Friday Night Lights - "If This One Could Be With You", Tim/Julie, R
Title: If This One Could Be With You - 9/10
Author: lindentree
Rating: R
Character(s): Tim/Julie
Word Count: 3,748
Summary: After 2x11, "Jumping the Gun", Julie's parents come up with an appropriate punishment for her - tutoring Tim Riggins.
Thanks to the_wanlorn for the beta. ♥
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Two days. It had been two whole days since Julie had seen Tim, or talked to him, or, more importantly, kissed him.
She paced anxiously beside his truck, unable to stand still. How long was practice going to go on, anyway? Playoffs were over and although practices continued until May, the team was supposed to have time now to focus on finals, which were coming up in the next week. If her father didn’t let Tim out of there soon, Julie thought she might have to start playing dirty and rat him out to her mother for letting practice go over.
“Hey,” came Tim’s voice, suddenly beside her. Julie jumped and nearly smacked into him. He was standing right next to her, his duffel bag over his shoulder and his aviators shading his eyes from the late afternoon sun.
“Hey!” Julie replied, her voice a little too loud and squeaky. She winced. “What’s up?”
Tim shrugged. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’ve been ready for like half an hour,” Julie groused, regaining her footing and climbing into Tim’s Silverado as he disappeared around the other side. “What’s my dad doing in there, reading you War & Peace?”
“No,” Tim replied honestly, missing her sarcasm. He started the truck and pulled out of the lot, taking the turn towards Julie’s house.
They rode in silence, Julie swallowing every word she wanted to say before she had the chance to say it. This was so weird. Were they going out? Were they just friends? Friends with benefits? Could this be more awkward?
Thankfully, the ride was relatively short, and soon enough, Tim pulled into the Taylors’ empty driveway. Julie hopped out of the truck as soon as Tim stopped, and began fumbling with her keys at the door.
“So,” Tim said, following her into the house and closing the door behind them. “Your parents coming home?”
“Not for a while,” Julie replied, shrugging off her jacket and dumping her things in the front hallway. “My dad’s got coachy things to do, and my mom has a staff meeting.”
Julie barely got the words out before she found herself being pushed up against the wall, Tim’s lips coming down firmly on hers, her head knocking against a framed photo of her grandparents.
Tim kissed her slowly and lazily, his hands sliding down her body to rest on her hips. He lifted her up against him easily, his weight pinning her to the wall as he struggled out of his jacket, letting it drop to the floor.
Julie gasped, grabbing onto his shoulders tightly for balance as he insinuated himself between her legs, pushing against her and kissing her deeply. Julie’s breath caught when he pressed his crotch against hers; she’d never actually experienced anything so openly sexual before. She felt dizzy as he pulled them away from the wall and stumbled down the hallway, half-carrying her so they wouldn’t have to break their kiss.
Tim managed to get her bedroom door open, dumping Julie somewhat unceremoniously on her bed. He joined her, his body stretching out, half across hers.
Between kisses, Julie smiled. “I have this feeling of déjà vu,” she said.
Tim groaned, laughing against her neck. “Hope that doesn’t mean your dad’s about to come barging in,” he replied, running a hand up her side, his thumb barely grazing her breast through her t-shirt. She shivered, hard.
Tim leaned back a little to look at her. “Cold?”
“Um, no,” Julie replied, feeling her face heat up.
Tim smiled, a slow-burning, predatory smile she’d seen him shoot at other girls, but never at her. “Hot?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, running her hands up to softly grip his hair. The late afternoon sun slanted in through her blinds, briefly shining in his hazel-green eyes before he lowered his head to bury his face in her neck, sucking on the exposed skin he found there.
Julie gasped out loud, her breath catching in her throat. Her stomach flipped with that strange, exhilarating feeling she always felt right before getting on a rollercoaster, when she thought for a brief second that no, actually, she’d rather skip the ride, thank you very much, and keep her feet safely on solid ground.
“You okay?” Tim asked, leaning back again at her gasp.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m -" Julie stammered, feeling immature and stupid and lame, and god, he was accustomed to rally girls and Tyra, for crying out loud, what was she going to do? “I don’t want to have sex.”
Tim sat up a little, his hands still resting on either side of her. Julie moved back onto her elbows so she could see him better. Tim was watching her closely, his expression inscrutable.
“It’s just, I mean, I know you’re used to like, rally girls and stuff like that, and I like you, you know I really like you, but I just -“ she rambled, feeling her face flaming a deeper and deeper shade of pink.
Tim smiled at her as she sputtered to a stop. “I don’t know what you had planned for this afternoon,” he said, “but I was thinking we could make out for a while and then go sit at the table and look real innocent when your parents get home.”
Julie stared at him, surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he said seriously, frowning. He sounded a little insulted. “I have some self-control.”
Julie ran her fingers across the back of his hand where it rested next to her on the bed. She smiled at him.
