One year following the events of "Joey and Heather Part I"
Ellie set down her pencil and stared at the many piles of paper on her bed. She sighed and brushed out the wrinkles out her red shirt and blue jeans. Dark shit, Ellie.
The front door to the house opened.
Ellie cursed under her breath and quickly restacked all the papers together. As somebody walked her room, Ellie pulled her blankets over her shoulders and shoved the papers under the blankets next to her. She grabbed a comic from her bedside table as Matthew walked in the room.
"Hey," Ellie said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Hey," Matthew replied, taking off his coat and slinging it over the nearby chair, leaving him in a blue t-shirt and jeans. "You're up late."
Ellie looked at the clock. "It's only like… oh. Yeah, maybe two o'clock in the morning is pushing it a bit."
"Aren't you going to the shop tomorrow morning to help out?" Matthew asked.
"I've managed with less sleep," Ellie said quickly. "Plus, the old man has been telling me to take some time off for months. Anyway, how was work?"
"There was a bit of a shift mix-up on the Wall," Matthew said with a shrug as he took out his ponytail. "I actually ended up working with Jeff."
"That must have been awkward," Ellie replied. He usually takes a shower after this bit. I just have to wait a little longer. "Has he forgiven you for putting his ass on the ground last year?"
"Actually, he was asking me if I could forgive him for making me put his ass on the ground last year."
"Wow," Ellie said, raising her eyebrows. "Even I didn't see that one coming. What about those jerk friends of his?"
"T-B-D," Matthew replied. "Jeff actually said the hard part was going to be apologizing to Joey."
"Not to mention Maria," Ellie said, yawning.
"Why are you up so late?" Matthew asked taking a step closer to the bed.
"I just lost track of time while I was reading," Ellie lied, lifting up the comic.
"Lost track of time reading a thirty-two-page comic?" Matthew pressed, folding his arms. He chuckled. "I didn't believe you when you said, 'I lost track of time'. What are you hiding?"
Ellie sighed and placed the comic book on her bedside table. "You know how I've mentioned this thing I wanted to set up a few times?" she asked carefully.
Matthew nodded.
Ellie flipped back the covers of the bed, revealing the piles of papers. "Lately, I've been thinking about it a little more than I've let on.
"That's an… understatement," Matthew commented stepping around the right side of the bed. "You're not kidding."
"I just want to help," Ellie tried to explain. "I mean, I just don't want people here to be afraid of their pasts and feel alone because of it."
"It's a good goal," Matthew said, lifting two pages from Ellie's largest pile. "Why were you trying to hide it from me?"
"I wasn't trying to hide it from you, I guess," Ellie answered. She looked down. "I don't think Joel likes the idea of me in other people's heads."
Matthew set the paper back down. "It's a lot of work."
"I feel like the hardest part will be getting people's head of out of their asses and actually get them to talk," Ellie said. She looked at Matthew and shrugged. "I don't suppose you would lead the charge. It could still be good for you in all your silent brooding."
"It's not for me," Matthew said after a moment. He grabbed Ellie's hand. "Besides, I think you've helped me enough already."
Ellie smiled and kissed him.
Matthew kissed back and looked at the piles of paper on the bed. "So, what do you got?"
Ellie smiled again and started shifting papers to the side. She moved over on the bed so that Matthew could lay next to her.
Ellie started to reorganize the piles before leaning back and laying her head on Matthew's shoulder. "Stuff I'll need. Chairs, tables, more chairs. Possible places that I could actually do this in. Possible names for what I'm doing."
"Short 'name' list," Matthew commented.
"Nothing's really clicked," Ellie admitted. "It needs to sound right, you know?"
"Yeah," Matthew said. He pointed to the largest pile. "And that?"
"That's the pile that I don't like," Ellie said darkly. She shook her head. "It sucks remembering some of the shit I've been through."
"I would think it would suck trying to think of everything that everyone else has gone through," Matthew replied.
"The worst part is thinking about what I can't think of," Ellie muttered. She yawned and sighed. "There's really no such thing as a worst possible outcome in this world."
"You sound like you could use a break," Matthew commented. "Or sleep."
"I could probably use a break," Ellie admitted. She smiled mischievously, sat up, and gave Matthew a kiss on the cheek. "There. I'm starting to feel better already."
Matthew laughed. "You know what I meant."
"I know," Ellie said, rolling over and pulling Matthew with her. "This works too."
Matthew returned the kiss. "You know, if Joel ever catches us doing this, he's going to kill us."
"We're just kissing," Ellie said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, he wouldn't kill me because… well, I'm me. But you…"
"Me?" Matthew pressed.
"You should probably watch your back," Ellie said, kissing him again.
"That makes me feel much better," Matthew said sarcastically before returning the kiss.
