My name is Adriana Lopez, but you can call me Addy, and I hate Daryl Dixon. Hated him from the moment I met him.
Him and his brother were no good, but at least his brother had the balls to tell it like it is. Daryl'd just glare at you, then walk away as he muttered unknown obscenities under his breath like an invalid.
Now I aint ever been the type to just judge a man. But the whole damn town judged the Dixon's. So that made it ok right? They lived in a beat up trailer, beating down each other, smoking, drinking, causing a disruption no matter where they went. They were just good for nothing.
And I thought my shit didn't stink in high school. I didn't really know Daryl per say, just knew OF him. He was a grade ahead of me, and the school's bad boy. No one fucked with him in school, simply because they were afraid of being associated with the Dixon name.
I was no different really, even in my advanced classes, where Daryl's math skills would have been a blessing, I chose to glare at him and whisper behind his back. I thought he was good for nothing. I thought he was worthless, not worth my time.
Oh how karma has a way of turning around and kicking you right in the ass.
I got accepted into top notch universities. Harvard, Yale, Berkley. I got accepted everywhere I applied. But once my mom came down with cancer, and my dad ran off with his secretary, I knew I had to take care of her.
I was 18 years old, and my dad didn't have to pay a dime of child support, so we were left with nothing. Not even alimony due to the cute little prenup my mom had signed before their marriage. So I was stuck.
I turned down all those colleges, and picked up an apron. An ugly little Jimmy's Bar and Grille apron. Thing was, Jimmy's was a shotty place have the time. No one came for the Grille. In fact, the 5 years I worked there I had only seen the big old grill used once. And that was for cauterizing a lost finger after Ol' Butch was in the back cutting up Limes and other shit.
God only knew why that man needed a butcher knife for a lime.
As soon as I was behind that bar, I learned quick. Thats what I was good for. I picked things up fast, and I was good at no matter what I did. So it made sense that I was a damn good bartender. Half a bartenders job was flirting after all, and I was a pro at that from cheerleading.
I was half Brazilian, long dark wavy hair that I had taken to putting blonde high lights in, bright blue eyes, big boobs, a nice ass and curves. People had been telling me to audition to be a Victoria's Secret Angel everyday since I turned 16.
So Flirting got me far, my looks got me farther, but it was that charming personality that got everyone. Admittedly, in high school I was quiet. I was nice, except to the school's garbage, and I was innocent.
One week of working at Jimmy's and I was a regular southern broad. Cussing, spitting, fist throwing little spit fire, and Jimmy had never been prouder. I picked up all the drinks fast, picked up on what the regulars liked, and even what my coworkers fancied.
But it wasn't until my first Friday night there that I had met Daryl. And I had only met him as he came to collect his asshole of a brother that had just been released from the county pen. Daryl recognized me immediately, and wasn't nice, not even close. Not that I could blame him. I was an ass to him in school, and he hadn't even spoken two words to me.
"Just wait till ya see this. Suzy over theres gotta crush on our Daryl." Jazzy whispered to me. She had long blonde hair and bright brown eyes. Her chest was adorned with two mosquito bites, and her ass practically went inward. In fact, I had heard customers joke about her having a negative ass.
She had been a nice girl though, did her job well, and even picked up Suzy's slack. The little slore. Sloozy Suzy is what everyone called her. Big, FAKE blonde hair, orange, and the biggest fake tits I ever did see.Those were entertaining to see on a walker, but thats not of any importance right now.
Suzy had practically inflated the minute he stepped through the door. "Heres muh brother." Merle told me drunkenly. "Daryl, can ya believe Jimmy hired a spick?" He asked and I glared slightly at him. I was used to this type of shit though here in the South.
"Keep it up Merle." I warned him, taking the pitcher of beer off the bar top and dumping the remains in the sink, throwing out the pitcher afterwards. Merle was a well known whore in town, in fact, him and sloozy Suzy had done the naked dance a few times, disregarding the fact that she was practically infested with Crabs. I didn't want to have to subject the next unlucky fellow to have beer from that thing.
"Im takin' you home. So just shut up, ok?" I heard a familiar voice speak. I looked up, and my jaw dropped.
"Daryl Dixon?" I asked aloud. "This is your brother, Merle?" I asked, genuinely surprised. I mean shit, we lived in a small town an hour out side of Atlanta in the middle of the boonies. Im sad to say that Daryl wasn't an uncommon name...and neither was Merle.