“Okay,” she said.
“How long do you think we have?” Tim asked.
Julie glanced at the clock next to her bed. “Um - maybe half an hour?”
Leaning down, Tim smiled, his expression wolfish once again. “Perfect.”
***
"Hey, Tim. Have a seat," Tami said, brushing her hair over her shoulder and retrieving a sheet of paper from her desk.
Tim sat down on the couch, eyeing Tami warily. She looked very serious, her mouth pursed and her eyes grim. Glancing down, Tim spotted his name printed at the top of the sheet she held. A year ago he wouldn't have believed it, but he was nervous about his grades. What if it hadn't worked? What if Julie's help was all for nothing and he failed and got kicked off the team again?
"I guess you know why you're here," she said, lacing her fingers in her lap.
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled, staring at the carpet between his boots.
"Okay, well, we've got the results from your finals here," she said, looking down at the paper.
Tim swallowed, his throat dry. "And?"
Tami glanced up, her face grave. "And I'm pleased to tell you that not only did you pass your finals, but you brought your GPA up a whole half point. Congratulations."
Tim stared at Tami, his mouth agape. "For real?"
"Yeah, for real."
"That was kinda mean, Mrs. Taylor," Tim said, astonished.
Tami smiled, unapologetic. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."
"I might go complain to Principal Brecker, actually," he said softly, teasing.
"Yeah, I'm sure you will," Tami replied, rolling her eyes. "So, how does it feel?"
"How does what feel?"
"To work hard and have it pay off, Tim," she exclaimed. "'Cause you worked for this, you did, I saw it with my own eyes. No rally girls or anything, this is all you. You should feel proud of yourself, Tim."
"I guess it feels good to know I can still play," he replied, looking down at his feet.
"Not only can you play, but if you keep this up, you could really open some doors for yourself in the future, Tim. Which is what we'll have to start working on next semester."
"Next semester?" Tim asked, alarmed.
"Yes sir," Tami replied, smiling. "I'm not done with you yet. I think we can get that GPA higher yet. In fact, I know we can."
“But there’s no football next semester.”
“I know that.”
Tim smiled ruefully. "Guess I don’t have much choice."
"No, you don't."
He looked up. "Thanks, Mrs. Taylor. For helping me."
"You're welcome, Tim. But you shouldn't thank me, you should thank Jules. She really logged some serious hours for you."
"I know she did," he replied, looking back down at the floor. He had a strange, tight feeling in his chest, thinking of all the times Julie had encouraged him or scolded him or written study notes for him or explained things better than his teacher did. It was partly his feelings for Julie, yes, but also something else entirely. Thankfulness, he guessed.
"Hey, Mrs. Taylor?"
"Yeah, Tim?"
"Can I ask you a question? Like, sort of a personal, non-school question?"
"Oh, well, of course," Tami replied, her eyebrows raised.
"So, there's this girl," he said cautiously, "and I like her. But she's not really my usual type, I guess, and I feel kinda different about her than I have about other girls, so... How do I convince her that I'm serious about her and I'm not just... you know?"
Tami fixed him with a contemplative look so long that Tim blushed and looked away. Tami cleared her throat, and when Tim looked back up, she had turned away from him a bit and was looking out the window. After a pause, she spoke.
"You shouldn't try to convince girls of anything, Tim. It's not good for you, or for them, or for anything, really, to go around trying to talk girls into things. It's deceitful. It's just another kind of lying."
Tim nodded.
"Now, if this girl's as special as she sounds," she said, obviously choosing her words carefully, "then she's probably not going to be convinced by you just telling her how you feel and saying that you're serious. It's important to say it, but you've gotta show her. You've gotta show her that you are the guy you say you are. You're growing up, you're turning into a man. Maybe it's time that you asked yourself what kind of man you want to be."
Tami looked straight at him. "And let me tell you something - you’ve gotta figure out what kind of man you want to be for yourself, not just for a girl."
Tim nodded again, meeting her eyes. Tami sighed, brushing her hair over her shoulder.
"Tim," she said, looking down at her hands. "Julie's my girl. She's my precious girl. If you have feelings for her or she has feelings for you or whatever's going on, there's nothing I can do to stop that. But you treat her right. I want to believe that you know what I mean by that. I need to know that you know what I mean by that."
"Yes, ma'am," he whispered. "I know."
She regarded him for another moment, then nodded. "Okay, you'd better get to practice."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, standing up and shouldering his bag. He turned to go.
"Hey, Tim?"
"Yeah, Mrs. Taylor?"
"Jules really likes dahlias."
Tim stared. "Thanks, Mrs. Taylor."
"You're welcome, Tim," she said, turning back to her desk.
Tim left, and closed the door quietly behind him.
***
There was a knock on Julie's door, one she recognized immediately as her mother's.
"Come in," she said, not looking up from Catch-22.
