Almost Broken: Carl Grimes fanfic

Chapter 17

-Carl's POV-

We make our way down the tracks, Rylie's arm around my shoulder, my arm around her waist, trying to help keep weight off her foot. After about an hour of walking, we see an abandon cabin and decide to clear it out to stay for the night.

"There's two rooms. And a couch. Me and Carl can take one room, Rylie probably needs her own room." Rick says.
"I guess that leaves the couch for me then. And I guess I'll take first watch." Michonne steps in.
I nod and take my bags to one room, and quickly go back to help Rylie with hers.
I start to pick up her bags when she stops me.

"I got it." She says in an annoyed tone.

"I just trying to help, I-"

"I don't need your help Carl! I'm a big girl, I can handle it myself!" She yells sarcastically, and it takes me by surprise.

What the hell?! I was just trying to help her! What's her problem? Just today she wanted to kiss me and now she's yelling in my face that she doesn't need me?!

"Fine." I say. I throw her bag to the floor and storm off to the room.

I hear Michonne and Rylie faintly talking.

"Are you alright?" Michonne asks lightly and Rylie answers with a shaky voice.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I just- I don't know. I'm scared." She admits and Michonne chuckles.

"Me too."

"Really?"

"Have been since those prison walls came down. Since the governor killed Hershel right beside me." Michonnes voice becomes weak and frail, almost like she's... Crying?

"He-he what?" I hear Rylie mutter.

"He uhm... He was talking to Rick and then he just..." Michonnes voice got quieter, I assume she's whispering. I hear Rylie gasp and hear muffled sobs escape the room.
I cringe at the sound, knowing Rylie doesn't want me there to comfort her. I can't hold her in my arms and hush her...

What am I doing? I need to stop thinking about things like that. We aren't a couple, we aren't together. Hell, we haven't even told each other how we feel- if she even has feelings for me. I mean, whose to say she even wanted me to kiss her back there if I'd gotten the chance? I kinda took her by surprise... I mean, she did care when I was a douche to her so maybe be that's something? No, no it's nothing. She cared because I was the only friend she'd had in months, of course she's going to care. That doesn't mean she has feelings for me. I definitely do have feelings for her.... But she doesn't towards me. That's just it. I need to drop it, I don't want to creep her out by being too... 'Clingy'... I have to push her away... Agh! Why do girls have to be so damn complicated?! My mom always was! So was Andrea, and Maggie with Glenn! I bet Judith would be the same way- but she's gone. My little sister is just... gone. I have so many other things to worry about than Rylie. Like how to keep us all safe? How to provide food for us? That's what I really need to be thinking about, not some stupid girl. ... What am I talking about? Rylie's not just some stupid girl. Ugh. I need to sleep.

My dad lays down on the over-sized king bed.

"Goodnight Carl."
"Night dad."

-Rylie's POV-

I lay down on the double bed that Michonne had helped me get to.

"Michonne?" I call to her before she leaves the cabin room. "Goodnight."

"Night." She whispers and head to the living room.

What is wrong with me? Why was I so rude to him? I had no reason to be. I'm just stubborn. My stupidity is going to get me killed if I don't stop. He was just trying to help... And I pushed him away. Again. What if I wake up and he's not there in the morning? Just like he wasn't there to say goodbye? No, no he wouldn't do that. He knows he needs us... Or atleast he needs Rick and Michonne. He doesn't need me. He never has. After I keep pushing him away like that, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even like me anymore. Did he ever like me? I mean he did try to kiss me... Or, did he? Was he trying to kiss me or... Or maybe was he going to say something? Yeah... He doesn't like me. Why would he? I mean, I'm not the nicest person in the world to be around... But who is in this world?
He knows better than anyone that I don't get attached to people, so he probably wouldn't even want to get his feelings mixed up with the sorry likes of me... I need to stop. Just stop thinking about it Ry. You're just going to drive yourself insane with thoughts like these. You have more important priorities to deal with than some boy you just met last week... But he's not just some boy, and it feels way longer than a week. I care about him, hell, I care about Rick too. They're the closest thing to family I've had since my family disappeared. Just shut up Rylie just stop. You're going to make yourself cry again, you've done enough crying tonight. With Hershel and Judith and everyone in the Woodbury group.. You just can't. I turn over and close my eyes, hoping to fall asleep once more.

.

.

.

.

I wake up to a loud bang from the small kitchen and a mumbled "shit" from Carl's mouth.
I get up and limp out there. I see Michonne completely knocked out on the couch, snoring.
I giggle quietly at the sight and continue to the kitchen/dining area. When I enter the small room, I see Carl leaning over to pick up a can he had dropped, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. I smile at his angry expression but quickly wipe the smile from my face before he sees.

"You're gonna wake up the whole damn house Carl." I say, avoiding his gaze and searching through the cabinets.

"Half way there." He mumbles. I act like I didn't hear him and ask:

"What?" In an innocent tone.

"Nothing. You're not gonna find any food in those cabinets. This is it." He says motioning to the cabinet he has open.

"That'd be great information if I was looking for food." I say in a sarcastic, snarky tone.

"Then what are you looking for?" He says and I can feel his eyes on me. I'm still opening the wooden cabinets when I find it.

"This." I say. I turn around and smile, tossing the medical wrap up and down in my hand. I don't give him time to reply before I hop off the counter and limp back to the room.
My ankle is bruised a gross yellow and purple. I gag at the colors and continue to wrap, hoping this will help. I hear a knock on the closed door.
"Rylie?" Carl asks from behind the door. His voice is so light, so sweet that it catches me off guard.

"Yeah?" I say and stand up from the bed, testing out how well the wrap holds up. Carl opens the door and has his head down, not looking at me. Of course he's not looking at me, he doesn't want to.

"Here's some food. Eat up, I think my dad is wanting to leave later today. Michonne and him are still sleeping but when they wake up-"

"Okay." I say with no emotion in my voice.

"Uh, how's your ankle?" He asks shyly.

"Good. The wrap helps I think." I say, just standing there awkwardly as he sets the can of soup and the can opener on the desk near the door.

"Good." He says awkwardly and then just stands there in the doorway, just staring at things around the room.

"Carl?"

"Yeah?" He says and looks up at me.

"I'm trying to get ready." I say in a quiet, yet rude voice.

His face falls at my tone of voice. He nods and closes the door, leaving me alone to hear his footsteps down the hall.
I need to get out of this enclosed space, this little cabin-house. I feel too kept up and suffocated here, right now. I shrug it off, pull my hair up, slide my combat boots on, grab my new bow and head out the door.

"Where are you going?" Carl asks as Michonne starts to wake up from the couch.

"To clear my head. I'll only be like 15 minutes." I say trying to calm him as he looks anxious.

I don't wait for his reply when I close the door behind me. The morning air feels cool, yet is still a spring-breeze feeling. I go a couple hundred feet from the cabin, being careful of my ankle, and my bow drawn and ready just in case. I hear leaves rustling behind me and I quickly whip around, my bow aimed towards the noise. It's not a walker, if it was, it would've come after me by now. As soon as I think it, I hear faint whispers.

"Who's there?!" I say loudly and the whispers stop. So do the leaves.

"Come out!" I yell this time. I see them step out from behind some trees and bushes.

"Oh my god..." My eyes narrow at the sight.

"Hallie?"

((Don't forget to vote and comment what you think!!))