The next few days were hell. Dad had come home from a bender and was on a rampage with my siblings and I. I needed some reprieve. When I was sure he was passed out in his room, and the kids were safely tucked away in my bed, I made a beeline for the meadow. It was my safe space, but I was also kind of hoping to see Daryl there as well.
"You're late." Daryl mumbled as I sat down in my usual spot in the tall grass. This had become my usual spot so much lately that there was an indent in the grass of my body. More than once I had fallen asleep out here only to be awoken by the early morning chill on my dew covered body.
"Didn't realize I was on a time constriction, boss, sorry." I shot back, happy for the company for once.
Daryl didn't respond right away, and I was thinking I had taken the sass too far when he finally responded. "How's he been?"
"A sonofabitch." I responded, using his adjective from the other night.
He noticed, and nodded his head. "I'm sorry."
"Nothing to apologize for." I shrugged. "I should know better than to get in his way."
Daryl shook his head and sighed. "You shouldn't have to worry about that shit. You're his kid."
I almost laughed. "When has that stopped anyone? Anyways, I'd rather not talk about it."
Daryl became quiet, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Instead, it was almost companionable. "I got ya somethin' when I was hunt in' today."
"Me?" I asked, almost shocked.
He nodded, leaning over to close the distance between the two of us. In my lap, he dropped one of the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. "It's a Cherokee Rose. Kinda a symbol that something beautiful can grow out of pain."
I knew the legend of the Cherokee Rose, we had learned about it in school, but I had never seen a real one before. "It's beautiful Daryl, thank you."
He didn't respond. Instead, he looked up at the stars. He looked almost content.
We sat like that for a while, neither one of us finding it necessary to fill in the gaps of silence that lay between us. I thought I could sit like this forever, and I wasn't sure why I felt more content than I ever had.
"I think you better get going." Daryl said as a chill filled the air. "It's gettin' kinda chilly."
I nodded, even though I was used to the chill of a southern Georgia spring night. I wasn't one to argue, unless I felt strongly on the subject. I needed to check on the kids anyways. "I'll see ya around, Daryl."
As expected, he didn't respond. But as I walked away, the rose tucked neatly behind my ear, I could feel eyes on me. This time, I didn't have to wonder who they belonged to.
…
"Are you fucking kidding?" I growled as the bus pulled away from me, leaving me standing in the middle of the road. I had successfully gotten the kids onto their bus, but a fit from my younger brother made me forget my physics book, thereby making me miss my bus.
"Ya okay?" Daryls voice came from behind me. I turned to see him leaning against a motorcycle, smoking a cigarette.
"Just missed the bus." I huffed, knowing I could make the trek to school, but I probably wouldn't get there until after lunch.
Daryl considered my predicament for a moment before he responded. "Hop on." He nodded toward the bike.
I hesitated for a moment. "On that?"
"Unless ya got a better way of gettin' there." He quipped.
I considered for a moment, but hopped on the back. It was only supposed to fit one person, so I had to sit all the way up against Daryl to fit on it.
"Hold on, I ain't got a helmet for ya." He sounded a little worried, but I felt like I could trust him. Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around his slender frame and held on for dear life.
We sped down the backroads, Daryl maneuvering like he knew every twist and turn like the back of his hand. If I wasn't mistaken, he tapped the brakes a few times to slide me closer to him. Why else would he brake on a straightaway? Maybe this was all in my head and he was just being extra cautious due to my lack of helmet.
"Thanks, that was kind of fun." I smiled at him as I slid off the bike.
"Ya ain't never been on a bike before?" He asked, sounding surprised. I shook my head 'no'. "I'm surprised, tool like your dad is crazy about bikes. Figured you'd be on a bike since you could walk."
"Remember who my dad is, and reconsider." I laughed, hoisting my backpack up on my shoulder. Without thinking or hesitation, I leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again."
He seemed taken aback by the kiss, but didn't say anything as I turned and walked into school.
All day, my inner monologue consisted of a 'he likes me/ he likes me not' argument. I had never had a boyfriend or even a guy interested in me before. No one wanted to date the local drug dealers daughter, no matter how normal she had tried to make herself appear. I wasn't sure how to navigate this, or if there was even anything to navigate.
After school, I was shocked to see a familiar bike sitting on the sidewalk in the same place it had dropped me off this morning.
"Daryl." I smiled, walking over to the man sitting a top, clad in a motorcycle jacket and loose fitting jeans.
"Hop on." Was all he said and I happily obliged, sliding on the back like I had been doing it forever.
There was no more conversation as we sped home, a bit faster than this morning. He didn't have to tap the breaks to bring me closer to him, I was already pressed into his back as tightly as I could.
When we approached the 'farm', as my dad called it, I gave Daryl a squeeze. My version of a thank you, and he seemed to pick up on what I was trying to say.
He nodded his head as I slid off the bike. I had made it only a few steps before he called after me. "Forgettin' somethin'." It wasn't a question.
I smiled softly before I turned around. I closed the distance between us and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you." I whispered in his ear before disappearing into the house.
He liked me.