Three Orphan Pilgrimage (The Alternative to TWDG's Final Season) [Walking Dead]

4. The Big One O

Clementine had stowed her gear in the garage and retired to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Sarah had washed a dress Clem liked in preparation of the party, suspecting Clem would like to celebrate in something more festive than jeans and an old polyester jacket. With functional plumbing being largely a thing of the past, Clem made do the best she could with a small rag and a cup of water.

After donning her dress, Clem examined her reflection in the mirror. The dress was a striking shade of red that hung down just above her knees and seemed to contrast nicely with her light brown skin. Looking at her hair, the young girl removed the elastic tie, pulled her hair out of a bun and reached for a brush. After getting most of the tangles out of her curly hair, Clem took one more second to admire her reflection. Looking at herself, dressed in red and her hair neatly brushed, Clem felt like she was ready to party.

Leaving the bathroom, Clementine found a roaring fire that cast a warm glow over the living room. Leaning over the couch, Clem discovered Sarah sitting on the floor arranging something on the coffee table. Moving closer, she saw a pair of plates and glasses set between a single candle sitting in the middle of the table.

"Clem, come sit down." Clementine eagerly obliged, taking her place on the other side of the coffee table. Looking at the meal Sarah had prepared, Clem found herself shocked by what she found.

"Peaches, pears, and..." Checking the glass, Clem was surprised to find it was warm to the touch. "Is this hot chocolate?"

"I used one of those instant hot cocoa packets."

"Yeah, but... I thought we ran out of this stuff."

"When I noticed we were almost out, I hid two of each in the Brave."

"Why?"

"So it'd be a surprise for your birthday."

"But, that was like two months ago, I think," recalled Clem. "You were planning this back then?"

"There's not much else to do around here. You're not mad I did that, are you?"

"Mad? This is amazing. I can't believe you did this for me, and when I was in the bathroom just now."

"I had most of it under the coffee table," said Sarah. "And you were in there for a while."

"It wasn't that long."

"It was pretty long," noted Sarah with a smirk. "I mean, I had enough time to start a fire and warm up the water for the hot chocolate."

"I was brushing my hair, and there's a lot to brush," reasoned Clem. "I wanted to look nice for you. Do you think you I look nice?"

"You're beautiful." Sarah's swift and sincere response surprised Clem. Looking at Sarah smiling sweetly at her from across the table, Clementine suddenly felt her cheeks blush. She was overwhelmed by Sarah's kindness, so much that she suddenly had to look away from her.

"What's wrong?" asked Sarah.

"I... I didn't do anything for your fourteenth birthday."

Sarah reached across the table and gripped Clem's hands. "You've done more for me than I could ever ask," professed Sarah. "A good birthday is the least I can do for my best friend." Clem turned back to Sarah and found herself unable to ignore the older girl's sincerity.

"Thank you." Sarah released Clem's hands, which immediately reached for a fork set next to the plate.

"Wait." Sarah placed the portable CD player on the table and pressed play. "I figured since it was just the two of us, it'd be nice to have some relaxing music for dinner." Clementine listened as the sound of a classical orchestra playing a soothing melody filled her ears.