Chapter three- Wrong Places

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! I can't wait to post more. This chapter is a little bit shorter, still kind of setting up the story. Hang in there, because some awesome things are happening soon! Thanks!

"Please, come play with me!" Sophia tugged on the bottom of Carol's shirt, her skinny fingers getting lost in the fabric of her flowy shirt. Carol looked up from her book at her little sister, smiling at her crystal blue eyes and the freckles highlighting her cheeks. "Don't you love the slides?"

Carol laughed a little, nodding to her. "Yeah, but I think I'm a little to big to play." She noticed the obvious disappointment in her sister. "Why don't you go play with the other kids?"

Sophia twisted her lips, crinkling her nose before nodding. "Okay." Sophia brushed a lock of sandy hair away from her face, tugging at the bottom of her favorite shirt before turning away and skipping off onto the playground.

"Have fun!" Carol calls out to her, and she laughs when Sophia shoots her a thumbs up before meeting with some girls that she recognized from her class at school. Carol looks back down at her book. It was the last one on the summer reading list from school. Some book about a boy and girl that were in love, and Carol wouldn't act like it but it had taken a toll on her. The writing, the emotions that she felt through every chapter mesmerized her. She had just started it last night, and was already close to the end. She fingered edges of the pages, letting the words turn into pictures in her head. She sighed with satisfaction as the chapter ended, but itched the finish off the novel.

"Sophia?" Carol mumbled as she glanced up from the book, her eyes locking on the girls that she had just seen playing with her sister. She wasn't with them. Actually, she wasn't on the playground anymore. Carol stood up, letting the book slide to the ground. She scanned the monkey bars, the swings and the slides and she couldn't find the girl that she always walked to the bus stop in the morning. "Sophia?"

"Sophia!"

Daryl never needed an alarm in the morning. He always woke up at the same time, twisted and turned in his sheets because he moved around so much during the night. He struggled to get out of the bed, sore and tired from the night before and it just felt better not to move. His steps were heavy as his feet crashed into the floor, stumbling around dirty laundry and food wrappers that he never bothered to clean up. He always found his way to the stereo first thing in the mornings, turning his favorite rock bands up as loud as he could. He coughed and grunted as he pulled on his jeans, buttoned up his plaid shirt and laced up the boots he wore every day. There was a routine for everything, nothing really changed much around Daryl and he couldn't tell if he liked it or hated it that way.

Daryl rolled his eyes as soon as he got to the edge of the hallway. He leaned his shoulder against the hall, watching as his father sat at the kitchen table shirtless, a lighter in one hand and a bong in the other. He took a hit, cocking his head back, shutting his eyes for a moment before he noticed Daryl there.

"Hey Prick." His voice was low and scratchy and Daryl ignored him as he walked his way into the kitchen, shoving some wrappers off the counter. He silently grabbed a piece of bread out of the bag on the counter, but could only shallow down half because someone had left the bag opened last night.

"Wanna hit?" Daryl's dad smiled to his son, stretching out the lighter to Daryl.

"I have school." Daryl said after turning away, throwing on his back pack before heading for the front door.

"Pussy."

Daryl had his hands shoved into his front pockets, his head looking down at the tips of his feet when he noticed Carol walking down the street. He looked up at her for just a moment, shooting his eyes away before she would ever know he looked at her. Carol was quiet, almost as much as him and even though they had seen each other for all these years they hadn't spoken a word. He could read her like a book though. She was one of those girls that let her emotions get the best of her, everything she ever felt plastered against her face and eyes and in the way she carried herself. She was broken, it was obvious.

Eventually she was next to him and he acted like she wasn't there, but something was different than usual. She was staring right at him with her wide eyes. After all, his eye was practically swollen shut, surrounded by dark purple bruises thanks to none other than dad himself. Her mouth was gaping open, shocked at how bad it was, her nervous fingers rising from her sides as if she was going to try to comfort him. Daryl could feel himself getting angry, it was as if she was pitying him. Daryl was the one person that didn't need pity.

He turned to Carol, anger in his eyes and he didn't have to say anything to make her take a step away from him, her shaky eyes forcing herself away from Daryl's face. She swallowed, crossing her arms tight against her chest. He rolled his eyes, fixating them back on his favorite spot.

Daryl didn't need anybody.