You're All Grown Up Jude: High School AU prompt in which Rick and Daryl are legally married in a non-apocalyptic world. Follows the story of a surrogated baby named Judith as she battles her Freshman year in an unconventional family. Does not follow TWD series. AU. Slash. Rick/Daryl
Note: This story has nothing to do with the original Walking Dead series, some names, couples and characteristics are the same. And ignore the fact that same-sex marriage isn't legal in the state of Georgia.
Disclaimer: any and all characters are not owned by me, simply borrowing their images for readers entertainment.
Warning: Mentions and dustings of homosexual pairing, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE DO NOT READ.
Chapter 2: Not So Freshman Hunt
Judith had walked to school at a leisurely pace that morning, going off only an extra block out of her way to Sophia's house. She wished she had brought a jacket as she approached her first stop, the cool morning air biting at her exposed skin. Her mother Carol had greeted her at the door looking awake and ready for the day. In a classic fashion, Carol had welcomed her in for a glass of juice as she waited for Sophia. However, as soon as she was about to take her up on her offer, Sophia pushed past her mother, said her goodbye and they were on their way to school.
The two casually talked as they wound their way through the streets of Atlanta, arriving at the High School a good 25 minutes early.
The front of the school was already littered with students, charting in tight-nipped groups, greeting their friends with individual tales of their summer vacations. Judith and Sophia entered through the front doors of the 2 story brick building and took in the sights.
The common area was filled with round tables placed strategically for lunch and passing students. Dividing the lunch room from the main hall there was a case of school trophies and on the other side double doors that led to the gym. The towering doors were closed however and placed in front of them 4 long, fold up tables.
Each table had a sign hung on the front, indicating each school year with what Judith guessed were teachers handing out class schedules.
Sophia took in a deep breath and smiled to her best friend, "Well, here we go."
The two fell into line in front of the closest table that was labeled '9th grade'. It wasn't a particularly long line, but it was evident that the freshman lined up there were nervous and reluctant to make any bold moves. Little was said between the two until Sophia smiled and waved to a student who got into line behind them. "Hey Fransis, how was your summer?"
The boy named Fransis looked up from the intent stare he had been giving his shoes.
"Oh, hey Soph, didn't see ya' there. It wasn't too bad, went and visited some relatives most of it. How bought you?"
"Eh, can't complain." Sophia offered with a shrug, swiping her shoulder length blond hair to the side. The two girls locked eyes for a moment and Sophia must have taken this as a good opportunity to introduce Judith to some new friends because a wide grin had spread across her lips.
"Oh Fransis, this is my friend Judith Dixon-Grimes, she's from the North side too and she just transfered schools."
Fransis soaked in her appearance and offered a genuine smile, holding out his hand, "Hello Judith Dixon-Grimes, I'm Fransis Rhee."
Judith took his hand and shook, offering a smile of her own, "Nice to meet you and you can just call me Judith."
"Only if you call me Fransis." At this they parted hands, his smile still plastered across his features. Fransis was a lanky Asian looking kid with slick black hair. He held an aurora of genuine kindness and soft features, which brought Judith to the conclusion that she liked him.
She probably looked like a fool because of the grin that persistently befell her lips the farther up the line they moved. Judith couldn't believe how easy that was. She was sure that the moment she stepped foot into the school, all of the inhabitants would be able to see right through her. That the labels from her past school would have followed her, as obvious as an elephant in the room. However, she had been here nearly 10 minutes and she had yet to endure any judging glances or snide remarks.
Once at the front of the line Judith gave her name to a bright, young blond woman in semi-formal wear. The women leaned forward to riffle through the many slips of paper neatly placed before her and Judith caught the sight of a name tag on her yellow blouse labeled: Greene.
Ms. Greene took a moment to find her schedule and handed it over with a bright smile, "There you are, your locker number is 316, first floor and will be straight down that hallway." She informed her, pointing to the hallway to the left on the other side of the common area.
Jude offered her thanks and stepped off to the side as she waited for Sophia.
Her best friend and new acquaintance stepped up to the table and appeared to have a friendly conversation with Ms. Greene, so Judith took the time to anxiously look over her slip.
