When Beth got out of bed, before she even looked in a mirror, she knew she looked like crap. Between six at night and six in the morning she'd managed to get about two hours of sleep. Those two hours were a collection of her waking up from a nightmare — like Annette discovering her whereabouts — and then drifting restlessly into a new one.
She probably could have slipped into a dreamless state sooner or later because of how sleep deprived she was, but Beth was so use to getting up early on the farm that she found it impossible to even try. So she flung the covers off herself at six-o-one and made her way to the tiny bathroom.
The gas station bathroom Beth had changed in yesterday looked like spa compared to the one revealed when she flicked on the light. The grout between the tiles covering the floor and the shower was pure black from the dirt accumulated over the years. There was a ring around the tub that looked like dried, faded blood, like someone had bathed in it...or murdered someone. Beth gagged a bit at that thought, but dismissed it because she was clearly just letting her imagination get the best of her. It was just a ring of dirt, nothing else.
Even so, Beth thought she'd skip a shower for the time being. All she needed to do was wash her face for now — wake herself up a bit with the cold water. Which was a good idea, because when she looked in the water stained mirror finally, she looked even crappier than she had guessed.
Her eyes were blood shot to the point that the whites of her eyes didn't even exist anymore. Underneath it looked like she might have been punch in the face her under eye circles were so dark. Then on top of everything, Beth swore she saw the start of a stress pimple in between her eyebrows.
"Great," Beth mumbled irritably to herself as she splashed water on her face. She was disappointed in herself for falling apart after one night. She refused to give up, but if every night was like the last, she knew she wouldn't last long. Staring at her exhausted reflection and shaking her head Beth said to herself, "You gotta keep your shit together."
After her little pep talk, Beth had the urge to check every corner of the bed, something she hadn't done last night, in fear of bed bugs. While she did that, she asked herself how the Dixons' could send her to this place.
Beth really did know the answer thought. For Merle, it was some big joke, but for Daryl it was a form of revenge. Daryl had sent her to where Beth thought she might contract an STD from the toilet seat because she didn't like the dust in his shop, it made her wonder what he'd do for yelling at him and calling him jackass.
During her sleepless hours Beth had the opportunity to mull over her fight with the Dixon brothers and decided she was ashamed of her behaviour. She was brought up being told that everyone has a story and that unless you knew it you could keep your opinion to yourself— everyone could use some compassion now and then. Beth found herself doing the exact opposite and overreacting. Daryl didn't knower story, but she didn't know his either and now had gone and made enemies with him.
Beth did feel a little sorry for herself too, but she was trying to do better, recover. Luckily the self-pity was drown out by the sound of her stomach suddenly and Beth realized she hadn't eaten anything since the morning before (her chocolate bar was still sitting in the cab of the truck, probably melted). The lack of food was obviously contributing to her exhaustion and she could really go for something to eat.
Beth dug through her suitcase and found her high school hoodie and a pair of jeans to pull on. Then she put her hair into a rather messy (and greasy) pony. Grabbing her purse and key, Beth made an exit from the room and made her way to the office to talk to Jim.
The person sitting at the desk wasn't Jim though, it was a girl she didn't know, obviously. The girl looked up from the magazine she was reading and stared at Beth, who cleared her throat and said, "Do you work here?"
"I'm sitting behind the desk aren't I?" The girl gave Beth a look like she was dense. Beth gotten that look more in this town than she had in her entire life.
"Right...sorry...uhm."
"My name is Tara; can I help you?"
For a second Beth couldn't even remember why she went to the main office to begin with, but her stomach grumbled to remind her, "I was just wondering if there was a diner or something close by?"
Tara moved her wrist in a circular motion, "Turn around." Beth did as she was told and saw that right across the street was a sign that had Dayna's Dinerand painted on the windows it said Open 24/7. "Anything else?"
"No... thank you very much," Beth made her way out of the front office and waved back at Tara as she did.
Beth crossed the road easily, being that there weren't many cars about on an early Sunday morning and those that were around were parked in front of the diner. She made her way to the front entrance and when she opened the door and stepped inside, it felt like home almost.
Back home they had a diner almost exactly like the one Beth was standing in. There were booths lining the windowed walls and an eating bar with the old men that had probably gone to the diner since it opened (along with the veteran waitresses). Even the color scheme was the same. And just like back home there was a sign that said Seat Yourself,so Beth did just that.
There were a few booths open and places at the bar. Normally Beth would have plunked herself down at the eating bar and made conversation with the people around her, but after last night she wasn't in the mood. Fumbling with her words with Tara was stellar example of how awkward she felt now. Instead Beth chose the third booth in from the door and sat herself down quietly.
The difference between that booth and every other one in the diner was that the blinds were closed. Beth tugged on the string a bit, but they wouldn't budge. She didn't mind all that much however, it was six thirty in the morning and nothing too exciting was going to be going on outside.
