CYOA Page 257

[lumy12]

Page Two Hundred Fifty-Seven

The sound startles you, but before you can do anything, the old man immediately trains the rifle on you again. "Don't move, girl. I wanna help you out, but I will shoot ya if I have to."

You hear two more shots while he's saying that. "I don't need your help!" you say loudly, willing Joel to hear you -- and to be the one firing the shots, not receiving them. "For all I know, you just wanna keep me up here to... to stop me from shooting all your friends."

He looks amused by that. "Tch. Try business acquaintances. Quid pro quo."

You don't bother asking him what language he's speaking; some commotion downstairs has given you hope that Joel is still down there fighting, not dying.

"But you see, that's smart," he continues. "Don't trust anyone. No one but yourself. You do that, you'll--"

"Ellie!"

-Yes!!! "Joel! Up here!" you yell without thinking -- but the old man doesn't blow your head off for it.

He just looks at you with a (so unwarranted) sad expression. "You think on what I said. Ellie, is it? You take care of yourself, girl."

"Joel, be careful, he has a gun!" You hear the doorknob rattling... but he doesn't come in.

You look at the old man. "It's locked? I didn't lock it."

"I did. It locked when you shut it."

There's a loud pounding on the door, like Joel's trying to break it or something. "You don't gotta do that, pal," the man calls out to Joel. "I'll send her out to ya."

The pounding stops. You look at the guy questioningly. He's letting me go?

He gestures with the rifle. "Don't try anything cute, now. Since you don't seem inclined to help yourself, I've half a mind to help you out by shooting the--"

"No no no, I told you -- he's good! I love him. I'll never leave him. So I can just... go?"

"Yep. He sets one foot in here, though, I shoot."

You back away from him; you feel like you don't want to turn your back to him, for some reason. Like... if you do, he's going to be all "haha, just kidding" and shoot you or something?! And you definitely don't trust him not to shoot Joel -- you don't trust Joel not to do something to warrant getting shot at. You pause at the door with your hand on the knob. "Joel... don't do anything, okay? He's cool. But not so cool that he won't shoot us if we do something stupid."

The doorknob rattles on the other side, and you're glad you didn't unlock the door yet. "Ellie, open the door."

"Promise me you won't do something stupid first, like... rushing in here. He does have a rifle."

"I just want you out of there."

"So, promise!"

"...As long as you're all right."

"I'm good! I'm not hurt or anything. Do you fucking promise!"

After a long pause..."I promise."

"Okay." You look at the guy. "Hey. What's your name?"

He smiles a little. Like maybe he's touched that you asked. "Jackson."

"...Jackson? Really? That's so funny! That's the--"

"Ellie, open the goddamn door!"

"Okay okay -- just chill." Dude doesn't need to know where we live, anyway...

You turn the lock, open the door, and try to fling your arms around Joel's neck, but he grabs you by the arm and yanks you away so fast that your attempt is foiled. "Hey, I wanted him to see me hug you!" you protest.

He flashes you an odd look before tugging you toward the stairs. "We gotta get out of here -- I don't think I got 'em all, but downstairs is clear... or, was clear, a minute ago..." He proceeds more cautiously down the staircase.

"We should just go," you agree; you feel like it would be kind of mean to kill all of poor old Jackson's friends. Or business acquaintances... whatever. "Hey wait, my gun was--"

"I got it. ...Living room's clear. Can you grab a bag?" The saddlebags are all sitting there. You scoop one up and Joel grabs the others.

And so you make a clean getaway, pushing the horses to get you away from there as fast as they can go, for as long as they're willing. And while you don't expect the hunters to track you this far -- in the dark, no less, as there's precious little light of day left -- you make camp at a building that will accommodate the horses... it's like some kind of plant or warehouse or something. It's later than you usually camp, and you don't want to bother with a fire anyway, so you and Joel have sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs for supper. It's much darker inside than it is under the moon and stars, so you have a 'moonlit dinner' while the horses graze contentedly nearby. You can finally relax.