"Got a problem with that, princess?" Daryl growled at me, and I immediately felt myself flush. Only my dad had ever called me princess and I despised it now.
"No, it actually makes sense now." I snarled back, throwing the rag down on the bar top. "I'll be seein ya Merle." I stated before stalking to the back, informing Sloozy Suzy that her future baby daddy was indeed up front.
From there, Merle was a regular. In almost every night. Most times he had to be drug out by an angry Daryl, others he stayed sober due to a probation meeting in the morning. He was nice to me, at least as nice as Merle Dixon could be. In fact, we formed what most would call a friendship. I had him come fix stuff for me, and we told each other things. I mean, shit, he even came to my moms funeral, and patted my head awkwardly as I cried.
I still regarded him as a drunk, and a red neck. But no longer was I passing judgement just because he was a Dixon. I guess its really a good thing I decided to stop being such a stuck up bitch, because the day before my 6th anniversary at Jimmy's Merle came in.
Nothing out of the ordinary there. But what was different was the panicked look on his face. And that fact that instead of just coming in and sitting down, he walked right up to me at the other end of the bar and looked at me with a look I'd never seen on good ol' Merle's face.
"Bar's empty." He noted and I nodded.
"Jimmy called, said he's gonna be late. Thinks his wife gots that flu virus thats going around." I told him. He sucked in a deep breath and sat down.
"I need ya to come with me liddol girl." He stated and I looked at him tiredly.
"Merle, I don't have time for your bullshit. Im pulling a double tonight and I have to go to the bank tomorrow because they're trying to take the house for repayment of my ma's hospital bills." I told him and he shook his head.
At that moment in time, Daryl walked in the door, an angry look on his face. "You're wastin' time brother! I don't know why we had to come get princess anyways. She's just gonna slow us down." He said loudly, sitting in a booth in the back, returning my glare.
"Are you guys on the run for something?" I suddenly asked, sending an accusing glance towards Daryl before I looked at Merle, who started laughing.
"People are comin back, Darlin. They're gettin that fever, dyin, then comin back." He stated and I rolled my eyes. "But the best part is, they're bitin' other people." He whispered when another guy walked in.
The guy drug himself to a barstool, plopping down, groaning. Daryl immediately stiffened, and I rolled my eyes. "Are you high?" I asked, looking into his eyes.
He was high, but something was strangely serious about him tonight. Anyone who knew Merle knew the fucker was never serious. "Hold on." I told him firmly, deciding that maybe, just maybe Merle had some kind of truth to his words.
I walked to the man and stood in front of him, eyeing him cautiously. "Hey hun, what can I get for ya?" I asked, leaning on my arms, that were planted against the bar, pushing my cleavage up.
"Wheres Butch? An' Suzy?" Daryl suddenly asked.
"Im alone here. Sloozy never showed up and Butch just isn't answering his phone." I told Daryl. "Im gettin real tired of picking up the slack arou-" I was cut off suddenly when the man across the bar grabbed my arm and dragged me forward, I was on the bar now, off my feet and struggling. A scream only escaped me when he first grabbed me.
He looked up and I screamed again, kicking and fighting to get away. His eyes were milky, and he was groaning, his face covered in black gook, and his mouth spewing blood. But the best part? He was trying his damnedest to get a bite outta me.
Suddenly Merle was behind him, and Daryl had thrown himself over the bar, grabbing my arm, and yanking me back. Finally the man let me go, Merle throwing him to the ground, and Daryl and I tumbling back, knocking over bottles as we went down.
"Sumbitch." Daryl groaned from under me. I was laying on top of him, he twisted us so he fell first so I didn't get hurt.
"Oh my God, are you ok?" I sobbed, grabbing his bleeding hand.
"Its just glass." He said awkwardly, pushing me off and standing. He looked down at me and rolled his eyes.
"Come on princess." He pulled me up, and looked at my arm. "He git ya?" He asked me, looking me over and I shook my head.
"What the HELL was that?" I looked over at Merle, who had the black shit splattered across his hands and shirt now.
"Told ya they was comin' back and bitin." He pointed at me. "Now will ya come with us?" He asked and I nodded.
"Just let me lock up." I grabbed my jacket and the bar keys, and jumped over the bar after Daryl.