𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐔𝐬

26. Scoliosis-riddled Spines.

T W E N T Y - S I X
Scoliosis-riddled Spines.

A small oof leaves my mouth after someone—either Ellie or someone about to murder me—kicks my back.

Well, I'm alive. I'm not sure if I'm that excited about it, considering I just got booted in the back.

I groan as the rocks beneath me don't feel anywhere near as comfortable as they did last night, I'm shocked the rock digging into my ribs didn't wake me up. My back is going to be all kinds of messed up for a few days, it's probably given me scoliosis. I don't think they can fix that one anymore. Rolling onto my scoliosis-riddled spine I look up to Ellie, she too seems to have slept, shockingly not having managed to stay up all night with Joel.

"Either I'm in Hell or I'm alive—which some may consider Hell," I mutter loud enough Ellie can no doubt hear. Sitting up I wipe at my face that stings from the cold. The fire's long since been put out, the embers not smouldering anymore, having been stamped out; the only memory of the fire being the smell I am a little in love with. The jacket still laid on me falls from my torso to my lap, leading in a heap. "My arm stings like a bitch, I'm pretty sure my bone is exposed." I pull down my jacket to see the once scrubbed wet-looking skin now seems to have dried down a little. No bone is exposed. Pity, really, I may have gotten some more sympathy from Joel.

A shirt is thrown at me, cold but dry. "Put that on and then get your ass ready, we're actually going to start moving in the right direction." She mumbles words that are probably insults aimed at me after her already snide comment.

Shedding my jacket I slip on my thermal shirt and then put it back on, the whole ordeal is quick and rehearsed because, if anyone wasn't yet aware, I hate the cold. My muscles scream as I get up, spending five minutes getting myself prepared and woken up enough I won't fall off the God-forsaken horse. I haven't seen Joel since I've woken up, so I haven't had the chance to give him his jacket back, and maybe tell him I asked him specifically not to give me his jacket.

"Bobbie, get your shit, we gotta go before the sun goes down." Ellie's frustration is clear, I guess because I didn't die, and now probably won't, she can officially be frustrated with me without worrying that I die knowing she's annoyed at me. Not that I didn't know, I did purposely listen into a conversation that I wasn't supposed to hear. I walk back from where I washed my face in the frigid water, that woke me up.

Now, me also being aware I probably won't die, yesterday's events concerning Joel and Ellie are sinking in. "What are the fucking chances I pick the direction you guys are going with?" I grumble, not truly annoyed, I probably would've made the wrong, permanent choice if they weren't here. Not to mention I don't think I quite understood what I was walking away from; I don't know if I'm built for walking away, I think I just get walked away from.

"You didn't, we followed your ass. Confusing trail, by the way, looked like you were drunk as fuck. Stumbling, tumbling, fumbling, bumbl–"

"I get it, I'm uncoordinated." I roll my eyes as I stuff my things back in my bag, ensuring I don't forget my book on birds—it looks like an interesting read. I don't know when the bitter edge to her voice is going to fade, but it certainly hasn't yet. I haven't heard her be so annoyed at Joel, so hopefully it won't be long until the icy sting to her words melts away and she can be the bright, bubbly, infuriating girl I know. I don't want her to hate me; I can't stand people hating me, I'm snippy, sarcastic and snarky. And, realistically, a bitch, but a nice one. I'm pretty sure I called Maria a cunt perhaps out loud, but definitely in my head. I'm not usually like that. Regret bubbles in the pit of my stomach at the way I treated her, even at the time I knew it was wrong and unfair that I pinned something on her that wasn't her problem— well, she was a bitch to Joel, so she deserved a little of it, maybe not being called a cunt, though. That could've been a bit far.