Jessamine Dixon lives in the apocalypse

Things are getting weird

I pulled my backpack out of the locker and slung it over my shoulder. I kept my head down as I walked out of the locker room, avoiding eye contact with the girls who couldn't decide if they liked me or not.  I'm only on this team because it gives me something to do, a reason to be out of the house. It barely even mattered to me when all the parents looked at me weirdly, more specifically the parts of my back that peaked out of the one-piece straps. 

Practice had ended and I left the locker room first like every other day. I leave the building to find Officer Carlos Pineda waiting for me outside where he'd bring me to the station. Just like clockwork. But not today. On this day it was nothing like that. 

I walked around the corner of the school hallway and pulled my swim bag further up my shoulder. My heart sank as I looked at what was in front of me. Lori was only a yard away from the exit, her son Carl standing right next to her, he was clearly on the verge of tears. Lori seemed like she'd been crying previously too. She probably stopped for Carl. They were here for me, I knew they were. If they were here, that means that nothing good happened. 

"Lori? What's going on?" I ask, keeping my voice strong. Lori didn't hesitate to pull me into a hug, I didn't hug other people and it was only when needed that I hugged the Grimes. My bag slipped off my shoulder as she held me tighter.

 If it weren't obvious enough that something was wrong this would have indicated that something was 100% wrong. I knew what would be coming next. Carl and Lori would never be here if it wasn't for something bad.

"Rick was shot." Anything but that.

"Is he gonna wake up?" I asked. I already knew the answer. Every bone in my body knew.

"Well, he's in a coma right now." That's not dead. That's one-half dead.  But that doesn't mean he was gonna live, but it meant he had a chance of doing so. I didn't know what to say to Lori. I had no words. There were no words.

Lori slowly let go of me and Carl snuck around her. He slowly embraced me. Carl Grimes. The Grime's one and only son. He's one year older than me and barely an inch taller. I felt one of his tears fall upon my shoulder.

I glanced around Carl and saw Shane coming around the corner to the lockers. His hand slowly raised my school backpack. 

It took a minute but Carl slowly let go and I walked over to Shane.

"Old man."

"Small child."

"Ha, ha. You're so funny."

"I have everything you need from your locker in your backpack." I looked at him in confusion. First, why was he in my locker? Second, what would I even need from my locker? 

"What's going on?"

"I don't want you to alarm the other two but the world is changing and we have to be prepared." I nodded my head. I still didn't understand whatsoever. He didn't explain anything at all. What was I supposed to understand? How was the world changing? What would be happening? What is happening?

The siren rang through my ears. I jolted my head in the direction of the door. I looked at the three of them and they all nodded their heads toward the door.

"Okay, I'm going. I love you, guys." I grabbed my bag from Shane and hurried to the door. My hands shoved the door open and I jumped down the front steps. The sirens stopped when my feet hit the ground.

I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.

"What's up, Pineda?" I asked him with a smile, acting like the last few minutes hadn't happened. Carlos Pineda was the one who drove me around when I needed it, which was daily. He was also the one that taught me all the Spanish I know.

"Nothin much. What about you, Dixon?"

"Same old, same old." 

"I'm takin it that you already heard?" My heart sank once again. It was always gonna feel that way. I heard some bad news this is how I'm supposed to feel, I tried to reason with myself. But how was I supposed to focus on Rick and the world changing? Shane made it sound like it was pretty severe.

"Yeah, I just did."

"Good." Carlos didn't mean good as in actual good. He meant it as in thank god I don't have to tell you bad news, again.

Carlos pulled into the parking lot of the police station and I immediately went inside. I got to the front desk and leaned on it.

"Hey, Jessie." The woman who had worked the front desk since she was 20 years old and the same woman who greets me every time I walk through the door. 

"Hello, Mrs.Drove." 

"You know I hate it when you call me that, it's Charlotte to you."

"Fine." I told her with a smile, waiting for her to give me an old case file. Something to study, to make me smarter, stronger, better.

"Jessamine, do you really think I would give you a case right now? Go see him!" I looked at her for a moment before realizing she was right. I walked into my office and grabbed my phone. The number I dialed seemed like it was fried into my brain.

"Come on, pick up the phone. There's one thing I need and it's for you to pick up the phone. Please! Come on, come on, come on." I muttered to myself as it rang and rang.

"Hey, sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message, so I can get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!" This could not be happening right now. But of course, the beep came in no time.

"Hey, Michonne, I am so sorry for such short notice. But, an emergency came up and I don't know when I'd be able to make it over to babysit, I hope I can soon. But, um, I hope you understand. I am so sorry, love you. Bye." I hung up the phone and groaned. The I love you was rare. But I said it. It felt like it might be one of the last times we talked, god, I was letting what Shane said get into my head.

I grabbed all the pictures I had ever put in that office and gently set them in my backpack. When I left the room I turned off the lights and shut the door behind me.

"You know for 11, I think that the youngest you get misplaced for could be like 14. You're so mature, I'm glad you ended up here." I turned and Charlotte was sitting in the same seat with a smile.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just get to work with the most amazing person on this planet ever."

"Are you still talking about me?"

"1000 times, yes."

"I'm glad I ended up here too." Not only is it the most amazing opportunity but it keeps me safe and in the midst of things.

"Bikes out back."

"Thanks, Charlotte." I put my bag back on my shoulder.  Regretfully I walked out of the building and looked to my right. The motocross bike was leaning on the wall.

I hurried to the hospital as fast as I could. The same hospital I would sit at for days.