Hi guys! As you can tell by my profile, I'm new at this. I'm insanely happy that I've finally found a place to write and actually be read. Through this story, each chapter will probably have a song that inspired it. This one is inspired by Colors by Halsey. This chapter is written in Beth's POV! If there are any questions, please PM me! Okay guys, please review, review, review!
Snip. Snip. Snip. That's the soundtrack of Beth's entire day. Her ring clad fingers grip the sheers as she cut Lori Grimes' hair. "Are you okay, Beth?" She glances up from Lori's long, brown hair and met her concerned stare in the mirror. Beth sighed, bringing her sheers down from Lori's hair, deciding she shouldn't cut while distracted.
"Is it too attention hog of me to say no?" She asked. Lori laughed and shook her hair no. "Well, I'm not one for salon gossip, so please don't think that is what this is. It's just that Shane has been pushing his luck lately." She grimaced at Lori's reflection and continued. "I was doing his laundry the other day-" she paused to think about how big of a mistake buying the little run down house in the middle of nowhere was "-and I found these little blue pills in the pocket of a pair of his jeans. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and figured maybe he was nursing a cold until he saw me looking at them. He ripped them out of my hands and screamed until I was in tears." She rested her elbow on the back of the salon chair, her head in her hands.
"Well, my response may sound a little salon gossipy but you knew how Shane was when you got with him. No one had to tell you because, benefit of a small town, you heard the rumors. You, being the sweet girl you are, ignored them and let him prove that to you. And, sweetie, that's exactly what he did." Lori's heart shape faced scrunched up in a genuine look of concern. "Ugh!" Beth exclaimed. "I love him, though. I've changed everything about myself to please him. He didn't want the preachers daughter, he wanted this. And to be completely honest, my Daddy would probably have a conniption if he saw me." She admitted weakly. She looked at her dyed pastel purple hair, dark eye makeup, and dark blouse.
"No one had the heart to tell you that you shouldn't change for him. You love him, Bethy. Do what your heart thinks is right, but don't let him drag you down if you decide to stay." Right as she got her last word out, the bell rang to signify someone walked into the salon. Beth looked up to see Daryl Dixon walking up to the front desk. Lori stood up as Beth took her cape off. "Thank you, Lori." She said as she hugged her. "Rosita will check you out" Beth pointed to the beautiful Latina dipping combs in Barbicide at one of the stations.
Beth walked up to Daryl and asked her usual check in questions such as "what are you looking to have done today?" "Would you like a wash with that today?". He and his brother Merle don't speak much, so simple head nods were normal. Daryl was a pretty regular customer at the salon, considering there only was one. She took him back to the shampoo station and washed his hair. After she dried his hair with a towel, she guided him back to her station. Daryl is a well known mechanic here in the small town of Bourbon Brook, Georgia. He is judged and outcasted due to his father being an abusive drunk and alcoholic before his "suspicious" death. His death was considered suspicious because he appeared to have committed suicide, but there was no gun at the scene. Beth shrugged off those thoughts and told herself to stop being so judgmental.
"So how are we doing today, Mr. Dixon?" She asked, not expecting an answer. He nodded his head and grunted in response. A minute went by when he startled her by asking "how is your day?" She gawked for a second before replying "same old, same old I guess. How's the weather out there? Haven't been out since 8." After the shock wore off, she was surprised how normal conversation came. As she trimmed his hair, she noticed something about Daryl. When he smiled, which everyone can tell is rare, only half of his mouth came up. Just then, he had said something that made her giggle. That is where it all went down hill. Her laughter radiated through the shop, making the other clients turn and smile in her direction. Just then, Shane walked in. "What's this?" He barked. He grabbed Daryl by the front of the shirt and swung him out of the chair, sending all of the clients scattering. Daryl didn't go very easy, as he stood at least two heads taller than Shane. "Shane, stop it!" Beth screamed. "No man is going to make my woman laugh, except me." He swung his fist forward, meeting Daryl's jaw, his head flying back from the impact.
"Are you fucking high?" She wailed. Shane let go of the front of Daryl's shirt, striding over and grabbing her arms. He shook her hard, her hair flying around her. "Who told you that? Who have you been talking to?" He screamed in her face, spit landing all over her skin. She tried fighting him but she was small, petite. Suddenly, Shane was flying backwards. "That is not how you treat a lady." Daryl growled as his fist swung down, making a hollow thud as it hit Shane 's stomach. He grabbed him by his shoulders, picking him up and shoving him towards the door. "Get out of here!" He yelled.
Shane turned around and glared at Beth. "Don't even try coming home." He threatened. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched him walk away, bloody and hurt. "I'm sorry, Beth, I didn't mean to go that far-" she cut him off, raising her hand. She looked at him, how there was no trace of that crooked smile anymore, blood dripping from his mouth. A man who barely knew her just saved her from potential injury at the hand of her boyfriend-…ex boyfriend? "I….thank you. I need to leave, I think. Wait, he has the car. God damnit!" She cried.
Daryl obviously wasn't familiar with women crying because he looked very awkward. "Er…I have a car. Where do you need to go?"
"Just home, I can't be here right n- DOUBLE DAMNIT I can't go to that house! He told me not to go there. Fuck!" She tripped over one of the waiting room chairs in her panic. Daryl awkwardly helped her up, walking her toward the door, away from the staring eyes of the salon goers. "Is there anywhere else I can take you?" He wondered. She sat down on one of the Main Street benches, biting her lip in thought.
"I guess we can go to my sisters, but she lives right on the outside of the town. If that is too far, I could walk…" she led off.
"No, no. I'd rather know you're with family and not running back to that ass hole." She flinched at that. He looked at her apologetically, unlocking the passenger side of his old, beat up pick up truck. She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes as she sat on the far side of the bench seat. He got in, starting the truck and turning the radio on simultaneously. He had the standard, small county country station playing. He hummed along to a really familiar song as she thought about how much she missed listening to it.
Shane prefers to stand out from the Southern folk stereotype, dyed hair colored his 22 year old head, his legs covered with dark jeans and chains. His usual shirts contained bands that you don't hear on the radio. She traded in her flannels and cotton dresses to fit in with his lifestyle. So an older man would want her. When Beth's dad died, Shane swooped in and preyed on the weak 18 year old who lived in the big farm house by herself. That was until he insisted on selling the house and buying a smaller place, spending the rest on god only knows what. She only saw a small chunk of the money to update her wardrobe and help Shane buy a new car. She frowned out the window.
Beth gave directions and that was the only real communications going on in the cab of that truck, until Daryl cleared his throat and said "are you going to be okay?" She looked at him and watched as he solemnly looked out the windshield. "I think so. Thank you for doing this for me." He nodded and pulled into the gravel driveway. "You're going to tell your sister the truth, right?"
She thought about it for a second and nodded. She decided she needed to get away from him. As she went to get out, he gently grabbed her wrist and handed over a business card. "Call this if you ever need me. I'd love to get another swing at that… never mind. Even if you just need to talk, call me." He crooked smiled at her and drove away as she shut the door. Why would he go from barely talking to telling her to call him in just one day? Was it pity? Or something else…
There it is guys! The first chapter. I know, I know, it was extremely long. But to answer some questions you probably have, Daryl is usually very quiet but we will definitely find out why that suddenly changes. And Shane is a lot younger (and completely different) than he is in the show. But, thank you for bearing with me! It was so fun to write, and I'll be see you in the next chapter.
