A College Romance Bethyl

Chapter 37: Play Date

Chapter 37: Play Date

She hated agreeing to it, but Mychal needed to meet Daryl one on one so Daryl could feel that guilt slip away. As she's standing in her father's kitchen making lunch, Beth tries to hide how nervous and upset she is. This play date is not them getting back together. that's what she's been telling herself all week as she dreads having Daryl over for lunch. But this is only fair to Mychal, who at this point still only thinks of Daryl as that friend from that one day where he got presents and mommy got mad.

"When's he coming?" Patricia asks as she cuts up apple slices for a pie. Patricia, out of everyone besides Glenn, is the most understanding of this situation. Hell, Patricia's the only one who ever understands any situation.

"In about 30 minutes....Mychal is outside playing with Bruiser." Bruiser is Mychal's black and white Pygmy Goat that Hershel got him as a pet. There was a phase when Mychal was four where he would only talk about goats and how owning a goat was better than owning a dog. So for his birthday that year, Hershel asked Beth if he could get him a free range goat. It would always be loose, except at night, so Mychal could play with him anytime of the day. Beth was skeptical, but once she saw him, she died from the cuteness.

"You nervous?"

"Terrified...what if he doesn't like Mychal? What of Mychal doesn't like him? I mean, I know Daryl had time to grow up, but he's 32 years old and probably still an asshole."

"Was he ever really an asshole though?" Beth glares at Patricia and feels the stupidness in that question. " I mean you pushed him away cause he said one thing ta ya...and how many times had he called you before Mychal was born? Beth, you may think he's an asshole and a bad guy, but he just wanted to be apart of that boys life...he just gave up after a few years cause you weren't willing to hear him out."

"But Pat, he said..."

"We all said things we wish we could take back. I do remember you telling yer mother you hated her the day she died...did you not regret that?"

"I do, regret it..."

"See. Jitter Bug, Daryl said one thing that made you upset. The difference is is that he's still here to try to make it better while he can."

Patricia sent Hershel and Otis on a camping trip so that Hershel wouldn't kill Daryl after all these years of him being gone. Beth starts the hamburgers and they hear his motorcycle pull in.

"He's early..." Patricia said and goes to the window. "Or not..."

"What do you mean?" Going to the window, Beth's eyes fall on Shane, getting off a cycle Beth doesn't even recognize. "Shit...not today."

"Hey Mychal...yer Mim home?" Shane walks up with his sunglasses on. Mychal scoots backwards an up to the porch, struggling to get up the ramp with his walker. As Beth comes out, Daryl pulls in the Driveway. Beth wants to punch someone in the face cause this can't happen today. "Beth..."

"Shane leave....what are you doing here?" She goes down the step after helping Mychal all the way on the porch.

"Came to see ya...take ya on a date." Shane takes her around her hips and kisses her neck as she tries to push him away. Patricia is on the porch with Mychal and doesn't intervene, but notices Daryl get out of his truck.

"Go away...We're not a thing...just let me go."

"Oh come on...we can go have fun." Daryl comes up a little behind Shane, not really knowing it's him until he gets a side view. "Just leave that retard at home for one day."

In one full motion, Daryl grabs Shane by his shoulders and whips him across the yard by surprise. Beth is more than pissed at what he called Mychal, but doesn't want to see this happen.