𝙵𝙻𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙴 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 𐂃

Chapter 11

"I-it's me! Oh my god, Cristine put the gun down!" Hailey screeched in a panic and she glared up at her sister, past the eye of the deadly weapon. Hailey snuck out from the Ranch to look for her sister given that Cristine had guard duty at the sentry tower. She and Mike had a fight and Hailey needed to be away from him and his pig friends. What better option that to come here with Cristine and away from her boyfriend and parents.

"Hailey? What the hell are you doing here?!" Cristine scowled in angry confusion and helped pull her younger sister up to her feet. Her wide glossy eyes and the flushed wetness on her cheeks indicated she'd cried not that long ago and Cristine narrowed her eyes. "What is it? Everything alright back home?"

Hailey nodded and awkwardly crossed her arms over her chest from the chill night air. "Can I help you cover your shift? I can't really sleep and need some space."

Cristine cocked a hand on her hip and with it the glower in her eyes intensified. "Only if you tell me what's wrong Hailey. You can't go out like this without anyone knowing and probably looking for you. I'm calling it in before Dolores and daddy freak out."

"No!" Hailey shot out both hands to stop Cristine from unclipping the walky from her pants and kept it there for a bit and just thinking of why she left in the first place made her eyes gloss over again. "Don't call it in yet... I- I had a fight with Mike. I just needed to get away. Mom and daddy would've known something was off... can't let them find out we're seeing each other just yet."

Cristine clicked her tongue, sighed and wanted to show more of her annoyance that this was the reason Hailey snuck out. "What if you came across a biter on yout way here, huh? You can't act reckless like-" Cristine couldn't finish her reprimand when the humming of a familiar truck approached. The muscles in her face cramped together with disdain and Cristine shook her head at Hailey, already feeling the migraine work its way in.

"Cris, please! I need to be away from him. Just for tonight, it's the only way I don't have to see him." Hailey's lips quivered and her eyes went wide like that of an innocent deer begging not to be thrown to the big bad wolf.

"You're grown, just tell him to piss off! I swear, the two of you have too much time to wast-"

"Hailey, babe listen to me! I didn't mean what I said back there." The truck barely pulled to a stop when Mike came dashing out. One side of his face was red, implying a recent blow and even Cristine couldn't help but touch her cheek as if she got slapped.

"You stay away from me!" Hailey flared with reddened eyes and trembling hands. "We are done Mike. Why don’t you go back to play macho man with your pig friends!?!"

"Hailey please, I know I was wrong, just let me make it up."

"Hah! You said that before and the time before, I'm not listening!"

-

Cristine clapped her tongue against the back of her teeth, her glare more devious from when she saw the two lovebirds kissing and whispering empty promises.  "People are dying and coming back you know!" Cristine spat back the last part of her reprimand loud enough for the couple to hear. However they were far too busy sucking each other's face to care.

"I called in that Hailey's here. Jimmy will make sure to fill in Dolores and James." Troy's tall figure appeared from the side of the cabin used as a sentry post. He plopped down at the other side of the fire. Cristine dryly looked at Mike's closest friend and clicked her tongue again. Why the heck was he here again?

Troy must've seen the disdain in her face when she frowned at Mike and Hailey again and shook his head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous," Troy teased, his smile growing when she aggressively prodded into the fire to maintain its heat.