Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

t w e l v e

"He's out cold right now," Hershel says. "Will be for hours."

"You know what?" I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy." Shane scoffs angrily leaving the house. "Look at this folks! We back in fantasyland!"

"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet!" Hershel yells at him following him slightly. "Let me make this perfectly clear once and for all, this is my farm, now I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor, keep your mouth shut."

"Oh snap." I whisper watching as Shane angrily leaves the house.

"Look, we're not gonna do anything about it today, let's just cool off." Rick tells Hershel.  I watch as Andrea goes off and follows Shane. They definitely have something going on.

Carol tries to approach my dad but he just gives her a look before leaving the house abruptly. What's with all this leaving?

~~~

I sat in the kitchen as Maggie and Lori made lunch. I was munching on some carrots as they did so.

"Did Rick say anything to you about Glenn when they got back from town?" Maggie asked.

"Just that it had gotten pretty bad." Lori said continuing to cut chicken up.

"He's not the same." Maggie says putting the tomato she finished cutting onto a plate. "Says he froze, blames me. Says I got inside his head."

"He came back." Lori states. "That's what matters. Men have to do certain things, we know that and they're either gonna blame the little woman as the reason they do'em or the reason they don't." She then looks at me. "Keep that in mind miss Cheri."

I snort and choke on my water. That's an attractive sound when talking about boys. Man, I wonder why boys aren't lining up yet, could it be that most are dead or that I make unattractive sounds. Who knows?

"And with that, I'm leaving thanks for lunch guys." I say walking out of the kitchen. I sit in the rocking chair on the front porch for a while until I hear Maggie and Beth having a screaming match. It reminds me of Merle and Will so I leave not wanting to bring bad memories up.

I decide to go on a small walk around the farm. It was peaceful and I didn't really have anything else to do. I could help Carol, but things might be awkward after all the tension with my dad. Lori's talking in the kitchen with Andrea, but I don't want to be in the same room as both of them at the same time all alone.

Maggie's with Beth, she wants to kill herself. I understand why, it's the same reason Dr. Jenner and Jacquie did. They didn't want to be torn apart by walkers. But that still doesn't make it right in my eyes.

I'm walking into the house when I hear Maggie yelling Beth's name and glass shatter. I hear Lori go into the Beth's room and pounding on the door.

"I left her with Andrea." Maggie states jiggling the door handle. They struggle with the door for a moment before Lori grabs a fire poker and wedges it in between the doorframe and door. When it breaks open I see glass all over the floor and Beth's covering a bloody wrist.

As Lori and Maggie comfort Beth I run out of the house and I don't stop until I'm at the edge of the woods. My best friend wants to die. "Not again." I whisper sliding down a tree so I'm sitting.

My stomach hurts and I'm having a hard time breathing. Before the world ended, Donnie and I had Andi. We were the three musketeers and rarely left each other's sides at school. But she was in a car accident. It left her paralyzed in a wheelchair and she just didn't want to live like that. We didn't know until three days later when Donnie and I were called into the principles office.

I stay in my feeble position with my knees tucked to my chest and my head between them rocking back and forth until a hand touches my back. Scrambling out of my position I reach for my knife only to see Carl.

"What's wrong Cheri?" He asks sitting down across from me.

"Beth, she-" I stutter. "wanted to die." He sits silent and I'm glad, I really don't want to talk right now. When it gets dark he grabs my hand and helps me up, leading me to my tent. Before he leaves he places his arms around me, embracing me in a hug.

"I'm glad you're my friend Cherokee." He whispers before leaving and heading back to the house. I stand there for a moment before my dad walks over with a confused look. It probably matches mine.

"What was that all about?" He asks with a toothpick sticking out of his mouth.

"I don't know." I whisper staring at the boy in the cowboy hat making his way across the front lawn.

~~~
Word count: 1428