Well, you can, for the most part. Joel is still Very Alert, you can tell. And he seems pissed off.

"Are you okay?" you ask him softly, half expecting him to tear your head off for asking.

"We made shit time today."

"What? ...Oh, you mean like... opposite of making good time. On a trip. It's okay... no one's timing us or anything."

"It was stupid. Gettin' robbed in broad daylight..."

"It was my fault," you say nobly. Or... not so nobly, because although it really was your fault, you know Joel doesn't believe that. The man has a fucking blame-shouldering complex or something.

He looks at you... and you can't see him very well, but you feel like it's an intense sort of look. "What happened with that bastard upstairs, anyway? Did he... he didn't..."

"He was okay. Clueless and sexist, but okay."

"...That don't exactly answer my question."

"He found me in the hallway. I didn't realize he was in there... I thought the upstairs guys would've all run down, but he was camped out there at the window like a sniper. He was old. I don't think he could move around that well. Like... I probably could've gotten his gun."

"You didn't try for it." It's a statement, not a question.

"Nope. I was waiting for like... the right moment."

"Good. You might've gotten it from him, but still might've got yourself shot in the foot or somethin'. I'm glad you waited. Wish I'd gotten up there sooner."

"No biggie. We were just talking. He wasn't... you know. A perv or anything."

He snorts. "You are way too trusting."

"And you are way too... not-trusting. Cynical -- yeah, cynical, that's what you are. He was trying to save me from--" ...you suddenly realize you don't want Joel to know the crazy idea the guy had about the two of you. It amuses you, but Joel is funny about shit like that sometimes. "--from those asshole hunters," you recover quickly. Joel might have laughed with you at the guy's ridiculous assumptions, but you couldn't risk him getting all mopey about how the guy is actually right, he is taking advantage of you, blah blah blah.

"From his own men?" Joel is naturally skeptical.

"Yeah. He doesn't seem to like them very much. He didn't call them friends, he said they were more like business--"

"So he was playin' the hero."

"Not playing... I think he was serious."

"Real stand-up guy. Callin' dibs on you for himself."

"He didn't call dibs," you scoff. You lean into him with your shoulder, hard enough to budge him a little. "You're just jealous."

"...Me, jealous? Of a goddamn hunter?"

"He was a nice hunter. I think you don't like me defending him," you challenge.

"What I don't like is you thinkin' that everyone out here wants to be your friend."

"I don't think that!"

"We ain't in Jackson no more."

"No shit! Even people in Jackson don't all--"

"Keep your voice down, for chrissakes."

You obligingly lower the volume. "I don't think that, okay? But it's not my fault people are nicer to me than they are to you. What can I say? I'm just so fucking lovable," you tease.

He tries to disguise it as chewing or swallowing noise, but you're pretty sure he's chuckling to himself. He clears his throat. "Bein' lovable won't necessarily save you. Some people--"

"Oh, save it, Joel." You playfully lean into him again. "You wish you were half as lovable as me."

He snorts. "You got me. I'm green with envy."

"I knew it! But you know what? I'm glad you're not. I mean... not obviously that way. It's like... I have special powers. Only I can unlock your... lovableness."

He leans over and gives you a little kiss -- while your mouth is full, so you can't even really kiss back. "You do have special powers. Only you."

You're glad his mood seems to be lifting (that's another special power you pride yourself on). "To be honest, though... I didn't even do anything like... charming or whatever. He just found me there, looking downstairs... and told me to come in the room."

"Mm. That wouldn't've happened to me."

"You think he would've just shot you? I guess being young has its advantages sometimes, huh."

"No, I mean I wouldn't've assumed there was no one left upstairs an' let him sneak up on me like that. But yes, if given the same opportunity, I doubt he'd care to... ~save me from the other hunters.~

"I was gonna search the floor," you say defensively, "but I was worried about you being down there with three of them so close..."

"Uh-huh." He doesn't believe you!

"Really!"

"It was two -- the one was already disposed of."

"Whatever. If you were discovered, I was gonna help you out. I was distracted."

"So it's my fault, is it?"

