Orange Slices (Joel Miller x f!reader)

Chapter Eight

"Hi, I'm Maria," The familiar-faced woman approaches you with a wide smile. One of her hands is extended outward to you. You stare at her for a moment with wide eyes. Before she told you her name, you immediately recognized her from the photos Tommy showed you. She looks just like she did when it was taken, as if she hasn't aged a day. You return her reach and firmly shake her hand. Her eyes are hard, yet contradictingly inviting.

Nessa guides you over to one of the chairs in the middle of the room. Tommy is sitting in the one next to it, a small wooden table separates the two chairs and has a small vase of dried flowers in the center. As you take a seat he gives you a warm smile, his spirits seem to be up since this morning. You notice a pair of crutches leaning up against the arm of his chair, causing you to shift your gaze down towards his leg. It's been cleaned and is now wrapped up much better than before, a sense of relief comes over you.

There's a small group of people, mainly guards, in the room alongside you, Tommy, Nessa and Maria. The four of you are the only ones in the center of the room. The rest are standing off to the sides, leaning up against the walls, not daring to speak or move. A pit of uneasiness sits in your stomach as you begin to feel everyone's eyes on you. You try to ignore it, but the feeling begins to become overwhelming.

"Tommy told us a little bit about you and your journey, how you went from Houston to Colorado, you're a fighter," Maria suddenly speaks in a confident tone. She is now leaning up against the edge of her desk, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I had help along the way, bu-but I suppose you could say that," Your voice is small, barely even hearing yourself. You feel intimidated.

"You come from the same group as Charles, right? From the apartment building? And before that you were at a QZ?" Maria cocks her head and narrows her eyes curiously. The others in the room exchange complex looks amongst each other at the discovery of this connection. You give her a single nod and see her glance at Tommy for a split second before returning to you. She smiles. "This must be a bit overwhelming for you."

You go to say something, but nothing comes out. Your mouth is unbearably dry.

Everyone's heads turn at the sound of Nessa clearing her throat. She's standing behind Tommy, holding the back of the chair with a firm grip.

"Maybe you can just ask her later? I'm sure she's tired and overwhelmed, like you said," Nessa chimes in, tightening her grip even more. She's looking at you with a concerned expression. Classic Nessa, always coming to my rescue... you think, slightly embarrassed at your lack of being able to speak for yourself. It's like nothing has changed. Maria nods her head at Nessa's request, pushing herself off of the desk and standing upright.

"Well then, things are simple here. The key to the success of the community is working together," Maria shifts her attention back on you. "Some tend to the animals, others tend to the garden. There's a school for the children that is run by some of the parents. There's much more, but that's just to name a few. We'll let you get settled in before talking about your placement. From what Tommy has told me so far, I think you'll be a great addition to Jackson. Do you have any questions we can answer?"

"Uh..." You couldn't think at the moment, you still felt the eyes of everyone looking at you, and you can see Tommy and Nessa both staring at you in your peripheral vision. "Not that I- not that I can think of." You finally force out.

"If you think of anything, we'd be more than happy to answer," She takes a few steps toward you. "As for a home, it's going to take a few days-"

"Maria, if you don't mind..." Nessa blurts out and Maria directs her attention to her, trying to cover her annoyance with a broad smile. You see Tommy's eyes go wide and his posture stiffen, he doesn't move and keeps his eyes locked on the ground. "I was thinking she could take one of the vacant houses in the same area as mine and Tommy's... maybe the blue one adjacent to Joel's."