First, I want to start this with thanking and crediting Lumy12, who allowed me to use three of her OCs from her fanfic Accretion in this. Annie, Clicker/Cordy and Jacob are great characters, and it was an honor to work with them. Accretion is a great read, even if like me you're not a Joellie fan, it is still worth reading.

And, now onto the story notes; This is a semi-prequel to Survivor's Guilt. In the fact that it is set during that lost year they lived in Jackson County, before the plot begins. This won't be anything more than a one-shot. I have put in a few little gems, tying it into Survivor's Guilt. Can you spot them all?

I hope you are all having a happy new year!

FIREWORKS

Watching the fizzling sparkler glitter with such pretty colors, Ellie tried to write her name before it burned out. One of her dearest friends had told her, if she managed to write out her name in the air before it disappeared. So far, all she had managed to reach was the second "L."

Fireworks went screeching into the air and exploded into a ball of crackling light. Hearing the first firework scared the shit out of Ellie the first time. Slowly, with each awesome firework, she was getting used to it. Noticing nuances she never noticed before, such as one looked like a flower, or another exploded in a cluster together that looked like a heart.

After each one, she excitedly jumped off the pile of boxes they were using for a bench, and shouted, "Holy shit, Joel, look at that one! It looks like a star! Did you see that?"

Each time, Joel would let out a chuckle and say, "I did, Kiddo."

They were not the only ones enjoying the festivities. Everyone in the whole compound to enjoy the display. Some brought food, or gifts to give out to kids. Even the men and women on wall guard duty took the time to watch, in between shooting any infected attracted by the semi-constant screech-pop-boom-crackle-fizz breaking the endless silence.

"Why don't you go sit with your friends?" Joel suggested.

"Okay, sure, Joel," said Ellie, totally seeing the real reason why he wanted rid of her so eagerly.

He wanted to go drink with his two friends from the construction yard where Joel worked, one named Ed, and another they all called Trumpet. Not that Ellie was entirely friendless. One of them walked towards her, holding a bag of popcorn. Annie, possibly the kindest girl Ellie had ever met. She was a good natured farm girl, who dressed like she would be right at home in Jane Austen novel, or by the Bronte sisters.

Annie smiled, and sat down on Ellie's other side. She exchanged a few pleasantries with Joel, before he headed off to chug back a few cold ones with Ed and Trumpet. The two girls shared the popcorn between them staring up at the display with awe.

"The fireworks are amazing," Ellie commented, pulling out the last handful of buttery popcorn from the bag.

"They always look beautiful, I look forward to them every year," Annie replied. She reached into the bag, and found it empty.

"Oh, sorry," Ellie muttered, realizing she had eaten it all. "I'll go get some more."

Ellie headed over the yard that was always set aside for activities such as this, weaving around couples, families, groups of friends, and young children sitting on the grass. She joined the line for snacks. Maria had set out a table, with a cooler for snacks. The stand contained the only working popcorn and cotton candy machines in the whole county.

A perky kid named Cordyceps, who went by Clicker these days, ran towards her enthusiastically shouting, "Ellie!" If there was a single working arcade game or games console in the compound, he had played it, completed every game, and set the high score. "Aren't the fireworks awesome!?"

"Totally," Ellie agreed.

"Are you getting snacks?" Clicker asked.

Ellie nodded. "Yep, Clicker, that is why I'm standing here. Got to get some popcorn."

Clicker had quite a crush on Ellie, and she certainly didn't reciprocate. She thought he was a good kid, and liked to play the arcade games with him. All platonic, and nothing else. Especially not to date him or kiss him—though, it was not through lack of trying on Clicker's part, after his failed attempt to kiss her at Christmas, using plastic mistletoe. If Joel hadn't walked in, and scared the shit out of him, he might have gotten away with it too.

"Have you spelled your name in sparkles, yet?" he asked.

Ellie shook her head. "Not yet."

"I managed to spell "Cordy." That counts! I made my wish…"

She could guess what his wish would be, and he wasn't getting it.

"Hello, Ellie," said Maria, as she finally made it to the table.

"Hey, Maria," she replied.

Tommy was helping out, passing out fruit juice for kids, beer for the adults. He was in the process of giving a jar of juice to a guy Annie used to date. Jacob, the cheater, tried being all nice to her, but was met with a cold hard stink eye from Ellie, followed by the cold shoulder.

"More cotton candy and orange juice?" Maria asked.

"Not this time," Ellie replied, totally ignoring Jacob hoping he would turn around and fuck off already. "I ate all Annie's popcorn, can I get another?"

"Sure. How about I give you two bags?"

"I thought we only get one bag per person," she replied, confused. Corn kernels were still rationed after all.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," said Maria, giving her a wink. Ellie was liked the niece she never had.

When Ellie returned to Annie, with the popcorn and two jars of juice, her friend had just finished spelling out her name in sparkles. She closed her eyes to make a wish. The man handing the sparklers out gave one to Ellie and lit it for her. Alas, she couldn't spell out ELLIE.

