CHAPTER 4

Noel settled into her routine of keeping watch, helping Daryl with the skinning and doing chores in between. She continued to pester Daryl about going hunting but he never gave in; he was one stubborn bastard. The group often gave her weird looks after spending the afternoon skinning squirrels with Daryl but she didn't care, she didn't really talk to anyone anyway and that's how she liked it. So she could care less about what they had to say behind her back.

She was sitting watch when Andrea came and sat down next to her. She nodded to the blonde woman and they sat in silence. This was normal for them; she liked Andrea's silent company. Even when she did speak, Noel could tolerate her. She would ask questions, nothing too personal, or make comments and there was no uncomfortable need to keep talking. They'd just say what they had to say and leave it at that. Andrea knew when to shut her mouth, unlike her sister, Amy.

Noel could take Amy in small doses. She was too much like a teenage girl, with the desire to gossip and complain about everything. Even though Noel was in fact a teenage girl, she definitely had more in common with a 40 year old man then any one her own age.

"Supplies are running low." Andrea said quietly.

"Yeah." Noel said nodding, "Glenn will have to make a run into the city."

"They're taking a group this time. They leave tomorrow." Noel nodded again.

"Makes sense," she said.

"I'm gonna go with them." Andrea responded. Noel considered this quietly and when she realized Andrea was waiting for a response, Noel smiled.

"Kill some walkers for me," was all she said. Andrea smiled and turned her head towards the noise behind them.

Ugh, Noel thought. Amy. And sure enough Amy emerged and smiled at the two women. Andrea greeted her sister and Noel just smiled a nice fake warm smile at her. She glanced around camp hoping for an excuse to leave when she saw Daryl emerge from the dense woods.

Thank God, she thought as she stood and stretched.

"Take my place?" She asked Amy with another fake smile. "I've got some squirrels to attend to." She mumbled in explanation. Both blondes looked over to see Daryl placing his catches on the table in front of his tent.

"Ew." Amy said, "But sure." She shrugged as Noel began to leave. "What's up with you two anyway?" She motioned in Daryl's direction. "You shouldn't really hangout with him. The Dixon's, they're not good people. People will get the wrong idea."

Noel groaned internally and said nothing as she exited the RV quickly and quietly. She never really thought about what people thought of her and Daryl. If they wanted to think they were fucking then that's their problem.

On her way over to Daryl's tent Shane stopped her.

"Thought you were on watch?" He asked. His eyes moved from her eyes to her full chest and then back up to her eyes as she began to speak. Shane always succeeded in making her feel uncomfortable and, not that she ever let it show, she still hated talking to him.

"Amy took my place." She said quickly. "Squirrels." She moved past him and began to walk when he spoke again.

"Ya shouldn't be hanging around him." He said with a stern look.

Wow you too? She thought as she rolled her eyes and continued towards Daryl's tent. You're worried about him when all you ever do is undress me with your eyes.

Her and Daryl worked in silence until Noel sighed loudly. Daryl looked up at her giving her his usual annoyed scowl.

"Everyone thinks we're fucking, you know?" She smirked. She liked nothing more then to see if she could piss Daryl off. She liked fucking with him. It gave her something to do.

"Bullshit." He grumbled angrily as he continued working.

"Its true." She said trying to keep a straight face and succeeded. "Everyone thinks were a thing. Even Merle said you have wet dreams about me." This pissed him off.

"Shut up!" He said, his voice getting louder as he spoke. She kept her eyes on her work as she ignored him and continued.

"Don't worry about it." She said trying to hide her smirk, "I had one about you the other night. In the back of the Winnebago, it was hot." She couldn't hold in it any more and bust out laughing. He just glared at her, his face red with anger.

"What's goin' on out here?" Merle asked as he emerged from the tent with bloodshot eyes. "Oh hey pretty lady." He said as his eyes made their way to Noel. She stopped laughing and glared at him. "Keepin' Darylina here company? Why not come in and keep me company, hun?" She made a disgusted face as he raised his eyebrows and winked.

"Shut up, Merle." Daryl's anger no longer aimed towards Noel, "She ain't even legal."

"That's shit n' you know it. The girl's nineteen n' that's perfectly legal." Merle countered. Noel just continued working and kept her eyes on the bloody squirrel in front of her. "Whatever girl, I'm gon' be leavin' tomorrow n' yer goin' be sorry ya missed yer chance."

"Where the hell you goin'?" Daryl asked his brother.

"The city. Wit the group goin' for the supply run." He looked at Noel and smiled his usual creepy smile, "Jus tryin' ta help the group, ya know?" When Noel responded with a glare of indifference he left with a huff.

"Bullshit." Daryl mumbled.