days of you and me

one. march, 2034. swimming lessons & potato wars.

Only a few days in Jackson and Ellie was a hell of a lot happier.

She had a roof over her head, a chance to make new friends, and a secure neighborhood full of people that greeted her with a smile when they saw her instead of a punch or a chokehold. For the past few nights, she, Joel, Tommy, and Maria ate dinner together like a family would. They told her all about life before the outbreak and it fascinated her. She loved hearing their stories. They really tried to get to know her, too, asked her questions about herself that she didn't even know the answers to. She had a real support system for the first time.

Joel did not hesitate to start helping with the patrol. While he was out, he'd search empty houses and collect things for Ellie to make her feel more at home: movies, books, CDs, video games, posters, art supplies, decorations for her room. She always looked forward to seeing what he'd bring back.

Joel also did not hesitate to begin teaching her how to:
1. swim
2. play guitar, like he promised. (He even sang for her, surprisingly willingly.)

He gave priority to swimming lessons as it was more practical, but she could tell he was always more excited for the guitar lessons. His eyes would just light up. She figured it brought him back to the good ole days, sitting on the porch, sipping coffee, and plucking away, like he always talked about. She couldn't blame him. She preferred guitar lessons, too, because:
1. She didn't have to submerge her entire body into freezing cold water.
2. She didn't feel like she was on the brink of death the whole time.

Joel liked to poke fun at her for disdain of swimming. She would be fine until she reached deep waters and her feet no longer touched the ground, then her heart would race and she'd go into a panic.

"It's hard to hold you up when you keep splashin' me in the face, kiddo," he said, to no avail. Ellie's arms still flailed about as she tried to keep herself afloat. "Ellie. Ellie! Relax. I gotcha."

She gasped as she finally realized that Joel was holding her afloat, his hands placed firmly under her arms. Cool droplets of water ran down her red and flushed face as she took a few heaving breaths. "Fuck," she muttered. "Ugh. Sorry."

"That's alright," Joel responded with a chuckle. He couldn't help but find it amusing that the water seemed to be the only thing she was terrified of. "Here, just practice the movements and I'll hold you."

Ellie huffed and did as he said. After a few minutes of successful paddling, Joel let go of her in an attempt to show her that she could do it on her own, only for her to instantly start flailing about again. "Joel!" She exclaimed. "What the fuck?"

He quickly grabbed back onto her. "I was trying to show you, you don't need me. You got the motions down, you just gotta trust yourself."

"Well, give me a warning next time."

"Will do. Tell ya what, we'll pick this up again tomorrow. You hungry?"

"I could eat," she replied, and with that, they emerged from the water.

"Looks like you've got a bit of a sunburn," Joel pointed out, glancing at the patches of pink skin on freckled shoulders.

"And who's fault is that for dragging me out here?" She retorted, looking smug.

"Your fault for being so pale."

Ellie scoffed, defeated. "You suck."

"I'll try and find you some sunblock. Come on, let's get a move on."

She trudged on, wringing out her wet clothes as they walked. The warm sun dried her off quickly enough and she enjoyed feeling its rays. It was a short trip back to town, just a simple trail through some old oak trees and wildflowers. The air smelled fresh- she loved the smell of the woods. She silently wondered if people used to hike there on vacations and stuff.