A/N: Hey all, I am a huge fan of the movie and so now I decided to make a fic about the TV show because it is easier to manipulate to my advantage oh and did I mention that I am in love with Taylor Kitsch, because I am…y'up that is the fact of the matter, loved him in the covenant love him in this so here is my story, I will be updating it when ever a new episode come out so if you like it you have to be patient…sorry but that happens sometimes in TV fanfic's, pain isn't it? So enjoy and give it a chance.
Episode #2: Eyes Wide Open
Sunday
Abbey sat in church trying her best to stay as conscious as possible but it was hard. After an extremely long red eye flight from San Francisco back to her hometown of Dillon, Texas she was about ready to go to sleep but Matt would kill her if she did.
She glanced at her little brother. 'Little' was lucrative, he was only a just over a year younger then her seventeen years but he acted more mature then she did most of the time. Especially since their dad had been shipped out. He had been in Iraq almost a year now.
Abbey ran a hand over her face and looked at the preacher. He was talking about how if they all believed hard enough and prayed enough then Jason Street would walk again.
Jason Street had been the first string quarter back of the Dillon Panther's the high school football team. That was until he broke his spinal cord after tackling a member of the apposing team in the first game of the season. Meaning that now Matt Saracen her sixteen-year-old brother was for now the first string quarter back of the football team, his dream was coming true in the worst way.
She looked around the congregation, Matt had pointed out the Coach, Eric Taylor and his family. Abbey was fairly sure that Matt had a crush on his daughter, she was absolutely certain that her brother's best friend since childhood, Landry Clark did.
Landry always sorta creeped her out. He had almost white blond yet sort of reddie hair with a smushed up face. Almost the opposite of her brother, who stood at around 5'10" had dirty blonde hair with big brown eyes, he had a smooth face and simple features.
They didn't look similar. Abbey had long blonde hair that hung to the middle of her back. She stood at around 5'7" and had big brown eyes, like her dad and brother but her features looked more like her mum, with the big nose and smaller cheekbones then her brother's. She had a slimmer face. It matched her willowy body that some complained was way to thin for her height. She ignored the critics though because her body worked well with her addiction to gymnastics.
Btu now she found herself exactly where she was two years ago, stuck in a small town. The whole reason her dad had sent her to California was to go to a high school with an excellent gymnastics' program so she would have a better chance at a university scholarship. She doubted that Dillon High School had more then a mat for a gymnastics program. But she didn't mind all that much coming home. Now that Matt was first string, at least for a little while, he would need help talking care of their grandmother so she came home.
The sermon finished and they all stood up. Everyone huddled out side to talk mostly about Jason Street's injury. It boggled Abbey's mind that a high school football team had so much influence in the town life and society. It made her miss San Francisco even more.
Matt was throwing a football around with little kids and her grandmother was talking to the preacher, so Abbey stood there waiting to get home so she could go to bed and sleep off her jet lag.
"Hey you," She turned around to see Landry walking over to her. He had sat beside Matt but didn't say anything to her. She rolled her eyes. The last thing she felt like was getting dragged into a conversation with Landry about his so called 'band'.
"Hi Landry," She said reluctantly.
"So, glad to be home?" He asked standing ridiculously close to her.
"What do you think?" She snarled.
"Well I mean I would suppose you would be glad to see the love of your life again." She stared at his smiling face. He was actually implying that he was the great love of her life.
She scoffed, "Bite me, I am going to talk to Matt," She walked across the lawn.
"I'd love too." He yelled after her.
Matt looked at her approaching figure. "How can you stand to be friends with him?" She asked coming to a halt beside Matt, he continued to throw the ball to the kids.
"Who, Landry?" He asked not taking his eye off the ball.
"Do you see any other disgusting leaches on the lawn?" She asked crossing her arms and yawing.
"He isn't that bad, I mean you kinda get used to him," He said glancing at Abbey.
"Yeah well, I bet I won't." She watched the ball soar through the sky, "Ya know the best thing about being home?"
Matt glanced at her, "No what?"
She smiled, "Not being the only person with a southern accent." Matt laughed.