"Hey, sweetie," Tami said, slipping into the room and closing the door behind her. She came and sat down on the edge of Julie's bed.
"Got a few minutes to talk?"
"Sure," Julie said, marking her place in the book and setting it down.
"Okay," Tami said, clasping her hands and looking up at the posters on the wall. "I got Tim's finals results back today."
Julie sat up quickly, looking closely at her mother. "And? How'd he do? Did he pass?"
"He did really well, honey. He passed, and he actually managed to bring his total GPA up half a point."
“Oh my god! That’s so awesome! Does he know? Did you tell him?”
“Yeah, I told him.”
“And? What’d he say?”
“He seemed happy enough, but you know what Tim’s like. Anyway, football season’s over, so I doubt he cares all that much. He did ask me sort of a funny question, though.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, I mean, I probably shouldn’t say anything, but it’s just... Look, I know I’ve asked you this before, but - is there something going on between you and Tim?”
Julie took in the anxious look on her mother’s face, and she sighed. Why bother even trying to hide it? This was Dillon; everyone would find out eventually anyway.
“Yeah, there is.”
Tami nodded quickly, swallowing whatever response sprang immediately to mind.
“We’re... I don’t know what we are,” Julie stammered, wanting to reassure her mother, “but it’s not like that, I promise. It’s really not.”
“Okay, sweetie, it’s just that, you know, as a mother, that’s... I mean, that’s Tim Riggins, honey. That’s Tim Riggins.”
“I know who he is,” Julie mumbled, frowning down at the comforter on her bed.
“I know,” Tami replied softly. “I know you do.”
There was a pause, and Julie looked up to see her mother watching her closely, her eyes shining.
Tami said, reached out and cupped Julie’s chin. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know,” Julie replied.
“Come here,” Tami said, pulling her close for a hug. Julie closed her eyes, hugging her back. “You know you’re gonna have to tell your father, right?”
“Yeah,” Julie replied, grimacing. She pulled back. “I kinda wanted to wait until Tim and I could talk and figure things out. It’s been so crazy, with playoffs and finals and everything.”
“Okay,” Tami said. “I’m not gonna go rushing out the door to tell him, because I think we ought to strategise a little and find the best way to tell him so he doesn’t fly right off the handle. But you have to tell him. Soon.”
“I will,” Julie promised, and meant it. She’d tell him what was going on just as soon as she knew herself.
***
Yawning, Julie opened her locker, flinching in surprise when a scrap of paper fluttered to the floor at her feet. She frowned; usually she tried to keep her locker tidy. She leaned down and picked it up. It was a note. Unfolding it, she recognized the messy scrawl immediately, and her throat tightened.
Meet me in the parking lot.
It was unsigned, but Julie knew who it was from. She debated ignoring Tim and going to class for about thirty seconds before slamming her locker closed, scanning the hallway for teachers, and hurrying out the nearest exit. She walked out to the student parking lot and spotted his big black truck. Approaching it, she found him asleep in the driver's seat, his long legs stretched out across the cab to accommodate his height.
Julie walked around the truck and climbed in the unlocked passenger side, setting her bag down on the floor. He stayed sound asleep, even when she closed the door. She cleared her throat pertly and waited.
“Hunh?” Tim groaned, blinking his eyes as though the action pained him.
“Morning,” Julie greeted, trying to suppress a smile and failing.
“Morning,” Tim replied, smiling back at her.
“So, you asked me to meet you in the parking lot. What can I do for you?”
“Well,” Tim said, clearing his throat and sitting up properly. “I guess I was wondering if you wanted to take a ride with me.”
“I’d like that,” Julie replied, feeling strangely shy. Tim nodded and started the engine, reversing and pulling out of the parking lot with a squeal of his tires.
They drove through Dillon past all the usual haunts, all the way out past the town limits. Tim turned onto a rutted dirt road, which eventually reached a dead end at a copse of trees.
Without a word, Tim got out of the truck and walked around to the front, stretching his arms and leaning against the truck's grill.
Julie jumped down from the cab and came around to the front of the truck. Glancing around, she noticed that beyond the trees there was an old swimming hole. All around them were fields of untended grasses, with no buildings or people in sight. The cool wind of early December blew around them. Jules shivered.
"So, is this the part where I find out that you're secretly a serial killer, and I have to defend myself with a shovel or something?"
"Nope,” Tim smiled. “That part comes later. Come on."
Tim took her hand and walked towards the trees, leading her down a narrow path which wound through the trees to the edge of the small watering hole, where it widened into a little beach.
“It’s beautiful,” Julie said. “What is this place?”
“It’s Tyra’s uncle’s hunting land,” Tim shrugged, leaning down and picking up a couple of stones. He measured them idly in his hand before throwing them out at the water.
“Ah, so we’re trespassing. What did we come here for, exactly?”
