Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Carol Jenner looked up from her computer as her class finished working on their test. She was a new teacher, and this was her first high school science class. She was excited to be teaching. She loved that what she said sank into something of them and helped to become the amazing adults they would be. She loved the feeling she got when she helped a student understand, that look of "Oh, I get it now". It made all of the disrespect worth it. They were high schoolers, and there were always class clowns—or assholes—that felt the need to get attention through cruel means. She was positive she would adjust.

It was the middle of 2nd six weeks, and Carol had settled into the role as an authoritative figure. She was looking forward to Thanksgiving break. She loved to cook, and she wanted to sleep in and not deal with the annoying conversations of Shane Walsh and Caesar Martinez. They were typical football players—arrogant and thought they were above everyone else because they've won every game this season so far. She was being pressured by the coach to bring up their grades, but they hadn't earned them, and she didn't hand out As. If she did, it would be unfair to all those who studied hard. Students earn As in her classroom, so Mr. Jones can pressure his star players, not her.

Okay. She knew Lilly Chalmers was the history teacher, Andrea Horvath was the college prep English, Ryan Samuels was the geometry teacher, and the principal was Phillip Blake and the vice principal was Dale Horvath, Andrea and Amy's uncle. That meant Tyreese was the guidance counselor and Bob Stookey was the nurse, and Karen was the P.E. teacher and Morgan Jones was the football coach. She made a note to remember that since they were sending her e-mails about upcoming games to see if she could sell tickets, e-mails about the homecoming dance and yearbook stuff. She had so many, she was tempted to delete them all, but she couldn't. They needed her help, and she wasn't the type of person to ignore someone who needed help.

The bell rang, they set their tests on her desk as they left, and she called after them to have a good day. She checked her watch. It was 3:16. She needed to meet Lori at 5:15. She grabbed the papers and stacked them neatly, and she counted, noticing one of them was missing.

She stood up and found the missing paper on the top of a desk in the very back. The young man who sat here was very silent. His name was...Daryl Dixon. He was the only male who wasn't football enthused. He seemed to hate when Mr. Blake would get on the intercom and talk about how they triumphed over some other school's football team. She tended to drown him out, because he went on for days. Most of her class were asleep by the time he got done yapping.

She picked up the paper. It was blank. "Huh." He didn't even write his name, just the date. She wrote a note on the bottom for him to stay after school tomorrow to talk to her, and she graded the others. Shane had put sexual positions down instead of the formula for photosynthesis. His sexual remarks repulsed her more than her fiancé's did.

"Shit." She'd forgotten to call him after lunch. She got out her phone and called him. She left a message when he didn't pick up. "Hey, honey, it's me. I'm sorry. I got busy at lunch. I was put in charge of the yearbook staff since the English teacher has to get surgery. I'll see you this week. I love you, Ed. Bye." She hung up and could feel his response. Oh, well.

"Mr. Jenner?"

She looked over and found Merle Dixon in her doorway. She'd met him once before. Daryl had skipped school, and she called and asked if he was all right. She'd inadvertently ratted him out. Daryl came and apologized in front of the entire class, and she felt so bad. He stuttered and his face was blood red. They class made fun of him, so they had to write "I will not make fun of a fellow classmate" two hundred times, and if not, they were given an F for not completing the assignment. She had zero tolerance for bullying.

"How can I help you?" She stood up.

"Just came to see where Daryl sits. He left some...stuff here."

"The desk in the back."

"No, I got it." He stopped her when she began to walk over to the desk and get whatever Daryl had left. He pulled out something and quickly hid it. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Uh, you're welcome." She forced a smile, not entirely sure how to respond. She saw the papers that Daryl was supposed to take with him as homework, and she gathered them up and tried to catch up to Merle. She stopped and hid behind the wall when she heard Merle yelling at Daryl by a rusty, blue pickup truck.

"The hell was you thinking, little brother?" Merle seethed.

"You ain't right on that shit," Daryl replied. "I—I was only tryin' to help!"

"Help? Your pussy ass coulda got in some serious shit. You hear me, boy? You leave this shit alone!"