The school here appeared to run on the block schedule meaning she would have 4 classes that alternated every other day and finished off with homeroom every day. The two groups were labeled 'A days' and 'B days'.
Today, an A-Day, she had Foods 1, Geometry, Lunch, then Trigonometry, World History and Homeroom.
Tomorrow, being a B-Day, she would have P.E., Biology, Lunch and then English 1 and 2D design.
Just as she swept her eyes over the parchment a second time, Sophia and Fransis rejoined her, looking over their own schedules.
"Aw man, P.E. first thing in the morning? Bummer." Fransis frowned as he glanced over Sophia's shoulder to catch a glimpse of her classes.
"But hey, we have World History together today and English together tomorrow!" Fransis informed Sophia with a smile, "I'll catch you ladies later, gotta' find my locker before first period."
Fransis disappeared into the crowed as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Jude and Sophia to fend for themselves.
Sophia bent her head close to Jude's and brought up her own paper to compare.
"Let's see, looks like we have Foods and History together today and P.E., lunch and English together tomorrow." Sophia informed her excitedly, followed by a gasp. Sophia did a double take and grabbed Judges wrist to keep her schedule steady. "You've got Geometry and Trig. Back to back today? What about Algebra?"
Jude didn't mind the gripping hand at her wrist, if it were anyone else beside Sophia however, she would have reclaimed it. But close physical contact between the two was a daily occurrence. Jude shrugged, "Don't have to take it. I scored high enough on my C.O.M.P.A.S.S. test last year. I don't have to take Physical Science either."
Sophia let out a huff, "Man Jude, what the hell? Who am I supposed to cheat off of now!?" Judith laughed, "I'm sure someone will be foolish enough to befriend you and help out." Sophia laughed herself, "Are you kidding me? I'm still surprised you put up with my weird ass sometimes."
Jude let out a comical breath of air, "You're lucky I love you. Besides, you know too much about me for me to let you go alive." Shrugging as if their friendship were a mystery, " what locker do you have?"
Sophia checked her schedule, "uh, 194."
Pointing over her shoulder Jude continued, "I'm at 216. I'm gonna go try it out and I'll see you in first period?"
Sophia gave a curt nod and greeted another girl as the two temporarily parted ways.
Judith pushed her way through the crowded hall way, students of all grades congregating here and there. She kept her eyes fastened to the numbers etched into the narrow metal doors and was shocked when her shoulder met with something hard and the clatter of books could be heard.
Looking up Judith realized that she had walked straight into a tall, gangly figure dressed in a white T-shirt and striped tie.
She met the hazel eyes of the curly-ginger haired boy,"sorry, wasn't looking where I was going." She said as she bent down to help the kid collect his belongings.
"It's cool." He replied, without missing a beat.
The small encounter had drawn eyes as the pair retrieved the fallen books but Judith paid them no mind. She was used to people starring.
The boy, books now nestled in his arms nodded to Judith his thanks and continued his way through the cluster of school goers.
Judith watched the curly locks of the young man disappear into the crowd. She was almost confused, at her last school an encounter like that would have been handled with a string of insults or a disrespectful jeer.
Judith tried to not think about it too hard and let the seemingly friendliness of her new peers go to her head. Wolf always wore sheep's clothes.
Judith followed the line of lockers about halfway down the hall until she found her designated home. The narrow red metal creaked under the weight of her unused school materials and she silently apologized to it, knowing more textbooks would just be added to the load later.
Judith left the basics in her bag, one notebook, pencils, pens and various miscellaneous materials. When she had done her orientation over the summer, signing documents and such, she had been given a black-and-white map of the school. Checking her schedule for the room number of the culinary department Judith wound her ways back through the crowd and found the classroom on the other end of the school. When she arrived however, she noticed a hand-made sign hung on the door informing her that for the first day, all students were to report to homeroom first. Backtracking and checking her schedule and map yet again, the young brunette noticed that every door appeared to hold a sign with the same writing on it. Her homeroom was on the second floor, located in the Agricultural studies room. The door was already open, students bustling about inside.