"Saracen," They both looked at Coach Taylor who was standing staring at them.
Matt glanced at Abbey and then at their grandmother. Abbey wasn't sure she had ever seen him so on edge before.
"I'll make sure grandma gets home safe, don't you worry your pretty little football obsessed head over it."
"Thanks, Abbey," He ran over to the Coach still looking a little pale.
"Grandma!" Abbey called walking back over the lawn, "Time to go home!" She said. "Thank god," She added under her breath.
Monday:
Abbey walked into the high school's office. It was so bright she wanted to scratch her eyes out. She had slept since they got back from church yesterday and she still felt tired.
She leaned against the front desk and looked around the room. It looked like it had been taken out of a teen '80's flick and smelt like mothballs. She had already asked herself twice was it really worth it coming home? She knew it was but she could still be pissed on the inside.
She was wearing her favourite pair of jeans, they were distressed, but not that crappy manufacture distressed, they were worn from actual years of …wearing them. She had written all over them in black sharpie and patched tears with thick black yarn. Back in San Francisco they were the envy of all her friends. As a top she wore a tight black turtleneck and a jean vest that had Burberry lining, and to top it off a baseball cap with the Anaheim Duck's logo on it and she had gotten more dirty looks from kids then she had ever had in her life. She knew right away she was never going to fit in.
It was her senior year in high school and she could tell already it was going to be a hellish experience.
"Howdy, Miss how can I help you?" A short tubby secretary coming out of a back room startled her.
"Oh…uh I asked my PE teacher and she said to come here." Abbey stuttered.
"Ah…about what dear?"
"Oh, uh sorry, about a gymnastic's program?" The women's face fell and so did Abbey's heart; it was looking bleak until suddenly the women's face lit up.
"Oh I see what you mean, these politically correct terms always get me mixed up."
"Uh politically correct?" Abbey asked watching to women search through the paper-covered desk.
"Yes, yes everyone needing to say the right thing, not offending anyone, it gets quite silly sometimes."
"Oh I suppose it does," Abbey said watching the women, she was kind of amusing. She finally pulled out a pink form. The woman started to scribble madly on it.
"Now what is your name dear?" The women looked up through her thick glasses smiling at Abbey sweetly.
"Oh uh, Abbey Saracen."
"Is Abbey short for anything?"
'Does it really matter?' Abbey thought, "Abigail," She replied grudgingly. She hated her name with a passion.
"And how do you spell Saracen?"
'Is it really that complicated?' "S-A-R-A-C-E-N," She said slowly.
"Saracen, Saracen, Are you by chance any relation with Matt Saracen?" The woman asked eagerly. Abbey instantly disliked her. She was now the eleventh person who had asked her that in one day, not even a day, barely six hours and it was driving her mad.
"Yes I am his big sister and no I won't pass on any advice to him, is the slip ready?" The woman looked offended but Abbey was beyond caring.
"Yes it is, take it up to the football field, and ask for Lyla Garrity, she will help you out." The woman handed her the slip and went to leave but Abbey stopped her with a question.
"The football field? Why not the Gym?" The woman looked at her with a funny look.
"It's summer, dear," Then left. Abbey didn't like this but pulled her backpack higher on her shoulder and walked out of the school.
"This isn't gymnastics!" Abbey said offended at the implication that cheerleading was anything like gymnastics, as she watched a number of different girls do cartwheels and back flips.
"No but it is the closest thing this school has so would you like to try out?" Abbey's attention was drawn back to Lyla Garrity.
She was the same height as Abbey with brown hair and brown eyes. It grudged Abbey but she had to admit that Lyla was very pretty. She had found out from Matt that Lyla was Jason Street's girl friend. It turned out that she was also Head cheerleader, or what ever their leader was called.
"I…but…" Abbey pointed a mislead finger at the pyramid the other cheerleader's were currently forming.
"Look," Lyla's voice changed suddenly and she crossed her arms. Abbey looked at her, "I am tired of people insinuating that cheerleading is some fluffy light weight sport, it is the most dangerous sport there is? Did you know that? Well it is! SO if you wanna try out I would be happy to see you but if not you need to leave this is a closed practise."
