The Girl Next Door • Carl Grimes

Chapter 54: Survivors

Grace

"I don't trust that guy." I said to Carl as we watched the priest talk to his dad.

"Why not? He seems okay." He said.

"You trust him?" I asked.

Carl shrugged in response. Rick walked up to us and must have overheard that.

"I agree with Grace. I really don't trust him. That's why I'm having him go with us. Now I need you kids, especially you Carl to listen to me right now." Rick started.

"You're not safe." He said. Those words pierced through my heart. I mean I knew I wasn't safe, but it was hard to realize that the last time in my entire life that I'd be safe was at the prison, and even that fell apart.

"You can't let your guard down ever. Not even for one second. One second is all it takes to kill you." Rick said, more directed at Carl than me.

"But we survived. We can still help people." Carl argued.

"Carl, that kind of thinking is gonna get you killed. Worry about our group before we worry about strangers!" I interjected.

"A lot of the people in our group now were strangers once. Did they not deserve a chance?" He asked.

"You're right, but that's a freedom we don't have right now. You guys need to stay safe. That's why I'm not letting you come with us Grace." Rick said as he left us in the church.

"I can't believe he didn't let me go. I'm a good fighter." I sighed as I slouched in the pew.

"I can. He wants to keep you safe." Carl responded.

"But why? He's not my dad." I muttered.

"Yeah, but he promised my mom who promised your parents that they'd keep you safe. He's gonna honor Jeff and Judy." Carl said, letting the names of my parents slip out of his mouth. He tried to stop himself but it was too late.

"I thought we weren't gonna say their names anymore.." I said, trying to not think about them while I looked down and fidgeted with my hands.

"Maybe it's time to. They were your parents. They were like parents to me too. They were my parents best friends. Why should we forget that?" He asked.

"Because they weren't a part of this new world." I said.

"It's still the same world Grace. We're still the same people, just different." He said.

"Hm. Okay." I said abruptly, wanting the conversation to be over.

"I don't like it here. I hate churches. It reminds me of when my grandpa died." I said trying to change the subject.

"I'm not too big a fan of them either but it's better than the woods" he said.

"Yeah. I know that. But I just have a weird feeling here. That priest guy, Gabriel? That's his name, right? I don't know. He gives me a weird feeling. Like he's not telling us something." I said, trying to figure out what was up.

"He's not here. We can look around." Carl suggested, "I'll leave Judith with Ty."

We left the baby with Tyreese and went outside to look for anything that might tell us what happened here.

"Why did you guys name her Judith? You guys never really told me because of... well you know, me almost dying, that whole thing." I teased.

"My mom chose it. She wanted it to represent her best friend, so she could have a place in this 'new world' as you would put it." He said relucantly.