A Broken World

Twenty-Seven

A/N: The Flashback will probably be continued in the next chapter.

Flashback
August 2003

I was home from college for  summer break. I was alone in the house, seeing as my father and his family, that didn't include me, went on vacation. I don't mind that they excluded me, though. I prefer to be here by myself, and besides, I have Daryl to hang out with. I was heading to the garage now with subs and drinks. I haven't seen Daryl since I came home for Christmas and we haven't talked much since I've been home. I had started out living at home when I started going to college, but It became too much, and I decided to just live on campus in the dorms. It was too stressful at home with my stepmother and her awful children.

I walked into the office and greeted Mary, “Hello, Mary.” She looked up, and a wide smile took over her face. “Well, look who it is! How are you, darling girl?” I smiled at her and leaned on the counter. “I'm doing good. Thought I would bring Daryl some lunch,” I said. “Well, he's in the back. He is due for a break. I've been tryin’ to get him to take one, but he just brushes me off,” she said. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “Of course he did. I'll get him to take one. The bell over the door dinged, and a man walked in, so I headed to the back.

I walked into the garage and found Daryl under a station wagon. “Don't you think it's about time you take a break, Dixon?” He paused what he was doing and pushed himself out from under the car and looked up at me. “The hell ya doin’ here?” He asked. I raised my eyebrows at him. “Nice to see you too, asshole. I brought you lunch, so come on!” I said, turning around and walking to the door that led to the back of the building out to the picnic table.

I sat down and placed the subs and drinks on the table. A couple minutes later, Daryl walked out the back door, wiping his hand with a red cloth. “Ya didn't need to buy me lunch, coulda got it myself.” I rolled my eyes at him, “Sit down and eat, Daryl. Besides, we both know you wouldn't have eaten anything until you got off work.”  He scoffed and took the sub I pushed towards him. Things have been awkward between us since Christmas. So we sat in silence for most of lunch.

Christmas 2002

I sat in the living room of my father's house. My step-brothers ripping their presents open. I sat in the chair in the corner of the room, bouncing my leg up and down. I didn't want to be here anymore. Cheryl had greeted me with a backhanded comment and a fake smile. My father said nothing as usual. I didn't bother bringing presents. They would have thrown them away or given them away so it wasn't worth the money or time.

I kept looking at the clock during lunch. Daryl was supposed to be picking me up at two o'clock. We were going to hang out and then go out to dinner. I was staying in the motel just outside of town since Cheryl turned my room into her crafting room. “Are we boring you, yn?” My eyes snapped to look at my father. He picked his glass of whiskey up, bringing it to his lips and taking a small sip. “No. No, I'm just supposed to be meeting Daryl soon, that's all.”

My stepmother scoffed, and I saw her shake her head out the corner of my eye. I looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. “What was that scoff for?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She took a sip of her wine because it didn't matter what time of day it was. She always had a glass of wine or a whole bottle with every meal. “I just don't think you should spend your time with people like the Dixon's.”

“People like the Dixon's? I only hang out with Daryl. Who, by the way, is nothing like his father or his brother!” she scoffed again and rolled her eyes. “He likes to screw underage girls,” she said, giving me a pointed look. My eyes widened, and I stood up, sliding the chair back, almost toppling it over. “I will have you know that Daryl has never, and I mean NEVER, touched me or any other underage girl like that!” I looked at my father, who hadn't said a word. “I'll be getting all my stuff out of your house. Maybe try and keep your bitch on her leash!” 

I grabbed my jacket and bag and walked out the door, slamming it in my wake. I got into my car and headed to the motel I was staying at. When I got into my room I called Daryl. “Hello?” I let out a breath when it was him who answered and not his father or brother. “Hey, it's me. I just want to let you know I'm back at the motel,” I told him. He hummed, “Wanna talk about what happened?” He asked. I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. “Not on the phone. Can you come over now?” I asked. “Mmhmm…I'll be there in thirty.”

I hung the phone up and jumped across the bed and went into the bathroom. I wanted to get a quick shower before he got here, I wanted to get the smell of Cheryl's Christmas candles and whatever else she sprayed in the house, off of me. I took one last night so I didn't need to wash my hair. I would be done way before Daryl got here. I jumped in, washed my body and shaved while I was at it  then got out.

Just as I was pulling an oversized knitted sweater on, a knock sounded through the room from my door. I pulled my hair out from the collar and rushed to the door. Looking through the peephole conformed it was Daryl and not some weirdo. I unlocked the door, pulled it open, grabbed Daryl's arm, and pulled him inside. “The fuck?” I shut and locked the door again, shivering from the cold air that hit my bare legs. “It's cold,” I said, turning around and shrugging.

“Well, put some damn pants on,” Daryl said. A faint blush crept up on his cheeks. He had a bag dangling from his left wrist and a pizza in his hand. “Christmas pizza?” I asked, walking over to the bed. “Oh and I have shorts underneath my sweater so you can relax. I sat down on the edge of the bed, grabbed my socks, and pulled them on. They came just above my knees. Daryl sat the pizza on the small table in the corner and set the bag on top. “What's in the bag?” I asked, crawling across the bed and trying to peek around him.

“Why are ya so damn nosey?” He moved to block my view more so I jumped up so I was standing on the bed, wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, and jumped onto his back. He huffed out a breath grabbing my legs with his hands before I could fall back down. “The fuck is wrong with ya?”

“I want to see what's in the bag!”

He backed up so he was closer to the bed and let me drop down with a bounce. “If you were fuckin’ patient or ya ain't gettin’ shit!” I smiled, “You got me something?” I asked. I couldn't see his face but I knew he was blushing. “Don't stop being a little shit you won't get nothing,” he grumbled. I sat down and criss-crossed my legs, pulling a pillow onto my lap and hugged it. “Fiiiiine!”

“Now, it ain't much and ya don't have to wear it if ya don't want to. I can't take it back if ya don't like it,” he said, turning around. When he was facing me, he completely avoided eye contact and his face was red. He pushed his arm out towards me, a black box in his hand. I took it trying to contain the smile that was trying to force its way onto my face. When I opened the box a gold necklace with an arrow pendant sat inside. “Daryl…it's…it's beautiful. Thank you!” I pulled it out and handed it to him, turning so my back was to him. “Help me put it on.”

He took the necklace from me, put it around my neck, and fastened  the clamp together. He cleared his throat and moved back when I turned around. “This is really sweet of you. You didn't have to get me anything!” I said, standing and going over to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist in a hug. It took him several minutes but he eventually hugged me back.