chapter thirty-six:
❛ extreme measures ❜

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!!!! COMMENT AND VOTE PLEASE

✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸

Clementine and Robby were lost in the intensity of their make-out session, her legs straddling his lap as they kissed passionately. Robby's hands were firmly placed on her hips, guiding their rhythm as their tongues intertwined, each movement filled with desire and urgency. The world outside the room ceased to exist until the door suddenly swung open.

"Robby—" Johnny's voice rang out as he stood in the doorway, his eyes widening in shock. He quickly covered his eyes with his hands, muttering something unintelligible.

Clementine, her face flushing with embarrassment, quickly pulled back from Robby. "We're not naked, Johnny," she clarified, her tone a mix of annoyance and amusement. Robby shifted beside her, now sitting close as Johnny cautiously removed his hands from his eyes, relief washing over his features.

Johnny cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, well... Can you two come out here, please?" he requested, clearly uncomfortable with what he had just walked in on.

Clementine and Robby exchanged a glance before nodding. They followed Johnny out of the room, curious about what could be so important. As they entered the living room, they were met with an unusual sight. Cardboard was taped across the entrance, and Clementine furrowed her brows in confusion. She pushed the cardboard aside and stepped into the room, with Robby trailing behind her.

Inside, the living room had been transformed into a makeshift escape room. The furniture had been rearranged, and various objects were scattered around, hinting at a theme. But what caught Clementine's attention most was Miguel standing in the middle of the room, his expression cold and unforgiving.

Robby let out an exasperated sigh as soon as he spotted Miguel. The tension in the room was palpable. Clementine looked around, taking in the scene, and finally asked, "What's going on here?"

Miguel's eyes narrowed as he looked at Johnny. "You literally just said he wasn't here," he snapped, glaring at his stepfather.

Johnny, unfazed, shot back with a smug grin, "I lied again. Not my fault you fell for it twice."

Clementine stifled a laugh at Johnny's response, trying to lighten the mood, but Miguel's glare quickly silenced her. He turned his attention to her, frustration evident in his voice. "Why are you dating him again, Clementine? He broke your heart!"

Clementine arched an eyebrow, unfazed by Miguel's outburst. "Calm your horses, Mig. Robby and I worked through our shit. Don't drag me into your step-brother drama," she said, holding her hands up in a defensive gesture.

Johnny, sensing the rising tension, decided to jump in with his grand plan. "You guys are right. Tricking you into lunch wasn't my best effort. So I did some interneting," he revealed proudly.

Clementine couldn't help but let out a sigh. "That's not good if Johnny did some 'interneting.' He barely knows how to use a computer," she quipped, hoping to ease the mood, but her attempt fell flat as Robby and Miguel continued to glare at each other.

Ignoring the awkwardness, Johnny continued, "I found a bunch of strategies for building trust and teamwork through cooperative exercises. The least lame one is called an escape room. How it works—"

Robby, already fed up, cut him off. "I know what an escape room is. I'm not doing it," he snapped, his frustration evident.

Clementine, tired of the constant fighting, tried to intervene. "You guys need to work your shit out. This is getting ridiculous," she stated, but her words fell on deaf ears as the boys continued to ignore her.

"This goes double for me," Miguel shot back, walking over to the door and attempting to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

Johnny, clearly having anticipated this, smirked. "I reversed the doorknobs. It's locked from the inside," he explained, holding up a key for emphasis. Before anyone could react, he dropped the key into the sink and turned on the garbage disposal. The loud clanking of metal against metal echoed through the room, signaling the destruction of the only means of escape.

Clementine pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Glued the windows shut too. No one's getting out unless you work together," Johnny added, clearly proud of his plan. "Now, as I was saying, the way it works is, you start with a theme, okay? Our theme is the Lincoln County War."

With that, Johnny turned on his old boombox, blasting rock music that seemed completely out of place in the current situation. "New Mexico territory, 1878. Lincoln County regulators José Chavez y Chavez and Josiah 'Doc' Shurlock have been arrested to be hanged. You're Chavez," he pointed at Miguel.