Abbey stared at the girl her mouth hanging open slightly, "Uh yeah sure, I …it's just…"
"Look, I am sorry I am not usually like this, I have been really on edge," Now the girl looked liable to burst into tears.
"I heard about Jason and I am sure he is going be fine." Abbey said uncomfortably but the girl looked comforted.
"Yeah, so you wanna try out?"
Abbey looked out of the field, you could see the football team practising. She saw Matt who looked down hearted, he saw her and gave her a weak wave. She smiled and waved back.
"Yeah, why the hell not." Abbey said shrugging, "Where should I change?"
Abbey walked into the weight room. She was now an official Dillon Panther's Cheerleader. She wasn't sure if she was happy or depressed. Practise was over an hour ago but Abbey had stayed to run laps around the field.
The girls on the squad were all really nice and Abbey quickly learned that cheer leaders did not talk or have anything to do with Rally girls and the signing of Jason's get well banner was purely a one shot thing.
Abbey had felt weird signing the banner seen as how she had never actually met Jason but Lyla assured her that he wouldn't care and that it was the thought that mattered, so she did. Lyla was really nice and had taken Abbey under her wing pretty readily.
It kind of unsettled Abbey who had been ready to hate Lyla but turned out to really like her. Lyla actually apologized for not inviting Abbey over for dinner but she had to go see Jason in the hospital. Abbey had assured her that it wasn't a problem.
Abbey finally reached the weight rest and looked to find the ten pounders were missing.
"Damn it," She whispered to the empty room.
She looked around the machines and couldn't find them. She found herself walking to the back of the room where the only things were the doors into the girls and boys changing rooms.
But she found herself instead looking in a different room. Well, more of an alcove then a room it was big, could probably fit the whole football team. It was obviously used as a projection room seen as how right now a guy was sitting watching a projection that seemed to be on a loop.
Abbey knocked on the wall. The guy jumped up obviously startled knocking over the chair he had been previously sitting in.
Before Abbey had a chance to say anything she was quite shocked at just how good-looking he was, albeit slightly greasy but hot none the less. He stood at around six feet, with shoulder length brown hair. He had intense green eyes and was built like a brick wall.
"Oh," Abbey seemed to regain use of her tongue, "Uh sorry I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh…uh," Evidently he wasn't much of a talker he just stared at her before picking up the chair that had been knocked over.
Abbey stepped into the room and looked at the projection. "Oh, that's Jason Street's hit isn't it?" She asked quietly not taking her eyes from the footage with a sense of morbid fascination.
"Uh yeah, who are you?" She looked at him as he turned off the footage. He looked pretty emotionally drained.
"Oh sorry, I am Abbey Saracen, I just joined the cheerleading squad." Abbey wasn't exactly sure why she added that last part but she felt it need to be said.
The guy nodded not offering anything up. "And you are…" She prodded.
"Tim Riggins." He said simply.
Abbey nodded an overwhelming sense of understanding rushing over her. Matt had told her about Tim Riggins. He was a running back on the team and he also happened to be Jason Street's best friend. Matt had also said that he happened to be a real…well…bad ass. Would arrive late and hung over to practises and often fought with fellow running back Brian "Smash" Williams.
Matt however had said absolutely nothing about how hot he actually was; mind you she didn't really expect to hear her brother gushing over a sexy running back.
He continued to stare at her, "Are you here for anything in particular?"
"Oh yeah, uh the ten pound weights." She nodded.
"Oh yeah here," He bent over and handed them to her. "I was just using them," She nodded, surprised by the wave of the smell of alcohol around him.
"Well, thanks," She nodded and he nodded back and she left feeling slightly weak in the knees.
Matt and Landry had insisted that Abbey join them for dinner at the local hang out in celebration of her first day of school.
They were both discussing the endless possibilities that stood in front of them now that Matt was the first string quarter back. Matt was asking what Landry had to do with that, but Abbey wasn't listening.
Her eyes kept drifting over to Tim Riggins table. He had entered a few minutes ago with his so-called girl friend. Abbey couldn't help but think the girl looked more like a whore then a high school senior and had no idea why Riggins was dating her but then the thought hit her that he wasn't exactly an upstanding citizen.