“Wanted to talk to you,” he said, turning around.
“Okay,” Julie nodded. “What about?”
“’Bout what’s been going on, since after the game.”
“Oh, right,” Julie said casually, crossing her arms over her chest and blowing her bangs up out of her eyes. “That.”
Tim squinted at her. “Are you mad?”
“I’m not mad. I’m just confused, I guess. We haven’t talked about it. We haven’t really, you know, decided anything.”
“I know,” Tim replied, scuffing his boot in the dirt. “I guess it was finals and everything, and I just...”
“What?”
“I wanted to figure out how to do it right.”
“Do what right?”
He looked at her for a moment, looking more anxious than she’d ever seen him.
“Julie, do you wanna be my girlfriend?”
“I - what?”
“Come on - do you? We’ve been dancing around it for weeks. I like you. You gotta know by now that I like you. I more than... I don’t know. I think I’m in love with you.”
“You think so, do you?” Julie asked, trying not to smile at his awkwardness.
Tim glared. Smiling, Julie looked down, and took a step closer to him.
“Um, I think I might be in love with you, too.”
Tim nodded once, looking down at her. Leaning in, he kissed her once, softly, before pulling back, his eyes scanning her face.
"I like your freckles," he said softly. "They're cute."
Julie blushed and looked away. "Um, thanks."
“I’m sorry I let you think I slept with that Katie girl, and about that whole thing in my truck, after that party,” he said, apropos of nothing.
“I-huh?” Julie frowned, confused by the non-sequitur.
“I do dumb things when I’m drunk.”
Julie stared at him, trying to keep up with his randomness. Obviously he’d been thinking about this, even if she hadn’t. “Yeah, why did you do that - the Katie thing?” she asked.
Tim stood back a little, scratching his head.
“I dunno,” he frowned. “I guess I wanted to see what you’d do.”
“Very tricky,” Julie said with a nod. “Did it work?”
“Well, I figured out you were jealous,” he smirked.
“Was I that obvious?”
“Kinda.”
“I guess if I ever wonder how you feel, I’ll just have to go see if I can’t find someone to make out with,” Julie said, smiling innocently. “Maybe Smash. He’s pretty cute.”
“Except I’ll get suspended for breaking his face, and then all our hard work will be for nothing,” he replied, smiling just as innocently.
“Good point,” Julie conceded.
“Besides,” Tim continued, “You’ve already seen what I do when I’m jealous - I just go around getting wasted and trying to pick fights and needing my girl to come rescue my dumb ass.”
“Oh,” Julie said. “So that’s what that was all about.”
Tim shrugged, half embarrassed and half unrepentant.
“Guess we’ll just have to learn how to talk to each other, like mature, responsible adults,” Julie said.
“I’m not much of a talker,” Tim said. “More of a show-er.”
“So what does all this mean?” Julie asked.
“It means I want you to cut class this afternoon and see a movie with me.”
“Skip class to go on a date?”
“Yeah.”
“I should probably say no. I think I’m supposed to be the good influence,” she said, frowning. “What’s playing?”
“Who cares?”
“Not planning on watching the movie much?” Julie laughed.
“Nope,” he smiled. “I’ve got way more important things to do in a movie theatre than watch some stupid movie.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“You’re just gonna have to come with me to find out,” he replied.
“I don’t know,” she said, wavering.
“I’ve got something to sweeten the deal,” Tim said, turning suddenly and walking back to his truck.
Bemused, Julie followed him slowly, arriving in time to see him rummaging around in the glove compartment for something.
“Turn around,” he called back to her.
Julie turned without protest, wondering what Tim was up to.
“Okay,” Tim said, coming up behind her. “Turn around.”
Julie turned to find Tim standing in front of her, a small bouquet of dahlias in one hand. She smiled.
“That’s...” she almost wanted to say predictable, but knew it would crush him. Besides, he’d obviously done his homework - dahlias were her favourite. “That’s really sweet of you.”
Looking embarrassed, Tim held them out to her. Julie took the bouquet with both hands, admiring the combination of orange, red, and yellow, which made each blossom look like a fiery little sunset.
“They’re beautiful, Tim,” she said, looking up at him. She smiled at the worried expression on his face. “What - did you think I wouldn’t like them?”
He shrugged, looking away from her.
Impulsively, she stepped forward and kissed him quickly on the lips before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
“I love them,” she mumbled into his shoulder.
“Good,” he replied gruffly, hugging her back and sighing. “Thought they’d get ruined in the glove compartment.”
“They’re perfect,” Julie said, reluctantly letting him go and stepping back. “They’re perfect and I love them and I’m going to dry them and put them in my hope chest and cherish them forever. So you can stop fishing for compliments.” She smiled widely, taking the sting out of her playful words. She knew all too well how sensitive Tim could be.
“All right, all right,” Tim said, rolling his eyes and grabbing her hand in his. “How ‘bout that movie?”
