NICOLETTE

It was a strange feeling the one Nicolette had since hell broke through... She felt confused one moment and the next she felt angry and then bored and then scared and again and again.

Nicki was feeling stuck.

She missed her parents and her grandparents, Miss. Tucker, the neighbor that had given her candies since she was a child. She missed even school and that was the point when she realized how depressing all that was.

Around here, there were lots of people, but she had rarely spoken with some of them. Just Glenn. She liked having him around; he was cool. But she really didn't know how to approach the others...

She didn't know what to say.

They were all trying to make things better; set a camp and trying to live each day, defend themselves and survive. In all honesty she felt stuck even in that...

She was too young to act like the adults were doing; they always left her outside decisions and meetings. But she was too old to get distracted by running up and down like the other children were doing.

Nicolette was feeling useless.

"Hey, what are you up to?" the girl looked up from her spot. The end of her trousers rolled up on her calves, and her feet were in the water.

"Nothing, Glenn," she said, scrolling her shoulders. Nicolette could feel Glenn's gaze on her, but she tried to ignore it.

"We are thinking of going back to Atlanta to gather some stuff." At his words, she looked up with a small frown.

"Really?" Glenn nodded. She had heard Shane and the others talking about trying to find new clothes and something they could use, like more covers or tents and maybe some food, too.

Since they had seen the helicopters bombing the city, none of them had gone again, but they couldn't keep living like that, even if going back was dangerous.

"There's something that you need?" Glenn asked, kneeling next to her.

Something that she needed...

"My bow," she muttered, looking at the water moving around her ankles.

"Did you practice archery?" Glenn asked, surprised, making her nod her head with a smile.

"That's why we were here," she said. "Before... all of this. I had a competition."

"Really?" he sat down, getting comfortable.

She remembered the sensation of her bow in her hand and the resistance of the string as she pulled the arrow back. Focusing on the target, she forgot about everything else, just the red spot. Taking a calming breath and letting go, she felt the arrow run past her—it was a marvelous sensation.

"Nothing worries me when I shoot," she said. "I don't need to talk."

"You don't like talking very much, do you?" Glenn asked.

No. Talking wasn't her favorite thing to do. But unfortunately, that's how you are able to socialize... and that was a big problem.

Nicki was not good at making friends, and it wasn't easy for her to approach other people at school. It seemed that everyone had a lot to talk about, and she didn't. But when she was shooting, she didn't need to explain.

"Sarah usually does the talking," Nicki said, shrugging her shoulders and making him chuckle.

"Yeah, she does," he said before standing up.

"Who is coming with you?" Nicki asked, making Glenn stop in his tracks.

"Don't know yet. Maybe T-Dog," the girl nodded her head before turning to the water.

"Be careful," she said, remembering the last time she had been in Atlanta with a shiver.

Seeing Glenn, Shane, and T-Dog leave to find supplies had been really strange. Just a few weeks back, they would have gone to the supermarket or some mall to find what they were looking for, but now they were going inside a city that was nothing like before.

Lori was very worried, and Jacqui tried to make her think about something else. Andrea was keeping watch with Dale as Sarah and Amy were fixing the alarm system that Nicki's sister had built. Sarah had always been good with manual things, not that was never needed before, nor in their lives, nor in her school career. Sarah had always loved literature, and that was what she studied in college. She had always been smart. Nicki liked gymnastics and music lessons the most, but they were not very useful at the end of the world.

The girl walked around the camp, looking up as she heard birds flying over her head. She wondered if they understood what was happening. She wondered if her parents were listening to birds, too. She wondered what they were doing.

Nicki didn't like the anxiety; she didn't like it one bit. Not knowing what had happened or what was going to happen. Sometimes, she would have just liked to run with Morales' children or play dolls with Sophia.

"What are you doing?" Nicki turned to see Carl standing not far away.

She shrugged her shoulders. "What does it seem like?"

