[Y/n's POV]
"I wanna know how it happened," Anna Lucia said.
"It ripped through one of our perimeter defences," I answered. We were discussing the recent breach. I had my arms leaning on the table, supporting my weight.
"It ripped through steel?" Ava asked is disbelief.
"Anderson and I released the breach point and vent, nothing's getting in that way again." Tim assured.
"But why did it happen?"
"It was a freak occurrence, there's no reason to think it'll happen again," I told her.
"We should try to stay calm," Ray attempted to calm us.
"If it happened once it can happen twice!" Ava protested.
"How far away is Aimee's colony?" Joel spoke up, interrupting our argument.
"What?"
"Aimee's colony." Joel repeated. "How far away is it?"
"85 miles," I said. It wasn't that far. But it was dangerous.
"How long does that take to get there?" He asked again.
"Wait, you're not actually thinking of going?" I scoffed. Joel Dawson could not trek 85 miles across hell. And not for a stupid-ass reason like finding his girlfriend.
"Y/n, just humour me for once. How long?"
"Seven days. Minimum," Anderson answered him once he realized I had no burning desire to.
"An armed and trained hunting part would be lucky to last 50 miles on the surface. But you, you wouldn't make it past the bunker exit." I said.
"Alright now I need volunteers to help reinforce some of the outside perimeters," Tim said. We all started volenteering but were cut off by Joel.
"I'm gonna go,"
"It's an impossible journey, Joel," Tim told him.
"No, I'm serious. I love you guys," I glared at him. "Most of you guys, but there's only one person in this world who ever truly made me happy and she's only 85 miles away. And I'm gonna go see her,"
Joel walked off and went to his room. He's gonna die out there.
I was jealous. Aimee was only 85 miles away and Tom was gone. I couldn't get to him. And I couldn't even tell anyone.
I never told anyone about him. I had never been the most open person out there. People would think I'm weak and pathetic if I opened up to them. And that's Joel's thing.
I was brought out of my thoughts by Tim speaking.
"Y/n, you have to go with him,"
"What?" I scoffed. "No."
"He won't survive out there on his own."
"Why do I have to go, I hate his guts and those feelings are mutual, I can tell you that." I said.
"You're one of the strongest out of all of us and one way or another you have to start getting along with Joel." Tim retorted.
"Oh, and sending me on a death hunt is going to make me care for Joel? We are talking about the same Joel right?" I raised my voice.
"Yes, Y/n listen. He won't make it on his own and this is non negotiable!" Tim yelled.
"I don't care! I'm not going after my death so Joel can find his teenage love interest!"
"Pack your bags right now or-"
"Or what? You'll kick me out? You'll banish me?" I scoffed
"Yes,"
"You said it yourself that I'm the strongest out of all of us! Kicking me out isn't going to do you any good." Tim looked at me seriously. Shit. He's giving me the look. The look when your mother is trying to get you to behave when your in public. Sly, Tim. Sly. "Fine, I don't want to be here anyways," I stormed off and to my room.
I started packing my bad with anything I would need. Food, weapons, pictures and anything of sentimental value. In the end, I still had room left in my bag.
I walked past Joel room to see him doing the same. I threw him a flashlight.
"What's this for?" He asked.
"I'm coming with you,"
"What?" He asked in disbeleif.
"I wanna get out of this hell hole." I answered.
We walked to the exit of the bunker and saw the rest of the colony waiting.
"We're not letting you leave, Joel, you're needed here," Tim said firmly.
"You didn't seem to think that ten minutes ago," I muttered to myself.
"Tim, no. I'm not. Come on. I don't do anything," Joel said. It might be the first time in seven years that I've agreed with him.
"Joel that's not true! You fix the radio and make the minestrone," Joel and I waited to hear more. "Okay, it doesn't sound as important when I say it out loud."
"I appreciate you trying, really I do. I don't know, I just feel like I don't really belong anywhere. I don't really wanna die all alone at the end of the world. So..." Joel and I walked past everyone. "Look, I know you guys all just think of me as, like, some little, pathetic, adorable hedgehog"
"You're not wrong," I butted in.
"But I can take care of myself, and with Y/n's help. I'm a lot tougher than you think."
Karen huffed as she walked towards me.
"We made you a map," she added me an old brochure with black and red scribbles covering it.
"Thanks, Karen." I hugged her.
"Everything will try to kill you." Tim said.
"Oh," Joel spoke.
"Be observant, use the advantages you have. Your fast and small so run and let Y/n fight the mutant, she can handle it," Ray told Joel.
"Right," Joel agreed
"Don't fight,"
"Don't fight," Joel repeated.
"Let her,"
"Let her," Joel repeated again.
"Thanks, Ray." Ray engulfed him in a brotherly hug.
"You guys are assholes if you get eaten," Tim said.
"Thanks," I said sarcasticly. Joel then tried to put his crossbow on his back. He struggled so I, annoied, did it for him.
"Thanks," he said. "Tell Aimee that I'll see her in seven days," Joel called back.
Joel and I started climbing out of the bunker. My eyes squinted at the sun. I had seen this field before due to the hunting parties. When Joel followed, I saw his eyes widen in amazement. I hopped off the surface the bunker was on and onto the grass.
Joel started looking around. He then inhaled and exhaled deeply.
"I'm sure you've breathed before." I laughed. "You've been doing it quite loudly for the past seven years."
I pulled out the map from my backpack.
"I haven't seen this in seven years, okay?" He defended himself.
"Make yourself useful, read the map," I slapped it on his chest and he placed a frightened hand over it. Once it was in his hands, he opened it up and started muttering to himself.
"Well that's not super useful... okay well, we gotta head West," Joel told me.
"West?" I asked, shocked he could understand the map.
Joel turned to the left and started heading what he thought to be West.
He turned around when he noticed I wasn't following him.
"Nope it's this way, West is this way," he went the opposite direction.
"That's North," I called it to him.
"We'll split the difference. Go this way," he started heading west.
"Ya," I said quickly.
"Done. First decision made," Joel congratulated.