"I don't ever hear you complaining about this when we're hanging out behind the park," Ellie grumbled.
"More hiding places."
Ellie laughed and kissed him again.
There was a knock on the front door.
"Damn," Ellie started.
"So much for your break," Matthew teased.
"I could've gotten so much more work done if you hadn't shown up," Ellie finished.
"That's very funny," Matthew said as he rolled off the bed and to his feet.
The knocking continued, more insistent this time.
"Bad timing at two o'clock in the morning," Matthew commented, glancing at the clock.
"Yeah," Ellie said. She stood and placed a cut sleeve over her bite. "This can't be good."
"Maybe Joey and Heather are dating now," Matthew said as they stepped into the living room and moved to the front door.
"I'm still working on it," Ellie replied. She opened the door to see a small figure wearing a blue dress staring up at them. "Clarisse?"
The eight-year-old girl looked up at Ellie and Matthew. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked tiredly.
Ellie knelt. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Clarisse said, rubbing her eyes. "Timmy's being loud in his room."
Ellie glanced at Matthew.
Matthew shrugged.
"Is Timmy with anybody?" Ellie asked with a small smile.
"No," Clarisse said, not getting the joke. "He's just being louder than usual."
"Than usual?" Matthew asked.
"Yeah," Clarisse said with a yawn. "Sometimes he goes into his room and gets loud."
Ellie and Matthew exchanged uneasy glances as Winston trotted up to Clarisse, giving her a lick.
Ellie and Matthew turned away for a moment and lowered their voices as Clarisse started to pet the dog.
"This seems serious," Ellie said quietly.
"Yeah," Matthew agreed.
"Tim ever mention anything like this to you?" Ellie asked.
"No," Matthew said. "You want to go check it out?"
"I think we should," Ellie answered.
"Me too," Matthew said. "I'll get the coats."
"Oh, and hide the papers," Ellie said quickly. "Just in case. She reads now and… she doesn't need to read that kind of stuff."
"Good idea," Matthew said.
Ellie knelt and spoke to Clarisse. "We're going to go and see if Tim can be a little quieter, okay?"
"Are you sure I can't stay with you guys?" Clarisse asked with a yawn.
"We'll see what happens," Ellie said.
Matthew returned and handed Ellie her coat as they slipped on their shoes. A few seconds later, they walked out into the cool spring air, dressed in blue jeans and jackets, Ellie's green and Matthew's dark blue.
The streets of Jackson were completely silent. The only sound came from the trees, shaking as a soft breeze swept through them.
As they made their way to Tim's house, Clarisse continued to yawn and her steps faltered, sending her stumbling into Matthew's leg.
Matthew smiled slightly and scooped Clarisse up into his arms.
Clarisse hugged his shoulders and blinked to keep herself awake.
Ellie glanced at Matthew and smiled.
"What?" Matthew asked.
"Nothing," Ellie said, turning forward.
When they reached Tim and Clarisse's house, Matthew set Clarisse down and she opened the door. Immediately, Ellie and Matthew could hear loud, muffled music and shouting coming from the bedroom connected to the kitchen.
Matthew went directly do the door and stood next to it.
Ellie exchanged a look with him before turning to Clarisse.
"Is it always this loud, Clarisse?" Ellie asked delicately.
"No," Clarisse said, rubbing her eyes. She looked at an empty can on the kitchen table. "Only when Timmy has his 'special drink'."
Ellie smiled for Clarisse's sake and moved to the table, leaving the little girl with Winston. Ellie picked up the can on the table and turned it to look at the label. Her eyes narrowed.
"'Special drink'," Ellie said to Matthew, tossing it to him.
Matthew caught the can and looked at it as well. He let out a breath and shook his head.
"At least, Timmy calls it a 'special drink'," Clarisse said with another yawn. "I don't know why he doesn't just call it 'beer'. That's what's written on it."
"Does he ever listen to the loud music or have his special drink in front of you?" Matthew asked.
Clarisse shook her head.
Ellie looked at Clarisse again and forced herself to smile. "I think that Winston's been a good dog today. Do you want to take him to your room and give him some treats?"
Clarisse nodded and grabbed the dog, leading him to her room.
Ellie moved next to Matthew as Tim shouted again.
Matthew let out a full sigh.
Ellie folded her arms and kept her voice quiet. "Loud and isolated. Sound familiar?"
"Yeah," Matthew said. "Except you and Joel understood why I did this. But this is different. This is…"
"Clarisse," Ellie agreed. She took a deep breath of her own. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking Clarisse should stay in our room tonight," Matthew said. He leaned against the door. "I'll see what I can do here."
"Okay," Ellie said.
Tim shouted again.
Ellie turned away. "I don't like this."
"Me either," Matthew said. "I should have caught this. I should have paid more attention. Maybe… I shouldn't have given him permission to drink the beer that third day here."
