(Joel)
There was only the sound of Joel's breathing. A slow, lazy inhale and exhale.
Joel faded from his dream. He spread his arm out to touch Sarah but she wasn't there. Joel spread his arm out further until his arm hanged off the bed. Wait, he was laying on top of a bed and also he was on his back. Where was Sarah? Panic gripped Joel's chest.
He opened his eyes to find a unfamiliar room. This wasn't the place he stayed in yesterday.
Where's Sarah?
She wasn't on the bed with him, Joel scanned the small room for her. She couldn't be hiding anywhere as the room was pretty empty apart from the desk with used medical supplies on and the bed Joel was laying on. Joel's pack and boots were next to the desk.
"Sarah?" Joel's voice was croaky and thick with sleep.
He sat up on the bed and saw that his right leg had been bandaged and treated. One leg of his jeans were rolled up to his knee so the bandage was visible.
Joel spun round on the bed and stood up. His leg was drastically less painful to stand on so he could walk normally.
Where the hell am I?
The door swung open. Dillon walked in holding a tray of food. He was surprised to see Joel up.
"Hey."
Joel stood threateningly.
"You... feelin' better?" Dillon gestured towards his leg.
"Where am I?" Joel said in a low tone.
Dillon walked over to the desk and put the tray of food on the table, trying to give Joel space.
"I came over to the store to see what you were up to and I found you passed out on the floor. There was blood everywhere. I brought you here and we fixed that leg up for you."
Joel looked Dillon up and down. He seemed harmless but Joel had seen how effective he was at killing. He was pretty different.
"Thanks." Joel kept the same tone. It almost didn't sound thankful.
"Thank Murray, he's the guy that fixed you up."
Even with all the hostility that Joel showed him - he was still nice. He didn't treat Joel like a scavenging murderer, he treated him like a person, and Joel was thankful for that.
"Where's..." He looked around the room one more time.
She's not real... He fell for it again.
Dillon looked at him expectantly.
"Never mind." Joel shook his head.
After some silence Dillon started again.
"So you looking to help out today?" Dillon asked.
Joel was quiet for a minute. Where else did he have to go? He needed to keep away from Ellie, she was safe. He just needed to settle down somewhere different. He just needed something else to fight for.
Joel's tone rose. "Uh, sure."
Dillon smiled and his face grew brighter. "Okay, nice. But before you start we need to ask you a few your ready come out." Dillon said as he left the room.
After putting on his boots and checking that he had everything in his pack Joel was about to exit the room, but he heard quiet bickering on the other side of the door. He stood to listen.
"God-damn it, Dil, I told you we don't need any one else." A women's voice whispered.
"I know you're upset about Derek but we need new people." Dillon uttered.
"Don't you fucking bring that up!"
Dillon sighed.
"Look, Mags, I'm sorry but this guy seems good for the team."
"He seems fucking insane. When we put him on the bed he fucking hugged me kept calling me 'baby'."
Joel cringed in embarrassment.
"Not to mention he's old as fuck. We have no idea who he is, for all we know he could be some weird fucking murderer. Like, he could want to chop my nipples off or something!"
"Nobody wants to chop your nipples off! Just because he's old doesn't mean he's not going to be useful. He has more experience, that will come in handy."
Joel was happy that Dillon defended him, it was the first time in along time that someone described him being old as a good thing.
She scoffed. "Please."
"Hey, if he made it out there for that long then I want this guy on my side." Another voice said louder.
"Shh! Listen, I want this guy to stay so just don't be stupid."
After a couple of minutes Joel opened the door to the sort-of living room. It was homey. The paint on the wall had been watered down to grey and was peeling off. There was a couch, a table with a few chairs around and a large desk.
