Life I Left Behind (A Daryl Dixon Story)

Chapter Thirty-Five

 

Daryl

Nineteen Years Old

It was one of the first clear nights in days. The clouds had cleared up and the moon shone fiercely bright in the star speckled sky. I picked my way through the weeds in the field behind the house before heading into the trees. The flashlight beam was dim, but good enough to keep me from tripping over tree roots and rocks. It was a short walk anyways and in a matter of minutes, I could see the firelight coming from a clearing through the trees.

"Where the hell you been? We was startin' to think you was to pussy to come out and play in the dark." Merle called from across the fire. He sat in a rusted old lawn chair, grinning like an idiot. A few of his buddies from work sat around as well, all with cans of beer in hand.

I rolled my eyes and set the case of beer down at his feet. "That enough?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It never is, but it'll do for now. Come on, crack open a beer with your big bro." He said, crushing the empty one in his hand before opening the new case and tossing a can at me.

I sat down on a log, stretching my long legs out in front of me. I popped open the beer tab and took a long swig of the bitter tasting liquid.

"Hey, where's that neighbor chick, Daryl?" One of Merle's friends, Bobby, called out to me. He was lanky and thin with a greasy mop of blonde hair. Most of Merle's friends were just like Merle, aside from a few exceptions. I got on with most of them alright, though.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I answered as casually as possible. I hadn't invited Charlie with me for a reason, and that one being I didn't know how well Merle and buds would behave around her. The last thing I wanted was them harassing her like they did the last time she tagged along.

"That's a damn shame. I was hopin' to get a glimpse of that fine piece of ass tonight." Trent, another one of Merle's pals, added.

I felt my cheeks flush a little, feeling a tiny spark of anger igniting somewhere inside me. I hated when they talked about her. They could say whatever the hell they wanted about any other chick in town, but not Charlie. I didn't say anything, hoping the talk would die down soon enough and they'd move on to the next drunken topic. I took another sip from my beer.

"You think she puts out?" Bobby asked with a cackle.

"Shut your god damned mouth!" I spat out before I could stop myself. Bobby whipped his head to look at me, a toothy grin on his face.

"Hey, man…I didn't mean nothin'. Just wonderin' out loud. Thought she wasn't your girl anyways?"

"She ain't." I mumbled, squeezing the can a little too tight in my hands and denting the sides.

"He says she ain't, but he sure gets his panties in a bunch whenever her name comes up, don't he?" Merle added, hooting with laughter.

"Now you fellas wouldn't happen to be talkin' about me, would ya?" Charlie's voice suddenly called out. My eyes shot up to see her emerging from the tree line, flashlight in hand and an army green colored jacket hugging her slender frame.

"As a matter of fact, honey, we was." Merle smirked. "Come to keep us company?"

I tried to ignore the way Bobby and Trent's eyes roamed Charlie's figure appreciatively as she made her way over to me, plopping down on the log. She gave me a smile. "Saw your flashlight from the kitchen window and figured I'd come see what you all were up to. Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" She asked, eyes flickering around the circle of Merle and his friends.

"Not at all." Bobby said.

"You wanna beer, princess?" Merle asked, nodding towards the case at his feet.

"Nah, I don't wanna reek of booze when I get home." She said, wrinkling her nose.

"I see…you too good to drink some beer with Merle and his boys?" My brother taunted, a smile stretching his lips. Charlie rolled her eyes before holding out a hand for Merle to pass her a cold can, which he gleefully did. For reasons I still could not understand, Charlie and Merle were getting on better than they had in years. Hell, they even joked and teased with each other! By no means were they friends, Charlie made that clear, but she hardly ever complained about him anymore. Least not to me.

"You sure? You don't gotta drink that." I said to her quietly.

"It's fine. One won't hurt anything. Anyways, I get too tipsy and you can walk me home." She grinned, elbowing my side playfully.

I felt that familiar tug in my stomach I'd been feelin' for a while now, which usually happened whenever I looked at her too long now or when she got to teasin' me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. She sure had grown up real pretty, though.

"So what's on the agenda for tonight, boys?" She asked, opening the beer and taking a long sip. "In what ways were ya'll plannin' on getting arrested tonight?"

"We're trynna stay outta trouble tonight. Bobby's on parole." Merle grinned. He polished off yet another beer before cracking open another one right away.

"Unless that something is gettin' frisky with a minor." Trent said in a low voice, no doubt trying to be just barely heard.

"What the hell did you just say?" I asked slowly.

"How old are you anyways, sweetheart? Sixteen?" He said louder, this time direction his voice towards Charlie, who sat rigid in her seat, looking like she wanted to jump across the fire and throttle Trent to death.

"You best watch yourself or swear to God I'll punch that god damn smirk right off your fuckin' face." I threatened, standing to my feet. My fists were clenched tight at my sides and I could have sworn I literally felt my blood boiling underneath my skin.

"Hey now, stand down little brother. You don't wanna go makin' threats you can't deliver now, do ya?" Merle said loudly, raising his eyebrows. He looked back at Trent. "You best shut your god damn trap, you idiot. People might start noticin' yer just as stupid as ya look."

I shook my head, the venom still coursing through me. I yanked Charlie up by her hand and pulled her away from the fire and back into the woods. I could hear Merle hollering after us, but I didn't care much to listen. We walked quietly all the way back to the field, finally emerging back into the moonlit open space.

"I could have handled it." Charlie said quietly as I turned to look at her. She still had the beer can in her hand.

"I know, you're tougher than most people. I just…those idiot don't need to be talkin' bout you like that. It ain't right." I said, shaking my head. "Fuckin' pricks."

I felt Charlie's hand on my arm and I glanced up at her to see a tiny smile on her lips. "Well thanks. Really. You don't have to stand up for me. I thought you were about to fight that asshole."

I felt my lips tug upwards. "I might have. Or I suppose I could've let you do it. You looked about ready to tear him a part."

Charlie laughed. "Not gonna lie, I thought about it for a second."

I let out a laugh. "You would've kicked his scrawny redneck ass, too." I said, shaking my head. I motioned towards my house with a nod of my head. "Come on, we can go sit on the front porch."

"I do have a half a beer we could split." She said, holding out the can in her hand.

I laughed a little harder as she followed me around the yard, her footsteps trailing softly through the grass next to mine.