Future Ghosts • TWD

69. To Live Like a Normal Kid.

Rosie had been procrastinating. Usually, she liked to get things over with. When her father told her to do something, it was best to do it right away, and if she was going to get a beating, she wanted it done right away, because then there wouldn't be the dread- and if you tried to avoid it, it was only worse. But she didn't want to go into this room and talk to the woman named Deanna. She wanted to stay right where she was. Maybe even just leave. But Glenn walked out of Deanna's office, and there was no one left except for Rosie.

"Is that everyone?" Deanna asked, smiling at the group. Rosie shrunk down in her seat, thinking that she could go unnoticed. She went unnoticed a lot before, and this place was a lot like everything before, so maybe she could get away with it.

"There's one more," the man that was named Nicholas said, gesturing over to where Rosie was sitting. Rosie decided that she really did not like this guy, and she wanted to flip him off, but she didn't because that would probably earn her a stern look from either Daryl or Maggie.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you over there," Deanna said, smiling as if it would make Rosie feel any better. That was the whole point, Rosie thought. "And your name is..." Deanna said, wanting Rosie to answer. She wouldn't.

"Rosie," Aaron answered for her. She glared at him now.

"Well, Rosie, you can come with me," Deanna said, turning to go back into her office. Rosie didn't follow. Deanna turned back to her, her eyebrows pinched together. "You don't need to be nervous. It'll only be a few minutes," she said.

"I don't wanna," Rosie muttered, pulling on the sleeves of Fraser's green hoodie, which she was still wearing despite the heat.

"You have to," Nicholas chimed in, his voice stern and irritated. Rosie really didn't like him.

"I just have a few questions to ask," Deanna said after she took a moment to give Nicholas a pointed look. Rosie looked up at Daryl, who was standing next to the chair she was sitting on. He nodded his head towards Deanna, mumbling a quiet go on. Very hesitantly and reluctantly, Rosie dragged herself up off of the chair and into Deanna's office. She lingered by the doorway while Deanna sat down on a couch. "You can take a seat," Deanna said, gesturing towards the big chair across from her. Rosie did so. "Do you mind if I record our chat, Rosie?"

"Why?" Rosie asked, eyeing the camera warily.

"We like to keep a record of these interviews, so we can look back on them," Deanna said, giving a warm smile that didn't make Rosie feel very warm. "Do you mind?"

"I don't care," Rosie mumbled, shrugging a little in the big chair.

"Great," Deanna said. She took a moment to get herself situated, turning on the camera and setting a clipboard on the table in front of her. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on top of her knees. "So, Rosie... what?" Deanna asked.

"Huh?" Rosie asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Your full name," Deanna elaborated. "Originally, I was under the impression that your last name was Dixon, but Daryl told me otherwise. I was hoping you'd be a bit more cooperative than he was, though. Are you willing to tell me your last name?"

"Um, not Dixon," Rosie said. She started picking at a loose string on the chair she was sitting in. She didn't want to tell this woman her last name. She didn't like it very much anymore, but she supposed she had to. "Rosie Banks," she said.

"What happened to your father, then? If it isn't too sore of a subject," Diana said. She picked her clipboard up and crossed something out before writing something else.

"He got eaten," Rosie said, seemingly emotionlessly. She didn't mention that Merle was the reason he got eaten, because then she'd have to get into why Merle did that. She didn't want to tell this random lady about that.