He saw Dillon and a short dark haired woman sitting at a table eating dry food from a bowl, while a man was standing up, cleaning guns on the desk. The short haired woman looked at him with suspicion while the man cleaning guns greeted him with a smile. Joel didn't even need to eavesdrop before to see through this façade. They were being nice and acting casual, trying to make Joel feel more comfortable while pointing out the power they had by cleaning guns in front of him. But Joel knew that Dillon was genuinely being nice.
"Joel!" Dillon cheered. "Take a seat." He pointed to another chair at the table.
Joel sat on the chair.
"Good morning." The woman said then continued to eat her food.
"Mornin'." Joel replied.
He looked at the table. It was covered in blue prints of the town and sticky notes about what needed to be done. It reminded him a lot of Bill.
"So, Joel." The man cleaning the guns spoke. Joel looked at the man. Strands of his black hair and his blue army cap was in way of his brown eyes.
"Heard you wanted to stay here." He turned his whole body around to look at Joel. He rubbed a dirty cloth up and down the assault rifle he was holding. His white, rolled up shirt was stained with old blood and oil.
"I do."
"You don't mind us asking a couple of questions then? Laying down a few rules?"
"'Course not" Joel shook his head.
"Well first, ground rules:" He put the rifle down on the desk so he could enforce his point with gestures. "You have to pull your own weight and you have to protect your allies."
Joel nodded.
"John, don't be rude, he hasn't even met you guys yet." Dillon interrupted.
"Oh, uh, right."
He pointed to the woman. "That's Maggie." then he pointed to himself. "I'm John."
"Joel." Joel clarified.
After a few moments of silence John continued.
"So anyway..." John trailed off, trying to find a good way to word his next statement.
"Alright, I'm just gonna be straight forward with this: I don't know or care whatever you've done in your old groups but we don't tolerate any... forced intimacy."
Joel raised his hand. "I get it. I don't."
"Good." John sounded pleased with his response and turned around to finish cleaning the rifle.
Joel didn't notice that Dillon had got up. He returned to Joel with some dry food in a bowl and gave him a spoon.
"Eat up." Dillon chuckled and walked over to the desk with John.
As Joel ate he could help but be distracted as Maggie watched him eat. Joel glanced at her but she didn't look away. He knew that her anti-social behaviour was only trying to make him nervous.
Joel looked at her again and she didn't move.
"Somethin' the matter?"
"Yeah..." She said harshly.
Joel sat back on his chair, never breaking eye contact. She kept a menacing stare while Joel just looked at her casually.
"And what would that be?"
Her jaw clenched.
"Some fuckin' grampa replacing a valuable member of the group." She uttered so John and Dillon couldn't hear.
"Well... life's a bitch." Joel mocked. He broke the staring contest to look at his food.
(-...-)
Joel, Dillon, John and Maggie walked towards a truck with there packs slung over their backs.
"So you mean to tell me that five guys can keep an entire town safe?" Joel asked.
"Well, it's been five years and we're still holding on to it." John replied.
Joel huffed out his nose and smiled at the town.
Yep, this place seems good.
Dillon talked to everyone but directed the orders to Joel. "Alright, Murray is watching the base. We're gonna go clear some infected and re-arm some traps." He looked at Joel. "You good with that."
"Great." Joel said.
"Ok, get in the truck, let's go." Dillon ordered. "Let's see if you're worth it..." He whispered.
(Ellie)
Ellie and Josh laughed sharing a wall shift together. They sat crossed legged in a small, tall outpost that overlooked some of the town and was right on the edge of the wall that surrounded the town.
"Are you fucking serious?" Ellie said while laughing.
"Hehe, yeah..." Josh said with weaker laughter.
"H-H-" She bursted out laughing again. "H-How the fuck did you manage to do that!?"
Josh over exaggeratedly sighed.
"The gun had a big heavy scope and I was too close to it when I shot it, so, it kinda... knocked me out..." Josh said with a embarrassed smirk .
Ellie released another loud laugh.
Josh didn't mind telling Ellie embarrassing stories about himself. It made her laugh, and he loved the sound of it.
