Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters, just my story line :)
"So Daryl, I've never see you around town before," Maggie said with a full mouth of fries, "you jus' move here?"
Daryl cleared his throat, "Uh, yeah. Bout' a week or so ago"
Maggie nodded, "That's cool. Senoia is a nice small town. People pretty much know everyone's business; but other than that, it's got its perks"
"Yeah okay" Beth spoke up suddenly and sarcastically, and everyone's eyes turned towards her. She hadn't said anything, besides her order, since they arrived and pretty much sat in her chair, swirling the straw in her cup around the entire time.
Maggie rolled her eyes and pouted her lips, "oh please Beth, jus' because you and Jimmy are havin' issues don't mean that Senoia is the town from hell all of a sudden". Beth sneered and rolled her eyes right back at her sister and Maggie crossed her arms, "What the hell happened anyway? I know you said he bailed on your plans, but is that really a surprise Beth?"
"Whatever Maggie, I don't wanna' talk about it" Beth said and shook her head out of aggravation.
"Yeah, well what you need ta' do is kick that loser to the curb already. He don' do nothin' but treat you like horse shit anyhow" Maggie said before taking a sip of her soda.
"Jus' drop it alright!" Beth spat out, and Glen's face suddenly became worrisome for a second. He hated confrontation, even if it didn't involve him.
Things became quiet for a while, Daryl found himself repeatedly glancing over at the blonde a couple times. Off of a first impression, he would have assumed she was some prissy little daddy's girl that got everything and anything she ever wanted. He figured that could still possibly be the case; however, she definitely had some aggressiveness as well. Which was either due to her really being pissed about this Jimmy guy, or she was just a bitch. Either way, he had to admit, the girl was pretty hot. Definitely a lot more clean cut than the girls from his town, but in a good way. More like a natural, small-town, all American, girl next door kind of hot.
He thought Maggie was hot too; but, there was always something about blondes that turned him on. He discovered that when he was with Carol, that is before she stopped dying her hair and decided to go scissor happy and cut it all off. Maybe it was due to the whole 'blondes have more fun' theory, either way it was definitely a preference of his.
However, he didn't let himself become distracted with infatuation. He quickly refocused himself and continued devouring the plate of food in front of him. Even if he had to sacrifice an hour of meaningless conversation with people he hardly knew, the food was the best he'd eaten in weeks, and it was damn worth it.
"So Daryl, you gonna' come down to the pier with us afterwards?" Maggie asked as she wiped her mouth with a napkin and threw it on top of her empty plate.
"The pier?" Daryl repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, there's a firework thing going on" Glen interfered, "kind of like, a kick off to the summer celebration, they do it every year here"
Daryl shrugged, "I should probably get back to my bike… don't wanna' leave it in that lot for too long and risk it gettin' towed"
Maggie let out a gaudy laugh, "Towed? Oh boy you've gotta' lot to learn about this town". Daryl looked confused, and Maggie continued, "this ain't some big city… your bike could be in that lot for days and not a single person would care"
"It's true" Glen assured, "Come with us, trust me, your motorcycle will be right where you left it once we drop you off"
Daryl knew it would be a losing battle if he even attempted to argue against them, he already got the hint that they were pretty stubborn. And really, where did he have to go anyhow?
He gave a quick nod and peeled off the last piece of meat from the rib with his teeth, and licked his fingers from the remaining barbeque sauce.
"You'll like it, it's fun", Maggie said with a smile, "and maybe this one over here…" she nodded towards Beth with a smirk, "…maybe it'll get her damn mood up"
Daryl smiled a little and looked over at Beth. Maggie's instigating was actually kind of funny to him.
Beth pursed her lips and once again rolled her eyes at her sister. She briefly made eye contact with Daryl; but, quickly looked away. The girl did need to lighten up a bit. Daryl had no idea what kind of problems she was having with her boyfriend; but, if it was so bad that the girl didn't even want to join in conversation with her sister than he wondered why the hell she was wasting time on the guy anyway. It obviously wasn't the first time he had upset her, hence the reason she was so mad. He never understood relationships like that. If you weren't happy than get out of it… that was his theory. He'd seen enough growing up, to know that when a relationship isn't working out, it more than likely never will. But, it wasn't his business or his problem.
"Aright well, we better get outta' here if we wanna' catch the fireworks on time", Maggie said as she stood up from the table, "You guys ready?"
"Ready as ever babe" Glen said as he also stood up from his chair and Maggie flirtatiously smiled at him and the two grabbed hands and made their way towards the exit.
Daryl and Beth both followed, neither of them very excited.
The drive over to the pier wasn't very long; but the weird silence in the car felt as if it lasted forever. Glen ended up riding in the passenger seat, alongside of Maggie; the two of them hand and hand the whole way, and Beth sat in the tight back seat next to Daryl. She didn't say much, and basically looked out the window the entire time. Daryl did the same as well; although it was a bit hard to see anything out of it. The sky had darkened and the roads were lined with trees, so there wasn't much of a sight really.
