sinful | s. walsh

I.

"I care about you though."

I.

     Growing up in Atlanta meant hot and humid summers and fairly cool winter nights. Georgia had always been perfect for camping trips and fishing afternoons. It was home yet part of me wanted to leave it. A big part. I was a sophomore in college, going into my junior year and I had yet to decide if I was going to go to Georgia State or stay at Alabama University. I wanted to enjoy this summer but I had to choose my future, one choice would change my entire life or maybe it wouldn't. I thought the only thing I had to worry about this summer was my future, turns out my future slipped out of my hands when the outbreak happened. Everything changed so quickly. Everyone changed. He was my only constant in the new world. It was almost sinful how much I needed him.

    Mom and dad were fighting again. As of lately their marriage was in shambles and I was not the only one who recognized, Carl was young but he was smart. Every time it would happen I'd take Carl on a walk no matter the time of day, usually it was late and I could hear them downstairs. I'd sneak in his room to see his covering his ears on the bed, my heart would break more and more seeing him like this every time. We'd go downstairs and sneak out the back and we'd just walk, sometimes in silence and other times I'd ask him what he did at school or we'd talk about his new fascination with baseball. One night we were walking down the street when a familiar police cruiser pulled alongside us.

"The hell you kids doing?" Shane questioned through the window. Shane was my dad's best friend and practically family. He was a bit of an asshole at times but there were times when we'd actually get along pretty well despite our age difference.

"Taking a walk." I tell him.

"It's midnight," he points out.

"Wow, officer, you can tell time." Maybe the reason Shane was a jerk sometimes was because I could be a bitch. He'd give it as good as he took it though. He never put up with my attitude and maybe that's why sometimes he annoyed me. That and he was pretty hot which just pissed me off all the more.

"Get in the damn car." I hear the locks click and we stop and he stops the car.

"Why?"

"Carl, get in the car, bud." Carl looks up at me. Smart boy. I shake my head at him.

"Jesus, Jade, why you always gotta be like that? Let me just take ya'll home."

"Mom and dad are fighting." Carl frowned as he said it. It upset me to see him so hurt by their constant arguing. Half the time it was over pointless shit and Lori would always make something out of nothing. Of course there were times when Rick was in the wrong but they sucked at communicating, they wouldn't even try to calmly talk about their problems, it would just be a yelling match as soon as it started.

Shane sighed and looked to me in realization.

"Fine, let's go get some food."

"It's midnight." I say.

"Wow, college student, you can tell time. Get in." He demands. I huff and look down at Carl, this would probably take his mind off it more than our walk.

"Fine, only if we go to-"

"Waffle house, yes, I know." Shane nods his head. He knew me well, waffle house was probably the place I frequented the most especially on weekends. Shane had taken me there a few afternoons, trying to check up on me and see how I was going with college life. Those times were the times I actually enjoyed Shane's company. He'd talk to me about his work and I'd vent to him sometimes. He was a good conversationalist and one thing I loved about him was that he didn't see me as a child. Rick and Lori still treated me like one and even though I was in college, they'd act as if I was still twelve. I was still living with them, never having to worry about rent or tuition because I had a full ride. But even then, it still wasn't enough for them.