A/N Thank you guys so much! Trouble got caught but Mama stayed very calm. Let's see how she does with Beth. I think you all know I have my stories quite planned out when I begin to posting them, but then FF friend MarinaAntolini left a comment in her review and I had to add something here. Please check the author's note to learn more about that. This chapter has a lot going on, so hang on tight.
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Beth woke up and was immediately disoriented; wondering why in the world she was on the floor, still fully clothed and covered with the quilt from her bed.
Then she remembered she and Daryl had been laying there cuddling. She quickly looked around, no he was gone. Thank goodness. What if when Mama came in to wake her he was still there? They'd be in so much trouble.
She was just smoothing the quilt on her bed and fluffing the pillows when Mama walked in, no knock, no "good morning." "I see you're up, now get yourself out of yesterday's clothes, get cleaned up and you meet me in the kitchen young lady."
Uh oh, this couldn't be good. She had no idea what was going on, well maybe a little idea. She sure hoped she was wrong. Had Mama seen Daryl when he left? Oh my gosh! She'd never showered so quickly. She wasn't anxious to face Mama but the worry and anticipation were killing her. She had to know.
She felt like there was a big rock in her tummy as she quickly made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Mama?" She knew her voice was trembling.
Mama had never looked at her like that, like she was disappointed in her. "I got up to get an aspirin last night and saw light coming from your room. I walked in thinking to just turn off that light, so you can imagine my shock when I saw Daryl lying on the floor of my daughter's room, with his arms wrapped around her. The two of you were just sleeping like a couple of babies." Beth was sure she was either going to either throw up, drop to the floor in a dead faint, or maybe both. "I'm not just shocked by this behavior Beth; I'm deeply disappointed in you. You're a good girl you shouldn't be carrying on with a boy this way."
Beth felt the tears in her eyes, she didn't want to disappoint Mama, "I'm sorry Mama, we didn't mean for that to happen. And don't blame Daryl it was all my fault, my idea. It was just that it was such a terrible day and I asked Daryl to come back and just visit with me for a while. I knew he was having a hard time too. I promise nothing happened Mama, honest. Daryl would never try anything bad. We were just worn out and fell asleep is all. Please Mama don't hate me, please." And then the tears came.
Mama hugged her girl, she couldn't help herself. The way she and Daryl had tried to cover for each other touched her, and she was struck by how the young couple was so protective of one another. "I could never hate you Bethie, you're my little girl, but that doesn't mean I'm not hurt and disturbed by your conduct. I've already told Daryl I never expect to catch him hiding in my house again, and he made a promise to me I wouldn't. This week you'll sleep with the door to your room wide open. That should help avoid temptation."
"Yes Mama I will."
"And today as soon as you get home from school, before Daryl arrives for supper, you and I are going right up to your room and we're having a serious talk."
What did Mama want to talk about? In her panic she blurted out that question.
"We'll be discussing the birds and bees and what young boys and girls should not be doing."
Beth was filled with a new sense of dread. Maggie had already told her lots of stuff about all that and so had Rosita. It was embarrassing enough from them. She couldn't even imagine how awful it would be hearing Mama talk about those things. Then again she wasn't taking any chances of upsetting her any more, she was just going to do what she was told.
"Yes Mama."
As soon as Beth left to catch her bus Daddy walked in the kitchen. Mama was standing at the sink washing breakfast dishes when he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "You know how much I love you Annette, when you leave our bed I sense it instantly. And I can hear well enough to know when two sets of feet are heading down those wooden stairs. I can even hear a door open and close. I also have great faith in your judgment. That's why I've kept my mouth shut and let you handle this. But just know if there's a next time I'll be the one handling things, and not nearly as sweetly as you have."
Mama smiled, she should have known, "Let's just pray to the Lord there is no next time Husband."
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Beth was already on edge when Andrea slid in the bus seat next to her, this was the last thing she needed. "Well Little Miss Goody Two Shoes anything interesting happen after school yesterday?" Beth's mind immediately went there, had Andrea had something to do with all that? She wouldn't put anything past that girl.
"No just the usual. Daryl came over and neither of us thought about you one bit, we were too busy kissing." Beth was so tired of Andrea and she'd already had a terrible morning.
