Haunted | Daryl Dixon

7. Polaroid Picture

"Your hair's getting a bit long, don't ya think, Dare?" Evelyn reached out to where he was sitting and gently tugged on a particularly lengthy strand. She furrowed her eyebrows in mock concentration, "Give me three minutes and a pair of scissors-"

"Aw, hell nah." Daryl hurriedly snagged his locks out of her grasp, and waved a stern finger in her face, "You keep those things the hell away from my hair, woman."

She laughed, dropping her hand and leaning back against the wall.

Her and Daryl were sitting on his bed in his room, having been doing homework for the last hour.

It had been a week since Merle picked up and left without a word, and Evelyn knew she had to tread carefully, or Daryl would snap, even if he was currently set on acting as if nothing ever happened.

Daryl playfully rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the textbook on his lap- pretending as if he were actually reading it.

Evelyn was quiet for a moment before she lit up, remembering what she had in her backpack.

Hurriedly, she grappled for her bag and towed it off the floor before rifling through it, Daryl watching her in curiosity.

"Guess what I just got?" She grinned, not waiting for him to respond before pulling an object from her bag and presenting it to him proudly, "New film for my polaroid!"

Daryl's lips quirked up slightly at the sight of her excited expression and the camera she was happily waving in front of him.

"You know what that means?" She asked brightly, "Picture time!"

His face fell slightly, "Nah, no picture for me. I'll take one of you, if ya wan', but-"

"Nope!" Evelyn announced, crawling across the bed and hooking her arm around the boy's neck, "You're taking it with me!"

He scowled a bit as she flipped the camera in her free hand so that the lense was facing them.

She frowned, poking him in the side, "Come on, Dare, smile for the picture."

Amusement suddenly seemed to dance through his eyes, "Or wha'?" He drawled.

Evelyn huffed out a breath, "Fine, whatever. I'll smile and I'll capture your gloomy face in the picture for all of eternity."

She felt his eyes still trained on the side of her face, even as the light flashed from the camera.

Gently, she shook the film for a moment after it came out, before leaning back and studying the picture.

In it, she was flashing a goofy grin at the camera and Daryl was staring at her, a small smile resting on his lips.

She felt her own lips turn up into a soft smile as she looked at it.

Daryl's eyes darted from the picture to Evelyn and opened his mouth to say something, but was promptly interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and then being slammed shut.

Both teens immediately tensed, freezing in their spots on the bed as loud footsteps grew stomped through the house, growing increasingly closer to the bedroom.

The door was thrown open suddenly, and Daryl was on his feet, blocking Evelyn's body with his own before his father could even finish stumbling into the room.

"D-Daryl-" Will drunkenly slurred, letting out a small hiccup before continuing, "Ya-ya-" He cut himself off when he realized they weren't alone and his eyes wandered to where Evelyn sat, still tense on the bed.

"Hey-" He took a stumbling step forward, as if to go to her, but Daryl was quick to step into his path, putting the father and son chest to chest.

"Don't." Daryl warned softly, a clear threat hiding behind his voice, "Go to bed, dad."

"S-shut up-" His father sloppily pushed at Daryl's chest, not even making the boy budge and inch, "Ya good for nothin'-"

"Hey!" Evelyn was on her feet in an instant, glaring up at Will from around Daryl's body, that tensed up even more at her voice, if that was even possible, "Don't you talk about him like that." She hissed, eyes narrowed in a deadly glare.

Wills eyes widened momentarily before he snarled, "Mind yer own business, bitch."

Without warning, Daryl reeled back and swung his fist right into the side of Will's face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Daryl's chest heaved up and down as he glared down at his father, "Get the hell out." He growled.

Will mumbled incoherently under his breath as he rolled on the ground for a moment before slowly dragging himself up and out of the room.

Evelyn stood there, mouth agape, staring at the space Daryl's father used to occupy in shock. She had no doubt that was the first time her best friend ever stood up to his father in that way.

She looked over at him and her heart dropped to her stomach. He was standing there, staring at the empty doorway, hands clenched into fists at his sides and his whole body was shaking.

Slowly, as to not startle him, Evelyn gently took his hand in hers and entwined their fingers.

He immediately grasped them back and squeezed, still yet to look away from the door.

They stood there, hands held together in silence, the polaroid picture fallen onto the ground beside them. The picture showed a vast difference to the boy and girl standing in that room in that moment.

A/N: Another short (but pretty eventful) chapter