Chapter Twenty-Three
"Seriously, Jimmy? A vampire?" Beth heard Sam ask from her front door, giggling as she slid her strapless bra on and then the high heels Sam had found her. Sam had sewn tiny bells to the toes so that Beth would have the signature ringing noise whenever she walked around instead of just boring white pom-poms.
"It's all I could think of! What about you, Captain Hook? How overdone is that?"
"I wasn't aiming for Captain Hook, but I guess that means Beth and I have a good costume theme goin' on then. Looks like you won't fit in, Twilight."
"Oh, stuff it, Sam."
"You wish. Lemme go check on Beth, see if she needs help zippin' up her dress." Beth hurried to slip into the shiny emerald green dress just in time for Sam to walk through the door, "Oh look how cute! I love it! Turn around, lemme zip you up and attach your wings. Oh I can't wait! Looks like Captain Hook and Tinker Bell are going to rock the night tonight! Let's fix your hair and then we'll be ready to go!" Beth managed to sit, with gritted teeth and hands clenching her chair, as Sam brushed, pulled, and twisted her golden locks into a perfect ballerina bun near the top of her head. She left a couple of strands hanging down against her face that she curled with her curling iron and managed to not suffocate either one of them with a heavy dose of hairspray to keep it all in tact.
"So how do I look?" Beth asked after touching up her makeup and having her wings attached to the back of her dress.
"Marvelous, darlin'! God, you are a knockout. Where did you get those killer legs from?" Sam asked as she stepped back to admire her best friend. Beth blushed and smoothed the invisible wrinkles out of her dress and walked to the bed to grab her silver clutch purse.
"Well, let's go!" Beth said and hurried out of the bedroom, Sam quickly following as they made their way into the foyer where Jimmy stood. His face was paled out with make up, his hair slicked back and not a single strand moved out of place as he turned to look at them.
"Wow!" he said and moved his hands out from underneath his black and red velvet cape, embracing Beth in a greeting hug, "You look beautiful. You guys ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be, Edward."
"Sam. Shut it." Jimmy warned and Beth giggled as they made their way out of Sam's house and into her convertible. It didn't take them long to make it to The Cherokee Rose and just as easily as Sam had promised, her cousin glanced at their IDs long enough to make it seem legit and let them through with smile and a wink towards Beth. When they stepped in the bar was alive with people dancing and drinking, most of them in costume. Beth held on to Sam's hand as they pushed their way through the crowded room and managed to snag a table close to the bar.
"This is so cool in here! Much better than it was when it was the other place!" Sam shouted over the music, tossing a red curl over her shoulder before reaching into her dress and pulling out some money, "Jimmy, whatdya want to drink? Beth and I are gonna do up there and get 'em. Guaranteed to get 'em quick dressed like this."
"Whatever you get I'll be fine with." he answered and watched Beth as she walked away with Sam towards the bar. Tonight would be the night. Tonight would be the night he finally got Beth back, made her his again. After all they were growing close again, and he figured maybe she would give him another chance. He heard the bell ring above the door for the fiftieth time since they had made it in and just so happened to glance over. He felt his jaw stiffen as he watched Daryl walk through the door and his fist tightened on the table.
"Y'okay?" Sam asked over the pounding of the bass, Jimmy quickly bringing his attention back to them and smiling as they sat beer bottles and shot glasses down on the table.
"Oh I'm good, thought I recognized someone. Hey that was quick!"
"Helps when the bartender can't keep his eyes offa me or Beth. Ready?" she asked as she handed Beth her shot glass and a piece of lime. She salted a patch of skin on both their hands and slid the salt shaker to Jimmy, "Lick, slam, suck, got it?"
"Got it!" Beth called over the music and smiled as they stood facing each other, locking their arms around each other to where they would still be drinking from their own shot glasses.
"One, two, three!" They licked the salt off of their hands, tossed the tequila back and were quick to cram the lime wedges in their mouths.
"Oh, crap that's still nasty!" Beth said with a wrinkled nose and a laugh, grabbing her bottle of beer off of the table and taking Sam's hand, "I'm ready to dance now!"
"You comin?" Sam asked Jimmy and he shook his head, "Alright, we'll be back!" They moved to the dance floor and squeezed into the crowd as Timber by Pitbull and Ke$ha began flowing out of the speakers, people shouting and cheering as the music picked up quickly.
"Wow this place is packed! I'm so happy for Carol!" Sarah said as their small group made it into the bar.
"Yeah, looks like she did good." Daryl said and followed her to the bar where they had to push through the crowd to find a couple of stools.
"I'm glad you made it!" Carol said from behind the bar where she was dressed like a naughty police woman, a smile plastered on her face, "The usual?"
"Yes please! This place looks great!" Sarah called and Carol thanked her with a wide grin, "I wonder if that girl showed up. If you see a pretty lil' Tinker Bell lemme know!"
"Yeah, sure." Daryl answered and turned his attention away from the dance floor. He picked up his beer bottle, trying to drown out the music and the loud drunks as he started to look around the bar.
"Oh, sorry! Excuse me!" a voice called as she moved next to Daryl, "Can I get two more tequila shots please?"
"Comin' right up!" Carol called and Daryl looked over at the redhead who wore a tiny little green pirates costume, her large breasts almost popping out of them.
"Hey, that's the girl from the shop! That must mean her friend showed up too!" Sarah said as the pirate walked away with two shot glasses and two lime wedges. She walked to a table off to the edge and Sarah jumped out of her stool, grabbing Daryl's hand and pulling him off of his seat.
