This is another prompt and I was able to kill two birds with one stone with this one and do two prompts in one story. Yay for that =) Anyway, surely no more than 5 chapters. Hope you ladies enjoy and thanks for tossing me ideas for these little things! They're fun.

Chapter One

Daryl tapped the tip of his pencil on his desk as his leg bounced nervously. He was chewing his nails and every so often his eyes would shift longingly towards the clock that hung above the door to the classroom. When he wasn't glancing at the clock he was casting half fearful looks at the girl a few desks away from his. A few times she'd catch him looking and offer him a shy encouraging smile but mostly she kept her nose shoved in the book she had opened in front of her.

"Daryl?"

His head snapped up so fast that he winced at the pain in his neck. One more worried glance towards the girl, one more reassuring smile from her seat and he was making his way to the desk at the head of the classroom.

Mr. Montgomery shuffled a few papers in front of him, pushed his glasses up his nose, moved his pencil holder over a half an inch and then finally, finally, looked up at Daryl with a half smile on his lips. "Well, color me surprised, Mr. Dixon, really." He handed over the paper in his hand and Daryl snatched it quickly, nearly tearing it, and looked down at it, almost too afraid to see what was on it.

"C plus," he muttered breathlessly, almost to himself.

Mr. Montgomery nodded and ran a hand over his shiny bald dome of a head. "That was what you needed. You get to move on and be a senior with the rest of them. And it would have been a lot better had your percentage not been so damn low when we started this little experiment."

Daryl's heart was slamming hard in his chest but he schooled his features, folded the paper and slipped it into his back pocket before turning around to head back to his seat. There was only a few more minutes before the bell would ring and he could finally get the hell out of here. He was going to try to not look her way but his eyes met hers as he headed down the isle and, fight it as he might, a rare grin graced his face.

She smiled then and went back to her book. He was almost sad that it was over. He didn't need her anymore. He had been failing miserably and the one teacher that never seemed to lose faith in him, Mr. Montgomery, had ignored his refusals and set him up with a tutor. Carol was the smartest damn girl to ever step foot in the school but Daryl had had his doubts that she could help him.

She was bookish, quiet, unpopular, totally shy and unsure of herself but she was goddamn brilliant and she had a way of explaining things that even penetrated his thick stubborn skull. When he had first talked to her it was only because he had no choice. He wasn't exactly a popular guy himself, known mostly for having a short temper and for being the kid brother of the infamous Merle Dixon. He hadn't had a damn chance long before he ever started going to this school.

But after working with her for three days a week for the last six months, he felt a little regret that it was over. They didn't really talk a whole lot other than what they had to talk about, which was World History, but at least it was something. Now it was back to hanging around his regular old crew.

As soon as the bell rang he watched her gather her books and load them up in her bag. Today was suppose to be one of those days that he stayed over with her but not anymore.

"Congratulations, Daryl. I'm really proud of you," she said quietly, not looking at him as she hurried past, her face turning pink.

Her words brought him up short and he found himself still sitting at his desk staring after her. She hadn't even given him a chance to thank her for helping him. She'd spent a lot of her own personal time getting him ready for that damn test and she had never complained about it. Of course, he hadn't really ever seen her hanging out with friends or doing much socializing at all so maybe to her it was just something to do.

"Daryl? You like my class so much that you decide to spend the rest of the summer sitting there? I'm flattered, seriously, but maybe you can do something more constructive. Go get a job, kid," Mr. Montgomery eyed him from over his spectacles.

He got up, grumbling to himself, wishing he hadn't gotten so damn distracted. "I'll see you around old timer," he said before he slipped out the door.

"Old timer. I can still change that grade you little...," the man yelled as Daryl took off down the hall but he didn't catch that last part. He'd miss that son of a bitch. The only teacher he had ever had that didn't just pretend to give a fuck.

He hurriedly cleaned out his locker, shoving everything into his bag and wondering if he was going to get that job for the summer. If he played his cards right, maybe talk to Carol and see if she could do a little more tutoring, maybe he'd graduate early next year and finally be able to start his damn life.

