Three months following the events of "The First Three Days"
Ellie awoke with a yawn and looked down. Winston lay at the bottom of her feet, snoring loudly. The sleeping bag Matthew had been using was empty. Ellie rolled out of bed, placed two cut sleeves over her arms, and pulled on a green triple phoenix shirt and blue jeans before making her way to the kitchen.
"And again… she's awake just after ten," Matthew said from the table, wearing his usual blue jacket and jeans.
"It was like this every day," Joel said in reply, wearing a green flannel shirt and black pants. "Looks like old habits die hard."
"Oh, ha ha," Ellie said, grabbing milk from the fridge. "It's not my fault you guys can't sleep past first light."
"I used to wake up that early even before the outbreak," Joel countered, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yeah and I don't think you realize how loud it can be in our room at night," Matthew said under his breath as Ellie sat down next to him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ellie said to Matthew.
The young man shrugged.
Ellie saw the edge of Joel's lip twitch before it returned to his coffee.
"So, what are the plans today?" Joel asked as he swallowed.
"Nothing," Matthew answered. "Maria's forcing me to take a day off."
"Don't worry," Ellie said, nudging his arm. "I'll find some trouble to get us into."
"And what are your plans?" Joel asked Ellie.
"Well, I have to stop off at Heather's to get something for Clarisse. I told Tim I'd watch her tonight," Ellie said. She looked at Matthew. "You want to come?"
"Sure," Matthew said. "As long as you don't bring up Heather trying to 'steal' me again. I think you've tortured her enough."
"No promises," Ellie replied. She looked at Joel. "What about you?"
"I was going to take a few hours on the Wall and Tommy asked if I could help some of the rookies working on the new houses."
"Sounds like… fun," Ellie said lamely. She was silent for a moment before finally understanding Matthew's comment about their room being loud at night. She turned and swatted him on the back of the head. "And I do not snore!"
After finishing breakfast, Ellie and Matthew exited the house and walked into the summer sun. They started walking down to Heather's.
Ellie looked at Matthew. "So, what anything new happen on the Wall last night?"
"Aside from Johnny's little freakout," Matthew said, shouldering his backpack. "Not much."
"What happened?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know. Something triggered him," Matthew said with a shrug. "I guess, uh, he thought he saw something and he ran over the Wall."
"That sounds major," Ellie said, concerned. "Did he get back okay?"
"Yeah," Matthew answered. "Tim gave me cover while I went out and got him."
"Sometimes, surviving sucks," Ellie said, kicking aside a small rock.
Matthew placed an arm around her shoulder. "You still want to open up that foundation you talked about?
"Hell yeah," Ellie said quickly. She shook her head. "I want to help. But the issue is… I'm not sure how I'm going to get others to talk."
"I can understand the hesitation to talk about our demons," Matthew said.
They walked in silence.
…
Joey knocked on Heather's front door and walked in. He wore a black jacket and jeans. There was a walkie-talkie strapped to his belt along with a pencil and his notepad.
"Heather?" Joey called.
"I'm in here," Heather called from the kitchen.
Joey moved down the hallway, weighing the brown bag he held in his hand.
He walked in and spotted Heather placing a freshly cooked fish in a plastic container that sat on the counter before wiping her hands off on her white t-shirt and jeans. She looked at him and smiled. "Hey."
"Hey," Joey greeted in return. He eyed the fish. "Hungry?"
"It's not for me," Heather answered. She sat down at the table and placed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "What's in the bag?"
"It's a new scalpel for you to threaten me with," Joey teased. "Do me a favor and keep your hands away from your pants pockets."
"My hands are nowhere near my scalpel," Heather assured him. She lifted her shirt an inch and showed Joey that she'd hidden the scalpel in the belt of her jeans. "Plus, only an idiot keeps a straight blade in their pants pockets."
Joey sat down at the table as well. "Well, according most of the people that I've talked to, going into a fire without help is an idiot thing too. So…"
"It was an idiot thing to do," Heather confirmed. She looked at Joey and raised an eyebrow. "It got you a crush, though."
"Manipulate the crush of the little girl I pulled out of a fire," Joey said with a chuckle. "You don't think that's a little wrong? Not to mention there's a bit of an age difference."
Heather shrugged. "Just wait twenty years. Nobody will care."
"You're like my mom," Joey groaned. "You have no faith whatsoever."
"We just want you to be happy," Heather said dramatically.
"Well, I suppose if all else fails, I could just try flirting with the next girl who comes to Jackson," Joey said under his breath. "Although maybe I should make sure she doesn't have a boyfriend first."
"I never should have told you about that," Heather said with an embarrassed smile.
Joey laughed. "Hey, it's the only thing I have to use against you."
"I told you," Heather moaned. "I was in a mood and he put out a good vibe and…just… never mind."
"It must be a girl thing," Joey grumbled.
Heather folded her arms. "Just a word of advice. If you do find a girl that you have a crush on, maybe you should avoid phrases like 'girl thing'."
"I'll keep that in mind," Joey replied.
At that moment, Arata jumped between them, sending a hiss in Joey's direction and nudging Heather's hand.
Joey shot a glare at the cat before rising and placing the small bag he was holding on the table.
Arata sniffed the bag and stepped back, curling herself in Heather's lap.
"That's a small batch," Heather observed as she grabbed the bag and looked inside.
"If it comes in useful later, I'm not going to complain," Joey said. "Besides, I may be able to get more tonight. I guess they're close to being ready to cut again."
"Be careful," Heather warned for the hundredth time.
"It's fine," Joey promised for the hundredth time himself. "Trust me. It's fine."
"Knock, knock," called Ellie from the front of the house.
Heather crumpled up the bag and tossed it onto the counter. Joey stood as Ellie entered the room followed by Matthew. They exchanged greetings as Joey's walkie-talkie went off. He excused himself.
…
Heather watched as Joey exited the room and Ellie took his place in the chair across from her.
Matthew stood quietly off to the side.
Heather had long since found it to be a common pattern.
"Hi, cat," Ellie said to Arata.
Arata hissed in return and turned away from Ellie.
Ellie stuck her tongue out. "I love you too."
"The only one that cat has ever liked other than me is Clarisse," Heather said. "I'm glad you don't take it personally."
"Speaking of Clarisse," Ellie said. "I'm watching her later tonight."
"Yeah," Heather said, pointing to the fish on the counter. "Her present's over there."
"You know, you could always give it to her yourself," Ellie said, standing and grabbing the fish.
"I'm good," Heather insisted. "Besides, it would mean more coming from you."
"I'm still gonna tell her it's from you," Ellie said. She looked at the cooked fish. "You got the fish for saving Cameron's life after he returned from his scouting trip. I'd say you deserve some credit."
"What was I going to do?" Heather asked with a shrug. "Just say 'sorry, I can't help because I'm too busy sitting on my ass while Jackson's other doctor is busy dealing with something else?' I'm sure that would have gone over well with his wife."
"Next time, blackmail his family for more than one fish," Ellie suggested.
"I didn't ask for this fish," Heather reminded Ellie. She shook her head. "It's still weird having things given to me."
"Tell me about it," Ellie said. She looked at Matthew. "I forgot my backpack again."
"Again," Matthew grunted in amusement.
"You wanted to do something useful," Ellie reminded him. "Heavy lifting's all I got for you today."
Matthew chuckled and unshouldered his backpack, accidently bumping the paper bag Joey had brought Heather and causing it to fall to the ground. Matthew knelt and picked up the small bag, accidently opening it slightly.
Matthew stopped for a moment, then placed the bag back on the counter before placing the container with the fish in his backpack.
"Thanks, Matthew," Heather said, hoping Matthew didn't see what was in the bag.
"Yup," the young man answered. He looked at Ellie. "I'll see you outside. I wanted to ask Joey something about the night shift tomorrow."
Heather watched him leave and glanced at Ellie, spotting a small look of confusion on the other girl's face.
Ellie shrugged and turned back to Heather. "What's in the bag?" she asked. "Is Joey finally tying to butter you up so he can ask you out?"
Heather rolled her eyes.
"That a no?" Ellie asked.
"That's a no," Heather confirmed.
"So, what is in the bag?" Ellie pressed.
"Nothing important," Heather answered. "It's just something that he found and figured I could use in the future."
"Bullshit," Ellie said with a snigger. She was silent for a moment, then turned serious. "Why are you lying about the bag?"
"I'm not lying," Heather said firmly. "I'm just not telling you because it doesn't matter."
"Okay," Ellie said, raising her hands. "Okay, I'll back off. But you'd tell me if it was something danger—"
"Ellie," Heather warned.
"Sorry," Ellie said.
Heather felt the apology was less than sincere.
Ellie looked down. "You know how protective I am."
"You? Protective?" Heather mocked. "Well, maybe… and a little pushy."
"Thanks," Ellie said, rising to her feet. "You sure you don't want to drop by tonight while I'm watching Clarisse?"
