Weapon Of War (Clementine x Louis)

Chapter 13: The Happiness You Give

     The moment the familiar bitter air hit her Clem like a wave of emotions. Louis and AJ successfully beat the other teens. He set her down while AJ handed her the crutches. Once she found her balance she took a few steps further out into the courtyard. Clem closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The cool air almost hurt her lungs.

    She heard AJ rustle up next to her. "It's colder than I thought it would be."

"Well it wasn't going to be hot." AJ laughed at her joke. That made her happy. She opened her eyes and found a bench. She made her way there sitting down and placing her crutches on the slush ground. She patted the spot next to her which signed for AJ to sit. Once he did Clem looked over at him. His eyes were filled with so much curiosity and excitement. Such a little thing to the other students here but to him it meant the world. "You were born in a snow storm you know."

The little boy shook his head. "No way. Your just saying that."

"I am serious. It was freezing. I remember thinking that you were going to freeze to death. We all did." It was ironic how it all played out. The one that was supposed to die was the only one that lived. "Kenny made sure of that."

    AJ leaned his head in Clementine. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Do you think he would have liked me? If you hadn't have left with me?"

    "He would have loved you. He'd be just as proud of you as I am." AJ was Clementine's greatest accomplishment. The one things she was sure of in such a uncertain world.

    "Why did you leave? You never tell me. You always say how great Kenny was but if he was so great why did you leave?" He lifted himself from her.

    She took her arms back. She didn't know how to reply. It was something that he wouldn't understand at his age. "AJ I don't think you want to know."

    His face scrunched. "Bullshit. Do you feel bad about leaving? Is that it?"

     "Watch your mouth Alvin Junior. Don't  speak to me with disrespect. Don't forget where you come from." Every now and then he would have his outburst. She never let him get away with it but she came to expect it. "Go cool off before you say something you'll regret later."

AJ stood in front of her with no intent on moving. "That wasn't a request that was an order. Go." He huffed and stomped away. Clem sat back putting her head in between her thumb and pointer finger. She didn't want these moments to be spoiled so she continued to enjoy the breath of winter.

The group of friends had watched the scene unfold. "She's good at that." Mitch commented.

"At sitting?" Louis asked.

"Your so fucking stupid." Aasim added genuinely disappointed.

Marlon gave Louis a pat on the shoulder. "He meant the parenting buddy." The group snickered as Louis swatted his hand away like an angry cat.

"Do you think she knows that you know, she's basically a mother without the pregnancy?" Mitch asked. There were no smart comebacks or comments just plain silence.

    "She's not stupid." Brody said staring at her.

    "No but she's naive. Not in the ways everyone else is. She's naive to common things for us. Kinda like we would be if we were thrown into her world." Louis didn't really know what he was saying but he let it flow.

    By the time he finished the group was staring. "When did you become sentimental?" Mitch asked.

"Same time you grew a dick." Louis remarked.