"Coffee?" a waitress made a sudden appearance as Beth lowered her hand from the blind string.
"Yes, please," Beth hands shook from the idea of caffeine.
The waitress poured the coffee and chatted, "Those blinds have been stuck like that for as long as I can remember."
"Why don't you have them replaced?" Beth asked, then took a long sip from her mug.
"Gloomy right? Some people like it though," the waitress shrugged, "would you like a different seat?"
"I'm fine for now thanks," Beth smiled at her and mimicked her shrug.
"Well, let me know when you're ready to order," the waitress placed the menu on the table and left, glancing at the clock as she did.
They were probably expecting a morning rush soon and Beth was taking up a booth that could fit four. She'd move if she had to though. But Beth was planning on staying at the diner for quite some time, partly because she liked how it felt like home, but mostly in fear of the room phone ringing…or not.
Beth knew she had told Daryl to call her about the truck and that she should be glued to the phone waiting for Jim to transfer his call, but her telling him to did not mean he was going to. She was a five foot five blonde with a temper, he was a much taller, not to mention stronger, redneck with an even worse temper.
"Are you ready, Hun?" the waitress was back with her notepad out, ready to take Beth's order.
Beth hadn't even looked over the menu, but she knew what she wanted, "I'll have pancakes, with lots of whip cream, please."
"Alrighty, I'll have those up for you in about fifteen minutes," the waitress glanced at the clock for the second time then. "Are you sure you don't want to move?
Beth nodded.
The waitress walked away again, and there was a very audible sound of exasperation as she did. She went back behind the counter to place the order and Beth noticed the other servers going up to her and whispering. It was strange to Beth that they were so concerned with her. In fact, it came to Beth's attention that quite a few people in the diner were stealing glances at her.
Beth didn't think she was disrupting anything. She was minding her own business and sipping her coffee. Like everyone else should have been. Maybe it was her large lack of hygiene at the moment. Could people smell her from across the room? Maybe it was the fact that she was sitting alone. Whatever it was, Beth couldn't particularly put her finger on it.
The stares continued until Beth got her meal. For a third time the waitress asked if she would like to move, saying she'd probably be comfier over at one of the other booths, all while looking at the clock. It was five minutes to seven.
"No thank you," Beth spoke more assertively, if it wasn't obviously the first time or the second it should have been the third.
The waitress didn't bother arguing or making another suggestion, she just walked away. But from a few booths over, Beth could hear the two speak to each other.
The first man said, "I wonder how he's gonna take it."
"It'll be show, that's for sure," the second man added before his words started to get drown out by a very loud, very obnoxious rumble coming from the distance. He raised his voice so that his companion (and Beth) could hear him, "Seven-fifty-eight. Like clockwork."
The rumble got louder and louder until Beth, or anyone in the diner, could hear their own thoughts. Beth realized it was a motorcycle just as the engine was cut.
She didn't know who the rider was, hell Beth didn't even know how many people road motorcycles in this town, but she could guess it was one of the Dixons'. It did matter which one it was to her though. If it was Merle she could ignore him, but if it was Daryl…Beth wasn't ready to speak to Daryl face to face. She wasn't even ready to speak to him the phone!
She would have been able to tell right away, if the damn blinds weren't shut. Beth slightly cursed herself for not taking the opportunity to move, then reached over to split two of the blinds with her fingers so that she could see.
Squinting and stretching her neck, Beth looked out the gap at the rider. At first she couldn't tell, the stupid paint on the windows was right in her way and all she could see was an outline of a figure through a green part of an N. However, Beth was able to strain her back even to finally get a good look.
Beth recognized the bike first. It was the one she had been terrified of the night before. Then she recognized the rider as Daryl Dixon.
Her first instinct was to get up and run out of the diner. But there was only the one door at the front and she'd crash right into him if she got up and left then. The next idea that came to her mind was to make herself small until he was turned away from her and she could slip out quietly.
Beth slipped some cash on the table for her food, so she could make a clean get away, then backed herself up to the very corner of the booth, where the wall met the seat. Slowly Beth slid herself down until she was eye level with the table then and waited.
Seconds later Daryl entered the diner. He was greeted by the waitress that had been serving Beth. She was standing in front of him, blocking him for going to any of the booths. He didn't seem interested in the attempted conversation (no surprise there) and walked right past her. Making a bee line for the booth Beth was in.
About halfway there, he noticed Beth cowering in the corner and she finally was starting to catch on to everyone's edginess about her presence. Daryl turned his head in confusion to the waitress and everyone around him. Then he kept on walking to the booth and sat right down across from Beth. Besides her shoulders tensing up, she was frozen.
Daryl looked from her, to the untouched pancakes and the money, then back to her, "What the hell are you doing?"