𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐎 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒) *editing*

𝐆𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬🍂

*another short chapter*

"So...let me get this straight," Ellie's voice pierces the chilled, empty air. "If you mess up your fourth down...then you give the ball to the other team?"

"Right," Joel nodded. "It's called turnover."

"Ah, my head hurts trying to connect the dots..." Maeve grunted, rubbing her temple. "Why are sports so confusing?"

"You just gotta play it a couple of times," the older man peered at her. "It'll all make sense then."

"I guess this is it?" TJ spoke, looking toward the college buildings beyond the brick-structured walls. The lot around them was littered with broken-down cars, cars unmoved, wedged between faded white lines.

"Colorado University," Maeve read off the giant, curvy fancy-looking metal sign, "Hey look, we're here."

"Don't get sarcastic with me," TJ retorted. "I will make you walk."

"Oh, you mean like the last several times you threatened that?"

That shut him up, for sure. He zipped his lips and directed Wren through to the parking lot of the college after Joel and Ellie. They peered around at the buildings, looking for openings to enter.

Although, no building that looked like a mirror. Unfortunately.

She found it nice that they weren't still trying to bite each other's heads off, her and TJ. Frankly, not having the energy or excuse to argue was nice. He seemed to not play her nerves as badly as before, for some reason. Maybe she'd grown accustomed to his presence and personality. 

"Okay..." Ellie began, voicing Maeve's thoughts. "None of these buildings look like a mirror to me."

They passed a crooked blockage, carefully maneuvered around the barbed wire-covered roadblock.

"Well, we'll head to the central grounds. Should be able to see most of the campus from there," Joel said, pulling the reins of his horse toward an open garage, a bunch of supplies sitting out in the open for taking. "Stay, Callus — what kind of name is Callus anyway?"

The older man unmounted the crimson-coated horse, plopping feet-first into a giant puddle that has accumulated at the garage front. The water sloshed as he walked through it.

"Not my fault you forgot to ask Tommy his name."

"I like it," Maeve chimed, peeking around TJ and at her. "It's badass."

"Isn't that my line?" Ellie grinned back at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Hey...so, uh, these places...people would live here and just...study? Like, even though they were adults?"

Joel seemed to have found a new weapon of sorts. It was long, like a rifle, but rigged with a small gas canister near the trigger.

Oof.

A flamethrower. Fucking awesome.

"Yeah," Joel nodded, exiting the garage, and disappearing into a doorway near the back of the room. "Study, party, find themselves. Figure out what they wanted to do with their lives."

"Hmm...what they wanted to do with their lives..." Maeve hummed, a little voice in the back of her head already coming up with ideas and fantasies.

"Sounds like a riot."

"Wouldn't that be cool, though? Just doing your thing and finding yourself? College sounds so cool."

TJ made a noise. "Until you have to pay tuition."