A/N: Wow, so this story hasn't been touched in almost two years...I don't know if anyone that read it before is still reading or if anyone is interested in the continuation of this story. But I felt like finishing it, so I'm going to! Honestly I haven't even seen the latest season, but considering this is in a different universe I thought it was okay! I hope you like it!

"Oh my god! Are you okay?"

Carol's mouth dropped open as soon as she sat down next to Daryl on the bus. Her shaky fingers immediately reached for the fresh black eye that Daryl was sporting this morning. Daryl didn't say anything, but groaned deeply as he moved his head away from Carol's cold fingers. He looked away from her, he didn't want to see the shock and worry splattered against her innocent face, the tears that just automatically seemed to appear in the corners of her wide eyes. She looked nice, he already knew as soon as he caught a glimpse of her sweet cheeks as she stepped onto the bus, her hair pulled into a messy bun sitting on the crown of her head, an oversized pastel purple sweater consuming her frail body shape. She had little bits of snow resting on her shoulders, stuck to the ends of the baby hairs the rested against her cold face. Christmas was coming fast, and the fast majority of kids were getting tired of the snow every morning.

"You should see the other guy." Daryl scoffed, as he focused down on his calloused finger tips, letting his messy locks block Carol's view of the pretty shiner. She dropped her against in her lap heavy, letting out a disappointing sigh. He looked at her then, his ashamed eyes making contact with hers. "I'm fine."

Carol turned her head forward then, letting her eyes focus on the vandalism on the ripped up bus seat ahead of her. She let her fingers get buried in the sleeves of her sweater, pursing her lips before she spoke. "I just don't understand why you just let your dad hit you like that. I mean why you don't call the police? You don't deserve this stuff."

"Shut up." Daryl immediately said, now also looking ahead of him. Throwing his hands into his deep pockets. "I'm fine, and I'm not talking about this." He glanced out the window then, slight anger and humiliation shown in his frown and he watched as the little blades of grass looked like they were running in fast forward after the old yellow bus that brought them to this place that was going to make the difference between if Daryl was going to make it in this world or if he would end up like his dead beat brother Merle. He wondered what Merle was doing with his life right now. Was he even still alive?

"Whatever." Carol slightly shook her head, trying to not make it obvious that was trying to catch a glimpse of Daryl's face.

The day felt like a dream to Daryl. He just floated though hours of classes and everything happened around him in fast forward. But when lunch came around and he walked outside and there she sat, this girl who seemed to make it all this stupid shit okay. They used to sit in the grass every day, but ever since it started to snow regularly, they liked to sit on one of the old lunch tables that where dirty and broken out back under the covered area behind the school. He smiled slightly as she sat across from her. She immediately looked at the bruise on his right eye. She pushed half of a chicken salad sandwich sitting on top of a Christmas themed napkin toward him.

"Sorry about earlier." He muttered, almost immediately stuffing half the sandwich in his mouth. She watched him as he licked each of his fingers before he said anything else. "You mad?"

"Of course not." She said, slightly smiling. Carol picked at her half of the sandwich, not hungry. "I'm just worried about you." As soon as Carol started Daryl rolled his eyes, stuffed his hand into the back of his pocket, the one that hadn't been torn of in a fight years ago. He pulled out a fist of something, handing it out so Carol could see. "What is that?" Carol's eyes shifted from Daryl's closed fist to the slight smirk on his face.

"Do you know what my brother and I used to do when my dad wouldn't stop fucking with us?" Daryl started, making direct eye contact with a suddenly very interested Carol. His eyes looked like it had a mix of humor and determination in it and Carol wouldn't help but wonder was Daryl had hidden in between his strong fingers. "We just needed to chill out, you know?" He mumbled before he slowly opened his fist and Carol's mouth slightly hung open as she saw a tiny plastic bag with a gram of quality Kush resting in his palm. She could already smell it as soon she had opened his palm and as soon as the smell hit her nose her head snapped in both directions.

"Why do you have that at school?" Carol's eyes widened as Daryl closed his fist again, putting it back in his pocket. "You'll get in trouble!"

"I'm really not feeling this school shit today." Daryl glanced around him slightly before his eyes rested back on Carol. "Do you wanna get out of here with me? And we can just relax. Were kids and I'm tired of this stupid shit happening to us. Have you ever smoked?"

Carol almost laughed. "What do you think? Of course not." At first Daryl thought Carol was mad but he relaxed when a smile crept across her face. She put her hands in the pocket as she shrugged her shoulders. "But I always wondered what it would be like." She laughed nervously. "I'm such a lame."

