Chapter six- "Change."

"What do you think?" Daryl blinked up at Carol, holding the finished poster. It was clean and colored in neatly and even had Daryl and Carol written at the top in purple pen. She held it with both hands, a slight smile across her face, her cheeks as pink as ever. It was as if she was testing him, seeing how he would act after last night. He glanced her up and down, from her brown suede sandals to the single gold chain that hung around her shallow neck. Daryl smiled.

"Way better job than I coulda done." He nodded, and something as simple as that seemed like it meant something to her. She must have felt embarrassed, Daryl decided, after her mom blowing up at her that way. But honestly, Daryl could understand her more than anybody.

"So do you wanna explain everything or hold the poster?" She said, pulling a loose strand of hair behind her tiny ears.

"That's a tough one," Daryl said, nodding to her. He leaned back in his school chair, watching her from across the desk, waiting for the bell to ring and for biology to start. "I am pretty good at holding posters."

Carol smiled at him with her teeth while she nodded, quickly turning around and hurrying back to her desk just as the annoying whiny bell rang.

It was when the presentations started, though when Daryl caught himself looking at her. Boring students that Daryl could care less about stood in front of other students that Daryl could also care less about, and presented posters about things that Daryl could care the least about. The class room was drab and it smelled like cologne and chalk and textbooks lined the walls and it was torture for Daryl. But the windows were opened today, it was sunny and the light landed against Carol, highlighting her side. It made her cheeks red, her periwinkle top stand out and the tips of her brown hair light like fire and Daryl wasn't sure why he had suddenly noticed her. She sat like she always did, her head towards her desk, her fragile fingers in her lap, her feet crossed at the ankle. Something about her was different.

"Carol," Mr. Peletier called out as he sat in the back of the class, leaning against the seat with a clip board in his lap, twiddling with a pen in his pale fingers. "Your up."

Daryl looks at her as she squeezes out of desk, securing a spot at the front of the class and she's looking at him for a few moments before he realizes he's supposed to be up there with her.

"Great job on your project, Carol."

Carol stopped in her steps when she heard her name, looking back to see her teacher leaning against his desk, his arms crossed against his chest. Carol allows the rest of the class the file into the hallway to get to their next.

"Thanks, Mr. Peletier."

"Please," He says, and Carol looks at him with uncertainty as he pushes himself off the corner of her desk, taking a step towards her. "You can call me Ed if you would like. But just you." He smiles as if that would make Carol feel good, but instead she feels something sickening in her gut. She looks at him up and down, recalling that his slacks were too short and his shirt and his tie clashed and there was some kind of food in his teeth.

"I need to get to class," Carol mumbles under her breath and she turns away before Mr. Peletier could say another word to her.

Lunch on Wednesday's always a struggle for Carol. It was the day of the week that Andrea did extra tutoring for french class instead of going to the sandwich shop were the boy that Andrea thought was cute worked. Carol wasn't sure what to do with her time when Andrea wasn't around, and after swallowing down some cafeteria chicken nuggets she found herself walking around the outside of the campus. Today was a beautiful day and the sun hit the trees in a way that made Carol want to take a picture of it. She stayed close to the exterior walls of the tall school too avoid sun in her eyes and she let her gazes last at every tree and bird and for some reason it all seemed to have a meaning to her even if she just made it up. It was when she turned the corner, her fingers tracing against the tile in a pattern on the wall when she saw him. He laid there, in the grass with his fingers behind his head and the glistening sun beat down on his skin. Carol watched him, his head turned away from the sky, his eyes barely closed.

She wasn't sure exactly where she got the courage to suddenly sit down next to him. Placing her notebooks in the grass in front of her, settling a quietly as possible in the yard of the school, facing the football field where some boys that couldn't make the actual team played flag football during lunch. She crossed her legs, feeling the grass in between her nervous fingers.

"I never said you could sit next to me." Carol looks down at Daryl when he speaks, barely opening his eyes to see who had sat next to him. As soon as he recognized her he shut them again, trying his hardest to act like he had no emotional inflection towards her.

"I don't really care for your permission," Carol said, feeling a smile against her lips. Daryl didn't reply, but he didn't tell her to leave, so she leaned back on her elbows, throwing her neck back against the sky. She shut her eyes, closing her lips together as the heat splashed against her freckled skin. The awkward air filled the space between her and Daryl, and she tried her hardest to find something to spike a conversation. But something was stopping her.

