Malevolent. The Walking Dead

[ 025 ] you'll learn

025: you'll learn

Deanna ordered everyone to go back into their homes after the fight. Bill had arrived at the tail end of it, and helped carry an unconscious Rick to a makeshift cell they were going to put him in for the time being. Carl looked more mad than he was upset, and Joey felt guilty as though she had done something wrong. He seemed irritable and she didn't want to make him even more upset, so she backed off. Enid had snuck away through the chaos of it all. Joey couldn't blame her—even she was a little shaken up.

"It's probably the best thing to do, for now." Joey had mentioned to Carl, when they were sitting on the porch steps of the house as the sun was beginning to set. Joey hadn't realized how much time had gone by in the midst of it all and she hadn't seen Bill or Finn since they told her to go back to the house with Carl, and she obliged. She was learning how to be less of a nuisance.

"I know my dad better than anyone. He was only doing what was best—I know it. You know it, too." Joey nodded with his words. She didn't disagree with him. "He's right, too. About them having no idea what it's like. You've even said it, Joey."

She avoided eye contact with him. "I know. They don't understand any of it. They're fucking idiots," she nudged his side with her elbow. "Although, I don't really understand why your dad had to beat up on Pete. He's like—the human form of mayonnaise." she laughed, and Carl returned it. She wasn't used to being the one comforting him—usually it was the other way around.

"Is it weird if I ask to hug you?" he questioned, almost blushing. Joey almost turned red, too, but she itched her neck and shook her head. "Not weird at all." It was, in fact, weird, and Joey hated hugs. But something about knowing he wanted to hug her, and that it would make him happy, made her do so. She wasn't sure what to do at first—he wrapped his arms around her torso and his chin on her shoulder. Joey took a minute before she hugged him back, and for a moment, she thought he was crying, or maybe she was crying. She couldn't tell. But they stayed there, hugging in silence for a few moments before pulling awake. Joey swallowed when she looked at his face afterwards. They were so close she could feel his breath. He had been crying, quietly, from the redness of his eyes and the slight water marks on her shoulder. They looked at each other for a brief moment and Joey thought her face was going to fall off in embarrassment.

"So uh—what did you do today?" she asked, even though he definitely already told her. She just needed an excuse to move away from him. Carl blinked a few times and rubbed his hands over his face before nodding. "Uh—yeah I went outside the wall with Enid."

Joey scrunched her brows together. "Oh. Really. Outside the wall?"

Carl nodded as if it was nothing. Joey thought she might kill him. "So do you like her?"

He looked up at her like she was crazy, or insinuating something out of left field. Joey didn't know why she wanted to know so desperately, only to make herself get hurt. "She's dating Ron. We're just friends." Joey felt relief but it was short lived. "Friends like we're friends?" Joey asked, and he shook his head. "No . . . that's different."

"What do you mean that's different?" she wasn't sure why she was getting accusatory—almost like she could punch him and feel no remorse. But that wasn't exactly uncommon for her. "Me and you . . . I don't know. It's different. It feels different."

She wasn't sure why she was jealous. Joey wasn't sure if it was because she only wanted him to be friends with her, or maybe she didn't want him to get hurt. Joey had never felt this way toward anyone and she didn't know what to make of it, but it felt gross, and she needed to take a shower to get rid of any of the feeling that was crawling on her skin.