Andrea just laughed that laugh Beth had decided made fingernails on a chalkboard sound like Mozart, and then thank goodness she moved to the back to be with her snotty friends.
She saw him as the bus approached the school and she knew by the look on his face he was worried and nervous. He held a hand out to her as she stepped off the bus and their eyes locked. He sounded like his shy self when he quietly spoke, "Mornin' Sunshine, everythin' okay?"
Just him being sweet that way made tears come to her eyes. "No Trouble you know everything's not." He looked around for teachers and then took her in a hug, "I'm sorry. I told your Mama it was all my fault, all my idea."
"I told her it was my fault, all my idea."
In spite of how full of anxiety they were that made them laugh. "Great, now Mama is going to think we're both just a couple of liars."
He'd taken her backpack as they walked toward homeroom, "What's the fast version a what she said to ya?"
"Well she said I disappointed her and it was no way to behave. She said I have to have my bedroom door wide open all week. But the worst is going to happen when I get home from school, she wants to have 'the talk' with me. I can't even imagine what that's going to be like."
"The talk? What talk?"
She glanced around, nervous someone might overhear. Her face was as red as a cherry when she whispered, "It's the sex talk, she's going to tell me all about that stuff."
His neck had gone a little red, "Shit. I'm sorry Sunshine. I can't even think of your Mama talkin' bout stuff like that. But I guess she knows bout it or ya wouldn't be here."
"Ewww Daryl stop, that's disgusting." He had to laugh at the face she made.
"Guess we're gonna just have our lunchtime for private talkin' an whatnot. At least for a while."
Just before they walked in that classroom he looked around quickly and gave her a kiss. "I'ma figure this out Sunshine, I ain't gonna be apart from ya."
Beth tried not to even look at Jimmy's desk, Daryl was just glad to see the guy gone. Then the teacher announced to the class that Jimmy would not be returning to school. He'd decided he was interested in a service career and his parents had enrolled him in a military school.
Andrea let out a loud gasp, clearly shocked by what the teacher said. Beth was left wondering just what in the world was going on with Andrea and Jimmy. She'd never seen them act particularly interested in each other or even friendly. But instinct told her there was something.
They hurried to their spot at lunch, looked around and stood behind the maintenance building, holding tight to each other and exchanging long-awaited kisses. "Ya mean so much ta me Sunshine."
"I love you too Trouble."
They sat to eat their lunch and when she handed him the sandwich he smiled, "Thank God, I guess Mama don't hate me."
"I think right now she loves you more that she loves me."
"That ain't true an ya know it. It's just folks expect me ta do wrong, a sweet thing like you they never expect nuthin' like that. That's the only reason your Mama got disappointed Sunshine. A girl like you they just naturally got their expectations you're gonna be good."
He'd just about finished his sandwich when he mentioned it. "Speakin' a things like that, I's wonderin' bout sumthin'. I ain't sayin' ya have ta, or I expect it, I's just wonderin' if you'd want to. Ya think there's any way at all you'd ever wanna go for a ride on the motorcycle with me?"
She broke right into a great big smile, but just as quickly her look turned sad, "I'd love that Daryl but you know Mama and Daddy said NEVER, and I don't think they're going to be changing their minds. Especially not now."
"Well yeah I know that, but I been thinkin'. This Saturday I promised your Dad I's gonna fix the generator, an Saturday after that I gotta go see Merle. I's just thinkin' the next Saturday after that, remember they said maybe we could go see a movie? Well what if we could, an then maybe we could just put on an act like we was goin' ta that movie, but we could go for a ride instead. I know it's wrong an I don't wanna get ya in more trouble, but I just thought maybe it'd be fun. I could show ya where I hang out on the weekends. My real home."
She knew it was wrong too, really wrong. She'd be lying to Mama and Daddy and that was a very bad thing. So no, she shouldn't agree to this. She looked at him very seriously and said, "I want to. I'll start working on them about letting us go that movie, right after Mama has had a couple of days to calm down from last night."
They hurried through the rest of their lunch so they'd have time to lie together on that lawn. When the bell rang it was all they could do to quit kissing, get up and go to class.
