A Soldier's Girl

Chapter 4:

Chapter 4:

Daryl's View

Laying on my bunk in the middle of our base in Syria, I retread one of Beth's letter from a month ago. It was funny to think I've been gone for five months and she hasn't forgotten to write once. Usually I can send a single letter once every three weeks, while Beth can send as many as she wants. Her recent letter is something of an anomaly.

"Daryl,
I miss your face (duh). I've been backed up in my college classes and never really thought teaching would be so hard to learn. I have finally got my own apartment in the nice part of Atlanta (if there is a nice part). I hope you feel terrible, because I had to paint it all by myself and put the carpet in. You were always way handier than myself, so this was a pain in my ass, primarily cause I sat on a carpet nail.

I hope you can understand my writing, cause I'm flying through this pretty fast on account I'm in my English class right now. So I hope you appreciate it.

With much love,
Beth"

With much love. She never ever ended her letters with that. As I put it back in my letter box, Corp. Rick Grimes comes in. He's become one of my friends here on base. He too is from Georgia, so we share some personal stories frequently.

"Daryl, yer lady friend is on Skype for ya. She seems a lil upset. Best hurry." Getting up, I sprint through our bunk house to the central compound. Running in, Tyreese Hall, another Corporal, points me to the computer. Sitting down, I hit the pause button and she pops on the screen. It's only my second Skype call with her an she looks beautiful, but still upset.

"Daryl!"

"Beth, what's wrong?" As I watch her eyes, tears form and break on the surface if her face.

"Daryl... Shawn and Mama been in an accident." Sitting back in my chair I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. Beth cries more and more and I only with I was there to hold her close.

"Oh my God... are they okay? How bad was it?"

"Shawn's in critical condition and Mama's in surgery. I wish you were here... I just need you." I put my hand to the screen and touch the picture if her face.

"I am here. Beth it's gonna be okay. I promise. I got you." She looks down and then back up at me. "Listen, everything's gonna be alright. Okay Jitter Bug?"

"Haha.... okay Bugga Bear. Man, I just miss you so much." She wipes the tears from her eyes and leans on her elbow. "Are you coming home for Christmas?"

"I can't. They have us over here patrolling constantly. You actually caught me on a good day, cause every other day I'm pretty much do naval checks and helping marines out."

"Why are you stationed on land if you're a Naval officer?"

"We've been having problems. Classified and I can't tell you, but I am. Just don't worry." I give her a reassuring smile. But in my heart I'm aching. Really, several Marines have gone missing for the past few months and they sent us in to take their place and find them. It's been very dangerous, but I'll never tell Beth that.

"It's hard not to worry about you Daryl. You're my best friend and I haven't seen you in a long time, let along gotta wrestle ya." She gives me a sly smile and adds, "I got several new moves."

"Well so do I. Haha, ya find that blue tooth brush yet?"

"No. I searched yer whole room and mine. I can't find it anywhere. Last time I remember it was on your bathroom sink and now it's not."

"Well, I told ya to put it back in yer bag when ya were done with it. Now you'll never get it back. Merle probably been using it to clean his boots of horse shit." Her nose crinkles up and it's the cutest thing ever.

"I hope not. Huh.... Daryl, when will you get to come home?"

"About five more years. Ya can't miss me that bad. Don't ya have a college boyfriend to keep ya company or new friends?"

"No! Boys are over rated. Went on a date the other day. Boy do I wish you were there to kick his ass. So rude! Grrr, I think I should just become a lesbian. Boys are stupid and I'm pretty sure they'll never get smarter. Is it too much to ask for some Damn Romance once in a while?"

"Haha, what can I say, I told ya boys are dumb when it comes to women. And as for the lesbian thing, I wouldn't oppose watching a make out session." Her mouth drops. I can tell she wants to be mad, but she also is trying not to laugh. "Tol' ya boys are stupid. Haha didn't hurt to try."

"I can't believe you! Haha. I really can't." Leaning back on her elbow, she just smiles an looks deep into my pixelated eyes. "I really miss you."

"Same here. I gotta go, but tell the family I said hi and I'm praying for Shawn and Mama."

"Will do. Bye Bugga Bear."

"Bye Jitter Bug."

..................Beth's View.........

Ending the Skype call, I sit back in my chair an look at the background on my computer. It's of Daryl and I at christmas last year in front of our tree. He seemed so happy, but today he seemed torn about something. It's sad that I haven't seen him since June and he won't be coming home for a long time. As I look around my apartment, I could see him barging through the door and wrestling me to the shag carpet without warning.

He's done that before, in my bedroom. Cane in after school one day in ninth grade. I was having a bad day cause some senior was picking on me about my cross necklace and saying mean things. Her name was Andrea and she wasn't nice at all. Daryl found out in fourth period and apparently set her straight some how. When I got home before him, I was upstairs crying and cursing her. Without warning Daryl came barging in and picked me up out of my bed and wrestled me to the ground. He tickled me and I kicked and screamed and laughed. Pinning my forearms to the ground, he kneels over too of me for minutes as we caught our breath, our eyes never leaving each other. He was tall and handsome back then too. His hair was longer and his face had a goatee goring with stubble.

"I got ya Jitter Bug." He said. "I got ya."

I always thought my feelings toward Daryl were just friendly feelings. But thinking back to it now, I used to love him and we'd unknowingly flirt. I still love him, I know I do. Mainly cause, I always think if him. And when I do or when I see or talk to him, I become happy. My heart beat races. My stomach turns, and I feel like I'm flying above the whole world. If that isn't love, I'd like to know what is.