𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 ] ✘

Heatherns

I probably shouldn't be fighting with the Sheriff's kid. Especially not in a zombie apocalypse. But it's kind of hard not to when your dad's cheering you on. I took another swing at Carl but he dodged it.

"Come on, is that all ya got?! Knock his lights out!" my dad, Daryl Dixon, called out to me.

Carl's fist pulled back and he socked me one right in the nose. Putting a hand up to it for a moment, I pulled my hand back to find drops of warm blood on my slender fingers. I glanced up at him and he smirked from underneath his Sheriff's hat.

"Oh, that tears it! I was going easy on you up until now, Grimes!" I bit out.

With that, I charged Carl and grabbed onto him. We both fell down into the mud, me on top of him. I got in one good punch before he flipped me over and I struggled to break free from his grip.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight!" Daryl and my uncle, Merle, chanted behind me.

We wrestled a little longer as I tried to over-power him. Suddenly, Carl and I were being ripped away from each other, our arms behind our backs. Michonne held onto Carl and he hugged angrily.

"Enough! Stop it, you two!" a masculine voice shouted from above my head.

I glanced up to see Rick towering over me. Oh, great. The warden was here. And no, I did not just make that joke because we're living at a prison. I squirmed out of Rick's iron grip and brushed my self off while Michonne let go of Carl. By now, Carl and I were covered from head-to-toe in mud.

Just then, Daryl and Merle started to sneak off, hoping to go unnoticed.

"What were you two doing letting them fight like that?" Rick said, whipping around to point a finger at my dad and uncle, stopping them in their tracks.

Merle huffed and rolled his eyes.

"These kids need to learn how to fight their own battles. Without their daddy comin' to get 'em," his raspy high-pitched voice bit out.

Rick glared daggers at him, his blue eyes hard. He didn't say a word, instead shooting a pointed look at my dad. Daryl nodded once in response before pushing Merle back towards the prison.

"Come on, Merle. Ya ain't wanted here," he told him.

"Aw, come on, Darylina, I was just havin' a little fun." Merle said.

Their bickering voices faded away as they walked off and then Rick's eyes turned back to me and Carl. Our gazes were trained to the ground, avoiding his eyes.

"Look at me, you two," he commanded us.

Hesitantly, we obeyed.

"No more fighting, you two. We're a team. We need to get along," he told us.

"And no more gettin' your clothes dirty. You make more work for Carol," Michonne reprimanded.

"Carl started it though," I mumbled.

Carl scoffed.

"Did not!" he shot back.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too-"

"ENOUGH!" Rick shouted, silencing us.

He let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly.

"You two act just like heatherns!" he yelled.

I snorted, grinning.

"Heathens, not heatherns," I corrected him.

He shot me a look, crossing his arms.

"What?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

"The word is pronounced heathens. You know? Like the Twenty One Pilots song?"I asked, placing a hand on my hip.

Carl giggled at my remark. Rick pursed his lips but said nothing to that and pointed a finger towards the part of the prison that held the showers.

"Just go get cleaned up!" he ordered coldly.

We nodded and walked off to the showers.

"So what's this Heathens song?" Carl asked me.

I grinned over at him.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you the lyrics."

A few minutes later, we arrived at the stalls and each of us stepped into one fully-clothed. I turned my water on and Carl did the same.

"All Rick's friends are heatherns, take it sloooow," I sang out loudly, my voice reverberating off the walls of the empty room.

Carl laughed out loud from the stall beside me.

"Wait for him to ask you what you groooow," he continued, taking a stab at his dad's current gardening phase.

"Please don't eat any of his food!" I sang in between giggles.

"You don't know the obsession of this dude!" Carl finished, laughing.

Our voices echoed off the walls of the room, probably annoying the other heatherns at the prison.