Papá's Girl

Looking for That Lost Little Girl

©JRF2016

Shane, Rick, and Carl stayed back to look for Sophia while the rest of us headed back to the highway. I lingered back away from the rest of the group. I was loaded at Shane, I wasn't even sure why. We weren't involved, it's not like I was invested in him, so why do I care if he leaves and takes Andrea with him? Lori was getting on my last nerve too. "Baby girl," Papá whispered into my ear. I hadn't realized he had dropped back beside me. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothin' Papá." I lied. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, even my Papá and I sure as hell wasn't going to let him, or anyone else for that matter, know that Shane had gotten to me. That my feelings had been hurt by that prick. He stopped for a second grabbing me by the arm. The rest of the group still moving away from us. "Bella Rose," Papá said scoldingly, "You really think I don't know when somethin's botherin' my little girl?" I looked him in the eye and in my peripheral I saw Lori look back at us. Hatred written all over her face. I glanced over at her quickly returning that hate filled gaze and then back up to Papá. I wasn't sure if she could hear our conversation or not so to be sure I decided to speak in Italian. "Quella cagna vuole lasciare." {That bitch wants us to leave.} I said looking into Papá's blue eyes. "Ho davvero avuto abbastanza di culo. Lei pensa che stiamo riverifichevemo spazzatura Papá, forse doveremmo semplicemente lasciare." {I've really had enough of her ass. She thinks we're redneck trash Papá , maybe we should just leave.} Papá smiled and put an arm around my shoulders as he kissed me on the top of the head. "I know you better than that," Papá said, "You're not gonna let some snotty little bitch run you off. Lei e solo gelosama ma non puo reggere il confronto con voi Rosy. Questo deputato 'e un idiota se prende i suoi annunci magre sulla mia bella Rose." {She's just jealous but she can't hold a candle to you Rosy. That deputy's an idiot if he picks her scrawny ass over my beautiful Rose.} I smiled up at him feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. I guess I'm not hiding my feelings for Shane as well as I thought. He squeezes me tighter chuckling a little, "Yeah I know you." He paused for a minute before continuing, "Non mi piace di tui, ma io non solo stupido, so che lo fai." {I don't like him but I'm not stupid. I know you do.} He bent down whispering the next part softly in my ear, "So you can stop pretending you don't." I didn't know what to say to that. I opened up to Papá right then. "Sta lasciando. Blondie vuole andare con lui." {He's leaving. Blondie wants to go with him.} He looked at me then with a realization on his face. He knew now just what was wrong with me. He knew now that my heart was breaking. "Hai ragione su di lui Papá, lo so. Ho bisogno di dimenticare questa follia. Lui 'e un playboy e non c'e modo questo potrebbe essere qualcosa di buono." {You're right about him Papá, I know. I need to forget this craziness. He's a playboy and there's no way this could be anything good.} Before he can say anything a gunshot rings out through the woods. Everyone is looking around in shock and a little panic. Daryl finally speaks, "We need to keep moving." We start trekking back to the highway but Lori keeps looking behind us. After a while Carol speaks to her, "You're worried about that gunshot?"

"Why just one gunshot?"

"Maybe they took down a walker," I say earning such a look of loathing from Lori.

"Don't patronize me. Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker, neither would Shane, they'd do it quietly."

"No sense dwelling on it, it's gettin' late and we need to get back to the highway." Papá jumped in. We walked the rest of the way in silence. It was obvious that everyone was still thinking about it but no one said a word. We just kept walking. No one had noticed that Andrea had separated from us until we heard her screaming. "Andrea?" Lori had screamed back and we all took off in the direction of her screams. As soon as we reached her Uncle Daryl took aim with his crossbow but before he could get a shot off a woman rode up on a horse like something straight out of a movie with a baseball bat and knocked the walker backwards and off of Andrea. She turned the horse back to Andrea still lying on the ground gasping for breath. "Lori, Lori Grimes?" Lori stepped up behind her and said, "I'm Lori." The woman turned to her.