She sat down on the box, her arms around her torso, shivering. The air was chilly, and her coat was failing to lock in the warmth against her petite frame. Some people were in the process of building a bonfire, and Ellie was drawn to it quite literally like a moth to a flame. Her hands were stretched out, soaking up the warmth engulfing her, the moment the pile of wood burst into flames.

That would be a good thing to wish for, Ellie thought to herself, heat to always keep her warm.

Wishes for heat disappeared twenty minutes later, when she found herself sweating profusely and had to step right back out in the cold again. Annie had already gone off somewhere to sit with her family, and Clicker was nowhere to be seen. Joel was in the process of collecting his third—and last as Tommy was pretty firm on no more than three mugs of beer per person, to avoid anyone causing a ruckus, and spoiling the fun for everyone.

If she had celebrated new years back in Boston, maybe none of this would be such an alien concept. In the prep school, it was bed by nine, and at some point in the day someone might mention that it was a new month or year. Each "announcement" was met with a shrug, and an indifferent "Oh."

As the clock approached eleven, the air was buzzing with excitement at the prospect of a whole new year, where just about anything could happen. Ellie found herself leaving the crowd to get some quiet. She stopped near a rotted out car parked on the sidewalk. One of her friends from school was sat on the hood, drinking a beer. The girl was only sixteen—in the same class as Annie in school, as a matter of fact. Hispanic. Long black hair, that was always perfectly straight and a little greasy. Brown eyes that Ellie could get lost in. Always wore leather, like some kind of biker greaser chick.

"Hi, Toni," said Ellie, climbing up on the hood beside her.

"Oh, hey, Ellie. Enjoying all the games? Eating popcorn, and making wishes?" said Toni, offering her a sip of the beer which she declined.

"Actually, the popcorn is pretty good," Ellie muttered.

"I know, it is like fucking ambrosia. I keep sending that Clicker kid to get some more." Toni jokingly added, "I promised him you'd date him, if he got some cotton candy."

"Oh, shut up," Ellie replied, giving her a playful shove. "How did you get beer?"

Toni shrugged. "Dunno, some guy passed it to me."

"Okay, you got a convincing excuse. How did you really get it?"

"Some guy I know is off the booze. Said he'd give me his beer rations, if I deliver some stuff to a couple of friends of his from up near Boston."

"You're leaving?" Ellie asked, more than a little disappointed.

"Yeah. Once this party breaks up, I'm hitting the road. I can't spend another year in this place, Ellie, I'm going crazy. The road is calling, and I got to answer."

"But, don't you want to finish school?" Her question was responded to with a snort, so Ellie chose to change tactics. "But you're one of few kids that knows how to fix an engine, if we can get cars working, the compound can get bigger."

"Ellie," said Toni, pausing to look her in the eyes. "There is more to life than this godforsaken place. You should know that better than anyone. I've made my mind up, and I'm going."

"Okay, understand. One day, could you come back, and tell me what I'm missing out on? Make me feel really jealous, that you're out there fighting infected, and I'm stuck here for two more years. Or forever, if Joel won't agree to leave with me."

"Sure thing, baby doll. I'll even bring you back something pretty." Toni set down the empty mug on the hood, retrieved two sparklers from her leather jacket pocket. Offered one to Ellie who took it. "How about, a wish for the road?"

Ellie nodded, hoping that just maybe she could get it right this time. Toni lit them both with a lighter. With a quick flourish, slashed Toni into the air, before it faded quickly way. She closed her eyes, and unknown to Ellie, wished One day, we meet again, and things will be different. In this life, or the next.

Excitedly, Ellie managed to write her name. She wasted no time making a two-word wish; For closure. She wouldn't get it, and she wasn't going to kid herself otherwise. When both girls exchanged their usual "Later, girl"—Antonia, "You still here?"—Ellie, it had a bittersweet aftertaste. This could be the last time they ever say that.

Near midnight, she found Joel who was also looking for her. They joined the gathering below the clock tower, watching the large hand tick closer and closer towards the new year.

"Ten, nine, eight…" the crowd counted.

"We're going on a hunting party, kill the first infected of the new year," Joel told her.

"Seven, six, five…"

"That is great, Joel, want me to wait up for you?" Ellie replied.

"Four, three…"

"Ellie, like I'd go without you," Joel said.

"Two…"

"I forgot my gun," said Ellie, disappointed.

As Joel handed her a pistol, the whole town erupted in a cheer of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Ellie turned, looked back to the hood of the rotted out car, wondering if she could convince Toni to stay. Sadly, she was gone. Slipped away, and was already out the compound as the residents cheered for the new year.

"Bet I kill an infected before you," Ellie challenged, walking beside Joel as they headed for the hunting party.

Joel laughed. "We'll see, Kiddo."

"Want to make a bet?"

"Alright. Stakes?"

"If you win, I have to meet you every night after your shift on the wall in that grove we walked through last summer. If I win, you have to pull me out of school and let me join the wall guard. At least until next new year, and we make a new bet."

"Agreed."

They shook hands on it, and the bet was official.