I need you -Daryl Dixon-

26- Virginia Slims

I was 16. It was summertime and we didn't have air conditioning. I woke up covered in a fine layer of sweat. Mama was sleeping next to me so that meant daddy got pretty bad last night. I shook her shoulder.

"Mama."

She startled awake but relaxed when she realized she was in bed with me.

"Come on, let's get dressed and get out of here. It's hot." I whispered.

We got ready quietly and walked towards town. Mama had noticeable bruises on her arms but it was too hot to wear long sleeves and she was long past trying to hide them.

We walked into the diner where she worked and the  air conditioning lovingly kissed my sweaty skin. We sat in a booth in the corner and her co-worker, Cindy, came to take our order

"I'll have a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a strawberry milkshake." I said.

"Fallon Elizabeth, it's 9:00 in the morning!" Mama scolded me.

I laughed.

"She needs some meat on those bones anyway, let the girl live Annette." Billy called from his stool at the counter.

"I agree with Billy." I smiled at him and he gave me a wink before diving back into his greasy hangover special.

"Fine." She smiled.

She had the most beautiful smile. It always reached her eyes.

We got our food and started to eat.

"Was he drunk or high?" I asked quietly.

"I'm not even sure, baby." She hung her head.

I nodded and we finished the rest of our food in silence.

A roar in the parking lot caught my attention. Daryl and Merle Dixon climbed off of their motorcycles and entered the diner taking a seat at the counter.

Merle immediately started sweet talking Cindy and there went our refills. Daryl sat quietly looking at a menu like it hadn't been the exact same for the past 10 years. I couldn't help my wandering eyes. He looked like he'd had a rough night too.

My mama squinted at me following my gaze. She chuckled.

He glanced over at me. I could feel my cheeks starting to heat up and I looked away quickly. I suddenly felt really self conscious. I knew I had a lingering black eye and I wondered if he could see it from the distance.

"What do you want to do today?" Mama asked.

"Anything that doesn't involve going home." I answered honestly trying my best to look at her and not to look in Daryl Dixon's direction incase he was still looking at me.

We didn't have much money or a car so that meant we would probably spend all day sitting here or on a bench somewhere but that was fine by me. Anything was better than being home.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom before we go." I said sliding out of the booth.

I went in the bathroom looking in the mirror. I hadn't seen my reflection today, my mirror in my room was long broken. The first thing I noticed was how bad my black eye looked against my pale skin. My bottom lip had a vertical scab across it where it had been split a few day's before.

I looked like shit. I wet a paper towel wiping my face off like it would somehow make it better. Like it was make up that could be wiped off. I shook my head at the broken girl looking back at me.