𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 ≡ Joel Dawson (Pt. 2 on hold)

𝟏𝟎 ∘ crazy

Just someone he met along the way.

She didn't know what she expected him to say. Hey girl I used to date, I met this new girl and wouldn't you know? We really hit it off.

The thought was fucking ridiculous.

Delilah continued to turn the pages of the sketchbook, seeing monster after monster. What did Minnow expect her to find in here?

"I mean, he has a girlfriend," Delilah sighed to Boy, who just made a confused whining noise. "I told myself I was doing this for Arlo and followed him out here. He has a fucking girlfriend, and I really thought that for some reason, he might. . ."

Her words fizzled as she reached one of the most recent drawings in the sketchbook. Drawn in different colours across the page, were sketches of a person - someone who Delilah immediately recognised as herself.

There were three different pictures, one of her staring forward, another of her looking off into the distance, and another of her smiling. She bit her lip as she looked at the sketches, feeling her heart beating heavily in her chest.

Joel had drawn pictures of her in his sketchbook.

When she heard footsteps, she quickly shut the book and slid it into her own backpack. Glancing up, she saw Joel carrying Mav1s from the motel room, placing her on a couch a couple of metres away.

Boy got up from his seat, jogging away to sniff about. Delilah stayed put, realising that Joel hadn't noticed she was out here with them. Maybe he thought she'd gone into one of the other rooms.

"Is something troubling you, Joel?" Mav1s asked the boy as he sat beside her on the couch. "You can tell me anything, as I am an empathetic listener. Also, my memory banks will be permanently erased in 14 minutes."

Joel sighed in thought, turning to look at Mav1s, "You know that feeling where you just completely put yourself out there? You know? And you're so sure of it. And. . . right when you're about to cross the finish line, you just think is this the dumbest. . . thing I ever could've done?"

Delilah felt her heart lurch; it was as if Joel had known what she was thinking and feeling and had just said it.
But it also made her think, maybe his talk with Aimee hadn't gone too well.

Maybe the strangeness she'd heard in Aimee's tone hadn't just been wishful thinking or her imagination.

"I don't think it's dumb, Joel," Mav1s said, making her eyes into the shape of hearts. "I think it's romantic."

"Right, see? Yeah, okay, you get it. Romantic, that's what- yeah."

Mav1s shifted her eyes back to normal, "Do not give up on your quest, Joel. When you see her, she will appreciate the grand romantic gesture implied by your journey and be moved by your kindness and leadership qualities."

"Thanks, Mav1s," he said softly.

The robot continued, "Another option is that Aimee will not see those qualities in you and you will have travelled a great distance only to be met with disappointment. Perhaps you will have learned valuable lessons along the way?"

"Okay."

"Or maybe, you will have realised that sometimes it's the journey that matters and not the destination."

Joel found his mind drift to Delilah at his words. The journey - she had been with him this whole way, trusting him and believing in him. She smiled at him, laughed at his jokes, helped him to be brave, called him on his bullshit, made him feel like a better person.

She might have been the best part of the journey so far. Not might have. She was.

But then there was Aimee.