Clementine, exasperated, couldn't help but blurt out, "This is the plot of *Young Guns 2.*"

Johnny looked at her in disbelief. "You saw it?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"With my dad," Clementine responded, her frustration growing. Robby, who had been standing silently with his arms crossed, finally snapped.

"Who cares! Dad, you're missing the point. You could lock us in forever, and we're never gonna be friends," Robby stated firmly, pointing between himself and Miguel.

Miguel, equally fed up, challenged Johnny's sudden push for them to get along. "Why are you suddenly pushing this so hard?"

Johnny hesitated for a moment before stammering out, "Because me and your mom... We're all sort of on our way to becoming a family."

Clementine's eyes widened as she put the pieces together. "Holy shit, you—" she started, but was cut off by Miguel's angry outburst.

"A family? Me and him? Are you joking?" Miguel asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Johnny tried to explain. "Maybe not the traditional kind," he said, but it did little to calm Miguel's anger.

"No, not any kind. You two have your thing, whatever. But keep forcing this, all you'll do is get his ass kicked," Robby snapped, his anger directed at both Johnny and Miguel.

Clementine, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, tried to step in, but Miguel was already squaring up to Robby, ready to escalate things further. "Ready when you are, runner-up," Miguel challenged, his voice dripping with hostility.

Robby didn't back down. "Name the time and place," he shot back, stepping forward as well.

Before the situation could escalate further, there was a knock at the door. The tension in the room was momentarily broken as the door opened, revealing Miguel's grandmother, Yaya.

"Oh, thank heavens!" Clementine exclaimed in relief, throwing herself onto the couch behind her, grateful for the interruption.

Yaya, clearly having been roped into Johnny's escape room plan, tried to play along. "I am Billy the Kid, and I have a riddle for you," she said, looking at her hands as if reading lines from them.

Miguel stared at Johnny and his grandmother in disbelief before deciding he had had enough. Without saying another word, he stormed out of the apartment, leaving the rest of them standing there in the aftermath of the chaos.

Robby groaned in frustration, knowing that any progress Johnny had hoped to make had been thoroughly derailed. He reached out and grabbed Clementine's hand, pulling her up from the couch. "Come on," he muttered, dragging her back to his room, leaving Johnny and Yaya standing in the living room, their escape room plan in shambles.

Clementine sighed as she unlocked the front door to her house, feeling a mix of curiosity and anxiety. Her dad, Caleb, had sent her a text asking her to come home, and she could sense something serious was up. As she stepped inside, the familiar scent of home greeted her, but the atmosphere felt heavy. She noticed Tyler sitting on the couch, his face unusually serious, and beside him, their dad, Caleb, sat with a contemplative look.

"Hey, Dad. Tyler." Clementine greeted them, her voice tentative as she shrugged off her jacket. She could sense the tension in the air.

"Clem, come sit," Caleb said, his tone gentle yet firm. Clementine hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside Tyler, who glanced at her with a knowing look.

"What's going on?" Clementine asked, her heart beating faster with each passing second.

Caleb took a deep breath, his eyes shifting between his two children. "I've got some news... It's about your Aunt Anastasia."

Clementine's brow furrowed in confusion. "News? What do you mean? Is she...gone?"

Tyler shifted uncomfortably beside her, and Clementine turned to look at him before focusing back on their dad. Caleb nodded slowly, his expression solemn.

"Gone as in... dead?" Clementine's voice cracked as she asked, dread filling her chest. She had just seen her aunt earlier that morning, alive and well.

Caleb shook his head, and Clementine exhaled a shaky breath, but his next words weren't much of a comfort. "No, Clem, not dead. She ran off to London with her boyfriend."

For a moment, Clementine just stared at him, disbelief washing over her. "London? With her boyfriend?" she echoed, trying to process the information. She hadn't even known her aunt had plans to leave, let alone leave the country.

Tyler sighed beside her, leaning back into the couch with a resigned expression. "Honestly, I'm not surprised. We barely see her now anyway," he said, his tone flat. It was as if he had already accepted this outcome, while Clementine still struggled to wrap her head around it.

Clementine's thoughts were a whirlwind as she tried to recall her last conversation with Anastasia. They had talked about the usual things—work, life, family—but nothing had hinted that she was planning something this drastic. "She didn't say anything to me... this morning. She seemed normal," Clementine murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.