Ellie put on a smile again as Clarisse walked back into the room. "You're going to stay with me tonight, Clarisse."
"Thanks," Clarisse said with yet another yawn. "Can I get my blanket?"
"Go ahead," Ellie said. She looked at Matthew as Clarisse disappeared.
Matthew stared at the ground, perfectly still.
Ellie placed a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't your fault."
"I know," Matthew said softly. "But it will be if I don't do anything and something happens to Tim or Clarisse."
"You're not planning on coming home tonight," Ellie guessed. "Are you?"
"No," Matthew confirmed. He glanced at the door before turning to Ellie. "If Joel asks about Clarisse, just tell him the—"
"I'll tell him we're handling it," Ellie grunted.
"But if he asks," Matthew said.
"Since when have I ever been able to lie to Joel?" Ellie said.
Matthew nodded.
Clarisse returned to them with a blanket bundled in her hand.
Ellie knelt. "Ready?"
Clarisse looked at the door to Tim's bedroom.
"Tim will pick you up tomorrow," Matthew assured her.
"Thanks," Clarisse mumbled.
"Sleep well," Matthew said.
Ellie exchanged a nod with Matthew and exited the house with Clarisse.
Ellie walked in silence with Clarisse for a time. The little girl yawned once again. Ellie smiled and picked her up. The little girl hung herself over Ellie's shoulder. Ellie held Clarisse in one hand and placed her other hand in Clarisse's blanket, extracting a handful of hard candy's.
"I know all the tricks," Ellie whispered in Clarisse's ear. Clarisse hugged Ellie's neck. Ellie hugged her back as she pocketed the candies. "Our secret."
Ellie reached the house and unlocked the door to see Joel in the kitchen getting a glass of water. He was wearing his green flannel pajamas. Ellie made eye contact with him for a moment and held out her index finger. She deposited Clarisse on her bed and covered her up.
"'Night," Ellie said softly.
Ellie closed the door behind her and returned to Joel in the kitchen.
"You're home early," Ellie said awkwardly.
"Is there a reason I'm going to be making breakfast for Clarisse tomorrow morning," Joel asked.
"There was a…" Ellie sighed. "Tim's going through something. Matthew and I are handling it."
Joel drank the glass of water and placed it next to the sink. He turned to Ellie. "Okay."
"That's it?" Ellie asked, surprised at the lack of questions.
"You and Matthew are handling it," Joel said simply. "I'm sure you've handled worse things together."
"That was easier than I thought it be," Ellie said, taking a breath of relief.
"Is there anything I need to know about right now?" Joel asked.
"Not yet," Ellie answered.
"Good," Joel said. He walked toward the stairs. "See you in the morning. And don't let the girl eat any of that candy until after breakfast."
Ellie looked down and smiled, depositing the candy on the table. "No fun."
Ellie returned to the bedroom to see Clarisse and Winston taking up the entire bed. Ellie grabbed the sleeping bag from her closet.
…
Matthew stood at Tim's bedroom door for a time, attempting figure out what Tim was shouting over the loud music and how the situation should be handled.
Just as Matthew was about to enter the bedroom, the front door of the house opened.
Matthew turned to see Joey walking through the door. The younger man was sweaty and his hair unkempt. He wore a light blue jacket and blue pants.
"You're up late," Matthew commented.
"I could say the same to you," Joey replied, closing the door behind him. "So, what's wrong."
Matthew raised an eyebrow.
Joey chuckled. "I see Ellie walking home at three in the morning with Clarisse and something's not wrong?"
"Good point," Matthew said, turning to the bedroom door.
The music finally ended. Tim continued to shout.
Joey moved forward, a look of concern on his face.
Matthew shrugged and folded his arms. "To tell you the truth, I don't know what's going on. I was hoping to try and figure that out."
"How can I help?" Joey asked immediately.
Matthew thought for a moment before answering. "Is there a place we can take Tim? I don't want to take the chance on Clarisse coming back to… whatever this is."
"Well, I think the old shed that Jeff used is off limits to me for life," Joey said, obviously attempting to make light of the situation.
Tim shouted again.
Joey scratched the back of his head. "There's the bar that they finally got cleaned up. It should be empty."
"That should work," Matthew said.
Tim finally stopped shouting and the bedroom was silent. Matthew sighed.
"Would you mind helping me get him there?"
"No problem," Joey answered.
Matthew shouldered open the locked door. Joey let out a low whistle.
"This explains why there wasn't any alcohol at the bar."
"Probably because it's all here," Matthew agreed quietly, kicking aside a pile of empty cans.
Joey knelt and looked under the bed. "If my mom or dad walked in on me with this much alcohol, I wouldn't live to see my next birthday…"
"Can't say I disagree with their caution," Matthew commented, staring at Tim.
