My first attempt at a friday night lights story. So hope everyone enjoys.
Running up that Hill
-----------------------------------------------
The 'moment' is always romanticised in the movies. You know the moment when the hero fall's to the villains plans, when the movie watchers gasp and cover their eyes in horror. When the heroine runs towards her hero. Hair flying behind her and her eyes filmed over with tears. Then just as she reaches him he's moving again, opening his eyes and reaching for her. As he gets to his feet he utters some corny one liner and proceeds to destroy the villain and his evil schemes. Only this wasn't a movie, it was reality. Jason was hit, down on the floor. He wasn't moving, he wasn't getting up and I wasn't running. From the corner of my eye I saw my parents running onto the pitch. I heard Lyla's anguished "Why isn't he getting up?" Then I was moving. Being pulled along behind Lyla as we ran to my brother. He was awake on the floor and I couldn't even smile. My features were frozen, stuck on shock and horror. Why wasn't he moving? Why wasn't he grinning and getting back to his feet telling us all off for causing a fuss? I stumbled back a few steps as I heard the sirens, straight into something solid and hard which gripped my arms tight to stop me falling. Tim. I'd know his hands anywhere. He held me tight against his chest as Jason was pulled and pushed onto a spinal board and lifted into an ambulance my parents and Lyla climbing in after him. My parents turned to me questioning "Lexie?"
Numbly I shook my head closing my eyes and pushing myself further back into Tim's chest, he wrapped an arm round my chest holding me tight. My mother did some silent communication over the top of my head with Tim. Then let the paramedics shut the doors to the ambulance, and I watched as the white van pulled away. Sirens screaming. My world was spinning as the talk turned back to football. I saw Coach Taylor walk over to me, his wife behind him. Mrs T held her hand out to me "Come on sweetheart, come sit down with me"
I started to tremble my hands going up to Tim's arm round me and clinging to his jersey. "N..No I'm staying with Tim" I mumbled. His arm round me the only anchor I had in my spinning world. Coach frowned "Lexie, I need my fullback back now honey"
I just clung tighter to Tim tears starting to build in my eyes. I only calmed down when Tim leant down and quietly said "It's alright Lexie. Go with Mrs T. She'll keep you safe till I'm finished"
The husky voice I knew so well finally got through to me and hesitantly I let go of Tim. Stepping away from his body I let Mrs T take hold of me. I only stumbled slightly but I saw Tim's body jerk forward to catch me. Mrs T stopped him "Its alright Tim darling, I'll look after her"
I numbly allowed myself to be led from the field and sat down on one of the bleachers. Mrs T kept her arm round me and I eventually heard the game start up again. I wasn't paying any attention though all my thoughts were centred on the image of Jason falling. The thud as he hit the other player, the crack of their helmets smashing together. The sequence played out over and over again in my mind. The look on my brothers face as he laid on the ground. The helplessness. The shock and terror. I had never seen Jason scared before. My own inability to move, to help, to comfort my own brother. I had failed him, in those moments. I had failed him. All the times he had protected me in my life and the one time he needed me I failed. Let him down.
"Lexie sweetheart come on we'll give you a ride to the hospital"
Mrs T's words shocked me out of my thoughts sure enough the game had finished and people were leaving, all throwing me sympathetic looks. "I'll go with Tim" I mumbled getting to my feet.
"Darling is that really the best idea?" Mrs T asked softly. I didn't answer. I knew Tim's reputation in Dillon wasn't the best, but he was my brothers best friend, had been since Pee Wee football, and in being Jason's best friend he had become more of another elder brother to me. Right now I needed the silent comfort he could offer me. Needed it more than I needed the soothing words of adults. I wandered over to the locker room doors with Mrs T and her daughter following behind me. In record Tim emerged, his hair still dripping with water, and his shirt sticking to his back from his hurried shower. I ran to him, throwing myself into his arms. Tim easily caught me nodded to the coach and Mrs T who had appeared beside us. Then he carried me over to his truck. He put me in the front then came round the other side. He only let me sit there for a few minutes while he put the car in gear and started moving before lifting his arm up and pulling me firmly into his side. I just sat there curled up against him, my head on his shoulder not really seeing anything. Until the large white buildings of the hospital appeared. Then I saw everything. Memorised every face we past as Tim carefully led me through the waiting room to the front desk. As he said my name and the flash of pity and sympathy that ran across the nurses face. I saw Tim's face as the nurse led me away from him down the corridor. Then I was seeing Jason. Surrounded by tubes some attached to him others to the bags of fluids around him. He was braced in plaster and bandages. He was pale and in pain. My mom saw me first
"Lexie" she said softly. Her voice was tired and shaky her eyes rimmed red. My father moved over to me and pulled me closer to Jason. His eyes were closed and his breathing was still jerky. I stood frozen just staring in horror. "Lexie?" my mother tried again. But I didn't look up, I jerked back away from the bed, away from all of them. I heard my dad shouting my name but I ignored him, I ran. Pushing past people from the town, ignoring their shouts I ran hard. Until I ran into a wall, a warm human wall. I fell to the floor shaking with silent sobs. The wall bent down beside me and hauled me back into its chest. As in the middle of the hospital waiting room I finally let go, screaming my heart out, shrieking in pain as I held onto Tim like he was the last safe thing left in the world.
