A/N: Idea by Guest. I probably screwed it up. Sorry, Guest. My inspiration is being sucked away by school. That is all.
Rascal: a mischievous or cheeky person.
Ellie ambled up to the Trading Post, or shack if you want to get technical, and pushed open the door. It made a jingling sound that alerted the old man behind the counter. He looked up.
"Ah. 'S you again. I suppose the old man's too busy?" Franklin said with a hint of humor. Ellie just shrugged noncommittally.
"He's not that old," she replied casually. He wheezed as he laughed.
"Darlin'," the trader said, making her scowl. She hated that name. "If he ain't old, I'm the richest man on earth."
Ellie bit her tongue to keep from snapping at the man, something she'd been doing a lot of since they settled here, and reached in her bag for a couple guns and boxes of bullets. With a firm look of seriousness, she slid the items on the counter. The old man frowned as he realized his game was over.
"Let's get down to business. I need some sleeping pills and salt," said Ellie. Franklin shook his head.
"I can give you the pills for a gun." Guile old bastard, she thought, always asking too much because he's the only trader around.
The young girl idly tapped her fingers on the wood. She narrowed her eyes, suspiciously staring at the codger.
"And the salt?"
"Sorry, Darlin', I'm all out of salt. Fellow by the name of Greg bought the last bit this morning," Franklin answered, a little afraid of the reaction. After all, this was the resident badass. Not that he believed the ludicrous tales told about her and that guy.
"Fuck you, Greg," Ellie muttered sourly. She let her eyes dart to the items for trade. Something shiny peeking out from a large sheet caught her attention. Tilting her head to the direction if the object, Ellie asked, "What's under there?"
The man's eyes sparked and he moved towards the object. "Oh, something I think you'll like."
He removed the sheet with a flourish. The teenager's eyes grew wide as she recognized the ancient treasure.
A tarnished, blue bicycle with a shiny copper bell on the handlebar stood on its kickstand in front of her. Flabbergast, she looked closely at the vehicle. It seemed to be in acceptable condition. The chain wasn't rusted and the wheels looked okay. Not even the bell looked broken. Ellie reached out to test it when a crusty, wrinkled hand slapped hers.
"Ah-ah-ah! You touch it, you buy it, Darlin'," Franklin told her as he smirked. She almost glared daggers at him but manage to calmly ask how much.
"For you? Only a gun and two boxes."
"I'll take it," Ellie said hurriedly. She couldn't wait to show Joel. Imaging his shocked face was almost enough to make her laugh.
Franklin cackled quietly to himself as he bagged up the bottle of pills. He couldn't hardly sell that thing to a sane person for one box and now he'd gotten a gun and two boxes. Foolish, innocent, young girl.
"That'll be two guns and two boxes all together, Darlin'," the trader stated. Ellie sighed as she pushed the above into his arms.
"He'll kill me if he finds out how much I spent," said Ellie lowly. "At least it's worth it."
Franklin nearly lost it and burst out laughing.
As the young girl pushed the bike out, bag of pills in hand, the salty codger waved. "Have fun, ya scoundrel!"
"Go to hell, ya bastard," she replied but Ellie said it to herself so she wouldn't get in trouble.
Racing the rest of the way home, Ellie nearly crashed into the front steps as she skidded to a halt.
"Joel! Get your ass out here! I've got a surprise," She yelled, slamming the door and tossing the bag on the end table. There was a clanging from the kitchen where Joel was attempting to cook dinner.
"Hold on, I nearly burnt the house down from the little heart attack you gave me," he said when she walked in the room. Ellie stuck out her tongue at him.
"Sorry, I'm just excited. Guess what."
"You actually got what I asked you to get this time?" Joel guessed hopefully. She never returned with what he asked her to get. Either it was sugar instead of salt, or not enough carrots, or the wrong kind of bullets, or even completely forgetting what she was going for, sending Ellie to the trading post was a bad idea. He wondered why he kept doing it.
Ellie responded, "Well, no, but-"
Joel cut her off. "Ellie," he started, and she despised that disappointed and chastising tone. Waving her arms animatedly, she managed to stop the oncoming rant.
"Just hear me out, Joel! I got a bike."
He dropped the spoon in the sink. "You did what?"
"I got a bike," she repeated as she played with her hands. "It was cheap and it looked so nice and I'm pretty sure it works. It's even got a bell. Will you teach me how to ride? You know how to, don't you? Of course you do. Silly question." Ellie said it all in a single breath.
"If you really want to, I guess so," Joel said slowly. She beamed and tugged him towards the door.
"Wait, you wanna learn now?" Joel said, very lost. A bike, He was thinking, How in the hell did she get a BIKE in the apocalypse?
"Well fucking duh! The sooner, the better."
He fumbled with the knot of his apron as he followed her to the yard. He hated the damn thing but it was better than singeing his favorite shirt.
When he reached the lawn and got a good look at the bike, he was actually impressed. It was in rideable shape, unlike he had expected. Its baby blue color kinda reminded him of Sarah and her bike.
"It's fucking awesome, right?" Ellie said smiling. Joel tested the bell. It rung loud and clear.
"Yeah it is. Alright, hop on an' we'll get started," Joel instructed. She shifted her weight uneasily.
"Er...how do you get on?"
He rubbed his head thoughtfully. "Move back, I'm gonna show you."
"Okay," she stepped away from the bike, "But if you break it, I'll be pissed."
He ignored her. Joel mounted the bike and pushed off carefully. A few seconds of bumbling about later, he was rolling down the dirt road. He turned sharply after ten feet or so. Too sharply.
The bike skidded to one side, throwing Joel on the ground.
"Fuck!" Ellie cried, darting over to him. "Shit, Joel, are you okay?"
Joel wiped the sandy soil of his face. "'M fine. Damn bike doesn't turn too well."
"So that's one way not to ride."
He snapped, "Shut up," as she laughed. She sat down beside him.
"You wanna know something funny?" Ellie said between chortles. He wearily looked at her.
"I know how to ride a bike." She burst out laughing at his scowl and fell back on the dirt.
"Dammit, Ellie!"