"Of course." You grin. "I mean, everything else that ever goes wrong is, so why not this, too?"

"You're absolutely right. It is my fault. I obviously... have not instilled in you the importance of makin' sure the area around you--"

"Yeah yeah. Oh God... I just bought myself another set of lectures, didn't I. This counts as one. How many more times do you have to tell me before you're done?"

"Uh... a lecture would consist of more than one-- not even one sentence... a half-finished sentence."

"So this doesn't even count?!"

"...I'll give you partial credit for the course. How's that. And... I'll let you pick up some extra credit work to make up the difference."

"Extra? How is that a good thing?"

"Well... 'cause it don't necessarily have to be the same subject matter, see. I'll even let you choose."

"Anything I want?"

"Anything you want."

You've picked up a playful note in his voice... flirtatious, maybe? (You're not really sure of the difference sometimes.) "Sooooooo... okay. I got it. Sex ed. And not just diagrams of male and female reproductive systems and like... awkward descriptions of puberty and stuff."

"So they still teach that in school. That's good, I s'pose."

"Yeah -- in Boston they did, anyway. I think Jackson does too?" You're too old for Jackson's school system; the only people your age who go to school are ones who never went as kids. "And I don't mean that shit. I want it to be actual sex."

"Done."

He said it so fast that you're sure he's not getting it. "No, I mean... not just a lecture. Not just telling me what goes where, or..."

"You want a practical demonstration."

"Yeah!" He DOES get it!

"Done."

Yeah right! "...with you."

"Who else would it be with?" he chuckles.

"Right, right... okay! So... what's the catch."

"No catch."

Your heart really wants to jump for joy at these words, but... there has to be a fucking catch! "Quit fucking with me, Joel."

"I ain't fuckin' with you," he says... in what is very much his I'm-just-fucking-with-you voice.

"Yeah you are. You're saying... when we go to bed..."

"There's no bed in there, so no. ...Unsuitable conditions."

"When we get home, then?"

"...After we get home, yes."

"First night back?" you press him.

He finishes his last bite of sandwich, leaving you temporarily in suspense. And then... you realize you know what the catch is going to be, just before he says it--

"Nope, sorry. This class don't start 'til 2037. You're welcome to study on your own time 'til-- hey! Easy--"

You nearly knock him over with your playful slugging -- and you feel like if you were at home (or maybe even just inside the building), he would have let you knock him into the ground... let you climb on top of him... but even in his more relaxed state, he's still a little too on edge for that out in the open. He does hug you to his side, however... if only to get you to stop.

"You're mean," you inform him.

"I am. I love you, though..."

"I love you too," you grumble. "Sometimes."

"But not right now?"

"Um... let's go inside and I'll... think it over and let you know. Eventually. If you're nice."

"Fair enough. Anything I can do to help my chances?"

"What a great question! There is, actually."

"Name it."

"You can... give me a preview of your class."

"Mm. Does it have to be the sex one?"

"Yes," you groan. Jeez!

"Done."

"...No, quit saying that -- you haven't even started. I'll be the judge of when you're done," you tease him.

"Yes ma'am."

Awesome! I like this! Now how far should I take things...


THE END



P.S. You do indeed decide that 'right now' is one of the 'sometimes' that you love Joel, but you don't divulge that information until he's pretty much ready to pass out. And yes, you both had a very enjoyable evening :)

If you'd like to start another adventure, return to page 1.

Comments

Carlos

[(Anonymous)]

Nice ending... what happens with the old guy? and why he was with those hunters if he doesn't like them?

Re: Carlos

[luminations.livejournal.com]

Who knows :) I don't remember the details of this one but can speculate. As far as why is he with them, could be a couple things... I don't think ppl have to be besties to team up. They realize it's hard to make it alone. Could be kinda like family...where you're stuck with who you get whether you like it or not. Maybe he likes them more than he lets on to Ellie. Or maybe he's just angry but deep down he cares. You can decide for yourself since this isn't part of the would-be sequel, haha. Glad you liked it :)