Our Wicked Ways •In editing•

Change

I was changing, maturing and growing up. Change can be the most wonderful thing if you do it in the right way. As of now, I was no longer a fragile doll ready to smash. I was strong, confident and outgoing. I never wanted to feel small and out of control again, I was simply growing up. And I was ready for what was yet to come. 

"All finished." Maggie snaps me out of my daydream and back into reality, I stare up at my reflection. 

My hair had been with me my whole life, the only thing that had ever stuck by my side through thick and thin. but now was a time to forget my horrid past and let it go because it is the only reminder of what I used to be, and I most certainly wasn't that little girl anymore. My short locks were clean cut, just fanning over my jaw with my natural curls still evident. This was my first step to modelling my new self.

"Thank you." I smile at myself in the mirror, feeling completely satisfied with my new look.

***

Maggie and myself laugh as we stride up the path to my house. Once I'm a little closer I can see Paul and my Dad talking just outside of it. They hadn't noticed me yet and I was sure to give them a shock, seeing as I hadn't really mentioned anything about getting my hair cut.

"Hello, boys!" I smile widely at them, turning their attention toward me. The look of stun was apparent in their eye's as my Dad takes a moment to process all of this. "Looks good huh?" I swing my hair.

"It's very short." Paul states, as I narrow my eye's at him.

"It's to represent new beginnings, a fresh start." I fold my arms, pronouncing all of my words delicately. After no more words are said about the subject, I raise my eyebrows at the both of them waiting for a compliment of some sort.

"It looks great." My Dad quickly gets something out, as I nod in his direction then turning my attention to Paul.

"It's nice, suits you well." He finally says.

"Why thank you. And look at that, I didn't even have to ask for your opinion." I pat Paul on the arm twice, before walking up my porch stairs and into my house.

I walk up the stairs until I'm finding myself slipping into Carls room, closing the door behind me. After Maggie and Carol were saved everything seemed good, but that wasn't a good thing necessarily. People were bored, especially the fighters and scavengers. There was no need to go out the gates to scavenge because we got everything from the Hilltop. We just had to sit inside the walls and find comfort in just relaxing.

"Wow, your hair!" Carl shoots up from his desk chair.

I laugh slightly, "You like it?"

"It's amazing." He starts, continuing on quickly. "Hey, now I and Daryl have longer hair than you."

I roll my eyes at his efforts to tease and annoy me. Speaking of Daryl, apparently, he was okay. He was back in Alexandria and ready to go out tomorrow with Rosita. He was healing quickly but that was his opinion. Daryl could say he was healing quickly if he had his heart ripped out. He was a strong man, the kind of strong I need.

My mind automatically set to Paul. Probably because he was here for one more day before he was required back at the Hilltop. I wasn't going to lie and say I wouldn't miss the sarcastic arsehole, we were building a friendship. He might have been the only friend I had made since Beth, everyone else was family. I just can't seem to fit Paul into that category.

I lay on his bed sighing just relishing in air of a good, no problem free day. Even if it was mind numbingly boring.

"Dylan!" My Dad shouts from the bottom of the stairs. I groan looking over to the door, wishing maybe I heard incorrectly and he didn't call for me. Why couldn't he just speak to me upstairs? I never understood why parents did this. "Dylan!" 

I drag myself onto my feet, forcing myself to groggily stand up and walk to the door. I reach the top of the stairs looking down at my Dad at the bottom. "What?"

"Pauls ready to leave thought you'd wanna say goodbye." He gestures briefly outside before looking back up at me. Guess I was wrong when I mentioned this was a good day. I had known him so little of a time but yet I was so close to him, it saddened me that we were both in different communities neither of us would want to leave.

I nod quickly running down the stairs, and out the door. There he was still talking to Maggie, and I felt relieved that he wasn't gone just yet. I walk my way toward them and Maggie sees me coming. She quickly says a goodbye and walks in the other direction.

"I'm gonna miss you loser." I smile looking up at him.

He puffs out some air smiling back. "Charming."

"No, but in all seriousness, I will... You've been the only friend I've had in a long time." I frown, swinging my foot slightly. There is such sadness in someone leaving a place of where strong connections were made, a place where fond memories grew as fast as the clover in the grass. I know I will savour each memory so strongly that it will almost live once more.  

I glance temporarily up to him to the frown on his face, at my words. "I'll see you again. The faster I leave the quicker I'll have to come visit you." He smiles trying to get some positivity into the air but I was still stuck with negative, regardless I smiled back.

"You better come visit me," I warn. "Like, within the next two weeks." I laugh, before pulling him into a hug.

His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around my frail body. The world around me melted away as I squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end. But it did and it had to. I watched him get into the black car as I waved him off, as soon as it was out of sight. The crushing on my chest began, like a vice on my heart squeezing with just enough force to be a constant pain.