"I was going to stick around home," Heather said. "Tell Clarisse I said 'hi'."
…
Matthew waited patiently next to the door to Heather's house while Joey finished his conversation on the walkie-talkie.
Joey ended his conversation a few seconds later and started to walk away.
"Joey," Matthew called.
Joey turned and clipped the walkie-talkie to his belt. "What's up?" he asked politely.
Matthew stepped forward and lowered his voice. "I was going to ask you the same thing."
"What?" Joey asked, his politeness now replaced by a more defensive tone. He shook his head and started walking away. He turned when he saw Matthew following. "You spying on me, looking through my stuff?"
"No," Matthew answered, falling in step with Joey. "I didn't look in the bag. But whatever you have in it has a pretty strong smell."
"It's none of your business," Joey snapped.
"Hey, Joey," somebody called from behind Matthew.
Matthew turned and saw Jeff and his buddies walking down the street toward them, wearing ripped stained grey t-shirts and blue jeans.
All three of the young men had bloodshot eyes and twitching somewhat.
"What's up, Jeff," Joey asked, ignoring Matthew.
"If you're not busy later tonight, do you want to drop by the shack?" Jeff asked, his speech quick as well as sharp.
"Sure," Joey answered with a shrug. "I'm sure it won't be a problem. I need the freakin' break anyway."
Matthew made eye contact with Joey for a moment. This wasn't the first time he'd seen the younger man not acting like himself around Jeff.
Two of Jeff's buddies walked up behind Matthew. "Problems?" one of them asked.
"No," Matthew answered, not bothering to mask his voice with anything beyond basic politeness. "No problem at all. Just asking Joey about a shift on the Wall tomorrow night."
"Whatever," Joey said, sounding annoyed. "The shift's yours if you want it."
Matthew nodded as Joey turned away again.
Jeff and his two buddies walked by, each bumping Matthew hard on the shoulder as they passed.
Matthew took the contact without a word and watched as they disappeared around the corner of a house.
Matthew turned and found Joel walking toward him.
Matthew nodded his greeting.
"That looked interesting," Joel commented as he reached Matthew.
"Did you hear anything?" Matthew asked.
"No," Joel answered. "But it's pretty clear those kids are out to get you. You know you're allowed to fight back, right?"
"You and I both know what happens when I fight back," Matthew grunted as he folded his arms.
"You've always shown restraint when you could," Joel countered.
"I appreciate the concern," Matthew said. He sighed. "But I don't think I'm the one you should be concerned about right now."
Joel grunted and looked in Joey's direction. "You don't care for Joey's crowd either," he said. It wasn't question.
"He only acts like them when he's around them," Matthew said. He thought about the contents of the bag in Heather's house. "But I thought he was smarter than to mess around with…" Matthew didn't finish the sentence.
Joel folded his arms and looked at Matthew expectantly.
Matthew decided to ignore him. "I'll see you later, sir."
Joel took a step forward. "What do you know, kid?" he asked, holding no accusation in his voice.
"Not enough," Matthew answered evasively.
"I don't think I have to tell you about how protective my family can be," Joel said sharply, folding his arms again.
"You don't," Matthew assured him. "But at the moment, I don't know enough to—"
"What you don't know doesn't matter," Joel interrupted. "If you know Joey's getting himself into somethin', you should tell his parents."
Matthew shook his head and turned away. "I can't."
"Why?"
"I want Joey to trust me," Matthew said, turning to look Joel in the eye.
Joel dropped his sharp tone. "I can understand that, but—"
"You can't understand that," Matthew said firmly.
Joel stopped talking and waited for Matthew to continue.
Matthew took a deep breath. "It's different for me. You and Ellie… you've always had a place here. A family. And you, Tommy, and Maria have been great to me, but…"
"But we won't be here forever," Joel completed. He stroked his watch before returning his gaze to Matthew.
"Yeah," Matthew said. He looked around. "If I want to have a life here… I'll need more than just Ellie and Tim's trust."
Joel sighed. "Okay kid. I'll let you do it your way."
"Thank you," Matthew said, relieved. He held up a hand. "I promise, if something bad is going on, I'll tell Tommy and Maria myself."
Joel lowered his voice. "But this is Tommy and Maria's kid we're talking about. If something goes wrong… I won't be able to protect you."
"I understand," Matthew promised. "Trust me. I would never want to put you at odds with your family."
"You never have," Joel said, taking a step back. "That's why I'm trusting you on this."
Ellie walked up a few seconds later. "There you are."
"Hey, kiddo," Joel said.
"Howdy," Ellie said. "What are you doing on this side of the world?"
"Tommy called in a favor and asked me to help out with training on the Wall," Joel answered. "Did you get that present for Clarisse?"
Matthew unzipped his backpack and tossed Ellie the container holding the fish. Ellie looked at it hungrily and tucked the container under her arm.
"That's actually going to make it to Clarisse, right?" Joel asked.
"Most of it," Ellie answered innocently. "But I still have to test it. You know, make sure it's safe."
"Right," Joel said. He looked at the Wall. "I'd better get going. Be good."
"Bye," Ellie said. She looked at Matthew. "I'm going to spend a few hours at the shop. The old man said I could borrow his fridge for the fish. You wanna come with?"
"Not this time," Matthew answered. "I've gotta work through something."
Ellie folded her arms. "Is it Joey?"
"How'd you know?" Matthew asked, only slightly surprised.
"You two act weird around each other," Ellie explained. She lowered her voice. "Heather thinks it's nothing. But I have a bad feeling."
"I'm trying to figure it out," Matthew said as they started walking.
"Want any help?" Ellie asked.
"No," Matthew answered. "This is something that I have to do on my own."
"But you'd say something if it was like, life-threatening, right?" Ellie said.
Matthew just turned to her and raised an eyebrow.
"Just making sure," Ellie said with a small smile, punching him on the shoulder.
There was a loud crash followed by laughter near the house Jeff and his buddies had disappeared behind.
Ellie glared in their direction. "If they give you a reason, don't be afraid to put them on the ground."
Matthew grunted.
"Something wrong?" Ellie asked.
"Joel said something similar."
Ellie folded her arms. "And what did you tell him?"
"I told him we both know what happens when I fight," Matthew replied.
"And what's that?" Ellie pressed.
"I win."
…
Later that night, after the sun set, Joey made his way to the shack.
Joey looked behind him to make sure nobody was watching before turning down an abandoned dirt road. At the end of it was a small shack in a clearing.
"It's clear," Jeff said from just inside the shack.
Joey relaxed and walked into the shack, refusing to breathe in through his nose.
Two of Jeff's buddies were pacing in the back of the shack.
In front of them were three desks with large plants on them.
Joey walked forward and examined the plants.
"You sure that nobody knows about this?" Jeff asked from behind Joey.
"This shack is in the middle of nowhere," Joey said, examining one of the plants. "If they haven't found it by now, they're not going to find it."
"Did you check out the spot where we're storing the cut stuff?" Jeff asked one of the two boys pacing behind them.
"Yeah," one of them answered quickly. "It's clear."
"Would you like to do the honors," Jeff asked, handing Joey a bag and some scissors.
Joey took the scissors and began methodically cutting at the leaves of the plant.
Jeff continued speaking. "I see you're still hanging with that doctor chick."
"She's a friend," Joey said simply, continuing to cut the plant. "A friend that doesn't need to be involved in this."
"Right," Jeff said with a chuckle. "It's funny. Every time you leave here, you end up there. Coincidence or good friends?"
Joey finished his task and folded the bag. "A friend that doesn't need to be involved or talked about," he said firmly, hoping that it would end the conversation.
"Whatever," Jeff said after a moment. "You think you can get this to the spot?"
"Nobody's stopped me before," Joey answered, heading through the door.
"That's because you're mommy and daddy's perfect child," Jeff mocked.
Joey stopped at the doorway, hesitating for a moment before continuing out the door. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"How about you come back after you drop those off," Jeff ordered rather than requested. "Maybe we can get another batch out of here. I'm feeling lucky."
"Sure. Whatever," Joey said as he walked down the road.
…
Matthew saw Joey exit the shack, closing the door behind him.
The younger man took a deep breath and started walking.
Once Joey was out of sight, Matthew took a step out from behind the tree.
The door to the shack opened again.
Jeff came walking out and disappeared down the street, heading in Joey's direction.
Matthew waited a few seconds before following.
…
Joey made his way back to Heather's house and knocked on the door. This time, he waited until she answered.
Joey handed Heather the bag without a word.
Heather opened the bag slightly and looked inside. "Damn," she said softly. "You really did get a good batch today."
"Good enough to be useful?" Joey asked.
"Should the need arise," Heather replied.
Heather left the door and returned a minute later with the bag Joey had given her that morning. She poured a small amount of the new batch into the bag.
