For You // R.G.

Chapter 6

At the bonfire that night, I sat with Jamie in my lap as she drifted asleep. I had my jacket around her to keep her warm. I was freezing my ass off but I didn't care as long as she was warm. Sena sat next to me. I looked up every now and then from drawing things in the dirt with a stick. I knew all their names finally.
Dale was fiddling with his watch, Shane was staring blankly at the ground like I was, Lori and Rick had Carl in their laps on the other side of the bonfire. I looked away from them, I tried to not accept the fact that I liked Rick.
The others were around our fire except this other family, Carol's. Carol had a little girl and a husband. I could tell he was abusive by the way he treated them.
"What was it like?"
I looked up at who said that. It was Andrea who asked the question, her little sister Amy laid against her shoulder underneath a light blanket. I looked at Rick
"What?" He asked
"You know... Waking up in the middle of it." Andrea further explained. Rick leaned back further into Lori making me cringe. Lori played with Carl's hair as he laid down. She occasionally looked up in Shane's direction. I had a feeling there was something that happened between them.
"Disoriented. I guess that's what comes closest." Rick answered "fear, confusion-all those things but.. Disoriented comes closest." The bonfire crackled and snapped in the silence.
"Words can be meager things. Sometimes they fall short." Dale said
"I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else. For a while I thought I was trapped in some dream, something I might not wake up from ever."
Lori was shifting uncomfortably the whole time he was talking. I rolled my eyes
"Mom said you died." Carl said. I looked away, I haven't even talked to Lori and I can tell her and Rick had problems.
"She had every reason to believe that." Rick said to Carl
"Oh my-" I say, I couldn't believe he just said that. He rolls over on his back whenever it comes to Lori, it pissed me off.
"Where are you going?" Sena asked
"Yeah." Rick added loudly. I gave him a glare and then looked at Sena
"I'm goin' to bed." I mutter. I picked Jamie up in my arms, she was passed out. I walked away.
A few moments later, someone whispered by me
"Hey... hey, max." I turned and saw Shane following me. I stopped
"What?"
"Where are you going?" He asked. I didn't really know, I looked back at Rick who was smiling at Lori. I looked back at Shane
"I don't know, why?"
"Your group can go in the camper tonight." He offered. I looked at him again, studying his facial expression. He laughed a little and looked down
"Sorry, it's just... I'm taking watch tonight and I won't be using the space.. And you guys are young so-"
"Thanks." I say. He smiled. I smiled back, I started to walk to the camper, Jamie was getting heavier and heavier. He then stopped me again.
"Do you know how to shoot a gun?" He asked. I turned around,
"No." Then I remembered how I shot the one next to Rick, "wait, yeah, but not really."
He looked back at the camp fire then back at me.
"You wanna learn?" He asked
I nodded
"Yeah, that'd be... Great." I say. He nodded
"We'll go tomorrow." He said. He smiled at me again then walked back to the camp fire. I smiled to myself, and went into the camper.
..
I woke up abruptly from a nightmare. I couldn't remember what it was but it left my shaking. I was in a bed in the camper with Jamie sleeping soundly next to me. I looked around and saw Sena was sleeping on the couch. I saw that it was early morning out. I decided to get some air.
I walked out and breathed in then out. I then jumped when I heard shuffling and a small moan. I looked back at some tents a few feet from me and then determined that it was Rick and Lori having sex. I rolled my eyes, rubbing my face then groaning lightly.
"Have some trouble sleeping?" I hear from above me. I turned around and saw Shane sitting on top of the camper in a lawn chair with a striped umbrella on top. He tilted his hat down and smiled at me. I sighed
"How long have you been up?" I asked him
He shrugged
"Probably two right now... I've been up all day yesterday. You do the math." He said
I started looked away
"Nah, I'm too tired." I say. He chuckled
"Why don't you join me up here? Be a hero and protect the camp." He said mocking his job. I laughed a little. I then started to climb up the ladder on the side of the camper. Once I was on top, I sat next to him.
"You've been listening to Lori and Rick have sex all night?" I asked after a minute
He didn't say or do anything, I looked at him, he looked a little bothered from my comment.
"What am I gonna do? Tell them to keep it down?" He asked. I looked at him, his jaw was clenching. He was staring at the tent then looked to his left.
"How'd you all meet Rick?" He asked
"Tagged along with him in the city." I say after a minute of silence. He really did save us. I looked down, hating the fact he was making love to his wife at that moment.
"How do you know him?" I asked
He looked at me
"I was his partner.. His best friend." He stated
I looked at him, he was staring forward until he caught me looking at him. He then locked eyes with me. I don't know what made us kiss but we did, he leaned in and I leaned halfway to meet his lips. It was a mutual kiss. He then separated from me after a few moments. I looked into his eyes to try and tell what he thought of it. Instead he just laughed, I laughed a little too.
"I... I'm sorry— it's just you're so pretty and I was getting signals-"
"Don't be sorry... the attention is nice now a days." I say as I stare at ricks tent.

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Take a looksie at my better Rick content, "Moments", which can be found on my profile!