"I wasn't gonna snort it! I was just—I was tryin' to get rid of it. You said you'd get clean."

Merle punched him, Carol covered her mouth as she heard Daryl hit the ground, and Merle grabbed the front of his shirt. "You'd best shut the hell up. Get your ass home and do your damn homework. You hear me?"

"Y—yes."

"Quit your damn stuttering, boy! We talked 'bout this. Dixons don't stutter. Stutterin's for retards and pussies. You got one of them covered, but you keep it up, and I'll beat that stutter out of you."

Daryl nodded, not trusting his voice.

"Pansy-ass." Merle let him go and went to his motorcycle. "Get home, you slow piece of shit." He drove off.

Carol peered over the wall as Daryl climbed shakily to his feet, his nose bleeding over his shirt. She bit her lip, but didn't move. She watched him wipe at the blood, and she took a deep breath before stepping out. "Daryl?"

He flinched and turned away from her.

"I'm glad I caught you. You left your homework in your desk." She stopped in front of him. "Oh, my God." She could see Merle had broken his nose. "Daryl." She tried to touch him, but he jumped back, narrowing his eyes. "I—Hold on." She set the papers in the car since the window was down, and she went to her car, grabbing the moist towelettes. She pulled one out and tried to wipe at the blood, but he smacked her hand away. "It must hurt. Here. You can do it."

"I'm fine," he murmured. "Go away. I don't need your help."

"But I want to offer it," she replied, smiling. "Here."

He searched her eyes. She was a good woman, really smart, really beautiful. He didn't want her to know, but he had a crush on her. He didn't know why, but he did. He liked everything about her. She had long auburn hair with sparkling blue-gray eyes with really soft-looking pale skin. She always wore expensive-looking shirts and skirts, like today she wore this peach blouse with a gray skirt that was tight at her hips. Hell, even her damn heels made hher hot. And her smile... "I'm fine." He pushed her hand away. "Get outta my face, lady."

"Fine. Here." She thrusted the box into his hands. "Have a good night, and we need to talk after school tomorrow." She turned and walked back to her classroom.

He watched as her leave, both her curls and her ass bounced as she stormed off, and he shook his head. He would fix his nose when he got home. He tossed her wipes into the trash and got into his truck. Preppy bitch.

– – –

She found Lori in the living room, having a glass of wine ready for her, and she smiled. This was exactly what she needed. Shane wasn't the only pervert who liked math in her class. She sat down on the couch and took the glass.

"Taxing day?" Lori asked.

"That's only half of it." She tucked hair behind her ear. "So, you're dating Rick Grimes, huh?"

She smiled. "Yes. We're having dinner tomorrow night by the lake. It's a picnic."

"Aww."

"I know, but...bugs. I hate bugs." She shook her head. "I'm going to buy one of those bug repellent bracelet things tonight." She ran a hand through her short brown hair. "So, how's Eddie?"

"He would kill you if you called him that to his face." She grabbed a small handful of cheese cubes. "I got busy at lunch and forgot to call, so I don't know." She ate them one at a time.

"Where is he this time?"

"Florida. He has some business deal that needs him down there." She shrugged. "I'm worried."

"You're twenty-two, stop. You had gray hair during college, and it's a fact that gingers gray before the rest of us, so don't worry."

She sighed. "I didn't tell Ed about the teaching position. I let it slip today when I called him by accident. It was what really happened, and I just...said it."

"Why is that such a big deal?" Lori crossed her legs. "Carol?"

"He wants me to be the stay-at-home-wife type. That's not who I am. I enjoy talking to people and I like helping them. We aren't getting married until May next year, so I figured I'd teach until then, save up money for the wedding. I want to help, but with my parents being Mr. and Mrs. Scientist Jenner and Ed's parents being multimillionaires, there's no need for me to have a job. I—I just want to contribute. Hell, I'll pay for the damn flowers, just let me help in some way. I hate everything being handed to me."

She laughed. "You're the only person in the world who complains about having too much money."