Taking one last nervous glance over her shoulder, Jude crossed the threshold and found a seat along the first aisle towards the middle. Homerooms were designed for students to wind down and complete homework or assignments towards the end of the day, which meant that there was no particular grade separation. It appeared that there was a rather even upper to lower class-man ratio.
The freshman dropped her book bag and pushed it underneath the chair, seating herself and taking in her surroundings. Various students already occupied the area, eager to get the first day of classes over with. Small groups formed around chairs and on top of desks as those familiar with this procedure patiently waited. The teachers desk, old and peeling, sat empty at the front of the room, chalkboard looming behind it impressively.
Jude couldn't believe that any rooms still had a chalkboard. Most had upgraded to whiteboards years ago.
Besides the old board that Judith appreciated for its classic and antique feeling, something else caught her eye. Or more like someone.
White shirt and striped tie gleaming in the almost dull background, Judith noticed the boy she had accidentally ran into earlier, tucked into a corner in the back.
The curly haired boy sat secluded, two out of the three chairs around him vacant. She couldn't explain it but Judith had the sudden urge to join him, maybe to apologize more thoroughly. She figured being sure that she made friends rather than enemies her first day would be wise. Judith fought the compulsion however, not wanting to seem odd or step out of turn. Just as she thought so, it seemed her idea was denied anyway, as a stocky blond girl took the seat next to him and immediately started a conversation. She couldn't decide if she were impressed or intimidated by the female who had strut across the room, steps full of purpose. She had on a tight floral vest and respectable slick black leather skirt that clung to her form just before her knees. The shimmering belt around her waist matched the eccentric accessories she wore and the bright red lipstick that sophisticated her face. While the girl appeared to be slightly overweight, almost awkward, she seemed comfortable in her skin, smokey grey eyes peering from behind her bright pixie cut bangs. Followed behind her and taking the seat in front of her acquaintance was an athlete built, raven haired girl. She had an intimidating Gothic aura around her, long black hair falling down her shoulders and into her dark brown eyes lined heavily with liner. She wore a tight pair of green laced midnight Tripp pants and a sleeveless black Misfits shirt that was slightly too short, exposing the fainted sliver of skin. She had several visible piercings along her ears and face as well as what looked like some tattoos peeking out here and there.
Judith had always appreciated people who 'dare to be different'. She herself had several shirts that had that phrase printed upon them.
Thinking it wise to not get caught staring, Judith diverted her eyes and to the front of the class and realized that the teachers desk was now occupied. There sat a well dressed man, who she guessed to be in his late 20s if not 30s, who looked like he just stepped out of a GQ magazine. He was an attractive man with short dirty-blond hair and an aura of sophistication. He had a trust worthy smile as one student struck up a casual conversation with him, making the air light. A few more minutes of people-watching and the bell rang, indicating the start of class.
The teacher didn't wait for stragglers as he stood from his desk and held up a hand for order. This request was immediately filled as every student straightened put in their seat and ceased their conversations.
Smiling, he swept his eyes over the class and soaked in the faces that met him.
"Well, here we are again. For those of you who don't know, my name is Mr. Danahoo, I won't blame you if you spell it wrong over the first few weeks."
A round of chuckles filled the room at what Jude guessed was an inside joke between this Mr. Danahoo and his returning students.
"How was everyone's summer?"
The silence was again filled, but this time with muffled or vague responses.
Mr. Danahoo put on a charming smile as he crossed his arms over her broad chest and leaned back onto his desk, crossing his ankles as well, "Yah, I didn't really do much either."
Judith couldn't help but smile. She was sure with her luck that she would get one of those uptight teachers who took homeroom too seriously. But, in fact, she liked Mr. Danahoo already. He seemed laid back and open. His attractive physique certainly didn't hurt either.
Unfolding his arms, he retrieved a thick red packet from atop his desk and held it up.
"I'm not going to bore ya'll by reading through the entire handbook today but don't think I won't do it if ya'll get out of hand later in the year." He casually warned as he tossed it back onto his desk carelessly.