"Does she ever hit you?" Daryl glances up at her, and she feels like there is hope in his eyes And for the first time ever she almost wants to say yes. Because he can see the bruise on his eye and the circle shaped burns raised on his chest and he wants someone that can relate. But he had already looked away from her by the time she was ready to answer.

"No."

"J'aime faire des amis a l'ecole."

"That's right," Carol looked up from the notebook on the table, a smile across her face. Andrea nodded from the other side with confidence, proud of herself for getting another answer right. She had practically begged Carol to come to the coffee shop to study for some big french test. It was mostly empty in the small and comforting room, with dimmed lights and tumblers with the coffee shop logo branded on the front. Carol had ordered a double vanilla late, and was halfway through it when she remembered her body didn't go to well with coffee. Andrea has sat on the other side, focusing hard on her studies and it was funny to Carol because Andrea was one of the smartest people she knew, and she studied more than anyone.

"Hey Andrea," Carol started, when Andrea took a moment to sip her green tea. She looked down the notebook paper, fingering the textured french words written in cursive. She had someone on her mind since lunch. "Do you think people can change? Even after many years?"

Andrea looked at her with a curious smirk, her blonde curls pulled away from her face. She sat the cup on the glossy wood table, leaning back in her chair. "I believe anyone could change at any given moment."

"But why?" Carol shrugged, avoiding eye contact from her friend. Instead she looked at the check out counter, or the couple studying on the sofa in the corner. "I mean, what could make someone change all of a sudden?"

"I think it's about your surroundings." Andrea explained, nodding as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. She was always really confident. She wanted to be lawyer, so she always tried to sound like she knew what was going on."Maybe someone new came into their lives, and that person helped change them. For better or worse."

Carol nodded, an almost relieved smile across her pale face. Andrea could always explain everything.

"Now, back to French."

It was almost dark by the time Carol walked in her front door. It was dark inside, and quiet. Her mom had been cleaning, She could tell. Carol was tired, dropping her back pack to the tile floor as she shut the door with a click, slowly trudging her way through the hall to get to her bed room. Her skinny fingers were already on the cold gold door knob when she froze.

She could hear her mother crying in her bedroom. Their rooms were right across the hall from each other, and Carol didn't bother trying to open to door because she knew it would be locked. It was a muffled cry, like she was face first in her favorite satin pillows, staining them with water and mascara. It wouldn't stop, and almost immediately Carol could feel tears in her eyes. It was like her mothers cries were taunting her, ringing around in her empty head and Carol couldn't take it. She couldn't be in that house any longer, was all she could think as she grabbed her favorite cotton comforter and ran out the back door.

She laid ion the ground out behind her house, a place she found herself much to often. Her feet hung of the edge of her blanket, and she hands cupped the back of her head behind her. She looked up at the sky, watching as clouds moved in front and ran away from the stars. Tears had been dry against her cheeks, and they stuck like a glue stick but she didn't wipe it away. Her eyes bounced around each twinkle in the air, and suddenly they all seemed to mean something to her even though it really didn't.

She cringed at the muffled sounds coming from next door. Daryl and it dad had been fighting for god knows how long, She hadn't heard the usual crashed and bangs, just screaming at each other. The voice she didn't recognize was much louder, and more harsh and Daryl was just trying to fight back without making him too angry. She heard lots of mean names and bad words and Carol just pretended like nothing was happening, because what was she supposed to do about it?

But suddenly Daryl walked into the backyard, and Carol could feel an opportunity rise. She had gained some confidence since the last time they ended up out here together. As soon as Daryl saw her he froze, with wide and angry eyes and embarrassment lashed across his cheeks. He couldn't decide if he should say something to her or go back inside, before he could move though Carol already struggled to her feet, subtly brushing out any potential grass off her butt. They were close to each other, but they also weren't.

"Daryl," Carol started and it was like something clicked in his head and he took a few steps away from her, quickly turning his back to her, his head towards the itchy yellow grass. "Are you okay?" She continued and she took a few steps toward him, and Daryl could tell she was reaching for his arm and he took a few more steps, looking at Carol was mad eyes.

"What the hell?" Daryl jutted at her, and he watched as her empty fingers curled away and fell back to her sides. Her mouth hung open, confusion in her eyes because he seemed mad. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to know if you were okay," Carol tried to reply with kindness and she could feel a frown when Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Mind your own damn business." Daryl muttered, and she watched in disbelief as Daryl walked away, down the trail of trees that lined the forest, and Carol was left standing in the dark, alone.

Maybe people don't change.