Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

32. Making Friends

Clementine walked with the others, emerging from the tunnel into a small open area bordering one side of the fence. There were three folding tables arranged in front of what looked like an office desk and a pair of whiteboards. Each of the folding tables had two chairs, one of which the one-eyed boy immediately sat down in.

"What is this?" Clem asked Mick.

"Got me," shrugged Mick as he headed for the table on the right. "By now Matt and I are usually toting shit around while listening to some assholes talk about what a shitty job we're doing." Mick sat down and put his feet up on the table, an action Matt immediately mimicked. "Anything that gets us out of work is fine by me."

Clementine walked with Sarah to the table in the middle and sat down. Clem looked over to the one-eyed boy sitting in the table across from her. He seemed completely uninterested in what was happening, his remaining eye glazed over as he stared off into nothing.

"What did they do to him?" asked Clementine.

"If by they, you mean the assholes running this place, I don't think they did anything," answered Mick. "He looked like that when they put him in the pen like a month ago. Like I said, he never really talks, unless one of the people in charge ask him something. Even then, he just does whatever they tell him to."

"What's his name?" asked Sarah.

"Hell if I know," shrugged Mick. "Why don't you ask him?"

Sarah turned to the boy. "Um... what's your name?" The boy said nothing in response. "I'm Sarah, and this is Clementine. You don't have to be afraid of us. We won't hurt you." Clem watched for any sign that the boy was hearing Sarah, but saw nothing.

"Something really horrible happened to him," realized Clem.

"Like what?" asked a worried Sarah.

"I don't know. Maybe his—"

"You... you're nice girls," mumbled the boy in a weary voice, not even looking in Sarah and Clem's direction.

"Um, thanks," smiled Sarah.

"Bad things... happen to nice girls," the boy said, seemingly talking to himself.

"What?" asked a startled Sarah. "Why would you say that?" The boy didn't answer.

"Like I said, you can't talk to him," insisted Mick. "Hell, that was more than he usually says in a week." The sound of the cargo door creaking open caught everyone's attention. Everyone watched as a redheaded girl with a ponytail entered the area. She looked to be around Mick's age, was dressed in a turquoise tracksuit, had a radio attached to her waistband, and her green eyes carried a kind of confidence Clem didn't see in most people these days.

"Well, this just got better," smirked Matt as he stared at the new girl.

"Ugh." The girl turned away from Matt in disgust and went right for the only empty remaining seat. "Not bad enough to be locked in a room with this place's trash, I also got stuck with some weirdo," griped the girl as she looked at the one-eyed child. "Hey, weirdo, what's your deal? What happened to your eye?" The boy didn't answer. "Hey, I'm talking to you." Still no response. "Hey! Say something!" The boy said nothing. "Weirdo." The girl turned towards Clementine's direction. "Sarah?" she asked in surprise.

"Um, hi Bridget," greeted Sarah in a meek voice.

"You know her?" asked Clem.

"Kinda."

"So it's true. You and your dad came back. But where have..." A wicked smile crept across Bridget's face. "Oh, you two are in the pen now."

"Actually, I don't know where my dad is," answered a distressed Sarah. "I haven't seen him since last night."

"They're probably torturing him or something." Clem watched as Sarah started struggling to breathe.

"Don't tell her that," protested an angry Clementine.

"Who are you, her girlfriend?" asked a sarcastic Bridget. "Why are you holding her hand?" Clem didn't even realize she was still holding Sarah's hand.

"They were spooning in bed this morning too," added Mick.

"Eww, sick."

Clementine hastily let go of Sarah's hand. "We're... I mean, she's, just scared," insisted an embarrassed Clem.

"Are you like her prison bitch or something?" asked Bridget. "No wait, she's probably your bitch. That's why she's got that pink headband thing on. So everyone knows she's the property of a kindergartener."

"We're just friends," insisted Clem.

"Leave it to a loser like Sarah to make friends with a stupid little kid," mocked Bridget.

"Clementine's not stupid," insisted Sarah in a shaky voice. "She's really smart. And really brave too."

"Compared to what, you?" asked Bridget. "Because my mom's chickens are braver than you. Smarter too."

"Leave her alone," demanded Clem.

"Or what, you'll make your face even uglier?" said Bridget.

"Just what the hell did happen to your face?" asked Matt.

"A mean woman hit her with a gun," answered a trembling Sarah. "It was horrible."

"God, you're such a fucking baby," spoke Bridget in disgust. "I bet if someone pulled your pants down we'd find out you're wearing a diaper."

"I wouldn't mind pulling her pants down," volunteered Mick.

"Eww, really?" said Matt.

"You two want to see her cry?" Bridget asked Matt and Mick. "Hey Sarah, the toilet in the pen is next to a fence. People can watch you go to the bathroom." Bridget's observation disturbed Sarah, and made Clementine feel sick herself. "Not that anyone would want to watch your ugly ass."

"Shut up!" yelled Clementine.

"Hey Sarah, your dad is dead!" Sarah threw her hands over ears, whimpering to herself while tears welled up in her eyes. "You're more pathetic than the weird kid here." Bridget turned to the one-eyed child, and was surprised to see he was staring at her.

"What's your problem freak?" The boy appeared angry now. His eye glared at Bridget while his whole body seemed to tense up, as if he was going to pounce. "You got something to say?"

"Just stop already," said Clem.

"Make me you dumb kid," retorted Bridget.

"You're just a bully."

"Ouch, that stings. You're a little bitch."

"Oh yeah, you... you're a cunt!" Sarah looked at Clem in surprise while Matt started laughing out loud.

"The little kid just called you a—"

"I heard her you asshole!" Bridget barked at Matt. "You can't talk to me like that you little bitch."

"Why not?" scoffed Clem.

"Because you live in the pen with the rest of the trash. Pen people can't talk to me like that."

"Well I just did," noted Clementine with a smirk. "Cunt."

"I'll tell my mom what you said and—"

"You'll tell your mom?" mocked Clem. "What are you, a baby?" Matt giggled at Clem's comment.

"My mom's really important and when she hears what you said you'll be in big trouble," explained Bridget. "I bet they'll stop feeding you when they hear what you said." Clem tensed up when she heard that and the sound of the cargo container opening just made Clem more nervous.

Everyone watched as a young man with curly light brown hair entered the area with a pair of books in hand. Looking closely, Clem recognized him as the man leaving Bill's office last night.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," he said in a friendly voice as he placed his books on the desk. "I was—"

"Gene," called Bridget. "This new girl just called me a cunt. Twice."

The man turned and looked right at Clementine. "Is that true?"