"So here's the deal, I'll give you the short version and when thats done we'll go around the room and get to know each other."
Some students let out light woops and thanks in knowing they weren't going to actually read the book sized pamphlet.
"Dress-Codes and regulations are the same everywhere. No phones in class, but since this is homeroom if I know you are on top of your work I don't mind if you have them out. If they become a distraction however, I will change that rule, so don't be 'that-guy' who ruined it for everyone, okay?" He paused to let the information sink in.
"I have simple rules, be respectful of each other and courteous to those around you, some studying actually has to get done here." A knowing smirk played across his lips as he paused again and appeared to meet the eyes of someone in the back.
Glancing over her shoulder, Judith realized he was looking at the curly haired boy she ran into earlier. Collective giggling broke out as the kid dipped his head with a smile at Mr. Danahoo's remark.
"Also be considerate of our work space. Some of you already know that this is not my room, I just borrow it from Ms. Greene for homeroom. For those of you who don't know, I am the drama instructor here, as well as the head of the theater department. My room is just too small for a larger class and Ms. Greene doesn't have a homeroom, so here we are. But enough about me-" he clapped his hands together and stood up off his desk. "Let's reacquaint ourselves and meet all of the new students who will be joining us this year."
Mr. Danahoo instructed them to start at one end of the room on the opposite side of Judith. They were told to state their name, grade, where they were from and anything exciting that happened to them over the summer or their hobbies.
Judith learned soon that the boy she had run into earlier was named Connor. He was from Ohio and he participated in the local theater group over summer. The raven haired girl she had admired earlier was named Alexas but she preferred Lex, she was from California and enjoyed art and writing. The pixie cut blonde girl was named Loreli, this was her home town and she too participated in the local theater over the summer. All three where Sophomores and had Mr. Danahoo's homeroom last year.
Judith caught bits and pieces of other students introductions including one boy who caught his 4-wheeler on fire, another who had totaled his truck, and a girl who drove to Arkansas with her family but their car died and they had to spend the night sleeping in the cab.
Mr. Danahoo and various students interjected casual comments along the way, making it feel like a friendly get together rather than a class orientation. It was then that Judith actually felt out of place. Clearly the class, even the freshman here, seemed to be a tight knit community and she was the outsider.
Too soon it was Judith's turn and suddenly she felt nervous under the gentle eyes of her homeroom teacher. Taking a deep breathe she found her voice and thanked the man-up-stairs that little fear filtered through her words, "Um, hi. I'm Judith Dixon-Gimes. That's with a hyphen. Just Dixon or Grimes is fine, well actually, just Jude or Judith." She let out an awkward chuckle as she realized that she was already rambling. "I'm a freshman, I lived on the North side of Atlanta until just this summer so my family is kinda' new to this side of town. Didn't do much over summer, but I am into art and stuff like that. I'm not picky."
Judith nodded awkwardly to indicate that she was finished and was met with a bright smile from her teacher and curious looks from her classmates.
"Well, welcome to North Atlanta Judith." Mr. Danahoo seemed to know how uncomfortable she felt and pushed the class forward to finish their introductions.
After every student had shared, the remainder of class was filled with a group conversations about local events, making playful fun of one another and animated story-telling.
Though Jude had slid down in her chair in her moment of uncomfortableness, she found herself smiling.
This was too good to be true. While she hasn't actually made any friends, those around her didn't single her out. The dark skinned young man -she remembered his name was Dwane- behind her even asked her questions about where she was from and how her family was doing with the move. She vaguely described how her parents were doing good with work and setting up the house.
She was willing to share with anyone who wasn't being a condescending prick but she wasn't going to boldly tell anyone who spoke to her, 'this school is friendly, I like it here and hey, my parents are gay and I was bullied a lot at my last school.'
Once class let out Judith went to her Foods 1 class where she sat with Sophia. They were required to read through the textbook about safety while in the kitchen and it proved to be dull and unexciting. The teacher didn't help any either, Mrs. Harris was an older gal who looked ready to retire and her voice was squeaky and overly excited. Each student took turns reading in the book, which as always, brought the spirit in the room to a sleepy halt. The end of class couldn't have come soon enough.
