Escape the Walking Dead // h.s.

12

Jane's POV

Finally, after I had calmed down enough, I stepped outside the office to see everyone waiting in the hallway. They all looked at me like I was a hurt child and needed comforting, but I wasn't. I deserved to have my ass handed to me like that because Harry was right. Any number of things could have happened out there and caused severe implications for the town.

Being back in my room felt surreal as I saw Harry's things everywhere I looked. The monster truck I always wondered about was in the hallway by the bathroom, and inside my room books and cardboard were scattered all around. 

It made me think of one person and one person only, Ben.

The thought of Harry explaining to him that I may not come back hurt me and I knew I would have to apologize to Ben about my sudden absence. How could I have not thought about how he would feel? I couldn't believe how selfish I had been today...

I went to the shower and took my bathing opportunity of the week. Being outside the walls was a rush of adrenaline, but Harry was right. I had to consider the consequences of being out there. What if I had got bitten? What if I had died and everyone here thought I had skipped out on them? What kind of person would that make me? A really horrible and selfish one.

The cold water fell over my naked skin and washed away all the dirt and grime from the week. The floor of the shower was black as I looked down at it. I took a soap bar and ran it over my feet, shins, arms, torso, everywhere I could get it. I hadn't felt clean in a long time, and even now as I stepped out of the shower in a pastel purple towel, I felt dirty and disgusting.

Brushing my teeth and and cleansing my face, I still felt gross. My eyes watered as I thought of scenarios apologizing to Ben, Ciara, and Will about my behavior. How could I have been so stupid and selfish?

Walking across the hall to my room I noticed a man picking things up in my room.

"Will?" I questioned walking into the cold room.

The man stood up and it wasnt my brother, but a nervous Harry. My eyes widened and I felt the sudden urge to run. However, his face was soft now and his eyes held more compassion.

"Oh," I pulled my towel tighter around my body. He cleared his threat looking over my glistening body still wet from my shower. "Harry..."

"Jane, I shouldn't have said..." he started but I stopped him before he could apologize.

"If you want to apologize for yelling at me for something that I see was wrong now, don't do it. But if you're apologizing for man handling me in front of the town hall, then you can go downstairs and make me dinner while I get dressed," I stood there clinging my towel tightly to my body and feeling my skin heat with his eyes carefully watching over me.

He smirked and placed a few books he picked up from the floor onto the table beside him. My chest rose as he walked closer to me and then past me out the door. The stairs creaked as he eerily went down them one by one.

I hadn't realized I was holding in my breath but as soon as I heard a knife slicing through some food on a cutting board, I let it out. Excited that I was about to be served dinner, I walked to the bed and unfolded the recently cleaned black hoodie and black pair of sweats. I pulled some underwear on that I took from my side drawer and then slid on my sleep clothes.

The nook looked cozier than ever as I waited for Harry to come back up. Thirty minutes of staring through the window at the metal wall in front of Juan Pablo and finally he was walking into my room with two plates. I crisscrossed my legs on the bench and he sat directly in front of me with his plate, but extended his legs out in front of him so his back leaned on the window.