"Daryl?" I call out after something moves behind the tree's.
The body stops and I walk down the back steps of the porch. He emerges from the woods and the moonlight shines onto his face "hey" he grumbles lowly to me.
I pick up my pace and jog to him throwing my arms around his neck "where have you been?" I ask in a hushed tone.
He pulls back after hugging me "just out. Yew look nice" he compliments me.
"Thanks. Why were you walking away? Come on in." I grab a hold of his arm to get him to follow me back into the house.
"Naw, I don't wanna go in there." he stays standing where he is.
I tilt my head in his direction "okay, that's fine." I let go of his arm "Let's stay out here, want to go for a walk or somethin'?" I ask him.
"No. You go on in, have fun. I'm just gonna head back to the house." He tries to push me away.
"Daryl.." I try to urge him to not walk way.
He interrupts me from going on "naw really Sadie, go inside. I'll see yew at the house." He leans in to me, kissing me on the cheek but walks back into the neighborhood after that. I stand there confused for a moment but eventually go back inside the house.
I find Rick talking to Jessie inside "hey, I'm sorry, but Rick, I'm gon' head back to the house and wait for Daryl." I tell him in a whisper.
"He's still not here?" He asks me taking a sip of his drink.
I shake my head "maybe he's at the house." I say not telling him I know he's going there.
"Sadie, did you get a chance to meet my husband, Pete?" Jessie then asks, interrupting us.
"What?" I question her not sure what she's talking about.
She smiles "well he is the doctor here so you'll be working together, come on, you should meet him!" She takes me by the hand and starts to drag me further into the house. I look to Rick for help but he just shrugs with a small smirk. I sigh out with reluctance and let my feet shuffle to where she is taking me. "Pete, this is Sadie, she'll be starting tomorrow working with you!" She says to her husband touching his arm.
He swings his arm from her touch "can't you see I'm talking to someone here?" He grunts towards her with anger.
"yes, sorry. I just thought you'd like to meet her." Jessie says lowly to him.
Pete turns to me, thrusting his hand out "Hi. It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry about my wife, she can be persistent about things." He gives her a warning glare.
She mouths the word sorry to him and backs away from us "It's fine, it's nice to meet you." I say flatly back not caring about any of this. My mind is elsewhere, my mind is trying to get back to the house to talk to Daryl.
"So, you're a nurse they tell me?" He smiles taking a sip from a glass.
"no, no. I was a temp in a hospital. I learned a few things from watching, assisting nurses out. I didn't get to do any hands on stuff until after the world fell a part." I inform him. I keep looking down at my watch, trying to make up an excuse.
"Is there some place you have to be?" He asks me flatly.
"oh, what?" I ask, not realizing how rude I was coming off. "Yes, sorry. I just really need to get out of here. I start work tomorrow, you know." I try to play it off with a smile.
He laughs a fake laugh "you sure do. It was a pleasure Sadie. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He nods and then turns back to the people he was talking to before Jessie pulled me over. I leave the house, and walk briskly back to our home.
"Daryl?" I shout when I get inside.
"He's not here." Tara comes out from around the corner. "Everything okay?" She asks me after looking at my face.
I try to cover up my confusion "yea. It's fine, just thought he'd be here by now." I tell her.
She nods "Eugene and I were just about to head over to Deanna's if you want to come with us" she offers.
I shake my head "no, no, that's okay. I had a few too many glasses of wine. I think I'll just relax a little." I tell her walking past them and into the living room.
"Suit yourself" Eugene says and they leave. The house is empty now, nothing but the sound of a cricket keeping me company. I sit on the couch letting my foot tap against the ground. Where the hell is he? I ask myself over and over again.
The door opens and in walks a few from our group laughing together "that's not real" Maggie's voice rings through my ears.
"I swear" Rosita chimes back with her own laugh.
They walk into the room where I am "oh, hey Sadie-Mae, what are you doing sitting in the dark?" Noah asks before turning a switch and lighting up the room.
I squint, not used to the light "oh nothing, just waiting for Daryl" I shrug to them.
"Well, we brought back some refreshments, wanna join us?" Tara asks holding up a bottle of booze.
