Best Friends to the End

"Just put, no, left hand out... uhh, ok..." Sadie could tell Daryl was getting frustrated with her dance lesson, "close enough."
"I ain't gonna figure it out by tomorrow!" Daryl exclaimed. He would have throw his hands up in the air had Sadie not been gripping them.
"Don't be so nervous! You're trying too hard" Sadie said as she adjusted his hand back onto her hip and the other into the correct hold on her other hand. "Just think of something else you'd rather be doing."
Daryl tried to relax. He thought about fishing and hunting with Merle. He thought about watching movies with Sadie. He thought about anything that might take his mind of the fact that tomorrow, December 18th, was the biggest debutant ball in all of Georgia and he would be there escorting Sadie.
When Said had told him it was a debutant ball he didn't think it meant THE debutant ball. The tradition dated back to the 1800's and was called the Christmas Cotillion. Each year the most elite debutants of Georgia rallied in Savannah and had their welcome into society. Daryl knew Sadie's dad was pretty important in the state but he didn't know he was important enough to have Sadie involved in that specific debutant ball. Sadie said most of it was her mom's doing, she was friends with some very "high-up" woman with connections.
"See you got it!!!" Sadie exclaimed clapping. She was glad he caught on. She knew he could if he would just relax. It made her feel better knowing he could do the one dance all of the girls, ahem ladies, were to dance with their escorts. Sadie was nervous beyond belief. She hated being the center of attention and hated having to participate in her parents' fancy lifestyle.
"I guess I do" Daryl said, stepping in a little closer. Sadie smiled at him and laid her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music. This was helping her calm down some. Daryl always made her feel comfortable. That was 100 percent why she agreed to being involved with the stupid tradition anyway, on the agreement that Daryl was her escort. She knew she wouldn't get through the event without him to calm her down.
When the song ended they parted and Sadie picked up her list of to-do's for the ball and checked off "teach D the dance". "Ok" she said, looking at the list, "we got your tux fitted and we're picking it up this afternoon", Daryl nodded, "we got your hair cut", Daryl rolled his eyes and Sadie smirked, "my dress is being picked up this afternoon after your tux..." Sadie trailed off in thought.
"I know the dance" Daryl added, "and ya packed your bag fifty times."
Sadie smiled at him. Daryl had heard her go over the list about three times a day so he basically knew it by heart.
"I guess we're set" Sadie said, plopping onto the cough beside him.
"Ladies don' flop" Daryl said smirking at her before messing up her hair.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm not officially a lady yet!" Sadie giggled before igniting a wrestling match, resulting on them toppling to the floor.
"Sadie, Daryl, let's go get your outfits!" Mrs. Montgomery's voice rang out from the kitchen, a little higher pitch than normal. She was always stressed around time for big events and the cotillion being so close to Christmas was making it harder for her to relax than normal. She wouldn't have it any other way though.

The first stop was to get Daryl's tux. Daryl felt totally awkward having Sadie's parents buy him a tux and shoes and just about everything else he needed for the events. He tried to rent a tux but Sadie's mom refused, stating that any one of "her" children would own their own formal wear. She had used the reference to Daryl being her child again against him so he politely obliged her wishes.
He came out of the dressing room after putting on the tux so the tailor could ensure the alterations had been correct and immediately turn pink when he saw Sadie, her mom and Sadie's sister sitting in front of him with their mouths open.
"What?!" he questioned, looking down to see if his zipper was up.
"Well, I do declare Mr. Dixon!" Sadie said in a deeper version of her normal southern accent, "you are looking mighty fine this evening!"
Daryl's shade of pink turned to a bright red.
"Sadie, stop embarrassing the boy!" Mrs. Montgomery scolded. "Daryl you look very handsome."
"Who knew he could clean up so well" piped in Sadie's little sister Molly.
"Molly, hush!" Mrs. Montgomery said shaking her head as she and the tailor headed to take care of the bill. Molly giggled and followed.
Daryl snuck a glance from the floor to Sadie who was giving him the huge grin he had grown used to over the years.
"Mom's right, you look very handsome" Sadie said, kissing his cheek, before turning to follow her mom and let him get his normal clothes back on.
Daryl was sure he was as red as a tomato by that point and all but ran into the dressing room to change and give his cheeks time to calm down.
Next stop was to pick up Sadie's dress. She wouldn't let Daryl come in to see it though, she made him wait in the car.
"Not like we're gettin' married!" Daryl had said.
Sadie shook her head at him, not having any of it, "sorry it's tradition!"
Daryl was pretty sure that wasn't part of the tradition but didn't say anything.
When they returned to Sadie's house everything and everyone was loaded into the car to start the hour long trip to Savannah where they would stay the night in a hotel where the cotillion was being held.

