Snippet #2706560

For all of the man’s reservations, Rick’s status as leader was understandable. There was a structure to his words and actions that hinted at experience- a necessity, given the fact that it appeared Dawn and Jojo were not the only newcomers among their group. After a moment of pause, she clicked her wallet shut- she had taken it out sometime while the others were talking- and slipped it back into her purse. There was still a trace of hesitance on her face, as if a protest was right on her lips, but none came. No point in pressing such a small matter, after all.

“If you’re sure,” Dawn said. One hand returned to her lap, while the other lifted the menu, allowing her to better see the contents. “I really do appreciate it, though. I’ll make sure to give the camp my best shot when we get there.” She pursed her lips for a moment. Boot Camp. So they would be training them immediately, then. Before she could get too deep into thought, however, one of the group- Ash, if she recalled correctly- spoke up, prompting an almost amused smile from Dawn.

Upon hearing Jojo’s comment, the grin became more noticeable. “It’s been something.” She wound the chains of her necklace idly around her fingers, tightening them. “Definitely exciting, at any rate.” It was at this point that she noticed that the server had moved on, and was now waiting expectantly for her to order. Smiling apologetically, she quickly rattled off her order- a chicken parmesan sandwich with ginger ale, one of the cheaper options on the menu- in clean Italian, thanked the waiter, and turned back towards her company. Helena still appeared quite ill from the looks of it, and in the time that she had been distracted, another person had joined the table. A girl, who seemed like she wanted nothing more than to sprint away to the safety of her old seat. Dawn looked up at the stranger, blinked, and then beamed.

“I think it’s fine. I mean, I don’t really mind, at least.” She brushed a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes, tucking them behind her ear. “It’s good to meet you, Charlotte. I’m Dawn. You don’t have to be nervous or anything- I think most of us are kind of new here.”