Jess made her way into the house and turned on a couple of lights. She made her way to the kitchen and saw a plate on the counter with a note from her aunt Lori: warm up the plate, hope you had a good day, yada yada.... She looked at the plate of meatloaf and mash potatoes and tossed it in the microwave. While waiting for that to cook, she went to her room and hooked up her Ipod and turned the music up and jammed in the house. Being home alone wasn't a problem for Jess, back at home everyone else was out and about; bringing her little brothers to all their sporting events she got use to the loneliness.
After the plate warmed up, she brought her plate to the couch and flicked through the channels. Eventually she fell asleep until the phone rang. Jess' head shot up and just listened. It was for Applebee's calling for Lori to come and pick up her check. Jess shrugged and nodded back off to sleep until her aunt came home, waking her up, and telling her to go to her own bed.
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Jess awoke the next morning with a kink in her neck. " No more sleeping on the couch for me, oy vey that hurts..." She shuffled into the shower and quickly cleaned. She tossed on some jeans, and her outfit: tank top and green button up shirt. and met her aunt at the truck. The drive to school was much more quicker and Jess wasn't that nervous. The people weren't horrible, it was just something she just had to get use to.
First class was English; which consisted of writing essays and reading The Crucible. Dumb football jocks and witches clearly don't mixed. Jess rolled her eyes as the answers came stupider and stupider. One beside her chuckled. He had blonde hair, a subtle smile, and a shirt that read "Crucifictorious".
" Nice name," she smiled, pointing at his tshirt, " who thought of that?"
" I did," he spoke, "it's my band, no one has enough musical genius to join. The name's Landry by the way..." sticking out his hand. Jess shook and giggled.
" I played the piano when I was younger, well, I stopped playing about two years ago. So if you ever need some piano in your band, let me know, you gotta a phone number?"
They exchanged numbers as the bell rang; walking out into the hallway Jess headed to her locker, and exchanged books. As she was closing it, she was nudged into her locker. Another dark haired, dark eyed girl continued walking down the hallway with her little throng of girls. "Bitch," Jess under her breath. Picked up her bag and headed towards the music room. She entered and sat next to the opne seat next to Landry.
"Miss me dear," she whispered as she nudged his shoulder. He smiled and nudged back. They listened to the teacher drone about old composers and took notes. Near the end of class, Jess and Landry just passed notes and thought of names and melodies for his band.
" We're gonna make the girls throw themselves at you," giggling Jess lunged over and laid on Landry's lap. He laughed at her and lifted her up. " 'Cept I don't want all the girls, I only want one..." As Jess was about to ask who the mystery girl's name was, the bell signaled that class was over. The two headed to lunch, with a bit of stiff air between them.
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Jess slid through bodies in the lunchroom as she tried to find a seat to eat her lunch, which consisted of a salad, banana, water, & a brownie. She found a long table and sat all the way at the end near the windows. She dug out a notebook and finished up the notes from music class. As she submerged herself into her notes, she hadn't noticed that she had been joined by some rather testosterone-filled company.
" Afternoon, Daniels." Tim drawled as her head popped up from her notes. She put the notebook away and leaned on her elbows with mock attention, noticing a couple more football players decided to sit at her section of the table.
" What can I do for you boys?" she asked, leaning forward and batting her eyelashes.
" Well," Tim continued, " my boy here are under the impression that you did something terrible to get yourself sent here to Dillon, and we just wanted to know."
Jess paused. " Well boys, you know, I killed a man. I'm on the run and it's a matter of time before the find me and take me away..."
The boys fill silent and stared. Slowly a smile crept across her face, and she burst out laughing.
" Oh my God, y'all believed me for a second," she laughed with a mock southern accent. She continued to pick at her salad as the boys laughed and talked about the upcoming game. She listened with intrigued, still trying to figure this whole football thing.
" So you going Daniels," Tim asked, nudging her in her left arm.
" What," Jess , snapping back from zoning.
Tim laughed, " You going to the game tonight?"
"Sure, if you want me to," she shrugged her shoulders.
" Well yeah, that's the point, and you better show up for my party afterwards"
"As long as I'm not near any cheerleaders or rally girls, I was nudged into my locker today by one of them and if she comes near me again, I'll hit her."
" What she look like?"
" Dark hair, dark eyes, pony tail..."
" Lyla," the football players chorused.
Tim laughed and leaned back and put his arm around Jess.
" Don't worry Daniels, i'll keep her away from you."
Jess pushed his arm off her. " Timothy Riggins, I can handle myself thank you very much, even though I can pull of a mean impression of a rally girl, doesn't mean I AM one..."
" Well let's see this impression Daniels, " a football player named Bradley laughed, leaning slightly over the table. Jess sighed and sat up straight. She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled her tank top down, showing a considerable amount of cleavage and turned to Tim. She fluffed her hair and batted her eyes furiously. She slid a leg over Tim's lap and straddled him, running her fingers over his chest and down his arms.
" Oh Tim, what nice muscles you have, " she sighed, biting her lip and staring straight into his eyes.
Tim was frozen. He stared the whole time with no words. He couldn't believe she was doing this. He never pegged Jess for one of those girls, though it did cross his mind maybe once or twice if she in fact WAS like one of those girls, and what the possibilities were. He fought the urge not to do anything, but good thing she got off his lap when she did 'cause his pants thought otherwise. Jess picked up her bag and stared at the yet again stunned football players.
" I'll see you at the game tonight. Go Panthers." she said with a sly grin and headed off to her last classes of the day.
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The end of the school day came faster than expected and Jess was relieved. The beginning of school wasn't atrocious and she'd be able to deal with her new environment and let the new friends go wherever they went. She walked out to the parking lot and found Julie standing there with another girl she had yet to meet.
