Holstering High School (The Walking Dead Game - Alternative Universe)

26 - Stall

"You keep stalling it, don't do that" Luke shouts at me.

"Look, I'm trying. Its harder than I thought" I adjust myself in the car seat, the drivers seat. I turn off the engine. I wasn't ready for this one bit, I wanted to learn how to drive but today didn't seem like the day. Luke had gotten excited about being my teacher and sort of forced me into doing it today.

"Look, just take it slow and then we'll be getting somewhere" he sighs.

"So what do I do?" I ask him, the seat belt strapped tightly across my chest. We were driving on Luke's large plot of land behind his house. His mom was probably watching through the kitchen window thinking that I was an awful driving, she wouldn't be wrong.

"Put it into neutral, start it up again" he orders.

I do as he says, this whole driving thing was confusing.

"Then what" the engine purrs. I was driving Luke's truck, to his disgust. I was pretty sure he was shitting himself at the fact I could mess up his car.

"You tell me." He folds over his arms.

I reach for the gear stick and he grabs my wrist.

"What did I do wrong?" I question.

"Check your mirrors first" he demands.

I look into the mirrors, there was obviously nothing behind me and in front of me, just open greenery.

"Now can I go?"

"Yes"

I reach for the gearstick once more and put it in first gear and accelerate, the car slowly moves forward.

"Holy shit Luke, I'm doing it!" I squeal with excitement turning towards him.

"Keep your eyes on the damn road!" He shouts.

"Shit" I quickly turn my head and concentrate on the 'road' even though there was just grass ahead.

The car goes over something bumpy and I begin to panic.

"Did I just run someone over?" I scream.

"Jesus Christ Clem it was just a rabbit hole" Luke begins to laugh.

"I'm being serious, I think I just hit someone with the car"

"There wasn't anyone there" he chuckles. The car continues to push itself forward slowly at around 10 mph.

"Can I bump it up a gear?" I ask him as I calm down.

"Go ahead, you're doing good." He tells me with a smile. Boosting my confidence.

I press the pedal down a little harder and change the gear. The gear stick slips into the wrong gear and the car jolts forward. I press down hard onto the brakes.

"Shit!" I shout realising I stalled the car yet again.

"I think I better drive now." Luke brushes my hair out of my face as I sulk. I wasn't happy with my attempts.

School yet again dawned upon us the next day. Lessons were as usual, boring. But what happened later on that day was something I did not expect one bit. When I went to one of my lessons a new kid had joined. She was a 19 year old who had been held back in school and was now in my year. This was probably a bad thing.

She sat at the back of the glass chewing gum, I was glad that I was nearer the front and not near the back with her. The smell of cigarettes drifted from the scent stained sweater. I had a pretty good understanding as to why she was being held back in school.

The rumours spread about these new students, the people who had been held back in school and were finally getting back into the programme. There was about 12 of them, apparently. They didn't bother me, they weren't harming anyone by being there. Until it came to lunch.

I walk beside Nick as usual in the cafeteria.

"Luke seems to have made a new friend" Nick says.

"Who would that be?" I smirk. As if Luke could make any more friends, he was already one of the most popular people in our year.

"One of the new guys, can't remember his name. He's pretty cool though" Nick explains. I pay for my sandwich and get Luke something whilst I'm there and then I wait for Nick to get his.

"How old is he?" I ask, curious.

"19, I think." Nick breaks open the packaging to his sandwich and tucks in as we stroll.

Whenever I saw Nick I couldn't stop thinking about how he was...my first. The thought of him breathing heavily beside me made me shiver. The worst part is, I don't regret that decision as much as I thought I would. Nick was a good friend, I was just happy at the fact he hadn't told Luke anything about it.

Me and Nick walk together to the back of the gym. Our usual spot. There we see Luke who was now laughing with Alvin and Rob and some other guy who had his back turned towards me.

"That's the new guy" Nick points out. A mouth full of cheese and ham.

"He's cool, right?"

"I told you, he's cool. Me and Luke spent all of third lesson getting to know the guy, he's easy to like." Nick reassures me.

I wasn't too keen on new people. But I trusted Nick. If Nick trusted this new guy, I trusted him. I looked down at my usual dirty converse shoes. I was planning to buy myself some Dr Martens with my birthday money but I was yet to get around to go to the mall. I was hoping Luke could take me new Saturday, because I knew how much he would love to carry all of my shopping bags...not.

Luke walks towards me and Nick with a smile on his face.

"One sandwich for Mr.Porter" I hand him over the package with a sliced cheese sandwich inside.

"When I'm old and grey, I hope you make me sandwiches." Luke chuckles.

"When you're old and grey, I'll still be dating the hot young guys" I smirk.

"Get out" he laughs again. Nick sniggers.

We walk over to Rob, Alvin and the new guy. I was intrigued to find out who he was.

"You guys having fun over there, giggling to each other in the corner" Luke shakes his head at the three boys. One with an unknown identity to me, apart from his short brown hair facing outwards. He was faceless.

Alvin's looks up.

"He has some really funny shit on his phone" Alvin begins to laugh as he glares back down at the high school reject.

"Babe, you have got to meet this guy!" Luke suggests. He walks over to the guy in the black jacket and grabs him by the shoulder.

He spins him around and I take a quick glance at his face as Luke throws his arm around him. He was familiar. I recognised the face, the face of darkness. The one that you would only ever see under street lights on street corners.

"This guy is the best." Luke pats his shoulder.

The guy gives me an uneasy look and his familiar image places into my head, trying to connect it with previous memories. I begin to feel a little sick.

"Clementine, meet Braydon" Luke says with a cheerful tone.

I think I just shat bricks. Legit.