Chapter 10
Author: lindentree
Rating: R
Character(s): Tim/Julie
Word Count: 3,748
Summary: After 2x11, "Jumping the Gun", Julie's parents come up with an appropriate punishment for her - tutoring Tim Riggins.
Thanks to the_wanlorn for the beta. ♥
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Two days. It had been two whole days since Julie had seen Tim, or talked to him, or, more importantly, kissed him.
She paced anxiously beside his truck, unable to stand still. How long was practice going to go on, anyway? Playoffs were over and although practices continued until May, the team was supposed to have time now to focus on finals, which were coming up in the next week. If her father didn’t let Tim out of there soon, Julie thought she might have to start playing dirty and rat him out to her mother for letting practice go over.
“Hey,” came Tim’s voice, suddenly beside her. Julie jumped and nearly smacked into him. He was standing right next to her, his duffel bag over his shoulder and his aviators shading his eyes from the late afternoon sun.
“Hey!” Julie replied, her voice a little too loud and squeaky. She winced. “What’s up?”
Tim shrugged. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’ve been ready for like half an hour,” Julie groused, regaining her footing and climbing into Tim’s Silverado as he disappeared around the other side. “What’s my dad doing in there, reading you War & Peace?”
“No,” Tim replied honestly, missing her sarcasm. He started the truck and pulled out of the lot, taking the turn towards Julie’s house.
They rode in silence, Julie swallowing every word she wanted to say before she had the chance to say it. This was so weird. Were they going out? Were they just friends? Friends with benefits? Could this be more awkward?
Thankfully, the ride was relatively short, and soon enough, Tim pulled into the Taylors’ empty driveway. Julie hopped out of the truck as soon as Tim stopped, and began fumbling with her keys at the door.
“So,” Tim said, following her into the house and closing the door behind them. “Your parents coming home?”
“Not for a while,” Julie replied, shrugging off her jacket and dumping her things in the front hallway. “My dad’s got coachy things to do, and my mom has a staff meeting.”
Julie barely got the words out before she found herself being pushed up against the wall, Tim’s lips coming down firmly on hers, her head knocking against a framed photo of her grandparents.
Tim kissed her slowly and lazily, his hands sliding down her body to rest on her hips. He lifted her up against him easily, his weight pinning her to the wall as he struggled out of his jacket, letting it drop to the floor.
Julie gasped, grabbing onto his shoulders tightly for balance as he insinuated himself between her legs, pushing against her and kissing her deeply. Julie’s breath caught when he pressed his crotch against hers; she’d never actually experienced anything so openly sexual before. She felt dizzy as he pulled them away from the wall and stumbled down the hallway, half-carrying her so they wouldn’t have to break their kiss.
Tim managed to get her bedroom door open, dumping Julie somewhat unceremoniously on her bed. He joined her, his body stretching out, half across hers.
Between kisses, Julie smiled. “I have this feeling of déjà vu,” she said.
Tim groaned, laughing against her neck. “Hope that doesn’t mean your dad’s about to come barging in,” he replied, running a hand up her side, his thumb barely grazing her breast through her t-shirt. She shivered, hard.
Tim leaned back a little to look at her. “Cold?”
“Um, no,” Julie replied, feeling her face heat up.
Tim smiled, a slow-burning, predatory smile she’d seen him shoot at other girls, but never at her. “Hot?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, running her hands up to softly grip his hair. The late afternoon sun slanted in through her blinds, briefly shining in his hazel-green eyes before he lowered his head to bury his face in her neck, sucking on the exposed skin he found there.
Julie gasped out loud, her breath catching in her throat. Her stomach flipped with that strange, exhilarating feeling she always felt right before getting on a rollercoaster, when she thought for a brief second that no, actually, she’d rather skip the ride, thank you very much, and keep her feet safely on solid ground.
“You okay?” Tim asked, leaning back again at her gasp.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m -" Julie stammered, feeling immature and stupid and lame, and god, he was accustomed to rally girls and Tyra, for crying out loud, what was she going to do? “I don’t want to have sex.”
Tim sat up a little, his hands still resting on either side of her. Julie moved back onto her elbows so she could see him better. Tim was watching her closely, his expression inscrutable.
“It’s just, I mean, I know you’re used to like, rally girls and stuff like that, and I like you, you know I really like you, but I just -“ she rambled, feeling her face flaming a deeper and deeper shade of pink.
Tim smiled at her as she sputtered to a stop. “I don’t know what you had planned for this afternoon,” he said, “but I was thinking we could make out for a while and then go sit at the table and look real innocent when your parents get home.”
Julie stared at him, surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he said seriously, frowning. He sounded a little insulted. “I have some self-control.”
Julie ran her fingers across the back of his hand where it rested next to her on the bed. She smiled at him.
“Okay,” she said.