" Hey Julie, what's up?" Jess smiled.
Julie turned and smiled as well, " Hey! How are you? I'm glad you survived. Oh, this is Tyra by the way. Tyra, this is Jess Daniels, just moved here from Boston under her own free will."
Tyra smiled and answered, " Well nice to meet you Jess, I'm sorry you have to suffer here Dillon with us. But hey, you seem cool, wanna head over to my house for dinner then head over to the game? We're having chili."
Jess nodded and the girls headed over and piled on into Tyra's truck. They drove on over to her house and chilled, listening to music and complaining about boys. Chili was delicious. The door opened and a slightly disheveled older version of Tyra came through the door.
"Tyra why you got so much company over?"
"Mom said I could have 'em over, cool it. You already know Julie and this is Jess, Jess Daniels..." Tyra said motioning to the girls.
Mindy cocked her head and looked at Jess. " You any relation to Lori Smith?"
" Uh huh, she's my aunt"
" No way! I love her, me and her always work the same shifts. Nice to meet you!" and she made her way into her bedroom.
"Well girls, we got about an hour 'til the game, you mind if we run by my house, I need to make myself semi presentable." The girls got up, filed back into the car and headed over to Jess' house.
They pulled up to the driveway and entered. Julie looked around and laughed.
" Wow Jess, your house is basically just like mine." They laughed and filed into Jess' room as she changed out of her school outfit and cleaned herself up: brushed her wavy hair, applied some dark makeup and slid on her aunt's cowboy boots.
" What do you guys think," Jess asked mockingly, making a classic butt shelf making fun of the cheerleaders. The girls laughed, " Very Nice, let's go."
Pulling into the parking lot of school, the whole town was already there. They paid, entered and took to their side, the game was against the Laribee Cardinals. Jess yelled and screamed along as Matt, Smash, and Tim did their thing. "Boy," she thought, "now I get it," as the game came to a close, they had won. Everyone and their mother ran onto the field as Jess stayed on the bleachers, taking in the amazingness of a town united and in a state of pure joy.
Tim couldn't believe it, the game was theirs. They had totally hauled as and dominated. Why wasn't Jess on the field with the rest of the town? Oh well, he thought, she better show up later....
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After reuniting with Julie and Tyra, the girls made their way over to Tim's house, which looked like a tornado ran thru it. Cars were parked everywhere, cups on the lawn, and music blaring through the walls. Tyra parked along a space on the sidewalk and the girls made their way into the house, if you called it that. Jess already has her flask out of her bag by the time the entered the door. She ran into a couple football players and gave her congrats. She found the keg and chugged. The buzz had begun. She smiled, she let loose, and danced to the beat of the music. Jess made her way along the wall and tripping on the carpet, landing in an arm chair with someone already sitting there.
" Good, you made it!" Tim's head bobbed as he smiled a crocodile grin.
" Well, you know, I had to make an entrance didn't I?" she shrugged, still sitting in Tim's lap, and starting to earn evil glares from the entire girl population in his house. Tim rested his hands across her lap and refused for her to get up.
" No Daniels, you're not going anywhere." he laughed, tightening his grip as she began to squirm.
" Come on Tim, let me go, I really don't feel like fighting anyone tonight, and you're giving me a death wish. How 'bout a round of shots?"
Tim laughed, " Fine, if you insist."
Tim let go of Jess and pulled him alongside her as they made their way to the island in the middle of his kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of tequila and a couple shots glasses. One sloshed football player saw what they were doing and screamed " SHOTS!!!!!" and the whole house hoot and hollered.
Tim filled as many as he could and everyone in the vicinity grabbed one. Tim held up his glass and shouted, " TO FOOTBALL!" and all followed in suit. They passed around the bottle again and Tim looked to Jess and she shouted, " TO SEX!" and that got everyone riled up. Everyone started to grab on to each other, feeling the energy escalate. Tim leaned into Jess, his tequila breath filling her nose. She pulled his head to the side and she whispered in his ear.
" One day. You. Me. Shots. Winner Takes All.I can drink you under the table."
" And what if I win," he spoke huskily into her ear, breathing on her neck.
" We'll figure it out when we get there," she laughed.
As they stood there for a moment, Jess felt a tug on her arm and was pulled away from Tim. Tyra looked at her and pulled her outside. Jess' arm was over her shoulder and she hauled her in the truck.
" Where's Jules?" Jess slurred as she leaned her head on the window of the truck.
" Well missy, I brought her home for her curfew and then I come back finding you canoodling with Tim Riggins, what are you thinking girl!"
" I'm not," Jess hiccuped, laughing.
" Well, just so know, Tim Riggins is in it for Tim Riggins. He don't care about anyone but himself. I don't want you gettin' in the middle of that."
" Don't worry Tyra I'll be fineeee, I just gotta sleep this off," Jess' head bobbed as they made it back to her house.
Tyra hauled Jess up her walkway and knocked on the door, aunt Lori opened the door in her pink bathroom and laughed. " Give her here, hey aren't you Mindy's sister?"
" Yes m'am, I'm Tyra."
"Well nice to meet you Tyra, I'm Lori. I'll take it from here dear. See you around."
aunt Lori dragged Jess to her room and flopped her on the bed. She pulled her boots off and pulled down the covers. Jess was asleep before she hit the pillow.
aunt Lori bent down and kissed Jess' forehead.
" G'night sweetcheeks." and closed the door, concluding Jess' first friday night in Dillon.
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Song of the Day: Sour Cherry by The Kills. Reviews make me happy. have a good one dearies, let me know what you think!
