"Why'd ya do that?" Daryl practically growled the second they were outside.

"Because, you were answering for me, he didn't asked you," Carol argued back, following after Daryl as he stormed towards his bike.

"I answered for ya cause I know what Merle's damn get togethers are like," Daryl responded, an edge to his voice that made Carol nervous.

"Not cause you think I'm bad company?" Carol questioned.

"What?" Daryl was confused, the hell was she on about?

"The reason you don't want me to go, it's not cause you don't like me?"

"How the hell ya get that crazy ass idea in yer head? I swear ta god all ya damn girls are psychos."

"Don't call me a psycho," Carol snapped back, glaring at him with fire in her eyes.

Daryl simply gave her a knowing look as he thrust the bike helmet her way.

Huffing, she put it on, clambering onto the back of his bike with ease.

"Where we goin' ta?" Daryl asked.

She blurted an address at him and he took off, arriving in half the time it took Carol to get to his.

"I'll pick ya up Monday," Daryl stated as she passed him back his helmet.
"What? Why?" Carol questioned with a raised brow.

"Cause it makes sense for us to arrive at school together now ya ain't got yer car…plus, I wouldn't mind pissin' mommy 'n' daddy off a lil' either," he responded with a devilish smirk that was almost enough to make her weak at the knees had she less self control.

She chuckled lightly, her smile fading as she looked at her own house, "I'll see you Monday then."

Daryl nodded, revving up his bike loud enough so he knew the whole street would hear.

"Monday."

She shook her head as he sped down the road, allowing his bike to make even more noise as he turned the corner.

The rest of the weekend went slow, the second she opened the door to her house her parents had practically screamed at her. They knew Daryl was there, he had made sure of that with his grand exit, no daughter of theirs would be seen with some redneck scum. She argued, they yelled, and yelled…and yelled. By Sunday evening she was exhausted, the tears that had been threatening to fall finally falling long into the night. Come Monday morning her parents were no longer even acknowledging her, it made it easier on her part, but fuck if it didn't feel isolating.

The sound of a rumbling engine signalled her queue to leave, her parents stony gazes watching her as she rushed to shoulder her bag and run out the door. As she got onto his bike she could feel her parents judgemental stares still watching her from the window, Daryl apparently sensing it too as he gave them a quick wave, followed by a middle finger as he drove off with their trophy of a daughter.

"Daryl!" he heard her shout from behind him as she pinched his side hard.

"What?" he yelled back over the noise of the bike.

"You just flipped off my parents!" she gawped.

"You sayin' they didn't deserve it?" he asked turning back to her as they stopped at the traffic lights, "I can see how red 'n' puffy yer damn eyes are, ya tellin' me that ain't their doin'?"

Carol looked away from him refusing to voice what he already knew, she had rather hoped the makeup she'd put on had covered it up.

"Exactly," Daryl grunted, his head turning back towards the road.

When they pulled up Ed and the other jocks were already congregating around the parking lot, Ed sneered at her with his still swollen and bruised face, god he looked like shit. Apparently Daryl's threat hadn't quite hit home though if he still had the nerve to look at her like he wanted to beat down on her. Daryl's bruise however had gone down considerably, the dark black eye yellowing around the edges the deeper shades of purple slowly fading.

Carol ran her hand through her helmet hair, shifting so she could only see Daryl instead of the brute twenty yards behind him. Daryl noticed the shift and went to look over his shoulder at where her gaze previously was.

Quickly Carol lifted a palm to his face keeping him facing her, the last thing he needed was another fight with Peletier.

"Eye's healing well." She allowed her thumb to trace the edge of the bruise with a feather light touch as she spoke.

This seemed to distract him well enough for the moment. "Looks like shit though."

"My eyes don't look much better apparently," she said with a tease to her tone but a hint of sadness that she couldn't hide.

"Ain't noticeable," he reassured, he knew how girls could get caught up on that superficial shit.

Carol's eyes couldn't help but flicker back to just over Daryl's ever broad shoulder, Ed's chilling gaze still boring into her.

Daryl didn't miss her momentary distraction much to her dismay. Jerking back from her hold he snapped his head around, locking eyes with Peletier.

"Son've a'bitch don't know how to keep his eyes off ya I'm gonna have ta rip 'em outta his fuckin' sockets." His voice was dark and gravelly as he attempted to slowly turn away from her and head towards Ed just like the prick wanted.

"Daryl," Carol urged, yanking at his shoulder to spin him back to her.

His anger built up quickly as he tried to jerk away from her again, he needed to calm down, and fast.

"Nah! I warned the bastard that if he- oomph!"

Daryl was cut off as Carol silenced his steady rising voice with her mouth. She kept her hands tangled in his hair to make sure he didn't try and pull away, kissing him hard until he reciprocated, his tension slowly easing from his tense stance as he backed her against the bike, his muscular arms enveloping her against the rest of his lean physique. His kisses were something she could easily become addicted to if she wasn't careful, even with the no tongue rule his skills were still incomparable to anyone she'd ever kissed.

This kiss lasted longer than the others, Daryl eventually being the first to pull away, playfully grinning down at her as he kept her close against him, licking his lips seductively, "you taste nice."

Despite the probably staged comment it didn't stop the blush from painting her cheeks a crimson red.

He sucked at his teeth, a shit eating grin on his face, "got a bit carried away for a moment huh?"

She scowled at him, no real malice behind it, pushing against his chest to make him loosen his grip on her just a bit. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ed's clenched fists, snapping at the other jocks to get the fuck out of his way.

Simultaneously both Daryl and Carol side eyed him, mischievous smirks on their faces as their blue eyes met.

"Good job princess," Daryl said waggling his brows at her, "if I'd known that me gettin' riled up got ya all hot 'n' heavy like that I may have started it from day one."

"Shut up," she scoffed his flirtatious comments doing nothing good for the flush that was working its way over her body.

"I'll see you after school," she said noticing Michonne and Andrea waiting for her from across the lot.

"Can't wait," Daryl said rolling his eyes, he fucking hated the diner but he'd suck it up for one evening.

"Don't sound too enthusiastic," Carol drawled back, "it's not like we need people to think you might actually like spending time with me after all."

"Yeah I'll work on that for tonight," he grumbled back, humouring her with a quirk of his lips. "Ya friends are waitin' for ya, best run along, wouldn't wanna be late golden girl."

"Stop with the nicknames," she warned as she shouldered her bag, walking off towards her friends.

"Yeah yeah, I'll have to work on that too darlin'," he called after her, chuckling as she glared back at him.

"Goodbye Daryl."