(Ellie)

Ellie was working outside for a change. Maria had her working inside usually, in-case she tried to escape and find Joel. She was always being watched. Maria had also gave her a supervisor, Josh.

Josh didn't like supervising Ellie, it made him feel guilty. Josh did try to talk to Ellie about Joel but she never responded.
The reason Maria had Josh to watch Ellie was because they were friends and Maria knew that Ellie wouldn't try to hurt Josh to get away from him.

Ellie had changed since Maria had grounded her, she was a empty shell. She was Ellie but she wasn't, she had no emotions, she didn't care about anything. There is only so much one person can lose before they stop trying to gain.

Ellie and Josh were moving bricks and building materials from the storage shed to the new house that was being made. Most of the stuff was heavy but Ellie didn't complain or even seem to care, she just got on with the work. Josh was worried about her.

After the days work Josh walked Ellie back to Maria's house in silence. Josh decided to try and break the ice.

"So... Long day, huh?" Josh asked. Ellie didn't answer.

"Ellie, you alright?"

Still no answer.

"Ellie... say something."

Ellie's face remained blank and unfocused.

"Just talk to me..." Josh sighed.

More silence.

"What do you want..." Ellie said exasperatedly. That was the first time he heard her say anything all day.

"Are you still angry?"

Ellie lost her temper.

"Still angry?! Of course I'm fucking angry!"

"Sorry, Sorry. I shouldn't have started with that." Josh forced out a small faked chuckle.

"I just-... Are you doing alright?" Josh tried to sound soft and non-threatening.

Ellie wanted to open up to him right there. She wanted to complain, shout and scream, she wanted someone to know how she was feeling. Josh was her best friend and a amazing listener. She knew he would listen and try to relate to everything she had to say. But she didn't say anything. Ellie swallowed her thoughts and walked on.

She had to be enemies with everybody who was holding her away from Joel, including Josh.

As the silence rose, Josh understood and dropped it. They walked home in absence of sound.

Ellie had turned into half the girl she was before. She was always silent and always stern. There was no playful child to banter with, just a hollow girl.
Josh would have done anything to hear another one of her stupid puns, or one of her insults, hell, he would love to hear her complain, but she was just emotionless.

(-...-)

Ellie returned to Maria's and Tommy's.

"Hey, Ellie." Maria greeted.

Ellie didn't answer and walked upstairs to her room.

Maria looked concernedly over to Tommy who was eating his dinner.

Ellie kicked off her shoes and threw herself on the bed.

Maria knocked at the door.

"Hey, Ellie, do'ya want something to eat?"

"No, thanks." She quietly replied.

Ellie had been angry for Maria since she dragged her back to town. Ellie understood Tommy and Maria were looking out for her and the town, but she wasn't going to be friends with her anyway.

"Can I come in?"

Ellie looked up at the door. Maria had tried to give Ellie her space but now she wanted to talk?

"Yeah..." She exhaustedly answered.

Ellie sat up on her bed as Maria walked in.

"What is it?" Ellie didn't want to hear more reasons why they couldn't look for Joel.

Maria carefully crept in and sat on the bed, next to Ellie.

"Ellie," Maria was thinking, she was picking her words carefully. "Look,"

Ellie watched her intently, wondering what was so important.

"I know its been a while... So I wanted ask if you want to go to on a scavenge run."

Ellie couldn't believe it. Maria was going to let her out of town? It was only a week ago when she last tried to get out.

"I...I-" Ellie was lost for words. She didn't sound thankful, just confused.

"I know what it's like Ellie, I'm so, so sorry but we have to get over it. It's going to take time-"

"We!?" Ellie interrupted.

"You known him for a few months, I knew him forever!"

Maria rolled her eyes.

"Two years is not forever, Ellie!"

Ellie's face saddened. It was hard to believe that they had only known each other for two years but it had felt like forever.

"Well... It's a bit different when you have to rely on each other every day!"

Ellie was right. They were more than just friends, they had to survive and kill together, they were partners and they knew each other better than anyone else did.

"I'm sorry, I just..." Maria wasn't the best with words. "Look, Ellie, I want to trust you. I'm going to give you a chance." She got up and headed for the door.

Maria turned around to look at Ellie once more.

"Please don't make me regret this."

"Okay."

She gave a weak smile and walk out leaving Ellie by herself.

"Goodnight." Came from outside the door.

Maria's conversation had brought up memories from the time she tried to escape.

I got up at 2:am. I waited until Maria and Tommy had been sleeping for an hour then I left the house. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to get out. Nelson and his crew were guarding the town gate while there was a fucking army on the dam. They had so many people on watch because of the raid, also they were looking out for me. I knew it was going to be impossible to sneak out the dam, but it wouldn't be much easier going through the town either.

Nelson's a ex-soldier, he didn't like how things were being run so he left, Joel seems to like him more for that. He's a nice guy, though.

There was a few houses before the wall. The rest of the houses where all together in the middle of town but these few were right at the wall. There was two rows of two houses that faced each other on either side of the wall entrance.
Tommy's and Maria's house was back with the rest of the houses.

Nelson lived in one of these and so did I, before Joel left. I kind of liked being so close to the wall, other people were scared of it though. People hated these houses, they were scared of being so close to the wall, I kind of liked it, I made me feel safer for some reason.