"My grandfather taught me to not let the world spoil me, and it is. I like having responsibilities and bills and loud neighbors who yell at each other at five in the morning over who left the milk out!"

"Tell Ed that. What's the worst thing that can happen?"

She averted her eyes. Ed had come close to hitting Carol countless times, and he was so controlling. He sent her silk robes and nightgowns and blouses, but she felt like he didn't want her to wear them or look nice at all. Most of the time when he was in town, he made her wear baggy tees and jeans and pull her hair up. He always was on her about getting her hair cut off. Not a few inches, off! He wasn't like the Ed she dated in college. She was so young when she went into college, because she graduated early, like her parents had. Anyway, she'd fallen for him, and it was a high school romance only in college. She wasn't a high school heartthrob, she was a geek with the braces and that snort laugh and all. It was bad. Lori was a sophomore, and she de-geek-afied Carol the minute Carol stepped into their room. Carol had given everything to Ed. Her virginity, her heart, her soul—everything. And that was fine, she had no qualms about it, but recently, he's changed. He was distant, secretive, and cold. She was scared that he wasn't the man she thought he was.

"Earth to Carol?" Lori searched her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh. I'm just hungry. I didn't get to finish my lunch."

"I'm hungry too. I'll order some pizza from Rhee's." She stood up and grabbed the phone. "Cheese?"

"Yes, please."

"You never change."

Carol frowned, but Lori was right. In twenty-two years, Carol hadn't changed at all. Her appearance obviously, but nothing else. She still preferred pecans to almonds and chocolate ice cream to strawberry. She was relentless on her opinion that today's music wasn't as good as when her parents were young. She grew up to the oldies and classic piano music. Stimulates the mind, as her mother endlessly told her growing up.

"Hey, Carol," Lori called. "Are we still trying that yoga class?"

"On Saturday? Sure. I have nothing planned." Unless eating chocolate-covered chips while watching Gone with the Wind with her miniature schnauzer counts as something planned. "We can make ice cream afterward. Daddy sent it in the mail."

"Did you explain how you broke the other one?" Lori peered in.

"Me? You broke it, and I had to have my counters replaced, because you thought it would be appropriate to have s—"

"That was fun. You should try it."

"Fine, I'll bring over Ed and see how you like the mess."

She laughed. "We paid you back, didn't we?"

"It was still in my apartment," Carol murmured.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Oh, shut up!" Carol tossed a throw pillow at her and laughed.

Their laughter stopped Ed's ringtone sounded from Carol's purse, Lori cleared her throat and left to get her purse from the kitchen, taking a generous drink from her glass. Carol set her glass down and dug out her phone. Her purse only had lipstick and a wallet inside, so it was easy to find her phone. She answered it.

"H—"

"What the hell was so important you couldn't call?" Ed huffed.

"I—"

"And since when did I say you could have a job?"

"Ed, I just—"

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to your excuses, Carol. When I come back, you'd be smart to not have that job. Incidentally, I won't be home for Thanksgiving, but I do expect a meal to match when I do come home. Do you understand?" He paused. "Carol?"

"Yes. Yes, I understand. I'm sorry, Ed."

"I'm glad we have the same opinion, darling." It was said through clenched teeth, and Carol didn't know why. "Don't you have something you need to tell me?"

"I love you."

He hung up.

She lowered her phone and shuddered. What the hell was he doing? She got the feeling if she questioned him about his fidelity, it would be the last time she questioned him about anything. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the couch, trying not to cry.

– – –

Daryl stared at the note on the bottom of his test paper, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to burn it or ball it up and throw it at the back of someone's head. It would be more entertaining than Shane talking about banging the PE teacher, Karen Kelly, with Ceasar, and Sasha and Amy gossiped about the new teacher, who was to-tally hot, combined. They were squealing about it, and Carol demanded silence.

"Aww, you jealous, sweetheart?" Shane mused, his football friends chucklin'. "You look mighty fine today, Carol."

"That's Ms. Jenner," she snapped, going off on him as he came up with more and more inappropriate remarks.

