Chapter 8: Newcomer, Troublemaker

2.2K 60 211
                                    

           

Clementine looked at A.J. "Go hide, in our room," she said sternly.

She and Louis approached the gate, weapons drawn. Mitch, who had called out from the watch tower, joined them in front of the gate. Clem saw a tall, hooded figure standing ominously outside. She looked up at Louis, and he nodded, signaling her to address the "guest."

"Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" she barked.

They crept towards the gate, holding their hands up. "I come in peace. I have no weapons and have no others with me. I am alone," they said. They reached up and slowly removed their hood to reveal their face. The newcomer was a boy, around the age of the older kids in the school. He was Caucasian, very handsome, had long, dark brown hair, and eyes as blue as the summer sky. "Hello. My name is Jason, but everyone calls me 'Jay' for short. I promise, I mean you no harm."

Clem was shocked by his appearance. "He damn near looks like an angel," she thought. "What do you want, Jay?" she asked.

"Well. I've been traveling for God knows how long, and I just stumbled upon this place. I was hoping I could stop and rest, before continuing on," he answered. "May I ask your name, my darling?" he said charmingly.

Clem felt her face grow warm. "I...I'm Clementine." She nudged Louis.

"Yeah, and I'm Louis. This is Ruby, Tenn, and the tall one is Mitch."

"How nice to finally meet some good people," Jay said. "So, about me taking a rest stop here..."

Clem looked at Louis and the others. "Stay on high alert," she said. They all nodded in agreement.

"Okay, you can stay. But only for a night, then it's back on the road tomorrow morning," she said.

Louis opened the gate, and Jay stepped into the courtyard. "What a lovely little setup you guys got here," he remarked, observing the layout. "Thank you, Clementine, for letting me stay." He took her hand and gently kissed it. She blushed. Louis took notice and stepped in.

"So, Jay. Where are you coming from? Don't see too many passerby's out here," he said, sizing Jay up.

Jay smiled, his perfectly white teeth glinting in the sun. "I'm originally from Georgia. But I've been all over the place since this all started. I mean, who hasn't? I guess my most recent stop was with a group called 'The Trinity,' but I didn't agree with how they were running things, and there were no pretty girls," he glanced at Clem and smiled. "So I decided to head off and search for another group."

"Well, maybe you can-," Clem began to say, but Louis quickly cut her off.

"Jay, let's show you to your room," Louis said, walking towards the boarding area.

"If ya'll got this, Mitch and I are gonna get back to work," Ruby called, waving to them.

Clem waved back, and the three of them continued into the school. The only room available was the one adjacent to Clem and A.J.'s room. They entered the vacant room. There was one bunk bed, like the ones in her room, a desk, and a bedside table. Jay placed his small bag and coat on the bed and surveyed the room.

"Well, I've definitely slept in worse places." He looked at Clem. "So, we're next door neighbors, huh? Maybe you can keep me a little company tonight," he said with a natural-born charmer smile.

"That won't be necessary," Louis said sharply. He took Clem's hand and held it in his.

"Ah. I see. So you two are...? Gotcha, my apologies. Wasn't my intention to...overstep. I didn't know," Jay said. Clem couldn't decipher if he was being serious or sarcastic. "Well, I'll try to stay out of your way as much as I can. I might go out on a little exploration, if you don't mind."

A Love Worth Fighting For: A Clouis FanfictionWhere stories live. Discover now