Secure// Ellie Williams

Family Dinner

Joel, Tommy, Maria, Ellie and I have a tradition where every week we alternate between who hosts dinner one night a week. This week it's at our place. I set the table before Ellie and Joel come over. Tommy comes over with glasses to help me, or actually look like he's helping me so Maria doesn't scold him for doing nothing. Tommy's joking around with me until we hear a knock on the door signalling that Joel and Ellie are here. Maria goes to open the door and I hear Joel's familiar Texan accent. When they walk in I smile at Joel, Ellie gives me a timid smile, and I give one back before I look down. I said I'd try to work things out, but that doesn't mean I'm not still mad or on guard. If she left me once she could leave me again.

We all sit down and eat dinner. The usual conversations come up like duties, events in the community, the people in the community. It's all pretty boring so I just zone it out. When I look up at Ellie she seems to be paying even less attention than I am. We move through the dinner seamlessly until Maria suggests me and Ellie hang out upstairs. I know better than to go against her, especially when Ellie is right in front of me, but I don't know how I feel about being with her alone right now. I guess it's a good step to making us okay though. 

"Wow your room still looks the same." Ellie tells me as we enter my room. I look around at my plain walls. I have a few photos and posters scattered along my room and a shelf full of books I've collected over the years. Most of my photos are with Adam and Alaina, but I have a few with Jesse and Dina... and Ellie. I nod at her and go to sit on my bed. I watch as Ellie looks around my room and stops at the picture of us, it was after one of the community events. I'm on Ellie's back with my arms wrapped around her neck and my face squished next to hers while we both smile at the camera, "You still have this up?" I nod at her and she smiles at it. She comes over and sits next to me on my bed.

"So, uh, what's up with you and Caleb?" Ellie asks.

"Not much, why?"

"I just I've seen you with him sometimes and you left the party with him."

"Yeah well sometimes you do that after parties Ellie, what's your point?"

Ellie sighs, "Nothing." I don't fight with her and we just sit in silence. Sure, although Ellie and I stopped being friends we still saw each other, but we never talked, and we certainly never talked alone. The past few weeks are the first time we've talked alone and even then it was either bickering or just complete silence. 

"How come you never told me you liked girls?" Ellie asks me.

"I didn't think it mattered. It's not like you told me you liked them either."

"Right," Ellie tells me and we go back to silence. I play with my sheets just trying to keep myself attentive anywhere but Ellie, she does the same by playing with her hands. I hear a knock on my door and Joel walks in.

"Hey kiddo, you ready to go?"

"Yeah I'll be down in a sec." Joel nods at her and leaves the room. Ellie turns to me, "So, I'll uh see you later?" I nod at her and she awkwardly nods her head waving a small bye at me. When she leaves I stay put on my bed. I look over at the picture Ellie was looking at and continue to look until I go to bed. 

The next morning I'm at the community's school helping out in the classroom. Our school is just one of the bigger buildings with a few tables in each room. The school has grown a lot since the residents here find it safe enough to start a family and settle down. I would love to patrol more, but I gotta say that I love working in the school. All of the kids haven't been outside Jacksons walls, so it's nice for a bit to be around people that are oblivious to the outside. With school here, we only focus on important skills like reading and writing; while the older kids learn about how to shoot and survive outside. Today I'm working with the younger kids in the town.