She shrugged going back to her fries. But her attention was drawn back to Riggins when he stood up and walked the length of the diner to come to a halt in front of Smash's booth and ordered him to get up.
The whole diner went quiet in seconds and everyone was watching the two boys. Smash Williams seemed nice enough to Abbey sure his head was the size of the Goodyear blimp but that just happened with some people.
They were conversing quietly and Abbey couldn't really make out what they were saying, but she figured that it wasn't good. To her great surprise Tim turned away and started to walk away.
That was when Smash made the crack about Riggins being ugly and Tim turned on his heel and threw a glass bottle at Smash. It shattered on the wall next to Smash's group. His friends jumped up and had to be restrained by other guys. Smash was yelling profanities. Tim's girlfriend sank farther and farther down in her seat and made no attempt to follow Riggins who was swaggering out of the diner seeming quite proud of himself.
Abbey looked at her brother who shrugged and then back at Tim's girlfriend, who seemed pissed rather then concerned at how he was going to get home. Abbey looked back at her brother, "I'll meet you at home," She got up and left the diner before he could protest.
Out in the parking lot it wasn't exactly hard to spot Riggins who was trying to unlock the door of his truck. Abbey ran over to him.
"Hey," He turned and stared at her obviously trying to remember where he knew her from. "Crazy girl who wanted the ten pound weights earlier." She added. He smiled slightly and nodded.
"Right, uh Amy…"
"Abbey, but close enough," She looked at the keys in his hands and then the black pick up truck in front of them. "Are you planning on driving home?" She asked looking back at him.
"Yeah well the walk is a little far," He said trying to get her in focus.
"Right well, you're drunk,"
"So?"
"Aren't you worried you are going to crash?"
"What am I gonna hit a field?" He asked laughing at his own ingenious. Abbey rolled her eyes.
"Here," She held out her hand. He stared at it.
"What?"
"I'll drive you home," She said hating to point out the obvious.
"Why?" He asked furrowing his brow.
"Because I am a generally nice person and don't like to see idiots crash ruining their brilliant running back qualities," She said sarcastically. He just stared at her, "Oh just give me the damn keys."
He shrugged and dropped them in her hand; he walked around to the other side of the truck and got in.
Abbey rolled her eyes wondering what she was getting herself into before getting in the truck herself and pulling out of the parking lot.
Tim was sitting low in the seat, with his feet sticking out the window. "So, Tim," Abbey said tired of sitting in silence. He looked at her slightly confused that she was talking again. "Short for anything? Like Timothy or…Timothy," She said realising that Tim wasn't short for anything else.
"Don't call me that, I hate it when people call me Timothy." He snarled slouching further in his seat.
Abbey shrugged, "Yeah well, my name is short for Abigail so we all have our problems."
She concentrated on the road from then on and was shocked when Tim spoke again. "Why are you doing this again?"
"I told you I'm just this way, where do you live?" She smiled sweetly at him.
"Next right and then two lefts," He continued to watch her. "So you're a cheer leader?"
"Y'up," Abbey said in a slightly cold voice.
"You're new aren't you?"
"What a keen observation," Abbey said leaning an elbow against the window and resting her head against her hand. His house was further then she had originally assumed.
"Yeah, well I am bright like that," Abbey scoffed as Tim sat up. "You're related to Saracen aren't you?"
"Yeah I am his sister."
"Younger or older?"
Abbey looked at him, "Why the sudden interest?"
Tim shrugged, "Just trying to get to know our knew quarter back,"
"Well firstly isn't that a little pessimistic? Lyla seems to think Street can get better, and secondly why don't you just I don't know talk to my brother instead, if you want to get to know him?"
Tim sat up and looked at her, "Well, firstly, I am not being pessimistic I am being realistic, and secondly I am a first string running back for the Dillon Panthers oh and senior I am not about to start hanging out with a third string quarter back sophomore."
"First string now," Abbey snapped. Tim looked mad and sat back looking out of the window. "Okay that was harsh, sorry," She added quietly pulling into a driveway.
