Title: Crescendo
Disclaimer: I don´t own them.
Note: Daryl and Carol are seventeen. Merle is 10 years older. This is a AU and English is not my first language.
For you life is a long trip
Terrifying and wonderful
Henry Rollins - I Know You
Daryl glares when a kid accidently bumps into him, the kid practically runs away as if Daryl is some kind of axe murderer. But that's life. Daryl don´t go looking for trouble, he has enough of that at home, but the Dixon reputation has tainted him from the first day he entered school.
He remembered that day. He had been so excited, just a little kid proud of the new clothes (well almost new) his mom had gotten him. The teacher had been nice enough at first, but it didn´t take long before the other kids started giving him shit about being a Dixon.
"My daddy says your daddy's been in jail."
"My mom says I can't play with you."
And when anything bad happened, guess who was always the first suspect? One day, after his mum died, he was about seven, Merle had picked him up from school. Daryl was waiting outside alone. The other kids keeping their distance. Snickering at Merles old beat up truck.
"Hey little man." Merle said when he got in the car. Daryl just chews on his tump.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"Nothing." Daryl mumbles.
Merle looks a little puzzled, then he narrows his eyes and looks at the clean happy kids and their parents outside the school. "Well shiiit." He starts the car and while they drive, gives his very own version of comforting words.
"Little fuckers giving you shit ain't they?", "Well fuck that!" He reaches over and pulls Daryl's hand away from his mouth. "Don´t let those assholes get you down. I got your back little brother - ´bout time I taught you to fight anyway."
That day Merle gets him ice cream and teaches him some moves. That night he takes a beating Daryl had coming because…well he can´t remember. His Dad don´t always need a reason.
Later that year Merle turned eighteen and got the hell out of there.
But the next time some little shit teases Daryl about his ratty clothes or the fact, that he don't get a bath all that often; Daryl fucking breaks his nose. They mostly leave him alone after that. All alone.
Her parents are fighting in the kitchen, so she takes the front door, even though that means she has to go without breakfast. When she was younger, she would cry when her Dad hit her mommy and try to stop him. Mom even left him a few times. But she always came back and Carol isn't little any more. She knows something now, she didn´t back then. It will never stop.
Carol runs her hand over her shaved head. Her Dad went ballistic when he saw her new hairstyle. But it was important for Carol, it´s her way of saying "Fuck you!" to all the little prom queens wannabes, who teases her every day; because she's new in town and don´t wear brand jeans.
She stops at the gas station on the corner and borrows the bathroom. She took a bath this morning, but there are still smutches left of yesterday's makeup. She draws black eyeliner thickly around her eyes and decides she´s good to go. She likes her outfit; black ripped pantyhose, a shocking pink tank top and a black shorts. She has six rings in her left ear and four in her right. She´d like to get her nose pierced to, but that´s tempting fate with a Dad like hers.
He seldom hits her, but he loves to humiliate her, make her feel worthless. Tell her how no one will ever want her and how she will be an old maid for life. "Now look at that?" He will say and point at her. "What guy will want to marry a girl that dresses like a clown?" Then he´ll say, "You're a nice girl Carol. Hell even not all that dumb, but I didn´t pick your mom for her brains." Her mom just looks down and says nothing, when he says things like that.
She braces herself for the oncoming day and goes to school.
