Summer evenings were almost as cold as those in late autumn. Surrounded by the mountains, the woods would get chilly the moment the sun was starting to settle down and before long one had to be wrapped up tight to stay warm.

Daryl was shivering lightly as they crept through the dusky woods towards the camping site. Cans of beer were clattering against one another in the bags each of them carried and while this was not loud, given how risky this little trip was, it made him vary they could be heard from a far.

Before leaving earlier in the morning they had surveyed the camp, identifying where the adults were staying and mapping out a route to avoid their cabin. Being caught could have meant legal issues, given how they were sneaking to see underage girls despite Daryl being the only one in the group that was under 21. And thus the adrenaline and the weight of the situation were doing his head in - but only his, by the looks of it.

They could already hear the giggles in the distance and soon they could see glimpses of the fire few girls were sitting around. As they were getting closer, Daryl's heart was beginning to beat faster. What if they were to freak out and call out for the adults? What if there were adults around to begin with? They were city girls, of course they would not be left unsupervised around the fire...

He swallowed his concerns, however. While they made perfect sense, with no doubt Merle would ridicule him for that and his minions would follow. It wasn't long until they eventually closed in enough to stop and start taking more careful steps in order to approach their target.

"Hey there ladies! Welcome to the hood," Merle announced their presence as he took a step forward.

The reaction was a few loud gasps and a couple of girls darting backwards, but thankfully no screeching. They didn't look convinced by his looks, though. That's when the older Dixon slid his bag off, opening it and showing the contents to them.

"No need to be scared. Me and the boys just came to greet you. Little party, no? Let's get to know each other."

Miraculously, that worked and the startled girls would start giggling, few of them being brave enough to start taking the cans. That's when the rest of them stepped out from the dark, inviting themselves to the warmth of the flames and the fresh city meat. Both parties were surprisingly anticipating of one another, and Daryl was scanning the surroundings to see if the coast was indeed clear. Additionally, he was hoping to see the redhead he spotted in the morning.

Having finally calmed down, he took a seat on the log in front of the fire, opening his own bag and pulling a can of beer out. His friends and brother were already chattering away with the flock of girls - good, they seemed to be easy and this meant the peace would last for a little.

"Aww, how come you're not with the rest?"

Daryl swiftly turned his head to see the one who chatted him up, deep down hoping to see the redhead he was looking for. Alas, this would have been too good to be true. The girl that approached him was a brunette but not bad looking at all. If anything, she was ten folds prettier than any of the girls he's known, with icy blue eyes curiously analysing him.

"Ain't much of a social butterfly," he replied, averting his gaze back to the fire.

His answer made the girl chuckle. Daryl had expected her to walk away to someone less awkward than himself, but it seemed she preferred his company.

"I'm Donna. What's your name?"

"Daryl," he muttered, taking a big swig of the drink. It wasn't usual for chicks to talk to him, not when there was Merle and his gang basically competing on who pulls more girls.

"So let me guess! You've got a girlfriend and that's why you're keeping your distance?" Donna made a guess with a wide grin, looking at him with those big doe eyes he wasn't used to seeing.

"Nah," again, Daryl's reply was very scarce. Not that he didn't like the girl, he just wasn't too sure of how to talk to her. Steadily growing more and more nervous, he reached out to his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. After a second of consideration, he offered the box to her. "Want one?"

With another little giggle, Donna pulled a cigarette out. Daryl picked a lighter and flicked it, holding the flame up for her. The girl stupidly held her cigarette in front of it, waiting for something to happen. Clearly, not a smoker.

"You gotta take a drag for it to light up," he explained.

Donna made an attempt to act on his words, but even then couldn't get the cigarette to burn. Another giggle and chit chat about how silly she was...It was kinda cute, Daryl noted.

"There."

Donna snickered and merrily accepted his help. "Thanks. You're pretty sweet, especially compared to them," she jerked her chin in a direction of Merle's crew. Daryl noted his brother already had a girl in his lap and was on his 3rd or so can. Daryl would then light up his own cigarette, hiding the pack away.

They're okay..." the redneck muttered, looking back at the flames. It wasn't in his interest to warn Donna or anyone else of what these guys truly were and what were their intentions. He wasn't much different, he was still part of the group.

What Donna did next made the hair on the back of his neck stiffen. The girl leaned against him, the side of her head now resting against his shoulder. This was about the most contact he's ever had with a woman and given they've just met made Daryl rather uneasy.

"I mean it's pretty obvious what you're here for...I mean your group. Not you. You seem pretty different and not after the same thing," She would only snuggle closer into him, and now her hands snaked around his arm. Daryl was quick to finish his smoke with the intensity of the situation growing so rapidly fast.

