Ellie woke up to an annoyed Joel waking her. "Get up, we have to get moving." He droned as he was bent beside her.
"What? It's too early." Ellie groaned.
"You wouldn't have been so tired if you had been up so late." Joel retorted as he walked over to Sara, he was obviously gentler with her. "C'mon get up, we've got to go," he said softly as he shook her shoulder. Sara groaned as well.
"It's too early." She dragged on the 'early' as Ellie began to sit up.
"You two should not have been up that late." Joel sounded annoyed as he stood up.
"Oh come on, Sara has a skateboard. You expect me not to try it?" Ellie smirked at Joel, he did not return the favor. But before he could say anything Sara spoke up.
"Yeah, and you sucked at it." She laughed.
"Oh, shut up. You've had practice." Ellie pouted.
"Unless you can skateboard to the dam, we are going." Joel commanded.
"Can we?" Sara's face brightened, and she looked up at Joel. His face softened but pain flickered in his eyes. He turned away at Ellie to see the same hopeful expression in her eyes.
"No, it's too loud." Joel hid his face as he walked out.
"Awh, what?" Ellie said disappointedly.
"It's true though, that's why I couldn't do it too much in the QZ." Sara shrugged. The two got up and followed Joel, who was waiting in the doorway. Then, they were off.
The trip was long and boring, at least for Ellie it was. Sara tried to make conversation but was usually cut off by hunters or infected. There were many on their path today, actually. Ellie got to see Sara use a gun, she was pretty good. What was crazy was Sara didn't have a pistol like Ellie, she had a shotgun, and a small gun. Ellie recognized it as a shorty. When Joel saw the shotgun, it looked big for Sara's small size, he almost took it away from her. But Sara wouldn't let him. "It's dangerous" he protested.
"It is protection!" Sara shot back. She looked personally insulted.
"You'll kill yourself!" Joel looked pained and angry, so Ellie backed out of this one.
"What? No I won't! I've used it before."
"It's big, too big."
"You have one!"
"That's because I can handle it!"
"I can't handle it?" Sara looked lost for words, "What do you care if I get hurt anyways?" Sara spat. Ellie could feel the tension, but could almost hear Joel's internal battle. He looked as if he were about to say something but regretted it.
"Sara just keep the gun." Ellie said defeated, even though she was no part of the fight. When Sara looked at Joel unsatisfied Ellie continued "we have to move anyway."
"Sure, let's go." Sara grumbled, she was still pretty heated. Sara waked off gripping the shotgun.
"Joel let's go." Ellie dragged him after Sara until he walked on without her. It's was silent after that. Though, eventually the tension faded away and Sara talked to Ellie, when they weren't attacked by something.
"I really want to see what this is though." Sara confessed as she pulled out the flat object known as the iPod.
"It's an iPod." Ellie said flatly.
"I know but I want to see what it does." Sara said as she messed with the object.
"Well we have to find a cord thing which will be impossible in th-" Ellie started but she was soon cut off.
"I already have one," Sara exclaimed, "but we need a house with power, or a generator." She said a little less enthusiastic.
"We usually find a generator or something around here." Ellie said, trying o cheer her up, "especially in neighborhoods like this." She gestured to all around her.
"I hope so," Ellie could hear Sara's mutter as she walked off into a house, Ellie followed. While they searched the house Ellie could hear Joel shouting for them, she looked out and called back, just now noticing that the sky had grown dark and dull. Sara was still searching when Ellie went up to her.
"Hey, Joel's calling us, we got to go." Ellie reported.
"Okay" Sara sighed as she turned to face Ellie. She looked slightly disappointed.
"Hey, we'll find something for that iPod of yours," Ellie smiled weakly, lightly punching her. When Sara looked slightly better, but still downcast Ellie added "besides, it looks like rain, we'd better go." Sara followed Ellie out and over to Joel who had found an acceptable house to stay in for the night.
"We can stay in here while it rains," Joel reported, nodding his head to a dull house with a noticeably big hole on the second floor. The group walked in, and Sarah jogged ahead and went into the basement. "What's she hurrying to?" Joel asked Ellie.
"She's trying to find a generator for that black flat thing." Ellie said, obviously lacking interest. Joel gave a face of disapproval before walking out into the makeshift living room. There was a sagged couch and a broken coffee table, facing a t.v. which was surprisingly intact. Joel walked over and looked around for usable items, Ellie thought this was good a time then ever. "About what happened switch the fireflies-" she started but was cut off by an annoyed Joel.
"I already told you, there were others." He retorted, still looking through a shelf.
"I know but-" Ellie started again, but was yet again cut off by a familiar rough tone, Joel turned his head.
"I told you the truth Ellie I don't know why you just bring this up so much-" this time Ellie interrupted.
"Then why don't I believe you?" Ellie's voice was sharper then before, and she stared at him with a slight desperation. There was a pause, Ellie searched for anything that would show any guilt, but Joel remained stern. He turned to face her.
"I don't know, and I don't know what your problem is, but you ought to get over this firefly thing." Joel stared at her so intensely that she looked away. He walked into a different room, leaving his words to settle like the dust around them.
As if on cue Sara jumped up the stairs excitedly "Ellie! Ellie! I found a..." Sara's voice trailed off as she saw Ellie's teary expression. Sara walked over, concerned, "Ellie, are you okay?" She led Ellie over to the bed, and Ellie let her. "Ellie, Ellie, please say something." Sara's voice began to grow desperate.
"Sara, calm down I'm fine." Ellie reassured the worried girl. Sara's expression turned to relief.
"You scared me Ellie!" Sara breathed giving a weak smile, and lightly shoved Ellie. Ellie smiled, the tense moment fading away like the sun in the horizon.
"Sorry, what did you find?" Ellie said, before she knew it she was being dragged downstairs by a fast talking blonde haired girl.