"Alright," Joey said, shoving his hand in his pockets. "They want me to do another run."
"Joey," Heather warned. "You know how I feel about you doing this so often. I don't trust Jeff. Or his friends for that matter."
"I'll be fine," Joey assured her. "I always am. Besides, this is probably one of the most useful things I do some nights. You trust me, right?"
Heather sighed. "As much as I do anyone."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Joey said.
…
Matthew stayed in the shadows as Joey closed the door and started walking back the way he came.
Matthew waited and watched as Jeff moved out of shadow of the next house over.
Jeff sneered and started moving after Joey.
Matthew cursed under his breath.
…
Ellie placed the clipboard she was holding on the counter. She looked around the clean and now completely inventoried shop.
Ellie nodded and raised her voice so that the shopkeeper could hear her from the back room. "I'm calling it a night, old man."
"See you around, kid," the shopkeeper called back.
Ellie grabbed the fish from the fridge and walked out, shutting the lights off behind her. She figured that because she was early for Clarisse, she would give Heather one more chance to join them.
Ellie arrived at Heather's a while later and saw the light was still on in the kitchen. She knocked.
Heather opened the door. "Oh, hey Ellie," she said, as if expecting someone else.
"Hi," Ellie said. She shrugged, choosing not to ask questions. "I'm heading out to pick up Clarisse in a bit. Last chance to come with."
"I'm good," Heather insisted. "I've got some cleaning to do anyway. You know how I get."
Ellie nodded and turned to leave, then she remembered the state of her own kitchen. Ellie turned around again as Heather moved to walk away. "I just remembered that I have to still do the dishes this week. You mind if I borrow a couple forks for tonight?"
"Sure," Heather said.
"Thanks," Ellie said. She followed Heather into the kitchen, retrieving two forks. "You're a lifesaver… metaphorically and literally."
"Mm-hm," Heather said, grabbing a few used glasses from the kitchen table.
Ellie walked back through the hallway toward the front door. She tripped over Arata, causing her to steady herself with a hand on a table.
Arata hissed at Ellie and sat at the doorway to the hall.
Ellie glared at the cat for a moment and released her hand from the table, bumping the partially open bag on top of it. Ellie looked behind her and saw Heather still fiddling around in the kitchen.
Against her better judgment, Ellie picked up the bag and opened it slightly. She was greeted with a strong and very distinct smell. Ellie closed the bag, knowing exactly what its contents were.
Someone cleared their throat.
Ellie turned and saw Heather standing in the doorway, her arms folded.
Ellie faced her. "Are you fucking kidding me with this?" she exclaimed, shoving the bag into Heather's hand, angry at Heather for the first time. "You got these from Joey."
"And you're snooping through my stuff," Heather said with a shake of her head. She sighed, moved to the front door, and opened it for Ellie. "You can leave anytime you want."
Ellie walked forward and slammed the door shut, glaring at Heather.
Heather rolled her eyes and walked back to the table next to the couch.
Ellie followed.
They were silent for a moment, exchanging glares.
"Is he using?" Ellie asked quietly.
"No," Heather answered. "Are you done interrogating me?"
"Is he going outside the Wall?" Ellie demanded, ignoring the question. She felt her anger rising more with each word.
"Is that what you think of me?" Heather asked. She looked and sounded both offended and shocked at the question. "You think that I would let him go outside the Wall?"
"At the moment, I'm not sure what you would do," Ellie said firmly. "Answer the Goddamn question, Heather."
"No," Heather growled. "He's not going outside the Wall. Now get out of my house."
Ellie shook her head in frustration and opened the door.
Just as she was about to leave, Heather spoke again. "You know, for somebody who keeps a lot of secrets about their life, you sure have a way of showing appreciation for the privacy of others."
Ellie slammed the door shut again and stomped back to Heather, raising her voice. "I don't give a shit about your privacy!" Ellie spat. "You've been hiding this for weeks, maybe months! Joey can be an idiot, but you are letting him go into danger and lying about it!"
"And it's none of your damn business, Ellie!" Heather retorted.
"Bullshit!" Ellie snapped. She pointed at the bag in Heather's hand. "If it has to do with Joey, it's my business! You may not have dealt with that shit in the zone, but I saw what it did to—"
"Don't you dare tell me what it was like in the zone's," Heather whispered, taking a small step forward.
Heather's right hand drifted toward her belt where Ellie knew she kept the scalpel.
Ellie was silent for a moment her gaze darting between the other girl's eyes and the hand.
Heather looked away and slowly brought the hand back up to the bag she was still holding.
Ellie lowered her voice, but the anger within was evident. "This is Joey we're talking about. He's the closest thing that I've ever had to a bro—"
"And for the longest time, I thought that Joey was the only friend I've ever had," Heather interrupted, speaking just as quietly. She looked Ellie in the eye. "Maybe I was right."
"You know what?" Ellie shouted, slapping the bag out of Heather's hand, scattering its contents across the floor. "You can take this friendship and shove it up—"
The front door opened and Maria walked in. She saw the two young women and the scattered plant on the floor.
Ellie turned back to Heather and glared at her.
Heather's face showed a mixture of anger, sadness, frustration, and disappointment.
Further words unneeded, Ellie turned and walked out the door, leaving Maria alone with Heather.
…
Joey made his way back to the shack as quickly as possible. He let out a breath of relief as the small building came into view.
"About time you showed up," a voice said behind him.
Joey turned and saw Jeff walking toward him.
The older boy raised his voice. "Hey boys, guess what? I was right."
"Right about what?" Joey asked.
"Giving our stuff to your girlfriend," Jeff spat.
Jeff's two goons walked out from behind the shack. One of them held a bat.
Joey felt his fear rising.
Jeff moved around Joey and stood in front of his buddies.
The goon with the bat circled behind Joey and stood a short distance away.
"I don't like being lied to," Jeff continued. He glanced at his buddies before returning his gaze to Joey. "That fire you were in is nothing compared to what we're going to do to you."
Joey looked into Jeff's extremely red and bloodshot eyes and realized that the other boy was dead serious.
Joey reached for his walkie-talkie.
Jeff grabbed the device and threw it on the ground, kicking it away.
Joey took a deep breath, preparing for the inevitable pain.
"Is there a problem?"
Everyone turned to see Matthew striding toward them, bypassing the goon with the bat and moving straight for Joey.
"Back off," Jeff snapped.
"I think you should follow your own advice," Matthew said calmly, placing himself between Joey and Jeff.
The goon with the bat stayed back a few feet but tapped the makeshift weapon against the ground threateningly.
"Matthew," Joey warned.
"I hear him," Matthew said, not breaking eye contact with Jeff.
"You've been here what, three months?" Jeff taunted, taking a step forward. "You may be good with that shit-crossbow, but other than that, you're all talk."
"I'd like to avoid showing you that you're wrong," Matthew said quietly.
Joey took a step back as the empty-handed goon walked around the group and moved close behind Matthew's left shoulder.
Joey saw Matthew's eyes flick to the goon before returning his gaze to Jeff.
"Last chance," Matthew said to Jeff. "We'll leave, and you can go about your night."
"Or what?" Jeff said with a chuckle.
Matthew remained silent.
Jeff simply smiled.
Joey stepped forward to stand next to Matthew, ready to fight and lose.
"Joey," Matthew said, glancing at him. "Take three steps to the left and stay there."
"I'm not going to run," Joey said defiantly.
"I'm asking you to move, not run."
Joey hesitated but did as he was told.
Matthew looked Jeff in the eye.
Jeff took another step forward.
"I don't want to do this," Matthew said, not even raising his fists. "But it's your choice. What's it going to be?"
Jeff rolled his eyes and nodded at the goon with the bat.
Joey took a step back in surprise as Matthew reacted quickly, shoving Jeff back a few steps before elbowing the goon behind his left shoulder in the stomach and driving the breath from the boy's body.
Matthew quickly turned and placed his leg behind the goon's knee and pushed on his chest, causing the goon to fall to the ground.
As the goon with the bat ran toward Matthew, Jeff moved forward and threw a punch. Matthew turned and blocked the punch with one arm and drove a fist into Jeff's gut. Jeff bent forward.
Matthew sidestepped Jeff and shoved him in the direction of the goon with the bat. The goon tripped on Jeff as the breathless young man fell to a knee. Matthew ducked under the bat and grabbed the weapon before kicking the goon in the chest.
The goon let go of the bat and fell backward to the ground. Matthew held the bat lightly in his hand and kicked the goon in the chest again, causing the boy's head to hit the soft ground, disorienting him completely.
Matthew quickly turned and swung the bat around, using it to trip the goon that had just risen after being elbowed and thrown to the ground. As the third goon fell to the ground once again, Matthew took a step back and stomped once on a rising Jeff's back before tossing the bat away.
Joey let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as the short exchanged ended.
Matthew knelt and grabbed the walkie-talkie, handing it to Joey.
