scars • clementine x louis

Chapter 31: Invasion

There he was. Tenn laying on the ground with a knife straight in his head. Ruby sobbed heavily as she rocked his corpse, mumbling words that were inaudible for anyone to hear. Clementine was agitated from the disturbing sight. Why would anyone do this? Especially to a little boy. Clem glanced behind her to spot AJ standing there, his eyes enlarged and his body frozen. She kneeled down to his level before placing her hands on his shoulders, leaving no effect on him. 

"AJ..." Clementine said in a soft, gentle voice. Tears welled up in AJ's eyes.

"He..." AJ trailed off, interrupted by Clem pulling him into a hug. She could feel the pain that he experienced just by how tense he was.

"Listen, Tenn is in a better place. You know that. He'll be with his Mom, dad, Minnie... Violet."

AJ looked down but then nodded sadly. Clem kissed his forehead before standing up and calling over Louis. Louis walked over to Clem and AJ before she started whispering in his ear.

"Can you go talk to AJ for a bit? He's still a bit shaken up." Clem whispered, making sure AJ didn't hear. Louis nodded and walked outside with AJ.

Clementine turned back around to see everyone still crowded around Tenn's body. Clem frowned, thinking about all the time AJ and Tenn had spent together and how AJ was feeling right now. She felt pity for both AJ and Tenn for going through such traumatic events.

*

"So... when do we leave?" Luke asked, pacing back and forth. Clementine stood up from the chair she was sitting in and crossed her arms as she rolled her eyes in frustration. 

"What we should be worried about, is where we're gonna go. We can't just randomly walk out there, hoping for the best." Clementine pointed to the map, just where the safe zone border was before turning around. "Where is someplace that we know we can go to?"

Luke and Javi stayed silent. Clementine let out a sigh.

"So, we don't know." She whispered. Both Luke and Javier looked at the brunette with a sorrowful expression. Clementine proceeded to pace around the room while Javier and Luke thought to themselves. 

"Listen, I'm sure it'll be fine. We just need to calm down and figure out where we'll go." Javier assured. Luke nodded as Clem walked over to the map before shaking her head. 

"I can't see anything past here, the map is too small." She pointed out, clicking her tongue. She bunched her lips to the side as she let out a deep sigh once again.

"So what? Does that just mean we're walking in that forest cluelessly?" Luke groaned, slightly flailing his arms. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, leaving the three to consider any new notions. Clementine raised her head and glanced at Javier who gazed at the now, stained with faded blood, carpet.

"Javi," Clem said. Javi adverted his eyes to the girl, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know where Jesus went?"

*

Clementine walked out of the building just in time to see Louis and AJ sitting down against one of the trees. She looked to her right and spotted Gabe sitting alone at one of the picnic benches. Clem hadn't spoken to Gabe in a while. And at that moment, she realized that nobody else had as well. As her confidence began to falter, she shuffled over to Gabe before sitting down from across him. He lifted his head as he raised both of his eyebrows in surprise, both aroused and shocked that Clementine would sit with him.

"Hey," Clementine spoke quietly. 

"Hey," Gabe replied, looking back down. An awkward silence filled the air as Clementine desperately searched for something else to say. Now was far too late to leave.

"Um, why- why are you sitting here? Alone, I mean."

"It's not like I could be anywhere else." He muttered. Clementine stared at him with a confused expression on her face.

"What... does that mean?" She queried. She fiddled with her fingers secretly under the table. 

"I mean that I don't fit in. No one has even taken a look at me since I... kissed you." Clementine shifted a bit in discomfort, being reminded of that time. "I'm afraid that Louis might've told people or something."

Clementine rolled her eyes as she shook her head. She was surprised that Gabe didn't see how dumb he was sounding. "Gabe, even if Louis did tell people, no one would care by now. We have a lot to think about than just a guy kissing a girl who has a boyfriend. Plus, even if Louis kinda hates you, which he doesn't, he wouldn't spread rumors like that. That's not like him." 

"Then why do people avoid me all the time?"

"Nobody avoids you, Gabe. You're the one who has to talk to people. Of course, no one's gonna talk to you if you hide in the shadows. You have to make a move. And... not in... that way. You're not asking anyone out." Clem noticed Gabe grow tenser. She sighed and flashed a slight smile. "What is it now?"

"Well... It's stupid."

"C'mon, it can't be stupid if you're acting all moody about it."

Gabe considered telling Clem before shaking his head. "It's nothing. Thanks for the advice, Clem." He muttered as he stood up and trudged over to the dormitories. Clementine slowly stood up, confused as to why Gabe was being all unhappy all of a sudden. She walked over to Louis and AJ but was interrupted by a loud crash from the front gates. Everyone, including Clem, darted their heads towards the sound to see about 10 people with guns walking inside the school. 

Out of all of them, Clementine only recognized one. 

Sophie.

"All of you! Get over here now!" A boy their age yelled. Michael. Before she could get caught, Clementine grabbed both AJ and Louis and practically threw them inside the entrance of the dorms. She quickly glanced behind her to see everyone on their knees with their arms behind their heads.

"Louis, keep AJ safe here. If they come in, hide behind anything you find."

"W-wait, you're not coming?" Louis cut her off, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I can't. It's me they want. If I don't go out there, they'll kill everyone out there."

"Clem, you have to come with us!" AJ whisper-yelled as tears threatened to spill. Clementine gazed at the boy before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, goofball. I have to go. Louis will keep you safe, I promise."

"Whoever is hiding, come out now! Or else we'll kill all of your friends!" One of the raiders called out.

"Go!" Clem ordered. Before they could say anything, Clem was already walking over to the raiders. They had finally noticed her when they aimed their guns at her. She raised her hands up before quickly bringing them back down. "I'm not doing anything. Just put the guns down!"

"Fuck no." Michael sniggered, still holding up his gun. "You're the reason why we lost our home, our family."

"I liked you, Clementine." He continued. He narrowed his eyes slightly, showing how furious he really was. Clem stood there, crossing her arms silently. "I thought you were cool. But turns out, you're just like the rest of them!" Michael yelled. He pulled the trigger, shooting Clem right in the shoulder, the same place where she had got shot from Bonnie and (other) Mike.

She groaned in pain as she clutched her shoulder. In her blurred vision, she saw a figure run up to Michael before hearing another shot. 

Clementine finally got her consciousness back when she looked down to see Mitch on the ground with a gunshot wound in his head. Her eyes widened in shock as she glanced up to see Sophie with a gun in her hand, still held up in the air.