Beth's head hurt, and her focus swam before her.
The lights above her head blazed a long trail in her vision. That was not right, she thought.
Beth could hear Vanessa and Maddy calling out to her but she ignored them. She didn't want to speak to them. She just wanted to leave.
.
Earlier That Night
"Now, what time do you want me to pick you up?" Hershel asked, glancing at Beth. She was applying her lip-gloss using the side passenger mirror.
"Daddy don't worry 'bout pickin' us up, we'll walk back," Maggie said from the back seat. "We'll be fine, don't wait up."
Hershel looked in the rear-view mirror reproachfully at his eldest daughter.
"Don't worry Mr Greene, we won't be out too late." Glenn chimed in, ignoring his girlfriend's jab to his ribs. Beth turned around and grinned at her sister, who rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a grin spreading across her own face. Glenn was a real suck up sometimes. Although the entire reason Maggie and Glenn were in the car was because both of them were going to be drinking and Hershel wouldn't let them drive.
Beth was just happy that they were able to come to the party, as Glenn wasn't working as many shifts lately.
"I'll hold you to that, Glenn," Hershel nodded to him with a wry smile, eyes crinkling in the rear-view mirror.
They were running slightly late as the party was supposed to start at six and it was now nearly eight-thirty, but Vanessa had said it didn't really matter what time you came. The sun had set on a warm April day, but the night was bound to be considerably cooler and the three partygoers in the car were dressed appropriately. Beth was wearing her favourite pair of ripped skinny jeans and a t-shirt, underneath a zip up hoodie. She had worn her chucks, much to her sister's chagrin, but Beth refused to wear heels when they were going to be outside all night. She had allowed Maggie to do her hair and make up, but it was just a house party and Beth liked to be comfortable.
Of course, Maggie was wearing knee length high heeled boots, black skinny jeans that looked as though they were painted on, an off the shoulder black top with a fitted dark green jacket that was practically black. There were going to be people Maggie went to school with there too. Beth knew that Maggie had shed some of her tomboy style when she had moved to the city, but it had taken longer to shed that whenever she came back home. Now it was almost non-existent. Glenn just wore his usual jeans and a sweater.
They slowly pulled up outside of Vanessa's house, the sounds of music and laughter already reaching their ears.
"All right, have a good time." Hershel watched them gather their bags and as Beth looked at her father hunched over the steering wheel, she was struck all of a sudden by the image of him sitting at home alone all evening. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the car, waving good-bye guiltily before joining Glenn and Maggie in walking towards the house.
Fairy lights adorned the trees around the yard and Beth smiled up at them as they twinkled in the darkening night.
Once inside, Beth saw that the party was in full swing. The three of them shuffled their way through the crowded living and kitchen areas saying the obligatory hellos, smiling and nodding to everyone. Beth did a quick scan of the kitchen table as they walked through and made a mental note to come back to it soon as it was laden with food. Beth recognised maybe half of the people, the rest she assumed to be Vanessa's relatives and family friends. Slowly, Beth was separated from her sister and Glenn as they stopped to speak to people and Beth moved on towards the back door of the house.
The balcony outside was crowded with people, some of whom she went to school with, and she smiled to a few people as she made her way down the stairs searching for Vanessa or Maddy. People were spread out in chairs and on cut down tree logs in small groups, or milling around the marquee. Everyone looked happy, music was playing loudly and Beth was starting to relax as she weaved her way though the clusters of teenagers. She waved shyly to a couple of people she recognised from the grade above her in high school and collided with a person walking the other way, who was carrying a drink in each hand.
Beth yelped as she felt liquid slosh on to her t-shirt and shoes, looking up to see Austin looking horrified as he stood before her frozen, still holding his drinks.
"Beth, sorry! Shit…"
Beth winced a little as she pulled at her shirt, examining the beer seeping into the fabric. Her shoes didn't worry her, it was the reason she wore them.
"That's all right," she told him, then smiled sheepishly as she heard how forced it sounded. The t-shirt snapped back against her skin as she let go and Beth felt the material cling to her skin.
"Didn't see ya comin'," he informed her. "You need a towel or somthin'?"
