Chapter Eighteen
"Mom, I'm good I promise. I have everything I need." Beth said with a chuckle as she adjusted the purple and black bookbag on her back, returning her mother's fourth or fifth hug that morning.
"Do you have money for lunch?"
"Yes, mama." she said and pulled out a crumpled ten dollar bill out of her pocket.
"Have a good day, sweetheart." she said with a smile as she patted her daughter's cheek.
"Beth!" Maggie called from the stairs, her footsteps quick and light as she descended them. She flew into the foyer and gave her a tight squeeze, "Happy first day of college, baby girl. Are you nervous?"
"A little." she said with a shy smile and Maggie reached into her back pocket, pulling out a small jewelry box.
"I got this for you, in honor of your first day. I'm proud of you, Beth." she said and opened the box, pulling out a delicate gold chained necklace with a small gold cross.
"Maggie it's beautiful!"
"Just remember, no matter how scared, or nervous you are, God is always right there to guide you." Maggie said and kissed her forehead, "Now go show all those professors how smart my baby sister is." Beth pulled her sister in for another hug, thanking her and laughing softly when Maggie gave her a big smacking kiss on the cheek. She walked outside, seeing the early morning fog still lingering on the grass all the way down to the tree line, saw the dew sparkling on the grass blades, and saw Daryl stepping outside as he stretched his arms up above his head. She held her car keys tightly in her hand as she made her way to the car, looking up again as Daryl started towards her.
"Where ya goin'?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.
"It's my first day of class." she answered and he looked at her with slight confusion before nodding and running his fingers through his hair.
"Right, right. M'sorry." he said and she shrugged with a soft laugh, "When ya get out?"
"I'll be back around four." she answered as she looked from his eyes, to his lips, then back to his eyes again.
"Well, have a good day." he said and reached out to touch her elbow as he walked past her. Her smile fell into a slight frown as she watched him walk towards the house and a small sigh escaped from between her lips.
"You too..." she said after him, her voice just a soft murmur lost in the morning breeze. She slid into the driver's seat and dug Maggie's CD stash out from under the passenger's seat, flipping through until she found a mixed CD and popping it in. She pulled out of the driveway, window's down and singing to The Scorpions at the top of her lungs. The scenery flew past, woods and fields fading into small neighborhoods which soon bled into the outskirts of Atlanta. When she finally pulled into the parking lot she had to avoid hitting students who ran back and forth in front of her as she looked for an available spot.
"Beth!" she heard a voice shout as she pulled into the first spot she could find, "Beth Greene!" She squinted to see through the morning sun to see Jimmy walking towards her with another girl with him.
"Sam! Hey!" Beth said as she hopped out of her car and ran towards the two.
"Hey, Bethy!" the girl said with a chuckle as the two embraced, "Haven't seen you in a month of Sundays, how have you been all summer? Where have you been all summer?"
"Busy either helpin' daddy at the clinic or keepin' the house clean and keepin' the new farmhand in check." Beth answered as Sam looped their arms together and started walking towards the building.
"New farmhand, eh?" Sam asked with a raised perfectly groomed eyebrow and Beth smiled wide as her cheeks burned a soft red. Jimmy hurried after them to catch up, balancing his text books in his arms as his back pack started to slide off of his shoulder, "This new farmhand got a name?"
"Daryl." Her answer was quiet, shy, and Sam reached up to tuck a loose, deep red curl behind her overly pierced ear, her red painted lips curving up in a curious smile.
"Daryl huh? And tell me about this Daryl." Jimmy listened with jealousy churning deep inside him as he listened to Beth fawn over the older man, Sam waving off the age difference between the two like it wasn't an issue. Of course it was an issue! Hershel would fall over dead if he knew Beth was running around with an almost thirty-five year old. Jimmy narrowed his eyes as they came to a stop in the hallway, Sam and Beth bidding goodbyes as they parted ways for class.
"You ready for class?" Beth asked and walked towards their open door, Jimmy nodding and following her inside the classroom. They took a seat by the window, Beth grabbing the chair closest to them and pulling out her binder and favorite purple pen.
"Beth?" Jimmy asked quietly as she filled out her name and date in the top corner of her notebook paper.
"Hm?"
"Are you and Daryl...are you two, you know, a thing?" he asked and saw her start biting on her lower lip.
"I don't know." she answered softly and Jimmy raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms on the top of the table and leaning closer to her.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Hello, everyone! It's great to see all of your bright and smiling faces! Welcome to your semester of ACA Success and Study Skills. Now I know this class is boring and mostly common sense, but unfortunately for you all it is required for first year students. I promise though I will make this as painless as possible." their teacher said as she made her way down the middle aisle of the classroom and up to the front, setting her coffee cup down along with the books and papers in her other hand. She turned to face the class, straightening out her knee length black pencil skirt and brushing a speck of dust off of the sleeve of her emerald green blouse, "Now." she started as she tucked an ashy blonde lock of short hair behind her ear, "I am Sara Sonnier. Born and raised in Louisiana, married for twenty three years, no kids, and moved here when my husband's job had to relocate him here. So to start off, we'll go around the room and introduce ourselves. State your name, your major, and one random fact about yourself."