They both looked at the three young men writhing on the ground and groaning in pain.
Joey finally found his voice. "That uh… that wasn't the first time you've done that."
"No," Matthew answered. "Unfortunately, it wasn't."
"I didn't know you could fight like that," Joey said. "I guess I should have. You were out there a long time."
"I did a lot more than fight," Matthew said quietly and with a hint of regret.
"If you knew something was going to happen," Joey began hesitantly. "Why didn't you tell my parents or Uncle Joel?"
"That would mean telling them everything and getting Heather involved," Matthew replied. "I figured you'd like to avoid that. Let's get out of here."
They both turned to see Joey's father standing behind them. "Get home," the older man said quietly, his voice stern. "Now."
…
Twenty minutes later, Joey found himself in the living room of his house. His mother and father stood in front of him and Matthew. Behind him stood his Uncle Joel, Ellie, and Heather.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Joey's father snapped.
"Nobody was smoking it," Joey said quickly. "Not me and Heather anyway. I—"
"That doesn't matter," Joey's mother interrupted. "Because those little shits were using, and it almost got you hurt."
"So, what are you going to do?" Joey asked, hoping to get the situation over with. "What's the punishment?"
"Frankly, I'd like to know what the hell this is all about," Joey's father snapped.
"Cut the attitude and start talking," Joey's mother added.
"I'd suggest you tell us everything," Joey's father grunted. "Then we'll decide what to do with you."
…
Ellie listened as Joey started from the beginning. After a minute, she glanced to her left at Heather.
Heather looked at her.
Ellie opened her mouth as if to say something.
Heather glared at her and looked away.
Ellie closed her mouth and grunted before glaring at the floor. She noticed Joel glancing between them.
Ellie ignored him.
…
Joey watched as his father turned to Matthew.
"You knew what was going on and chose not to tell us," Joey's father said.
"I suspected something was going on," Matthew admitted. He looked Joey's father in the eye and spoke calmly. "I didn't want to make any false accusations. I just wanted to make sure that your son wasn't hurt."
"You shouldn't have had to fight at all," Joey's mother said. "If our son was in danger you should have told us. We thought you were mature enough to know that."
"I told him not to tell you," Joey lied.
"Joey," Matthew said quietly. "Enough. I did what I did, and I'll accept the consequences."
"Joey, stay out of this," his father warned.
"I'm the only reason Matthew's in trouble," Joey argued. "If he had come to me before… I would have told him not to tell you. He was just trying to help."
"It was still his responsibility to tell us," Joey's mother retorted.
"Maria," Ellie said, stepping forward. "Whatever Matthew chooses to keep to himself, he doesn't want anyone to get hurt."
"He didn't even want an explanation," Joey said quickly before either of his parents could reply. "I was the one who chose to hang out with those guys and… Matthew was just trying to help.
Joey's father sighed and looked at Uncle Joel.
Uncle Joel nodded.
Joey's father looked at his mother.
After a few seconds, Joey's mother nodded as well.
Joey's mother moved forward and looked Matthew in the eye. "I appreciate you looking out for our son," she said quietly. She gave him a stern look. "If you ever keep something like this from us again, this conversation will go very differently."
"I understand," Matthew said respectfully.
Joey's mother looked at his father.
Joey's father nodded and returned his gaze to Matthew. "Matthew, Ellie, you're excused."
The three of them exited the house without a word.
Heather looked down at the floor.
"Heather," Joey's mother said. "I'd like a word with you."
…
Heather followed Maria out of the house.
Maria closed the door and they started to walk.
"I'm sorry," Heather finally said. "I'm sorry that Joey almost got hurt."
"I know," Maria replied.
"I swear," Heather continued quickly. "I swear that if I had known he was going to be hurt, I would have told you."
"I know," Maria repeated calmly. "Joey's made it very clear that he insisted he was being safe."
"Am I in trouble?" Heather asked, still expecting an explosion of stern words and consequences.
"No," Maria answered after a moment. She sighed. "I just need to know that this won't happen again."
"It won't," Heather said truthfully. "I swear."
"Good," Maria said. "You should go home."
Heather nodded and turned away. After a few steps, she turned back. "Why?"
"Why what?" Maria replied.
"Why am I not in trouble?" Heather asked. "Why aren't you making tell you… why aren't you asking my why Joey was doing this."
"I assume I know," Maria answered. She walked up to Heather. "My son trusts you, Heather. I think he trusts you more than he does his parents."
"I'm sorry," Heather said, looking at the ground.
"There's nothing to be sorry for when it comes to my son trusting you," Maria said firmly. "It's something that Joey's father and I have always been concerned about. He doesn't make real friends easily. The fact that he trusts you is good for him."
"I don't make friends or trust easily either," Heather admitted. She looked at Maria again. "You still didn't answer my question. Why are you not pressing me for an explanation?"
"Trust can be taken away much easier than it can be given," Maria said calmly. "My son trusts you. It's not my place to take it away. He'll either lie or tell us the answer when we ask him. Either way, there's no point in hurting two friendships."
"Two?" Heather said.
"I know you and I know Ellie," Maria said, lowering her voice. "That argument you two were having when I walked in… whatever it was about is going to be hard to come back from."
Heather looked away, refusing to think about the encounter.
"Doesn't mean it isn't worth fighting for," Maria said. She turned and walked back to her house. "Goodnight, Heather."
Heather walked in the direction of her own house. "Goodnight, Maria."
…
Joey sat down on his bed as his father entered the room behind him.
"I honestly can't believe you did something like this!" Joey's father began, his voice raised. "Dealing with… even if you weren't using, is dangerous! People change around that shit! And to do it to impress—"
"That wasn't what it was about!" Joey interrupted loudly.
His father let out an annoyed sigh and turned away for a moment. He sat down on the bed and turned to Joey.
"I think you need to tell me what this was all about," his father said, calmer now.
"I already told you," Joey said, confused.
"You told us what happened and how it happened," his father corrected. "You never explained why it happened."
Joey was silent for a moment. He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," his father said calmly.
Joey hesitated before letting out a sigh. "I wanted to be different than you and mom."
Joey's father let out a humorless laugh. "Joey, you grew up safe and sound in Jackson. Trust me, you're a lot different than us."
"That's not what I meant," Joey said.
His father waited patiently and without judgment in his eyes.
Joey looked at the floor. "It's… I don't know how to explain. Every day, people look at me like I'm supposed to turn into this great person."
"That's because you're growing up," Joey's father said.
"No," Joey argued. "No, it's because I'm growing up to be like you and mom. You're leaders. I'm… just following your lead. I'm following your lead and everyone's expecting me to…"
His father completed his thoughts. "You don't like everyone treating you like you're special."
"I guess," Joey said lamely. "I wanted to be useful and… nobody needed to know. I'm just doing my part like everyone else in Jackson."
"Well, when 'doing your part' puts you in danger…" Joey's father began. He took a deep breath. "Your mother and I may run this place more than some of the others, but our first priority will always be you."
"I know," Joey said. "It's always been that way. And—"
"And as for the man you're going to become," Joey's father said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Joey looked over as his father continued. "The point of Jackson is for us to be back in control of our own lives. You get to choose what happens here, Joey. If you don't want to lead this place after your mother and I are gone, that's fine. Someone else will come along."
Joey nodded and looked away again. "I don't like thinking that far ahead."
"Nobody your age does," his father replied. "But, fortunately, after twenty years, being able to think ahead is a benefit and luxury that we have again."
Joey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "So what's my punishment?"
Joey's father chuckled and stood. "You know that I let your mother handle that stuff. She's more creative than I am. But for now, I would start with apologies."
…
Matthew grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the table.
Ellie had walked to their room and closed the door after entering the house.
Joel had made a few sandwiches and placed one in front of Matthew.
"I'm assuming tonight went pretty much how you expected," Joel said, taking a seat across from Matthew.
"Pretty much," Matthew answered, taking a drink. "I figured those guys were bad news. But I didn't exactly want it to end with me putting them on the ground."
"Would you rather it be the other way around?" Joel asked.
"No," Matthew replied. "But it's something that I was hoping to avoid for a few years."
"We all hope for that, kid," Joel grunted.
Matthew took another drink. "What's going to happen to Jeff and his buddies?"
"Well, luckily Jackson doesn't believe in banishment," Joel said. "I imagine those kids will be separated and placed where we can keep an eye on them, make sure they get themselves straightened out."
"And the stuff in the shack?" Matthew asked.
"Couldn't tell you," Joel answered. "But I'd imagine we'll find some way to store it. It has it's uses."
There was a knock on the door. Matthew stood. "I'll get it."
Matthew walked to the door and opened it.
Joey was standing on the other side.
There was a brief silence.
"You got a sec," Joey finally asked.
"Sure," Matthew said. He walked outside and closed the door behind him. "Did your mom and dad want to see me?"