Beth nodded, and ended up sitting on a stool on her own in the marquee while he went inside and got a towel. Her shirt smelled like beer and she couldn't see Vanessa or Maddy anywhere, not that that meant much. It was quite dark now and the trail of people led down beyond Beth's field of vision, spilling further into the night. An old classmate from school stopped and said hello, and passed her a drink that she accepted politely, intending on throwing it out once she had an opportunity.
Beth sighed once they had drifted off, wondering where on earth Austin had gone. She was regretting not telling him to grab a shirt of Vanessa's and decided to just wait until he was back.
She was surprised at the number of people she did not recognise at all. Everyone invited had been free to bring friends, and it seemed like the party was crawling with people from Vanessa's college. Beth felt like a complete wallflower.
"Beth, hey!"
Beth blinked, and was mortified to see Laura walking towards her, Jimmy trailing behind her looking suitably nervous.
"Hi!" She smiled quickly, awkwardly slipping off the stool. Beth hoped they didn't notice the giant wet patch on her shirt and held her drink up, before glancing down and taking a small sip.
Beth was strictly forbidden from drinking until she turned twenty-one. As her father had struggled with alcohol in the past, he gave strong warnings to his daughters now, as they were adults. Maggie drank on special occasions but otherwise exercised extreme moderation. Beth…Beth had never touched it. But, she thought as she looked at the plastic cup, just one sip wouldn't hurt.
"I was hoping to see you, I feel like we haven't spoken in ages," Laura sounded so damn sincere and Beth couldn't believe her nerve. At the same time, she wanted to forgive her but…well, the 'but' was looking at her.
"Hey Beth," he nodded, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere but right there.
"Hey." Beth took another sip of her drink, which tasted terrible.
Laura looked uncertain, exchanging a glance with Jimmy that only made Beth wish that Vanessa or Maddy, or maybe a certain someone that was meant to be getting a towel, would appear.
"I'm gonna grab a drink, you want anything?" Jimmy asked Laura, leaning in to her. She shook her head, and he left the two of them alone.
"Oh, what happened to your shirt?" Laura asked, and Beth glanced down automatically before shrugging.
Of course she had noticed.
"Oh, it's nothing, Austin just spilt some beer on me. He said he'd be right back with a towel and to wait here, but I don't know where he's gone," Beth said, looking around and taking another sip.
"Oh do you want me to get you a napkin or something? Or we can go inside, it's warmer in there," Laura gestured to the house. Beth felt sorry for her for a moment, she was clearly overcompensating.
"No, it's fine…oh, I think I see Austin now!"
Beth had never been so relieved to see Vanessa's brother. The heavyset teenager was grinning apologetically, and Beth saw that he was holding a bunch of paper towels and a shirt.
"Sorry, sorry…I couldn't get away, my family are everywhere! I was in the kitchen and I just grabbed all the paper towels, just rolled out the whole thing, and then my Uncle said why don'tcha just get her a new shirt? So…yeah, I went up to Vanessa's room and got a shirt."
Beth stared at him. He looked almost disappointed in the anti-climactic ending to his story, and he handed her the paper towels while Laura looked amused.
"Hey Laura," he grinned at her, and Beth realised they had would have met before. "Jimmy around?"
"Yeah, he's just getting drinks," Laura replied.
Beth took a larger sip from her drink, and looked down in surprise when she realised it was almost finished.
"Uh, can you take the shirt too? I gotta get back," Austin nodded at the house, looking only mildly regretful.
Beth took the shirt and saw Jimmy making his way back towards them with two cups of soda. She downed the rest of her drink and excused herself to go change her shirt. She could feel the alcohol start to affect her already, just enough for her to be aware of it as it warmed her face. It wasn't entirely unpleasant.
Beth messaged Maddy as she was walking through the house to the bathroom, asking where she was.