All the way home on the bus she was dreading it. She already understood the mechanics of the whole thing she sure didn't need Mama describing it in detail. But she couldn't see a way she was getting out of this. She just couldn't argue with Mama right now.
She drug her feet a little on the way to the house from the bus, and she tried to be really quiet as she opened the kitchen door, but Mama was standing right there waiting. Worse than that, she had a big smile on her face. "Well good afternoon Daughter."
"Hey Mama." She worked real hard at managing a smile of her own.
"Are you ready for our talk?"
She swallowed hard and took in a deep breath but she knew she sounded pretty miserable when she answered, "Yes Mama."
Just to really torture Beth, or at least that's how she saw it, they sat on her bed to talk. Mama took her hand. "I have a feeling you already know where babies come from, how they come about. If you haven't heard it at school, or even from the girls at church, I know that sister of yours and I'm sure she gave you an earful."
Beth didn't respond she just looked in Mama's eyes, waiting to hear what was next and hoping she didn't die from embarrassment.
"The act, as we used to call it, is about expressing your love, adult love. Teenagers aren't ready for that type of expression. You may be physically ready but honestly Beth, you're not emotionally ready. I know you and Daryl love each other. I see the way you look at one another, how you're always trying to protect him and he's always trying to protect you. And I love that you two have this special connection you share. But Beth, Daryl is only 16. You're only 15. You're both way too young."
"When you do things like sneak around so you can be alone together you're just tempting yourselves. It might be hard for you to believe but Daddy and I have rules in place not to try and be mean, but to try and protect you both from making an error in judgment."
"Okay Mama, I understand I really do and I promise nothing happened. All Daryl and I have ever done is hold hands, and hug, and kiss, but just a little. We haven't done anything else. We know we're not ready."
Mama hugged her then, "I do love you daughter. I wasn't even really angry with you. I was more scared for you. I don't want you and Daryl to do something you may later regret."
"We won't Mama, we won't."
"Alright then, you change now and go take care of those chickens while I get supper started."
"Yes Mama." Phew! She'd lived through that and she hadn't had to hear Mama say any of those words she was sure no one wants to hear their Mama say.
She was relieved to change and get outside with those chickens, they never asked questions or talked about stuff Beth didn't want to talk about. She did have a little nagging guilt, she'd had plenty of "those" thoughts about Daryl. And she knew by his physical reactions when they were kissing and holding each other, he had plenty of those thoughts too. She wouldn't be sharing that information with Mama.
And she also thought defiantly, for a moment anyway, that just next month he'd turn seventeen and a month later she'd turn 16. And they weren't just a couple of kids play acting, they were in love and they were going to be together forever. They knew that for sure.
Besides, Daryl was already like a grown up, he had a steady job and everything. He was like a man.
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He got to the job and started right in working on the drill press. Ten minutes later Mr. Horvath came over to him and asked to see him in his office. Daryl's heart sank, he was sure the man was going to tell him he'd changed his mind and he was fired. His brain was going a mile a minute trying to imagine what he'd do for work if he lost this job.
"Sit down Daryl I want to talk to you about a couple of things."
"A'ight." He sat up straight and looked the man in the eye. Hopeful he looked like a responsible adult.
"So Daryl, you're pretty serious about this girl of yours, Beth Greene, huh?"
Daryl was confused now, what did Beth have to do with the job? "Yeah I am, an she's serious bout me too."
"Well I'm just a little concerned. You two are young and I know it's only natural you'd have a lot of curiosity about adult relations."
Oh shit no, not "the talk", and coming from Boss Man? It was almost as bad as being fired. "I ain't makin' her do none a that stuff if that's what you're thinkin'. We ain't done nuthin' but some kissin'."
"I'm not accusing you of anything son, I just wouldn't want to see the two of you get in trouble. I thought since your Dad is such a busy man maybe he hadn't had a chance to talk to you about protection."
"Protection?"
"Yes, you know, condoms."
Daryl felt his neck heat up then, "Um no he ain't but that's okay, Merle told me about them things a long time ago. I don't need 'em cuz me an Beth we ain't doin' that stuff." Shit even if they were he sure wouldn't be talking to Mr. Horvath about it.