Caleb placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip reassuring yet sad. "I know this is a shock, Clem. I wish she had told us something, anything. But you know Anastasia... she's always been a bit unpredictable."

Clementine nodded slowly, still feeling blindsided. "Yeah... unpredictable," she echoed, though it did little to settle the storm of emotions churning inside her. She glanced at Tyler, who looked more tired than anything else.

"So what now?" Clementine asked, turning back to Caleb, seeking some kind of direction, some next step to take.

"We go on," Caleb said softly. "We give her some time, see if she reaches out. But for now, we need to focus on each other. We're still a family, and we need to stay strong."

Clementine nodded, trying to absorb the weight of his words. But even as she sat there, surrounded by the familiar comfort of home, she couldn't shake the hollow feeling in her chest. Anastasia was gone, not dead but far enough that it felt like a loss all the same.

Clementine sat there on the couch, the weight of her father's words pressing down on her. The room felt smaller, the air thicker, as if the very walls were closing in. Anastasia, her aunt who had always been a bit of an enigma, was gone. Not dead, but suddenly and inexplicably gone—off to London with some boyfriend, leaving behind everything and everyone. The disbelief lingered, mingling with a deep sense of abandonment.

"I can't believe she didn't say anything," Clementine muttered, more to herself than to anyone else, her fingers nervously playing with a loose thread on her jeans. "Not a word... and I just saw her this morning."

"That's Anastasia for you," Caleb sighed, rubbing his hands together as if trying to warm them, or maybe to calm his own nerves. "She's always done things her own way, but this... this was unexpected even for her."

Clementine nodded, though her thoughts were still in turmoil. Her father's words offered little solace. How could someone just leave like that, without a warning, without a goodbye? She thought of the times Anastasia had been there for them, even if she was unpredictable. The laughter, the quirky advice, the moments that made Anastasia who she was. All of it felt distant now, tainted by her sudden departure.

Tyler, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "You know, she hasn't really been around much lately. It's like she was pulling away, bit by bit," he said, his voice laced with a resigned acceptance. "Honestly, I kind of saw this coming... just didn't expect it to be so... drastic."

Clementine looked over at her brother, searching his face for any sign of the frustration or anger she was feeling. But Tyler seemed more tired than anything else, as if this revelation hadn't surprised him in the slightest. It only added to Clementine's growing sense of isolation. It seemed like everyone else had accepted Anastasia's departure while she was left grappling with the reality of it.

"Is she really gone for good?" Clementine's voice trembled slightly, betraying the vulnerability she felt inside. "I mean, will we ever see her again?"

Caleb sighed, his expression weary but compassionate. "I don't know, Clem. I really don't. She's always been the kind to follow her heart, no matter where it leads her. I hope she'll reach out once she's settled, but we have to be prepared for the possibility that... she might not."

Clementine swallowed hard, her throat tight with unshed tears. She hated this feeling, this uncertainty. She felt like she was losing more than just her aunt—she was losing a part of her past, of her family, and it hurt in ways she hadn't expected.

"I just... I need some air," she whispered, suddenly feeling the need to escape the confines of the house, the suffocating emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.

"Clem..." Caleb started, but Clementine was already on her feet, her movements quick and purposeful as she headed for the door.

"I'll be back later," she called over her shoulder, not even waiting for a response. She just needed to get out, to clear her head. She needed to breathe.

Stepping outside, the cool evening air hit her, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. But the storm inside her was relentless, swirling with confusion, anger, and a deep sadness she couldn't quite shake. Without thinking, she found herself heading toward Robby's place. She needed to be with someone who could understand, someone who could help her navigate the mess of emotions she was feeling.

The walk to Robby's wasn't long, but it felt like an eternity as Clementine replayed the conversation with her dad and Tyler in her mind. By the time she reached Robby's door, her heart was pounding, her hands trembling slightly as she knocked. She didn't even bother waiting for an answer before she turned the knob and walked in.

Robby was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels with a bored expression when he looked up and saw her. Immediately, his face softened with concern. "Clem? What's wrong?"

