Weapon Of War (Clementine x Louis)

Chapter 10: Pudding

     AJ returned with a pudding cup and a spoon. "Clem, the lady gave me this. What is it?"

     Clementine reached over taking the snack from his grasp. "I don't know. Try it."

AJ peeled back the top and stuck his plastic spoon into the odd snack. Once tasting it his eyes shot open. "Clem!! It's so good. It's sweet but not too sweet. It's the colour of mud but it taste like those cookies we had on base!!"

Louis sat amused by the young child's reaction. "That would be a chocolate pudding cup little man." Louis and Clem each made eye contact smiling at AJ's reaction.

"You can have it goofball." AJ slid up so he was sitting next to Clementine. She wrapped her arm around his small body as he ate.

"Hey AJ don't we have something for Clem?" Clementine raised an eyebrow at the two. "Would you like me to get it?" AJ nodded fiercely. Louis stood up and made his way to AJ's bag that he a dropped at the door when first arriving. The card wasn't hard to find. He could hear the two babbling in that back. Clementine was explaining what chocolate was. While grabbing the card Louis stumbled across a picture of AJ and Clementine. Clem was in a dirty beige t-shirt and cargo pants. She was being held up with crutches. Her leg was gone. AJ stood beside her attempting to support her. He looked happy that he was helping but Louis knew that Clementine's smile was fake. That's the thing, a person can always tell a genuine smile from a fake. And while he looked at her eyes they almost seemed blank.

    He snapped out of his trance and placed the picture back where he found it. The card in hand he made his way back to the bed. "A get well soon card." Clem stated.

    "You know what it is?" AJ asked.

    Louis gave the card over to Clementine for her to observe. "Yes I do. You should too. Remember all those cards that the soldiers would get sent when they were injured?" She read over all the small initials the were scribbled on the large card. Some she recognized and some were complete strangers that sent their best wishes. "Remember how you used to get sad when I got hurt and I never got one of those cards?"

     "That's what those were? I thought they just showed up." Recalling back to his even younger years on base he grabbed a memory. "You were the only person that never got a card." His voice was gentle and saddened.

    Louis stayed silent through the conversation. He may be a blabber mouth but he knew he didn't have the right to pitch in. It just wasn't his place.

    Soon enough more people from her small group of acquaintances began arriving. Louis offered to leave but AJ wanted him to stay. Even she didn't want to admit it Clementine did as well. He was the only one in the group that she felt the slightest bit of comfort with.

    Once everyone had passed through and dropped off her homework Ms. Martin helped her with it. It was time to leave and head back to Ericson. The teens were tired and hungry. Everyone said goodbye to Clementine and left her alone with AJ and Louis. "We'll be back tomorrow Clem. I promise. I'll show you my new drawing. I am an artist." He gave her a tight  hug before grabbing his bag and joining the others.

    Louis sat on her bed "Are you going to be okay tonight? I can stay if you want. I am sure everyone would understand."

    Clementine shook her head. "I will not place a burden on your shoulders. Go back to Ericson and sleep in your own bed. It will be beneficial to your back. Have a good nights rest Louis." She didn't want to treated as a child. Her head told her to do it herself yet something else begged for his presence to stay with her. She was unfamiliar with this feeling so she stood her ground. She's been independent this long nothing is going to change now.