Leave Out All The Rest (Bethyl AU)

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Beth was writing in her journal the night of Christmas. She watched her sister getting dressed up for the party her best friend Rosita was throwing and felt envious. She knew her father wasn't going to let her go but she wished for once that she could go just to know what it was like. Maggie always came back happier than ever and usually with Glenn. She would always sneak him into Beth's room and promise she owed her one. She was sitting in front of the large circle mirror in Beth's room curling her hair while Beth sat on the bed writing away. Beth was writing a song about a boy with blue eyes when her sister brought her from her daydreaming.

"You should come." Maggie said looking at Beth through the mirror.

Beth laughed and rolled her eyes knowing that would never happen.

"No. I'm serious. You will be eighteen in like, what, a month? You need to go to a party." Maggie said and stood over the bed looking down at her sister. "Come on, I know the perfect thing for you to wear."

"Maggie, dad will never let me out of the house. He knows how bad I want to come." Beth said defeated and sat at the edge of the bed.

"I'll cover for you. Come one, I owe you one." She said and tugged her sister behind her all the way into her room. They stood in front of her closet and Beth felt overwhelmed by all the choices. "I know the perfect outfit."

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Beth studied herself in the mirror of Rosita's bathroom. She had successfully gotten out of the house and Maggie had left her as soon as they got to the party. Beth felt completely out of place. She knew people sure. She was home schooled but most of the people knew her as Maggie and Shawn's little sister, or the girl who sings sometimes at fairs or occasionally bars when her father lets her. Now she looked at her outfit in the mirror and knew she looked good but she still out of place. She was wearing one of Maggie's white rompers and a black leather jacket. It was still really cold outside but Maggie insisted that it would be way to hot inside for the jacket but Beth wore it anyway. It was her comfort piece. She had her hair in a mess bun and before she opened the door to the bathroom she pushed a piece of her hair back in its place. She took a deep breath and stepped back out into the madness.

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Being at this party was the last thing Daryl wanted to do this night but Merle needed a ride to pick up his drugs. When Merle realized that the address he was given was having a party he automatically assumed Daryl would want to stay. Daryl found himself standing awkwardly in the kitchen as he watched all the drunken people pass by him. He knew a few people, sure, but he dropped out of high school before tenth grade and got his GED. He thought being at home would stop his father from beating on his mother but soon learned nothing could stop that. Only an hour go he was watching his father slap his barely conscious mother awake just to force her to do things with him she didn't want to. Daryl hated hearing her scream out in pain like that so when Merle asked him to take him to pick up something from a friend he didn't care where or who they were with, as long as he wasn't there.

"Have a drink baby brother." Merle said and wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders. Daryl watched his brother take a swig of something in a tin flask.