When Daryl woke up the next morning Sadie, her mom and sister were down in one of the conference halls for Sadie to get make up and hair done. Mr. Montgomery went over what would happen as they ate breakfast together.
"Basically I walk her out, they announce us, we do a loop and I bring her back to you and you walk her off to the dance floor. From there the announcer will tell you kids what comes next" Mr. Montgomery explained as Daryl tried to eat. He was so nervous that all he could manage was a piece of toast. Daryl couldn't help but notice how similar this whole thing sounded to a wedding; white dress, her father handing her off, a first dance for the two of them... he let his mind wander to what it would be like to see Sadie walking down the aisle of a church to him.
"Daryl?" Mr. Montgomery asked, "you ok? Your face got all weird like you might pass out."
Daryl managed a meek smile before excusing himself to go get dressed.

Daryl actually didn't get to see Sadie at all before the ceremony was to start. He was standing in line behind about four other guys. Daryl wasn't sure about them but he was so nervous he thought he might actually pass out this time. Just then Molly ran up beside him.
"Sadie said to find you and give you this" she explained handing him a piece of paper. "She told me not to read it but you know I did" Molly smirked, "you two are so weird." With that Molly turned and walked off as someone started calling "one minute guys and we will start."
Daryl unfolded the note and read 'I know you're super nervous, I am too. Just remember, we're in this together. Best friends to the end. See you in a few minutes Dare Bear!'
Daryl smiled to himself and tucked the note into his pocket just as a lady was pushing him through a curtain.
The first thing Daryl saw was a very bright light shining on someone in front of him before realizing it was Mr. Montgomery.
"William Edward Montgomery the third presents his oldest daughter, Sadie Louise Montgomery" the announcer called out.
Daryl saw Sadie come out and take her father's arm. His jaw had to of dropped completely open before he remembered he was standing on a stage in front of what seemed like two hundred or more people and snapped it shut. His eyes stayed glued to Sadie as she made the circle around the room to come back to him. Him. He couldn't understand why, to this day, it was him. Sadie was wearing a puffy white princess dress with beading on the body. It seemed as much like a wedding dress as anything he'd ever seen. As she was walking back around and noticed him waiting her eyes lit up. Daryl felt his face blush but he didn't care. Sadie was looking at him like he was a prize and he had never felt that way in his life. He had never seen her look as beautiful as she did at that moment and Daryl couldn't see anyone else in the room but her.
"You did it!" she whispered to him as she placed her arm under his waiting one and let go of her father.
"You kids behave" Mr. Montgomery said with a wink and a smile as he exited to the opposite side of the stage.
When they got to their places on the dance floor and took their positions to wait for the rest of the debutants Daryl took the chance to whisper in her ear "Sadie, I've never seen ya look so beautiful."
He was feeling very bold for some reason as he squeezed her waist where his right hand was resting.
Sadie blushed slightly. Daryl had told her before that she was pretty but never in such a way it made her feel like she was his definition of beautiful.
"You look stunning as well, Mr. Dixon" she whispered back before, as subtle as possible, she kissed his cheek. Sadie felt a weird twist in her stomach at his words. She figured it was nerves and having not eaten, there was no way it could be anything else.
Sadie didn't have long to think about it before the announcer boomed "Ladies and gentleman of Georgia, I present to you, the Christmas Cotillion debutants."
the music started and everyone clapped and Daryl prayed he remembered what to do.
"You got this" Sadie said smiling at him.
With that Daryl knew even if he didn't dance the perfect dance it would be close enough.