like real people do | c.g [#wattys2019]

P R O M I S E S

"MORNING GUYS, let's get going. We got a lot of ground to cover." I start to go towards the car with everyone else, when Lori calls me over.

"What's up?" I ask her, frowning at the look on her face. She sighs softly before speaking, her hand on my upper arm.

"I would rather you stayed back and let the adults do their thing. It's gonna be a dangerous environment and I don't want you getting hurt." She tells me, my eyes widening slightly. I shake my head softly as I speak.

"But, I can help. You need everyone, right?" I disagree.

"We need someone to stay with Carl, okay? Please, Casey, I made a promise. I told your dad I'd take good care of you, and I don't think it's best for you to go with them. So please, stay here with Carl." I huff, but nod, knowing that she's stressed and doesn't need me nagging her. Still, I grumble to myself as I walk away.

I could be of use. Why does she refuse to see that? We need everyone out there, and it frustrates me because I know I can do my part.

When I get back to the house, I see Glenn with a guitar as he talks to Maggie. She walks away, greeting me with a small smile as I pass her. I smile back, but my mind is elsewhere as I move toward the porch. "She's so pretty..." I trail off, looking at Glenn's guitar.

"Dale found it. I can't play it though. Someone can, probably... Hopefully." He chuckles, handing it to me. I bite down a knowing smile because I can play guitar, but I force myself to not say anything. Later, for now I have places to be... I nod silently and hand him back the guitar, moving inside the house to check on Carl.

I enter the room seeing that he's awake. The blank expression on his face turns into a small smile as he sees me, but I frown, confused, as I notice he's got Rick's hat on his head. "Hey. Shouldn't you be with the rest of them, looking for Sophia?" He asks as I move further into the room.

"Your mom didn't want me to go. Thought it wasn't safe." I mumble, my disdain showing through my voice as I sit down on the edge of the bed, next to him.

"Oh. Sorry. She does the same for me, you know? Tries to protect me too much." He shrugs, sincerity flowing through his voice. "I guess it means she cares about you..." I smile.

"I should show you how to throw knifes someday." I change the subject, causing his eyes to light up.

"You'd teach me?" The brightness of his smile makes me happier as I nod.

"Hell yeah. We had books for everything back at the CDC, one of them was about weapons. In the knife section, it showed everything you had to know. So I read the book, got the knifes, and trained." I explain, raising an eyebrow. "I can be your book. I'll teach you everything. But on one condition."

"What?" He asks immediately, obviously enthused.

"You tell me how you stole that hat from your dad without him noticing." I manage not to laugh until I'm done with the sentence, but erupt in giggles as he grabs it. He looks down at it, chuckling before setting it back on his head.