The young man was now passed out on the bed, wearing a dark red shirt and a black pair of pants.
Matthew glanced at Joey, who looked puzzled. Matthew raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"
Joey shook his head. "He should know better than this."
"I agree," Matthew said, looking at the prone figure on the bed. "But you're seventeen and you were raised in Jackson. Tim wasn't. He was raised out there. And the fact that he's only a few years younger doesn't mean much. He had to be an adult the day Clarisse became his responsibility. Something tells me he's coping with demons the only way he knows how."
"I suppose," Joey said uneasily. He sighed. "One of these days, I'm going to have to accept the fact that I have no clue what happens out there."
"I'd count it as a blessing," Matthew grunted. "Can you grab an arm?"
Tim barely stirred as Matthew and Joey each took an arm and slung him around their shoulders before dragging him out of the house, closing the door behind them.
"I appreciate your help," Matthew said to Joey as they moved down the street.
"I figure I still owe you for last year," Joey replied.
"What were you doing up so late?" Matthew asked adjusting Tim on his shoulder.
"I was getting off a late shift on the Wall when I bumped into Heather," Joey explained.
"Late night for everyone," Matthew observed.
"I guess she had a nightmare or something," Joey continued. He shrugged as best he could with the newly applied weight. "She says the jogging helps. I hope she's right. She also said that she was meeting Ellie at your guys' place tomorrow morning for another run."
"Moving is better than doing nothing," Matthew said.
They walked in silence until the bar came into sight.
Matthew looked at Joey, who was staring at the ground. Matthew adjusted Tim on his shoulder again before speaking. "I don't suppose Tim ever told you about what's going on."
"No," Joey answered. "But I don't like to pry into things that I don't understand. It's the same with Heather. I tend to roll with it."
"Just keep her trust," Matthew advised. "That's the best any of us can do."
Matthew held onto Tim as Joey opened the door to the empty bar. Matthew moved forward and deposited Tim in a chair. Matthew and Joey sat down in a couple chairs across from Tim's still unconscious form.
"Now what?" Joey asked, breathing somewhat heavily.
"Wait until he wakes up," Matthew answered. "Then I'm going to try and figure out what this is about."
"Tim trusts you more than anyone," Joey admitted with a nod.
"You should get home," Matthew said. "I got this."
Joey stood. "You think I should tell my parents?"
"If they ask, don't lie," Matthew said. "But I'd rather keep this quiet. For Tim and Clarisse's sake."
"You got it," Joey said. He handed Matthew a water bottle from his back pocket. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thanks for the help," Matthew said again.
"Anytime."
Joey exited the bar, leaving Matthew and Tim alone.
Matthew leaned back in his chair and started to doze.
…
Ellie opened her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time and glanced at Clarisse, who was still fast asleep. Winston was lying on the bed with his head across the young girl's knees.
Ellie rose and looked at the clock. It was now ten in the morning. So much for the shop…
Ellie quietly got dressed in her red shirt and blue jeans from the night before and walked out of her room. She moved around Joel, who was cooking in his pajamas, and grabbed a glass of water. Ellie grabbed a plate of food and moved to the couch.
"The kid isn't back yet," Joel observed.
Ellie didn't answer.
Joel walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure there isn't something I need to know?"
"Joel," Ellie said firmly, not shrugging away from the contact. "Matthew and I are adults. We got this."
There was a knock on the door.
Joel nodded and released Ellie's shoulder.
Ellie smiled appreciatively and moved to answer the door. She opened the door to see Heather dressed in a white sweater and a pair of blue jeans.
"Hi," Ellie said, confused by her presence.
Heather gave her an equally confused look. "I looked for you at the shop…"
Ellie remembered. "Oh shit," she said, placing her palm against her head. "Shit. We were going to go jogging weren't we. Sorry. I um… I had a late night."
"It's no problem," Heather said with a laugh. "Really, it's not. I had a late night too. I could probably skip the jog."
"Sorry," Ellie said again. She looked behind her. "You should come in and eat."
"Are you sure?" Heather asked.
"Yeah," Ellie said. "We'll have extra anyway. Matthew's not here."
"I could use food," Heather said with a shrug. She walked into the house and looked at Joel. "Morning."
"Howdy," Joel said.
Joel handed Heather a plate of food and walked upstairs. Heather sat in a chair across from the couch. Ellie sat on the couch a few seconds later.
"Where's Matthew?" Heather asked, taking a bite. "I thought he had the late shift last night."
Ellie took a bite of her food before answering. "He's… dealing with something."
"Okay…" Heather said, placing her plate in her lap. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Ellie said after she finished chewing. "Why would something be wrong."
"You chewed and swallowed before you answered."