"No," Joey answered. He chuckled. "I came here to apologize."
"That's got to be difficult, since you don't think you were wrong," Matthew said without judgment.
"Yeah…" Joey said in agreement. He shrugged. "How about I say that I'm sorry that you had to save my ass."
"Apology accepted," Matthew said. He turned and grabbed the door knob.
"You don't even want to know why I was doing what I was doing?" Joey asked.
"It's not my business," Matthew answered, turning back to Joey. "All I know is that somebody I'd like to consider a friend needed my help and I was able to give it."
"That's it?" Joey asked. He chuckled. "I mean, I appreciate it and everything. But I haven't exactly been 'good friend' material."
"I can't blame you," Matthew admitted with a shrug. "I was pretty much thrown into your life without warning."
"Well, let's try this again," Joey said. He held out his hand. "My name's Joey."
Matthew shook his hand. "Matthew."
"Welcome to Jackson," Joey said.
Matthew nodded.
"I wanted to ask you something," Joey said, sticking his hands in his pants pockets.
"Shoot."
"Can you teach me how to fight?" Joey asked.
Matthew looked away for a moment. "I don't think that would be a good idea."
"I don't think that my parents would be mad," Joey said. "And I know you can. You taught Tim."
Matthew held up a hand. "Why do you want to fight, Joey?"
"I'd like to be prepared," Joey answered. "I mean, that's what my mom and dad are trying to do. Get me prepared."
"They're teaching you how to live," Matthew clarified. "I'm not going to teach you how to kill."
Joey looked away. After a few seconds, he looked back at Matthew and spoke. "What about teaching me to defend myself?"
"That's the same thing," Matthew said, not liking where this conversation was going.
Joey sighed. "I've been going over what you did in my head," he said slowly. "The most Jeff and his buddies are going to have are some nasty bruises. They're not even close to dead."
"Why do you want this so bad?" Matthew finally asked.
Joey was silent for a few seconds. "Because I felt helpless," he said. "I was going to get beaten to a pulp, and there was nothing I could do about it. I want to be in control. What good am I to anyone if I can't handle myself like everyone else?"
Matthew turned away for a second and looked at the moon. He took a deep breath and turned back to Joey.
Joey took his hands out of his pockets.
"You have to swear to me," Matthew said firmly to Joey. "You have to swear to me that you will never use any of what I teach you unless there's no other option."
"I swear," Joey said.
"Okay," Matthew said. He nodded to himself before turning to Joey. "You have to understand that this is going to take time. When do you want to do this?"
"Whenever you're ready," Joey said. He glanced at the house as Matthew led him to the backyard. "I don't suppose this will help if Ellie tries to beat the shit out of me again."
"When it comes to Ellie, nothing can save you."
"Damn."
…
Ellie looked up from her guitar as someone knocked on her bedroom door. "Yeah?" she said.
The door opened and Joel walked in, handing her a sandwich.
Ellie took the sandwich with a nod. "Thanks."
"You alright?" Joel asked.
"I'm fine," Ellie answered, picking up her guitar.
Joel continued to stand in the doorway.
Ellie sighed and placed the guitar on the bed. "Alright, say it."
"What's going on with you and Heather?" Joel asked. He sat down on the bed. "I saw you two at Tommy's tonight. Obviously, something's up."
"She broke my trust," Ellie said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "She knew about this and she didn't say anything. She put Joey in danger."
"Joey put himself in danger too," Joel reminded her.
"That doesn't change the fact that I asked her what was going on and she lied," Ellie snapped. She looked down. "You of all people should understand why I'm pissed."
"I do," Joel said, rising to his feet.
"And?" Ellie asked, standing as well. She knew he wasn't done.
Joel stroked his watch for a moment. "Last time you were here… you didn't have someone like Heather. I'd hate for you to lose—"
Joel's answer was cut short when someone knocked on the front door.
A few seconds later, Clarisse appeared in the doorway behind Joel wearing a red and yellow dress. She had a wide smile on her face.
"Hey, kiddo," Ellie said as Clarisse jumped onto the bed and gave her a hug. Ellie chided herself for having completely forgotten about watching Clarisse. "How's it going?"
Tim appeared in the doorway wearing a grey sweatshirt and black jeans.
Ellie finally let go of Clarisse.
"I appreciate you watching her tonight," Tim said to Ellie. He looked between Ellie and Joel as they exchanged glances. Tim lowered his voice. "Unless tonight's not good for you. I could make other—"
"No, it's fine," Ellie said quickly. She smiled and looked at Clarisse. "I've got something special planned."
"Alright," Tim said. He ruffled Clarisse's hair. "Be good for Ellie."
"I'm always an angel," Clarisse said with a wide smile.
"Riiight," Tim said. He nodded his thanks to Joel.
Joel exited the room, leaving Ellie and Clarisse alone.
After a few seconds, Ellie stood and grabbed her backpack. "You wanna go for a walk? I could use some air."
Ellie held Clarisse's hand as they exited the house with Winston and started walking.
Ellie smiled slightly as Clarisse yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Tired?" Ellie asked.
"A little," Clarisse answered. A sad look crossed her face.
"Nightmares?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah," Clarisse said.
"You want to talk about them?"
"I can't. They're not mine." Clarisse said. "They're Timmy's. He won't tell me what they're about."
Ellie didn't answer right away. She placed a hand on Clarisse's shoulder. "Your brother just wants to protect you."
"I can handle it," Clarisse said defiantly.
"I'm sure you could," Ellie said. She decided to change the subject. "So, how's school going?"
"It's not very fun," Clarisse said with a shrug.
"You got any friends?" Ellie asked.
"Not yet. Timmy says that I have to give it time," Clarisse said. She looked at Ellie. "Did you have friends at your school?"
"I didn't exactly go to a school," Ellie said carefully.
Winston nudged Clarisse under the arm.
Ellie slowed her pace as Clarisse started to pet Winston.
Ellie sighed. "I um… I sorta lived at my school I guess."
"I wouldn't like that," Clarisse said.
"It wasn't completely bad," Ellie said, patting Clarisse on the head. "I had a friend to hang out with."
"Was it a friend like Heather?" Clarisse asked.
Ellie felt her anger from earlier rise and couldn't answer the question. She decided to change the subject again. "How's your writing coming along?"
"It's okay," Clarisse said. She started walking faster as Winston took off. "I know how to spell some names now."
"Is mine on that list?" Ellie asked.
"Yup," Clarisse said. "I can spell your name, Timmy's, Matthew's, Joey's, and Heather's."
"Cool," Ellie said. "The teacher must be doing his job right."
"He's not as good as you," Clarisse said. "He doesn't make things into drawings."
"Well, not everyone learns the same," Ellie explained. "The teacher has to try his best with everyone."
"Yeah, that's what Heather says," Clarisse replied.
Ellie felt a pang of unexpected jealousy. She swallowed as Clarisse stopped and turned to her. "Can we visit Heather tonight?"
Ellie stopped for a moment, making sure she chose her words carefully. "Maybe a little later. But first, I have a surprise for you."
Ellie walked them to the side of the street near a discarded pile of sticks and branches.
"What is it?" Clarisse asked excitedly as they sat down.
Ellie reached into her backpack and pulled out the fish. She placed it on the ground with a loud thud and pulled the two forks out of her backpack.
What is that?" Clarisse gasped, leaning forward.
"That is fish," Ellie said. She handed Clarisse a fork. "I heard that you'd never had fish before and you wanted to try it."
"Have you ever had fish?" Clarisse asked.
"Not for a while," Ellie said, gathering some wood and branches from the pile to create a small fire pit. "But we'll have to heat it up first."
"Can I help?" Clarisse asked.
…
Heather took the long way home and saw Ellie and Clarisse sitting on a grassy lawn, heating up the fish she'd given Ellie over a small fire.
Ellie and Clarisse each used their fork to hold the fish over the fire, careful to keep the metal out of the flame.
Heather reflexively moved forward to join them when she was hit with anger, shame, and sadness.
Ellie laughed as Clarisse's end slipped and the fish fell in the fire. They quickly grabbed it with the forks and held it over the fire once again.
Again, Heather was tempted to join them, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She shook her head in frustration and kept walking.
…
"That should do it," Ellie said, putting out the fire. She carefully placed the fish back into the container to eat from. "You ready?"
Clarisse reached forward and grabbed a large chunk of the cooked fish with her fork. "Where did you find this?" she asked, weighing the fork in her hand.
"I…" Ellie stopped speaking for a moment. Don't be a bitch, Ellie. Ellie forced herself to smile. "Heather got it for helping Mr. Cameron when he came home last week. She said I should give it to you."
"Cool," Clarisse said, bringing the fork close to her mouth. "I like Heather."
"So, are you going to take a bite?" Ellie asked, avoiding the subject.
Clarisse took a small bite of the fish and swallowed.
