#gabe1

Arthur had to take a deep breath after reading that headline that had popped on his phone screen on his way to work. His free hand moved up to his face, rubbing it, trying to remove the stress that came along with those news before turning around and heading back to the subway station he had left about five minutes ago. Placing a quick call to his boss, claiming that he had a family emergency, which wasn’t a lie, Arthur made his was to the hospital where Gabe was. He didn’t have flowers or ‘get well soon’ cards, but at least he was meaning to pay visit to his cousin. Gabe and his family had been there for him and his mother when his father had left, so he felt compelled to pay it back somehow. Besides, despite their differences, he quite enjoyed Gavril’s company now that they were fully grown men with less time in their hands to waste scraping their knees.

From inside the train, he was able to hack into the Hospital poorly built system through his phone and download the patient’s list in order to obtain the number of the room Gabe was staying in. Obviously, the hospital’s entrance was filled with photographers and reporters, but once he had made it through the horde of zombies and was finally inside, Arthur introduced himself and asked to see the patient of the room 304, which, according to the list on his phone, was taken. Although he hated lying, Arthur also figured that lying about who he was visiting would be easier than trying his luck with saying that he was there for Gavril. Once he had taken his visitor’s tag, he made his way to his cousin’s room and knocked a couple of times, before letting himself in.

          “Hey...” Arthur awkwardly raised one hand upon seeing Gabe fluttering his eyes open. “Sorry I didn’t bring anything... How are you feeling, man? You know--all things considered.”

This was not the most pleasant of mornings, and she’d realized that the moment her mother insisted that they started going to church again. Gigi assumed it was purely for her mother’s guilty concise, something that she didn’t care much to ease and never had. Besides, it was never anything she’d done to make herself uncomfortable, only her mother. While her mother was begging for forgiveness for her or whatever the hell she wanted to think she was doing, Gigi was going to do church her way.

She had never cared much for organized clubs, gatherings, religions or anything of that matter, but there was something so infuriating being in such a small and suffocating place that didn’t let her express herself freely, instead it was a pretty clear divide on the people that attended church regularly and then there was the kids like her, a group of outsiders that didn’t relate to the small percent of kids that actually believed in things that she didn’t think actually existed (though she let them believe what they wanted. Who was she to tell them it was pretty fucking stupid to their face?)

Pulling the pack of cigarettes from the small purse strapped over her shoulder, she retrieved the lighter next, flicking it several times before she realized it was actually dead. Letting out a huff, knowing she needed the cigarette more than ever, knowing being trapped with her own thoughts was never a good idea, she looked to her side, slightly startled at the new presence beside her. Well, she thought to herself, it’s worth a shot.

“You got a light?”

For the next week, Terrance's life as mayor was about to become exceedingly more busy. There was a town ball to plan, a retiring sheriff to honor, and a new sheriff and deputy to promote. 

It had been a long time since Kelley Mills had been in Rockhall. Her family had moved years ago, but now she was an adult, making her own life decisions, and of course, everything was bringing her back to the place she called home.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, she grinned. This was it. This was home. And being back home felt better than the blonde could've ever previously imagined.

Of course, with all the excitement came adrenaline, and with adrenaline, she may have gone an eensy teensy bit over the speed limit. But this was Rockhall! Who cared, right?