"You know I hate it when you analyze me," Ellie said casually. She took another bite and spoke through a mouthful of food. "I'd like to think I'm not that easy to read."
Heather took another bite and raised an eyebrow.
Ellie intentionally spoke through another mouthful of food. "Nothing's wrong," she insisted.
Heather smiled and let the subject drop.
After a few seconds of silent eating, Ellie placed her plate on the couch beside her. "What do you know about people who, hypothetically, drink alcohol way too much?"
Heather swallowed before answering. "Are you asking this because it's relevant right now, or is it about that thing you're planning on setting up?" she asked, lowering her voice.
Ellie glanced at the stairs uneasily.
Heather leaned forward. "Which I haven't told anyone about."
"Hypothetically," Ellie repeated firmly.
Heather nodded her understanding. She leaned back and took another bite before answering. "Let's just say that I have my own experiences with alcoholism," she said darkly.
"I thought you said that you've never drank," Ellie said.
Heather's hand drifted toward her sweater pocket where Ellie knew the other girl kept her scalpel. Heather looked away. "Doesn't mean I don't have my own experiences."
"Anyway," Ellie said, knowing that Heather wanted her to move on. "When that happens, is there anything that you can do to help those people. Like, are there any drugs to take or… anything?"
"Not really," Heather answered, placing her hand in her lap. "I mean, not that I know of. The drinkers kinda have to make the decision to stop on their own."
Ellie nodded. She opened her mouth to reply as Clarisse walked out of Ellie's bedroom, still carrying her blanket.
"Hey, kiddo," Ellie said with a smile. "You want some breakfast?"
Clarisse shook her head and hopped up on the couch next to Ellie.
"Still tired?" Ellie asked, putting a hand around the young girl's shoulder. "You were up pretty late."
Clarisse snuggled closer to Ellie. "Is Tim coming soon?"
"I don't know," Ellie answered.
"I hope he comes soon," Clarisse said. She closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
Ellie wrapped the blanket tighter around Clarisse and laid the girl down on her lap.
Heather looked between Ellie and Clarisse.
Ellie stroked Clarisse's hair for a moment.
"How close to home are these questions about alcohol?" Heather asked quietly.
…
Tim slowly opened his eyes. His head felt like it was pounding.
After a few seconds, Tim tried to stand and stumbled, hitting the floor hard. He cursed under his breath and sat up to see Matthew standing over him.
"Where… Where am I?" Tim groaned.
Before Matthew could answer, Tim felt his stomach turning. He half ran, half crawled for the side door of the bar with Matthew a few steps behind.
Tim threw up the second he hit the sun-lit grass outside. After his stomach was completely empty, he collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. "Shit… shit…"
Matthew stood in front of Tim again, his arms folded.
Tim slowly stood. "Did…" he gulped. "Where's Clarisse?"
"With Ellie," Matthew answered, his tone unreadable.
"Did she see…" Tim started as his breathing returned to normal. "Did she see me?"
"No," Matthew answered. "Not this time."
Tim took a deep breath and stood. "I'll um… I'll take a shower and go get her…"
"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Matthew asked.
"It doesn't matter," Tim said, not looking at him.
"This isn't the first time you've done this," Matthew said, blocking his path.
"It's nothing I can't handle," Tim tried to assure Matthew, hoping to avoid talking about the incident further. "Thanks for keeping an eye on Clarisse and not letting her see—"
"You drunk?" Matthew completed somewhat sharply. He sighed. "You're lucky. Clarisse came to Ellie and I because she was tired and you were being too loud. Just be glad she came to us for help. Otherwise, it would have been her going into your room rather than me and Joey."
"I didn't ask you to come in," Tim said irritably. His head continued to pound. "I didn't ask for you to help me either. Your help is the reason I started to…"
Tim stopped speaking and shook his head.
Matthew simply handed Tim a water bottle.
"Sorry," Tim said, taking the water bottle. "I didn't mean to blame you. You and Ellie are the only reason Clarisse and I made it here."
"I'm sorry if something happened to you out there," Matthew said. His next words held a hint of anger. "But do you really think that blaming others for your actions is the way to go here?"
Tim looked away as guilt flooded through him. "I don't think I've ever heard you mad before…"
"Not mad," Matthew corrected. "Just a bit disappointed. I would think you would know better than to—"
"I'm being safe," Tim insisted. "The door is always locked and Clarisse—"
"This isn't just about Clarisse," Matthew interrupted calmly. "This is about you. Last night, you drank enough that you passed out. That was ten hours ago."
"And I woke up just like I always do," Tim said. He took another drink of water.
"Why are you doing this?" Matthew asked firmly.
"Because I haven't found another way that makes me feel better," Tim answered, not looking Matthew in the eye. "And if thinking about it doesn't make me feel better, then talking about it won't either."
