Never Have I Ever Fallen in Love

Chapter 1

"Scout?!"  Maggie shouted from the kitchen.

I slowly got up from the floor where I had been flicking through a book absentmindedly and walked into the next room, coming to a halt in front of her. She was stood with a knife in one hand and a pile of carrots, freshly grown and taken from Hershel's land, in front of her. Hershel sat to the table in the kitchen, studying a bible and keeping an half an eye on his two daughters.

"Could you help us, please?" she asked politely, glancing over at Beth who was also slowly getting through her chores. I nodded, taking another knife and started chopping carrots as well.

Ever since I had moved onto the Greene's farm, which was about 2 weeks ago now, Hershel had made it clear he wanted me to pull my weight and to do so, I occasionally helped around the house, helping the Greene's to cook or clean. I had been willing to help around the farm, anything was better than being out there and fighting off the dead every minute. Plus, Hershel and his family had taken me in with the goodness of their hearts. He could have just sent me on my way and never spare another thought for me. I was thankful he didn't.

The first week I was here, I had been in heaven with clean, warm and running water, fresh food and acres of land with no geeks stumbling around. 

I didn't even mind that the company wasn't that welcoming.

Beth could barely look me in the eye when she passed me a pile of clean clothes and shoes. I had thanked her again and again even though they were 2 sizes to big for me and hung off of my boney body. She had just muttered a 'you're welcome' and quickly walked away with her head down.

Hershel had spared me a few polite greetings at meal times but other than that, we only spoke about the farm and what he needed me to help him with before winter arrived.

Maggie had been a bit more civil when I arrived. She told me Beth was just shy after I asked why she was avoiding me. Hershel, on the other hand, she said was always like this; he didn't feel the need to waste words and he only speaks when he really needs or wants to. 

Maggie and I had even spoken about our memories and our ex-dreams for the future.

From the age of 14, I had skipped school and dossed around town, sometimes getting into trouble for fighting or shop lifting, so a job that needed qualifications for was out of the question.

Hell, my family had a worse reputation than me. I was only a school drop out. My dad and brothers were constantly in and out of prison for bar fighting, possession and selling drugs and other minor stuff like vandalism and drink driving.

Me, Maggie and Beth all worked in silence, only broken by the dripping of water coming out of the tap, until we heard shouting from outside. I tensed up and gripped my knife tighter in my hand. I darted out of the kitchen and to the front porch before the other three, ready to defend myself if I had to.

There, running as if his life depended on it, was a man with short brown hair that was slightly stuck to his forehead because of the sweat that had gathered there. He had a blood stained shirt on and in his arms was a young boy, no older than 12, limp, with his eyes closed.

Otis and another man was running further behind, Otis carrying a shotgun and the other man shouting random curse words into the air.

My eyes widened slightly and I took a step to the side, lowering the hand that was holding the knife to my side, as Hershel ran past me.

"Help me! Please help my son! PLEASE!" the man carrying the boy shouted at us. I swallowed as I looked at Hershel.

He hesitated for a second, looking at the man with hard yet concerned eyes.

"Patricia! Get my bag!"