Paul woke up to the sound of his alarm like he did every morning. With a groan he cuts it off and sits up in bed to stretch. While he does, he glances down to where Daryl had slept only to see it empty. Even the bed had been put up. "Daryl?" He calls out while getting out off bed.

"Daryl where did you go?" He immodestly runs out of his room and down the hall to check the bathroom. "Daryl you in there?" he asks with a knock. When he hears the sound of the long turning he breaths a sigh of relief.

"Hey." Daryl mumbles from the bathroom doorway.

Paul smiles and chuckles, "Hey."

Daryl looks at him strangely and ask. "Why do you looked so panicked?"

Paul runs his hands over his face both from just wakening up and embarrassment. "I thought you left."

"Why would I have left?"

"I don't know. I just woke up and you were gone. The bed was even put up like you had never been there in the first place."

Daryl chuckles and shakes his head before stepping past him. "You're a weird guy you know that?" Paul just scoffs and heads in to the bathroom to wash up.

When he makes it back to his room Daryl has already changes in to his clean clothes. He climbs over his bed and pulls out some clean clothes for himself and starts to change right there with Daryl in the room. "So do you have anything you want to do today?" he asks while tossing his sleep clothes aside.

"It uh.. doesn't matter."

"Okay then can I ask a favor?" Paul turns and grabs his shirt to pull on. "Can you show me what you do during the day?"

"What I do.. what do you mean?"

"Well you don't go to school so you must have somewhere you go to hang out or do you just sit at home?"

"Well,.. I don't just sit at home but there isn't really any where I go."

"So what do you do all day then?" Paul asked confused.

"What ever I want really." Daryl reveals. "When no one cares about you, you pretty much have free range to do what ever."

"Oh come on you can't mean that… Some one must care about you." Daryl just shrugs and looks away. Paul's chest tightens as he sees the hurt expression come over Daryl's face. It was similar to the expression he had after calling home last night. Whether what he said was true or not, Daryl believed it. He really thought no one cared about him. "Well I think you're wrong."

Daryl side eyes him. "Yeah, and what would you know?"

"I know I care." Paul confesses. Daryl seems shocked by this and grows quite. "I care enough to have chased you down the street and to willingly get in a fight with you in the ally. To invite you to my house for dinner and ask for you to stay the night. You can't really stand there and expect me to believe no one cares about you when every thing I've done over the last 24 hours was pretty much for you."

"Well then you're the only person who does." Daryl mumbles.

There's an extremely awkward silence between them until Paul's mother calls from down stairs that breakfast is ready. "Well come on lets go eat. Then we can figure out what to do if you like." Daryl nods and they start to head down stairs for breakfast.

Breakfast ended up being pretty extravagant in comparison to the normal ones his mother cooked. Pancakes, bacon, orange juice, toast, and eggs. Paul eyes his mom silently asking what was all this for. She takes a quick glance at Daryl who was pulling out a chair to sit in, then back at him. It was for him. Paul can only nod as he sits down too.

His mother asked what they had planed for the day while they ate and Paul said they were just gonna hang out around town. She warned them the be careful and left them to eat in peace. Paul noticed Daryl was hesitant about eating again so he gave him a small nudge before taking a pancake and putting it on his plate. "Eat up. Don't want it going to waist." Daryl nods and slowly starts to eat.

Once breakfast was eaten, the boys pull on their shoes and head out of the house and in to the garage. Paul puts some foot pegs on his bike and pushes it out side where Daryl was now waiting. "You don't mind riding on the back do you?"

Daryl's expression turns sour. "You mean like a bitch?"

"SHHH! Watch the cussing till we get out of here." He warns while Daryl rolls his eyes. "No not like that but it's faster to ride a bike compared to walking but I only have one." Daryl doesn't say anything but from the look on his face this wasn't gonna fly with him. At least not this way. "Okay fine I'll ride on the back." Paul huffs as he climbs off his bike and hands it to him.

With a victorious smile, Daryl takes the bike and mounts it. Paul then maneuvers to stand on the back of the bike and has to use Daryl's shoulders to steady him self. Paul notices his touch causes Daryl to tenses up and he wonders why but doesn't say anything. "So where to first?"

Daryl rolls his shoulders under Paul's hand then pushes off and starts pedaling, "Well I guess we could head to the river."

"River? There's a river around here?"

"What? Are you serious?" Daryl chuckles. "Yeah it's about 3 miles out side the other side of town."

"Oh.. Well okay let's head there."

When Daryl pulled up to the gate, Paul jumped off and punched in his code again to open it for them. While he was, he heard a familiar voice ring out saying, "What are you doing with Paul's bike?!"

Followed by another one yell back. "Get your hand's of me prick!"

Paul steps out from behind the security wall to find Glenn and Daryl in a tug-o-war over his bike. "Hey! Hey! Stop!" he says running to push them apart. "What the hell's going on?"

"Caught this guy trying to steal your bike." Glenn yells.

"Steal? You're the one trying to take it from me." Daryl growls back while stepping up to fight Glenn.