"Yeah well, don't worry about it, I mean it's true isn't it?" He said laughing opening his door. He was looking out the windshield. "We were gonna have it all." He looked at the ground. Abbey suddenly realised that it was his truck and got out rather quickly. He shrugged seeing her come around the front of the truck. "You can drive it home if you want."
"Nah, I'll call Landry, he'll pick me up,"
"Who?" He asked.
Abbey shook her head. "Never mind," She turned and started to walk down the driveway. "Ya know for a drunk you are pretty literate." She called after him turning around and walking backwards.
"Isn't my first time," He shouted over his shoulder unlocking the front door before entering the house and slamming the door.
Abbey stood at the end of the driveway, "Well, your welcome," She said to the empty street before digging through her purse for her cell.
Tuesday:
Abbey sat on the grass holding her feet at the end of her stretched out legs looking out over the football practise. Lyla was standing next to her lunging. Abbey was watching Riggins and Smash fight.
"Do they ever get along?" Abbey asked Lyla.
"No," She said simply, lying on the grass to do sit ups. "Tim's been called a Racist for it, but he says it is just because he hates Smash and Smash alone. I swear they have hated each other since grade five."
Abbey looked at Lyla. "Any particular reason?"
Lyla looked at her, "Why the sudden interest?"
Abbey shrugged, "Just curious," Lyla nodded smiling in an annoying all knowing way, "What?" Abbey asked.
"Nothing," Lyla shrugged looking back at Riggins and Smash. "I dunno, I have a theory but I don't know if it is right."
Abbey looked at her, "Well?"
Lyla smiled, "Well okay, so Smash is a really good running back and Tim is good when he isn't drunk, or hung over, and if he was ever sober or actually focusing on a game he would be way better then Smash and I think he knows it to and it bugs him but I don't think he knows that if he just stopped drinking he could beat Smash into the ground…I dunno," Lyla stood up.
Abbey followed suit. "Seems like a pretty good theory to me."
Lyla nodded. "Come on we gotta work on some simply cheers for Friday before we get in the hard core stuff."
Abbey nodded weakly watching Lyla gather up every one and before she knew it a rousing cheer had filled the air and for the first time Abbey realised just what she had gotten her self into.
Wednesday:
As Lyla sat down beside Abbey on their shared math class Abbey turned off the iPod.
"What cha listening to?" Lyla asked.
"Oh the Clash, uh I have a moral dilemma and I need someone's help and Matt couldn't be less qualified to help so…" Abbey trailed off looking at Lyla. She actually squealed. "What?" Abbey asked startled by the noise.
"EEE! We are actually friends." And to Abbey's shock Lyla hugged her. Tim surveyed them closely walking to the back of the classroom before dropping into a chair beside his slut of a girlfriend.
"Yeah, well," Abbey pried Lyla off of her, "You wanna help?"
"Sure," Lyla smiled, "Oh but first you wanna come with me to the hospital to see Jason after school before practise?"
Abbey was a little shocked, "Uh sure, why the hell not? So the problem…"
"Oh right, shoot," Lyla sat at full attention.
"Okay well if you know someone is dating someone who is cheating on them do you tell the person or not, and keep in mind you don't know either person too well…" She trailed off.
Lyla's face was covered in understanding. "Tyra's cheating on Tim again isn't she?"
Abbey just stared, "Uh who?"
"Oh sorry I keep forgetting your new," Lyla smiled sweetly but the smile vanished when she pointed at the girl sitting beside Tim, well actually sitting beside wasn't a good description she was more hanging off of him. "Tyra Collette,"
"Oh uh well, I don't want to name names ya know me being new and all," Abbey looked at her desk. Abbey had seen Tyra and Smash walking through town together and she wasn't exactly sure they were cheating but for some reason a small part of her hoped they were and she had no idea why.
"Don't worry, Jason and I have known she cheats for months but Tim either doesn't know or doesn't care." Lyla shrugged, "I don't get what he sees in her."
Abbey looked at the two of them who were now making out in the back of the class, and suddenly she had the very powerful urge to pull Tyra's hair out and gouge her eyes.
"I heard you on the radio tonight," She said as Matt walked in the living room.
