A/N: Thankyou to everyone for taking the time to review the last two chapters and all your lovely comments! I'm always worried about writing love scenes because I never know how they're going to come out and be received by you all! Luckily you didn't think Riggins had gone too soft! Don't worry there is plenty more action to come for him and Julie so keep reading and reviewing!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 8

Breathing deeply and trying to keep her cool, Julie walked through the school corridors positive that people were looking at her, that they were whispering about her behind her back.

That they knew what she'd been up to with Tim Riggins her daddy's fullback.

It was paranoia she knew, but she couldn't stop craning her head around occasionally just to check that it was paranoia and only paranoia.

She wondered if people could tell that she was no longer a virgin just by looking at her.

She felt different; did she appear different to them?

Would people look at her and see any of those changes?

No one had commented yet. So maybe it wasn't obvious to anyone but her.

Her mom had eyed her a little oddly Saturday morning when she arrived back from having 'spent the night at Tyra's' but she'd not said anything.

She'd arrived back early on the pretence that Tyra had been called in for an early shift at work.

Maybe it had been because there was nothing out of the ordinary to tip her off, no underwear shopping trips and the added distraction of Gracie that hadn't been there when she'd been dating Matt.

A part of her wanted to talk to her mom, to explain things and know that she'd felt the same, but she held back from doing so. For one thing, her mom would tell her dad, and for another, she didn't think her mom would get it. That she would understand her decision and respect it.

And if there was the chance that her mom could be disappointed by her actions, despite the fact that she didn't regret them, then she wanted to shield her from that pain.

It had been clear how much turmoil her mother had been in then it had come to her decision to sleep with Matt, she'd seen the relief first hand when she'd explained that she hadn't.

As much as she knew she was right trusting her first time with Tim, she knew that neither of her parents saw him like she did. They might have allowed him to stay with them, but that didn't mean they trusted him. Witness the catastrophe that had occurred when she'd gotten drunk at the party and Tim had had to take her home.

They saw his reputation as one of those wild Riggins boys, his history of having rally girls and cheerleaders do his homework, the bad choices he'd made and the number of cans of beer he'd drunk.

She didn't fool herself, she saw those things too, knew they were a part of him, but there was so much more to him that she had realised long ago that people just didn't get.

She was aware of his affair with Jackie, but unlike the majority of the other people that knew and talked about, she realised it wasn't just about his lust for the older woman, but image she'd provided. That of family, love, security. He'd fallen for her relationship with her son, just as much as her.

She wasn't blind, she'd seen the way he'd integrated himself into her family's life while he'd been living with them. The amount of time he'd spent with Gracie, the way he'd watch TV with her dad and was so willing to help her mom.

That was what he was so desperate for.

Something that Billy had never been able to offer.

Despite the amount of time Tyra had gone out with Tim, she didn't think her friend had ever understood that.

Lyla also represented elements of those things as well, Julie thought, which was what drew Tim to her and made his attraction to her all the more stronger even while they attempted to deal with their grief over Jason's tragic football injury.

And Julie knew her life offered some of those elements as well. It wasn't something that was flattering to admit, but it was there. It was true.

Realistically she knew that if she was to voice any of her thoughts to Tim, or anyone else they'd laugh in her face. Tim out of stubbornness not to believe it, and the others out of sheer disbelief.

But deep down she knew she was on the mark, or at least very close to it.

Turning the corner of the hallway to her locker, she physically forced herself not to look in the direction of Tim's locker.

She'd not seen him since the early hours of Saturday morning, and while she'd prepared herself to enter school that morning and hear rumours about whatever other girl he'd hooked up with over the weekend and the sight of numerous girls clustering about his locker she didn't want to see it.

Her mood would shatter soon enough, she wanted to maintain the illusion that none of the was about to happen just a little while longer.

She'd known such things would happen, and she prepared herself for them; but that didn't mean she was looking forward to the knowledge that she'd not been proved wrong.

Studiously she keeps her eyes averted, forcing herself to walk by at a leisurely pace as though nothing has happened between them.

It was a one night only deal.

Making her way to the cafeteria, Julie helps herself to a burger, a large slab of chocolate cake and a juice before joining Lois.

"Hey," she smiled at her friend, sliding into the seat opposite her.

"Good party on Friday?" Lois asked.

Fighting to keep anything from showing on her face, Julie nodded slightly, taking a bite of her burger and using the moment to get control of herself. Swallowing she said, "Yeah, not bad. Same as all of the others really." She lied. It hadn't been the same as all the others; she's skipped out of the football celebrations and spent the evening with Tim Riggins. She'd lost her virginity. A part of her wanted to confide in her friend, but she held back from doing so. No way would Lois understand, and it would only create problems between them.

As much as her friend professed to hate the game, and the guys that played it, her eyes often strayed over to the football players with an alarming regularity that Julie had refrained from mentioning.

"Same faces, same music, same beer." Julie continued polishing off the last of her burger. "Nothing new."

Lois bobbed her head in union to Julie's answers. "How did you do with that pop quiz?" She asked, moving the conversation swiftly along even as her eyes darted across to where the football players were sitting in the seats that were reserved for them in an unwritten rule.