"Daryl calm down!"

"Daryl?" Glenn repeats in shock while letting go of Paul's bike. "As in Daryl Dixon?"

"Yeah what of it!" Daryl snarls back.

"Paul what the hell! What did I tell you about him! He's dangerous!"

"Dangerous? I'll show you dangerous you little shit!" He lets go of Paul's bike and it falls to the ground.

"That's Enough!" Paul yells while jumping in between them again with his arms raised to stop Daryl from charging Glenn. With their argument at a stand still and neither moving against the other, Paul lets his hands fall with a sigh. "Alright then.. Daryl just.. just wait over there okay?" Daryl eyes him for a moment and Paul can sense he want's to argue. "Please, just give me a moment okay?" Daryl grumbles something under his breath then picks up the bike and walks over to the curb.

With Daryl partly controlled, Paul turns around to face Glenn. "Okay before you start.."

"Really Paul, what's he doing here? And with your bike."

"Alright look, I kind of lie last night when you called. I really did have some one over but… but it was Daryl."

"So you're telling me you blew me off for him?" He ask while pointing at Daryl.

"Better watch were you point that thing if you know what's good for ya!" Daryl yells from across the street.

"Daryl! Just chill!" Paul warned. Daryl grumbled again but kept quite. "But yes. That's the basic version."

Glenn scoffs and looks at the two of them. He then shakes his head and starts to walk away. "Forget it Paul. Have fun being a delinquent."

"Glenn… Come on let me explain." Paul pleads.

"No I don't want to hear it! You've made your choice perfectly clear." Glenn says over his shoulder. "I tried to warn you about him but you just wont listen. I'm sorry but I can't hang out with you if your gonna be friends with him." With that Glenn just walks away.

Paul stands there for a second watching has his best friend walk away from him with out so much as a chance to tell his side of the story. Part of him hurts while the other part is furious. Daryl's attitude was a bit lacking but he wasn't as bad as Glenn was trying to make him out to be. "Hey you alright?" He looks over to see Daryl had made his way over to him with out him knowing.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'll talk to him at school on Monday after he's had time to cool off…. Still wanna go to the river?" Daryl chews on his lip for a moment then nods and gets back on the bike. "Great let's go."

Daryl is clearly uncomfortable about the little spat the three of them just had but he doesn't say anything about it as he guides them through town. He actually doesn't say much of anything at all. Paul tried to ask him some questions like what his favorite type of music was or his favorite sport to watch but Daryl only gave vague answers. Paul eventually gave up and just kept quite for the rest of the ride.

When they make it to the other side of town, they turn down a road that Paul had never been down before. "Is this the way to the river?"

"Well it doesn't lead straight to it but it runs along side it for a little while. We'll pull off the road in a bit and have to walk the rest of the way." Paul nods and hangs on tighter as they ride down the gravel road.

Just like Daryl said, he pulls off the road after a little while and Paul hops off. He then pushes the bike in to the bushes and covers it to keep it hidden from the road. Once he's sure the bike wont be seen, he starts off through the trees. "Come on." Paul takes a deep breath and follows him.

"How far in is it?" Paul ask pushing the branches out of his face as he walks.

"Not to far."

Paul stifles his next question and just keeps following Daryl deeper in to the trees. He doesn't want to admit it but he's super nervous about being out here alone. He didn't think Daryl would try anything but Glenn's warning were starting make him worry. With each step he grows more and more anxious.

"Well here we are."

Daryl pushes aside some tall weeds and reviles a beautiful stream. "Wow!" Paul whispers as he looks at everything. The water was a pale blue color and ran over a riverbed of rocks. It wasn't very deep but would come up to your knees if you waded out in to it. When he looked up stream there was a small rock waterfall that was only a couple feet high but was the cherry on the whole thing. "Daryl this is amazing. I didn't know we had something so beautiful in our town."

Daryl steps out of the grass and picked up a rock to skipped it across the water. "Yeah I found it by accident and it doesn't seem like any one else knows it's here. So I come here when I need to escape."

"Escape? Escape from what?" Daryl doesn't answer. He just tosses a new rock in his hand for a moment then skips across the water too. "Well I'm sorry you have things you feel you need to escape from, but I'm glad you have a place to feel safe at." Daryl still doesn't say any thing and just keep skipping rocks. "Can you show me how to do that?"

Daryl stops mid throw. "What, to skip rocks?" Paul nods. "Uh.. sure." He hands the rock in his hand to Paul and steps beside him. "Okay you have to hold the rock parallel to the water like this." He move's Paul's fingers in to the proper place for him. "Then when you go to throw it you want snap your wrist a little to make it spin like a top. Like this." He does a slow motion version of how to throw the rock. "It will take some to get it right but that's how it's done." He picks up another rock then skips it. "Now you try."

Paul looks at the river and focus on how he should throw the stone. He reaches back and flings the rock in to the river where it sinks with a plop. "Dang."