The truck was starting to slow down a bit, and the lights circling the wide lake revealed a pretty packed out parking lot. There was a decent amount of people at the event, and Daryl assumed that it was obviously a major celebration for the small town.
Once Maggie pulled into an open parking space, the four of them got out of the truck and made their way towards a couple of rocks down near the lake. They seemed to luck out because mostly everywhere else was crowded with people waiting for the fireworks display.
Glen and Maggie sat next to each other on the rock; Maggie leaning in and resting her head against Glen's shoulder. Beth took a seat on the rock next to them, and Daryl just sat down in the grass beside her.
He was starting to wonder why he even agreed to come with them at all. Everywhere he looked, there were either children with their parents, or couples cuddling together and holding hands. It really didn't seem like it was something you came to alone at all. Even if he was with a couple of people, two of them were ready to screw each other on the rock, and the other one was mad at the world and apparently mute as well… he definitely felt out of place.
One thing that was really getting to him though, was how much he missed Sophia. Seeing fathers holding their children up on their shoulders and laughing was making him really wish his little girl was there with him, doing the same thing. She would have loved to see fireworks- real fireworks that is. She'd never really had the chance to see something like that before, besides a couple fourth of July parties; but the people setting them off were usually so drunk that he would never allow her to get anywhere near them or up close, just in case one of the idiots stupidly shot one in her direction by mistake.
He couldn't wait till he was able to finally get situated though; so she could come and visit him, and he could take her to something like this. He knew she'd be ecstatic once she could finally start coming here, every other week or so, and spend time with him. He could barely wait either… but who knew when he was going to be able to make that possible. It could take weeks, or even months before he'd be able to get into a place of his own.
The fireworks started going off, and Daryl tried to shake the thoughts of Sophia out of his mind. It was the only thing he could do to prevent himself from becoming depressed over it. He just watched as the many different colored lights displayed across the sky. They were actually pretty impressive. There were different patterns set off, causing all different objects to light up in a variety of pictures and displays.
For a while he had just watched them, letting his mind completely go and allowing himself to rid his own issues and problems temporarily. It wasn't something he did very often, so it was a nice feeling to just let it all go for once, even if it wouldn't last long.
Suddenly Beth moved from the rock and took a seat directly next to Daryl on the grass. She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Daryl looked over at her, a little bewildered, for a second, and as soon as she noticed she chuckled a little bit.
"Sorry", she said with a small smile, "those two are makin' out all over that rock, and I'm kind of getting' sick of Maggie kickin' my leg and bumping into me every two seconds"
Daryl stretched his neck out a little to get a glance at Glen and Maggie. Maggie was twisted around, with her legs extended in the opposite direction. The two of them were locking lips so intensely, that it was almost hard to believe they were able to even breathe.
He leaned back and looked at Beth with a small smile and laughed a little, "You're right".
Beth smirked, "told ya".
Daryl was surprised the girl even smiled in the first place, especially after an entire two hours of saying pretty much nothing and walking around with a sulk on her face all night.
"They always like this?" Daryl asked Beth, and she looked back at her sister and Glen.
"Maggie and Glen?" she said jokingly, "oh this is nothin'… actually it's rather PG-13 compared to their normal behavior". Daryl raised his eyebrows in shock, and let out a small chuckle. Beth smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "good for them though", her face suddenly saddened, "at least someone is happy".
Daryl looked at her for a few minutes. He didn't understand why the girl was so down in the dumps over a guy, she obviously was a total smokeshow, and not to mention she had a pretty impressive smile. Why'd she even let something so petty bother her? But again, it wasn't any of his business, so he wasn't going to ask.
"What's your story huh?", Beth broke the silence and rested her head on her knees as she looked over at Daryl for his reaction, "I ain't the only one who's been quiet all night long"
Daryl studied her face briefly before attempting to answer the question; she was obviously quite observant.
"No story," he said, his stare still towards her, "jus' tryna' start fresh, that's all"
"Start fresh huh?" she narrowed her eyes and let a small smile creep across her lips, "no one ever tries to start fresh unless they're tryin' to erase somethin'"
Daryl's face hardened and his uneasiness completely vanished. She was right- in fact she was dead on, but who the hell was she to assume something about him when she didn't even know him?
"Yeah well, you don't know nothin' about me, so don't go assumin' shit you don't know"
Daryl expected the girl to get mad or defensive, but surprisingly she just stayed in the same position and let out a small and inoffensive chuckle instead.
"I wish I could jus' do that… start fresh somewhere and leave everything behind", Beth leaned back and placed her hands on the ground behind her for support, "I'm so tired of the same ol' people and the same ol' routines… I just want adventure and excitement"
Daryl watched her as she gazed up at the sky, closing her eyes as she took in her own thoughts and envisioned them in her mind. What could possibly be so bad that she longed to escape the life she was living? She was well dressed, her and her sister had a car, and of course, he knew perfectly well that her family had a big old farm with a ton of land. What could possibly make this girl think that her life was so depraved?
