Crestfallen ↬ Carl Grimes (old version)

I R I D E S C E N T

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT; IRIDESCENT

"So tell me, where shall I go?

To the left, where nothing's right?

Or to the right, where nothing's left?"

"I, amongst many others, raise my glass and let out a large cheer, louder than I could've possibly thought my worn out voice could yell as it intertwines with the others in a song of hope and victory in the midst of our own catastrophe. We were here, we were alive, and we were sure as hell proud of it"

➳

BLUE EYES STARED AT ME FROM UNDERNEATH DARK LASHES AS LAUGHTER BUBBLED FROM MY CHAPPED LIPS, a smile barely seen through the flickering candlelight brightening his freckled face the more he continues to watch me. Without his hat, he almost seemed younger and more caught off guard by the world around us and the people living in it. That, of course, being the only obvious excuse I had for me to take it and wear it as if it were my own, the dark rim peaking at the top of my vision as if it were still trying to make itself known. From my spot on the ground in the front of the room with my back pressed against the wooden railing, I had a perfect view of the people that were scattered around the pews, barely even shadows except for their faces in the rays of light coming from the multiple lit candles. Each of them shared the same kind of smile and laughter we did as they chatted amongst one another in the midst of the dim lighting, taking advantage of the amount of food laid out beneath our fingertips. To my left, sat Rick and a bubbling Judith, her chubby fingers reaching for the beans on the flat paper plate lying on the man's knees, and to my right sat Michonne, a surprising smile shining on her face as she watches the interaction between daughter and father.

"You have to be kidding me," I state with wide eyes, another giggle coming from deep within my throat as I crinkle my nose at Carl. "There is no way you could've possibly said that to a teacher without getting into major trouble."

"Nope, no jokes here," the boy states, shoving another spoonful of green beans into his mouth and continuing to talk around them, resulting in a massive chunk of green to come flying out of his mouth and onto his shoes which were extended and resting on my legs, sending me into another fit of laughter. "It had accidentally slipped out of my mouth and by the time she realized what I had said I was already safely in the car and riding home."

"You were one rebellious boy back then, Carl Grimes," I snorted, making sure to layer the sarcasm on thick as I nudged his knee with my foot and stuffed a forkful of corn into my mouth. "Maybe one day you'll get lucky enough to hear a rebellious story of my own."

The words were nothing more than a reference towards the amount of luck we had conjured up today -- that was the excuse I had easily tied my heated cheeks to as I trained my eyes on the plate loaded with food in my hands, a large amount of satisfaction blooming in my chest as I hear the loud chuckle belonging to Carl in response to my words. Every single one of us had immediately become lucky as soon as the scouting group entered with their hands occupied with large crates of food, two simple words bringing a smile to everyone's faces. "Food pantry." So obviously, that had to mean that the blue-eyed boy was lucky in my eyes. Maybe it was the food slowly filling my stomach, or maybe it was my new motivation to slowly lower the facade that I had been building, but with every ounce in me I could feel the genuine happiness begin to bubble over my walls of solitude the more I laughed along with the boy and his stories of childhood from the world before.