Chapter two - "Sophia"

"Seriously, Dixon?" The Principals voice was stern but sweet as she ran her manicured fingers through her curly locks. "How could you get in a fight on the first day? Can't you give me a break for once?" Daryl stared at the polished wood of Ms. Peterson's desk, trying to ignore the head ache he was starting to get by listening to her go on and on.. His eyes scanned to his fingers, awkwardly sitting in his lap, tracing this rips in his faded blue jeans, catching straggling brown hairs in the corners of his eyes. He couldn't count the number of times he had been in her office. "I don't want you to end up like your brother."

"Don't talk about my brother." Daryl's eyes shot up to her, and he noticed the principal slightly step back, her lips closing. She nodded, brushing more hair out of her hazel eyes. Daryl shook his head, quickly looking back down to the cracked skin on his fingers. Nobody talks about Merle.

"I apologize," Ms. Peterson took a seat across from Daryl, suddenly making the conversation so much more personal. "I know that you can graduate and go to college. You could do awesome things with your life, Daryl." She noticed Daryl roll his eyes, letting a breath release through his lips. She sighed. "I'm not going to take you out of school for this. Because I know that deep inside, you care." Daryl blinked up at her for a moment, when she placed both of her hands against her desk, turning her head to make Daryl look her in the eyes. "So get it together."

"Yes Ma'am."

"I'm home, mom."

Carol stopped halfway through the door. Her mother sat at the kitchen table, talking to a man. She recognized him, a police officer. He was a young one, he had been a senior at school when she was a freshman. Shane something, but she couldn't remember his last name. He had been here so many times, always sympathetic and comforting, but really only because he had to be. The case at been cold, they had said there was nothing they could do, but Carol's mom always called, insisting that they had to come over.

"Hello." Officer Shane smiled at her with a nod of his head. He was tall and burly, he hadn't shaven in a few days. Carol dropped her back pack on the floor, not taking her eyes off of the officer. She swallowed hard. "Your mother called me in."

Carol looked at her mother and shook her head. It was embarrassing. There was no point anymore, no hope. She ignored the officer, turning down the narrow hallway straight to her room. It was small, with baby pink walls. It wasn't like she enjoyed the color, it was just always that way. She slid off her shoes, almost sliding in her socks and she moved across the hardwood floor to her bed. She hadn't made it this morning, but when does she ever? She felt safe against the sheets, with the cotton pillow against her cheek. Just a moment of peace, was all she was asking for before her mother came knocking on her door.

"You selfish prick!"

Carol opened her eyes wide and sat up in her bed at the same time. That was the sound of her mother, or the police officer. She scrambled to her bedroom window, pushing the palms of her hands against the window seal. At first she saw nothing, but heard some grunts and crashing and it didn't sound very good. She almost moved away from the window, but then she saw him. Daryl's father, through the kitchen window of his house. He had gray hair and dark eyes with a big scar down the side of his face. One of the most scary people she had ever seen, and probably the only one she had hated without ever meeting. She doesn't even flinch when she can see him clench Daryl's shirt with his fist, pulling him close before punching him. She cold hear him fall into something, they sounds were so familiar to her now. The crashes, the yelling. Sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes in the morning. Honestly, Carol was surprised that Daryl wasn't dead by now. She listened as Daryl's dad yelled more hateful words and then she could see him anymore. She could feel her head drop to her chest, letting out a breath.

"Carol."

There was the mother. She turned to the door just as it opened, her mother signaling for Carol to come into the hallway. "Talk to this police officer. It's the least you can do."

"What about?" Carol's voice was always so quiet when she spoke face to face with her mother. "There's nothing new to say."

Suddenly her frown deepened and Carol could see the anger rising in her veins.

"Sophia is missing." She said, as if Carol didn't know. "Your own sister. Your flesh and blood."

"Mom, There's nothing else to say."

"How dare you," Her voice had risen, her fingers twisting into fists. "You tore apart this family, and you haven't done anything to try to fix it."

"Mom-"

"I told you to watch her!" And suddenly there are tears on her mothers face and she has trouble speaking. "How could you do this to her?"

"How many times have I told you," Carol tried to her hardest to keep her voice calm, her mother always got more mad when she was angry. "It was only a minute, and then she was just gone. It was wasn't my fa-"

"Don't you dare say that." Carol takes a step back when her mother takes one forward, her finger against Carol's chest. "You've ruined everything."

"I'm sorry!" she says, and suddenly she is crying and she doesn't even know it. Her voice was shaking and loud and she can't look at her mother.

"Your apology means nothing to me!"

That's when something resembling a scream came out of Carol's mouth and she stormed away, pushing through the useless officer to get to her back door. She stumbled down the porch steps in her socks, running towards the beginning of the woods that sat behind her house. None of the houses on the street had fences in the back, just grassy areas that lead into the woods. She pulled herself behind a wide tree, hiding even though she was certain her mother wouldn't follow her. She took a glance back at her house before resting her head against the bark of the tree, her fingers scratching against the wood. She wanted to stop crying, but apparently Carol didn't know how to do that. She wasn't sure why she let it bother her anymore, it was just same argument every other day, and there was never a winner. Her nine year old sister had been missing since June 14th, never heard from again. The last person seen with her was her older sister.

"she had begged me to walk her to the park," Carol mumbled to herself through beads of tears. "I didn't think anything would happen." She tried to reassure herself, wanting to believe that is wasn't her fault. But maybe it was. The internal battle was constant and it was just easier to try to pretend that nothing even happened. She closed her eyes, feeling the autumn wind against her skin, feeling the grass poking through her socks, the beads of waters rolling down her neck.

Just breath.

Carol's eyes opened she heard a door slam shut. Her head snapped behind her, and she watched in awe and Daryl tripped down the porch steps, falling knees first into the grass. He barley has the strength to turn onto his back, letting out a grunt with so much pain in it that Carol could feel it. Bloody knuckles and bruises and rips in his clothing mesmerized Carol, and she could feel her heart beating faster as he closed his eyes.

"Daryl," She said breathy, to herself. She took a step towards him, most of her body still concealed by the tree at the edge of the woods. Her hand covered her mouth, and she tried to stop herself from running to help him. Even if she tried, he probably wouldn't let her.

She took a step back she he suddenly rolled onto his stomach, holding his body up as much as he could with his hands, coughing hard and Carol gasped when she watched blood slide out of his mouth. He cursed under his breath, grunting as he attempted to get on his feet, and he fell back against the grass, Carol's eyes widening behind her tree. He was weak.

He needed someone.