For the most part, Daryl was sober. At least compared to Beth, who was waddling around the kitchen, looking for something to soak up the alcohol. His ears were still humming from the surprisingly aggressive sound the CD player produced. After about her third whiskey, Beth had insisted on it being turned up all the way. Come the fourth, he could see she wanted to dance.
All the other girls had gotten up, dancing along to the classic country singers they'd grown up on. However, Beth remained on the sidelines with him for quite some time, swaying to the music and carefully sipping at her drink. Daryl guessed the taste had been agreeable with her once she figured out how to savour it.
It was when everyone - including Lori, but excluding them - was stepping along to the beat that Annabelle dragged Beth onto the makeshift dance floor. Daryl had been expecting it that. But what he hadn't been expecting, as Beth was being whisked away, was her grappling onto his wrist and towing him along with them. He played along for a bit; knowing plenty of the line dances they started but never seemed to finish. All the the waitresses thought it was positively riveting. Daryl tried not having an opinion on it or them
The giggling seemed less shrill, but he noticed it every once in a while. When Beth would stray too far from him, they would maneuver her back toward him. Giggling. By that time of the night, Daryl had figured out what they were wanting (it would take someone dumb, deaf and blind to not figure it out). He just didn't know if Beth was in on it or not.
Daryl would definitely prefer if she wasn't. He would put his money on not, if only in hopes of their solely business relationship remaining uncomplicated. It wasn't like anything was going to happen either way.
However, Daryl couldn't believe some of the looks he got when he finally had to call it a night and take her home. There was no way of her making it back if he hadn't stumbled back with her. He never laid a hand in the girl even, yet somehow he knew he'd have to explain himself later on.
"That'll do." Beth muttered. She'd stopped wandering around the kitchen and Daryl cringed as he watched her sandwich peanut butter, mayo and bananas in between two half frozen toaster waffles. He realized that those were the only groceries in the house, but even in a squeeze he wouldn't bother scraping those together. He'd just go to the diner.
Although...dragging a drunk Beth into her place of employment at 3:00 am didn't seem like a stellar idea.
"That was fun!" Beth said, before sinking her teeth into her creation. Daryl saw her eye twitch with regret as the taste hit her, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to eat it.
Daryl raised his eyebrow. He would label the night interesting over fun. "Was it?"
Beth nodded. "I've never really been to a party."
"Really? Not one?" Daryl asked, even though he knew very well she probably hadn't. Which he still found odd.
She smiled for a moment, and Daryl expected a pleasant answer. However, Beth's stare suddenly became very blank and she began to fiddle with her hair. "Well. Yeah. Just one."
"And how was it?" Daryl crossed the kitchen and grabbed a glass to fill with water. He was thinking the blonde was feeling a little sick. When he turned back around, she was perched on the edge of the counter, feet dangling.
She took the glass and carefully wrapped her hands around it, but she didn't bother drinking it. She just continued to stare blankly at the floor and Daryl wondered if he should be worried about her projectile vomiting. However, it was only word vomit that came out when she opened her mouth.
"It was the night my dad died." She said flatly.
Obviously, Daryl wasn't sure how he was supposed to react. Was he supposed to ask what happened? Was he supposed to say sorry, yet again? Flee to his room and let her cry? Although, he didn't know if that was what she was going to do.
"My brother, Shawn, was at a high school field party." Beth continued, not waiting for his reaction and speaking slowly. "He's out of school, but still goes, so my friends and I didn't think it would be a problem if we crashed. It wasn't like we didn't know anyone...but..."
Beth's eyebrows creased, Daryl wondered how many times she'd relived the moment she described. He could see the tears finally building up, but she was trying her best not to release them.
"...there's a rivalry school couple towns over. Like us...they're really into football and a whole bunch of the team showed up and got really confrontational" Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "And I got scared."
"You weren't drinking?" Daryl couldn't help himself that time. He knew the answer, but her low, guilt riddled voice made his keeping silent unbearable.
"No," Beth shook her head. "But I didn't have my car...and I didn't know my dad was drinking again." She didn't need to continue explaining. What happened next was pretty self explanatory.
She called her dad. He didn't make it there.
Daryl took a step closer to her. Not sure what he was supposed to be doing exactly, but felt asthough he was supposed to be comforting her in some way. Telling her is wasn't her fault wasn't no to help. It may not have been, but the way she spoke, it was more like she was in confessional; not looking for reassurance or excuses. He also had figured out saying he was sorry, for the loss of a man he didn't know, wasn't the right thing to do either.
Beth looked up as he took one more step. Her lip quivered, in a way he had some how already become accustomed to. However, what happened next, he didn't expect. Slipping herself off the counter, Beth wrapped her arms around Daryl and embraced him. He could tell he was crying as his shirt dampened with ever breath she breathed.
For a moment, he stood there, completely taken off guard (something she seemed to be good at). His arms remained rigid at his sides and did not move until the first real sob escaped her. It was then he carefully wrapped his arms around her. She didn't react; she'd already chose to trust him, and had melted into him.
They stood there like that, for quite some time, and a million things raced through Daryl's mind. At first he only wished she'd stop crying. Then, he hoped he had a clean shirt to change into. But soon enough, his mind wandered to different things. He could feel her shoulder blades underneath his hands, and wondered how someone could be so small. Then, his mind flashed through every encounter he'd had with the blonde since she's pulled up in her smoking truck; which then made him wonder how someone could be so fragile, yet so fierce at the same time. It was all a wonder to him, what was going on in her mind and how she'd gotten there. It was all a mystery to him.
He couldn't say how much time had passed, until she finally peeled her face off his chest. She sniffed a couple times and looked up at him with red eyes, free of tears that now stained her cheeks. But the only thing Daryl could notice, was how close she was to his face.
Only inches away.
"Thank you," Beth said, as she sniffed one last time. "For letting me cry."
"No problem." Daryl awkwardly replied, unsure if he should release her or not. Or if she wanted to be released or not.
However, he never got the answer that night, as all the blood suddenly drained from Beth's face and her ghostly pale self took off the the bathroom. A few moments later, he could hear her go into a fit of coughing, as her sandwhich - and most of the alcohol she consumed - made a reappearance.