a/n: So I kind of feel like no one likes my story anymore? I know I took a couple hiatus but I really enjoy writing this and I want to see it through to the end! But if no one is reading anymore, should I continue?

Chapter 12- Sleep Over

"Thanks for making me this, it's good." Daryl mumbled through bites of a ham and cheese sandwich that Carol had packed before she went to school this morning. Carol nodded with a slight smile on her face as the pair sat on the grass outside of the school during lunch, not far off from the sports fields and the parking lot. Daryl laid in the grass, his head resting against his beaten up backpack, licking off the mayo from the tips of his fingers. Carol sat across from him, a calculus textbook sitting in her lap, her eyes glued to the pages. A week had past since the funeral, and neither one of them had said a word about her since then. Carol was focused on school, often staying at the library until it closed, and Daryl often spent it with her, doing everything possible except studying. Carol was always a good student, but even she knew she was studying excessively to get her mind off of everything that had been happening lately.

"My dad went out of town," Daryl started a conversation, closing his eyes as sun splashed against his face. Fall was seeming to come and go, and the chilly winds were making Daryl wear the only sweater he had everyday.

"Where did he go?"

"Who knows."

"Well that's good," Carol said almost absentmindedly, flipping a page as she over viewed the material they learned in her last class. "You can get away from him for a while."

"Yeah we both got shit parents, don't we." He agreed, opening his eyes slightly to get a look at Carol. Her legs were crossed, a dark head band pulling back her light brown hair, but stray locks still blew in the wind around her pale, clear face. He hesitated to talk again, almost taken back as he eyed her, wearing a light pink colored sweater matched with dark jeans that fit her just right. "Hey I was thinking," he started, his voice cracking when Carol looked up from her book for the first time. "I know your having a tough time at home and stuff," He said and she looked right at him, a slight grin appearing on her face. "Maybe you wanted to crash at my house for a few days."

"are you trying to make a move, Dixon?" Carol said flirty, smiling with her teeth as she leaned in towards Daryl slightly. He looked at her for a moment, his cheeks suddenly hot and he wasn't sure what to say, until Carol started laughing and shook her head. "That's very nice of you, thank you." Carol couldn't wipe the smile of her face. "It'll be nice."

Daryl can feel a smile peek onto his face as he closed his eyes again, spending the rest of the lunch period in an enjoyable silence.

Daryl was almost asleep when his teacher called him out in English class. He sat in the back most desk of the largest class on campus with the most boring teacher. He honestly hated most of his classes. Gym was alright because the teacher didn't really give a shit what the kids did, and he didn't mind Biology because Carol sat in front of him. But for everything else, he didn't even go half the time.

"Dixon," Daryl snapped his head up, his teacher's eyes looking at a yellow slip that an office aid had brought to her. "They need you in the office."

Daryl slowly stuffed the worksheet on sentence structure they had gotten today in his bag and shuffled through an isle of seniors.

Once again Daryl found himself resting in one of the most comfortable chairs in school, looking into this eyes of his well dressed school principle. She sat across from him, scrolling through a computer screen as Daryl sat in silence with his arms crossed, waiting for her to speak.

"The last assignment you turned in was 5 weeks ago." She started as her eyes rested on him. Daryl looked back at her, but kept his mouth closed, his bulky hands stuffed under the arms of his leather jacket. "I wanted to give you a chance and not breath down your neck every five seconds, but I thought you wanted to graduate. You told me once you did." She seemed almost offended, how she had believed in Daryl, and he seemed to be throwing away all his chances. "You're smart, I know it." She reasoned, and he acted unmoved but her pleading, quickly looking around the office like he was trying to find the answer. "Look, I know you've been spending a lot of time with that girl that lost her sister, and I'm happy you were there for her when she needed someone. But when you are going to start thinking of yourself?"

"Carol's sister was murdered."

"Yeah, and that's tragic. But it's been a month since then and she's making straight A's again." Daryl didn't respond, Just drew his breath like he wanted too. "You helped her, when she was going through something really bad. I know it's not as important as a loved one, but maybe she could help you out too."

Carol can't remember feeling any more awkward than the moment when she walked into Daryl's house. He stood a stiff and quiet as every as she slowly stepped in, a bag and a pillow in her hands and she was hit with a heavy smell of weed. It looked like Daryl had tried to clean up due to multiple white trash bags sitting in piles around the plastic trash can, beer bottles and chip bags forcing it's way out the top. Newspapers were stacked on the kitchen table, unmatching chairs sitting around it. Carol stood there for a moment, waiting for something to happen.

"Sorry it's a mess," Daryl closed the door behind her, looking down at his feet when he spoke. Carol hesitantly sat her bag on a wooden chair by the table, and then turned to Daryl and smiled.