Judith and Sophia walked together as far as the vocal room where they parted ways with wishes of good luck. Checking her map again, Jude found her way to her next class, Geometry, where she would also have Trig. after lunch. The room was already packed, the only seats left being scattered amongst the two front rows. She took a seat at the far end of the second row and watched as the teacher scribbled mathematical points on the whiteboard.
Judith took note that at the top of said board the name Jameson was written in almost illegible handwriting. The plump teacher turned to address the class as the bell rang and the last students were piling in.
Judith was first surprised when two of the late students, who took the seats in front of her, were Lex and Loreli. She then reminded herself that this was a 10th grade class and it was only natural for them to be there. As class proceeded Judith decided that she found Mr. Jameson's rash and almost corny humor refreshing and the subject material enticing. Yet again, Judith was not once singled out nor antagonized.
But all good things must come to an end.
Lunch passed quickly as Judith ate in solitude outside the school. Normally she would have eaten with Sophia but the block-scheduling required there to be two lunch periods and they only had lunch together on B-Days. She had noticed the boy Sophia had introduced her to earlier, Fransis, but felt it was too soon to claim a seat at his already organized table. She had also noticed Connor, Lex and Loreli together in line for lunch but again, she would rather not overstep her boundaries. As the day progressed the temperature rose to a comfortable warmth, the early fall breeze a pleasant friend. Jude was still on a high from the amount of welcome she had been given the moment she stepped through the door. The brunette had brought her tray in just as the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Going to her locker and switching out her books, Judith found herself zoning out and watching down the hallway as hordes of students made their way.
Realizing too late, a set of eyes had locked onto hers with a strange mix of amusement and annoyance. From the outside it must have looked as if Judith had been staring intently at the blond haired dame just a few lockers down. The prissy looking blond let out a fake laugh, now looking more to her friends than to her, "Sorry, I'm straight."
The small group surrounding the blond tried to muffle their laughter but their stolen glances at her made it obvious.
Judith raised an eyebrow, "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart." She retorted with ease.
She had heard far worse before and this was child's play.
The blond had lost her smugness and her previously victorious smirk was now replaced with a bitter scowl. The group around her let out 'ooaaahh's as if they were expecting them to immerse into some type of fight.
The blond however, decided to back down by slamming her locker door shut and storming off down the hall, closely followed by her group of friends.
'Well, its not like I was expecting a perfect day to begin with' Judith grumpily thought, mood dropping, as she realized her personal space was being breached.
A mop of curly ginger hair was suddenly ducking down beside her as Connor watched the group disappear into the crowd.
"Daaaamn, nice one North-Side. Tess looked like you just pissed on her front porch."
Judith wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.
"Tess? That the blond chick who is clearly too full of herself?"
Connor nodded, "Yup, she's a bitch, trust you me. But watch it, shes an olympic reputation ruiner."
"Hm." Judith continued to stare down the hallway even though the fleeting form of Tess had long since disappeared.
Connor smiled at her, a well trained hand extended in greeting, "I'm Connor, by the way."
Jude accepted the handshake, even if she already knew who he was. "Judith, we have homeroom together."
"I know. I'm surprised. Most people don't pay attention to that whole beginning of the year intro thing."
"Well, clearly you do, otherwise you wouldn't have known that we have homeroom together."
Connor held up his hands, "Caught me. Damn, your perceptive. And I thought I was being stealthy. I like to sector out the fresh meat, helps me sort the friendly from the fake."
Judith hummed at this, "which am I?"
"Well, you're definitely not fake. But I can tell by the way ya' stammered through your intro that you've got a lot more ta' say."
Damn, this kid was good.
"Doesn't everyone?"
Connor shrugged innocently at that, "sure, but you in particular. You've got a story."
Judith hummed to herself again and looked over her shoulder, more to evade the subject, "Well, I should go. Gotta' get ta' class. See ya' around?"
Connor smiled, straightening put his tie, "Definitely."