Once in the bathroom, Beth held up the t-shirt that Austin had gotten for her. It was white, with a giant yellow smiley face on the front of it. Vanessa was slightly taller than Beth, and while by no means overweight, she was a couple of sizes larger. Beth envied her at times; she was thin and lanky. She took her jacket and shirt off, making sure the beer patch didn't touch her face as she did so, and patted herself dry with the paper towels. She slipped Vanessa's shirt on. The t-shirt engulfed her body, falling to almost mid-thigh and Beth frowned, realising that Austin had probably given her an old shirt that Vanessa wore to bed or something. At least she wouldn't smell like beer anymore, she thought.
Beth looked in the mirror, wishing she had just not gone to the party. Same old people from school, people who would probably never leave this area, and people that had written her out of their life without a second thought.
Beth set her jaw, balling up her damp t-shirt and chucking it in the basket in the corner. She had never admitted to herself that it hurt when Jimmy left. He'd told her he was leaving, and she'd been caught off guard but had agreed they were moving in different directions, and he hadn't contacted her once since he left for Macon. It was an amicable break up but she had never allowed herself to grieve the end of their two-year relationship, instead telling herself that it was completely fine. Jimmy was part of a former life, but Beth needed to reconcile how her relationship ended with his actions now.
Beth pulled her jacket on, the muffled noise of the party outside seeming to become ever louder the longer she stayed in the bathroom. She hesitated as she placed her hand on the doorknob, but wrenched the door open after a moment.
One more drink couldn't hurt.
.
It took her awhile to spot them but eventually Beth sat down next to Laura and Jimmy, finding them sitting with another girl they knew from college, Katrina. She greeted her with a smile, sitting down a little harder than she had intended on the grass as she held her drink up in an effort not to spill it.
The fairy lights above them shone brightly and the yard was alive with activity as people moved about, dancing and talking as the music played.
"Feel better?" Laura asked, smiling sympathetically as she tilted her head.
Beth nodded vaguely as she took another sip of her drink. "Yeah, thanks."
"You sure you wanna drink that?" Jimmy asked, a trace of a smirk flashing across his face.
Beth very nearly flinched, but glared at him. Of all the people, Jimmy was most intimately aware of her family's past and the consequences if she was caught drinking. It played on her guilt, and enflamed her anger. Everyone always thought she was the 'goody two-shoes', and she was a little sick of it.
"Yeah, I am," Beth replied, purposely taking another mouthful.
Amanda looked uncomfortable until Laura started talking about an assignment the three girls all had, and the tension eased somewhat as they discussed what they had written. Beth felt her vision shift for a moment when she leaned forward, adjusting her position on the ground, but it quickly passed.
Amanda had just gotten up to get more drinks when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Placing her almost empty cup on the ground, she yanked her phone out of her pocket.
Just got here!
Beth sighed in relief. Maddy was finally there.
"Hey!"
A yell caught the trio's attention and they looked up to see Vanessa pushing through a group of people, grinning broadly.
Beth finished her drink quickly and stood up, laughing as Vanessa practically tackled her in a hug before pulling back looking confused.
"Are you…wearing my shirt?"
Beth giggled. "There was an incident," she raised her eyebrows. "Blame your brother!"
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, what did he…Beth, are you drinking?" Vanessa looked at her sharply, as Laura and Jimmy exchanged glances as they sat behind them on the ground.
Rolling her eyes, Beth shrugged. "Just a little."
Vanessa eyed her for a moment before shrugging. "All right well steer clear of ya sister and Glenn. Though I doubt they'd notice anyway."
"Have you seen them?" Beth asked, her eyes flickering to the house.
"Yeah they're inside. I was lookin' for you guys for ages, but my family are crazy!" Vanessa exclaimed, gesturing wildly as she took a seat on the ground.
Beth followed suit, accepting a plastic cup from Amanda as she returned, sitting down next to her.
"How many presents have you gotten so far?" Laura giggled slightly at Vanessa's exasperation.
"A few," Vanessa shrugged. "I'm just enjoying the party for now. I was worried it was gonna get a bit out of control once it turned into a free-for-all but so far it's good."
Laura nodded, leaning on Jimmy and Vanessa glanced at Beth. They rolled their eyes in unison and Beth had to smirk.
"So where have you been lately?" Vanessa asked Laura, nonchalant as she took a sip of her drink.