"Here try again." Daryl says handing him a new rock. Paul nod's and tries again and it too sinks. Frustrated Paul picks up another rock and tries again with out success making Daryl chuckle. "Here let me help."

Daryl steps behind Paul and takes his hand and rock in his hand. "Alright I'm gonna help you just this once." He swing their arms and Paul lets go of the rock sending it flying across the river. It skips across the water three times and sinks.

"It skipped!" Paul cheers. He doesn't notice in his excitement that Daryl is still holding his hand till he feels him let go. His joy gives way to longing but only for a second before he rubs over his hand. "Thank you." He smiles.

"Yeah it's nothing." Daryl says picking up more rocks. He tosses one up in the air and catches it. "Mind if I ask you something."

"Sure." Paul says sitting down on a large rock.

Daryl tosses the rock then another. "Why are you hanging out with me."

"I thought I answered that one already." Paul laughs.

"No I mean.. You have that Chinese kid to hang out with and y'all are in the same social class so why ditch him for me."

"He's Asian and I told you. You just interest me."

"And he didn't?"

Paul sighs "For him it was different. If it wasn't for the fact I was his tutor and helped him pass a class we might not have ever started talking. We don't share many interest in things. Even games. He like's first person shooter games and I like adventure. He likes Jazz and I like classical. He likes pepperoni, I like mushrooms." Paul laughs. "I honestly think we just hang out because it's comfortable and because we sit next to each other in class."

"And your fine with losing that for me." Daryl asks seriously.

Paul crosses his arms and sits up. "I don't know yet." He smiles. "You've yet to really tell me about your self but from what I've seen, you seem like fun."

Daryl scoffs and tosses one last rock before sitting down next to him. "There's nothing really to know. I'm 17, I sometimes steal my brother's cigarettes to smoke, I've been in more fights then I can count and I like to be alone."

"So if you like being alone, why did you agree to hang out with me."
Daryl just shrugged. "Guess you just interested me."

Paul rolls his eyes and grins. "Alright fine. I wont fight you. If you don't want to talk about your self then fine, but when you do, I'll be waiting." Paul leans down and starts to untie his shoes. He then pulls them and his socks off and rolls his pants legs up as far as he could get them to go. All the while Daryl watched him carefully.

"Uh what are you doing." He asks when Paul stands up and start to walk to the waters edge.

"Getting my feet wet what's it look like." Paul slowly walks out in to the water till it's up to the rolled up part of his jeans. "Ahh it fells so nice and cold." He waves his hand for Daryl to join him. "Try it."

"Um no… I'm good." Daryl says.

"Suit your self." Paul said bending over to submerge his hands. "But you don't know what you're missing!" As he finishes his sentence he splashes a hand full of water in Daryl's direction.

"You son of a bitch!" Daryl laughs as he tries to dodge the water but fails and gets wet.

"Oh look at that, your all wet." Paul shrugs sarcastically while Daryl looks over his wet clothes. "Well you might as well come in now."

Daryl glares at him through his hair. "You're dead." For a moment Paul panic as Daryl charges in to the river after him. He turns around and tries to run but knows it's useless. Daryl was on him in a second and holding him in a choke hold while splashing water up in to his face. "How do you like it?" he laughs. Paul wiggle out from under Daryl arm and steps back enough to kick a large wave of water all over him. Daryl spins around so it's only his back that get soaked then does the same back at Paul.

The two continue to splash each other till they are both drenched in river water under the warm late summer sun. Both had slipped and fallen at least once trying to get the other. They even found that there was a deeper part of the river down stream and stated to swim, but while Paul took his shirt off to swim, Daryl had kept his on. Paul had wondered why but felt it wasn't a big enough deal to ask. They were enjoying the day so why ruin it.

Soon both boys are laid out on a flatter bolder and trying to dry off some. It was some time around noon so the sun was at it's highest and brightest. "So what's next?" Paul asks.

"Next?" Daryl asks sitting up to face him.

Paul sits up too. "Yeah the day's not over yet so what else do you want to do?" Daryl just sits there quietly. "Or I can show you somethings I like to do or we can call it a day. Your choice."

"I guess show me what you like to do cause there's nothing else I really do around here."

"But there is something else you like to do though right?" Daryl nods. "Well what is it?"

Daryl shrugs. "I like to hunt I guess, but there isn't any thing good to hunt around here so I tend to go way out of town to do that and it takes a couple of days."

"Oh wow yeah we can't do that." Paul laughs. "Least not today. My mom would have a heart attack if I didn't come home for a few days, but that's really cool that you hunt. I don't think I know any one else who does that." Paul stands up and dusts off his still damp jeans. "Well I guess I can show you were I like to go to study and where I practice karate at. Other then school and home that's the only places I go."

Daryl chuckles and stands up to. "You really don't do much besides study huh."

"Yeah well I want to get in to a good collage and become a lawyer like my dad."

"How good of a lawyer can Jesus be if you forgive every one." Daryl jokes as he leads the way back through the trees.

Paul just rolls his eyes with a grin as he follows Daryl. His annoying nickname from him was starting to grow on him.