TWDG\\II-South State

NINETEEN

AJ
--Two days later--
The last two days had been immensely eventful; I never encountered Ivan's hot tempered sister over this time, I barely had time to address Clementine. I was so focused on staying low—The plan that was awaiting was just a never ending tightening spiral of anxiety and worry.
I would wake up, the biting cold making me want to stay in the frigid bed, and fight the urges to breakdown. I would do jobs, and sneak any extra supplies I could.
I did all that a boy my age could do; piled logs, loaded magazines, and even gutted fish and any other animals that were coming in from the constant hunting trips. Except the Winter weather was slowing the feed down.
What I notice about knowing a plan, you're on edge all the time. Worried, paranoid even, that the wrong person knows what your up to.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I flinched around, my thought spiral shattering as I saw a tired and cold Jerome standing there, a new wrinkle cradling his eyes, his stubble growing excessive over the week and a half we had been staying here.
"Oh, hey..." I muttered, my heart beating inside my chest.
Yes, I thought. It does make you paranoid.
I stood awkwardly near the West outpost, one of the agitated men slamming the door of the powder blue pickup truck, and carrying in the tiny amount of fish retrieved, the small, dead creature laying limp in the net.
"AJ!" Jerome announced, sounding more enthusiastic than he appeared. "I hate to interrupt you, but would you mind coming up to my services to have a chat?"
'To have a chat—'
My cluttered mind was immediately hit with a million worrying thoughts; he found out. How did he find out? When did he find out? Who told?
My hands began to get clammy with sweat, and I shifted my weight to my other foot. Despite the cold that constantly brushed in the air, the back of my neck felt hot and prickly.
"Don't worry, just an adjustment chat, don't worry." Jerome said, his brown eyes looking over me suspicially. "Ivan?"
Ivan, who had weighing in on the plan as of late, turned around, his lips winded and chapped from the cold, his nose light red. He caught my worried gaze.
"Yes, sir?" He asked, walking away from his other acquaintances.
"You don't mind if I steal your keen little worker?" Jerome asked, the weight of his hand on my rather bare clothed shoulder. I felt like brushing it off, but I felt too limited to do anything.
"Uh, no, I don't mind." Ivan responded, and I focused my gaze on the ground.
It was in one of these moments that I payed attention to the littlest thing my mind could comprehend; even when I was a little, little kid, I occasionally had these strange intrusives. A small brown leaf, dried and exposed. The Autumn leaves that usually dressed the trees around here were skinned bare, the cold causing these decayed features to fall.
"—okay, well, we should be going, AJ." Jerome finished his small chit chat with Ivan, and used his hand on my shoulder to spin me around the other way, and began guiding me the direction of his makeshift office. My thoughts were abruptly stopped again, as I clenched my fingernails into my palm, the sweat that had built up causing the event to slip. I expected Jerome to talk on the way, but today, he was quiet, with a strange and unnerving smile on his lips.
He knows. He knows. He knows.
The pathways that were usually appeared with cobblestone roads from the life before, and the small frost had began to build up along the pathway. The buildings had access to an occasional generator, which made the sky gather with the trey of the smoke erupting from the furnaces and chimneys. It made the smell of ash and rustic wood fill my nostrils.
I sighed, and kept walking with him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jerome look at me. Like he was suspecting me.
God, AJ, pull yourself together!
He'll only know if you make it obvious!
I listened to my often disturbing voices, and stood straight, artificial courage soaring through my chest. I subtly shrugged Jerome's awkward hand off my shoulder. It didn't seem like he noticed that manoeuvre.
It seemed like after no time at all, a great large building stood over me. It seemed bigger this time; some things are funny like that. You don't notice something until it's really unnecessary.
Jerome oped the door for me, and I walked in, the room less cold than outside somewhat.
I looked around the decor, the mint walls suddenly starting to spin. I was getting dizzy.
Come on AJ. You aren't normally weak or nervous like that.
Ever.
From the glass window present from outside his office, I saw Ashley; Ivan's sister...?
I was confused, and all the courage I had from before faded away as quickly as it came. The young girl twisted her head to see me.
A devious smile coyed her lips.
She told.
I walked in, and even though the usual me would scowl, or express my current annoyance at her, I didn't.
My neck and cheeks went hot, and I felt like I was blushing. Except this wasn't blush; this was anger.
Jerome shut the door behind him with a click. He dumped his oversized jacket on his chipped desk, and turned to us.
"So." He squinted his eyes. "AJ seems rather confused about why he's here."
I felt like nodding, but I didn't.
I feel like doing a lot of things. But I don't.
"I'll clear it up; Ashley here says you and your dysfunctional friends want out."
—want out—
No.
"Um." I said, my throats closing up, like there was something scratching the sides of my mouth and neck. "No."
Jerome shared a knowing glance at Ashley, who now had her arms crossed, and nodded at Jerome.
"Don't lie, AJ." Jerome said. "You're just a little boy. You're a bad liar."
"I mean." I cleared my throat. "Me and my friends...we felt like that at the start. But now...we like it here."
I am a liar.
I glanced at Ash, my hands shaking at my side. Not only because I was nervous—I was angry. The back of my legs began to sweat, sticking my faded jeans to my legs.
"Ashley is lying." I said, and turned my head to face Jerome's now hostile eyes. His hands were on the desk, leaning his body away from it. He shifted his eyes to the ground.
"Interesting." Jerome spoke. "But Ashley has some pretty key evidence."
"Oh yeah." A voice behind me occurred. "Like what, exactly?"
I turned, and saw Violet, standing at the door. Her blonde hair was hectic, and messy—it was Violet. Her arms were crossed angrily across her torso, and she shot a venomous glare at Ashley before striding in. At a better view, I saw Clementine and Louis.
I sighed in relief. My three best friends were to the rescue.