Firefly

Forty-Eight

Jackson, Wyoming 2024 

After being shown around Maria took Ellie back to the house we would be staying in. Joel and I went with Tommy to the tipay bison. It was the small town's bar. “So, you two are talking again? Does that also mean you're back together?” Tommy asked from behind the bar. He set three glasses on the bar and poured whiskey in each of them. “In a way,” Joel said, taking a sip of the amber liquid. I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “In a way? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked. “We wouldn't even be talking to each other if it wasn't for Ellie,” he shrugged. 

“To answer your question, Tommy, now that I know the correct answer, it's no. No, we are not together!” I threw back the whiskey in my glass and stood up. “Where are you going?” Joel asked me. “To make sure Ellie is alright. I don't see a need for me to be here. I mean, you did just basically say we're only on this journey to get Ellie where she needs to go and that I was just something for you to stick your dick into now that Tess is dead.” 

“Tess is dead?” Tommy asked. I looked at him and nodded, “Yup! She blew herself up after she got bit by a clicker. It was good seeing you again, Tommy.” I walked towards the door, ignoring Joel calling for me to come back. I walked in the direction Maria had told us the house was. When I got there, I walked in and called out for Ellie. “Ellie!” The house was silent as I headed up the stairs and checked all the doors. When I didn't find her I went to the house next door. The door wasn't fully closed, so I knew Ellie was here. I walked in, closing the door behind me. 

I was about to walk into the living room but stopped when I saw the board on top of the fireplace. Sarah's name is the day she was born, and the day she died beside a boy's name with that same thing; the birthday and day he passed. I was drawn out of my thoughts of that night in the beginning, when Sarah was shot. I've always felt that it should have been me who died, not her. 

I turned towards the voices to see Ellie sitting in a chair while Maria cut her hair. “Look, I'm not gonna ask you what you're doing with them,” Maria said. “Good,” Ellie told her. “But there are clearly things you don't know about Joel and yn.” So Tommy told her everything I'm guessing. That would explain the look she gave me earlier.  “Oh, like how they used to kill people? I know about that,” Ellie said. “So then you understand my concern?” Maria asked. “They don't do that anymore.” 

“They stopped killing people?” Maria asked her. “Innocent ones. And Tommy did it, too. Are you worried about him?” Ellie asked, getting upset about the whole conversation. I could have made my presence known, but I didn't. Not just yet. “Tommy was following Joel, and I believe yn was too. She's so much younger than him. She would have done anything for him. The way you are now,” Maria said. This woman is fucking delusional. Tommy never once hesitated to kill someone. He didn't even argue with Joel when it came to that topic. We did what everyone else did; what we had to do to survive. 

“Well, maybe I'm smarter than Tommy. No offense,” Ellie told her. “You are definitely smart. Would've made a hell of a lawyer. There's a whole lot you're not telling me. Good. Therein lies the point. Be careful who you put your faith in. The only people who can betray us... are the ones we trust. You understand?” Maria asked. Ellie hummed and looked past her, making eye contact with me. “Now, come on. Grab your super fսckin' eggplant coat,” Maria told her. “Where are we going?” Ellie asked. “The movies.” 

Maria turned around and gasped a little when she saw me. “Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt your conversation,” I said. Ellie walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Can you wait outside? I wanna talk to Maria for a second. It won't take long.” Ellie looked back at Maria and nodded her head, walling out of the house. I looked up at Maria and took a deep breath, slowly walking closer to her. 

“You have no right to judge me or Joel. We've all done things we're not proud of. We did what we had to do to survive and Tommy never argued once. He never hesitated to pull the trigger. See the thing about Tommy, is he's a follower. He always has been and always will be. Joel is a good man. He cares about Tommy. Hell, the only reason he agreed to come along was so he could find him. He was worried when he stopped contacting him.” I walked a little closer and she stepped back a couple steps. “I never want to hear you try to turn my kid against me or Joel ever again.” I stared at her for a few seconds before turning around and walking out of the house. 

It was hard to believe that this place was showing a movie. They acted like the world hadn't fallen apart. I stood by a pillar where I could see Ellie and I was away from Maria. I won't lie and say I didn't want to hit her because I did. I also wouldn't mind wrapping my hands around Tommy's neck. It's like he told a totally different story to her than what really happened back then. I made eye contact with him when he walked in and I tilted my head and gave him a look to let him know I wasn't happy with him. He said something to Maria then left. Maria turned her head to look at me and when I finally looked away to look back where Ellie was sitting, she was gone. 

I immediately walked out and started to look for her. When I finally saw her she ran right past me, tears running down her face. I looked back at where she came from and quickly ran after her. “Ellie! Ellie, wait!” I followed her all the way back to the house. The front door was left open for me and I saw her running up the stairs. A bedroom door upstairs slammed shut, while I closed the front door. I sighed and headed up the stairs. “Ellie?” I checked each room until I opened the door to a room that once belonged to a teenage girl. “Ellie, hey, what's wrong?” I asked. 

She had an old diary in her hand and flipped through the pages. “Is this what girls cared about before Cordyceps? What skirt went with what shirt and boys?” I walked over and sat beside her on the window bench. “Some girls, yes. What's going on? Why are you crying?” I asked. She didn't say anything for a long few minutes. The door opened and Joel walked in. “Why don't you ask him.”