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Amelia thought she knew right from wrong. Her dad always ensured to teach his children how to do things the right way and that it was okay if they did it the wrong way time to time. But Mia always wanted to do things right. It was one of the things that made her and Lucas different. He was okay with being wrong sometimes. He was just a kid. But she carried the weight on her shoulders if she was wrong. She felt like a failure. Being right about things didn't get you hurt. That's what she told herself, anyway.
Rosita looked behind her and saw her sitting at the back of the bus, staring out the dirt clouded window. She hadn't said a word since they left the church. She stood from her seat behind Abraham, who was driving, and she made her way down the path.
Mia felt her quickly sit beside her. It was quiet for a couple seconds, both of them waiting for the other to speak.
Rosita went first. "It's okay to be upset, Mia."
"I'm not upset." She refused, still staring out the window.
"You haven't said a word since we left," she pointed out, knowing better. "You think I can't see how much you're regretting coming with us?"
Mia finally looked at her, her brown eyes hard. "You don't get what I'm feeling, okay? I'm not upset. I'm not regretting anything. I'm just. . . I don't want to feel anything right now."
Rosita's expression softened subtly. She looked ahead of her, catching Maggie's eye, seeing her look over her shoulder at them. She looked back at the teenager. She denied the regret but it was written all over her face. Rosita did understand. "You love him." Mia quickly looked her way. "The Grimes boy. You love him. You're regretting coming with us because you don't want to leave him. I get it, Mia. Believe me, I do."
Mia's hands squeezed into fists. "He's my best friend." She said under her breath while still looking her in the eyes.
Rosita half smiled. "Two things can be true at once." She looked ahead of her again, looking at the back of Abraham's head.
For so long, Mia was alone. She spent so long dwelling on the fact that her family was gone. She lived in a broken world that her father tried to save them from. Her brother died trying to keep her safe. He made her promise to continue living for him. The necklace around her neck burned her skin to remember him.
She didn't want to leave her people. She didn't want to leave Carl. But she thought of her family. She thought of the life she could have if Eugene was right about a cure. Rosita was waiting for her to say something. "I'm the only living person in my family. The walkers took them from me. Before you guys came along, I thought this was the end. That I'll never be able to get justice for them. But now I have chance to. This cure means they didn't die for nothing." There was a moment of silence. Mia and Rosita stared at each other. "I don't regret anything."