Abbey had made up an excuse to not go with Lyla to the hospital; it was just a little to weird for her.
"Oh," Matt said looking at her slumping in the chair across the living room from her.
"Yeah, 'Street is the Red Hot Chilli Peppers'?" Matt groaned and covering his face with his hands.
"Did I really sound that stupid?" He asked through his hands.
"Yes as a matter of fact you did and let me guess who gave you that brilliant analogy…Landry,"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Matt said looking at the ceiling.
"Yeah I don't know why you take advice from that butt munch in the first place." Abbey got up and went to her room "Night,"
"Night," Matt said.
Thursday:
Abbey walked out of the girls change room shaking out her hair. She had just had a shower and had never felt more tired. Cheerleading turned out to be much more of a commitment then she had originally anticipated.
She was wearing her skinny jeans, a black t-shirt and her fav. black high tops. She flicked her hair over she shoulder and went to go to her locker.
Someone pushed passed her down the hall. "Hey, what the hell?" She yelled, they were the only people in the hallway there wasn't any need to bump into her. The person turned around and it was Tim. "Oh," She said suddenly loosing all the power in her legs. "Hey," She said wishing she hadn't yelled. He was still wearing his football uniform pants and an exceedingly tight blue shirt that most guys wore under their equipment.
"Whats your problem!" He yelled at her.
"I dunno what's yours?" She yelled back, getting just as mad. "I wasn't doing anything you are the one who barrelled into me!"
He scowled at her, "Maybe you got in my way,"
"Get bent, I don't have time for this," She gave him one last glare before turning around and storming down the hallway forgetting her chemistry homework her locker.
Abbey sat up from her lying position on the couch at the knock on the door.
"Oh, do you think that is Coach Taylor and Matt?" Her grandmother said getting up and heading into the kitchen.
"No Grandma, they have only been gone five minutes." Abbey got up and went to the door. The Coach had arrived only minutes before asking to take Matt out for an hour of so. She looked through the peephole before flying back from it and looking at herself in the hall mirror.
Her hair was in a make shift bun she was in grey sweat pants and not the sexy tight kind but the baggy, tight at the ankle kind, an old red sports bra and her distance glasses, she never wore her contacts at home.
There was another knock and Abbey realised she had to open the door because he could see the light on from the front window. So she did.
Tim Riggins stood on their front porch looking like he had seen better days. He was in jeans and a white t-shirt that looked like it hadn't been washed in a couple of days. He also looked drunk again.
"Hey, uh," Abbey pushed opened screen door but didn't invite him in. Matt would have flipped his lid if she did. "What are you doing here?"
He seemed to be having a hard time focusing her or else he was just plain staring. Abbey reached back in the house and grabbed a black hoody that was hanging over the couch and pulled it over her head before turning back to him.
He shrugged swaying on the spot slightly.
"How did you know I live here?" She asked wondering.
He pointed at the chain link fence that encompassed the yard. "Followed the billboards." Of course hanging from the fence hung their last name, Matt's number, his position and what team he played for. Every player had one.
"Oh Right," Abbey said quietly feeling rather dumb. She continued to watch him.
"Uh can we talk…for a few minutes?" He asked his words slightly slurred.
"Uh sure, just a sec," She went to go back in to house but Tim grabbed her wrist before Abbey could.
"You're coming back right?" He looked a little worried.
"Yeah I am just going to tell my grandma I'll be outside." That seemed to satisfy him. He nodded and walked off the porch. Abbey watched him for a few seconds before closing the door.
She stood still for a few seconds not exactly sure what to do. She realise that yes he was very drunk and there was a slim chance he could go ape shit and hurt her but she felt fairly confidant that he would and he did look really upset.
She made a quick decision. "Grandma?" She called from the front door.
"Yes Dear?"
"I'll be outside for a little while okay?"
"Okay Hun," With that Abbey went outside.
She stood on the porch and watched Tim not exactly sure what to say. He was standing in their lawn looking down the road.
"Uh…so what's up?" She asked. He turned on his heel to look back at her.
"Oh," He staggered slightly.