"What is it?" Matthew pressed.
"It is not important," Tim said, turning and walking away. "What's important is that I'm handling it and Clarisse is safe."
"For how long?" Matthew called.
Tim stopped and turn around. "Do we have to do this now?"
Matthew stepped forward, still speaking calmly. "You don't want to confront your nightmares and your past, that's fine. I'm not one to judge," he said. "But if Clarisse is the most important person to you, then yes, I suggest we do this now."
"I don't see what's wrong," Tim admitted. "I probably shouldn't drink that much, but I'm being safe about it. Clarisse can't get to me."
"That doesn't mean you can't get to her," Matthew retorted. He shook his head and sighed. "What happens when you get drunk enough that you decide to open that door?"
"I won't," Tim promised.
"You don't want to take that risk," Matthew warned.
"There's no risk," Tim argued.
Matthew looked away for a moment took a deep breath. He turned back to Tim. "You realize that you were all that Clarisse had too, right?"
"Yeah," Tim said, confused.
"She still need you," Matthew said.
"I know."
"Do you want to lose that?" Matthew asked simply.
"Never," Tim said.
"Last night, when Clarisse came to us," Matthew said, reaching out and placing a hand on Tim's shoulder. "She was just tired. But when she sees you like this… if you lose control, and you scare her… you don't want that."
"You think I'll hurt her?" Tim asked.
"Not on purpose," Matthew said. He removed his hand from Tim's shoulder. "But if you lose control, you will scare her and that… that's not a look from her you ever want to see. It will haunt you for the rest of your life. And worse, something between you two will be broken and… you may not be able to repair it."
Tim looked at his hands, pondering what Matthew was saying. After few seconds, he realized that Matthew was right. Clarisse was his responsibility. He had to have her trust. She needed him, and he needed her.
Tim looked at Matthew and slowly nodded.
"So, what are you going to do?" Matthew asked.
…
Ellie and Heather sat on the bed in Ellie's room, helping Clarisse with her homework.
Ellie pointed at the top of the paper. "And remember that when you're writing your name, you always make the first letter a big one," she said gently.
"I know," Clarisse groaned, correcting her mistake. "I just forget sometimes."
"You'll get used to it," Heather said.
There was a loud knock on the front door.
"That must be Timmy!" Clarisse said excitedly.
Clarisse hopped down from the bed and ran out of the room.
Heather smiled and slowly started to gather up the papers on the bed.
Ellie sighed and stood.
"Be nice," Heather said, not looking up.
"I'll be nice," Ellie insisted.
"Be nice by my standards," Heather clarified. "Or by Matthew's. Not yours."
"No promises," Ellie grunted.
Ellie exited the bedroom and walked past Joel, who was just coming down the stairs. Tim was kneeling in the doorway and hugging Clarisse. He stood as Ellie moved forward.
Tim opened his mouth but seemed unable to find words.
"Coming to pick her up?" Ellie finally asked.
"Actually," Tim said, scratching his head. "I was hoping you could keep an eye on her for a couple more hours."
"I want to go home," Clarisse said softly, tugging on Tim's sleeve.
"I have to clean first," Tim said kindly. He scooped her into his arms. "Unless of course you want to help."
"Hmmm…" Clarisse said, pretending to think. "Maybe I'll stay with Ellie for a while."
"That's what I thought," Tim said, tickling Clarisse's neck and earning a giggle.
Ellie smiled slightly.
Tim hugged Clarisse close. "I'm also going to try and be a little less loud at night from now on, okay?"
"Okay," Clarisse said, hugging Tim back. She slid down his leg and looked at Ellie. "Can I stay?"
"Of course," Ellie said. She looked at Tim before returning her gaze to Clarisse. "Do you want to show Tim your homework before you leave?"
Clarisse nodded and walked back to Ellie's room.
"I'm sorry," Tim said to Ellie as Clarisse left their sight. "And… thanks for keeping an eye on her."
Ellie nodded. "You know we all just want what's best for you, right?"
"Yeah," Tim said, looking away again.
Ellie glanced behind her. "Clarisse loves you," she said firmly. "She loves you more than anyone in the world."
"I know," Tim said quietly.
"Good," Ellie said, looking at him again. "As somebody who loves her almost as much as you do… I just have to say that you need to get your shit together. Now."
"I will," Tim assured her. "I'm getting rid of all of it as soon as I get back to my place."
Clarisse returned with Heather a few steps behind.
"Clarisse says that you're gonna clean your house," Heather said to Tim. "Want some help?"
"I'd appreciate that," Tim said, ruffling Clarisse's hair. "Joey volunteered to help out too. So, it should go pretty quick. We just want to drop some stuff off with Tommy."
"Do you mind if I take a few things for myself?" Heather asked. "Medical purposes."