Ellie leaned closer, waiting for Clarisse's opinion.
Clarisse didn't offer one.
"What do you think?" Ellie pressed.
Clarisse gulped and made a strange face.
"You don't like it?" Ellie asked.
Clarisse stood and staggered slightly.
"Clarisse?" Ellie said as she stood, growing concerned. "You okay, kiddo?"
Clarisse shook her head and started vomiting.
"Clarisse!" Ellie said loudly. She held the little girl by her shoulders and helped her to the ground. "Clarisse! What's wrong?"
"My…" Clarisse winced in pain. "My stomach hurts."
The young girl looked like she was going to start vomiting again.
Ellie held Clarisse in her arms and grabbed her face gently. "Clarisse! Kiddo, I need you to breathe!"
Clarisse grunted and started throwing up again.
Ellie frantically looked around. The street was completely empty.
Ellie picked up Clarisse as the little girl stopped puking. What do I do? What do I do?
"My stomach hurts," Clarisse said again.
Ellie looked around. Heather…
"I'm going to get you help," Ellie whispered to Clarisse as she ran to Heather's house with the little girl in her arms.
Ellie knocked on the door frantically.
Heather opened the door, rubbing her eyes. "Ellie, I really don't really feel like—" She froze when she saw Ellie's face.
"I— I don't know what to do!" Ellie said desperately.
Heather opened the door wide and waved Ellie inside. "Put her on the couch."
Ellie did as she was told and placed Clarisse gently on the couch as Winston ran in behind her and sat down next to Clarisse, frantically sniffing the girl.
Ellie continued talking to Clarisse. "It'll be okay, kiddo. But I need to you to breathe."
Clarisse reached for the small trash bin next to the table.
"What happened?" Heather asked as Clarisse started throwing up again.
"I don't know," Ellie said quickly, placing a hand on Clarisse's shoulder. "I don't know. She tried some fish and—"
"This started after she had the fish?" Heather interrupted.
"Yeah…" Ellie said, barely paying attention.
Clarisse stopped throwing up and leaned back against the couch, breathing heavily. She grabbed Ellie's hand.
Ellie held the little girl's hand firmly. "I'm here, baby girl. I'm here. Heather's going to help you."
Heather knelt next to Ellie and spoke to Clarisse. "Clarisse, honey, I know this sucks, but unfortunately, we're just going to have to wait it out."
"Wait, what?" Ellie asked. She looked at Heather with confusion and frustration. "There's nothing you can do?"
"She's having an allergic reaction," Heather said, obviously attempting to keep her voice even. "Right now, her body doesn't want the fish and it's trying to get it out. Until she starts feeling better, water is either going to get in the way or worse, start to choke her if she becomes nauseous and swallows it wrong."
Clarisse winced in pain again before coughing over the trash bin.
"I'm getting some water," Ellie said, standing up quickly.
"Ellie!" Heather said sternly, stopping the other girl in her tracks.
Clarisse held out a hand. "I'm… I'm okay."
"Are you sure?" Ellie asked.
Clarisse nodded, still breathing hard.
All of them were silent for a few more minutes.
Ellie and Heather avoided making eye-contact with each other.
Clarisse finally spoke again. "I'm good," she said weakly.
"You might start to feel bad again over the next couple hours," Heather said gently. "But we'll be right here, okay?"
Clarisse nodded and laid back.
Ellie forced herself to relax. "How about you get some rest," she suggested, slowly laying Clarisse down on the couch. She looked at Heather and spoke with a sharper tone than intended. "She can do that, right?"
"Yeah," Heather said. She stood and sat down on the other couch across from Clarisse. "But if you feel gross, make sure you sit up, okay?"
"Okay," Clarisse said, closing her eyes.
Ellie slowly stood and sat down on the couch next to Heather.
Arata slowly walked past Ellie and hissed before hopping onto the other couch and snuggling next to Clarisse.
Winston finally laid down on the floor in front of Clarisse
"Allergies," Heather said quietly.
"What?" Ellie asked.
"That's what it is," Heather said, motioning to Clarisse. "I guess some people have… allergies that make them feel sick when they eat certain foods. Evidently, Clarisse is allergic to fish."
"Allergies…" Ellie said distantly. "What are the fucking odds?"
Heather nodded. "It's a good thing it wasn't worse. Right now, I don't have the supplies to deal with a severe reaction."
Ellie didn't reply.
Heather looked at Ellie. "I don't suppose you tried any?"
"No," Ellie answered without emotion.
"Good," Heather replied, just as impassively.
They both sat in silence.
Ellie tried once again to figure out how to start a conversation with Heather, let alone confront their earlier argument. The more Ellie thought, the more frustrated at herself and the situation she became.
It seemed Heather had her own troubles. She stood with a sigh and moved to the kitchen.
Ellie followed Heather down the hallway and into the kitchen. "Heather, listen. I—"
Heather grabbed a glass of water and turned, speaking sharply. "I'm sorry about what almost happened to Joey tonight, Ellie. I really am. And I get that you're pissed at me."
"Joey's not the reason I'm pissed at you," Ellie corrected, not attempting to control the sharpness in her own voice. "I have issues with being lied to."
"And you also have issues keeping your nose out of other people's business," Heather replied, moving down the hallway and back into the living room.
"The shit that the people I trust are into is my business," Ellie said louder than intended. "The fact is that you knew what was going on and lied to my face. More than once."
"I never lied," Heather retorted. "I just decided that I didn't need to break someone's trust—"
"You broke my trust!" Ellie snapped.
"Why are we still talking about your trust?" Heather retorted. "I believe you were about to tell my exactly where our friendship could go, Ellie! So, how about—"
Both girls froze as Clarisse stirred.
Heather let out a breath and turned back to Ellie, lowering her voice. "If you want to finish this argument, that's fine. But I don't want to do this around Clarisse. Right now—"
"I don't," Ellie interrupted. She sighed and ran a hand down her face. "I don't want to argue anymore. I just…"
"We can do this another time," Heather said firmly. She sat down across from Clarisse again.
A few seconds later, Ellie joined her.
They sat in silence.
Heather took a drink of her water.
"I'm sorry," Ellie said after ten seconds of silence. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"Bullshit," Heather said. She ran a hand through her hair before placing it on her knee. "I'm sorry that I lied to you."
"No you're not," Ellie grunted. After a brief silence, she put her head in her hands and groaned. "Now we're both fucking lying."
Ellie and Heather both let out a quiet chuckle before sitting back.
Ellie looked at Heather again. "I am sorry about where the argument was headed," she said to the young doctor truthfully.
"Me too," Heather replied genuinely.
Ellie thought carefully before speaking again. "When I was younger…" Ellie stopped and looked at Clarisse before continuing. "Well, when I was still in Boston… I had friend. She was really all I had."
"I only had my mom," Heather said, tapping the side of her glass. "She was my best friend."
"Everybody should have at least one," Ellie said with a small nod. She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. "My friend and I… well, we helped each other through a lot of shit in this military orphanage. And we both hated it, but it was a life."
Heather sighed and looked at Ellie. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want…" Ellie stopped speaking for a moment and corrected herself. "I need you to understand why I am the way that I am."
Heather nodded. "Go on."
Ellie gave her a sad smile and looked away as she continued. "My friend and I… we argued and fought a lot too. And one day, we had a bad one," she said, allowing regret to enter her voice. "It was as bad as the one you and I had earlier. Afterwards… she left."
"I'm sorry," Heather said.
Ellie stared at the floor.
Heather slowly reached over and offered Ellie some of her water.
Ellie nodded her thanks and took a small drink before returning the glass.
Ellie felt a tear roll down her cheek. "After she left… I realized that I didn't have any other friends. Nobody I really trusted, I mean."
"What happened to her?" Heather asked.
"She came back," Ellie said. She wiped the tear off her cheek. "She's was the first one who ever came back. And for one fucking second, I thought that we would be fine. I guess the world had other plans."
Heather took a drink of her water and offered the glass to Ellie again with a comforting smile, obviously understanding the meaning of Ellie's words.
"Anyway," Ellie said, declining the drink with a shake of her head. "I met Joel a few weeks later and he taught me to survive. He didn't go away. Even when I ran, he came after me."
"He's your family," Heather said softly.
"Well, I never really had a family before Jackson," Ellie replied. She returned to her original point. "Joel and I went through a pretty rough patch because… he lied to me. I mean, I get why he did. I get it now, but not then. He didn't understand me. Nobody did."
"Matthew seems to understand you," Heather offered.
"Yeah," Ellie said with a small smile. "Yeah, he does. But this, him being here, almost didn't happen."
"How?" Heather asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you two fight."
"You haven't been in our house all the time," Ellie replied. She looked at Heather again and knew the other girl wanted an explanation. Ellie looked at the sleeves she had placed over arms. "After he, well, after we did what we had to do in Boston, I decided that I wanted to come back here. Matthew chose differently."