Laura blinked, looking suddenly like a deer caught in the headlights. "What do you mean?"
Vanessa looked mockingly thoughtful. "I mean, none of us have really seen you…or heard from you. For ages."
Beth tuned out the conversation as she took a sip of her drink and felt queasy for a second, putting a hand against her stomach. Beth squeezed her eyes shut, as her head started to hurt. She shook her head.
"Vanessa, forget it."
Vanessa looked at her friend, her expression changing from disbelief to concern.
"Beth, are you all right?"
The noise of the party was so loud, the music seemed to be reduced to a dull thud drumming through her brain and the laughter sharp. She rubbed her temple, until it passed again.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Vanessa didn't look convinced, pursing her lips as she eyed Beth apprehensively. "Have you eaten anything?"
Beth furrowed her brow before she shook her head slowly.
"Maddy! There you are!" Laura sat up and waved, looking quite relieved.
Beth looked up to see Maddy walking towards them smiling sheepishly.
"I'm so sorry!" She cried, throwing her arms out helplessly. Vanessa stood up to give her a hug and just as they embraced, Zach appeared from behind Maddy.
Beth blinked, hoping for a second that she had imagined it, but he was still there when she looked up again.
"It's my fault, there was traffic and then I couldn't find her house…" he trailed off, shrugging apologetically.
As Maddy and Vanessa pulled apart, Maddy turned to the group. "Everyone, this is Zach. Zach, this is…everyone."
"Hey," he nodded. "Hey Beth," he threw a quick smile in her direction.
Maddy looked over at Beth in surprise. "Oh, you two know each other?"
Beth's face felt warm, and not just from the alcohol. She nodded, avoiding meeting Zach's eyes.
.
"So he's in your classes?" Vanessa stood next to Beth at the table as they considered the spread of food before them.
Beth nodded, now feeling a bit lightheaded.
Zach had joined them in their circle on the ground, and the conversation had flowed awkwardly until Vanessa had asked Beth to come with her to get some food.
Beth immediately saw through her ploy, as most of the circle most likely did too, but Beth followed her friend back inside. Vanessa's family inside were indeed in fine form, and Beth suspected that there wouldn't just be teenagers throwing up in the front yard that night.
Beth's stomach was churning, and she hesitated before putting a piece of chicken on her plate. The chances of her stomaching any food were slim.
"We had coffee together once, but I'm not really interested," Beth told her quietly.
Vanessa frowned. "Wonder what he's doin' here with Maddy when he was interested in you."
Beth shrugged. "Maybe he gave up?"
Vanessa gave her a wry look. "Maybe."
Beth managed to eat one piece of chicken while Vanessa's mother dragged her over to take some photos with their relatives. Beth watched them closely, noting the guy who got dragged into the photos with Vanessa who was most definitely not a relative. Vanessa looked pleased when he put his arm around her.
Beth turned back to the table, considering trying to eat another piece of chicken before she eyed the drinks table.
Maybe one more.
.
.
Beth sat on the front step, her head now pounding. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting out there.
The sounds of the party were slightly muffled out in the front yard, and Beth heard the front door open and shut clearly, startling her. She wiped her face hastily, blinking fast.
"Beth, hey," she heard Zach's voice and cringed, looking hard into the almost empty cup in her hand. She didn't look up as she heard his footsteps slowly get closer, before he was standing beside her.
"You ok?"
Beth could have laughed.
Zach sat down beside her, his knee nearly brushing against hers.
"What do you want?" Beth asked.
"Nothing, just…didn't expect to see you here. And…drinking."
Beth looked up at the night sky feeling her eyes sting. She wanted to cry and laugh, and she wanted…she wanted to go home to her mother and father, and her brother, and for things to be the way they used to be. But that was never going to happen.
"Yeah well what would you know?" She asked scathingly. He didn't answer immediately, and Beth thought for a second he might leave.
"I know…that I really like you."
Beth bowed her head.
He laughed. "I have great timing right?"
Beth turned to him. "Zach, you're here with Maddy," she looked at him incredulously, more than a little outraged.
Zach smiled easily. "Yeah just as friends."