Jude filtered through the day with little more excitement. The first negative remark she had encountered today from the girl named Tess, plagued her mind. She was almost angry at the blond for bringing her mood from an exponential level to the cold ground.
Trigonometry class had been just as interesting to her as Geometry, jumping right into the lessons. Already they were taking notes and assigned homework to be completed by Wednesday. World History had been drowl, Judith and Sophia having whispered conversations in the back in an effort to lighten the mood. She had expressed her distaste for the Tess girl as soon as she could, divulging into her previous encounter.
The final bell rang at 3:15 p.m., signalling the end of school. Usually they would have homeroom last but do to the odd first-day schedule, that was different today.
The two freshman left class together and temporarily parted ways as each went to their own lockers. They met up again at the front doors and exited the building, walking home and telling each other all about their classes.
The school parking lot was in a frenzy, students rushing to their cars and trying to get off campus as soon as possible. Busses were lined up in front of the school, collecting the mobs that piled around them. There had even been a point where Sophia stepped off the curb to cross and almost got hit by a car. Judith had had to yank her back by the back of her shirt to avoid a deadly scenario.
The two chattered aimlessly as they made their way home. When they stopped in front of Sophia's house, Judith's best friend had spun enthusiastically on her heals.
"Wanna' hang out for a bit?"
Judith had wanted to but her exhausted body protested, "I'd love to, but I've already got Geometry and Trig homework."
"What? Are you kidding? Its the first day!" Sophia's eyes bulged out of their sockets almost comically.
"I know. But Mr. Jameson doesn't play around."
Her friend let out an overly dramatic sigh, "Fine. Already ditchin' me to go do smart kid stuff. Ya' think ya' know a person. Whatevs'." She teased.
The young brunette couldn't help but laugh, "Whatever! See ya'"
Judith walked the rest of the way home by herself, her steps light as she entered her house. She had managed to push aside her hurt feelings, courtesy of Tess, and called it a good day. She tracked straight into the kitchen to grab a snack, settling on grapes and a can of soda. She could hear the faint sounds of music and cluttering coming from the garage, tall-tale signs that her dad was still hard at work. She decided to greet him quickly by opening the door and yelling, "Hey dad, I'm home!"
She wasn't sure if he heard her but closed the door anyway and took her snack up stairs with her to her room. She left the door open and dropped her bag on the floor. Half-heartedly making her bed, she retrieved her bag and sat cross-legged on her blankets. The next two hours she ate her snack and managed to finish both of her math classes homework.
Closing her Trig book, Judith heard the faint sounds of her dad down stairs and with nothing better to do, made her way down stairs.
She found her dad in the kitchen prepping what looked like baked chicken in a pan, a total slung over her shoulder.
It was an unspoken routine in their house that Rick often made breakfast, seeing that he was usually the first up for work and Daryl made dinner, as he usually called it a day before Rick got home.
"Hey, dad." Judith made herself known as she entered the kitchen and leaned against the counter.
"Hey, kid. Ya' disappeared awfully quick earlier. How was school?" Daryl looked up from the potatoes he was currently peeling for their meal.
Judith shrugged, "Pretty good actually. Met a few people, got some alright classes. Nothin' major to report."
Her dad nodded, "Tha's good."
His eyes lingered on her for a second, giving the impression that he wanted to say more but didn't. Instead it appeared he rather change the subject, "Wanna' help me out here?" He vaguely gestured with the peeler in his hand.
Jude pushed herself from the counter, "Sure."
The two made dinner in comical fashion, throwing playful comments back and forth and speculating on one another's day. It was about 6 pm when Rick walked through the door, looking worn out. Greeting his daughter and husband, the sheriff made his way upstairs where he stripped of his uniform, rinses himself off and put on a change of cloths. The family ate dinner and lounged about for the night, little excitement captivating them. It seemed in that moment that their little misshapen family had hope of a new beginning.
Well, here we go, chapter 2. Had some fun and planning to do for this one, setting up their intertwining schedules. In case you hadn't noticed there were quite a few OCs introduced in this one. They will all be more crucial to the story later, I promise. Any who, thanks for reading, please review!