"Not much of a surprise," Heather teased, bumping Ellie with her shoulder. "You can be a handful."
"Not helping," Ellie replied with a grunt, gently returning the gesture. She shook her head. "Matthew didn't think he was ready and I was willing to let him go, but… he still went. On the way back here, I decided that I wasn't going to lose anyone else."
Heather didn't reply right away. She drank the last of her water. "Until tonight, I didn't know I had more than one person to lose."
"And now?" Ellie asked.
Heather didn't answer. She turned and gave Ellie a small smile.
Ellie smiled back.
They sat in calm silence for a few minutes as Clarisse laid still on the couch, asleep.
Heather walked to the kitchen and returned with more water.
Ellie felt herself relaxing for the first time in hours.
They shared another glass of water for a few minutes before Heather spoke. "So… what?" she said with a hint of amusement. "Now we're never going to fight again?"
"Pfft. As if," Ellie said. She shrugged "I mean, what would be the fun in that?"
Heather smiled.
"Anyway, that's totally unrealistic," Ellie continued, leaning back. "Even Joey and I have to go at it every once in a while. Always gotta keep things fresh here in Jackson."
"Joey was your only friend the first time you were here," Heather said quietly. "Wasn't he?"
"I guess," Ellie admitted. She shrugged. "I mean, I never hated him, but… I guess I never appreciated him either."
"The way he talked about you," Heather began, leaning back as well. "He missed you. I mean, he said you were his friend. But he talked about you like he was you're—"
Ellie snorted. "If you say girlfriend, this conversation is going to come to a very disturbing end," she said, sitting up on the couch and tucking her legs under her. "Plus, I'd hate to have to steal Clarisse's puke bucket over there."
"No," Heather said with a laugh. "No, it was nothing like that. I was going to say… family."
"What does that make you?" Ellie asked.
"Excuse me?" Heather said, raising an eyebrow.
"Joey opened up to you," Ellie said. She poked Heather's leg. "That's a pretty big deal. Especially for him. Me talking about myself to you is one thing. You knew my big secret before I even walked through that door three months ago. Joey is a whole other story."
Clarisse stirred again, this time grabbing the ends of her dress and attempting to cover up exposed skin on her legs. Heather stood and grabbed a folded blanket that was folded on the arm of the couch and threw it over Clarisse.
"Joey gave me his trust," Heather said calmly, turning to Ellie. "He trusted me. I've… I've never had that before. And I didn't tell anyone about what he was doing because I didn't want to lose what he had given me."
Ellie stood and walked over to Clarisse, adjusting the blanket so it rested snuggly against the girl's body.
Heather shook her head. "I don't… I don't know how else to explain it."
Ellie sat down on the couch again. "I'm glad that you and Joey both found someone you can trust," she said just as calmly. "Just remember that there are other people here too."
"Thanks," Heather said. She smiled slightly, a small amount of mischievousness entering her voice. "I'm still going to get and keep secrets. But if you ask really nicely, I'll try to keep fists and a baseball bat out of the end results."
"I think I can work with that," Ellie said with a shrug. She glanced at the plastic bag that still sat on the floor. "What was he giving you that stuff for anyway?"
"Medically speaking, it can help with some things," Heather explained. "Why? Did you think he was giving it to me so I could use?"
Ellie shook her head. "No, I actually thought that he was giving it to you to, you know, butter you up or something."
"Again, we're just friends," Heather groaned. "Dating has never interested him and frankly I don't—"
"So, you do think about it," Ellie said evilly, rubbing her hands together.
"This conversation is going to end soon," Heather said. It wasn't a request.
Ellie rolled her eyes and looked at Clarisse. "We should get a hold of Tim," she said after a short silence. "Tell him what happened. Do you know where he's working tonight?"
"No," Heather answered, standing up and moving to a desk beside the couch. "But Joey does."
"No fucking way!" Ellie exclaimed as Heather pulled out a walkie-talkie. "I don't even have one of those! I have to share with Joel and Matthew."
"This was a gift from Joey," Heather informed her. She glanced at Arata. "So was the cat."
"Why the walkie-talkie?" Ellie asked.
"I didn't exactly talk to anyone the first few days that I was here," Heather explained. She shrugged. "Joey gave it to me in case I ever wanted to talk. We use a different channel than the rest of Jackson."
"Do you and Joey use this often?" Ellie pressed.
Heather raised an eyebrow and didn't answer.
Ellie sighed dramatically and put her hands in the air. "Fungal Infection destroys the world? I can wrap my head around that. No problem. Dumbass teenagers with trivial problems in those old movies they watch here? Fine. Not exactly my kind of people, but hey, I guess in the context of that world, maybe their bullshit makes sense. But you and Joey… I don't think I'll ever understand you two."
"Then don't try," Heather replied as she turned on the walkie-talkie.
"Who else knows you two do this?" Ellie pressed.
"Nobody… well maybe Maria. She's always kind of liked the fact that I hang around with Joey," Heather answered. She raised the walkie-talkie and spoke. "Joey, you got a sec?"
There were a few moments of silence before Joey answered. "Yeah. I'm just doing something with Matthew. What's up?"
"Something's happened with Clarisse," Heather answered. "She's okay now. But I think she should take it easy the rest of the night and Tim should come take her home when he has a chance."
"I'll get a hold of him," Joey promised. "Is Clarisse at your place?"
"Yeah," Heather replied. "Ellie too. We just wanted Tim to know."
"We'll see you in bit," Joey said. There was a brief silence. "And I'm sorry about what happened tonight."
"Don't worry about it," Heather said. She turned to Ellie.
Ellie nodded.
Heather spoke into the walkie-talkie again. "It's over."
Heather placed the walkie-talkie back in the drawer and turned to see Ellie raising her eyebrows up and down with a smile on her face. Heather grunted and moved past Ellie to pick up the bag on the floor and place it in the kitchen.
Ellie turned away and reached down, stroking the cat once.
The cat hissed and snuggled closer to Clarisse. Heather entered the room again.
"How exactly did Joey give you the cat if it hates everyone?" Ellie asked.
Heather knelt and reached under the couch, extracting a glove covered with small bite marks. The cat's head and ears shot up. Heather threw the glove down the hall and the cat took off, grabbing the glove from the floor and running out of sight.
"Oh," Ellie said simply.
"It's her favorite toy," Heather said. She looked at Ellie. "Did we figure shit out tonight?"
"We did," Ellie confirmed. She sat down again. "And you're still coming over to the house tomorrow night, right? Matthew's got a shift on the Wall. Joel's cooking this 'new' old recipe and I don't think I can go through that alone again."
"I'll be there," Heather assured her.
They continued talking until there was a knock on the door. Heather opened it and Tim quickly walked in, followed by Joey and Matthew.
Tim immediately moved to the couch and knelt next to Clarisse, breathing a sigh of relief.
Joey exchanged smiles with Heather and walked up to Tim.
"She's fine," Joey said quietly. "Whatever happened, Heather knows what she's doing, alright? Clarisse may not be feeling too great right now, but I'm sure she'll be good by morning. If not, you can call us anytime. But just remember that Clarisse is fine."
Ellie saw Heather smile as she watched Joey.
Tim took a deep breath and placed a hand on Clarisse's shoulder. "What happened?" he asked, not turning to them.
Ellie moved to stand by Matthew as Heather explained the situation to Tim.
Matthew glanced at Ellie. "You seem less pissed than you were a few hours ago," he observed.
"I am," Ellie answered.
"Good," Matthew said.
"What were you and Joey doing?" Ellie asked.
"Joey asked me if I could teach him a few things," Matthew said. He shrugged. "I guess I made some sort of impression tonight."
"Things like fighting?" Ellie pressed. "Pfft. What? Does he think things like tonight are going to start happening every day, or does he just want to stop me from beating the shit out of him."
"Oh, I made it pretty clear that there was no chance against you," Matthew assured her.
"Smart man," Ellie said, punching his shoulder.
Tim finished his conversation with Heather and Joey before picking Clarisse up and moving toward the door. Tim stopped and looked at Ellie.
"I'm sorry about what happened," Ellie said.
"It's not your fault," Tim replied. "I'm just glad that you and Heather were able to keep an eye on her. If it'd been me and Clarisse, I don't know if I—"
"You would have figured something out," Matthew interrupted. "How 'bout you just take her home and both of you can get some rest. We'll just see what happens tomorrow."
"You know Matthew," Ellie added as Tim turned to her. "He's right about these things, Tim."
Tim slowly nodded and left the house, a dark look crossing his features as he turned away.
Clarisse stirred slightly, opened her eyes, smiled evilly, and waved at Ellie and Heather as they stood by the door.
Heather laughed and shook her head.
Ellie looked down. "That's… that's something I would do."
"It's like looking into the future," Heather teased.