"No you ain't." Daryl smiled, slowly resting his big hand against Carol's smaller one, if felt right with hers. "Let's go over to my house."

Carol's first hit was horrific. She had stayed close to Daryl as they sat on his bedroom floor, resting on a big black rug Daryl's had for years. They closed the curtains and turned off the lights. Daryl had plugged in his black and white lava lamp that his brother stole him when he turned 13. He dropped two pillows around Carol and she cuddled against them as Daryl tried to roll a joint. Up until Merle left, he always rolled it, and he also always was the one that snatched it from the tin container under his dad's bed, but at this point Daryl didn't want to show his father any respect. It took him too many tries, and he was nervous since Carol was sitting right there, in her big sweater and black leggings, staring at her with those eyes that he would never get out of his head.

Finally he was done, and as unexperienced he was at rolling, he thought he did a pretty good job. He tried to show her how to smoke it, and he even had to hit it twice before she would even try. Daryl could barely keep from bursting out with a loud laugh when Carol's eyes opened wide and she exploded when a smoky cough. She must of coughed for a minute straight, rolling around on the clack carpet as she held her hand to her mouth.

"You okay?" Daryl said as he hit the joint again, a smile across his lips. She sat back up, finally calmed as she exhaled the smoke. "Don't hit it that hard."

"Damn," She said, her hand massaging her neck as Daryl handed her the joint again. She took it apprehensively. She placed her lips on it gently, and she held in the smoke she met yes with Daryl, and she laughed as the smoke escaped her mouth and even her nose, and that laughed turned into another tantalizing cough.

When the joint was done Daryl flicked the roach of into the darkness, and the smell lingered in the air. Daryl sat up watching as Carol laid on the ground, her half open eyes staring intently into the lava lamp. She had a playful smile across her face. Her fingers pulling at the frayed rug under her. Her fingers rested in Daryl lap.

"Daryl," She said, almost in a whisper. Her toes wiggling in his lap. "What do you think you're going to do when you graduate? Do you want to leave this place?"

"Dunno." Daryl shrugged, a light look his face, his red eyes smiling at her. "I don't ever wanna see my dad again. But what am I supposed to do, you know? I'm sure you're going off to college, huh?"

"I don't know," Carol closed her eyes. "I guess I don't really feel any purpose. You know, what is my calling?"

"I dunno. You could be a fucking brain surgeon you're so smart." Daryl scoffed. "I'll be lucky if I don't end up on the streets."

"I think you're smart." Carol said, looking at Daryl straight in her eyes as she sat up, her body close to his. "I think you could do a lot."

Daryl looked at her, and her face was so close to his. He could feel the warmth coming off her, her fingers ticked against his and could feel the nerves shooting up his spine. "Carol, I do know one thing."

"What that?"

"I wanna be where you are. I want you to be my girl, okay?"

Carol smiled, and there they were again, those tears in the corners of her eyes that made him feel so weird. Then she took his hands in hers and she felt like he must of his been shaking as his eyes fixated on her lips. Her thin, beautiful lips. "Okay." She said almost in a whisper and his lips came so close to hers that should could feel her heavy breathing and it was amazing. Their lips touched barely, and Carol felt like his shocked her whole body. She brought the kiss in deep, and Daryl felt invited as he opened his mouth and let his tongue in like it was meant to be there all this time. She broke to kiss but she was pack in his mouth before he got a chance to breath, and her soft skin felt amazing against his. He leaned forward, his hands rubbing against her shoulders as she laid on the ground. He felt so uneasy, so nervous but at the same time is seemed so perfect. She cupped his face in her hands, and their lips danced. She broke the kiss and she looked down, avoiding his glance. He just breathed with his forehead pushed against hers, the hair around his head already sweaty.

He sat up slightly when she reached for her sweater, and he watched with wide eyes as she took off her sweater, a light pink bra meeting with Daryl's eyes. She threw it again and immediately reached for Daryl's ripped shirt, and he put his arms up as she took it off of him and threw it away to. She laid back down, waiting for Daryl to lay back with him.

"Carol," He let out quietly. "I've never been with anyone before." She rubbed her sweaty palms up and down Daryl's arms she he spoke.

She tugged him down to the ground, his body resting against hers. "Neither have I." She whispered and they kissed again, and she guided his hands onto her breasts. He took a deep breath in between kisses, and he slipped his hands underneath her bra, feeling a euphoria as he squeezed her bare body. He almost froze when she started to slide of his bottoms, and he really did freeze when she grabbed his hard dick.

It felt so right with her, and as he became more comfortable it felt even more right. He felt like their bodies belonged melted into each other. She was so beautiful to him, and it was perfect.