sweet caroline | n.

i. new guy.

sweet caroline. chapter one.
SUMMARY ; a new guy comes across the group. caroline isn't so sure about him.

❝ rip to my youth
and you can call this the funeral
i'm just telling the truth ❝
——

CAROLINE POPPED up from her siting position on a log that was surrounded by nothing but trees and the forest at the sound of something — or someone — hitting the ground. her father shot her a look that she could easily recognize as the stay here look even behind his walker mask. caroline clutched the knife in her hand, clenching her jaw as she watched the rest of the group hurry towards the noise while keeping quiet themselves.

caroline stood in place for about thirty seconds, before she took fast but silent steps forwards in the direction the rest of her group had went in. she didn't want to stay put, she's shown her strength multiple times, she couldn't understand why her father still treated her like a child, despite how many times alpha had scolded him for it. granted, it was the only thing caroline agreed with the leader on, and the only thing her father refused to listen to her about.

when caroline approached the scene, she pushed herself to the front to see what was happening. standing in the middle of the group that had surrounded their new discovery, stood a man that caroline had never seen before. her eyes glanced down to his attire, dressed in a leather jacket, dark grey jeans, thick black boots. she looked back up to his face, seeing he didn't look entirely clean, but not dirty either. he couldn't have been out in the open on his own for long.

"name." caroline heard her father whisper to the man in a low, growl tone. she watched the new stranger dig his hands into the dirt below him, pushing himself up to his feet. he wiped his hands off on his jeans, before a wide smile crossed over his expression, as he outstretched his arm and offered his hand to beta. caroline furrowed her eyebrows at this.

"negan.. and you jolly green giant are?" the man beamed, the smile never wiping off his face, his voice covered in amusement. caroline couldn't figure out what he thought was so funny/joyful about the situation, caroline was almost certain that either her father or alpha was going to kill him. caroline could tell he wouldn't belong here, his voice was booming loud compared to the rest. his demeanor was too weak, caroline would bet that he's been given the long end of the stick throughout everything.

"voice. too loud." beta responded, ignoring negan's hand, not sparing a glance at it. negan tilted his head to the side, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. caroline's eyes had never left the stranger, he looked so different than the rest of the men in her group, she couldn't help but stare, she'd never seen anyone like him before. his eyes were a deep brown, the hair on his head was thick and dark, if caroline had to guess his height she would've picked 5'11-5'12. he was rather on the skinny side, though, it made caroline wonder if she was right for thinking he couldn't have been out there for long.

wherever he had been, they sure didn't have a lot of food.

negan's eyes wandered around the group, each person wearing another person's face, he thought it was the most disturbing thing he had ever seen. their clothes were dark and gloomy, hair ratted, his eyes moved fast, and caroline watched him do a double take when he looked past her. he met her gaze, staring back at her, the only person that appeared somewhat normal was a young girl, with soft blonde hair and blue eyes. she stared at him with a different look in her eyes than everyone else, she looked more curious than anything.