Ellie glanced at Matthew and saw him shift uncomfortably.
"Not anytime soon," Ellie said with a shrug, shaking off the weird feelings and thoughts that entered her mind. She sighed. "I think we've had enough craziness for one day. How much do you think Clarisse heard?"
"Not enough to scar her permanently," Heather said.
Joey walked forward and looked at Ellie. He remained silent.
"You need something?" Ellie asked, purposefully adding a sharpness to her tone.
"I'm kind of waiting for you to punch me or something," Joey admitted.
Ellie raised an eyebrow. "You think you can stop it?"
"Good luck," Heather grumbled.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Joey grunted, glancing at Heather.
"Just saying," Heather replied.
"Well, don't worry," Ellie said, interrupting them. "I don't think that Heather wants to deal with another emergency tonight."
"What was it you taught me?" Joey asked Matthew. "Any fight you can avoid is a fight won?"
"That only really works if the other person doesn't hold a grudge," Matthew informed him.
"Are you holding a grudge?" Joey asked Ellie uneasily.
"No," Ellie answered. She grabbed Joey by his jacket and pulled him close, speaking cheerfully. "But if you ever do stupid shit like this again, my vengeance will be very, very public."
"Yes, ma'am," Joey said, looking away. He looked at Heather. "You wanna go jogging tomorrow morning?"
"I thought you didn't like the jogging," Heather said, folding her arms.
"Well, I'm pretty sure my extra-curricular activities are going to be reduced to about
zero," Joey said with a shrug.
The walkie-talkie on Joey's belt chimed. "Joey!" Maria's voice snapped. "Where the hell are you?"
"I should probably take this," Joey said, blushing slightly.
Matthew looked at Ellie. "I'll meet you outside."
Ellie leaned close to Heather. "I think the jogging thing was Joey asking you out."
"No, Ellie, it wasn't," Heather said with a hint of amusement. "Joey and I used to go jogging almost every morning. At least, before the fire."
"Interesting," Ellie said simply.
Heather gave her a look of warning.
Ellie put her hands in the air in mock surrender.
Joey walked back inside. "Well, I'm not going to die yet."
"What did you tell them?" Heather asked.
"That there was an emergency and we didn't want it public," Joey answered.
"And that worked?" Ellie asked skeptically.
"Well, I also mentioned that the emergency was here," Joey said.
"Huh," Ellie said, adding wonder into her voice as she glanced at Heather.
Heather raised an eyebrow.
Ellie took the hint and shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
Heather smiled and nodded.
Ellie and Matthew departed.
…
"So, are you and Matthew friends now?" Heather asked Joey as he closed the door behind Ellie and Matthew.
"I guess," Joey said with a shrug. "I never really hated the guy."
"Yeah," Heather said, allowing the subject to drop. "Listen, I wanted to thank you."
"For what?" Joey asked.
"For giving me your trust," Heather answered. She ran a hand through her hair. "It… it meant a lot. It means a lot."
"Thanks for keeping it," Joey replied. He looked out the window. "I'm sorry that I had you lying to my family."
"I never lied," Heather said with a shrug. "I just didn't answer questions that weren't asked."
"I tried that with my parents about a clogged sink when I was younger," Joey said lightly. "It didn't fly once they pulled out one of my socks."
Heather laughed and joined him in looking out the window. "You have good family," she said after a few seconds.
"I know," Joey said. He shook his head. "That doesn't mean they understand me."
"They don't have to," Heather replied.
Joey nodded and moved to open the door.
Heather walked forward and placed her hand on his to keep the door closed.
Joey looked at her.
Heather quickly removed her hand. "Do yourself a favor. Don't take your family for granted."
"I won't," Joey promised. "Never again."
"You can always trust family," Heather continued. "Don't forget that, either."
Joey thought for a moment before turning to Heather. "That trust thing goes for you too. You know that, right."
"I know," Heather said.
Joey nodded. "Good. See you tomorrow morning."
"Bright and early," Heather replied.
…
Ellie looked at Matthew when they were a few blocks from their house.
Ellie looked down uncertainly. "I… I told Heather about Riley."
Matthew stopped walking for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Did it help?" he asked.
"It helped," Ellie admitted. She started speaking a little faster. "I swear, I didn't tell Heather her name and I didn't mention that she was your sister. It just… helped."
"Ellie," Matthew said gently, grabbing her hand and stopping them both. "Riley was your best friend. She was there for you. You were there for her. Anytime you want to talk about her, to me or to anyone else, it's your choice."
Ellie squeezed his hand as they continued walking. She sighed, speaking cheerfully. "You know, aside from Joey nearly getting beaten, you nearly getting kicked out of Jackson, me and Heather going at it, and Clarisse nearly getting killed because of allergies, I thought tonight went pretty well."
"Yeah," Matthew said with a chuckle. "It can't be much worse than night when I saved this girl who was drowning in a river. I've been paying for that for— Ouch!"
"Your welcome," Ellie said, removing her fist from Matthew's side and placing her arm around his shoulder. "I thought the worst night of your life was when you almost drowned."
"Well, technically that happened during the day," Matthew corrected. "And I thought that night went pretty well too."
Ellie leaned up and kissed Matthew on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Matthew asked.
"Why the fuck not?"
"Okay…" Matthew said with a small smile.
Matthew and Ellie arrived home and found Joel reading at the kitchen table.
Matthew extracted himself from under Ellie's arm. "I'm gonna call it a night," he said, exchanging a nod with Joel.
"Okay. Goodnight," Ellie replied. She watched Matthew enter their room and close the door. Ellie smiled again and grabbed an apple from the center of the table before turning to Joel. "Sorry we're late. We kind of had an emergency."
"What happened?" Joel asked, closing his book.
"It turns out that Clarisse is allergic to fish."
"Is she alright?" Joel asked, concerned.
"Yeah," Ellie said quickly. "She's good. It's… been a long night."
"Well, I'm glad Clarisse is okay," Joel said.
Ellie nodded and took a bite of her apple, staring at the table.
"What's wrong?" Joel asked.
"Why would Joey do the shit he's been doing?" Ellie finally asked, taking a seat. "I mean, with Tommy and Maria as his parents… you'd think he'd be smart enough to… not be stupid."
Joel chuckled. "Yeah, well, prior to the outbreak, this was mostly normal teenager stuff. Defiance. Striving for independence."
Ellie shook her head. "It just seems immature, that's all."
Joel grunted. "Maturity is all relative."
"Mature is mature," Ellie argued.
Joel sighed. "Kiddo, you have to understand that you and Joey have had very different lives."
"I understood that from the moment I met him," Ellie retorted. "What's your point?"
"You had to be mature and grow up the second you were born," Joel explained. He looked toward the hallway leading to Ellie's room. "You. Matthew. Heather. Tim. you've all had to go through things that nobody should. You've gone through things that kids like Joey will never experience."
"Nobody should have to," Ellie said darkly.
"The point is," Joel said. "I think that every child wants to break away from their parents and become their own person eventually. It's a part of life."
"Bizarre," Ellie grumbled.
"Jackson gives kids the opportunity to do that," Joel said. "Kids like Joey can take that for granted. And there ain't no shame in it."
Ellie stood and moved to leave. She hesitated at the door to the hallway. "Do you think it's worth it?" she asked, turning back to Joel. "Knowing you're eventually going to be left behind by your kids?"
"That's not the best way to look at it," Joel with a small chuckle. "Having your kids grow up isn't a bad thing. Joey still has to figure out who he is."
"You didn't answer the question," Ellie observed.
"Yes," Joel said after a moment of silence. "I think it'll be worth it."
Ellie nodded. She walked toward her room and stopped, her hand resting on the doorknob.
Joel went back to reading his book.
Once again, Ellie turned to Joel. "You wanna grab your guitar?" she asked. "Get some practice in?"
"Sure," Joel replied.
…
Tim arrived home with Clarisse slung over his shoulder. After closing the front door and locking it behind him, he carried Clarisse to her room and laid her gently on the bed.
Clarisse stirred and opened her eyes for a moment.
"Are you okay?" Tim asked her. "Tonight must have been a little scary."
"A little," Clarisse admitted. She pulled her blanket over her. "I can't have any more fish, can I?"
"Sorry," Tim said with a small smile. "It's just one of those things in this world we can't have. Something better will come along."
"You sound like dad," Clarisse said softly. She turned over. "Goodnight, Timmy."
"Goodnight, Clarisse."
Tim covered Clarisse up with the blanket and made sure it was snug. With a sigh, he walked out of Clarisse's room and into the kitchen, finally allowing the stress of the night to flow through him.
After a few seconds, Tim sighed in frustration and walked to the fridge. He reached out, grabbed the handle, and froze.
Tim stood there and closed his eyes. Just one. Keeping his eyes closed, he opened the door, reached into the fridge, and grabbed one of the many cans of beer.