Hopelessy Devoted

Chapter Six: The Ride

My weekend passed so suddenly after I dropped Daryl off halfway to his house Saturday. Sunday was filled with Church and farm work and now Monday has come and gone as well. Sitting in class, I wait for the bell to ring. Tutorial is over and I feel down right sick! I refuse to use a hallpass when there's only three minutes left. This is the third day in a row that I felt overwhelmingly sick to my stomach. I hate it! I hate feeling this way.

Brerringingggg!!!

Finally! Getting up, I race the crowd from study hall to the nearest bathroom. Getting in, I immediately puke in the farthest stall from the door and say goodbye to my breakfast. Suddenly I hear footsteps so I stand up and wipe my mouth.

"Dude did you hear that Rick Grimes got Lori Wheeler pregnant!" That's a guys voice. No! That's Zach's voice. Getting up on the toilet, I try to keep still and quiet. How hadn't I noticed that I walked into the boys room.

"Isn't he that college guy who graduated from here two years ago?"

"Yeah! He got a full ride on his football scholarship." Jimmy says smuggly.

"That guy's life is over man." Zach states and I cringe at the thought of them finding me.

"Well I heard from a little bird that a Senior here is getting the morning upchucks. What if it's Beth?" I cringe even more.

"Haha yeah right. Come on. I'm hungry." I hear them leave and get down off the toilet. My whole body slumps and I feel worse than ever. What if I am pregnant? My emotions take over and I start to cry, but I hear the door open and I try to stop myself. Without warning, two strong hands hold on to the top of the stall next to mine and I see his face looming down at me in half surprise, half concern.

"I have a question. Why ya in the boys room cryin'?" Daryl says and I shrug my shoulders. Suddenly to my surprise, Daryl hops the stall wall and is standing in front of me in the small quarters. He kneels down in front of me and a gentle, but rough hand wipes my tears away. "It's okay. If you wanna piss standin' up then that's your business."

I can't help but smile and we laugh a bit before he pushes a piece of hair from my face.

"So what's wrong?"

"I think something bad is happening to me..." His eyebrows furrow and the humor has drained from his face.

"What is it? Who's hurting you?" He becomes defensive and he seems like a guard dog, snarling and ready to attack any intruder.

"I think...never mind."

"Tell me." He growls and it almost scares me how angry he is.

"I think I might be...pregnant." His eyes shoot to my stomach and his body stills even more. His body is rigid and stiff- it's unnerving in a way. "Forget I told you. It's nothing."

I go to leave the stall and he backs himself into the door so I'm trapped.

"Daryl..."

"This is huge! You have to see a doctor, or the nurse." He's scared now and it's causing me to panic as well.

"The nurse is the last place I'd go. Why are you freaking out? It's not like it's yours. You wouldn't be responsible for this." He frowns a bit as if my words have wounded him deeply.

"I'm your friend...I'm supposed to take care of you no matter what." With the opening of the door, I hide on the toilet and Daryl places his hands over my mouth.

"Dude, did you see what just happened?" A kid peeing at a urinal converses with another.

"Yeah, that new kid is gettin' it rough. I'm surprised Zach isn't getting suspended."

"Well that Dixon kid is like the vermin of Senonia. Even the school wants him out of here."

"Yeah, but he didn't even punch the kid- he just took it like a pussy." Looking at Daryl, I see his eye is bruising and can't believe I didn't notice that. "I heard Principle Hoverath is giving him three days suspension."

"That's kind of bullshit, but ya know- vermin like him don't last long in this world anyway." They leave the restroom and Daryl releases my mouth and leans against the door again. His head is down and his hands clenched into a fist.

"Did Zach beat you up?" My fateful words push him over the edge. He punches the stall wall and leaves. Going out, I sneak back into the hallway and follow Daryl outside and to his bike. "Daryl! You can't leave. It's only third period and you don't have a doctor's excuse."

"Cut the shit Beth! Ain't nobody care about me or my education! They're right!" He starts his cycle up and I hop on behind him- scared cause I never rode a motorcycle before. "Get off. You need to go back to school."

"No."

"Fine." He speeds off and I almost fall off, but I hold on tight to Daryl, face pressed to his leather vest and legs tightly pressed to him. It's scary, riding this thing, but it's thrilling. I feel free almost. I close my eyes and feel the sun warm against my skin, wind whipping through my blonde hair.

When he pulls over on the side of a closed road that leads to the covered bridge, I pull my face from his back and look around. The woods looks peaceful and serene at this time of day, which I guess I always missed because I was in school. Getting off, I watch Daryl put the kick stand down and start walking to the bridge that has been closed down for decades. Walking out across the planks, Daryl sits up in a window and over looks the rushing creek bed. It's high from Saturday's rain. Nervously, I step out onto a plank and walk down to him. Hoping up in the same window, my back is to the water and I look at him closely. Putting my hand on his, I look into his deep blue eyes.

"I care about you and your education. They're not right about you. I don't want you to think you're vermin. I think the world of you- what you think of yourself is all that matters." Looking down at the water, he waits a few seconds before looking back at me. His eyes are soft and his hand under mine, turns so it's holding my hand gently. We sit there is silence and lay our heads against each other.

Life is the only ride that has no exact destination- it's always a journey.