Clementine didn't respond right away. Instead, she walked over to him, and without a word, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Robby was taken aback at first but quickly recovered, his arms encircling her protectively.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" he asked softly, his voice full of concern as he stroked her hair.

Clementine took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "My aunt... Anastasia. She's gone," she whispered, her voice muffled against his chest.

Robby frowned, pulling back slightly to look at her. "Gone? What do you mean?"

"She... she ran off to London with her boyfriend. Just like that. No warning, no goodbye, nothing." The words spilled out of her, each one laced with hurt and disbelief.

Robby's grip tightened on her, his expression hardening in anger. "What the hell? She just left without telling you?"

Clementine nodded, her tears finally spilling over as she let out a shaky breath. "I saw her this morning, Robby. She didn't say anything... and now she's just... gone. I don't understand how she could do that."

Robby held her closer, his own heart aching for her. He knew what it was like to feel abandoned, to have someone just leave without any explanation. He hated that Clementine was going through this, that she had to feel this kind of pain.

"I'm so sorry, Clem," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm here, okay? Whatever you need, I'm here."

Clementine nodded against him, feeling a small measure of comfort in his embrace. She knew she wasn't alone, even if it felt like her world was crumbling. Robby was here, and that was enough for now.

"I just... I don't know what to do," she admitted, her voice breaking as she finally allowed herself to cry.

"Shhh... it's okay," Robby soothed, holding her tightly as she let out all the emotions she'd been holding in. "You don't have to do anything right now. Just... be here with me."

Clementine nodded, taking comfort in his words. She didn't have to have all the answers right now. All she needed was to be with someone who cared about her, someone who wouldn't leave her. And for now, that was enough.

Clementine had slept so deeply in Robby's bed, completely oblivious to the world around her, that even the loud blow horn Johnny had used didn't wake her. It was like her body had taken that rest as a necessity after the emotional upheaval she'd just gone through with her aunt's sudden departure. She probably needed this sleep more than she realized.

But then, the sound of raised voices broke through her unconscious mind, and Clementine shot up in bed, blinking as she tried to piece together where she was and what was happening. The bed was empty beside her, and Robby was nowhere to be seen. Panic surged through her as she scrambled out of bed, quickly pulling on her shoes before darting out of the apartment.

Her heart raced as she heard the unmistakable sounds of a fight—grunts, the thud of bodies against hard surfaces, and the echoing shouts of fury. Clementine didn't even have to wonder who it was; she knew. She rushed toward the noise, her stomach twisting with dread as she rounded the corner and saw Robby and Miguel on the second floor of the apartment complex, locked in a brutal fight.

"Johnny, what the hell is going on?!" Clementine yelled, her voice cutting through the noise as she bolted toward the scene, her heart pounding with both anger and fear.

Johnny, who was standing nearby with the blow horn in hand, turned to her with a sheepish look. "I'm letting them fight it out," he admitted, though his voice wavered slightly as he saw the panic in Clementine's eyes.

Clementine stared at him like he had lost his mind. "Are you serious? See, I agree with this idea, but now seeing this happen sounds really bad! Don't you remember what happened last time?" Her voice was shrill with fear as the memory of that horrifying fall at the school flooded back.

Johnny's face fell, and he looked up at the boys who were now on the second floor, their fight intensifying with every passing second. Robby's foot connected with Miguel's side, sending him stumbling into a door. "Fight's over!" Johnny called out, trying to bring some control back to the situation, but the boys didn't stop.

The fear that Clementine had tried to suppress surged forward, and she ran up the stairwell, desperately hoping to intervene before something terrible happened. As she reached the top, she saw Miguel grab Robby's waist, and before she could think, Robby kicked Miguel in the back, sending him staggering backward.

"Robby, stop!" Clementine cried out, her voice breaking as she lunged forward. Without hesitating, she kicked Robby in the stomach, sending him stumbling into a nearby door. "I'm sorry, but this needs to stop," she pleaded, her eyes wide and filled with worry.

Robby's face faltered as he looked at her, a mixture of surprise and frustration in his eyes. But before he could respond, Miguel was back on his feet, seizing the opportunity. He kicked Robby in the face, sending him reeling backward. Clementine watched in horror as Robby regained his balance and retaliated, elbowing Miguel in the face.