Shane was right, though. Carol did look mighty fine tonight. She wore a long-sleeved white sweater that was tight enough to show the outline to her bra, and he could tell by she kept her computer in front of her chest she knew it showed. She wore dark jeans that allowed Daryl to focus really hard on her, but not on her words.

"That's enough, Shane." She pointed to the door. "You and Mr. Martinez can go see Principal Blake. Now."

"Yes, ma'am." Ceasar hopped and followed Shane out the door.

Murmurs spread in the class, Carol assigned workbook pages on the chapter they'd just started, and the rest of the day ticked by silently. When the dismissal bell rang, Daryl stayed in his seat since Carol had such a trying class, and he didn't want to upset her anymore. The class left, and she motioned for him to join her at her desk.

"Have a seat, please." She moved the chair by her desk closer.

He sat down, not comfortable with how close she'd moved him to her. He could smell her sweet perfume. He kept his eyes to the floor.

She pulled up her grades and looked at him. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?" He didn't look up.

"Look at me, please." She set a hand on his knee, he flinched, and she pulled her hand back. "Your grade in here is a 28." She pointed to the computer screen. "It's going to be a zero if you don't pass the test tomorrow and redo the chapter ten test as well."

He nodded.

"Do you need a study guide? I have one filled out." She reached into the drawer beside him and pulled it out. "Here's one for both tests."

He reached out to take them when she pulled them back. "What?" He met her eyes.

"Do you understand this? I've noticed how confused you look when I go over formulas and equations. You bombed the quiz today."

"Hard to focus," he murmured. "With Shane and them talkin' all the time."

"Do you want me to move you? Or them?"

"No. It's fine."

"No, it's not. Honey, it's effecting your grade. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask."

"I ain't your honey, and I don't need your help." He stood up. "I gotta go."

"Daryl, wait." She caught him at the door. "Do you have access to a computer?"

He shook his head.

"Do you have a free period?"

"First."

"That's my planning. I don't have a class in here, so you can borrow my computer, and I know a few videos that can explain it. If you're a visual learner, they'll help."

"What time would be best for you?"

She smiled. "Right after the first bell. I'm not busy."

He nodded. "Thanks." He walked out.

She felt so happy to have gotten through to him. He was such a quiet young man, and all she wanted to do was help him. Silently. She got the feeling he was bullied. She'd noticed a few times that he wore the same shirt two, three times a week, and his jeans were almost always dirty and torn at the knee. And with his brother... He could use someone to turn to, even if it was only for studying purposes. If he wanted to talk about his home life, she would listen. Her heart went out to him, and she wanted to help. He was smart, but by the way Merle spoke to him, he probably thought he was stupid and worthless and would never be good at anything. Merle was wrong, and she would break her back to prove that to Daryl.

– – –

Daryl sat in his bedroom, staring at the study guides, not understanding any of it. With Merle and one of his many conquests in the living room with the TV blaring, Daryl couldn't focus. He could only hear the sound of race cars and moaning. It was giving him a headache.

Screw this. He tossed the papers off his bed and grabbed his crossbow. He jumped out the window and headed into the woods. He cleared his mind by hunting for his dinner, the cool night air was better than any medication.

After fifteen minutes of hunting, he cooked his squirrel dinner over a fire, and he caught the scent of Carol's perfume for some reason. He remembered how good she looked and the smile she had when he agreed to use her computer to help him understand formulas and equations. He could still feel her hand on his knee. She was a tiny little thing, so worried, so caring. She was engaged, but he knew women. He spent most of his life dealing with his father's women and now he has to deal with Merle's women, so he knew that she wasn't happy. People can't make anyone happy, he learned that. They want and steal and abuse. She had one of those happen to her. He figured abuse by her fiancé.

What bastard would hurt her? She was the only decent person at that school. The other teachers ridiculed him and told him to study, but they never offered to give him the papers he didn't get or the study guides. It's not like he has friends he can borrow them from. He mostly stole papers from Sasha's or Amy's binders and made copies in the library. The librarian was nice enough, let him stay in there during lunch, because he couldn't afford the meals in the cafeteria. Merle only bought beer and cigarettes and on occasion, clothes and shoes. He had to hunt for his meals, but he was good at it, so he only went hungry until he got home from school. He would dropout, but Merle was making him stay. He was the good one. He had to finish high school. Tsk. Bullshit.

