So I rewatched the Left Behind cutscenes recently, and after reading the American Dream comic I had a million ideas about their time together, so why not write something.
Bear with me these two make me an emotional wreck.
"From today on, the two of you will be roomates." A professor towers over the young kids before him, furrowing his eyebrows at the two youngins.
How did he get stuck with this job anyway?
He clears his throat, "I know you are in two different grades, however after the… er incident that occurred there's no one else." His eyes snap down to the taller of the two. She seems to be wiggling her eyebrows at the younger of the two. Maybe it's some kind of code, but the professor has places to be, he doesn't have time to figure out their childish antics. "I trust you will behave civilly, Riley." The professor pauses before speaking the older girl's name, making sure to give it extra emphasis.
"Of course sir," Riley's response is cool and collected and the professor can only sigh.
"Alright then, run along." The two don't waste any time and jet down the hall, probably to move any remaining items into the light skinned teen's room. What was her name again anyway? Oh well it's probably not important.
Ellie was shocked by the news. Not that she minded getting Riley, but it's only her third day at the academy. True she never received a roommate, but she figured it would be someone her own age.
Getting Riley, that's like a wish come true. The two had already hit it off at their horse riding escapade, and now they can get to know each other even better. Ellie had never had any real friends. Maybe now's her chance.
She mulls over her options as Riley arranges her stuff on the top bunk. She was forced up there since Ellie's already sleeping on the bottom. "So how did you end up losing your last roommate?" Ellie knows she shouldn't ask but she can't help herself.
Fortunately for her, Riley doesn't seem to mind sharing the story. "Let's just say she had a disagreement with one of our desk chairs. She had the idea that one of my pillows belonged to her, but the chair knew who it really belonged to. It was the brains of the operation and I was the brawn."
"Clearly it worked out soooooo well."
Riley slides off the bunk, landing with a soft thud, "it would've worked out fine if she didn't rat me out."
"You should have hit her harder."
"Fuck yeah I should have." Riley doesn't seem to have anywhere else to go, so she squeezes into the remaining space on the bed. "I'm gonna head out to Winston's tonight if you wanna come. He said he's got a surprise for us."
Ellie leans back to give the pushy teen a few more inches of room. "You sure do sneak out a lot don't you?"
Riley fills the space, opting to lean on Ellie's shoulder with little thought to her personal space. "You know it. I like to breathe the fresh air, feel the grass beneath my feet, and just live you know? I can't do that pent up in this place." Riley releases Ellie's shoulder, moving to the nearest bed post. "I thought maybe we could be friends, you know, if you wanted." Riley almost seems out of her depth and she glances away nervously, her voice about three degrees lower than normal.
"Sure, I think I would like that." The response light's up the older teen's face, and her head snaps around faster than the speed of sound.
"You'll come then?"
"Yup"
Winston seems extra excited when the girls arrive that evening. He's sitting on a large box, and Ellie can only assume their 'surprise' is inside. Riley had taken a few guesses while they traveled over, ranging from booze to weapons. Personally Ellie hoped it was something related to the horse. She wouldn't mind if he had a brush or something like that to groom her with.
It turns out Riley was a bit closer than she was, but only barely. A large green weapon-like object is placed into her hands, and Ellie can only glance at Riley in confusion. The taller teen seems excited about her new prize, and starts pumping the strange stick on the end.
"Uhhh. I hate to be rude, but what is this?" The bright green weapon makes a sloshing sound when she shakes it, almost like there's liquid inside. Is it a flamethrower?
She shakes it again, but freezes when she notices Riley laughing at her expense. "They're water guns silly. You've never heard of them?"
Ellie shakes her head, and remembers that Riley was pumping the orange stick on the front. She starts mimicking the action. "These weren't allowed at any of my other schools, and you're the silly one."
Winston doesn't add anything to the conversation, he just sips what's probably hard liquor from a flask and watches the two act like kids for what must be the first time in years.
"Yeah point that end at your face and pull the trigger," Riley is giving some not so great advice.
Ellie doesn't fall for it, "Are you sure I don't point it at you? I'm pretty sure I do. There's a sticker right on here that says don't point it at your face."
"Maybe you do, maybe you don't. There's only one way to find out." Riley lowers her gun and without hesitation soaks the unprepared teen. She chuckles and dashes away, leaving Ellie fuming in her wet clothes. "Catch me if you can!"
"Oh… I'll catch you if it's the last thing I do!"
Alright that's it for now. So my plan is just to cover some shortish moments I guess of the time for them between the American Dream and when Riley leaves for the fireflies. These are my own guesses on canon of course, going off of the comic and then the dlc.