Best Friends to the End

Sadie pulled the blanket tighter around the two of them and laid her head back on Daryl’s chest. The drafty old trailer was cool since it was still too warm during the day to turn the heat on, but the cool afternoon was moving in. They had spent the entire time since Sadie arrived in Daryl’s bed and he couldn’t have been happier. He was also completely surprised Merle hadn’t tried breaking the door down to make rude comments.

“So is this birthday bash going to end up like the last one?” Sadie questioned as she nuzzled her face under Daryl’s chin.

“Mor’en likely”, he replied. Daryl shifted so he could catch her lips with his. Sadie giggled into the kiss, making his heart start and stop all at once. “I found us a place”, he said.

“Really?!” Sadie exclaimed, pulling back to see his face. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Wanted ta surprise ya”, Daryl answered, grinning back. “It’s not the best, don’t get too excited.”

“I’m sure it’s perfect”, Sadie said. The door to the trailer slammed and interrupted their conversation.

“Ok you two! That’ll be ‘nough frolicking! Get outta bed and help me!” Merle yelled down the hall.

“We better get up before he starts trying to take the door down”, Sadie said. She slid to the edge of the bed to look for her clothes and Daryl just stared at her, amazed with his luck. “Can I take a shower?”

“Yeah, probably needs cleaned though...” Daryl warned.

“I came prepared”, Sadie replied. She held up a pair of flip flops and a towel from the backpack she had brought it. She wrapped in the towel and grabbed the bag to head to the bathroom but Daryl stopped her.

“Lemme go first, don’t need Merle gawking atcha”, Daryl grunted. He pulled on his pants and poked his head out the door before motioning for Sadie to follow him.

The bathroom wasn’t as bad as Sadie expected, she knew Daryl had probably cleaned it for her, so she took her time getting ready. Dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a simple deep blue long sleeve top Sadie emerged from the bathroom.

“Took long enough, darlin’!” Merle yelled from the couch. “I was startin’ ta think after bein’ With ol’ Darlene here ya climbed out the window and ran!” Merle slapped his knee and began cackling.

Sadie rolled her eyes and went into Daryl’s room to put her things away. There were a couple of people milling around so Sadie tucked her backpack into the corner of Daryl’s closet. Merle’s friends weren’t exactly the people Sadie liked to leave her things out around. When she was done she went out to the kitchen to find Daryl. She found him digging through a cooler.

“Hey”, he said quietly as he handed Sadie a Dr. Pepper. She took it from him with a smile, amused at his sudden shyness.

“Hey yourself”, Sadie said, popping the can of soda open. “Anyone we know gonna be here, or just Merle’s group?”

“Jus them”, Daryl confirmed. “I didn’t want the guys from the shop seeing him or this shit hole.”

Sadie leaned against the counter next to him and kissed the bottom of his jaw. She felt bad that Daryl was embarrassed by his Home. ‘Not for long’, she thought with a wide grin.

“Whatcha smilin’ about?” Daryl asked, sliding his arm around her waist tentatively.

“Just thinking about how we can have them over when we move into our apartment”, Sadie answered.

Daryl blushed slightly at the reference to something belonging to the two of them as ours. “I can’t believe we’re calling something ‘ours’, didn’t think that’d ever happen.”

Sadie giggled and moved to stand in front of him, their bellies touching. “We’re going to be calling a lot of things ours for the rest of our lives”, Sadie said seriously, placing her hands on his chest. “Think you’re up for it?”

Daryl gave a small laugh and sat his beer on the counter before pulling her in tight by the hips. “I’d like that”, he said quietly, resting their foreheads together.

“Oh gawd!”

Sadie’s head whipped around at the exclamation. “What the fuck...”

“Merle, you didn’t tell me Daryl’s little girl- friend would be here!” The girl Sadie remembered as Roxie yelled out. She stumbled into the kitchen, obviously having pre-partied before arriving, nearly falling out of her dangerously low cut top. “I thought we would get to have some fun without her”, Roxie said, eyeing Daryl.

“Don’t nobody wanna do nuthin’ with you”, Daryl said lowly. Sadie couldn’t believe he had said anything, let alone something confrontational.

“Come on baby, don’t you wanna party like we did over the summer?” Roxie said. This time she did smirk at Sadie, “that’s right, while you were away taking care of grannie Daryl and I were hanging out.”

“Roxie, you needa cool it”, Trish warned from her spot next to Merle on the couch.

“Listen bitch”, Sadie began. She stepped away from Daryl and up to the woman that towered over her in five inch heels. “I don’t know what you thought you were doing but you weren’t hanging out like you think. I’m here for good so go find you a piece of shit trailer trash junkie like yourself and stay the fuck away from my boyfriend.” Sadie kept her voice even and her glare unwavering.

“Rox, hunny, I think you needa back off”, Merle cut in, stepping between the two women. Sadie knew she must have looked threatening then because Merle had never once cut in on a fight. “Sides, Sadie is seventeen and you’re twenty five, you wanna get locked up?”

“Holy shit, you’re twenty five?!” Sadie exclaimed. “You should be in one of those don’t do drug ads as the after picture. I thought you were forty.”

“What?!” Roxie shreaked. “I am young and sexy!”

Sadie couldn’t help it, she began laughing. Deep belly laughs. After a second she wiped her eyes and said, “thanks, I needed a good laugh.” She went to turn back to Daryl but Roxie tried to grab her arm.

Sadie whirled around and shoved the woman, hard, causing her to fall flat on her butt in the kitchen floor and her skirt to go up. “I said stay the fuck away! And Jesus Christ, get some panties you two dollar whore!”

“C’mon, lets go outside”, Daryl said quietly as he guided Sadie through the room to the front door. Behind them they could hear Merle laughing and Trish scolding her sister as she helped her up.

Once they were outside Sadie stomped away from the trailer and into the woods, huffing and cursing under her breath. Daryl let her go, following quietly until the got to a flat spot in the dirt where they normally sat. The trees were thick on the perimeter of the circle but opened nicely at the top so when it was dark out you could see the stars.

“Ya know she’s fulla shit, right?” Daryl asked quietly. He moved closer to Sadie and turned to face her, “Merle had the two of ‘em over a few times. I didn’t hang out with ‘em none.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I trust you totally. She just pisses me off. You’re not like them”, Sadie answered. She pulled Daryl into a hug.

“I can’t believe after all this time ya still think I’m mor’en anything but poor white trash”, Daryl gave a small laugh at the end, trying to play off the comment while still believing it at the same time.

“I can’t believe after all this time you don’t see you are so much more than that”, Sadie commented back. She pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Nah, jus’ an asshole who got lucky when a l’il girl with pigtails sat down nexta him.”

“It wasn’t luck, it was fate”, Sadie countered.

“Whatever it was it’s the best things that’s ever happened ta me”, Daryl murmured.