I hid at the side of one of the houses. I peeked round the front and looked at the wall entrance. It was pitch black outside but I think I could see four people. Four dark blobs, really.
I could throw a bottle or something at the other row of houses, maybe the guards would walk over and check it out then I could jumped over the wall? It was a big risk but I needed to try. I took out a bottle from my pack and steadied myself.

"Maybe if I could hit a window... It's a longshot..." I mumbled to myself. The other row of houses were about thirty meters away.

I stretched my arm out in front of me as a guide and tensed my other arm behind me, bottle in hand.

"Ellie?" A women's voice came from behind me and made me jump.

"Shit-"

I jumped forwards a bit and dropped the bottle, it shattered on the ground. I turned around and saw Laura. She instantly realized what I was doing out so late. I heard people talking and moving on the wall. They must have heard the bottle break. "Oh fuck..." I uttered as I back away from Laura. She moved towards me slowly. "Ellie, wait a sec." She outstretched her arm towards me but I back away more.

"Wait!" She called as I started sprinting for the wall. I was going to try.

A guard that came to investigate the noise was in my way. I tried dodging around him but he grabbed my shoulder with his right hand but before he could put another on me I pulled out of his clutch. I was so close to the wall, there was only one more guard on the wall and I could easily just push past him and jump over. My foot was almost on the scaffold ramp when a hand grabbed my wrist. I was pulled back by the strength of it, I turned around, it was Nelson. I pulled and fought but he still had a tight grip on my wrist, I turned to face him even more and tried to use more force against him. He grabbed my other wrist.

"Ellie-" He grunted from trying to keep me still.
"Let-" I grunted. I tried pulling away from him with all my body's power. "-go!"

I quickly glanced at Nelson's face and I could see pain, he suffered from having to man-handle me like this. Why was he was so upset?

I slowly stopped resisting. I felt too bad and I wouldn't be able to pass the guards anyway.

Laura grabbed my shoulder, she was panting from chasing me. I was expecting her to be mad but she calm and collective, she looked at me with pleading eyes. Nelson still had a tight grip on my wrists. I looked back and forth at Laura and Nelson, tears were swelling up in my eyes.

"Please let me find him..." I begged

Laura tried to talk through the lump in her throat. "Ellie, c'mon." She pulled me away and we started walking to one of the nearest houses. Nelson gave a nod to the guards and followed us.

We reached one of the houses and went inside. It was Laura's.
She eased me over to the living room before she looked behind her at Nelson.

"I got it."

Nelson gave her a nod and left.

Laura placed me down on the couch and sat next to me. I lent forward while I hugged myself. I was still sniffling and pushing back tears, Laura's eyes were kinda' red as well. I'd never seen her cry before. She was a tough woman, she was a lot like Tess, actually. I didn't really like her, but that was just because I knew she liked Joel, and she calls me kid all the time. Maybe there was someone else behind that, someone I was too angry to see.
She stripped off her blue, puffy body warmer and threw it on the other side of the living room, showing her gray shirt.

I quickly looked away when she caught me staring at her.

"Look...Ellie."

That was a nice change from 'kid'.

"I can't imagine what your feeling right now." She lent forward with me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"You gotta' understand; their camp is ages away."

"I know every fucking reason why we can't go there!" I snapped.

This women had taken me into her home and was being nice to me but I couldn't control my anger, when ever anybody brung up Joel, I would lose it.

She let out a deep exhale and rubbed my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I miss im' too."

I felt anger again. I wanted to scream at her, but when I looked at her face I saw sincerity and sadness. I thought she just wanted Joel for pleasure but he was more to her than just that.

"I wish he was here so bad." I said.

Laura moved her hand to my back and started to blink away tears. Even her strong Boston accent couldn't cover the sombre in her voice.

"I do too."

Silence rose so Laura tried to lighten the mood.

"You and Joel had a good time together though, didn't you?" She said more than she asked.

"Y-Yeah, I guess. I wish I just could have told him, though."

"Told him, what?" She continued sweetly.

I realized what I said and my mind raced for a good excuse.

"Uh..." Slipped out my mouth.

Laura looked at me kindly but was slightly confused.

"You can tell me, Ellie."

I didn't know if I should tell her. She had something for Joel too... He's gone now though, and I needed to talk to someone about him.

"I..."

Laura looked at me so nicely and with such understanding, I knew I could talk to her about it.

"I... I thought I loved him." I knew I loved him.

Laura looked at me wide-eyed. I felt a bit self-conscious.

"Oh, Ellie." She gave me a deep loving hug. I was surprised, I thought she would want to talk about it but she gave me a hug. A warm, loving hug. It felt so good, I hadn't felt something like that since... Joel was around. I reluctantly wrapped my arms around her back.

"Now why don't you tell me about 'The Adventures of Joel and Ellie'?" She said jokingly as she pulled away.

That was a good night. I told Laura about the funny stories and the things that happened with Joel on our journey. She dropped me back to Maria's later that night.

I guess it was kinda' good that she stopped me. I only took my pistol, a couple materials and a bit of food, and the camp is 'ages' away. Even if I got to the camp and Joel was alive, how could I get him out? I would have died, it's better this way.

Ellie layed back on her bed.

He taught me how to survive. He was a mentor, he was a partner, he was a friend, and I'll never forget him.

Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I would love if you gave me a review about how I can improve, thanks! More drama and lemons coming soon.

Title: He Was A Friend Of Mine By Bob Dylan