THE UNEXPECTED

02

"Christ, cowboy, you're getting old. Long time no see." My lips curled into something of a smirk as I tried to gage at his reaction, I could tell he was fighting off a laugh and instead let out a snort at the past nickname I had for him.

"Haven't heard that one a while, c'mere then." Joel always seemed to have a soft spot for Emily, right from the moment they met he just knew she was something special. Tommy had teased him profusely about it, but what he didn't know was that Emily felt the same. There was always this lingering tension between the two, a mutual attraction of sorts but no one ever acted upon it.

I watched as Joel opened his arms wide, initiating a hug as I stepped closer towards him. I could feel myself smiling as I welcomed his embrace, my arms wrapping around his waist as his cradled my head. And I just prayed that he couldn't feel my racing heart against his body. The body of which I could feel his muscles pressing into me.

Shaking those thoughts, I felt him press a chaste kiss to my forehead before letting me go. A loss of warmth emitted as he stepped back, almost as if he'd forgotten the little girl watching us both. Her head cocked to the side and her lips parted at the sight of us.

"The fuck? You two know each other?" She exclaimed, "This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder." She sighed, still staring at us. Her comment almost made me want to laugh aloud but I stopped myself.

"He helped me out when I was in a spot of trouble a few years back. I was close with him and his brother but we went out separate ways and well, here we are, I guess." I tried to keep our story as vague as possible, myself and Joel both knew that we didn't exactly indulge in our histories to strangers. Plus, I didn't know how much he'd told this girl or why they were even together in the first place.

"What she said, anyways, let's talk and walk. Don't want any of those fuckers catchin' up with us."

"Lead the way, old man." I smirked, watching as he rolled his eyes before holstering his gun and adjusting his rucksack.

We trekked further through the hotel until we came across a large hall with a multitude of tables as well as a large stage and piano. I noticed a banner labelled 'Prom 2013', frowning, I sighed. Part of me wondered would it would've been like if the infection never struck, what would my prom be like? Would I have gone to university? I always wanted study abroad in America and yet here I am for completely different reasons. I was only thirteen when my life got flipped upside down, I still had so many opportunities ahead of me. Shaking my head, I rid those thoughts and caught up with the girl I'd yet to know her name and Joel.

"Wow, look at that." The little auburn haired girl said in awe, I turned to her with a small smile. I must've been about her age when all this shit started, she seemed so young yet she had this unmistakable attitude and swagger to her.

"That's a backdrop, people would take pictures in front of it." Joel explained, keeping his eyes trained on the girl.

"Yeah, I know what it is." She sassed back to him, making me stifle a laugh. I liked this girl already.

"Okay then." He rose his eyebrows at her before swiftly moving on and searching for supplies.

"So, what's the deal with you two?" I asked curiously, taking note of the way the girl's eyes flickered nervously at Joel before back at me. That gave me an inkling that this was a serious ordeal.

"I promised Marlene that I'd look after her, takin' her to the Fireflies." Joel's eyes briefly met mine which told me everything I needed to know. There was more to this than I thought.

A silence pooled between the three of us which got me thinking, I wasn't as close with Marlene as I used to be many years ago but she recently reached out to me about a deal. The queen of the Fireflies herself wanted me to help her deliver a girl to the Capitol building just outside the Boston QZ but I respectfully declined, I wanted out of the smuggling business and longed for some sort of normality instead of constantly being of edge and delivering shady shit. This wasn't the girl she was talking about, was it?

"Hold on, you're not Ellie, are you?" I asked, I had to be sure. Fate was a funny thing and it would be all too coincidental if my thoughts were correct.

The girl visibly tensed and paused in her step, as did Joel.

"What do you know, Em?" Joel spoke for her which led me to believe that I was in fact correct.

"I freaking knew it." I breathed out a laugh, I guess I can't escape this lifestyle after all, "Marlene didn't tell me much only asked me to help her before you I guess. I said no, I wanted out of the smuggling shit."

At that, Ellie, faced me with a quizzical look. As did Joel.

"That so?" He seemed in deep thought. "Didn't know you were still runnin' with the Fireflies."

"I'm not, I went my separate ways shortly after Tommy did." I explained, watching as Joel nodded.

"You were a Firefly? That is so fucking cool! Do you know where to take me then? That lab out west." Ellie flew questions out left and right making me chuckle. She sure had a lot of energy.

"I was once, but no, unfortunately I don't. Sorry kid." I said frowning, but I knew of a person who might. The exact guy I'm looking for in fact. "Tommy might though." I added, directing it more at Joel.

"Yeah, I thought so too. We're actually heading his way." Joel confirmed, making me chuckle. Fate really is a funny thing.

"Funny that. So am I."