"Sweet freedom, huh?" Joe asked, slamming Daryl's locker closed and nearly smashing his fingers in the process.

Daryl groaned inwardly. He wasn't a huge fan of Joe but his brother and Daryl's brother ran in the same crowd so Daryl was destined to be one of the guy's only friends. He shrugged, shouldering his bag. "Yeah, freedom from here for the summer anyway. I'm gonna try to get a job until school starts back up."

Joe scoffed. "What the hell for? We got shit to do this summer Dixon. Starting tonight."

Daryl looked over sharply as they pushed through the doors. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

Joe winked. Daryl fucking hated it when he did that shit. "Our brothers plan on takin' us out. Alcohol, weed, pussy. We finally get to play with the big dogs now, boy. We're meeting up at the garage tonight. Don't even think about flaking out on me, man."

There was no way in hell he was gonna spend a night at the garage with his brother and his brother's fucked up cronies. There wasn't enough beer in the world to make that an appealing idea. "I'll think about it."

Joe looked pained and he stopped in front of Daryl's pick up. "Come on, man. What the hell is your deal?"

"I already had plans."

Daryl turned when he heard a raspy laugh behind him and he had to force himself not to curse out loud. Merle was eying him, a mean smile on face. "What the hell are you doin' here?" Daryl asked, not even bothering to sound happy to see him.

Merle quirked an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sore at seein' your big brother."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "You never come here. What do you want?"

Merle chuckled, apparently in a better mood than usual. "Well, I figured since you worked so damn hard bringin' those credits up that I went ahead and decided that you're hell bent on graduating, am I right?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes. He remembered the conversation he'd had with his brother when he'd mentioned being behind on his credits. Merle had laughed, shoved a joint in his face and said, Who gives a shit about credits, Darylina. See, that's your problem. Always frettin'. You're a Dixon. That means you need to get your act together, drop the fuck out and find your ass a trade, boy. You think I gave a shit about things like grades? And look at me. I got a good job doin' what I love to do. I got a new bitch in the sack every night, my own place. Hell, I even feed and clothe your scrawny little ass. Stop chasin' a pipe dream.

"Yeah," he muttered, knowing this wasn't leading anywhere good. "What about it?"

Merle eyed Joe for a second and then jerked his head towards Daryl's truck. "Take this piece of shit to my place and park her." He tossed the keys and before Daryl could snatch them Joe had them in his hand and was yanking the door to the truck open, no questions asked. Merle was kind of the leader of their group and no one questioned him. Mostly because he was an asshole but also because he was dangerous when he wanted to be.

"What the fuck, Merle! I ain't ridin' bitch on your bike. I need my goddamn truck!"

Merle grinned. "No you don't."

Daryl glared for a few more seconds and then followed Merle's gaze. He blinked at what he saw, glanced at Merle once more and then looked back towards Merle's bike again. But it wasn't Merle's bike that had his eyes nearly bugging out of his head and his mouth hanging open. It was the bike next to Merle's. The one he'd literally dreamed about. The one that Merle had been working on for months now and all he'd tell Daryl about it was, it was for a preferred customer.

"You just gonna stand there with a hard on or you gonna go check it out?" Merle asked, slapping him on the back so hard he nearly stumbled off the sidewalk.

Surely Merle hadn't brought the bike here just to rub it in Daryl's face. He wasn't that fucking cruel, was he? Actually...

"Well?"

"What the hell is it doin' here?" Daryl asked, approaching the gleaming machine almost reverently.

The smile faded from Merle's lips and he rubbed his hand over his head. He kept his eyes on the bike but now Daryl was watching him closely. "Look, you took a lot of shit while I was gone. Hell, you take a lot of shit from me now that I'm back. I ain't always done right by you and I don't know why the hell finishing school means so much to you, but you've busted your ass. You deserve it."