"Whoa," Abbey ran to his side and grabbed his arm but misjudge the action, because he took it as she would support him completely and he was way to heavy. Without breaking both her knees she managed to support him enough to make him try and stand again. "Look," She ground out, "Why don't we go in the back, there is an old porch swing we …well you can sit on."
"Yeah," With that he stood up again and walked around the back unable to move in a straight line.
He sunk into the seat making it groan under his weight. 'That's a hell of a lot of muscle.' Was all Abbey could think.
"Today wasn't a good day," He started looking at his hands.
"Oh and why tell me?" She asked watching him from where she was standing. He looked at her with hurt eyes.
"I dunno," He stood up again staggering even more.
"Maybe you should stay seated," She said helping him sit back down.
"See that's what I am talking about, your … I dunno nice to me, I dunno, guess I though you kinda cared." He was looking at the ground.
"Well, I mean lets not blow this out of proportion but, I listen if you wanna talk." He looked back at her.
"So you don't care?" He asked apparently confused.
"No I didn't say that," Abbey hated talking to drunken people, and this was why they never realised if what they were saying was rather serious and they got confused easily. "Look I am a pretty good sounding board so if you wanna talk then lets otherwise, I don't see what we are doing…ya see what I mean?"
He scowled at her for a few seconds before shrugging. 'He has absolutely no idea what you are talking about.'
"Jason's paralysed." He said suddenly. Abbey looked at him not expecting that.
"What?"
"Yeah, paralysed for life," He said smiling slightly.
"I am sorry," Abbey said quietly. He stared at her.
"Why are you sorry to me? It isn't my life that's ruined!" He yelled. Abbey didn't take offence at the tone.
"I dunno, just a stupid thing people say I guess." She walked over and sat down beside him.
"We were gonna play for Dallas together." He said staring at the sky.
"Yeah?" She asked watching him.
"Yeah," His head fell forwards suddenly but Abbey didn't make any movements because she knew he was trying not to cry.
"Have you been to see him?"
"No." He said simply.
"Can I ask why?"
"I DUNNO!" He yelled getting up suddenly. "Your just like Lyla, 'When are you gonna go see him?'. It's always the same! Maybe I don't want to see him." Abbey watched him quietly.
Abbey pretended not to hear the last part and looked at her hands. "I dunno," She looked back at Tim when he started to speak again, "I sure as hell don't know why I am talking to you about it, I have known you for about forty eight hours collectively, and I am talking to you more then my girl."
Abbey shrugged, "Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone you haven't known for a long time."
"I dunno, I gotta go."
Abbey sprung out of her seat, "Let me call you a cab."
"No," Tim shook his head, "Ty's place is a block away... I'll go there."
"Well whoop-dee-freaking-do." Abbey said snidely assuming that Tim meant Tyra's.
"What?" He asked turning.
"Nothing, look you gonna be okay?" She asked watching him.
"Yeah I'll be fine." He started to leave.
"Well, if you ever need to talk I am here." Abbey added.
"Yeah, I don't think it'll happen again." With that he walked down the street leaving his truck half in their driveway half on the sidewalk.
Abbey sighed wishing he thought they could be friends. She shivered and went back inside.
Friday:
"Why is Tim Riggins's truck in our driveway?" Matt asked Abbey as she stumbled into the kitchen.
She went over to the window and looked out the front. "Is it still there?"
"What do you mean still there?" Matt asked anxiously.
"Long story, tell ya later."
Abbey rolled her shoulders before running out with the other cheerleaders onto the field. The crowd was immense and their screaming was unbelievable, it was like nothing she had ever experienced before.
"Pretty crazy huh?" Lyla asked standing beside her.
"Uh yeah," Abbey said afraid to point out the obvious.
Once the pre-game show was over the cheerleaders moved to the side of the field when the football players ran on. Abbey watched them with fascination.
For the first time Abbey realised the magnitude of this game in this town. It wasn't just another high school event…it was major.
And she could feel herself getting swept away in it all.
"LETS GO PANTHERS!"
A/N: Hey all hope you like it and I hope you read it when I update next week, long huh? Well please review if you like it or have any suggestions and please no flames.