He trudged back through the woods toward the trailer, and he climbed back inside. It was silent. Daryl always timed it so that he got back when Merle and his woman were gone. He knew that at midnight Merle went out to the bar and drank until dawn. He could study now.

He studied until 2:30 in the morning then passed out.

––

Carol got a bagel and cream cheese from the cafeteria, and she ran into Lilly. Lilly asked her if she could help with dance team tryouts tomorrow after school. A lot of the girls quit, and they needed some for the big football game coming up.

"Sure. I'd love to." She glanced over and saw Daryl sitting by himself, chewing on his bottom lip. She frowned. Most of the students were digging into the egg, cheese, sausage casserole that was pretty decent. Daryl didn't seem like a vegetarian. He must not be able to afford the lunches. Odd. They have a free meal form. Why didn't he get one? "Lilly, could you excuse me?"

"I'm sorry. I tend to babble a lot." She smiled. "It was nice to officially meet you. Please, if you need anything, let me know."

"I might." She smiled and walked to the office. She spoke to Dale and got a form for Daryl to take him. She went to the teacher's lounge and bought two sodas then she walked back to her classroom as the bell rang. She tucked hair behind her ear and checked her e-mail. Her teacher's e-mail. She found a few requests for football again and there was a meeting tomorrow before school. She got the feeling they were spots crazed. She wasn't fond of sports.

She sighed and opened the diet lemon-lime soda, taking a sip.

There was a tentative knock on her door.

"Come in."

Daryl came inside. "Library's closed," he explained, not wanting her to think this was his first choice.

"Then it's my lucky day." She smiled and typed in the ULR code to the website. "Just start whenever you like. You can adjust the seat, if you like. You're taller than me, so you probably want to be closer to the ground." She stood up. "Oh, you can borrow my headphones." She dug them out of her purse, pulling them free of her music player.

"Thanks." He took them and sat down.

"Do you like root beer?" She gestured to the second bottle of soda. "It fell out. You can have it, if you want. I don't like root beer, but I don't want it to go to waste." She gathered the workbooks for her third period and moved them to the back of the room, placing them on the shelf in alphabetical order. This would be the only time they were in alphabetical order too.

She typed in 3rd period physical science into the label maker, glancing over her shoulder, seeing Daryl watching the video, the soda bottle half-empty. She pulled the labels out and smoothed them onto the shelf, smiling. One wall down...an unknown number to go. That's a joy killer. Yeesh.

She alphabetized all of the workbooks while Daryl watched the videos and did the after-video quizzes. She didn't know that he was also watching her work. Today's outfit wasn't as body-hugging, but with the lifting up and bending down they didn't have to be. Damn, she was beautiful. Every time her skirt slid up when she lifting boxes to the top of her cabinets, he wanted to reach out and touched her skin. He wanted to do a hell of a lot more after that.

"How's it coming?" She stood behind him.

"Fine." He cleared his throat.

"It's almost time for break. Do you want to stop?"

"Could I stay til break's over?"

"Sure, but don't you want to eat?"

He didn't reply.

"Have you eaten today?" She crossed her arms. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"Ain't nothin' to tell."

"I saw you...at your table, and you weren't eating. I got a form that your parents can sign, so you can get free meals from the cafeteria." She picked it up from her desk and handed it to him.

He stood up. "Why do you even care?"

"Because I watched my best friend suffer through high school, because she was poor and people made fun of how her hair wasn't washed and how her clothes weren't new and how she smelled. I was too scared to help her, and three months before graduation...she killed herself." She averted her eyes. "I don't want th—"

"I ain't your charity case," Daryl informed her. "Tsk, I don't need this." He balled it up and tossed it at her. "Bitch."

"Daryl, I didn't mean to offend you, and I am sorry, but you have no right to cuss at me."

