**Chapter one
Maddie grinned as her brother threw himself around on the stage to her left. She was propped up on the high chair of a small table, her fingers resting lightly around a bottle of Budweiser, as the inaudible screaming from the microphone resounded around the hall. She glanced around, spotting three or four people standing around, staring at the stage like zombies. Her gaze fell on the newcomer, his long hair and muscular swagger instantly recognisable. Tim Riggins. She frowned at his arrival, wondering what he could possibly be doing here. Her attention was again drawn to her brother, as they finished their first set, and he bounded from the stage, heading towards an applauding Tim.
She finished her bottle, setting it down as Nick placed another in front of her. She grinned, knowing that he could get into trouble if anyone bothered to notice, and he sent her a wink before heading back to the bar. She could hear tidbits of her brother's conversation with the fullback, Tim getting suckered into staying for the next set, and to her horror, she saw that Landry was leading him to her table. 'No, no, no, don't bring the brainless jock here!' she screamed at him in her head, setting her bottle down with a soft thud.
"This is my sister Maddie, you can sit here for the next set, it's nice and close. Don't forget, you can't just stand there, you gotta throw your head around like this-," he demonstrated, flicking his head around. Tim dodged her brother's flailing head and gave a small laugh as Landry walked away, before shoving his hands in his pockets and giving Maddie a small smile. She gestured to the seat opposite, and he sat down, noting the bottle in her hand.
"They let you drink here?" he asked, glancing towards the bar.
"Bartender's a friend. He lets a few things slide," she replied before calling out, "Nick!" and shaking her bottle in the air a little.
Nick wandered over, bottle in hand, and as she pointed to Tim his gaze settled on the boy, a frown crossing his forehead. "How old's your friend, Maddie?" his gruff voice asked, and she just smiled up at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. He sighed and shook his head, placing the bottle in front of Tim, before wandering back to the bar, muttering something about her getting him into trouble. Tim grinned at the exchange, raising the bottle in silent thanks before downing a third of the amber liquid.
They watched as Landry flitted across the stage, trying to rev up the band.
He cleared his throat, his manners getting the best of him, and held his hand out across the table. "I'm Tim R-"
"Riggins," she cut off, slipping her small hand his in large one, "I know. We have some classes together."
His eyebrows drew together in concentration, "We do? Which ones?" She took a swallow of beer, before glancing around the bar again.
"Uh...all of them," she replied, locking her eyes to his.
A look of guilt and a little embarrassment crossed his face and his hand came up to rub the back of his neck. "Oh...um...look, I -"
"Don't stress, Tim, it's no big," she smiled, wincing as more inaudible screaming greeted them.
She was concentrating on her brother when she realised that Tim was asking her a question, but she couldn't hear anything over the music. "What?" she yelled, trying to raise her voice above the screaming.
He set his beer down, shifting his seat around the table, sitting with his head inches away from hers. "I was just wondering how I never noticed you in class..." he repeated with a grin.
"Probably because I'm not blonde, wearing barely nothing and throwing myself at you," she replied, the smile on her face taking the sting out of her words.
He chuckled, nodding his head in agreement, "Yeah, that'd probably have somethin' to do with it..." She grinned, motioning for two more beers, and they settled into watch the band, their heads bobbing to the music.
Maddie's ears were ringing twenty minutes later when the band finally wound down, and Landry thanked the scatter of people that showed up. Tim had stopped at the bar on his way back from the bathroom, and was involved in an animated conversation with Nick, so she wandered across to the stage to help the boys pack up. She was winding up the last of the cords when Tim returned, motioning to a speaker. "Where's this go?" he asked Landry, who packing away his guitar.
"Um, everything but the instruments go in mine and Maddie's cars. I store all this stuff in our garage", he replied, clicking his case shut, and grabbing another speaker.
Maddie picked up his guitar and the cords, and made her way out the door, crossing to her truck which was currently parked beside Landry's car. Placing his guitar on the front seat, she moved to the back, pulling the tailgate down, giving the boys better access. Soon they had packed away all of the gear, and the guys had left, leaving Landry, Maddie and Tim standing by the cars.
"You guys need a hand offloading this stuff at your place?" Tim asked from where he was leaning against Landry's car. Maddie shook her head, throwing her bag in her truck.
"Nah, our dad will give us a hand," she replied, with a smile.
"No wait," Landry stopped her, "Dad's workin' late tonight, so yeah, if you don't mind, your help would be great..."
Tim simply nodded before heading across the lot to a black truck. "I'll follow you," he called over his shoulder.
Landry's grin could have lit up the darkest of holes, and he flinched when his sister socked him in the shoulder. "What?" he asked, poking her back.
"Why would you invite Tim Riggins to our place? You really want that dumb jock hangin' around?" she asked, opening her door.
"He's not dumb, Maddie, he just...lazy", he replied, walking around to the driver's side of his car. "Just give him a chance, ok?"
"Whatever," she replied rolling her eyes as Tim pulled up beside Landry's car. She climbed into hers and pulled out of the parking lot, followed closely by the boys. She couldn't understand why Tim was willing to hang around. She knew her brother would appreciate his friendship, and the perks that it could bring, but she needed to find out Tim's angle. She didn't want her brother being used.
.