"Not too bad." Replied Julie digging into her slice of chocolate cake. "What did you get for question 5b?"

The school announcement system crackled into life before Lois could say anything.

"Attention all students. Following last seasons attack by Arnett Mead on the locker rooms, CCTV cameras have now been put in place in the surrounding outside areas, and the football field in now off limits to all students during out of school hours. Any student caught on the field out of hours when there is no practice or game on will be issued with detention."

A number of students groaned, arguing at the decision.

"Following this announcement," The principles voice continued, "Julie Taylor and Tim Riggins are to make their way to Coach Taylor's office immediately to explain the formation of beer cans scattered about on the football field."

The cafeteria went deadly quiet, and Julie fixed her eyes on the remaining cake in front of her, the piece in her mouth suddenly tasteless and stodgy. She could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes looking at her, Lois's included, and she sunk down into her seat trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

She'd not even slunk down as far as she could go before the low hum of whispers and murmurs broke out.

"Something you forgot to mention Julie?" Lois snapped, grabbing her bag and stalking off before Julie could even reply, or explain. Her lunch tray, half eaten, remained behind on the table.

"Let's go little Taylor." A voice announced from behind her. "You heard the announcement." Leaning over her shoulder, Tim nabbed the last piece of cake, and Julie offered no protest, happy to let him finish it. She already felt sick.

Twisting around to face him, she took note of the blank expression on his face and steeled herself for what ever happened next.

This was the first time that she'd seen him since he dropped her home Saturday morning. She had been preparing herself for this moment the entire weekend, before even then if she was honest. Ever since she'd made her decision to sleep with him.

Sighing, with what she hoped was a nonchalant air, Julie slung her bag over her shoulder and picked up her tray to dispose of the rubbish.

"Cheer up Taylor, it could be worse," he smirked and ruffled her hair.

Julie scowled up at him and darted out of reach as she smoothed down her rumpled hair. "If you've got chocolate cake in my hair…." She growled letting the threat trail off.

Narrowing her eyes at him didn't seem to have any effect, instead the smirk simply widened as they continued out of the cafeteria.

Conscious of all the eyes watching her, she was glad for Tim's presence next to her. Even if he was silent for the most part, at least she didn't have to leave the cafeteria and walk through the corridors alone.

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The conversation between her Dad, herself and Tim hadn't gone smoothly by any means.

But there wasn't a whole lot he could do.

Technically she'd hadn't actually done anything wrong.

She hadn't broken any of her parent's rules by hanging out with the fullback as there were none, and they hadn't broken any of the school's rules by hanging out on the football pitch, it was after all, only that lunchtime that the new rules had been announced by the principle.

The only possible thing that her Dad could tell her off for was leaving the can's marking the two end zones where they were when they'd left which meant the only thing he could tell them off for was littering.

The only mistake, luckily for her at least was not thinking to ask whether or not she'd drunk one of the empty cans of beers that they'd left behind.

Otherwise things might have been a little more fraught because as far as her parents were concerned she'd been banned from drinking for life after she'd gotten wasted and had needed to be taken home by Tim.

But then, in retrospect, the fact that they'd only been playing football and not anything else on the football field (never mind the latter part of the evening) was evidently a relief for her Dad.

And so, they'd gotten off with a lecture on not drinking on school property and that they weren't to do it again.

There was a glint in his eye that promised that Tim would end up running a few wind sprints or suicides, but they both figured he'd gotten off pretty lightly considering the fall out that would occur if Coach ever found out about the outcome of the night.

Dismissed from his office, and heading their separate ways, Julie jumped in surprise as Tyra appeared out of nowhere.

Latching onto Julie by the arm, Tyra pulled her into the girl's bathrooms out of sight.

"Is there something going on between you and Tim, Julie?" The older girl asked.

"No!" Julie answered honestly. Going on, she rationalised to herself, meant that they were in the middle of something. Something had gone on, but it wasn't going on any longer. Like they'd agreed, one night only. No tears, tantrums or jealousy after it was all over and done with.

Tyra stared hard at her. "Really?" She asked doubtfully.

"Really." Julie responded confidently and striking any quaver from her voice. "We hung out, that was all."

"Tim doesn't just hang out with girls Julie." She said bluntly.

"There is nothing gone on between Tim Riggins and myself. Do you really think that either one of us is that stupid?" She asked already knowing the answer to that question; yes they were. "My Dad would run Riggins to death on the football field and I'd never be allowed to socialise again; and that's the best case scenario."

"Just don't get sucked in by him Julie. Getting involved with Tim is like getting stuck in quicksand. I know Matt hurt you by throwing Carlotta an' all in your face, but Tim Riggins isn't the answer to that."

"I know." Julie responded softly understanding that Tyra was honestly worried about her. Spontaneously she stepped forward and gave her fellow blonde a hug. "Thank you."

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A/N: A short chapter, but I promise you'll love the next update, although probably not as much as Julie, but then she does have Tim Riggins keeping her amused!