The Missing Piece [[Glenn's Sister]]

- 4 -

I sat in the Governor's lounge, sipping delicately from a cup of herbal tea. He had pretty much explained the premise of the school so far.

Let me break it down.

Mondays to Fridays from 8am until 1pm, I teach under 16s in English, Math, Science and Humanities. 3pm until 8pm, I teach everyone 17+ in a new class, Biter Studies, where we understand more about the way the biters work.

So yeah, I've got a set schedule.

"So, we've got the school building set up and ready to go, now you just need to get in there, and... Familiarize yourself. Wouldn't hurt to try to... Y'know, socialise with people outside of work." The Governor said, sitting opposite me, his arms folded on the table.

"Yeah, that's uh... That'll be great, I can, uh, try to get out there, soon."

"Never hurts to have people who've got your back." He said, his smiling visage seeming almost eerie.

"You don't know the half of it..." I muttered under my breath, staring down at the almost empty China.

"What was that?" He asked. I jumped and looked back up at him, forcing a smile to make itself visible.

"Oh, nothing, don't worry about it." I bounced my knees awkwardly and looked around for either a way to start conversation or an excuse to leave. The room began growing heavy at the intense silence, his gaze never leaving me.

Finally having a reason, I looked over at the clock, and put on a shocked expression. Acting never was my forte, but hey, never say never, right?

"Oh, dammit..." I whispered, downing the last of the honestly pretty awful herbal tea, cringing at the old and stale taste.

"What is it?" He asked, looking me intensely in the eyes.

"Ugh, its just I... Merle wanted to talk to me, you see. Told me earlier to not take too long. Sorry, but uh, thank you, really. The tea was, uh, was really great. Thanks." Lies. All of it. Lies.

"Not a problem Lacey." He chuckled, standing up at the same time as me, his form towering over me. "It was lovely talking to you. We should do it again sometime."

"Yeah, we should, uh, sure." I said, shaking his outstretched hand quickly before speed walking to the door, before I processed what he said. "Oh, and uh, its Grace. Or Gracie, but y'know... Not Lacey." I said, stopping with my hand on the doorknob. I turned to look back at him and found him still staring at me.

"My apologies." He said simply.

I gave him a small smile and opened the door, almost running down the street back to my house.

8 months later...

It was calm. The calm before the storm, I guess.

Merle had climbed the ranks in Woodbury, and was now serving as the Governor's right hand man.

Or, left hand man, since, y'know...

Me? Well, I did my job. I worked and I taught. Thanks to me, the children of Woodbury were getting an education, just like they would've before all of this. I'd come out of my depression, mostly, and really was like the prom queen of the town. Everyone knew my name, and everyone seemed to actually like me. Merle hadn't changed a bit. Well, maybe he softened a little bit, but he was still that same old prejudice simple minded piece of shit.

He was more distant, too. I never really saw him, and when I did, he'd either be working or busy, so yeah, I lost my friend.

Yes, I called Merle Dixon my friend. Because he was. More than my friend, really, he was like a big brother to me. Was.