"Alright I just wouldn't want to see the two of you have any unexpected problems."
"Um yeah, we're good. Can I please go back ta work now?"
After supper they were relieved when Daddy told them they had to do the dishes, at least they'd have that little bit of time to talk. She washed, he dried and they kept it to a whisper.
"What did your Mama say?"
They were both a little red in the face as she answered, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I guess she knew I probably already know where babies come from. Mostly she wanted to talk about how we're not old enough, and how we shouldn't be putting ourselves in situations where we're going to be tempted to do what we shouldn't be doing. I just agreed with everything so it would be over."
He was chewing on that lip when he told her, "Yeah well Boss Man tried ta talk ta me bout stuff too."
Beth dropped a plate right back in the sink, "What?!"
"Well he didn't talk about ya know, it, but he tried ta talk ta me about guy stuff, he called it protection."
She wasn't 100% sure what he was talking about, but she was sure enough she didn't want to ask.
"Anyway I told him we wasn't doin' that stuff an then I went back ta work. Shit, I hope they're done with all their damn talkin' it's embarrasin' ain't it?"
"I'll say."
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They worked real hard at being real good. He didn't sneak in the house, and even though they'd talk about the possibility of it, she didn't sneak out.
But he'd started to bring her some things to try. He wanted to take her on that ride in a real big way.
One day at lunch he took a pair of motorcycle boots out of backpack. "Merle give 'em ta me when I's younger. He used ta take me ridin' with him once in a while an he said I needed ta look the part. I just been keepin' em stashed all this time. I don't know why, maybe cuz they remind me a him an fun we used ta have together. Anyway, they're small enough I's thinkin' they might fit ya, case we get ta go on that ride."
She couldn't wait to try them on. "Oh my gosh, they're a little roomy but with socks they'll be just right. I love them, do I look tough?"
He laughed as he took her in a hug, "Yeah, toughest girl I know. Tough enough ta put up with me."
The next day he brought a leather jacket. It was old and well worn, and she was surprised by the weight and the softness of it. She couldn't wait to put it on. "Oh my gosh I love it Daryl, do I look like a Biker Chick?"
Her enthusiasm over the old jacket just made him feel so happy, "Yeah Sunshine ya do, prettiest Biker Chick in the whole world."
The last thing he brought was his old helmet and when she tried that on a smile lit up his face, "Damn Sunshine I ain't ever seen anyone look cute in a helmet 'til now. I can't wait ta get ya on that bike. You're gonna be the best lookin' thing on the highway."
They agreed he'd stash everything in his locker at work, if they got to go on that ride one Saturday he could just bring it with him.
She'd been working on her Mama and Daddy just a little each day, trying hard to get them to warm up to the idea of letting her and Daryl go to a movie together. She could have yelled and stomped that she was old enough. She could have argued with them that she should be allowed this, that every other girl her age was allowed to date. But she knew them. They responded so much better to sweet and obedient, and she was so much more comfortable with it herself. So that's the way she tried to approach them.
"I know you're nervous about it Mama but it would be daytime, and it's just a movie. There would be lots of other people around. How could Daryl and I even get into trouble? We just want to go to the movie and then walk down to Goodie's for an ice cream afterwards. Please Mama, we'll be good, look how good we've been being. We even got an 'A' on our report."
Mama didn't say yes quite yet but Beth just knew she was getting close to it when she stated, "Well if we did agree to let you go I would be driving you to town and picking you up after. There is no way on earth Daddy and I are going to let you ride that motorcycle."
For a minute Beth was gripped by guilt, but it was quickly overridden by her profound desire to go on that bike with Daryl. She'd say some extra prayers for forgiveness.
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A big change in their lives started happening just three days before Daryl's Saturday to ride to the state prison facility in Atlanta. Beth had felt a little sad about him going, she'd miss having him around the farm all afternoon, but she understood why he had to. She knew how much he missed his brother. Even though it seemed to her Merle had a lot of problems, he was the only relative Daryl felt a closeness to. He didn't think about him as a petty thief, or as a guy who not only sold drugs but had a drug problem of his own. Daryl just thought of him as his big brother.