Daryl tried but he couldn't bring himself to believe the man. "Come on, Merle. You've played some good tricks in your time but this... Well, goddamn it, this is too much. You know how much I love this damn bike. Hell, I go to the garage damn near every day and drool over it. Don't-"

"Shut up," Merle said, nudging him closer. "The thing is yours if you want it. If not then hitch a ride and I'll-"

"You serious? You built me a fucking bike?" Daryl asked, his hand running lovingly over the leather seat.

"Don't make a big scene over it. You start tearing up on me or shrieking like some teenage girl and I'm gonna take it back and then run your ass over with it."

He barely registered Merle's harsh tone. He couldn't believe the man had done this for him. He knew Merle loved him, of course. They were brothers. They were blood. But Merle had a funny way of showing it most of the time. "Is there a catch?" he asked, meeting Merle's eyes.

Merle shrugged. "Meet the rest of us at the garage tonight. Hang out, have a good time, get your dick wet, we'll call it even, alright. I worry about you, boy."

Daryl grimaced. He was seventeen so sure he was interested in chicks, but goddamn the women that hung off his brother wasn't the type he'd ever want to screw. Some guys, hell most guys, couldn't keep their eyes off women like them with their bodies on display and that hungry gleam in their eyes. But Daryl just found them... well... sad. They let themselves be used by men that didn't give a shit about them. They opened their legs for anybody. He didn't want anything to do with that scene. "I can't," he said, shaking his head as he tried to come up with a good excuse.

"What the hell do you mean you can't? It's the last day of school," Merle barked.

"I... I..." Fuckin' Christ, think Daryl! "I can't be messin' around like that. I...er... I got a girlfriend and shit. A serious one. I ain't interested in fuckin' around, ya know?"

Merle stared at him, his face expressionless, and Daryl shifted on his feet, wishing he would have came up with something better than that. "Since when? Joe woulda said somethin'."

"He don't know about her. She... she has strict parents, ya know? And if they found out she was messin' around with a Dixon they'd lose their shit. She..."

Merle grinned. "You been puttin' it to some chick that far outta your league?"

Daryl wanted to kick himself in the ass but all he could do was nod. "Yeah, and it's kinda serious so I ain't interested in messin' around with any of your girls."

Merle sighed heavily. "How the fuck are we even related?"

Daryl shrugged. "Can I still have the bike?"

"Sure. And your ass is still comin' to this party too. Just bring the girl with you. Where is she anyway? I wanna meet her before hand."

Daryl's heart skipped a beat and he scanned the yard, his eyes raking over the girls and knew that most of them wouldn't even talk to him if he tried to make conversation. Merle's reputation had sealed Daryl's fate at this school. And then he saw her.

"She's over there," he pointed.

Just then Carol looked up, her arms loaded down with books, her ponytail askew. She smiled at him and then looked away quickly. Daryl scrunched up his face when he saw her trip over an uneven section of sidewalk, dropping the armload of books just before catching her balance.

"Are you serious?" Merle muttered, watching her curiously. "That girl? The one in the ankle length skirt? The one pickin' up all them books?"

"She's cool," Daryl muttered lamely.

Merle's brows looked ready to creep into his hairline as Carol stood up, blew a strand of messy hair out of her face and continued on towards... Oh God. She didn't have a car. He knew she didn't have a car. She rode a fucking bike to school. "Does she give good head or somethin'?"

"Damn it, Merle," Daryl grumbled.

"No, I mean, she's... cute. I guess. Or she could be if she wasn't..." He glanced at Daryl then and finally threw his arms up in exasperation. "She's a goddamn dork! A frumpy little... dork. Jesus..."

Daryl winced, shaking his head. "Merle, come the fuck on. She's nice and-"

"Nice can only get you so far, little brother. She's wearin' a sweater. With birds on it for fuck's sake. Come on, just meet me and I'll find you a-"

"We'll be there, okay? And you better not say anything mean to her. Just cause she don't dress in clothes so tight you can see her fucking uterus don't mean there ain't a nice fuckin' body under... all them clothes."