"I can tell ya first hand that adventure and excitement ain't always what it's cracked up to be", Daryl said while kicking his foot out in front of him.
"It's gotta' be better than this" Beth mumbled, and then looked over at Daryl, who was now lighting a cigarette in his mouth. Her eyes fixated on him as he took a drag and blew the smoke out through his nose, "I can tell ya now that you ain't gonna' last here", she said, still watching him knowledgeably handle his cigarette.
He let the cigarette rest in-between his lips and gave Beth a side stare, "Oh yeah? And what makes you think that?"
"Cause' I can tell you're not like people here… you know what it's like to not have to live vicariously through someone else's expectations"
Daryl face stiffened, and he viciously spat back, "I told ya, you don't know shit about me"
Beth narrowed her eyes and a smirk appeared, "I bet I'm right though"
Daryl rolled his eyes and looked away, who did this girl think she was? Mrs. Cleo?
"So you have a fight with your boyfriend or somethin' and you hate your life?" Daryl inwardly chuckled, "you got a lot to learn girl"
"That ain't it", Beth rolled her eyes, "jus' tired of everything, like I said"
"Right" Daryl said sarcastically.
"Hey at least I can admit it," she continued with the sarcasm, "and I'm not pretending my life is peachy"
Daryl blew the last of the remaining smoke out of his mouth, and flicked the butt of the cigarette into the lake, "Like I already told ya'… don't assume somethin' you don't know shit about"
Beth smiled; she knew she hit a nerve, and his defensiveness was only making it more apparent.
"Fine", she said while throwing her hands up, "maybe I'm assumin'… but if I'm right, which I'm pretty sure I am… you have to let me ride your motorcycle" she smiled, "just once".
Daryl raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"You heard me" she laughed, "You said you had one, so if by some chance I find out that one of my assumptions about you are correct… then you have to let me drive your motorcycle"
Daryl was starting to become convinced that there was something wrong with this girl.
"That ain't never gonna' happen darlin'…" he said assertively; he had to admit that her confidence was a bit amusing, "besides… findin' out anything about me will be pretty damn hard"
"I'm not so sure about that" she said with a smirk, "you are workin' in the shop with Glen now, so I'm sure we're bound to run into each other… especially if you're planning on hangin' out with us often, I'm bound to figure out a few things"
"Who said I'm plannin' on hangin' out with any of ya' again" he said with a bold tone at first; but quickly it became apparent that he was hinting a bit of sarcasm as well, "none of ya' are adventurous enough for me"
Beth laughed and cracked a small smile, "We'll see"
Daryl stared at Beth again as she looked up to watch the finale of the fireworks display. She may have been a little intrusive and slightly annoying; but a part of him wished she would have started talking a little earlier in the night. She had a sarcastic sense of humor, that was for sure, and it was something he actually liked. He couldn't stand when people made small talk and discussed stupid shit just to make things less awkward. Beth was obviously very blunt and cut to the chase about things, which he wasn't sure was a good or bad thing.
The fireworks finally ended and the people around them began heading back to their cars. Maggie and Glen finally detached themselves from one another and stood up, giving each other very noticeable and seductive looks. Daryl and Beth both stood up from the grass as well, each of them patting off their pants to wipe away any loose dirt.
"Ya'll ready to go" Maggie said, and Daryl and Beth both nodded before making their way back towards the pickup truck.
The ride back to the diner parking lot was again quiet, and despite Beth's invasiveness back at the lake, she was silent the entire drive. She smiled at Daryl a couple of times, as if she was telepathically still fucking with him about proving her assumptions correct, and he would shake his head at her and look away.
When they reached the lot and Daryl got out of the truck, he said goodnight to both Glen and Maggie and thanked them for asking him along. Beth however, made sure to say "see ya around" in a very sarcastic, yet positive tone.
Daryl narrowed his eyes at the blonde and gave a quick nod without responding. This girl was definitely a weirdo, and now he was sure of it.
He walked over to his bike and the blue pick-up took off onto the dark street. He started the engine and waited for a few minutes, to let it warm up fully. He hated to admit it, but Beth had him thinking… was he really just doing all this because he wanted so badly to erase his past and run from it? And if that was the case, how the hell was she able to tell that? Was it that obvious?
He kicked the stand up, and shook his head to rid the thoughts before taking off on the bike. Now wasn't the time to start thinking about all that again… now was the time to find another place to crash for the night, again. And with that he disappeared into the dark, of the empty and quiet Senoia streets.
So, what did you guys think? Please let me know! And again, I appreciate all the reviews, follows and favorites! Can't believe how many people are interested in this story, it's baffling!
Next chapter will have some back story of what happened to Daryl prior to his leaving his hometown, so what are your theories on that? What do you think happened?