"You're telling me that you never hit yourself with a scope on your first couple of times?"
Ellie was finishing up on her laughter. "No, not that I can remember." She chuckled again. "Joel was always so good at teaching me, so I didn't...uh" She looked lost for a second like she was trying to think as she spoke. "I mean- I- Uh..."
Josh noticed that she changed after she mentioned Joel and he put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Ellie."
She shook it off.
"I-I know, it's fine."
She didn't want to be extremely closed off like Joel but she was. She didn't like talking about things either, and it was for the same reason as Joel, looking vulnerable.
Josh wanted to change the sad mood that was created. He looked into the distance. The sky was filled with beautiful shades of pink and yellow as the sun setted.
"Wow... Look at that!" He pointed to the sunset and Ellie looked up to it.
"Oh, man." Ellie's eyes widened at the sight. Last time she saw something that beautiful was with... Joel.
'Can't deny that view' The words rang through her head like a migraine.
Ellie held her head and stood up.
"Hey, where you goin'?"
Ellie looked over to the sunset and back at Josh.
"It's sunset?" She paused letting her words sink in. "It's time to go?"
"Oh, right." Josh stood up with Ellie.
Ellie leant down to climb down the ladder but Josh stopped her by grabbing her arm.
She stood up straight and looked at him
"What is it?"
Josh paused and gulped.
"Look, Ellie, I know you've been having a tough time recently... but I just wanted to..." He paused again and Ellie just stared at him. He sighed in frustration.
"I mean, I know it's not the best time, but do you want to go out some time?"
Ellie was about to reply with a regular answer but stopped and rethought the words 'go out'.
"Oh." Ellie was blank.
"I'm sorry."
"No, I mean, I didn't think you..."
"Didn't think I what?" Josh asked quickly, nervousness evident in his voice.
"Uh," Ellie rubbed up and down her blue hoodie's sleeve. "Can I think about it?"
"Yeah, of course." Josh replied with a bit too much energy.
"I think I'll do that." She said and reached for the ladder.
When they were both at the bottom Ellie waved and left Josh.
He was mad. He wasn't mad at Ellie, he was mad at himself for asking. It was way too soon.
(-...-)
"Hey, Tommy." Ellie greeted as she walked through the door of Tommy and Maria's house.
"Oh hey, Ellie."
Tommy wore his usual denim jacket and jeans with that same warming smile.
"Me and Maria are goin' out for a drink with a few people. Doya' wanna want to come?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Alright'. There's somethin' wrapped up for ya' in the kitchen if you're feelin' a bit hungry."
"Thanks, Tommy." Ellie began walking upstairs.
"Maria's already there so 'I'm gonna go now."
"Okay." She shouted from upstairs.
"I'll see you later tonight if you're still up." Tommy said with the slam of the door.
Ellie huffed as she entered the guest room. It may as well have been her room since she'd been there for so long.
"God-fuckin'-dammit!" She hit the wall and sat down on the bed.
Josh had feelings. Different feelings. This was so... strange. It's Josh, your best friend and he asked you out. What the fuck was wrong with her life. He was the one person she could talk to, he was more of a brother than a... boyfriend.
What if he doesn't want to talk to me any more?
No. No, Josh isn't like that, he'll understand.
Ellie was planning on telling Josh about her feelings for Joel and what to do now he's gone but wouldn't that be kind of taunting? What if he was jealous?
I feel so fucking bad.
She couldn't say yes. He was the nicest boy and her second best friend and because of Joel...
Even if he was dead, she loved Joel like nobody else. She wasn't going to 'go out' with Josh to move on. She only loved people who she actually loved. It didn't matter if they were a boy, girl, black, white, have three arms, it didn't matter. She didn't love Josh in that way, but she loved Joel.
"I miss you." She whispered.
Sorry it's been a while but we are getting there. Make sure to leave a review, it keeps me making updates. More updates soon