---------------------------------------
I sat in the back seat of my parents car waiting for them to announce it was time to go in. The parking lot of the church was quiet, the tarmac rippling in the heat. We had been sat here for a good ten minutes, waiting for my mom to compose herself. I hadn't wanted to come to church. Didn't want to put up with the sympathy from the people of the team. I didn't need their pity or compassion. My parents had decided for me though, that we must all show our faces. It was expected of us, and we couldn't disappoint the town of Dillon.
"I'm ready" my mother announced, flipping shut her compact mirror.
We all opened our car doors and got out into the heat. The sign on the front of the church read 'pray for Jason Street' and I focused on it the whole way to the door, wishing the name to change. The doors of the church opened and I followed my parents to a pew in the middle, nodding politely at the people who smiled. I sat and smoothed my plain cream skirt down over my knees. Tucked my loose hair behind my ears and plastered a look of interest on my face as the reverend started his sermon.
Afterwards I stood next to my parents accepting the caring words of the people of Dillon. Smiling at them, hugging the women and accepting pecks on the cheek from the men. When the coach's family got to me I smiled again, the same scripted words coming from my mouth to their polite questions. Julie smiled softly at me.
"I'm sorry about Jason" she said quietly.
"Thank you" I said back.
She hugged me lightly before stepping back and following her parents away from us all. When all the well wishers were finally sent away I was dragged back to the car and driven home. I ran to my room and changed my acceptable and lady like skirt for a small pair of shorts and one of Jason's panther jerseys. I pulled my hair back and grabbed my truck keys and ran for the door. Ignoring my parents I got behind the wheel of the truck and slammed the accelerator down.
I ended up at the cliffs, I shut the engine off and climbed up onto the cab of the truck crossing my legs I simply sat there letting the wind pull at me and my thoughts wonder. The cliffs were where Tim had taken me a few times when I was younger and I was pissed off at my parents for ignoring me in favour of Jason, and annoyed at Jason for allowing them to forget me. When I had been certain that they tended to forget they had more than one child. I had often wondered why they had bothered having me when their first child had been so perfect. Normally I had quickly calmed down again and forgiven Jason for everything, I had never quite forgiven my parents everything though. Even now I resented that while Jason was ill I was forgotten once again, ignored by everyone.
It wasn't easy being the little sister of QB1. People had unreal expectations of you, they all expected me to be my brother. When they found out I wasn't they had two reactions. They ignored me or took out their frustrations about Jason on me. I had done everything possible to live up to my reputation as a 'street'. Even joined the cheerleading squad. Of course that had pleased my mother for all of five minutes. Especially when I got to varsity level and was a panther cheerleader. She had been slightly more excited when I had been given Tim as my football player. It wasn't that it was Tim just that only the best cheerleaders in the squad got assigned a football player to look after. Strangely all this tension hadn't effected my relationship with Jason though. Somehow I still harboured every little girls adoration of their older brothers. It killed me every time I walked into his hospital room and saw him hooked up to those machines. In my mind my brother had been invincible. Seeing him looking human was scary. It shook up everything that I knew. I was going though. I had picked myself up after my very public break down, and bottled everything back up. I was Lexie Street and I could be strong for my brother. It was only when I was on my own like this that I let myself worry. Let myself wonder what would happen if Jason didn't get better.
The rumble of another truck brought me out of my thoughts, I twisted on the cab to watch the black Chevy owned by the Riggin's brothers pull to a stop at the bottom of my own. I hadn't seen Tim since the hospital that night, he hadn't been to see Jason once. He was sat in the bed of the truck gun in one hand beer in the other. Billy was driving. I got up from the cab and jumped down to the bed of my own truck before vaulting that to land on the floor. Tim watched me carefully as approached his truck. "Heya Billy" I shouted, I saw him wave his hand from the cab, then I turned back to Tim "So Tim as far as I can see you ain't injured, missing a limb or nothing."