"Guys, stop!" Johnny and Clementine yelled in unison, their voices urgent and filled with fear.

But the boys were too far gone, lost in the heat of the moment. Miguel threw Robby into the railing, and Robby grabbed onto it for support. Clementine was frozen, her feet rooted to the ground as she watched the horrifying scene unfold. Miguel punched Robby in the face, once, twice, and then again. Each blow made her flinch, her breath catching in her throat.

Then, just as everything seemed to spiral out of control, Miguel froze, his fist drawn back but unmoving. He let out a frustrated yell, his body trembling with a mixture of rage and restraint. Robby and Miguel stared at each other, panting heavily, their expressions raw and conflicted.

It was in that moment Clementine saw it—a shift in their eyes, the anger giving way to something else, something more human and less destructive. The realization that they didn't truly want to hurt each other, not anymore. Miguel's fists dropped to his sides, and Clementine's shoulders slumped with relief as Johnny finally made it upstairs.

"Why'd you hold back?" Robby asked, his voice raspy and breathless as he looked at Miguel, his expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Miguel sighed, his gaze softening. "I didn't get into karate to hurt people. I did it to be a badass and find balance."

Clementine's lips curled into a small smile, the tension in her body finally starting to ease. She could see that the fight was over, truly over this time.

Robby nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that," he said quietly.

Miguel looked at him, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Last time we fought like this, uh, how come you didn't hold back?"

Robby frowned, clearly pained by the memory. "I just wanted to finish the fight," he admitted, though the regret was evident in his voice. "I mean, not like that. I just... I had tunnel vision, and I got so angry that I just... I mean, I barely knew where we were. I'd take it back in a second if I could. I was the cause of the worst moment in your life. If it's any consolation, it was the worst moment in my life too."

Miguel's smile widened slightly. "Yeah, I'll take it."

Clementine's eyebrows shot up, and she couldn't help the excited squeal that escaped her. She quickly threw her arms around Robby, hugging him tightly before moving to Miguel and doing the same. "Yay!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and joy.

Johnny, who had been watching the exchange with a small smile, cleared his throat. "So? Is it over? Are you guys good?" he asked, holding up the blow horn as if ready to intervene again if necessary.

Robby and Miguel both nodded, a mutual respect passing between them.

"Thank God," Johnny muttered, lowering the blow horn. But then, in typical Johnny fashion, he let something slip. "Cause if you still hated each other when the baby gets here..."

Everything froze. Robby, Miguel, and Clementine all exchanged the same wide-eyed look.

"Oh my God! I knew it! Carmen has been glowing lately!" Clementine squealed, jumping up and down with excitement.

Miguel, still processing, stared at Johnny. "The baby?"

Johnny cursed under his breath, realizing what he'd just done. "Shit."

Clementine, never one to hold back, grabbed Miguel's shoulders and shook him slightly. "Like you and Mom?" Miguel asked.

"Yes, Mig! He knocked her up!"

Johnny sighed, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, we're, uh, having a baby."

Robby and Miguel stared at him in shock, their jaws practically on the floor.

"We were supposed to tell you together," Johnny continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "And Clementine wasn't supposed to find out this way. Carmen was planning to surprise her with a cake, so you guys better act surprised."

Miguel's face lit up with a bright smile. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, his excitement finally catching up with him.

"Yeah, like that," Johnny said with a nod.

Miguel and Clementine squealed together, their joy infectious.

"Dad, that's... that's awesome," Robby said with a chuckle, walking forward to hug Johnny. "That's awesome," he added again, his voice filled with genuine happiness as he looked back at Miguel and Clementine.

Miguel quickly joined the hug, and Clementine teared up, overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment. "This is just amazing," she cried happily.

"Get in here, Cinnamon Girl!" Johnny exclaimed, opening his arms wide.

Clementine didn't need to be told twice. She ran forward and joined the group hug, her heart swelling.

ASH SPEAKS!

next chapter im combining ep 6 and 7 cause like theres like no teens in ep 6 until the very end

ALSO ROBBY AND MIGUEL ARE BROTHERS NOW NO MORE FIGHTINGGGGG
clementine just fangirling 🤙🏻