Merle was silent for a while and then finally he shrugged. "Look, I get it. She kinda reminds me of a librarian and some fellas get turned on by that. Just... I'll make sure to tell the guys not to laugh at her to her face, okay?" He shook his head and mounted his own bike just as Carol dumped her books into the basket on the back of hers.

"I'll see you tonight then," Daryl said, wishing he hadn't dug himself into this fucking hole. He waited for Merle to pull away and then he took off at a jog before Carol could take off down the street. Before she pushed off the curb he rounded on her and grabbed the handlebars. She squeaked out a startled sound and her wide eyes landed on him.

It took him a few long seconds to catch his breath.

"Daryl? Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded and dropped his hands. "Yeah. No. Fuck I don't know."

She frowned. "Well, did you need something?"

He snorted, shaking his head. "A favor. I need a favor." Damn it, she was gonna think he was a weirdo.

She nodded. "Oh, okay. What do you need then?"

"I need you to go out with me tonight." He knew he had worded it wrong as soon as he saw her expression. Her lips thinned into a disapproving line and she angled the bike away from him.

"That's real funny, Daryl. You know, the least you could do, since you don't need my help anymore, is make fun of me behind my back like the rest of your friends so at least I don't have to feel bad about it."

He scowled. "What? I ain't got any damn friends but if you're talkin' about the people that hang around me all the time, none of them have said anything about you because if they did I'd break their damn face and they know it. What the hell did I do to piss you off?" Why would she think he was making fun of her?

She waved another strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face again and eyed him warily. "Why is me going somewhere with you a favor?"

He groaned and then rubbed the back of his neck, not willing to meet her eyes this time. "Because my brother gave me a bike, apparently for all the hard work I've been doin'. He said all I have to do to be able to keep it is show up at this dumb ass party he put together tonight. He wanted to... he was plannin' on tryin' to set me up with somebody but I ain't interested so I told him I had a girlfriend." He finally looked up, reading the complete disbelief in her eyes. God this was fucking embarrassing.

"And you told him that I was the girlfriend? Why would you do that?" she asked.

He shrugged, unsure why he had used her of all people. The two of them couldn't be more different. "You just kinda ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you don't want to then I get it. No hard feelin's or anything."

She chewed her lip for a few long moments and finally pulled in a shaky breath. "So, we're just pretending, right? I show up, he thinks I'm your girlfriend and then you can take me home?"

He hated that the thought of actually being his girlfriend seemed so goddamn off putting but he didn't blame her. They were just too different. He nodded.

"Fine," she said hesitantly. "What time do I need to be ready?"

"Are you fuckin' serious?" he asked, almost not believing that the shy girl was actually going to go through with this.

"Yes. I mean, it isn't like I ever get asked out on real dates so why not go on a fake one?" She looked very much like she hadn't meant to say those words out loud and the tone of voice she delivered them had him frowning again.

He felt bad for feeling that way. She actually was good looking even though she hid it well and she was smart and she was the nicest person he'd ever talked to. Hell she had spent six months of her life helping a stranger for no personal gain at all. "I don't know how the hell I'm gonna pay you back for this one but I'm gonna try like hell, okay?"

She offered him a small smile and ducked her head. "I didn't have any plans anyway."

"I'll pick you up at seven then. Should I come to the door? Your parents won't try to shoot me or anything will they?"

She shook her head. "I don't have any. I mean, they're dead." She flushed. "They died when I was little. I live with my older sister now and she works a lot so I'm usually home alone so you can come to the door if you want," she rambled on and he realized he actually knew nothing about her, but found himself really curious to learn. And she lived with an older sibling. So did he. That was something they had in common anyway.

"I'll see you at seven then."

She nodded and finally maneuvered the ten speed around him. He watched her pedal away before he turned to his own bike.

If nothing else, at least tonight would be kind of interesting anyway. And he wasn't dreading it as much as he had a little bit ago. Ever since she had started tutoring him, he had found that it was easy to be comfortable around her. She didn't look at him with any judgment in her eyes and that was a refreshing thing for a Dixon kid.