Chapter Text
With Shawn enlisted in the army and Maggie still off at college Hershel needed some help on the farm. Out of the few people he interviewed Beth thought he had made the worst decision. The man was gruff, dirty, and worst of all a felon.
When Maggie had confronted her daddy about it, giving voice to Beth's thoughts, Hershel had just said that the boy had done his time and had payed for his crimes now was when he got the chance to live again.
That's how just days into Beth's senior year of high school Daryl Dixon came to be an aggravating addition to her life.
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School was awful Beth hated it she hated how everyone seemed to just glide by with minimal effort. When she worked so hard and studied for hours and what did she have to show for it?
An English essay that she had struggled with for three weeks, had missed going out with her friends to revise and spell check again and again because something was always wrong.
All of her hard work now sat on her desk upside down and under her math text book because she couldn't bare to look at it. Marked with more pink ink then black and a big 49% and an even bigger F next to it. All in pretty hot pink pen.
She hated it. She felt so stupid. Even if no one had seen her grade she felt like she was being judged and found lacking to the extreme.
School had never been Beth's strong point. She had been in special ed her entire life her counselor and sped teachers tried to help but in such a small town with its limited resources kids like Beth fell through the cracks.
The bell rang just in time for Beth to high tail it out of class before the tears brimming in her eyes could roll down her checks for all the class to see.
Jimmy was waiting for her in the parking lot. "You okay Bethy?" She just climbed in the passenger seat ignoring Zach's attempt at getting her attention so he could try and flirt. She was not interested.
"Beth?"Jimmy asked again once he was behind the wheel. "You okay?" "Fine. I'm fine"
She pulled her her hair from its pony tail and let it fall over her face enough that Jimmy couldn't see when she turned her head to the window and gave into the silent tears.
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When they finally got to the farm Beth got out without saying anything. Jimmy didn't try and make her. He knew that it would only make things worse if he tried anything that would push her.
They had been best friends their entire lives and even tried dating a bit in their freshmen year before deciding that they were better just as friends.
He knew that Beth was in special ed. he even aided for the TOPS (Transition, Organization, Planing, and Study skills) class freshmen year so she wouldn't have to be alone.
He couldn't help much. School had always been easy for him and he didn't understand how her brain worked but he did his best to be there for her anyway.
Beth ran to the stables and had her horse half way saddled when she realized some one was in the barn with her.
Daryl was leaning against the back door watching her. She met his gaze with a furious and embarrassed glare. Fully aware of the tears on her face and snot on her sleeve. "What!" she snapped
When he didn't reply she finished saddling Aspin and got the hell out of there.
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It was well past ten when she finally got back to the stables and after eleven before she was inside.
Exhausted and so done with everything Beth opted to skip a shower until the morning and just kicked off her jeans to pass out above the covers on her bed.