Tim frowned "I'm fine"
"So why haven't you been to the hospital?" I demanded. "Jason's been asking for you"
Tim stayed silent for a while taking a large gulp of his beer. "I haven't had chance" he eventually said. I felt anger bubbling up in me and I quickly pulled myself up and over the edge of the bed of the truck advancing on Tim. "You haven't had time" I hissed. "My brother, your best friend is stuck in a hospital bed wondering if he'll ever walk again…" I broke off to swallow back my tears, Tim reached a hand out to me but I swiped it away "You better make time Tim" I finished. "Or give me that gun!"
Tim frowned at me suspiciously "Why the gun?"
"I'm gonna shoot your ass with it, then you'll have to go to hospital" I heard a snort from the cab of the truck and presumed it was Billy trying not to laugh. Tim was glaring at me. "You wouldn't shoot me Lexie" he stated.
"I wouldn't like to chance it at the minute Tim" I leant forward and grabbed the beer off him emptying the contents on the ground then chucking the bottle into the bed of the truck. "Billy you think you remember the way to the hospital?" I shouted out. "Or do you need to follow me?"
"I think I could manage Lexie" came his reply.
"What do you say to dragging your brothers butt over there then" I asked.
"I reckon I can do that"
"Good" I stated, still looking at Tim who was resolutely staring at the floor avoiding my gaze. "Timmy" I said quietly, finally getting him to look up at me. "He's your best friend you need to go see him"
Jerkily Tim nodded and I leant down to place a quick kiss on his cheek, Tim squeezed my wrist running his finger over my pulse. Before I shouted bye to Billy and jumped down from their truck. I got back into my own and started the engine, watching in the rear view mirror as the Riggin's pulled away. I sighed in disgust as I watched it turn the opposite way to what the hospital was. Banging my hands on the steering wheel. When was Tim going to grow up and visit Jason. Angrily I pulled out onto the road and turned the opposite way to the Riggins heading for the hospital.
---------------------------------------
I quickly walked down the hospital corridor towards my brothers room. I hadn't gotten chance to see him since Monday and it was now Wednesday. When I entered the room a huge smile broke over his face. I smiled back and tried not to let him see how much it hurt me seeing him laying there like a invalid. "Hey Lexie, where have you been?"
I smiled and dragged the chair closer to Jason's bed sitting down and taking his hand. "sorry Jason. I couldn't get out of cheerleading practise"
"Its alright Lexie" he said softly, rubbing his thumb across my pulse much like Tim did. "I'm glad you're here now"
I pulled my legs up to cross them underneath me. "So how you feeling?"
"Not so bad. I mean apart from the mind numbing pain" I frowned making Jason look down at me worriedly "That was a joke Lexie" he said softly.
"Well it wasn't funny. You would have thought with all the time you have on your hands you could have thought of something better"
Jason laughed and I squeezed his hand. "so have you seen Tim round?" he asked.
I scowled this time "Yeah I've seen the drunken ass. Can't say I've really talked to him much though since last Sunday"
"Shouldn't you have been at church" Jason reprimanded.
"I did go, Jesus you think you'd lay off me for a while" I scowled "Anyway I saw him after, he was with Billy. Think they'd been shooting"
"Did he say if he was coming to visit?" Jason asked softly. Almost nervously.
"I'm sorry Jason. He didn't say anything"
"I bet you didn't take that well"
I snorted to myself "No not really"
Jason smiled, anticipating my answer "What did you do?"
I smiled "Threatened to shoot his ass so he'd have no chance but to come to hospital to get the bullet removed"
Jason erupted into laughter as I smiled at him. When he had calmed down enough to speak he looked back at me "That sounds like you Lexie. Don't know what I'd do without you"
"You'd probably do just fine" I answered. "Now I have to go, I have a calculus exam next, and unlike some I can't just spend my lessons laying in bed. So I'll see you tomorrow"
"Ok. Lexie be careful"
"Of what?" I asked confused, standing up and grabbing my bag.
"Of everything. I can't protect you anymore, so just be careful"
I leant down and kissed Jason's cheek, "I'll be fine Jason. Why don't you spend some time worrying about yourself ok. Now I'll see you later"
"Bye Lexie"
I waved from the door before I went back down the corridor, hoping that I would be to late to take my calculus exam, so I could at least put off failing. On top of everything else I really didn't need my teachers riding my ass about my grades. So as I pulled out of the hospital car park I wasn't exactly speeding to get back to school.
---------------------------------------
I'd like to know what people think, whether or not i should continue with Lexie. Let me know :)