"Do you want me to apologize now too? Why? So you can be the hero and straighten up the Dixon problem? Tsk, screw all y'all!"

"Daryl." She pushed the door shut when he tried to pass her. "I'm not going to stand here and take shit from you. I was trying to help. I'm still going to try to help. I'm not a bad person, and this has nothing to do with any of the other teachers."

"Get outta my way."

"It's excuse me."

He searched her eyes. "You're a real piece of work, lady. What do you want me to do? Huh?"

"Two words, very easy. Guess them."

"Move it." He jerked on the doorknob, she tripped back and he left. "Stupid bitch."

She exhaled and stilled her shaking hands. Oh, God. She leaned back against the door. Well, that wasn't how she'd intended that conversation to go. He completely pushed her away, and she wasn't even close. She just wanted to help him. Why was he so reluctant to accept help?

She pushed off the wall and hurried to the guidance office before the bell rang. She asked Tyreese for a copy of Daryl's grades, and since he was such a nice guy, he gave it to her. She thanked him and found his address on the bottom right corner. Maybe his parents are more willing.

After school, she went to the address, and she almost cringed. He lived in a dingy, rusty little trailer, which would be fine, if it didn't look like a murderer lived there. It didn't look safe either. She was almost scared to knock on the door, but she needed to talk to his parents. By the motorcycle parked out front, Merle was home.

She mustered up all of her courage and knocked on the door.

It opened and revealed Merle Dixon, dressed in a wife beater and loose pants, eyes narrow, clearly hungover. God, was he all Daryl had?

"Hello." She smiled. "I came to talk to Daryl's...guardian."

"That's me." He squinted in the sunlight. "The hell you want?"

"Daryl's failing his classes, and I came—"

"What the hell are you doin' here?" Daryl roared, coming up behind her.

"I came to—"

"You're failing?" Merle hissed. "Done lied to me? Get in here. Now!"

"The hell you think you are?" Daryl demanded, getting in her face. "How many times I gotta tell you I don't need your damn help? Get off my property!"

"I just wanted to—"

"Screw your good intentions!" He glared. "Get your uppity ass off our property. Go!"

"No! I came to help you! I will not back down, because you don't like me here." She pushed him off. "Get out of my face. I can hear just fine."

"C'mon inside." Merle stepped aside.

"Merle!" Daryl exclaimed.

"Darylina, be nice to our guest."

He glared, Carol went inside, and Merle closed the door once Daryl was in the trailer. The interior of the trailer wasn't a pit, just a few beer bottles here and there, two worn sofas—probably hand-me-downs—and a semi-new leather chair, coffee table and a TV. It was so empty, though. It felt like no one lived here. It was so cold. Literally too. They must not have heating or air. It was no surprise.

"Can I get you somethin' to drink?" Merle asked.

"No, thank you."

"Have a seat. Make yourself at home. Daryl." Merle stepped back toward Daryl's room.

Carol sat on the couch as they went into Daryl's room and spoke. She didn't see any pictures of their mother or father or even of them. It was so strange. It's like they just...didn't want to see proof of their existence. Or want anyone to know they were here. It made her shudder.

"Why's your teacher here?" Merle asked. "'Cause if you is failin' and you done lied to me, I'll beat your ass from here to Montana."

"I—I was bringin' 'em up. I was."

"Are you kiddin' me?" Merle yelled. "The hell are you doin' in class?" He smacked in in the head. "There anythin' in here? Huh?"

"Keep your voice down. She's gonna hear you."

"Oh, she your girlfriend now?"

"Shut up, Merle." He kept his voice low, because he knew Carol could hear them through the thin walls.

"You screwin' her? That how you passin'?"

"No! I—She's just some busybody, probably got no life, that's why she's steppin' all over mine. Let me deal with her."

"Aww, you're sweet on her then?" Merle purposefully spoke loudly. "Got a crush there, Darylina?"

"Merle!"

He chuckled. "She get you hard?"

"Merle, you'd best shut the hell up!"

He chuckled even harder. "Let me get down the family albums for your little girlfriend."

