Fighting with Ellie is an occasion that Joel had always dreaded. Her 17th birthday, he got her another cake, chocolate this time. He spent his time, he cared. Joel was more than happy to make Ellie’s birthday the best day, until he came upstairs.

Catching Ellie smoking, getting a tattoo and preferably kissing another girl who lives in Jackson was not something Joel was expecting to see. He didn’t even know she was a lesbian. Whatever.

One thing led to another, a couple shouting until Joel woke up at night from the sounds of shuffling. He woke up from his bed, deciding to check on it, only to see Ellie moving her mattress, telling Joel she’s moving to the garage..

Which she does the next day, moving her posters, guitar, drawings..everything into the garage, leaving Joel alone in the house, well, that’s what he thought.

Rarely, new people arrive at Jackson, but sometimes there isn’t a right amount of accommodation. You, a fellow citizen, decided to give up your own house for these new arrivals, having to live with Joel, a man you never really spoke to.

It’s the next day and you’re settled into the bedroom upstairs, near Joel’s, a bed, a couple of your important things and clothes. You slept the same amount of time- which is really not much -as you did in your other house, insomnias a bitch in your words.

Joel stands in the kitchen, swirling a spoon around the mug he had traded one too many things for with another civilian, getting a bag of coffee beans in return. The sound of the metal spoon scraping around the sides of the cup is an irritating scratching noise, not lasting that long until he taps it on the edge and placing the spoon aside.

Joel turns around while bringing the coffee mug up to his lips, till he sees you walking down the stairs. “Mornin’.” He greets simply. He hasn’t had an unfamiliar face in..his house for a while, only used to seeing Ellie’s familiar face coming down the stairs with a smile.

He hesitates for a moment, his expression unreadable but more distant than the couple glances you’ve stolen at him, until he takes a sip from his mug, eyeing you up and down for a moment.