Condemned. Sequel to 'Don't Look Back'

Chapter 22

Rayne's pov

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" My mom yelled at me as I sat in Deanna's office.

It turns out, just as I came in, with Carl helping Enid behind me, Rick had just been in a fight with Pete, so he was sitting beside me.

"Yeah, I do. But I don't regret it." I said and my mom shook her head.

"You're a good kid, Rayne. You don't do this kind of stuff." I rolled my eyes, not needing or wanting a lecture.

"Deanna will be in shortly." Maggie said and I nodded along with Rick.

Carl and Enid were sitting in a loveseat across from me, Enid leaned up against Carl, her face slightly bruised and swollen.

My mom stormed out after my lack of cooperation, so it was just the four of us.

"So, what're you here for?" I asked Rick.

"Fought Pete, Michonne knocked me out. What did you do? You have a black eye."

"Fought Enid, and won." I said glaring over at her, only to be met with the hard gaze of Carl.

Deanna walked in and sighed.

"I'm speechless. You guys were so close to being trustworthy, but, here two of you are. Rayne, you know I'm going to need that bow back." She held out her hands as I stood up and gave her the bow and the arrows.

"Just look at what you've done. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Deanna asked me. I looked over to Enid, and up to Carl, where he was looking at me with an expression of sadness and fear.

"Yeah. I want to say that I was generous. I could have killed her out there, but I didn't. She threw the first punch." I said. Deanna looked over to Carl and asked,

"Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Well, now that only leaves one question for you Rayne. Why?"

"Tensions rose, I found the two of them in a hollowed tree trunk together. I got mad, and I threatened her. Carl lied to me, and I found them together. Ever since we came to Alexandria, I haven't been able to fit in, and I find her, of all people with him." I said, my voice getting quieter at the end. My anger for her stood strong, and my heart broke thinking of the lie. It felt like my heart literally broke in two.

"So, you got jealous?"

"Call it what you want." I said.

"Well, there's a meeting tonight to decide if you guys should stay. Thank you for your time. You and Rick can stay in the med house until we release you. Carl, I don't want you near either of them." I got up and left the house, and followed Rick to the med house.

Rick sat in the corner and I stood against the wall, facing away from him. I looked out of the window and saw people talking in the street, probably about us. I've never truly felt heartbreak, and I don't know if this is it or not, but I'm sure it's pretty close.

He lied to me, for who knows how long. Maybe this isn't the first time they were out of the gates together. And it's not like he didn't know I hated her, he just went against my wishes. Whenever Ron tried to make a move, I stood with Carl, but when this happens, I'm in the wrong.

Our whole group could be kicked out because of my actions. We could lose our new refuge, and I could lose the most important thing to me. I felt a few tears well up in my eyes and I wiped them. I can't bear the thought of not being with Carl. We've been together for around two or three years, and I just can't imagine not being beside him every night, feeling his warmth, having his love.

"We're going to be ok." Rick said and I turned around to him, and shook my head.

"No, we're not. No matter the outcome, they won't trust us, we beat up their people. Carl won't trust either of us, you know that right?"

"Carl will, he'll get over it."

"Get over it? I don't want him to just 'get over it', I need him to trust me, I need him to be by me, I need him. If he's not with me, then I'm lost." I said, feeling more tears escape. Rick stayed silent for the rest of the day.

"Come." Deanna said as she came to bring us to the meeting.

"I'll be there." Rick said and hung back in the house.

I followed Deanna out, and kept my head down, not wanting to see the stares.

"Stand right there." I was instructed and stood in front of the crowd.

"We're starting." Deanna said and started the meeting. I looked up from the ground and gazed at everyone. Most of our group was here, except Rick. Carl was there, sitting in the front row with his stare set on me. He looked away as our eyes met, and my heart shattered. He can't even look at me.

"Gabriel came to me and said these people can't be trusted, and look, not one day later, not only Rick, but Rayne as well has demonstrated just that." I felt the burning gazes from all around me.

"Rayne, if you would like, please share what happened for transparency reasons." Deanna prompted me. I took a deep breath and picked my head up. I saw my mom there in the crowd, with a sad, sorrowful look on her face.

"I was out hunting with permission from Deanna and I came across a group of walkers. I killed them all, and when I took the arrow out of the last one, I saw Enid and Carl together in a hollowed out trunk. Now, before this I didn't like Enid, and Carl knew that. So when I saw them there together, it was like a burning rage had been set free inside me. I threatened her, and she threatened me, and she threw the first punch. Carl pulled me away from Enid, and I came back to Alexandria." I recalled the events in chronological order, making sure to include all of the good details.

Everyone nodded and looked to each other, having silent conversations among themselves.

Out of practically nowhere, Rick walks up and dumps a walker on the ground.

"It got in by itself. They always will, the dead, and the living, because we're in here." He said and all attention was on him as he ranted about the Alexandrians changing their ways to live.

"You're not one of us. You're not one of us!" Pete stumbles by yelling at Rick with Michonne's katana in his hand. Deanna's husband and Pete were struggling against each other, and as the argument grew, they were right in front of me.

It was like time went in slow motion. Pete's hand jerked, and Deanna's husband's throat was slit, sending blood all over me like a shower.

"Rick, kill him." Deanna said and without hesitation, Rick shot Pete.

"Rick?" A voice from the rear of the crowd asked. There stood Aaron, Daryl and some other man I'd never seen before.