September 1992-

The first time Daryl ever saw Baby Reid, he was thirteen-years-old. School had just started back and he and Skyla were in the Eighth grade. Merle, who was eighteen and had long since dropped out, was working at the Philips 66 gas station and garage. The school was only two blocks away and sometimes Merle would give them a ride home.

On this day, when they went in, there were two girls, obviously high school girls, talking to Merle. The shorter of the two was leaning waaay over the counter, giving Merle a nice view down her low cut top at her well matured breasts. Merle, being Merle, wasn't hiding the fact that he was looking, either. For once, Daryl couldn't blame him. She was a very pretty girl.

Her hair was long and blonde. Not the wheat color of Skyla's, but a much lighter shade and she had these large cow eyes that were such a velvety brown that Daryl wanted to fall into them. Her lips were very full, almost round like a baby's.

Daryl stopped when he saw the two girls, the taller one with the dark hair was really pretty too; and it was obvious that these were town girls. They didn't live in the trailer park, that's for damn sure. He suddenly felt very awkward in his ripped jeans and ancient Guns and Roses t-shirt.

Skyla, however, knew nothing of the feeling of awkwardness and she had sauntered right up to the counter and hopped up onto it, dropping her backpack on the floor.

"We need a ride." She said to Merle.

Merle could barely tear his eyes away from Blondie's cleavage. "I'm busy Skyla. Why the fuck didn't you two assclowns take the bus?"

"Because you're the assclown who told us you'd give us a ride." She shot back. "God!"

"That was then, this is now." He said, still not taking his eyes of the girl.

Skyla sighed in that oh-so-dramatic way that thirteen-year-old girls have. "Fine. Guess we're walking, Dar." She started to get down but the blonde stopped her.

"Oh, Merle, is this your little sister?" She asked.

Skyla snorted. "Fuck no, I ain't his sister! What are you, high?"

Merle slapped her on the back of the head. "You might as well be my sister, much as you hang around." He said. He turned back to the blonde. "No, but that's my kid brother."

She turned and her eyes went to Daryl. Even though he was only three years younger than him, she acted like he was a toddler. "Oh, aren't you cute?" She asked, pinching his cheek. Daryl felt his face turning red under his freckles and Skyla was rolling her eyes.

"Hey, now." Merle stood up straight. "How come you'll tell him he's cute, but not me?"

"Oh, you're cute, too." Blondie said over her shoulder. She ran her hand down Daryl's hair. "What's your name, honey?"

"Daryl." He stuttered out.

"Well, Daryl, if you and your girlfriend need a ride, me and Nikki would be glad to give you one." Blondie said.

"No thanks." Skyla said loudly. "We'll walk. And I'm not his girlfriend."

"All the way out to the trailer court?" Blondie asked. "Come on; just let us give you a ride."

"Hey, Baby, you comin' back?" Merle asked and she nodded.

"You gonna take me out after you get off work?" She asked and he grinned.

"Sure enough." He said.

And somehow, Daryl still wasn't quite sure how, he and Skyla were riding in the back of Nikki's convertible. The day was still warm and she had the top down.

"Um," he leaned forward, trying to work up the courage. "What's your name?" He asked the blonde.

She laughed. "I guess I didn't say, did I?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "My name's Baby Reid."

"Baby?" Skyla asked incredulously. "Your name is actually Baby?!"

Daryl stomped on Skyla's foot, trying to shut her up, but it didn't seem to matter, Baby was laughing. "Yep, that's my real name. It's on my birth certificate, even: Baby Lynette Reid. My Mama's parents are real old South; she named me that just to get under their skin."

"Oh, I love this song!" Nikki reached over and turned the radio up. It was some bouncy pop song that both girls knew all the words to.

Skyla sat back in her seat. She was not having a good time, and she hated these fake nice girls. Especially Baby. And what kind of stupid name was that, anyway? Baby. And look at the way that Daryl was drooling all over her, just like Merle. God.

The girls dropped them off at the entrance to the trailer court and Skyla began to walk away while Daryl was still stuttering out a thank you.

"Skyla, wait up!" He ran to catch up to her, expecting her to slow. "Hey!" He looked at her face, set in an angry line. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Nuh-uh, you're mad." He said. "I can tell; you got that pissy look on your face."

"Do not." She said. He grabbed her arm.

"Skyla, what's wrong?"

"Surprised you even remember my name." She said. "Why don't you go back and drool over your new friends some more?"

This gave Daryl a pause. Is that what this about? "Are you…jealous?" He asked.

"No!" She shot him a deadly look. "It's just…those girls are so fake and you're practically dry humping their legs."

His face flamed. "I was not! I was just being nice!"

She nodded sarcastically. "Oh, yeah. I saw how nice you were being."

"Sky!" He grabbed her arm again. "You're my best friend. You know that, right?"

Skyla looked into his blue eyes and felt her heart soften. She slung her arm around him and he knew all was forgiven. Truth was, she was jealous. And she didn't know why. There was one thing she did know for sure, though. She did not like Baby Reid and the less she hung around the better, in Skyla's opinion.