"Okay, one more!" Beth said and on the count of three knocked her shot back with Sam. They set their glasses down on the table and waved to Jimmy as they made their way back to the dance floor.
"I'm gonna go get more beers, you okay out here for a second?" Sam asked and Beth nodded as she moved her hips to the music, taking another sip from her almost empty bottle as Sam hurryied off towards the bar.
"Your costume looks so cute on you!" Beth heard a familiar voice say and turned around quickly, her head a little woozy from the alcohol and managed to steady herself as she saw the girl from the costume store.
"Oh hey! Thank you, it fits perfectly. It was such a good suggestion, thank you!" Beth said and looked at the woman's Naughty Nurse costume, "I'm Beth, by the way!"
"Sarah, and I'd like you to meet my friend! Oh where did he go?" she asked and turned, reached into the crowd and grabbing an arm, "There you are! Come here! Beth! This is my good friend-!"
"Daryl?" Beth muttered and felt her heart plummet into her stomach as their eyes met, nearly dropping her beer bottle. His grew wide and he stopped in his tracks, looking from Beth to the bottle in her hands.
"Oh you two already know each other?" Sarah asked and gasped as Daryl jerked his wrist from her grasp.
"Excuse me, I need to go. It was good seeing you again." Beth said and pushed past them, Daryl watching her hurry outside.
"Dammit!" Beth shouted and watched as the dark brown bottle shattered against the side of the building, rubbing her temples and pacing back and forth. She wanted to rip the bells from her toes as she listened to them jingle with every step.
"Better be careful throwin' glass." she heard Daryl say and stopped, keeping her back turned to him, "Ain't safe for a a girl to be out here by herself."
"Ain't none of your business what I do." Beth said and crossed her arms, feeling how cold they were now.
"What are you even doin' here, drinkin' no less. You ain't old enough and you could get Carol in trouble if anyone found out. How'd you sneak in anyway and does Hershel even know you're out?"
"Just, stop it, Daryl! Stop!" she shouted as she whirled around to face him, staggering a bit but quick to regain her balance, "It's none of your business anymore! Okay? When you left you revoked that right to know what I was up to or to know where I was. Daddy knows I'm out for the night, thank you very much."
"Beth calm down, you're gonna fall." he said and made a step towards her but she backed up.
"You know why I'm here, Daryl? Sam asked me to come, with Jimmy, okay? They asked me to come along, and have fun, and do somethin' instead of sit up in my bedroom and miss you, okay? And why am I drinkin'? So I can have one night that ain't so damn miserable! Since all I've done since you've left is cry like a pathetic teenage girl! I'm tired of dreamin' about you, Daryl. It hurts. It really, really hurts. And just when things are startin' to get better, you show up."
"Beth, easy." he said softly and reached for her. She didn't take a step back, but jerked her hand away from him as tears began to slide down her cheeks, "Beth, calm down, please."
"You hurt me, Daryl. Okay? And I was finally getting' better." she said and looked up at him. He felt a lump in his throat rise as he looked at the pain in her eyes, the large tears sliding down her pale cheeks, those beautiful lips that used to give him mind blowing kisses trembling as she tried to keep from bursting into tears. He went to reach for her again and she stepped back, her shoe sliding on a piece of gravel and causing her to slip.
"Beth!" He lunged forward and caught her, pulling her tightly to him and feeling her body shaking. He couldn't tell if it was from tears or the cold, or maybe a mixture of both, "It was for the best."
"You keep sayin' that and I don't understand why! Did I not make you happy enough?! I though you were happy, Daryl! I was, and you never told me otherwise! I don't get it, I don't understand! You used to open up to me, then you started shuttin' down and all we did was argue. I don't get it, I don't know where we went wrong." she whimpered and reached up, gripping his vest in her hands as she burst into a fresh wave of tears.
"Hey!" a voice shouted and Daryl turned his head to see Jimmy and Sam making their way out of the bar towards them, "Hey, let her go asshole!"
"Jimmy back off!" Beth shouted as she pushed away from Daryl and towards him but he shoved past her, Sam rushing to her and helping her regain balance, "Jimmy!"
"The hell you think you're doin' puttin' your hands on Beth!"
"You best back the fuck off." Daryl warned as Jimmy stormed up to him, reaching up and shoving his shoulders, "You lookin' to get your ass kicked, Twilight?" Daryl snarled and grabbed a hold of his shirt and shoved him up against a random truck.
"Daryl stop! Sam go get Sarah!" Beth shouted and hurried her friend off, "Daryl!" She hurried up to them but stepped back quickly as Jimmy shoved Daryl off of him.
"You hurt Beth anymore than you already have I'll stomp your ass into the damn ground!"
"Jimmy, shut up and back off!" Beth shouted and stepped between the two just as Daryl lunged for him, "Daryl." She reached up and placed her hands on his chest, the older man stopping and lowering his raised fist.
"You coulda got hurt." Daryl said as he kept his eyes locked on Jimmy who still had his back up against the truck.
"I knew you'd never hit me." Beth said as Daryl's group burst out of the bar and started hurrying towards him, Daryl looking down at her, "I think it's time we go. Sam, give Jimmy your keys. Neither you or I are fit enough to drive."
"Beth, I'm-."
"Jimmy, one more word and I'll punch you instead of Daryl, got it? Let's go before my daddy finds out I was here."