Disarm ⋙ Shane Walsh ⋙ The Walking Dead

Tennis Court ⋙ t w e n t y t w o

Watching everyone say goodbye to Jim was tough. Katherine wasn't close to him at all, so she hung back with Carl and Sophia while everyone said what they felt they needed to say. Carl and Sophia weren't really sure what was happening, everyone had made it a point to hide Jim's bite from the two. They were too young to understand, especially in Carol and Lori's opinions. Katherine agreed to some extent, but she was well aware that Sophia and Carl knew more than they were letting on. 

After everything was said and done, Lori came over and ushered everyone back into the cramped station wagon. It wasn't ideal, but Katherine was close to her family. That's what mattered, right? All Katherine wanted was to be curled up in the passenger seat of Shane's Jeep, holding his hand and talking about what had happened the other day. Carl was already complaining about the tight quarters before anyone else could get into the car. "Mom! My legs hurt. I don't have any room." Lori and Rick looked at each other, annoyance on their faces. Carol looked momentarily concerned before speaking. "Sophia and I will go ride with Dale. Andrea and Jacqui if you need us too." Rick shook his head. "Carl can suck it up." Carl moaned in irritation. Kat rolled her eyes at her dramatic little brother, but she really had no room to talk. 

"I saw you roll your eyes, Katherine Rae." Rick was staring at her from the rearview mirror, giving her 'the look'. Lori chuckled from the passenger's seat. "Oh, both of my babies, so dramatic." Her tone was a joking one. Kat rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head. Carl just continued to pout, embarrassed in front of Sophia. "Wow, Mom. Wonder where we learned it from." Lori and Rick chuckled. "Surely wasn't me, it was probably Shane." Katherine joined in with her mom's laughter, but she didn't miss the sour look on Rick's face when Shane's name was said. "In all honesty, it was probably both of you." Carl cracked a slight smile at this. Kat also caught one painted on Carol's face. 

Rick swallowed hard. He was trying not to make a huge scene. "Who knew that my wife and my best friend would be such terrible influences on my children?" Everyone in the car laughed at this. Katherine felt a wave of awkwardness wash over her, understanding the double meaning of Rick's words. Katherine was in a tough spot. Did she back down and end whatever was going on with Shane? Or did she continue to explore what was happening with him? She personally wanted to see where things would go. She had had a crush on Shane for as long as she could remember, and now she finally had a chance to act on it. Would she give that up to please her father? 

Katherine thought back to a conversation that she had with her friend Lissa before the world went to shit. 

Kat and Lissa were sprawled out on Lissa's bed. They were surrounded by copious amounts of their favorite candy, watching movies while drinking some vodka that Lissa's older brother bought them. It was about as much fun as two 17 year old seniors could have on a friday night in King's County. "So, Kat. Tyler told me what happened the other night. Shane wouldn't let you go out?" Kat rolled her eyes and looked up from her phone. "That's pretty much what happened." Lissa was just as irritated as Katherine appeared to be. "So, like, you can come here and hang out with me, but you can't go out if Tyler is gonna be there?" Kat nodded before taking another swig of the vodka, her face twisting at the taste of rubbing alcohol. "That's basically what I got from the whole ordeal, also, why did your brother buy us Burnett's?" 

Lissa just laughed. "Damn, Kat, are you too bougie for 8 dollar vodka?" Lissa asked with a laugh. Kat made a face. "I really think I might be." Lissa and Kat just laughed. "He could've at least gotten us some mixers." Lissa nodded at the statement. "So, before we get too off topic, do you still have that giant crush on Shane?" Katherine's face flushed a bright red at the question. She knew she should have never said anything to Lissa about it. "I'm gonna take your reaction as a yes." Kat rolled her eyes. "I definitely do, Lis, but he's so annoying! I want to enjoy myself before I go to college." Lissa nodded, listening to Katherine vent about her father's friend. "I don't want to sit around with a cop and my little brother all the damn time. I want to go out and make memories with my friends."

"Also, did I tell you that he tried to kiss me after senior night?" Lissa shot up on her knees, eyes the size of dinner plates at the words that just came out of Kat's mouth. "Katherine Rae Grimes! Ten years of friendship and you neglect to tell me this?" Kat shook her head at Lissa's drama. "Yeah, it was something." "Well, did you do anything about it?" Lissa was absolutely absorbed in this. "I panicked, but I wanted it. One of the other girls on the squad interrupted the moment." Lissa nodded, taking in the barely noticeable look of disappointment painted on her best friend's face. "What would you do if he tried again? Would you stop it?" Katherine immediately shook her head. "Absolutely not. You know how long I've liked him." Before Lissa could say anything, Katherine's phone started ringing. The girls looked down to see the name SHANE WALSH at the top of the screen. The caller picture was a selfie that Katherine had no doubt she coerced Shane into taking with her, duck lips and all. "Well, would you look at that?" Lissa and Katherine giggled before Kat answered the call.

Kat had completely zoned out in her memories. She heard Rick's voice get a little lower. "Kat's sleeping, we should all quiet down a bit." Kat wasn't asleep, but why not? With memories from before all of this and decisions to be made, Katherine managed to doze into a deep, much needed, sleep.