He didn't know what to answer, but it's not like his reply was needed. Donna just kept on blabbering away. "We must look like a flock of dumb hens to you. An easy shag, if you'd like. And most of those girls are like that. They want some adventures here and you're giving them that, you know?"

Daryl felt her chest now pressed against his upper arm, making him now focus on his drink instead. The can was draining down faster than he'd have anticipated. "Y'all good. Pretty. That's why we're here," he finally managed to muster.

His response made Donna giggle again. It was becoming rather annoying given how she seemed to laugh at everything he said or did, but Daryl wouldn't bring that up. She seemed like a sweet girl and, indeed, very pretty. The fact she wasn't clinging on Merle and saw his crew for what they were was sure a bonus point.

"That's what I mean. You're not like them. You're honest and genuine, I can tell you're saying what's on your mind and not trying to pull me," the statement made him look back at Donna, now with some curiosity. It wasn't often Daryl would receive compliments or have someone dig a little deeper into his personality. It was beginning to seem this wasn't an entirely bad idea to come here after all.

Too bad he had nothing to answer. The situation was far beyond his comfort zone and while he did not find the interaction unpleasant, it was way too intense. Daryl wanted to flee. "Need to piss," he finally replied, squirming out of her arms and getting up.

He walked away from the campfire, to the corner of the cabin. Probably he should have asked where the bathroom was, but frankly Daryl was more desperate to get away from the awkwardness than he was to relieve himself. Having realized his mistake he stopped in his tracks and exhaled heavily. It's not like he needed to piss in the first place.

Then he would catch a familiar smell filling his nostrils - that of burning marijuana. The weed Merle's gang had was always the cheapest stuff, and this one had a distinctively different aroma. Knowing he had walked too far from the group to smell them had they've been smoking, Daryl started looking around.

"Walking away from Donna Walpole is one of your better decisions," the person he was trying to find spoke, identifying her position. Daryl looked up, the direction of the voice being above him. That's when he saw the one with a joint - the redhead from before was standing in a balcony of the cabin, gazing at the gathering by the fire.

Even now it was difficult to see her face given it was dark and she was rather far from him. But Daryl liked the lower tone of her voice, pretty different from the squeaky, high-pitched ones the other girls seemed to sport. Most of all, she didn't chuckle. "Why?" he finally challenged her statement.

"Gossips. She lives for the drama and loves bringing some up. Had you fucked she would spend the rest of the time claiming she's pregnant," the girl at the balcony shrugged, turning her attention to him. "What you standing there for, though?"

It did not sound right, not from how Donna appeared to be, but Daryl didn't say anything in return. Arguing with a stranger over someone he barely knew wasn't in his interest. "Came for a piss."

"We have a toilet inside."

"So? I do what I want."

She snorted and shook her head before taking a good drag of the joint. Having it kept in for a little and finally releasing the smoke out, the redhead sneered at him, "Little rebel, huh? Yeah, those over there cream their panties over 'bad boys' like you."

Daryl thought Donna was pretty different from the rest of the girls, but the one he was conversing with stood out even more. There was no annoying giggling from her either and the manner she spoke in was more familiar to him, too. That was a rather curious statement she made, he had to admit - city girls liked 'bad boys'? Daryl thought they were looking down at the ones like him.

"And you? What you doin' up there? Smokin' grass alone."

It was difficult to see in the dark, but he could have sworn her lips twitched into a smile.

"I never asked to be with those bitches. Or to be here. My folks just wanted me to get more social, get some proper lady friends and all that bullshit. Clearly ain't working," the redhead took another big smoke before stubbing the joint out and gradually releasing it.

In the morning she has captured his attention with the brightness of her locks, but now Daryl was curious about her overall. It was odd for him to think there was a soul out there who didn't want to be at the posh place like this, but the girl indeed had a different aura from the ones he's seen so far. Sure, she was still coming from a better place than him, but there was a tint of rougher lifestyle to her, thus making Daryl feel a little more comfortable than he did with Donna.

"Big talk there. Your name?"

"Leanne. You?"

"Daryl."

"Well, Daryl. It's best you go back to your new little friends before they get worried a bear ate you or something."

"There ain't no bears here."

"Not my point."

Leanne leaned against the balcony fence, resting her chin on top of her folded arms, "what I'm saying, you should head back."

"Why don't you come?"

"Told you. I don't like them. What, you want me to come?"

Daryl was expecting she would giggle - all of them bloody did, at all the damn times. But even here Leanne didn't, making him nearly sigh with relief.

"Nah. Just curious," he replied, although truthfully he would have enjoyed her company. If what she said about Donna was right, she seemed like the best option if there were any at all.

"Jog along, then," with that, the redhead bid him a small wave before turning around and disappearing inside.

Daryl stood there staring at the empty balcony for another second. Did he expect her to return? He hoped she would. But no, Leanne was gone. And he still didn't get to see her face.