"Take anything you need," Tim said. He looked at Clarisse. "Let's see how you did on your homework."
As Tim and Clarisse moved to the kitchen table, Heather leaned close to Ellie. "Were you nice?" the doctor asked.
"Nice enough," Ellie replied.
"That's the best you're going to get," Matthew said to Heather as he walked through the front door.
"Wow," Ellie said, looking at Matthew's unkempt hair and the large bags under his eyes. "You… you look like shit."
"Thanks," Matthew said as Heather chuckled. Matthew looked Ellie over. "You look like you could use a few hours of sleep yourself."
"Well, I get first dibs on the shower," Ellie said.
"Why can't I just take my shower now and then you can take yours after Clarisse leaves?" Matthew asked.
"Hey!" Ellie said, acting offended and placing her hand on her chest. "I was nice. I deserve a guaranteed hot shower."
"You guys are strange," Heather said.
"I could have told you guys that a long time ago," Joey said, joining Matthew in the doorway, still wearing the clothes from the night before.
Ellie punched him hard in the chest.
Joey coughed and laughed. "Well, okay. Maybe Ellie's the strangest."
"Damn right I'm the strangest," Ellie said triumphantly. "Nobody's ever going to take that title from me."
Joey's walkie-talkie went off and he excused himself.
Tim returned a few minutes later as Clarisse sat down on the couch with her homework. "Ready?" Tim asked Heather and Joey.
"Yeah," Heather answered. "I'll go grab the cart from the shopkeeper and meet at your place."
"Will you need any help?" Joey asked.
Heather shook her head. "I got it."
"See you there," Tim said. He exchanged nods with Matthew and Ellie before raising his voice. "I should be back in a couple hours, Clarisse."
"Okay. I'll fix problem seven."
"I've got to make a quick stop at the east side of the Wall," Joey said. "They could use an extra hand boarding up one of the old RV's windows."
"I'll tag along," Tim said.
Joey nodded and he, Tim, and Heather departed, closing the door behind them.
Ellie turned to Matthew and raised a hand.
Matthew gave her a high five and moved toward their bedroom.
Ellie walked up to Joel who had set down a plate of food next to Clarisse on the couch before returning to the kitchen. Ellie followed him and grabbed an apple from a bowl on the counter.
"We handled it," Ellie said after a few seconds.
"I never had any doubt," Joel said, handing her a knife to cut the fruit.
"Really?" Ellie asked genuinely.
"I promised myself a long time ago that I would help you in any way that I can," Joel said. He took a piece of cut fruit that Ellie offered him. "I guess old habits die hard. Doesn't mean I don't think you can handle things on your own."
Ellie smiled, popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, and sat down on the couch next to Clarisse. "Need any help?" she asked.
"No," Clarisse replied as she continued to write.
Ellie heard the bathroom door upstairs close and the shower turn on.
Ellie looked down. "That son of a bitch."
"Timmy says if I ever swear like that, he'll find a soap bar and wash my mouth out with it," Clarisse said, not looking up.
Ellie heard Joel grunt in the kitchen.
Clarisse glanced up with a mischievous look in her eyes. "Don't worry. It can be our secret."
Ellie smiled and reached into her pocket, handing Clarisse a piece of candy she'd taken the night before. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Clarisse finished correcting her homework.
Clarisse set down the pencil and looked at Ellie again. "Do you think Timmy meant it when he said he would stop being so loud?" the young girl asked.
"I hope so," Ellie said. She put a hand around Clarisse's shoulder. "But remember that you are always welcome to come to Matthew and I if you ever need help."
Clarisse nodded and grabbed her plate of food.
…
Joey and Tim slowly walked down the street.
"Thanks for helping out," Tim said a block and a half block from his house. "For both last night and today."
"Not a problem," Joey said, placing his hands in his sweater pockets. "Although, I didn't really help out last night. I basically dumped you off with Matthew at the old bar and left."
"Well, either way," Tim said. They turned a corner as his house came into sight. "Did you tell your mom or dad?"
"No need," Joey answered. "They didn't ask and whatever's wrong is being fixed. Which is fine, because I'm not sure what I would tell them."
Tim stopped and looked at him, trying to gauge meaning of Joey's words.
"Sorry," Joey said. "I've always sucked at talking about serious stuff."
"After talking to Matthew…" Tim said. He hesitated and sighed. "After talking to Matthew, I think you have a right to be frustrated with me."
Joey spoke again as they continued to walk. "You know, I'd like to say that I left last night because Matthew knows you better and you trust him more," he said carefully. "But I think the real reason I left was that as much as I've learned about what it's like out there… I really don't have a clue."
"I can see why that would be hard to work with," Tim said.
"One of the many curses of living a safe life," Joey said with a shrug. "Anyway, there's no need to thank me. I think any one of us would to the same for one-another."
