CYOA Page 23
Fuck that, you think, and you'd be happy to just ride away now... but Joel seems to have a soft spot for kids -- apparently even the unlikable ones -- so you don't object when he reaches for the food sack. You don't hear what he says to the kid when he hands over a small bundle -- something from the sack and something from his pocket... probably ammo, because what else could it be? You watch the boy's face... nothing. He doesn't even give a shit? You're annoyed as you and Joel finally get back to business, kicking the horses up a gear to put a little distance between you and the little brat.
Your mood doesn't go unnoticed by Joel. "What?" he says wearily.
"Oh, nothing. That kid didn't smile, didn't say thank you... and you gave him all that stuff?!"
"I didn't do it for a thank you, an' I don't think he knows how to smile or say thank you. You saw him... how skinny an' filthy he was... you think he's got an easy life?"
...He does have a point... You hadn't really thought of it that way. "But you didn't even like him," you point out sulkily.
Joel chews on that for a few moments. "It wasn't so much that I didn't like him... I didn't trust him. There was somethin' cold in his eyes..."
"...like he would've shot us if he had bullets, and not thought twice about doing it?" you supply.
"Yeah. Like that."
"And yet you gave him bullets!"
Joel looks at you, surprised. "You saw that?"
"What, you thought you were being sneaky, just reaching into your pocket?"
"Just... didn't think you noticed."
"Well, I did. And now you've given him a taste of what we've got -- maybe he'll come after it. Maybe he'll shoot us in our sleep!"
Joel snorts. "He's welcome to try. How's he gonna find us? We're on horseback, he's on foot, an' he don' know where we're headed."
"It doesn't take a genius to follow a highway."
"On foot?"
"He could have horses for all we know!"
Joel gives you a Look. "You really think he--"
"Okay, maybe not," you sigh. "But we don't know. He could have a fucking car. Maybe his people send him out to attack travelers cuz he looks all small and... not threatening and stuff. ...what?" you add, exasperated. Joel is fucking smiling at you now.
"Nothin'. I'm just glad to see that... you've come a long way, from when I first met you. You're a little more like me -- in one of the good ways, I mean."
"And you're a little more like me. Sometimes."
"Which is always a good thing."
You roll your eyes, but secretly, you're always thrilled when Joel says nice things about you. Even if they're not true... he BELIEVES they are, and that's all that matters.
The rest of your trip for the day is uneventful... and yet, you can't help looking over your shoulder. Like, a lot. So much that Joel even tires of teasing you for it. You agree to stop for the night in a mobile home park in a small town that appears to be deserted. You pretend you're in the mood for a cold supper, but you know that Joel knows you just don't want to light a fire and possibly draw attention to yourselves. You know you're being a bit paranoid, but you can't help it: you're going to see that creepy kid in your nightmares, you just know it!
Traveling during the long days of summer means there's not a whole lot of time to be awake while it's dark out; you try to time it so you're eating dinner around sunset and going to bed shortly after, then rising at first light, fully rested. Neither one of you got decent rest last night... due to being all revved up from being Outside again, or not being accustomed to sleeping in strange places every night... who knows. You'll probably sleep better tonight, the insufficient rest rendering you more exhausted than the day before. Except...
You come up behind Joel while he finishes packing up your dinner stuff and give him a hug. He always thinks it's cute when you do this... probably because you fit together way better when he's the one in the back. He turns around and gives you a couple kisses before pulling away. "Come on. I am beat."
He tugs on your hand, but you resist. "Yeah, um... I was thinking. Maybe tonight we should sleep in shifts."
Joel cups your face in his hands and gives you a sort of... firm-yet-loving look. "Ellie. We're gonna be fine. Do you really think that little boy followed us on our horses all this way?"
"No, just..." ...what if he did?... You have horses, yes, but your customary pace is fairly slow. "Ugh... I know it's stupid. But I'd feel better if we did it this way. I'll take first watch. Okay?" Because you remember from the last trip: if Joel goes first, he won't wake you up. If you don't wake up on your own, he'll just stand guard all night and not get any sleep himself. "You'll sleep better anyway if you know someone's keeping watch."
"If I know it's you keepin' watch," he corrects you. "Maybe. Seems an awful waste of a nice queen bed, though."
You snicker a little at this. You know he means it innocently, but you have a dirty mind, so... "Okay, I'll make you a deal. I'll come sleep with you in that bed if it means we're having sex," you offer cheekily.
Joel chuckles. "Good night, baby girl."
"Aww, well, it was worth a shot." Since you don't have any means of telling time out here, you agree to wake him up when the moon reaches a certain point in the sky. You kiss him once more and, for the hell of it, smack his ass when he walks away.
It's not a full moon, but it's bright enough that you can see your way around outside without a flashlight. You could stay inside, you suppose... but the windows have crud on them, and you find the views too restrictive. Besides, you can hear better outside.
You walk around the place, check on the horses... walk around a little more... check on Joel -- he did fall asleep quickly, you're happy to see. He doesn't even stir when you enter the room (and you're pretty stealthy, but it's hard to not make at least a little noise in a mobile home). It's such a satisfying feeling, knowing he trusts you enough to look out for him.
...and he probably doesn't feel like there's any threat, you have to admit. Still, you're not in Jackson. There could be a rogue person... infected... you just never know. How many Joel lectures have you endured on constant vigilance?
Eventually, you plant yourself in the adirondack chair on the tiny deck outside the front door (you've asked Joel how houses with decks attached to them can still be considered mobile -- particularly decks with roofs, like this one -- but he has yet to give you a satisfactory answer). The boy, or whoever, would likely approach from the direction you're facing, coming off the highway... unless he spots you and changes course. With no moonlight hitting the deck now, you're in total darkness, so if you stay perfectly still, you doubt anyone would know you're there.
You do the usual stuff when you're on stationary guard duty, alternating between reminiscing, telling yourself stories, or 'listening' to songs in your mind. You're pretty good at doing this in your 'back brain' while keeping the front focused on detecting enemies.
Pretty good... but not perfect. You didn't realize how exhausted you are... or, rather, how exhausted you've become since Joel went to sleep (several hours ago, you think?). It's not time to wake him up yet, though, and you had already decided to wait a little longer than the time he suggested -- it's not like Joel won't let you sleep in a little and get a late start tomorrow. You find your mind wandering, your body slouching a little more in the chair than it had been earlier... if I could just rest my eyes for a few minutes...
If you doze off, turn to page 46.
If you do whatever you have to do to stay awake, turn to page 50.