"I get it," he said, shifting his weight to the other foot. "You don't like us."

Nicki frowned. "How can I not like you if I don't even know you?"

"Then why don't you ever play with us?"

It was the first time she had spoken more than two words to Carl Grimes, and he definitely had a knack for being a smartass.

"I'm just not in the mood," she replied, turning to leave.

"So am I," he said. "But I'd rather do that than be alone." Nicki looked at him, not really getting what he was on about.

"Alright," she said before leaving.

Nicki had never minded being alone. And in that moment, it wasn't her first concern.

She walked around for a bit more. That was all she did: walk and sit down. Watching the sky or throwing rocks in the water.

Everyone seemed to have something to do... she wished they had given something to her too. Her days were endless and boredom hit her sometimes.

She walked past Andrea and Dale, who were chatting, and as she walked by, they waved at her, making her do the same. Then, at some point, she found herself near the Dixon brothers' tent. They even had a huge motorbike next to their little camp. She wondered who of the two rode it. Nicki had never been on a motorbike, even though she loved riding her bike.

Will she ever ride a bike again? Maybe... but she wondered how much time would have passed and if she would remember how it was done.

Then she looked down to see some arrows on the ground. Her eyes widened. Nicki knew that Daryl had a crossbow but usually Sarah told her to stay away from the two men, so she hadn't been able to see closely at those arrows.

She took one in her hands. They were different from hers. They had orange ends, and they were shorter than the one she used. But they were truly beautiful. She was curious about how a crossbow worked and what the feeling was when Daryl used it.

"What ar ya doin'?" Nicki looked up as a rough hand took the arrow from her hand. "Get lost!" Daryl exclaimed.

It was the first time she had heard him say actual words.

"Calm down. I was just watching," She said as she was still knelt down, looking calmly at the man. There were loads of people around and all of them didn't quite trust the archer or his brother, so everyone took a close look at them.

"Mind ya own business, then," he grouted, pointing at her with the arrow.

"Do you have another?" she asked, making him frown.

"What?"

"Another crossbow?" she said "Or maybe a bow?" he was looking down at her as if she was crazy, but didn't said anything.

"Leave it," she said, getting up. "It's nothing."

"Nicolette," Sarah's voice made both of them turn. "Come here," Nicki said, looking up at Daryl, shrugghing her shoulder. Then she took her leave and walked towards her sister, who didn't seem pleased at all.

"What were you doing?" she asked.

"People are asking me this a lot today," Nicki answered, kicking the dirt on the ground.

"I told you not to go there."

"It's a small camp, Sarah, I'll end up there eventually."

"Don't be a smartass," Sarah said, putting her hands on her hips. "Those people are..."

"Are?" Asked Nicki, noticing her sister's uncertainty.

"I don't trust them," Sarah said finally, making Nicki nod her head.

"It's not that I trust them," she said. "But it's the first arrow that I could find," she explained. "And I know it's stupid, but I miss it. Shooting is the only thing that has ever helped me." Sarah was looking at her with sad eyes, and Nicki didn't like that. She didn't want to worry her sister.

After a moment, Nicki spoke again, "I won't go there if you don't want to." She was about to walk towards their tent when Sarah stopped her.

"You know I want to make it easy for you," Sarah said. Nicki knew. Her sister was taking care of her trying her best to be positive and take her mind away from that situation.

"And I don't want you to worry," Nicki said, biting her lip.

"Then tell me what's wrong," Sarah said. "Even if you think it's something stupid. We've only got each other now." Nicki could see her sister's eyes fill up with tears. She knew that her worries were the same as her sister's.

"I'm just a bit bored, that's all," Nicki said, trying to reassure her sister, who didn't seem to fully believe her, but she let it go for now.

"Then..." she said, drying her eyes. "You could help me the next time. I'll try to build something," Nicki observed her sister.

"That could be nice."

Sarah needed help, too. They needed to stay strong together.