"Oh fun." Jimmy murmured and heard Beth giggle softly.
"That class seems so ridiculous." Sam said as the three sat outside during a break in classes, Sam moving to sit on the top of a picnic table. Jimmy sat to one side of her, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and lighting one up.
"Our teacher seems really nice, I just felt like I was in elementary school all over again though." Beth said and Sam laughed softly, reaching over and pulling the cigarette from between Jimmy's lips and stealing a drag off of it.
"Eh, I have her on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the same class. Thanks for the heads up, should I go ahead and make my noose now or during the class?" Sam asked and Beth elbowed her knee, "What! I can't stand boring classes. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next four years."
"You'll manage. Maybe you can find a professor or two to screw around with and get some easy A's."
Jimmy said and Sam shoved his cigarette back between his lips.
"Oh shut up, you jackass." she answered with an amused grin and crossed her long legs, kicking off her high heels and wiggling her toes, "Ah freedom! Hey what do you say we go to the diner and snag some burgers and milkshakes, you know, in honor of making it through our first day of big kid school."
"Sounds good to me. Beth?" Jimmy asked as smoked curled out slowly from between his lips.
"Uhm, yeah, I'll join. I'll send Maggie a quick text and let her know. I can't wait, I've missed hanging out with you guys." she said with a big smile before looking down at her watch, "Come on, the three of us need to get to our English class."
"Ugh, yeah yeah, if you're late they lock the door and count you as absent." Sam grumbled under her breath as they gathered their belongings and started for the doors, "I wonder if we're going to have any hot teachers this semester."
"You're determined, aren't you?" Jimmy asked as he stomped out his cigarette and kicked it to the side.
"What's wrong, Jimmy boy, you jealous?" Sam asked as she elbowed his side before linking her arm with Beth's, "I'm sorry but you've never been my type."
"I ain't jealous, Samantha." The use of her full name earned him a glare but he only laughed it off and put his arm around Beth's shoulder, "Beth's always been the girl for me."
"Well you best be lookin' out for that Daryl Dixon she's so sweet on, sounds like he could flatten your ass out in a heartbeat." Sam said and Beth felt a grin pull at the corners of her mouth as she stifled a giggle.
"Calm down, you two. We're gonna be late."
The frogs were croaking and the evening crickets were still chirping by the time Beth pulled her car into the parking spot beside the house. The front porch light illuminated the yard and the kitchen light filtered through the screen door to light the path from the driveway. Beth glanced over at the guest house and only a single light was on and unfortunately it was an outside light. She popped her trunk and moved to grab her bookbag before hearing a low rumbling in the near distance. She pulled her bag out of her trunk and slammed it shut, the rumbling getting louder and she saw a single light bobbing down the driveway towards the farmhouse. She sat her bag down on top of the trunk and put her foot on the bumper, pushing herself to sit on the lid as the light drew closer.
"Guess he finally fixed his bike." she murmured and waited until he pulled into the driveway and up to her car, killing the engine of the bike and kicking the kickstand out.
"Look who's finally back." he said and set straightened his pants legs out.
"I sent Maggie a text to let her know I'd be late coming home." Beth said quietly as Daryl wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"She ain't been here all day. Off with Glenn." he said and she caught a familiar smell in the air.
"I sent you a message too."
"Ain't got minutes on my phone."
"But you were able to go out and buy drinks." Her reply was out before she realized it and bit the tip of her tongue when she saw the glare he cast her.
"Said you'd be here at four. And it ain't none of your business what I do."
"I could say the same to you." she said as she pushed off of the trunk and snatched her bag up, slinging it over her shoulder. He reached out and caught her arm, harder than usual and she felt his grip tighten.
"I ain't gonna stand out here and fight with you, girl. You said you'd be back at four, I waited, you didn't show so I went out with Merle."
"I'm not a child, Daryl. And you're hurting me so let go." she said as she snatched her arm away from him.
"Just be back when you say you are going to be."
"I'm not your kid, Daryl. I went out with my friend Sam and Jimmy after classes as a celebration for making it to college, I'm allowed to do big girl things, I'm nineteen after all."
"Why the hell would you go out with Jimmy?" he demanded but Beth stood her ground with her arms crossed.
"He's one of my friends, and I like to go hang out with my friends."
"He ain't a friend, Beth! He's just tryin' to get in your pants!"
"Daryl Dixon!"
"If you can't tell, then you're too damn stupid!"
"You are such an ass!"
"I don't want you hangin' out with him, he's bad news!"
"You're not my dad, Daryl. And I ain't your girlfriend!" she shouted and he shut his mouth, his eyes narrowing as he studied her reddened face, "Go sleep off the alcohol. I'm not dealing with you when you're like this. I haven't had to deal with a drunk in a long time, I'm not doing it now." With that she turned on her heel and stormed inside, the screen door slamming closed behind her.
"Damn girl." Daryl huffed as she made his way inside, greeted by an overly excited dog, "Yeah yeah, let's eat."