Future Ghosts • TWD

16. The Element of Surprise.

The group stayed in the nursing home over night, but they didn't want to stay a second longer than they had to. So at first light, they packed their things and got ready to go. The new plan was to head to Fort Benning, like Shane had originally wanted. After seeing what happened at the CDC, though, Rosie had no hope for Fort Benning. She thought that everyone there would be dead or dying. There was no point. But she went with anyway because she had no other choice. She already tried running away and it didn't work.

When they got out to the cars, Rosie made a beeline for Daryl's truck, but he stopped her by holding a hand out in front of her. She looked up at him, furrowing her eyebrows with confusion. "What?"

"Not bringin' the truck. Don't got enough fuel," Daryl told her.

Rosie's stomach churned at this information. What did that mean? That she was gonna have to sit in a car with Shane? That he was gonna be like he was at the CDC? Shane was the last person she wanted to sit in a car with. "What car are you goin' in then?" she asked. She thought that if she stayed in the came car as Daryl, Shane might not go near her.

"Not ridin' in one. I'm takin' my bike," Daryl replied, nodding towards the motorcycle in the back of his truck. Rosie's stomach churned again. That is not what she wanted to hear.

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Where am I s'posed ta go?" Rosie asked. Daryl nodded towards the RV and Rosie crossed her arms. "I don't wanna ride in there."

Daryl scoffed. "What, ya wanna stay here with the walkers?"

"No," Rosie said, irritated. "I don' wanna be with Shane."

"Ya don't got a choice," Daryl said as he began packing his bags onto the back of his motorcycle.

"Why can't I ride on the motorcycle with you?" Rosie asked, following behind Daryl as he went to move more bags.

"'Cause I said no."

"But I done it before! My coach had a motorcycle. He took me on a ride before."

"I don't give a shit. Yer ridin' in the RV."

"I don't want to."

"Kid," Daryl said, stopping to stand in front of Rosie while he talked to her, "yer not my responsibility. Yer jus' some kid. I ain't gonna let ya ride with me, so beat it."

For a reason Rosie didn't understand, Daryl's words disheartened her. She didn't know why it made her stomach hurt. He was right. She was just some kid and he was just some guy. She barely even knew him, so why did she care about whether or not he wanted her around?

With a sigh, Rosie reluctantly made her way over to the RV as she held back a frown.

•

Rosie was not enjoying her time in the RV. She was bored out of her mind and had no intentions of talking to anyone else in the RV. She was irritated with Daryl for not bringing the truck because one; she now had to ride in the RV with Shane and, two; the motorcycle was extremely loud.

Things got even worse, though, when Shane sat down across from her at the table with a serious look on his face. "We need to talk," he said quietly. Rosie stared at him, waiting for him to talk about what happened at the CDC. But instead, he nodded towards the back of the RV where the bedroom was. "Come on."

Nervously, Rosie stood from her spot on the booth and made her way towards the back of the RV. If she was being punished, might as well get it over with.

When she got back there, Shane was sitting on the bed and he gestured next to him, so Rosie sat down too. He didn't say anything at first, which made Rosie nervous. She thought maybe if she said something weird it would change the subject and he'd forget, so that's what she did. "I miss beef jerky commercials," she said.