AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you for reading and thank you to; Kit-cat99, Tania Ibarbia, DarylDixon'sLover, StrangersAngel, BethFan, kevkye and Guest for commenting on the last chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters
Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics
The Black Velvet Lounge
Chapter 11
Beth peers through the gap of the door and takes a look into the Church. It was empty, not a single living being in sight.
"Hello?" Beth calls in quietly whilst knocking on the large mahogany door which echoes through the large hall.
She waits patiently for someone to appear. Hearing no response, she cautiously enters and glances towards the altar and begins her slow walk up the aisle taking a look around absorbedly at the beautiful décor and ornaments adorning the room. Her eyes travel above at the murals smiling at the angels high up in the ceiling. Her father used tell her, angels were benevolent celestial beings who act as intermediaries between God, Heaven and Earth and as guardian spirits or a guiding influence. She runs her fingers over her father's gifted angel broach. She feels like he's there with her and it gives her comfort.
Beth stops at the altar and turns her head sideways feeling like she was being watched. She takes a few steps towards the wall and stops to take a look.
"Hello!" She says smiling up to one mischievous looking little angel hiding behind the painted archway.
"Hello!" Comes a deep voice greeting her.
Beth jumps grabbing her purse strap. When she turns around, a body rises from an open casket. She lets out a piercing scream as she swings hard and fast whacking the body and throws in a tight fisted punch or two once the body sits up. Big hands jumping up deflecting the onslaught of powerful purse whacks Beth was inflicting as she backs away terrified.
"St..stay back, I have pepper spray!" She threatens throwing another punch.
"Ouwwchhhhh!" Yells the same voice but much deeper "I mean you no harm!"
Beth opens her eyes recognising the voice. They widen in absolute mortification, her purse drops out of her hands as they fly up covering her mouth as she mumbles an apology.
"Father Tyreese!" Beth finally squeaks breathlessly clutching her chest now with one hand feeling like her heart was going to jump out.
Seeing the large man trying to move, struggling to get up – Beth rushes over helping him up.
"Thank you!" Tyreese says as Beth takes his arm and puts it over her shoulder to lean on for support. He lets out a groan twitching his nose whilst searching his pockets.
"I'm so, so, sorryyyyy!" Beth says apologetically helping Tyreese take a seat in the front pew "You scared the living daylights out of me, I thought…" Beth says looking over at the open casket frowning and closes her mouth.
Beth thought he had come back from the dead and that had to be one of the silliest notions she had thought. She blames Jesus and Glenn for movie nights. No more zombie movie marathons of Shaun of the Dead, I am Legend, World War Z just to name a few. She lets out a long heavy breathe wiping the beads of sweat that had formed above her upper lip "So sorry." She says sadly feeling like an idiot.
"No Beth, I had it coming!" Tyreese insists patting her arm and giving her a forgiving smile. He taps down on the bench gesturing for her to take a seat beside him.
Beth slips down next to him staring at the open casket confusedly. Tyreese follows Beth's gaze and then shuts his eyes massaging them in circular motions as he leans forward, elbows on his knees trying not to laugh as he proceeds to blow his nose into his handkerchief.
"Please forgive me, I have this friend, says that it was the most comfortable makeshift bed he'd slept in and it was buggin' me all last night how that could be! I knew there was a casket in the building and I had to give it a try and god only knows what his back is made out of?!" His forehead rises "It's the most uncomfortable place I've slept even with the cushioning padding I have all over my body!" Tyreese now chuckles poking his belly "Too many takeout dinners!" He admits flashing his big pearly white toothy grin.
"Who on earth sleeps in a casket?" Beth mutters in disbelief looking at Tyreese like he was insane.
"A friend has been known to!" Tyreese says straight faced "I know, he's a character!" He shrugs when Beth's brows arch up and he just nods.
"I bet he is or he's pulling your leg...I'd like to meet this friend!" Beth allows herself to giggle covering her face now and Tyreese joins her when he sees Beth finally relaxing and able to laugh at herself "You gave me such a fright!" She says taking a relived sigh slipping down, tilting her head back on the headrest and looking up at the angels smiling down at her.
"Sorry!" He apologises.