"No worries." Carol said, looking around again. Her eyes scanned from the kitchen, small with no oven or dishwasher, and a white fridge with only one picture hung up to the living room where there was one couch, and ugly faded flower print facing the TV. The walls were bare and she quickly glared down a dark hallway before she realized Daryl was standing there awkwardly. "It's nice." She looked at him, smiling with no teeth and he looked back at her for a moment before he smirked.

"I don't really know what you wanna do," Daryl shrugged, looking around his house like he was trying to find a way to entertain a teenage girl. He couldn't even remember the last time he had invited a girl over, and the only girls that every came over are ones that Merle brought over at night. Carol had been one of the only people he had felt comfortable with, but now he felt awkward in one of the places he hated most. Why did he decide to invite her over again?

"Do you ever have a nice cooked meal at home?" Carol smiled, almost excited as she walked into the kitchen. The stains on the tile floors matched the ones on the counter tops and Daryl swallowed when Carol opened the fridge, a stumped look suddenly on her face. The fridge was practically empty, and she stood there looking into it like more food was going to appear. "Well, we could make eggs?" She said almost like it was a question, pulling out a blue egg carton and realizing there was only one egg left. "Maybe not.."

"Do you want to go out?" Daryl suggested, walking into the kitchen, his hands deep into his oversized jeans. Carol sat the egg carton back in the fridge, next to a a few can of bud light before she looked at Daryl. "I know where my dad keeps his drug money."

"I wouldn't want you to get in trouble." Carol closed the fridge, leaning against it slightly. She had made sure to change before she came over, trying to find the perfect outfit, something that wasn't too casual, but also didn't look like she was wearing pajamas. She settled with a dark washed denim jacket on top of a pastel pink tank top and a pair of black shorts. The tank top showed a little bit of her flat stomach, even though she didn't want it to.

"Come on," Daryl said. "I want to take you out."

Carol tried not to smile, but she couldn't help it. She nodded slightly her eyes focused on Daryl as he disappeared down the hallway to get the money.

They sat across from each other in the diner, in the booth in the back corner. They both ordered bacon cheeseburgers, Carol's with a side salad an Daryl's with potato wedges. She only ate half before Carol rested again the red booth seat, full. He sat across from her, mostly looking down at his plate as he ate.

"So what's your mom like now?" Daryl asked, and Carol was surprised at the question. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she tried to think of the answer.

"I haven't talked to her." Carol shrugged, glancing out into the restaurant as she spoke. "She just sits around all the time, quiet. At least she's not screaming at me anymore." She takes a second, her eyes glazing over as she reflects on her answer before she snaps back, turning to Daryl, who held his burger in his hand as he looked at her. "I think maybe one day she'll come back. Well, I hope so."

"It's not right," Daryl shook his head as she took another bite of his burger. "The way she blamed you. Sorry if I ever did." He waited for Carol to answer, and he instantly regretted starting this conversation because of the look on her face, a mix of hurt and confusion and neither of them knew what to say anymore.

"Do you like your burger?" Carol changed the subject pleasantly, her head nodding to the half eaten burger in Daryl hands.

"Hell yeah." He said, remembering to take another bite. He had gotten extra cheese, extra bacon and no onions. He hated onions, he wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket while Carol waited for him too talk again "My brother used to make these burgers for me when I was younger, they tasted just like this. And he would go steal a bag of potatoes and make fresh fries, and we would sit on the back porch and see who could throw rocks the farthest. He always beat me, and made sure I'd never forget it."

Carol smirked, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug as he spoke and she can remember the days when she was little and the big bad Dixon brothers were the town criminals. They were inseparable, Daryl always walking behind Merle, the bossy older brother that taught him how to smoke cigarettes and steal snacks from the gas station. The older brother who made sure to tell him they didn't need anyone except each other. He always made sure to protect Daryl from his daddy.

But as the years past, Carol couldn't recall seeing Merle around as much. He dropped out of high school, getting into some drugs that Daryl never wanted to try. He would spend weeks at a time in jail or out with his friends and Carol seems to remember more and more yelling across the yard as times past.

"Do you miss him?" Carol finally said, not sure if she should bring up a heavy topic again, keeping her eyes on the dark half drunken coffee in her hands.

"I always thought he took care of me." Daryl muttered, avoiding eye contact as usual. "But I'm starting to think teaching me how to pick pocket old hags isn't it. He stopped caring about cooking us dinner a long time ago."

Carol didn't even think when she placed her hand on top of one of Daryl's. Instead of flinching away, he looked at it as her thumb made circles on the top of his dry hand and he smiled.

"I think it's better for me spending time with someone who actually cares."