You don't control me, Dixon

➌ 89- Misunderstandings and Telling Offs

♤

Can't you see?

What am I to take from that? You rhyming bitch?

Blinking rapidly, I nod again- clearing my throat this time and speaking in a croak, "Yeah, I'm sorry, I uh- I zoned out real hard there." I close my eyes and force a chuckle.

The voices silent, but I think I almost miss them right now.

He rests a hand on my shoulder and I have to pinch my eyes, waiting for Shannon to yell at him.

But it is silent.

Shivering, I shove the abandoned shovel into the last of the loose dirt and pat it down.

Dropping the shovel to my feet, I bend to pick the shotgun up. Handing it to Archer as I ask lightly, "So is your name Archer or..." I drag off letting him answer but he only looks at me confused.

He opens his mouth only to close it quickly. Raising a brow, he responds, "I suppose you have a bad memory, the names Emrick, but I prefer Archer."

I shove the gun barrel down into the blood-soaked ground easily before looking up at the kid, slightly surprised that Shannon isn't pestering me.

He goofily smiles and I sigh softly, "I guess we both need a space to live now."

His face goes beet red as he splutters, "Well I think it's best to take it slow, I mean we barely-"

Bursting out a laugh on accident, I groan slightly and grab my ribs, "Ah-Fuck. No, I'm probably staying with Daryl or Beth if she has space, but we should look for free ones before the good ones get taken."

I glance up at him and raise a brow as he stares at the ground embarrassed, blushing to the point that even his neck is blood red.

Before turning I ask Archer," What's his name?"

Archer looks down at me and sighs, wiping at the edge of his mouth, "Uh-his name? It is-was Brian. He was... my friend."

I nod, filing it away for a punishment that I can give to Carl. Nope, not my problem.

So instead, I pat Archer on the back as I reminisce, "It's ok, it hard to lose someone but I know he was a good kid. He didn't want to fight here, did he?"

He shakes his head, and a tear falls, and another and another. Quickly he is sobbing on my shoulder.

Awkwardly, I pat his shoulder as I try to soothe him. However, he wipes his eyes and nose before sniffing, "Sorry, I just-"

I shake my head, guiding him to the prison, "It's ok to cry for the loss of life. Most importantly if it is your friend. That just shows pride for them and if he was alive right now, I bet he would be smiling that someone is crying for him being dead."

He stares at me, stopping us both. I glance up at him as he smiles, "Thanks."

I shrug and quickly whip my head as whistling makes me look over at Glenn. Quickly, I step away from Archer and glare at my feet.

It isn't like that at all, I care for Finn. Only Finn.

Nodding a blushing Archer in, I mutter about following him in real quick.

He leaves and I turn to Glenn as he follows the teen with his eyes. Waiting until the door is fully closed, I quickly storm up to Glenn who backs up.

Clenching my jaw, I ask seething, "Do you think we are cool? Do you think I forgive you? I heard what you wanted to do! I'm not a fucking imbecile!"

With all the nerves in his body, he raises his hands as if what I'm saying is strange and foreign.

He opens his mouth but I cut him off as I start to raise my voice, "You know what Maggie said? She said 'Seeing you- after all we did- flayed open so nothing happened to me-' she sighed 'Glenn, he was hesitant to save you, he was ready to go'! Ready to go!"

His face pales and I stand back. He opens his mouth but only settles on, "How do you remember that?"

Raising my chin, I sigh, "I was in college at fourteen, how on earth do you think I got there?"

He stares at the ground for a long minute before I start to speak again, "If you think you can ignore what you did over the winter and this fall and treat me like an old friend you've got me fucked up with someone else.-" I take a step closer and whisper, "-I'm looking after myself, I suggest you do the same."

I turn and start to walk but he stops me with his first intelligent sentence this whole interaction, "Are you threatening me?"

Stopping in my tracks I sigh softly, "No.-" I turn and face him, narrowing my eyes, "That just means I won't go out of my way to help you because I'm tired of being the helper without the same curtesy given back. So really, start treating me like a human and show that you aren't willing to sacrifice my skin."

I walk backwards and shake my head tiredly, "Really, it's that simple. I'm not asking for the world."

♤