"You're lucky I didn't have a sharp object, I'd have plunged it deep into your skull!" Beth jokes and he slides away on the bench and comes back laughing.
"Can we keep this strictly between us?" Tyreese asks looking around over each shoulder "If it got out," He says staring into the distance "Ya can only imagine what'll happen to my street cred!" He raises a brow turning his face back to Beth who sits back up "Thumbelina beats up The BFG would be what they'd print in the paper!" He makes up the headline which makes Beth giggle some more, her laughter filling the Church.
"Deal, I never want anyone to find out I went all gangster and hit a man of the cloth anyways!" Beth shakes her head as her laughter settles down but making Tyreese burst out into roaring laughter "That's what Glenn, my brother-in-law would broadcast to everyone we know, if he ever found out!" Beth informs him "As much as he cheers me on, he loves to tease me more, sweet mischievous Glenn." She smiles.
"The women folk who bake me sweet and savoury pies would definitely come at ya with a pitchfork!" Tyreese jokes as he pulls out his hand, Beth takes hold and they shake on their promise never to reveal what had happened to another living soul.
"I gotta ask," He asks and Beth waits for him to ask "Where did ya learn to hit the way ya did?"
"I have two brothers, one in the army and the other is always close by, you've already met him!" Beth turns to look at Tyreese and he nods remembering Jesus pushing and encouraging Beth to go over and talk to him "If they weren't playing WWE, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken video games whilst growing up, they were inventing new moves on each other and they taught me and my sister some basic self-defence moves and to hit hard and fast! I'm not all that good but I do try." She explains dusting her hands.
"Oh girl - you're good, trust me!" Tyreese says certainly showing her his handkerchief covered in a little blood.
"Owwww!" Beth drops her face into her hands with a groan, she had assaulted a man of God and in God's House and drawn blood "I'm goin' to hell!"
"C'mon, they'll be none of that…it's all water under the bridge…let's go meet everyone backstage, they're all waitin' and excited to meet you." He says leaning forward picking up Beth's purse.
"They are?" Beth asks surprised as her head shoots up out of her hands to see Tyreese offering his arm and she takes it baffled getting up.
"Oh yeah, everyone's been raving about Easter Sunday Service and that hasn't happened in a long time, the little young'uns keep askin' their mamma's and pappa's if you'll be back and there have been a ton of enquiries by the parents…you're requested by popular demand by the congregation!" Tyreese reveals.
"I am?" Beth pulls a stunned face thinking maybe he heard wrong or she had made more damage to him than she thought.
Father Tyreese just smiles that smile nodding his head. He'd seen the sign up form for the new Junior Choir on the Notice Board and took it into the office to show Jacqui to confirm he didn't need glasses. It was more numbers than they had anticipated, they had to run and get a crate of juice boxes and fruit from Carol's store. Beth was going to be surprised when she meets her junior flock at 3.30pm. He was excited and forcing himself to keep his mouth shut, it would be a nice sight to see the authentic surprise on Beth's face at the turnout and he didn't want to ruin that moment for her and the children.
"Let us go meet everyone who will be your new church family from today forward…they've put on a nice brunch for you." He grins remembering the small triangular sandwiches with the cut off crusts, fresh cream doughnuts and Jacqui's famous homemade cookies which were to die for "I'm seriously goin' to have to take up runnin' again!" He pouts "Maybe I can join Deputy Grimes on his runs, he'll get me back in shape in no time!" He muses liking the idea of getting back into shape, he'd gotten a little lazy remembering his football days.
Beth looks up watching Tyreese seeing he had gone off on some daydream. He looked happy that she didn't have the heart to interrupt him. She wondered if there were going to be a least a handful of kids attending choir practice but she decides to just wait and see. Whatever the number, they were going to have a good session.
"You know, I felt so inspired from Sunday, I went home that afternoon and wrote out this Sunday's sermon…can you believe that! Sasha only needed to sit through one practice session and she was thrilled!" Tyreese informs Beth leading her through a private door for staff only.
Beth remembered the talks Sasha used to have about Tyreese and she couldn't help but agree. He was the nicest, lovely and cuddly man she had met. Her only regret was, she hadn't met him sooner. She knew her father would have loved Tyreese and they'd have sat together under the Willow Tree sipping Iced Tea talking philosophy and literature until the sun went down and her momma inviting him to stay for dinner.