“How long do you think we have?” Tim asked.
Julie glanced at the clock next to her bed. “Um - maybe half an hour?”
Leaning down, Tim smiled, his expression wolfish once again. “Perfect.”
***
"Hey, Tim. Have a seat," Tami said, brushing her hair over her shoulder and retrieving a sheet of paper from her desk.
Tim sat down on the couch, eyeing Tami warily. She looked very serious, her mouth pursed and her eyes grim. Glancing down, Tim spotted his name printed at the top of the sheet she held. A year ago he wouldn't have believed it, but he was nervous about his grades. What if it hadn't worked? What if Julie's help was all for nothing and he failed and got kicked off the team again?
"I guess you know why you're here," she said, lacing her fingers in her lap.
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled, staring at the carpet between his boots.
"Okay, well, we've got the results from your finals here," she said, looking down at the paper.
Tim swallowed, his throat dry. "And?"
Tami glanced up, her face grave. "And I'm pleased to tell you that not only did you pass your finals, but you brought your GPA up a whole half point. Congratulations."
Tim stared at Tami, his mouth agape. "For real?"
"Yeah, for real."
"That was kinda mean, Mrs. Taylor," Tim said, astonished.
Tami smiled, unapologetic. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."
"I might go complain to Principal Brecker, actually," he said softly, teasing.
"Yeah, I'm sure you will," Tami replied, rolling her eyes. "So, how does it feel?"
"How does what feel?"
"To work hard and have it pay off, Tim," she exclaimed. "'Cause you worked for this, you did, I saw it with my own eyes. No rally girls or anything, this is all you. You should feel proud of yourself, Tim."
"I guess it feels good to know I can still play," he replied, looking down at his feet.
"Not only can you play, but if you keep this up, you could really open some doors for yourself in the future, Tim. Which is what we'll have to start working on next semester."
"Next semester?" Tim asked, alarmed.
"Yes sir," Tami replied, smiling. "I'm not done with you yet. I think we can get that GPA higher yet. In fact, I know we can."
“But there’s no football next semester.”
“I know that.”
Tim smiled ruefully. "Guess I don’t have much choice."
"No, you don't."
He looked up. "Thanks, Mrs. Taylor. For helping me."
"You're welcome, Tim. But you shouldn't thank me, you should thank Jules. She really logged some serious hours for you."
"I know she did," he replied, looking back down at the floor. He had a strange, tight feeling in his chest, thinking of all the times Julie had encouraged him or scolded him or written study notes for him or explained things better than his teacher did. It was partly his feelings for Julie, yes, but also something else entirely. Thankfulness, he guessed.
"Hey, Mrs. Taylor?"
"Yeah, Tim?"
"Can I ask you a question? Like, sort of a personal, non-school question?"
"Oh, well, of course," Tami replied, her eyebrows raised.
"So, there's this girl," he said cautiously, "and I like her. But she's not really my usual type, I guess, and I feel kinda different about her than I have about other girls, so... How do I convince her that I'm serious about her and I'm not just... you know?"
Tami fixed him with a contemplative look so long that Tim blushed and looked away. Tami cleared her throat, and when Tim looked back up, she had turned away from him a bit and was looking out the window. After a pause, she spoke.
"You shouldn't try to convince girls of anything, Tim. It's not good for you, or for them, or for anything, really, to go around trying to talk girls into things. It's deceitful. It's just another kind of lying."
Tim nodded.
"Now, if this girl's as special as she sounds," she said, obviously choosing her words carefully, "then she's probably not going to be convinced by you just telling her how you feel and saying that you're serious. It's important to say it, but you've gotta show her. You've gotta show her that you are the guy you say you are. You're growing up, you're turning into a man. Maybe it's time that you asked yourself what kind of man you want to be."
Tami looked straight at him. "And let me tell you something - you’ve gotta figure out what kind of man you want to be for yourself, not just for a girl."
Tim nodded again, meeting her eyes. Tami sighed, brushing her hair over her shoulder.
"Tim," she said, looking down at her hands. "Julie's my girl. She's my precious girl. If you have feelings for her or she has feelings for you or whatever's going on, there's nothing I can do to stop that. But you treat her right. I want to believe that you know what I mean by that. I need to know that you know what I mean by that."
"Yes, ma'am," he whispered. "I know."
She regarded him for another moment, then nodded. "Okay, you'd better get to practice."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, standing up and shouldering his bag. He turned to go.
"Hey, Tim?"
"Yeah, Mrs. Taylor?"
"Jules really likes dahlias."
Tim stared. "Thanks, Mrs. Taylor."
"You're welcome, Tim," she said, turning back to her desk.
Tim left, and closed the door quietly behind him.
***
There was a knock on Julie's door, one she recognized immediately as her mother's.
"Come in," she said, not looking up from Catch-22.
"Hey, sweetie," Tami said, slipping into the room and closing the door behind her. She came and sat down on the edge of Julie's bed.
"Got a few minutes to talk?"
"Sure," Julie said, marking her place in the book and setting it down.
"Okay," Tami said, clasping her hands and looking up at the posters on the wall. "I got Tim's finals results back today."
Julie sat up quickly, looking closely at her mother. "And? How'd he do? Did he pass?"
"He did really well, honey. He passed, and he actually managed to bring his total GPA up half a point."
“Oh my god! That’s so awesome! Does he know? Did you tell him?”
“Yeah, I told him.”
“And? What’d he say?”
“He seemed happy enough, but you know what Tim’s like. Anyway, football season’s over, so I doubt he cares all that much. He did ask me sort of a funny question, though.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, I mean, I probably shouldn’t say anything, but it’s just... Look, I know I’ve asked you this before, but - is there something going on between you and Tim?”
Julie took in the anxious look on her mother’s face, and she sighed. Why bother even trying to hide it? This was Dillon; everyone would find out eventually anyway.
“Yeah, there is.”
Tami nodded quickly, swallowing whatever response sprang immediately to mind.
“We’re... I don’t know what we are,” Julie stammered, wanting to reassure her mother, “but it’s not like that, I promise. It’s really not.”
“Okay, sweetie, it’s just that, you know, as a mother, that’s... I mean, that’s Tim Riggins, honey. That’s Tim Riggins.”
“I know who he is,” Julie mumbled, frowning down at the comforter on her bed.
“I know,” Tami replied softly. “I know you do.”
There was a pause, and Julie looked up to see her mother watching her closely, her eyes shining.
Tami said, reached out and cupped Julie’s chin. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know,” Julie replied.
“Come here,” Tami said, pulling her close for a hug. Julie closed her eyes, hugging her back. “You know you’re gonna have to tell your father, right?”
“Yeah,” Julie replied, grimacing. She pulled back. “I kinda wanted to wait until Tim and I could talk and figure things out. It’s been so crazy, with playoffs and finals and everything.”
“Okay,” Tami said. “I’m not gonna go rushing out the door to tell him, because I think we ought to strategise a little and find the best way to tell him so he doesn’t fly right off the handle. But you have to tell him. Soon.”
“I will,” Julie promised, and meant it. She’d tell him what was going on just as soon as she knew herself.
***
Yawning, Julie opened her locker, flinching in surprise when a scrap of paper fluttered to the floor at her feet. She frowned; usually she tried to keep her locker tidy. She leaned down and picked it up. It was a note. Unfolding it, she recognized the messy scrawl immediately, and her throat tightened.
Meet me in the parking lot.
It was unsigned, but Julie knew who it was from. She debated ignoring Tim and going to class for about thirty seconds before slamming her locker closed, scanning the hallway for teachers, and hurrying out the nearest exit. She walked out to the student parking lot and spotted his big black truck. Approaching it, she found him asleep in the driver's seat, his long legs stretched out across the cab to accommodate his height.
Julie walked around the truck and climbed in the unlocked passenger side, setting her bag down on the floor. He stayed sound asleep, even when she closed the door. She cleared her throat pertly and waited.
“Hunh?” Tim groaned, blinking his eyes as though the action pained him.
“Morning,” Julie greeted, trying to suppress a smile and failing.
“Morning,” Tim replied, smiling back at her.
“So, you asked me to meet you in the parking lot. What can I do for you?”
“Well,” Tim said, clearing his throat and sitting up properly. “I guess I was wondering if you wanted to take a ride with me.”
“I’d like that,” Julie replied, feeling strangely shy. Tim nodded and started the engine, reversing and pulling out of the parking lot with a squeal of his tires.
They drove through Dillon past all the usual haunts, all the way out past the town limits. Tim turned onto a rutted dirt road, which eventually reached a dead end at a copse of trees.
Without a word, Tim got out of the truck and walked around to the front, stretching his arms and leaning against the truck's grill.
Julie jumped down from the cab and came around to the front of the truck. Glancing around, she noticed that beyond the trees there was an old swimming hole. All around them were fields of untended grasses, with no buildings or people in sight. The cool wind of early December blew around them. Jules shivered.
"So, is this the part where I find out that you're secretly a serial killer, and I have to defend myself with a shovel or something?"
"Nope,” Tim smiled. “That part comes later. Come on."
Tim took her hand and walked towards the trees, leading her down a narrow path which wound through the trees to the edge of the small watering hole, where it widened into a little beach.
“It’s beautiful,” Julie said. “What is this place?”
“It’s Tyra’s uncle’s hunting land,” Tim shrugged, leaning down and picking up a couple of stones. He measured them idly in his hand before throwing them out at the water.
“Ah, so we’re trespassing. What did we come here for, exactly?”
“Wanted to talk to you,” he said, turning around.
“Okay,” Julie nodded. “What about?”
“’Bout what’s been going on, since after the game.”
“Oh, right,” Julie said casually, crossing her arms over her chest and blowing her bangs up out of her eyes. “That.”
Tim squinted at her. “Are you mad?”
“I’m not mad. I’m just confused, I guess. We haven’t talked about it. We haven’t really, you know, decided anything.”
“I know,” Tim replied, scuffing his boot in the dirt. “I guess it was finals and everything, and I just...”
“What?”
“I wanted to figure out how to do it right.”
“Do what right?”
He looked at her for a moment, looking more anxious than she’d ever seen him.
“Julie, do you wanna be my girlfriend?”
“I - what?”
“Come on - do you? We’ve been dancing around it for weeks. I like you. You gotta know by now that I like you. I more than... I don’t know. I think I’m in love with you.”
“You think so, do you?” Julie asked, trying not to smile at his awkwardness.
Tim glared. Smiling, Julie looked down, and took a step closer to him.
“Um, I think I might be in love with you, too.”
Tim nodded once, looking down at her. Leaning in, he kissed her once, softly, before pulling back, his eyes scanning her face.
"I like your freckles," he said softly. "They're cute."
Julie blushed and looked away. "Um, thanks."
“I’m sorry I let you think I slept with that Katie girl, and about that whole thing in my truck, after that party,” he said, apropos of nothing.
“I-huh?” Julie frowned, confused by the non-sequitur.
“I do dumb things when I’m drunk.”
Julie stared at him, trying to keep up with his randomness. Obviously he’d been thinking about this, even if she hadn’t. “Yeah, why did you do that - the Katie thing?” she asked.
Tim stood back a little, scratching his head.
“I dunno,” he frowned. “I guess I wanted to see what you’d do.”
“Very tricky,” Julie said with a nod. “Did it work?”
“Well, I figured out you were jealous,” he smirked.
“Was I that obvious?”
“Kinda.”
“I guess if I ever wonder how you feel, I’ll just have to go see if I can’t find someone to make out with,” Julie said, smiling innocently. “Maybe Smash. He’s pretty cute.”
“Except I’ll get suspended for breaking his face, and then all our hard work will be for nothing,” he replied, smiling just as innocently.
“Good point,” Julie conceded.
“Besides,” Tim continued, “You’ve already seen what I do when I’m jealous - I just go around getting wasted and trying to pick fights and needing my girl to come rescue my dumb ass.”
“Oh,” Julie said. “So that’s what that was all about.”
Tim shrugged, half embarrassed and half unrepentant.
“Guess we’ll just have to learn how to talk to each other, like mature, responsible adults,” Julie said.
“I’m not much of a talker,” Tim said. “More of a show-er.”
“So what does all this mean?” Julie asked.
“It means I want you to cut class this afternoon and see a movie with me.”
“Skip class to go on a date?”
“Yeah.”
“I should probably say no. I think I’m supposed to be the good influence,” she said, frowning. “What’s playing?”
“Who cares?”
“Not planning on watching the movie much?” Julie laughed.
“Nope,” he smiled. “I’ve got way more important things to do in a movie theatre than watch some stupid movie.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“You’re just gonna have to come with me to find out,” he replied.
“I don’t know,” she said, wavering.
“I’ve got something to sweeten the deal,” Tim said, turning suddenly and walking back to his truck.
Bemused, Julie followed him slowly, arriving in time to see him rummaging around in the glove compartment for something.
“Turn around,” he called back to her.
Julie turned without protest, wondering what Tim was up to.
“Okay,” Tim said, coming up behind her. “Turn around.”
Julie turned to find Tim standing in front of her, a small bouquet of dahlias in one hand. She smiled.
“That’s...” she almost wanted to say predictable, but knew it would crush him. Besides, he’d obviously done his homework - dahlias were her favourite. “That’s really sweet of you.”
Looking embarrassed, Tim held them out to her. Julie took the bouquet with both hands, admiring the combination of orange, red, and yellow, which made each blossom look like a fiery little sunset.
“They’re beautiful, Tim,” she said, looking up at him. She smiled at the worried expression on his face. “What - did you think I wouldn’t like them?”
He shrugged, looking away from her.
Impulsively, she stepped forward and kissed him quickly on the lips before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
“I love them,” she mumbled into his shoulder.
“Good,” he replied gruffly, hugging her back and sighing. “Thought they’d get ruined in the glove compartment.”
“They’re perfect,” Julie said, reluctantly letting him go and stepping back. “They’re perfect and I love them and I’m going to dry them and put them in my hope chest and cherish them forever. So you can stop fishing for compliments.” She smiled widely, taking the sting out of her playful words. She knew all too well how sensitive Tim could be.
“All right, all right,” Tim said, rolling his eyes and grabbing her hand in his. “How ‘bout that movie?”
Chapter 10