The Bird And The Worm (Violentine)

Chapter Nine: Clothes (Like A Prayer)

“Ok, turn down that hallway,”

“No the other one,”

“Ok, now the stairs.”

“No, up the s-”

Clementine rolled her eyes. “Can you not just lead the way?”

Minerva, with both plates of food in her hands, narrowed her eyes. “No, because then you’ll hit me upside the head and knock me out or something.”

“Not really, no. I just want my food,” Clementine’s lip folded, Minerva sighing.

“Just go up the stairs, take a left out the door onto the deck.” Clementine did as she instructed until she was standing on said deck. “Ok, now climb that ladder and sit up there. You have to take the plates though,”

“Aren’t you afraid I’m gonna poison your food?”

“No, and I can’t climb the ladder to get up there with you unless you hold the plates.”

After a few minutes of Clementine reaching over for the plates and doing her best not to fall off in the process, Minerva climbed onto the high spot next to her. Clementine handed her the plate of food, earning a nod and mumble of thanks in response. After a few moments of silence, Minerva swallowed the bite of her food and looked to the ground as she spoke.

“So, you like… remember music? From before?”

Clementine turned to her as she was about to take a bite out of her own food, dropping the sandwich back onto her plate. “Bits and pieces. My dad and uncle used to listen to that all the time when I was in the car.”

Minnie nodded in understanding. “I remember this one song, by Katy something or other…” Clementine turned, a small smile on her face. Did the ginger actually have a soul? At a small, breathy giggle from the girl, Clementine raised an eyebrow. “-Sophie used to listen to it all the time. I had to beg her to t-”

When her words got stuck in her throat, Clementine’s eyebrows furrowed. She watched the girls expression dramatically shift into one that made it look like she was about to be sick. “...Nevermind.” She dismissed.

In an attempt to change the conversation from that specific memory, Clementine offered one of the few things she did remember. “My parents listened to mostly eighties music. My mom was obsessed with someone...It- I don’t remember her name. It started with an M.”

Minerva’s eyes practically popped out of her skull. “Madonna?”

“Yes! How’d you remember?”

Minerva smiled, shaking her head as it found its way into the palm of her hand. “Don’t say that name around Barry,”

Clementine’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why not?”

Minerva raised an eyebrow, looking back to Clementine with a grin. “You remember how he wanted to borrow Emmanuel’s Ipod?” A nod. “He made himself a whole playlist on it. If I have to hear him sing that stupid Hey Mickey song one more time-” Before she could even finish her sentence the two erupted into laughs. They quickly settled down as a shot rang off -- most likely someone on deck duty shooting a walker --, reminding them of their current situation.

A spell of silence befell them once more, Minerva breaking the silence for the second time. She glanced up to the sky, eyes squinting, before looking back down and sighing with a shake of the head. “It’s gonna storm tonight…”

“Damn it..” Minerva furrowed her eyebrows, turning to Clementine with a questioning gaze. “It’s..In the room. It’s really cold…”

Minerva glanced down to her food, before nudging the girls side and glancing up to her. “I can try to sneak you a blanket…?"