Perfectly Imperfect || Joel Dawson

[2]

He let out a whimpered as the girl held a machete against his neck.

"Who are you?" The girl asked sternly. Joel froze in his place. "Answer!"

"Can you- uh- maybe take the big knife off of my neck." Joel stuttered, "When I'm put in a life threatening situation I usually freeze up- like I'm doing now."

The girl looked over to Boy who let out a little bark. She glared at Joel lifted the machete off of his neck.

He gasped for air, shooting into a sitting position as the girl took a step back.

"Can you answer the question now?" The girl asked. Actually not really asked but demanded.

"I-I'm Joel." Joel answered nervously, "Joel Dawson."

"Well Joel what are you doing in my bed?" She asked.

His eyes widen, "This is- this is your bed- oh." He quickly scrambled up out of the bed. He then looked at Boy, "Is he your dog?"

"Yes." The girl answered as Boy brought over the stuffed bear. "Thanks Boy." She took it, ruffling the dogs ears.

Joel watched the interaction, "So I'm guess that's the girl you thought I was?" He asked Boy making the girl look between them confused. Joel saw this, "Oh he saved me from this giant, frog, thing."

"Sounds like him." The girl smiled lightly. She then looked at Joel, "I'm Olive."

Joel looked at her, "Your parents named you Olive?" He asked.

"Your parents named you Joel?" She fired back.

He immediately shut his mouth, "I thought Joel was a regular-," He stammered, "Anyways you- you live here?"

"Basically." The girl answered.

"It's nice." Joel said to her.

That's when he took in her features. Pitch black hair that was thin and dead, and definitely matted. She had freckles- or maybe sun spots- or actually, maybe it was just dirt. She wasn't short, but wasn't tall, like 5'5, maybe 5'6. She had a slim figure- probably from lack of food.

He watched as she grabbed something from of her piles of stuff. It was bright yellow nail polish. It looked like one of those nail polishes you get for little kids, those ones that dries quick enough and chips quickly. She sat down on her bed and unscrewed the cap. She took the brush, quickly swiping it on her finger nails.

Joel tilted his head as he watched the girl do a terrible job on her nails. And when he means terrible he means terrible- like he could do better. She would use only one stroke, it not even painting her entire nail, and it being still see through cause it had one coat.

"Where did you come from?" She asked looking at him. He noticed her long eyelashes and her eyes. It was like staring at the clearest ocean in the world. He also noticed a scar running along from her temple, going up and disappearing into her hair.

"Hello?" She said making him snap out of his thoughts.

"Oh- I came from my colony. A bunker." He answered.

"Why'd you leave?" She asked as she switched hands, doing an even worse job on the other hand. "Steal food?"

"What?" Joel asked confused, "No. I'm going to another colony. This girl, her name is Aimee. She's the last person I know from my personal life that's still alive. And I want to be with her."