Beth sat looking in the mirror for the past 10 minutes wondering how she could get out of another one of Tara's plans.
"Beth! You have 5 minutes to come out of that room looking hot or I'm coming in after you!"
"Why do I have to come? I just want to stay home for the night, I have a big exam tomorrow! Can't you take Amy or Rosita?" She pleaded. She can't take another night of Tara's "awesome" plans. Last time Tara made Beth go with her she left her behind and she had to walk home. Beth knows she means well but while Tara likes her parties and fun Beth likes her quiet and boring. The way her life has always been.
Tara stomps up the stairs to Beth's room and swings the door open, "You have to come! You have been holed up in your room for weeks and you need some fresh air."
"Fine. But only because I know you will drag me out of here against my own will." Beth turned back to the mirror and finished braiding her hair. If she was going to be forced to this bar she would at least try to look good.
"Hey sweetcheeks, what ya drinkin' t'night?"
Beth turned to the voice on her right and stared at the man next to her. He was older and looking a little rough, definitely the kind of man you wouldn't want to be caught alone with.
"I don't drink." Beth replied. She had been sitting at the bar for the past hour being ignored by the passing males and she was okay with that. Her goal for the night was to make sure that Tara didn't leave her stranded, not to pick up some random guy.
"Well then, what's a sweet lookin' girl like ya doin' here? This don' seem like a place ya would be caught dead at." The man asked.
"My friend wanted to come. I only agreed to come because I know she would drag me here against my will if I said no, so it was easier to say I would go and just sit at the bar until she wanted to leave." Beth looked at the man beside her and explained why she was here and he looked at her and gave a slight nod.
"Name's Merle. Don' see why you should be sittin' alone. I'll keep ya company." Beth looked at Merle and gave a little smile, he seemed sincere. She gave a little nod and a quiet "thank you" and went back to sipping her water.
A beer suddenly appeared in front of Merle and he gave a slight nod and looked up to the bartender with a smirk. Beth looked over the bar and froze when she looked at the man standing there. He had long, dark hair and was wearing a leather vest over a black shirt. He looked up and his gaze was stuck on Beth. She saw his bright blue eyes and knew that she was done for. She had never seen a man this rugged but this handsome before.
"Baby brother, meet my friend Beth, Beth meet my brother, Daryl."
Brother? That was Merle's brother? She looked between the two men and then back at Daryl. When she looked back at Daryl he was already looking at her and she shuddered.
Beth heard a mumbled "hello" and a grunt, then he was gone. She watched him walk to the other side of the bar to get a drink for a new customer. Hearing a small snicker, she whipped her head around to Merle and saw another smirk on his face.
"If ya stare long enough he might even do a trick."
Beth glared at Merle and turned around to find Tara in the crowd of people dancing. Tara caught her eye and motioned for Beth to come dance with her but Beth smiled sweetly and shook her head not wanting to leave her place at the bar. She felt a hand smack her leg as Merle stood up with his beer in his other hand and watched him make his way to the dance floor to dance with her friend. Beth smiled and turned back around to the bar.
When she turned back around she saw that her previously empty water had been filled and she saw the angel wings on Daryl's leather vest walking away from her place at the bar.
Beth waited a few more hours at the bar until Tara was tired enough to go back home. The whole time she was at the bar her water would mysteriously be filled every time she turned her back to the bar and Daryl wouldn't be far off. A few times she caught his eye and he would quickly look away. At one point, he caught her staring at him and she quickly looked away but not before she saw the small smirk that rested on his face.