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That Thursday at school was a day not a student or a teacher was likely to ever forget. Beth and Daryl would refer to it later as the "roundup," just like in a western movie.
The roundup included the entire football team, save for one lone boy. And it was a large percentage of the other boys in school. Along with an equally large percentage of girls; the ones with whom these boys had been intimate.
It all began with Jimmy being went away to military school, where he was given a complete medical exam. It was standard procedure at the academy and his parents had no issue at all signing the permission document.
Part of that routine physical exam was testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and lo and behold Jimmy did indeed have one of these diseases. Unbeknownst to him he was suffering from chlamydia.
It's the most common of the diseases of this type in teenagers. There are typically few or no symptoms and the young people just keep unknowingly spreading it. But once discovered the health department requires notifications, everyone who may have been exposed must be contacted and must be tested, and if necessary, treated.
Jimmy had only had one sexual encounter, with Andrea Harrison. He tried to explain it all to his horrified mother and father. "Andrea said we had something in common and we should become partners to get what we really wanted. She knew how much I liked Beth Greene and she admitted to me she liked Daryl Dixon. She told me she knew something about Beth that could help me out. She said Beth secretly liked me a lot but couldn't let on because she was afraid of her boyfriend, Daryl. She said if I got Beth away from Daryl, I'd have Beth and she'd figure out how to get Daryl. She told me I needed to make a big play on Beth, that she'd love the surprise of me sneaking up on her and being all forceful and stuff. She said Beth would probably pretend to fight back and I should just ignore it. I wasn't sure about any of it, but then she, well she said she'd let me have sex with her if I promised, and I wanted to. I'm sorry."
The roundup itself started with Andrea being pulled out of homeroom class Thursday morning, and being sent to the principal's office where her parents were waiting. The principal and school nurse were also there and explained the situation. Andrea was immediately taken to an off campus health clinic and tested. When the test was positive she had to give the names of every student she had ever engaged in any type of sexual activity with. It turned out to be a large portion of the male students. They in turn, had to give the names of girls they'd had encounters with.
It seemed half the school was soon on medication and had also been permanently grounded by their parents.
The Principal notified the Greenes what was going on. He felt they deserved to know the story of what had happened, what had contributed to Jimmy acting the way he had. There was no excusing his behavior, but at least now they were aware.
As for Andrea, she had begged her parents to send her away, anywhere. She never wanted to show her face at school again. But they wouldn't do it, at least not at first. They thought the humiliation of staying in the school and seeing those students every day would be just the punishment she needed. But it got so bad, there was so much shunning mixed with verbal abuse and cruel pranks, not to mention the online bullying, they soon pulled her out. They ended up sending her to a very conservative all girls academy in Tennessee.
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In the meantime, that Saturday Daryl went to visit Merle in prison, making it back to the farm just in time for supper. Beth and Daryl got a happy surprise when Daddy announced, "Mama and I have decided to let you kids go to the matinee next Saturday. I've checked and there's a one o'clock show. Daryl, Beth's Mama will be dropping her off there at 12:45, you'll be expected to be waiting for her out front. After you kids see your movie and have your ice cream Beth, you are to call your Mama and she'll come after you. Daryl you can just follow them on your bike."
"Oh Mama, Daddy thank you so much! Our first date, I'm so excited!"
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A/N So many of you wanted Beth to punch Andrea, heck I wanted to punch her. But that didn't seem quite harsh enough. Don't mess with my girl Beth! And we saw that just maybe our couple is going to get their chance to disobey and go on that motorcycle ride. Maybe. In the meantime, I thank you so much for reading along. I'd appreciate your follows / comments / reviews x gneebee
The chapter photo is posted on my tumblr bethylmethbrick please visit there. That review FF friend MarinaAntolini left said this: "I hope she (Annette) has an uncomfortable talk about sex with Beth LOL i mean, we all had to sit through that talk...i think it's Beth's time." Oh I couldn't pass that idea up, I told her she was a genius. I incorporated it into Mama's heart to heart with Beth, and I had a lot of fun with it - I hope you did too. I'll see you next Saturday for more Trouble. Thanks again and remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee