TF&TF-FNLpt14
Title: "Mean Ole Walking Golfing Blues"
Rating: Mature (language)
Dedication: Hafital
Author's Note: Not completely happy with the title, but I can't think of anything else at the moment ... also I'm listening to my "Blues" list in iTunes. (You take inspiration where you find it.)
Credit Where Credit's Due: TF&TF and FNL are copyright their respective owners. This is a work of love, not money.
Mia and Nana didn't miss the game after all. Division quarter finals being such a big event, plus, given the heartbreak of the season's first game and Matt's Cinderella ascension, the local news sent a camera crew and somehow managed to get somebody at the NBC affiliate in Austin to send a truck out for a live feed.
Nana even made noises before kick off about going down to a local sports bar to "see it on that big screen of theirs". Mia finally bribed her into staying by making a pot of tea and making a dash out to the supermarket to get the fixings for banana cream pie. (Nana liked it with 'Nilla Wafers.)
~oo(0)oo~
The Panthers pulled off a win during a nail biting overtime when Tim executed one of the most wince-worthy blocks Mia had ever seen, allowing Smash to zoom the length of the field.
~oo(0)oo~
Semi-finals, semi-finals, semi-finals. The fever swept through town. It was all Mia heard on the news, on the radio, and at the gas station while filling her car.
She arrived at Matt and Nana's moments after a news crew did.
After Matt tried, in his polite way, to let the reporter and crew know that he wanted to, y'know, eat breakfast, while Nana had gotten herself completely in a lather trying to get everybody coffee and juice and make sure she looked pretty for the camera, Mia put her foot down.
Hands on hips she announced that Matt Saracen was a growing teen with a morning football practice to attend, and after that he had a Civics test, and he would do well in neither if he felt hungry. Now, if they would kindly park their butts and let Matt finish his Wheaties --
"Total, Mia. It's - I eat Total."
-- finish his Total and let her get Nana dressed and ready, then she wouldn't throw them out on their asses, and if they didn't believe she wouldn't or couldn't, well, they should ask Coach Taylor about that.
Things ran smoothly after that.
The crews barely got three questions to Matt before Landry's car pulled up and Mia cut in, reminding him that his ride was here. He shot her a relieved look, smiled one more time for the camera, grabbed his books and tore out of the house.
Mia then allowed them a few moments with Nana, who proudly showed off the tire hanging in the yard and talked about how watching games helped her point out that, "his feet were slow. 'Move your feet, Matt. Move your feet.' I kept saying, and now look."
"His footwork certainly has improved," the reporter agreed.
Nana beamed. "Yep. He's surely coming right along now that he's learned to move his feet."
~oo(0)oo~
Billy called Mia that evening to say that the footage of Tim bowling over that linebacker had made ESPN. "I mean, I know it's not him scoring the game winning touchdown, but still that's the kind of thing that sticks. Unless Tim does something completely boneheaded between now and graduation, he just might have a shot."
Mia mmmn'd into the phone.
"Ah, what'm I talking about? Tim will find a way to fuck this up."
"That's cold, Billy.
He sighed heavily. "But realistic. I love Tim, but in five years, he'll be what I am. A talented never-was."
"That's … you're being too hard on yourself, both of yourselves. I mean, what's keeping you off the links, Billy?"
"A 210 pound, 6'1" food eater, that it is up to me to watch over until he's 18, and in Tim's case, I'm going to be needed until he's 21."
Mia let out a huffing breath. "Oh, get over it. Don't get me wrong, Billy, because I respect the hell out of you for putting your dream on hold and stepping up and being a man when your father skipped out. But why aren't you out on the range every chance you get? I mean, I don't know a whole lot about golf, but I do know I see a lot of middle aged guys and even a few old codgers on the pro-tour."
He hung up on her. Typical man, Mia thought with a laugh, taking his actions as a sign she was right.
~oo(0)oo~
Tim's truck pulled up just as she locked her front door on Tuesday morning.
"What the hell did you say to Billy last night?" He shouted as soon as he rolled the window down.
"I told him to get over that cancelled golf tournament and get his ass back out on the green. That he should work on his dream of the PGA tour instead of whining about it. That what was holding him back was him, not anything else," she called back as she walked over.
He threw his head back and laughed. "He's been cussing you out and putting balls all over the house. He actually booked some time at the closest golf course this weekend."
"But don't you have --"
"No. Weekend after this one. They want to triple check eligibility and give everybody a chance to heal up."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I think Billy's going to try and get me to caddy for him."
"You should, you know."
"What?"
"He does a lot for you, you know. Besides, it could be fun, just the two of you, doing the brother thing."
Tim piffed and shook his head. "It'll go well for about five holes and then we'll try and kill each other." Pause. "But if you'll come along to pass out the bandages, I'll do it."
Tempting. Asking for trouble. "I'll think about it." She smiled.
"Cool." He smiled back and drove off.
~oo(0)oo~
Semi-final fever burned up the town for the rest of the week.
When Billy called on Friday and asked if she wanted to join him and Tim out on the links -- he was going to play nine holes -- Mia leapt at the chance to get away from the madness.
The first 15 minutes out to the course, wedged in between Billy and Tim in the truck passed very awkwardly for Mia, but to her profound relief, Tim knew how to pretend indifference, staring idly out the window, not saying much.
Billy talked about adventures in chasing a few overzealous news crews off the lawn. "I mean, zheezus, I don't mind it a little bit, but when they like to pounce you?!"
"You should let me handle them the way I handle the JWs." Tim said.
"Tim -- you! Damn it! You know why --" Billy sputtered just as Mia asked, "JWs?"
"Jehovah's Witnesses," they said disgustedly in stereo.
Mia snorted with amusement. "What do you do?"
Billy spoke. "He answers the door in his jockeys and does a lot of scratching?"
Mia burst out laughing.
"But damn it, Mia, people in this town -- we've got a shaky reputation as is. And I don't want people having more reason to write us off as white trash."
Mia still giggled behind her hand. Tim nudged her and raised his eyebrows, his eyes shining with laughter. As soon as their eyes met, both of them howled with gales of laughter.
"Good grief. Sometimes, like right about now, I feel like the only adult." Billy smacked the wheel with his hand. "I mean, it's fine when dealing with the JWs and the Mormons, in fact, Tim, it's fucking brilliant. But reporters are different. They bring video cameras."
"Dom used to have this technique for answering the door when they came," Mia piped up.
"Reporters?"
"No, silly," she nudged Billy "the 'join our church or burn in hell folks'. He'd just cross his arms and stare down at them and say 'No' in this voice … it sounded like it was coming from a dragon, the way he'd growl --" she dropped her voice as far as it would go "'No.' And they'd scamper off the porch, tails between their legs and he'd shut the door.
"But, God, Leon, he loved to headfuck them. He'd cut them a little deal. They could preach to him for as long as they could stand to watch his favorite movie -- Anal Rampage."
Billy laughed so hard he nearly drove the truck off the road and into a ditch.
~oo(0)oo~
"Jesus H. Christ. I am digging to China," Billy said as he launched a huge chunk of turf with the ball.
Tim pointedly looked at the ground. His shoulders twitched with laughter.
~oo(0)oo~
For all that he cursed about everything that went wrong, how bad he was, how rusty he had gotten, for the first time since she had met him, that day at the course, Mia saw Billy Riggins look completely happy.
---
Chapter 13
Chapter 15
Rating: Mature (language)
Dedication: Hafital
Author's Note: Not completely happy with the title, but I can't think of anything else at the moment ... also I'm listening to my "Blues" list in iTunes. (You take inspiration where you find it.)
Credit Where Credit's Due: TF&TF and FNL are copyright their respective owners. This is a work of love, not money.
Mia and Nana didn't miss the game after all. Division quarter finals being such a big event, plus, given the heartbreak of the season's first game and Matt's Cinderella ascension, the local news sent a camera crew and somehow managed to get somebody at the NBC affiliate in Austin to send a truck out for a live feed.
Nana even made noises before kick off about going down to a local sports bar to "see it on that big screen of theirs". Mia finally bribed her into staying by making a pot of tea and making a dash out to the supermarket to get the fixings for banana cream pie. (Nana liked it with 'Nilla Wafers.)
~oo(0)oo~
The Panthers pulled off a win during a nail biting overtime when Tim executed one of the most wince-worthy blocks Mia had ever seen, allowing Smash to zoom the length of the field.
~oo(0)oo~
Semi-finals, semi-finals, semi-finals. The fever swept through town. It was all Mia heard on the news, on the radio, and at the gas station while filling her car.
She arrived at Matt and Nana's moments after a news crew did.
After Matt tried, in his polite way, to let the reporter and crew know that he wanted to, y'know, eat breakfast, while Nana had gotten herself completely in a lather trying to get everybody coffee and juice and make sure she looked pretty for the camera, Mia put her foot down.
Hands on hips she announced that Matt Saracen was a growing teen with a morning football practice to attend, and after that he had a Civics test, and he would do well in neither if he felt hungry. Now, if they would kindly park their butts and let Matt finish his Wheaties --
"Total, Mia. It's - I eat Total."
-- finish his Total and let her get Nana dressed and ready, then she wouldn't throw them out on their asses, and if they didn't believe she wouldn't or couldn't, well, they should ask Coach Taylor about that.
Things ran smoothly after that.
The crews barely got three questions to Matt before Landry's car pulled up and Mia cut in, reminding him that his ride was here. He shot her a relieved look, smiled one more time for the camera, grabbed his books and tore out of the house.
Mia then allowed them a few moments with Nana, who proudly showed off the tire hanging in the yard and talked about how watching games helped her point out that, "his feet were slow. 'Move your feet, Matt. Move your feet.' I kept saying, and now look."
"His footwork certainly has improved," the reporter agreed.
Nana beamed. "Yep. He's surely coming right along now that he's learned to move his feet."
~oo(0)oo~
Billy called Mia that evening to say that the footage of Tim bowling over that linebacker had made ESPN. "I mean, I know it's not him scoring the game winning touchdown, but still that's the kind of thing that sticks. Unless Tim does something completely boneheaded between now and graduation, he just might have a shot."
Mia mmmn'd into the phone.
"Ah, what'm I talking about? Tim will find a way to fuck this up."
"That's cold, Billy.
He sighed heavily. "But realistic. I love Tim, but in five years, he'll be what I am. A talented never-was."
"That's … you're being too hard on yourself, both of yourselves. I mean, what's keeping you off the links, Billy?"
"A 210 pound, 6'1" food eater, that it is up to me to watch over until he's 18, and in Tim's case, I'm going to be needed until he's 21."
Mia let out a huffing breath. "Oh, get over it. Don't get me wrong, Billy, because I respect the hell out of you for putting your dream on hold and stepping up and being a man when your father skipped out. But why aren't you out on the range every chance you get? I mean, I don't know a whole lot about golf, but I do know I see a lot of middle aged guys and even a few old codgers on the pro-tour."
He hung up on her. Typical man, Mia thought with a laugh, taking his actions as a sign she was right.
~oo(0)oo~
Tim's truck pulled up just as she locked her front door on Tuesday morning.
"What the hell did you say to Billy last night?" He shouted as soon as he rolled the window down.
"I told him to get over that cancelled golf tournament and get his ass back out on the green. That he should work on his dream of the PGA tour instead of whining about it. That what was holding him back was him, not anything else," she called back as she walked over.
He threw his head back and laughed. "He's been cussing you out and putting balls all over the house. He actually booked some time at the closest golf course this weekend."
"But don't you have --"
"No. Weekend after this one. They want to triple check eligibility and give everybody a chance to heal up."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I think Billy's going to try and get me to caddy for him."
"You should, you know."
"What?"
"He does a lot for you, you know. Besides, it could be fun, just the two of you, doing the brother thing."
Tim piffed and shook his head. "It'll go well for about five holes and then we'll try and kill each other." Pause. "But if you'll come along to pass out the bandages, I'll do it."
Tempting. Asking for trouble. "I'll think about it." She smiled.
"Cool." He smiled back and drove off.
~oo(0)oo~
Semi-final fever burned up the town for the rest of the week.
When Billy called on Friday and asked if she wanted to join him and Tim out on the links -- he was going to play nine holes -- Mia leapt at the chance to get away from the madness.
The first 15 minutes out to the course, wedged in between Billy and Tim in the truck passed very awkwardly for Mia, but to her profound relief, Tim knew how to pretend indifference, staring idly out the window, not saying much.
Billy talked about adventures in chasing a few overzealous news crews off the lawn. "I mean, zheezus, I don't mind it a little bit, but when they like to pounce you?!"
"You should let me handle them the way I handle the JWs." Tim said.
"Tim -- you! Damn it! You know why --" Billy sputtered just as Mia asked, "JWs?"
"Jehovah's Witnesses," they said disgustedly in stereo.
Mia snorted with amusement. "What do you do?"
Billy spoke. "He answers the door in his jockeys and does a lot of scratching?"
Mia burst out laughing.
"But damn it, Mia, people in this town -- we've got a shaky reputation as is. And I don't want people having more reason to write us off as white trash."
Mia still giggled behind her hand. Tim nudged her and raised his eyebrows, his eyes shining with laughter. As soon as their eyes met, both of them howled with gales of laughter.
"Good grief. Sometimes, like right about now, I feel like the only adult." Billy smacked the wheel with his hand. "I mean, it's fine when dealing with the JWs and the Mormons, in fact, Tim, it's fucking brilliant. But reporters are different. They bring video cameras."
"Dom used to have this technique for answering the door when they came," Mia piped up.
"Reporters?"
"No, silly," she nudged Billy "the 'join our church or burn in hell folks'. He'd just cross his arms and stare down at them and say 'No' in this voice … it sounded like it was coming from a dragon, the way he'd growl --" she dropped her voice as far as it would go "'No.' And they'd scamper off the porch, tails between their legs and he'd shut the door.
"But, God, Leon, he loved to headfuck them. He'd cut them a little deal. They could preach to him for as long as they could stand to watch his favorite movie -- Anal Rampage."
Billy laughed so hard he nearly drove the truck off the road and into a ditch.
~oo(0)oo~
"Jesus H. Christ. I am digging to China," Billy said as he launched a huge chunk of turf with the ball.
Tim pointedly looked at the ground. His shoulders twitched with laughter.
~oo(0)oo~
For all that he cursed about everything that went wrong, how bad he was, how rusty he had gotten, for the first time since she had met him, that day at the course, Mia saw Billy Riggins look completely happy.
---
Chapter 13
Chapter 15