallen asleep. She shifts to sit up right, looking around the pale lit forest. The members of the group she had found (or, had they found her?) were all up.

Amanda, Nick's mom...a woman in her mid to late fourties who had his same dark hair and eyes smiled at Angel, planting herself beside Angel.

"You ever get used to sleeping on the ground?" She asks, her North Carolinan accent plentiful. Angel can't help but crack a small smile.

"Not as easy as you'd think...from what uh...Pete was saying last night you guys might not have to worry about that much longer" She responds, glancing over at Amanda, who gives her a soft, sympathetic look. As if she wants to ask Angel to stay, but she doesn't outright say it.
"Gotta be hard...bein' a young girl just out here on her own. You don't just have to worry about the walkers." Amanda remarks, looking up at the tree line "you ever consider linking up with a bigger group?" She asks, looking at the girl. Angel pauses under her gaze, shifting nervously.

"I uh...no, not really...the last girl I was with...she went a little..." Angel gestures with her hands, indicating Molly had gotten pretty strung out in those last few months they spent together "I wanted to stay close to Savannah, to look for some people...she didn't. I was scared to be alone...then, when I was alone, I kinda realized I got a little less hurt than I was when I was in a group" She explains, looking down at Molly's old ice tool.

"Wow" Amanda whistles lowly "that's pretty cynical for your age. You seem pretty sweet. I didn't expect that from you" she remarks. Angel bites her tongue, narrowing her eyes at her shiny shoes. The duct tape reflecting the clear light of the forest. Amanda watches the girl for a moment.

"You didn't have much in your pack" Amanda states.
Angel blinks "you guys searched my bag?" She asks softly. Amanda shrugs, a twinge of guilt in her face.
"This group uh...well, we're a cautious bunch" She answers. Angel nods, able to understand, though it didn't make her feel better. "Probably supplies at that house. You could come with us. We could send you off in a way that won't leave you high and dry" Amanda suggests.

"She's right" Chimes in Luke, Angel glanced at him over her shoulder, wondering how much he had been listening to. "No harm in checking. Worst case scenario...you're still in the forest." He muses, shrugging slightly.

"Well, anyone who is coming better get their asses up. We're burning daylight" Pete chimes in from his post. The group started to fall in line behind him as he started heading down the trail. By now Angel had stood and shrugged her backpack on. She glanced at the group as they started leaving, then to the seemingly empty forest. When she glanced back at the group again, she could see Luke glance back at her as well, as if waiting for her to come with them. She felt a little embarrassed proving him right.