I shrug, not having anything else to do but stir in my own anger and respond "sure." I leave the room for a moment to grab myself a glass and she pours the alcohol into the cup, filling it halfway. I sit on the floor, resting my back against the couch and Glenn speaks up "So, Rosita just finished telling us a story about-" Glenn goes to tell me.
"Nuh-uh! I am not telling it again, and if you say it she'll want to hear the whole thing!" Rosita interrupts him.
"No she won't." Tara spits back.
I take a sip from my glass, letting the liquid fall fast down my throat. "You didn't stop! You wouldn't shut up till I told you!" Rosita smiles to her.
All of them chuckle "okay, fine-" Tara breathes out "why don't we play a game" she beams drunkenly.
A few people moan out of protest and others chuckle with excitement "a game?" I ask raising my eyebrows. I've played drinking games before, but not in this world.
She shrugs and I can see her trying to come up with one "truth or dare?" Maggie offers the idea.
"How is that a drinking game?" I ask her.
She smiles and leans into Glenn "well, if you refuse to tell the truth or do the dare then you have to drink whatever the person gives you to drink."
I stick out my tongue "Gross, but fine, I'm in" I shrug finishing off the booze from my glass.
Everyone starts to agree to join in the game and Maggie goes first "okay, Glenn." she turns to her husband. His face is now red with drunkenness and he bites his lower lip "truth or dare?" She asks him.
"Truth" he says lowly, not sure if he picked the right thing.
She sits up straighter, trying to think of something good. The rest of us wait in anticipation for what she's going to ask. A smile creeps onto her face and she blurts out "am I the best you've ever had?"
Glenn's face turns even more red from the question and Maggie laughs loudly. The rest of us laugh as well, and some of us encourage him to drink rather than answer or to just answer the question honestly. "Okay, okay, calm down everybody, jeeze" he eventually says. "I'm going to answer, because of course, yes, you are." He smiles to his wife.
"awww" I hear Tara hum from where she sits.
"Liar" Rosita spits out to antagonize him.
"Fine!" Glenn turns his eyes to her "truth or dare, Rosita?" He asks.
"Dare" She says back with a large grin, not afraid of what he might dish out.
"I dare you to... Kiss Tara" he comes up with the idea.
Maggie slaps him across the arm gently "Glenn!" she squeals.
"Really? That's your big dare?" She rolls her eyes and sits up, leaning over the carpet to get closer to Tara. Rosita leans into Tara and her lips linger by Tara's.
"Sweet baby Jesus, this is the best night ever" We hear Eugene mumble from next to where Tara sits.
Tara busts out laughing as does Rosita and she returns to her seat "give me a drink lover boy" she says towards Glenn. Glenn pours something from a bottle I haven't seen yet into a green cup and passes it over to her. Rosita takes it down in one big gulp and shakes her head afterwards "okay, whose up next?" She looks around the room. I try to avoid eye contact but her eyes land on mine "Sadie-Mae." She says my name 'Say'DE'Mae' broken up into syllables.
I groan out "truth" and look at her flatly, waiting for the horrid question.
She pats a finger to her lips, thinking for a question when her eyes light up "how big is Daryl?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Rosita!" Maggie yelps from her spot on the floor, her hand flinging to her mouth to cover a laugh.
"What?" Rosita coiffs back "you can't say you don't want to know!" She says back to Maggie.
Maggie laughs, but doesn't deny it. I shake my head "no, no way. I'll drink" I say back to her with widened eyes.
"Ugh, come on, tell us!" Maggie pushes.
Glenn nudges her in the side "Maggie" he hums.
"hey, I'm sorry." she says to him "but it's Daryl." she comments back.
"What is?" A voice booms from behind her. Everyone looks over to the hallway and Daryl stands there with his bow around his arm staring at us.
Between all the laughter we didn't hear the door open "well Sadie here was just about to tell us-" Rosita says out loud.
"nothing!" I exclaim loudly over her. I grab the cup she finished pouring and down it. I stand up quickly after that and go over to him "hi, can we go talk somewhere?" I ask when I get closer and lean in to say it lowly so no one else can hear.
He grumbles back "sure" and I go to follow him back out of the house.
"Don't forget to tell us alll about it when you get back!" Rosita calls after us and everyone laughs loudly. I can hear them even after the door has been shut.