"She didn't seem to think so."
Zach looked thoughtful for a second. "Well, maybe I'd seen you with her once…"
Beth felt like her head was spinning. He was lying about being surprised to see her.
"I really like you, Beth." Zach shifted a little closer to her.
Beth shook her head, moving away from him. "No."
Zach looked at her exasperated as she brought the plastic cup to her lips and downed the rest of the liquid.
"Why not?" He probed.
Beth put the cup down and stood up unsteadily. "Because! Even if you weren't here with Maddy, I'm not interested!" She exclaimed.
The front door opened and Beth looked back as she took a step down the stairs, tripping slightly and stumbling.
"Beth!" Maddy was out on the veranda in a second, rushing past Zach. Beth descended the stairs ignoring her. She heard the front door open and shut again and hoped that Zach had left.
"Beth!" It was Vanessa.
Beth's head hurt, and her focus swam before her.
The lights above her head blazed a long trail in her vision. That was not right, she thought.
She could hear Vanessa and Maddy calling out to her but she ignored them. She didn't want to speak to them. She just wanted to leave.
"She's wasted," Zach sneered.
"Fuck off Zach." Vanessa said sharply behind her, and Beth huffed a laugh that could have doubled for a sob.
"Beth, come back!" Maddy called, jogging to catch up to her.
Beth felt nauseous and slowed to a halt, doubling over as she felt dizzy.
Maddy and Vanessa appeared by her side, and Beth straightened up. "I need to leave."
Vanessa nodded. "Ok, I can get your sister–"
"No!" Beth shook her head. Maggie would tell her father.
"You're gonna have to go home if you don't wanna stay here." Vanessa pointed out. "Your father is gonna find out."
Beth shook her head, feeling like she was going to vomit at any second.
"You could just stay here," Maddy suggested, looking at Vanessa who nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, just stay here," Vanessa pleaded, tugging on her arm.
"No, no," Beth almost moaned, shaking her head. She felt so incredibly ill, and she was so incredibly done with this party.
"Well ya can't go home," Vanessa shook her head irritably, pacing back and forth shortly. When Beth didn't reply, she looked at Maddy hopelessly.
"Give me your phone," Maddy held out her hand as she looked at Beth calmly. Vanessa looked between them inquisitively.
.
.
Daryl shut the fridge, chugging some juice straight out of the container as he walked back over to the couch, sitting down heavily. It had been a long day.
Work had been even shittier than usual with Axel getting on his nerves on an unprecedented level.
He'd been out most of the evening at Rusty's, the guy who owned the car yard and where he got his hunting gear. He'd checked out some of the new gear he'd gotten in, and some of the gear that Rusty made personally, and had tried out one of the new crossbows. He had left empty handed, unwilling to fork out the money for the shiny new items that were no better than what he had already.
He was absorbed in the film playing when his phone started ringing. He glanced over to the table where the phone lay, vibrating loudly on the wooden surface.
He didn't know anyone who would be calling him at this time…anyone that he would want to hear from.
He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment before pushing himself off the couch angrily, stalking over to the table. If it was Martinez…
He picked up the phone, looked at the screen and froze.
"Beth?" He answered the call, his voice low and urgent.
"No, it's her friend, Maddy."
Daryl gripped the back of the chair in front of him.
"Um, Beth's not…she's not doing so good. I know it's late–"
She abruptly stopped talking and Daryl narrowed his eyes as he heard noises in the background, listening closely.
"Just tell her she's upstairs," the girl hissed to whoever was in the background. Daryl clenched his jaw.
"Sorry, um, I know it's late, but if she goes home now her father will lose it," the girl said breathlessly and Daryl suddenly understood.
"She's drunk?"
"Um, kinda…"
Daryl loosened his grip on the chair. "She'll sleep it off."
The girl sighed. "She doesn't want to stay here, and she can't go home. At least, not yet."
Daryl rubbed the back of his neck. He knew what she was asking him, and it was all kinds of bad ideas wrapped into one.
"Ya want me to pick 'er up instead? 'Cos her Daddy wouldn't get pissed at that," he remarked dryly.