She can't help but beam. She wanted to call Jesus and Maggie to tell them to stop worrying, she was absolutely fine. She had been so nervous, Maggie was nervous for her too. She hide it as best she could acting all cool but Beth saw it in her older sister - sympathy nerves, they all had it, call it a sibling thing, she felt it. But Jesus was right in his advice when it came down to it, there was no need to be nervous and Father Tyreese had put all her nervousness to rest and when the French doors opened out onto the little pretty secluded courtyard, half a dozen people turned around and rush towards her. She felt so overwhelmed in a good way. Jacqui, who she met when she had her initial meeting, engulfs her into a welcoming hug and introduces her to everyone shaking their hands. Father Tyreese had been right, they seemed to be really nice people and the bonus was, they did look genuinely happy to meet her as they steer her towards a table.
Beth had been so full of nerves, that she felt sick when Maggie had placed the bowl of Cheerios in front of her, she had pushed it away much to her sister's displeasure who said, she was wasting away and needed to be fattened up. Maggie had decided, she would cook a hearty Irish Stew with dumplings come Friday which made her stomach lurch and she had to excuse herself from the table. Beth now felt famished when her eyes glaze over the spread, beautifully arranged on the table. She reaches in when prompted as well as the others and grabs a large fresh cream doughnut. She couldn't believe how hungry she suddenly became and took a humongous bite and laughs watching Father Tyreese do the same with Jacqui thrusting a napkin at him sternly, shaking her head as fresh cream had just dropped onto his freshly pressed shirt.
"Ooops!" He mumbled making everyone laugh, Jacqui included who helps clean him up.
Beth looks around the courtyard, joining them smiling. She takes a seat when they start asking her questions about herself, her family, her old church, her life back at the farm and how she felt about the role she was going to take.
They were intrigued and impressed with Beth, not many people were good with children and the number of children they were going to be expecting through the doors three days a week was astonishing. They just seemed genuinely interested and interested in what she, Beth Green had to say and offer.
"Where do I start?" She giggles looking around the circle of faces who eagerly await for her to speak and what better way to start by answering the burning question that is always on people's mind:-
"I turn twenty-one very soon and yes, I sometimes look like I'm still sixteen - I get my youthful look from my mother and my old soul from my father," She begins matter of fact and every laughs as it was a question they all had at the back of their minds but were too embarrassed to ask.
Beth felt at ease and conversation flowed easily, she felt comfortable amongst her new circle of friends. Amongst old and young, she felt accepted.
Later in the afternoon
Beth had been pacing the floor of the hall looking up at the big clock. It was 3.15pm, still another fifteen minutes to go before the children started shuffling in. Father Tyreese had insisted they use the main hall because they were going to need the space and it had the best piano. That had confused Beth. There would be a few of them, she thought they could use the music room as not to disturb people coming and going whilst they prayed but he insisted that the churchgoers who were mostly elderly, would enjoy some music and she couldn't argue.
"Breath honey!" Jacqui says as she places song sheets down on the benches.
Beth lets out the breath she didn't know she was holding and walks over to help. She stops just watching Jacqui place song sheets on the second row. She was just about to tell Jacqui she was placing too many but then the hall erupts coming to life with everyone marching in doing last minute jobs.
"You'll be great Beth!" Dale says adamantly looking up by the table where he arranges sticker tags and coloured pens for the children to write their names on and attach them to their sweaters so everyone knew everyone's name.
"When ya look into the crowd, pretend they've got clown wigs and red noses on!" T-Dog suggests as he walks in with a large box full of snacks.
"Thank god you didn't say naked!" Jacqui sighs with relief as it was the advice T-Dog had given to her when she first started teaching the adult choir.
Beth whirls around listening to each of them as they fire out their advice.
"Beth, you'll be awesome, you're just so amazing!" Spencer says slowing down as his eyes run over her.
When Beth looks up to meet Spencer's eyes, he gives her a flirtatious smile and winks giving her a look which makes her pull her cardigan closed as he walks past carrying his tool box. Beth had found out, Spencer's mom who was Mayor of King County was forcing him to do Community Service after dropping out of the army until he decided what he wanted to do with the rest of life. So he was assigned to be a handyman at the Church and Town Hall until such time when he got his act together.
Beth turns slowly watching Spencer climb up a ladder as he begins to fiddle with some light fittings. She looks around abruptly to see if anyone else had seen him flirting with her, she hadn't just imagined it. She wasn't used to such blatant flirting right in her face. Nobody really got a chance to flirt with her with Jesus and Shawn about, they'd always come close but go running with their tales between their legs when The Greene Brothers appeared. Even the men from the bar got Jesus's warning to stay away. She looks down making sure the skirt of her dress hadn't ridden up or her neckline wasn't plunging to reveal her chest, making sure she wasn't doing anything to encourage Spencer to flirt with her.
"Looks like somebody's got the hot's for you!" A voice sings from behind Beth.
"Rosita!" Beth jumps turning around to see her friend and they laugh "Don't!" Beth shakes her head.
"He's way cute…sizzling hot…nice ass!" Rosita sighs cocking her head to take a good look at Spencer's snugly fitted jeans and Beth smacks her on the arm to stop.
"We're in church and besides Red Riding Hood won't like you checkin' out a hot young guy!" Beth reminds her friend wondering when Rosita would tell her what was going on between them, things seemed to be tensed at the Ford/Espinosa household.
Rosita completely brushes over the question pulling Beth into a hug "Wanted to come by quickly and say break a leg, you're gonna be great!"
"Thanks," Beth smiles but knowing Rosita was evading her question.
"Everything here cool, you're okay?" Rosita asks searching Beth's eyes when she pulls away holding her arms.
"Totally!" Beth nods searching Rosita's eyes who immediately looks away.
"Great, I best get off and get those tablecloths from the dry cleaners…drycleaner called and I'd better be on my way…I'll catch ya later….adios!" Rosita kisses Beth's cheek, content to see Beth stress-free, she rushes off.
Beth watches Rosita rushing down the aisle and waving before she slips out the door and then she was gone.
Beth frowns, she definitely saw a flash of sadness in Rosita's eyes and she can only think Abraham had something to do with it. He had been acting jerkier than the jerk he already is. Beth sighs, there was nothing she could do unless Rosita confided in her and asked for help. Beth knows she shouldn't pry but she hated to sit back and watch Rosita get more depressed like she was when they first met at counselling all those years ago. She had battled her own depression after her parents died and so had Rosita. Her family were her biggest support but she and Rosita bonded and helped each other when the other was feeling low. Beth wasn't about to let Rosita fall back into the depression she had been in. Abraham wasn't the best person for Rosita to be around. He had his own depression, anger issues and Beth worried for her friend and sometimes her safety. When Abraham drank, he'd show a darker side to him and it terrified Beth that one day, he could go too far. She needed to speak to Jesus or someone who knew what to do in these types of situations.
She pulls out her cell phone and taps away remembering Jesus and his ploy of sending Rosita to check up on her.
Message To: Jesus
Everything's great! Scouts honour! See ya in the morning!
Love and Hugs
B xox
Message From: Jesus
Rosita that obvious huh?
J x
Message To: Jesus
Yep, she's gonna be carrying one hundred tablecloths from the drycleaners and I know for sure they got delivered yesterday by the drycleaners because…I signed for them!
Totally Busted!
Love and Hugs
B xox
Message From: Jesus
Totally Busted! (*.*) No fooling you!
The kids will love you Little Lamb, do your thing!
J x
Beth smiles as she puts her phone back into her pocket and decides to freshen up before the children arrive.
When Beth returned five minutes later, she shut the door quietly behind her as she could hear Father Tyreese's cheerful voice filling the hall.
They're here! Beth says to herself as she walks over excited.
Her footsteps come to a stop when she sees six children ages of to be around six to ten jumping up and down with their hands up in the air wanting to be picked to do something or another and she can't help but beam at six children turning up.
"Ah Miss Greene, I'd like you to meet your Junior Choir and children, I'd like you to meet Miss Greene!" Father Tyreese introduces them all when he spots Beth lingering by a statue silently watching them.
All six bouncing children turn around and upon seeing Beth, they practically sprint over to her and she's taken by surprise with all the excited little faces looking up at her talking animatedly around her. She didn't know which child to respond to first, they were talking and laughing over each other, that makes them giggle and laugh more.
"I think we have a serious case of the giggles!" T-Dog says walking past holding a wooden cross to the children who all growl at him playfully "Oh Jesus, I'm definitely removin' the fizzy drinks, you kids will be climbing up to the chimney tops and swinging off the bell!"
Beth lets out a laugh and then she crouches down to a little girl who was waiting patiently behind the others, hiding nervously.
"Hey!" She says.
Beth smiles, she remembers the sweet little girl from Easter Service named Mika who had hidden behind her father until he introduced them. Mika loved to sing, when her momma was alive, they used to sing together all the time, Mr Samuels had told Beth. Looking at the girl, Beth felt connected with her and she gets a tightening feeling in her chest. Her eyes lower to Mika fiddling with her little hands. She had something hidden in her hand that she seemed to be really proud of and wanted to show her. Mika un-clutches her hand to reveal her treasure.
"I made you a friendship bracelet." She says shyly "I made it for you Miss Greene!"
Beth bites her lower lip looking at the pretty pink and purple braided bracelet. She was so touched, Beth pulls out her wrist with the dozen bracelets she already had on. Mika smiles and ties the bracelet around Beth's wrist, her friendship bracelet stood out the most.
"It's beautiful Mika, I absolutely love it, thank you so much, I'm going to show my sister when I get home!" Beth says grasping Mika's little hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. Mika finally looks up to meet Beth's glowing eyes and she gives a toothy grin "I will make one for your sister too!" She says eagerly thinking about what colours to use for Maggie "Pink and Yellow!" She decides.
"Now isn't that just lovely and where's mine?" Father Tyreese asks looking down taking a peek at Beth's bracelet.
"Father Ty, I don't think pink and purple is really your colour!" Lizzy scoffs standing next to Mika crossing her arms and all the children giggle included Mika.
"It'd be nice to be given one…it's the thought that counts and all!" Tyreese says scrunching his nose at Lizzy as he walks down the aisle to meet a few more parents dropping off their children.
Beth stands up and sees more children hugging and kisses their parents goodbye and bolting towards her. She greets the second batch of children and then a third. She counts the heads and there were fifteen children wanting to join the choir.
Jacqui walks past and snorts seeing Beth's stunned face which was only going to be more stunned because only half had turned up and the rest were en route, skipping up the pathway and cars were pulling up into the car park.
"Dale!" Beth calls grabbing his arm when he walks by with a stool.
"Yes honey?" Dale says pulling funny faces to the children, he couldn't resist.
"Are all these children here for choir practice?" She asks unsurely thinking maybe there was a Brownies or Scouts Club going on and the music room was to be used by them and that is why they were out here. Beth looks around and realises none of the children were in their club's uniform.
"Aha," Dale answers "and there's more of them to come." He pats her cheek trying to stop himself from laughing when he catches Jacqui's eyes from across the hall.
"There's more?" Beth whispers staring towards the door as it opens and a stampede of children could be heard bursting in with their parents rushing behind telling them to listen and have a great choir practice.
Beth legs felt wobbly and she drops down onto the bench completely overwhelmed. She expected possibly half a dozen not thirty.
A glass is handed to Beth and she takes it without looking up, draining the full glass of water watching the children taking their seats filling the six benches giggling and talking amongst themselves. She feels a hand on her shoulder and when she looks up, she sees Jacqui taking back the glass.
"You okay?" She asks looking at Beth, praying Beth wasn't going to faint and as if on cue, Dale is over fanning Beth's face with his hat.
"The AC's out, Spencer's on it!" Dale confirms to Jacqui.
"Yeah, I'm okay, I can do this, I'm okay, I can do this!" Beth answers repeatedly more to herself as she gets up and walks over to stand beside Father Tyreese who was giving the 411 of what they will be doing and what is expected of them.
Beth's eyes travel over the smiling happy faces at her, trying to remember their names and she was thankful Dale had the idea to make name tags which they would do once the talk was over.
Everyone looks up and to the back of the church when the door bursts open and suddenly a little boy runs in with his big backpack bouncing up and down on his back waving towards everyone from a distance. Beth instantly recognises him as the little boy sitting with his father in the third row on Sunday. The father being the guy from the audience from her bar who had been watching her absorbedly just like he was watching her on Sunday up on a whole different platform.
