WASTE • Carl Grimes

Twelve

^ listen to the song!!

" that one looks like an ass " I nod towards one of the grey clouds over our heads and Carl laughs.

He's been laughing a lot lately, slowly healing from the loss of his girlfriend, and I couldn't be happier.

We usually came out at night and sat under any tree that we found, talking about our past lives and trying to name the stars above us.

But tonight, there also happens to be a few clouds over us, which makes our small game a lot more fun than it usually is.

Carl's legs are bent in front of him as he rests his arms on his knees, his eye drawn to the sky as the wind blows against his long hair.

" the one next to it looks like a pair of scissors " he points out and I immediately look at the grey cloud he's talking about, my eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

" what? No it doesn't " i chuckle before looking back at Carl who's looking back at me, an eyebrow of his perked up.

" speaking of scissors, never cut your hair " I tell him, smiling. He sits up straight and folds his arms over his chest, eyebrows drawn together.

" Luna Knight, are you flirting with me? " Carl asks sarcastically, making me roll my eyes.

" yeah, I'm in love with you " I reply, words holding just as much sarcasm as his did, causing the both of us to erupt in laughter.

Our laughter dies down a little and we both stay quite, enjoying each other's company as we stare up at the sky, thoughts accompanying both of our minds.

Up until Carl decides to break up the silence for the first time, his question catching me off guard.

" how'd your family die? "

I keep my eyes on the sky above me, well aware of his eye on me, watching as my smile never leaves my lips at the mention of them.

It hurt deep down to think of my past life and my family, but I have shed way too many tears and mourned their death to the point where it makes me happy when I think of them, because they don't have to see me the way I am right now.

It hurts to think of them, but my eyes ran out of tears along time ago, and crying over their death at this point would be pointless, I've already shed all the tears I had over them.

" the same way everyone else did, a bite " I reply, my eyes now on the curious boy beside me.

It was only fair that I open up to him now since he had opened up to me a few days ago.

" you put them down? " his voice is low, but it doesn't hold any sympathy in it, to which I am thankful for.

" we were leaving my house to go to some camp my dad heard about, I went up to grab my bag and came down to a pool of blood. My mom, dad, and sister were dead, they hadn't turned just yet " I start, sighing before going on with my story.

" you don't have to- " Carl says but I shake my head.

" no, you told me about your mom and family, it's only fair if I tell you about mine " he stares at me for a while, eyebrows knitted together before he nods at me.

" I started to panic and rushed towards them until our neighbor saw me and picked me up, he told me that they were gone and that there was nothing that I could do. A few days later Adam died on the road and I was alone in the woods with a knife in my hand "

" the same knife you have on you now? " Carl questions and I nod, smiling at him. He sighs.

" about a year later, I went back to my neighborhood and found them roaming around. I put the three of them down and left " I finish my story and look at Carl to see his reaction, expecting to see him shaking his head or something but he was smiling, his hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner.

" meanwhile I wasn't allowed to even look at a knife " Carl jokes and I laugh, seeing his point.

" when'd they let you use a gun? " I ask and he removes his hand from my shoulder.

" they didn't. The first time I used a gun was when I shot my dad's best friend " he tells me and I nod.

" he turned? " I ask and it was Carl's turn to nod.

" yeah, my dad killed him in front of me. He was trying to explain everything once he saw me and forgot that he was going to turn " he explains.

He then goes on about the farm they were on at the time when they saw a herd coming closer and how he burned a barn full of walkers down.

And I was listening intently the whole time, watching as his face goes from happy to sad to happy to sad again each time he talks about someone that had passed away.

" when I asked you about your family a few days ago, you weren't only talking about your dad and sister, were you? " I ask and he turns his head towards me, smiling after I had put the pieces together.

" they're all my family " he says.

We stay quite for a few minutes until Carl decides to ask me another question.

" did anyone ever hurt you when you were alone? "

I gulp, memories, bad ones, flooding my head, but nonetheless, I decide to answer.

" a few men tried to rape me a few years ago, I was able to escape but then they shot me and took me in when I passed out "

I suddenly feel Carl tense up next to me, his eyebrows knitted together as he looks at me, eye narrowed.

" did they- "

" no, they tried to when I was awake but I managed to escape. I ran deeper into the woods until I was completely lost "

Carl keeps his eye on me, his fingers locked together between his legs.

" where'd they shoot you? "

" my shoulder. There's a big, visible, scar that makes me a- "

" angry when you look at it? " he finishes my sentence, a small smile playing on his lips when he notices my confusion that soon turns into a smile similar to his own.

" where? " I ask, watching as he point his finger to a particular spot on his body.

" my chest " he puts his finger back down.

He tells me about how he was accidentally shot by a hunter when checking a deer out and how a man named Hershel saved him after that.

" hurt like hell " he recalls the feeling and shakes his head, me imitating his actions.

" tell me about it. I thought stepping on legos was much worse " i joke and he furrows his eyebrows at me, the shadow of a smile playing on his lips when he turns to me.

" it does hurt a lot more " we both erupt in laughter and start making more jokes about serious situations we've both been in before, making the best of our time together.

And for the first time since he joined me in my endless adventure, I finally admitted to myself that I enjoyed his company.

And that I no longer wanted him to leave.