"In your own ways, you've all given Clarisse a chance to live a safe life," Tim said. He nodded at Heather as she turned the corner across the street with a large cart in tow. Tim walked toward his front door. "That I can't thank anyone enough for."
As they spent the next hour cleaning out the house and finding every trace of alcohol, Tim felt one part free and three parts chained.
As the three of them continued to stack the cases of alcohol on the cart, keeping some set aside for Heather's use, Tim felt the cases getting heavier and heavier. Even after the cases left his hands, he felt as if all his energy was being drained from his body.
"That all of them?" Joey asked, breaking Tim out of his exhausted daze.
"I'll check," Tim said. He walked into his room.
…
Joey watched from the front door as Tim went to take a last look in the bedroom. He glanced at Heather who was staring at the now almost completely full cart of alcohol.
"Not as much as you were hopin' for?" Joey asked, looking at the couple bottles she had saved for herself.
Heather jumped at the sound of his voice before answering. "No, it's fine. I actually got more than I thought I would it's just…" Heather shook her head. "Booze is great for some medical stuff, but… I don't exactly like being around it."
"Bad hangover?" Joey asked. "My mom and dad have had a few of those."
"Not exactly," Heather said, her hand drifting toward her sweater pocket.
"All good," Tim said, returning to them.
"Well," Joey said, glancing at the sun. "I'd say we have about an hour before you said you'd pick up Clarisse. Want to get some food at my place."
"Food would be nice," Heather said.
"Sure," Tim said. "Just let me get some fresh clothes on first."
…
Tim returned to his bedroom and grabbed some new clothes from his closet, throwing the dirty clothes from the night before over a case of beer.
…
Ellie finished her shower and threw on a white bath robe before a guitar practice session with Joel.
After finishing, Joel went up into his room for the night.
Ellie waited until moon was high in the sky before returning to Matthew who was already dressed in black pajamas and lying on the bed.
Ellie walked up next him and socked him in the chest. "I. Called. Dibs."
"You were taking too long," Matthew said, setting aside his book and making room for her. "Plus, I've practically been up for over twenty-four hours."
"Whatever," Ellie grumbled. She hopped up into the bed and laid with her head on his shoulder before throwing the blankets over them. Ellie reached over and grabbed his book to see what page he had left off on before looking at him. "If you've been awake for twenty-four hours, why are you still awake? And weren't you on that page last night?"
Matthew didn't answer at first. He placed his hand in Ellie's hair and started gently twisting it. After a minute, he sighed. "Did we do everything we could?"
Ellie thought for a moment. "I think we did as much as we could," she said. "Especially considering we didn't know about this until last night."
"I suppose…" Matthew said, closing his eyes.
"You don't sound convinced," Ellie observed.
"I guess not," Matthew admitted. "You know that feeling you get when something seems over, but at the same time you're not so sure."
"You know I do," Ellie said, grabbing his hand. "But, I for one, think we did great."
Matthew didn't reply.
Ellie elbowed him lightly. "I suppose we could wait until Tim leaves the house tomorrow and ransack the place. Make sure there's nothing left."
"I'll pass," Matthew said, letting out a small chuckle. "I think the only reason I was able to get this far with him is because he trusts us."
"And because he loves Clarisse," Ellie added. "Plus, having it happen to a friend you care about has a way of motivating you."
Matthew smiled. "So, if this was Jeff—"
"Oh, his house would be so trashed, it'd take a month to clean it," Ellie confirmed. "Especially after I burned it to the ground."
"So…" Matthew said casually. "What are we doing tomorrow."
"Well, I think because we were so awesome," Ellie said, turning so she could see him. "We should both take our night off tomorrow to have some fun. You can cook for me, we can head to our spot behind the park, and we could have nice calm, safe, Jackson County dinner."
"I get to cook the dinner," Matthew said skeptically. "That seems like more of a reward for your awesomeness rather than our awesomeness."
"Well we could just say that the dinner and fun can happen just because I'm awesome," Ellie said with a shrug. "But I like people to feel included."
"That, and you don't like to cook," Matthew added.
"I admit to nothing."
"It's a date," Matthew said.
"Don't use the word 'date'," Ellie said. "It's still fucking cheesy. Even if we have done it more than twice."
"Right," Matthew said. He closed his eyes again. "Are you going to move to your side of the bed?"
"No," Ellie replied, turning off the bedside lamp. "I'm comfy."
"Goodnight then," Matthew said.
Ellie smiled. After a few minutes, she felt Matthew's chest rhythmically rising and falling beneath her. Ellie closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
After an hour, Ellie finally gave up, turned on the lamp, reached under a pile of books, and grabbed the papers that Matthew had hidden from Clarisse. Ellie flipped to the empty page of possible names.