Beth's eyes slowly dart over towards the door waiting to see if the little boy's father follows behind him not knowing why she should be bothered. She suddenly feels a whole different kind of nerves beginning to build up in her body out of nowhere. Her curiosity and nerves getting the better of her, she feels like the temperature in the hall had shot up just like how it did at the bar when the three men were sat front row watching her perform. Her head moves a side to try and get a better look, try to see out, see if he was behind the large mahogany door and if he was, she was going to try and slip behind the statue so he couldn't see her because what if he was to come up and talk to her. She didn't know how to talk to a man like him.
Beth's face slowly sobers up once her curiosity has come to an end hearing not heavy footsteps of a man approaching but heels of a woman tapping the floor impatiently up the path. Beth's eyes slowly lift up when in walks a tall woman, stylishly dressed in a navy pencil skirt and white fitted blouse and heels. Her dark long hair fell bouncily around her shoulders as she rushes up the aisle. When the woman lifts up her very chick shades to reveal a striking face, Beth realises that the woman must be the little boy's mother, the mystery man's wife who she noted looked quite attractive.
"Carl!" The woman calls out impatiently.
Carl stops abruptly with a frown, his head drops as he turns around to face Lori.
"No running!" Lori warns in a tone so harsh "Especially in Church!"
The hairs on Beth's arms and neck stood up, Mika jumps and hides behind Beth clinging on.
Carl turns his head around to look over at his friends, he sees Duane peering over the bench waiting for him, having saved him a seat.
"Young man, are you listening to me?" Lori asks reaching over and holding Carl's chin turning it around to look up at her.
"Yes mom, I'm listening but everyone's waiting!" Carl complains feeling everyone watching them.
Lori looks up and over to the front of the church, all the kids bounce back around in their seats to face forward. Lori's eyes scan the children to see who had turned up and then she looks over towards the statue and sees Beth standing there looking over. Lori's arms unfold frowning and looking over towards Father Tyreese, she takes Carl's hand and stomps over.
"Mom!" Carl whispers trying to shrug her hand off embarrassed.
"Father Tyreese, may I have a word with you," She asks sternly.
Lori glances over running her eyes up and down appraising Beth very unimpressed and annoyed to not have been informed of the decision to hire Beth as the singing teacher for the Junior Choir.
"In private!" Lori snaps as her eyes cut over to Beth's and they just stare at each other.
Lori turns her head back to face Tyreese who felt uncomfortable looking from Lori to Beth back to Lori. Lori was staring at Beth like it was paining her to do so.
Carl remembers the bazillion questions his mom kept asking him about Miss Greene and he wished he had kept his mouth shut and he feels even worse because now his dad was going to get the third degree and now his mom would probably cancel his dinner date with his dad.
"Go take a seat baby." Lori says "The grownups need to have grownup conversations!" Lori tells Carl and then places her hand on Father Tyreese's arm letting him know she was ready to have that private conversation with him.
"Miss Greene, why don't you begin, I won't be too long." Father Tyreese tells Beth giving her an encouraging smile when he sees the down casted look on Beth's face.
Once Lori and Father Tyreese disappear through the door leading to his office, Carl tiptoes over to Beth and holds up a bright red object. When Beth looks down, she sees a red apple.
"I'm Carl Grimes and this is for you!" Carl smiles holding the apple, Beth reaches over and accepts.
"We're all looking forward to your lessons and I feel I need to warn you now…Duane can't sing to save his life so I apologise in advance!" Carl give Beth an apologetic smile.
"Hey, I heard that!" Duane whines from his seat and everyone giggles.
"I'm sure Duane will find his voice." Beth replies being peacemaker as Carl rushes back to his seat when they hear the door creak open . Lori thunders down the aisle giving Beth a harsh glare as she leaves.
"We'll see!" Lori mumbles pulling her shades down but Beth had heard.
"Your mom's don't like Miss Greene!" Duane whispers to Carl "What did Miss Greene do?"
"Nothin' but caught my dad's eyes and my mom caught his!" Carl sighs.
Beth pushes away the thoughts of Lori and starts her first Choir Practice.