Daryl tackled him, and they wrestled around the room, Merle laughed at Daryl's anger, and Carol jumped when they tumbled out into the living room. Merle pushed Daryl off and stood up, Daryl glared and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Are...you two okay?" She glanced between them.

"We're fine." Merle chuckled. "You comfy, sugar?"

"More or less. I'd like to discuss Daryl's grades." She crossed her legs. "I have to meet a friend for dinner, and I don't mind being late, but I'd like not be hours later."

"Right. Darylina, do your homework."

"What? No, I'm stayin'."

"Dar—"

"I'd like him to stay," Carol softly interrupted. "It may inspire him to actually do his work."

"Ass kisser," Daryl murmured, dropping on the worn down couch opposite her, resting is feet on the coffee table.

"So, what're his grades?"

"58, 62, 45 and 28. That's English, geometry, environmental science and history. He's already retaking environmental science, because he failed it his freshmen year. He's a senior now, and he can't afford to fail. Unless he wants to repeat this year."

"I'm right here," Daryl informed her. "You ever consider you ain't a good teacher?"

She met his eyes. "I'm the easiest environmental science teach at the high school."

"Are you now?" Merle asked.

"And I've given you copies of notes and worksheets, and I found them balled up in the trashcan at the end of class. I've helped you as much as I can while in school. Why don't you study? You failed both tests today."

"Got shit on my mind. Let me alone. You don't know me."

"Darylina, calm down and get a damn tampon." Merle turned to her. "How can the boy bring up his grades?"

"There's after school tutoring."

"Hell, no!"

"With a group?" Merle asked, ignoring Daryl.

"Yes. Lilly oversees it. I can stay late to help, if you'd like." She was looking at Daryl.

"No, I wouldn't." He glared.

"Daryl don't do good in groups," Merle informed her. "Kid's got the attention span of a guppy. There anything else?"

"Umm, I can study with him at my place. It'd be just us, and it's really silent, so he can focus. You'd have to write a note to allow him to be there." Probably. "If it comes to that then... What?"

"I'm willin' to pay for him to graduate. When can you start?"

She laughed nervously. She hadn't expected them to agree. It was insanity, but plenty of teachers had their students over. Mostly for clubs and sports though. Why did she have to open her mouth? "Friday. I'm free Friday. We can go over the tests, and I'll give you a few practice sheets too."

"What time?"

"Right after school. The sooner the better...right?" She swallowed. "I'll give you my address." She dug through her purse and grabbed piece of paper and a pen. She wrote out the address. "And my cell phone number, in case you get lost."

Daryl swallowed hard. He did need help, but he hadn't expected Carol to offer this. Going over to her house, spending hours with her alone, studying? It was like he was dreaming. Only Carol wasn't naked, and Merle was there. It was...unreal. Why did she offer this? Did she really see him as such a screw up? Did she really feel the need to spend hours shoving information down his throat? Either she needed a hobby or she really, really, really wants him to study. Could be both. Don't most women get pregnant? Why couldn't she?

"So, Friday 3:30? It takes about fifteen minutes for me to get home, but I have to do some things, so I'll meet you there." She turned on her heel and left, chewing on her lower lip.

"Don't get no ideas, little brother." Merle leaned in the doorway as Daryl watched Carol walk off.

"Ideas? You're the one who keep pressin' the matter. I can pass without her damn help."

He chuckled. "Got it bad, huh, little brother? Gonna give her your V-card?"

"Shut the hell up!" Daryl shoved him and went to his room.

"Oh, c'mon, Darylina, don't be that way. I'm sure she'll deny you before that." He listened. "You'd best not be climbin' out that window, son. I'll kick your teeth in."

He groaned. "Whose side you on?"

"Yours, little brother," he whispered, closing the door. Someone had to look after his worthless ass, and Merle had his own life. Daryl needed to clean up, be a man, and get an honest job. Someone had to bail his ass out of jail. Merle was surprised no one had found out what he did. Twenty-five to life, that was the price of what happened, and Merle wasn't serving time. Not for that.