"He won't know. We'll tell her sister, who is…pretty wasted right now, that she's upstairs sleeping."
Daryl stayed still for a moment, his hand clenching briefly into a fist.
"It ain't a good idea." He said finally, shaking his head.
"I know it's not, but –"
"What 'bout your place?" He interrupted, ignoring the girl's protest.
"Who are you talking to?" He heard the small voice in the background and he clenched his hand so hard his knuckles went white. There was a sound as though a hand had been placed over the receiver and he heard muffled noises that rose in volume before abruptly cutting off.
"Sorry. She can't come to my place because my parents are friends' with her father." The girl sounded surprisingly calm after what sounded like muffled yelling.
"Please come get her." Maddy said quietly.
Daryl shifted his jaw, before exhaling heavily. "I'll be there."
.
As he mounted his bike Daryl realised that taking a wasted girl on a motorbike may not be such a good idea, but if he got the truck back at the auto shop it would take too long.
He couldn't quite believe he was in this situation. When he'd told her not to go too crazy, he'd never thought that she would actually do anything. He hadn't thought too much of it, been distracted by the fact she'd wanted him to go with her.
She didn't get the whole sentence out, but he had known. The look of hope on her face, and the sudden uncertainty. He had been relieved when she had made something up instead, but something about it had pulled at his chest.
He thought about her…a lot. Sometimes it was at the strangest moments – when he was buying dinner. When he was trying to sleep.
He tried not to. Think about her, that is. A part of him recognised that he was fighting something. Because when she went and did shit like bring him dessert, or…sucked on goddamn cherries, or just smiled, he found it pretty hard not to think about her. For days.
He thought about her a lot.
.
The sounds of the party reached Daryl before he pulled up outside, and he killed the engine reluctantly. Now that he was there, he was even more positive that this was a bad idea. He took his helmet off slowly, glaring at some stray partygoers who walked past staring at him.
He walked towards the driveway hesitantly, contemplating ringing Beth's phone. Before he could dwell on it for too long, he saw three girls walk around the line of trees.
One of the girls looked like she was practically dragging Beth along, who did look unwell. The other girl looked at him evenly, and he knew she was the one who had called him.
He waited for them, observing Beth closely. Her make up was running, and she looked quite dishevelled. On her shirt was an absurd, gigantic smiley face. He squinted in the darkness.
Her friends looked almost wary as they approached him, and he finally shifted his gaze from Beth to the two girls.
"What happened?" He demanded.
The girl who spoke to him on the phone, Maddy or whatever her name was, almost winced. She glanced at the other girl before looking at him.
"She just…I, I don't really know."
He took some satisfaction in her stammering. He turned his glare to the other girl.
"You don' know?"
She avoided his scowl, looking angry with herself. "I didn't think she'd had tha–"
"Where were ya?"
He squinted at her incredulously as she stayed silent, her mouth in a firm line. He didn't care if she was the birthday girl or not, though he guessed she probably was. Beth had never had a drop of alcohol in her life. He dismissed her, looking at Beth.
To his surprise she looked angry…resentful even.
He jerked his head towards the bike and she exchanged a glance with the birthday girl before following him.
"Are ya sure she'll be ok on the bike?" Maddy asked, looking concerned.
He ignored her as he passed the spare helmet to Beth. As she raised her arms to put the helmet on, he placed his hand firmly on her arm to stop her, leaning in to speak quietly.
"You start to feel sick, you let me know."
Beth blinked, her eyes fiery, before she nodded. He let go of her arm and shoved his own helmet on.
He was really starting to regret this.
A/N: Another chapter. This turned into a monster that I'm so glad to finally post!
To Opal (guest reviewer), who asked about what Daryl would have said about the party if Beth had asked him...it sort of touches on it in this chapter, but really I think he would have said no. Which left me at a dilemma because I couldn't imagine Beth not at least thinking about asking him. I did write a version where she asked him and he said yes, but it just didn't work. Thanks for all your feedback Opal :)
Thank you all for your follows, favourites, reviews and for reading :) Thank you for your patience too, I haven't had as much time lately to write which honestly sucks.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!