SORRY FOR THE DELAY – I hate when real life interferes with things I like to do.
"What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?" Lauren looked up from the keyboard with a confused look on her face. She had decided to pretend that nothing had happened at the dance and so far, Tim had played along.
"Why would you want to know that?"
Tim looked up from his binder just as confused.
"I don't. Question six – Compare the worst thing that has ever happened to you with your main character's worst thing."
"Oh. What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?"
"I asked you first."
Lauren looked down at her hands as though the answer was there.
"I guess it would have to be when you threw the beer bottle at me."
"That is the worst thing in your life?" Tim asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. I think so. I was scared and I wasn't even sure how to get home and I was afraid that someone…" Lauren made herself more comfortable on the bleacher as she turned sideways to face Tim. "Why do you expect me to forget that?"
"Ashley threw the bottle."
"She grabbed it out of your hand?"
"I thought she was taking a drink."
"I guess the way you were feeling her up she deserved a drink."
"You sound jealous." He smirked.
Lauren snorted, "As if. So, what's the worst thing that ever happened to you tough guy?" Tim rubbed his jaw and looked over the empty football field, Lauren could see his jaw clenching.
"Between us Sunshine?" He finally asked quietly.
"Don't call me that. I bet some girl actually said no to you, right?" She grinned at her own joke.
"I was on the floor with my eye swollen shut, spitting blood and my arm broken and I could hear my dad startin' in on my mom." The voice Tim used lacked all emotion; he could have been reading the questions in his binder.
"Oh my god, how old were you?"
"Ten. I couldn't get off the floor to help her. That was my worst." Lauren felt tears in her eyes and almost unconsciously she took Tim's hand, pen and all and held it, one hand on his forearm as she turned even closer in on him. With his quick reflexes he was able to catch the laptop with his right hand as it fell off her knees which made him lean over her lap.
"Tim I'm really sorry."
"About predicting my worst moment or the worst moment?"
"Predict- no the momen- no I mean everything. That's horrible. It's unbelievable. Is that when your mom left?" Tim leaned in the last five inches and kissed Lauren softly. It worked, she stopped talking and for a few moments she even kissed him back. Her lips were soft and it was so nice to finally taste her. He increased the pressure a bit and heard Lauren's intake of breathe before she pulled away. His slow grin increased as he saw the blush on her face.
"I...I only kissed you as an apology." She stammered as he handed her the laptop and she fussed with it to keep from looking at him.
"Ok."
"It was because I felt bad for you."
"Ok."
"A pity kiss." She couldn't help grinning.
"Ok. Is that why you're still holding my hand?" She tried to pull her hand from his but he held just tight enough she couldn't. "We can do more stuff for pity if you want. My dad was a mean son of a bitch."
"Oh Tim, you can't joke about that."
"I'm just saying that if you want to feel sorry for me, I'm all for it." He let her pull her hand away.
"You kill me Tim. Alright I say we make up some horrible moments. She started to type on the computer, still having not made any eye contact. "Timothy Rawlings most horrible moment involved the Heb and his ego. Poor Tim went grocery shopping in his full Kerr Knights uniform (cleats + tile floor= second worst moment, but that's another story – please do not ask to see his scars as he is still sensitive) to bring cheer, joy and a moment of happiness to those Heb employees. Despite the black skin tight uniform he was unable to get recognized by anyone other then the male deli clerk who was not the demographic that Mr. Riggins was looking for. Worst moment ever." They were both laughing as Lane finished typing.
"Did you want to see my scars Rhodes?"
"I'll respect your privacy."
"Hand the laptop here." It was his turn to create. "Lauren – do you have a middle name?"
"Of course. Everyone does."
Ty shook his head.
"You don't have a middle name? Man."
"Feeling sorry for me?"
"No. La Salle is middle name."
"What kind of name is that?"
"Our middle names of where we were conceived which is a very classy move on my parents part." Tim laughed and Lauren shook her head. Why had she told him that?
"Rhodes?" She turned to look at him and he leaned in and kissed her again. He pulled away and turned back to the computer.
"Sorry Sunshine, it was just a pity kiss." It was her turn to laugh. "Ok. Lauren LaSalle Rhodes feels her worse memory involves hairspray, a cigarette and a tragic loss. Two years ago, Lauren was trying to get her hair straight-"
"What's wrong with my hair?" Lauren asked as she read over Ty's shoulder.
"It was you trying to straighten it not me. With her cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth she decided that it was going to take the heavy duty hairspray. Unfortunately the mixture of aerosol and flaming cigarette but made for a flame thrower effect and Lauren's left eyebrow was vaporized. Through the miracle of science she is able to apply a false eyebrow each morning. Every morning as she reapplies the eyebrow she is forced to relive her worst moment ever." Lauren could barely talk for her laughing.
"In comparison the worst moments in our main characters lives seem less important due to their lack of superficiality. Ego and vanity are far more important then anything two stupid farm hands could bring to the table." Ty had typed as she had dictated. They reread it and laughed again.
"Ok Tim delete it and we'll start again."
"This is our best writing so far."
"No, no." She shook her head.
"I've heard that Graham doesn't even read these. You're too much of a goody goody."
"I like to call it common sense."
"Ten bucks says she won't even read it. She just cares that we've spent days doing this." She looked at him critically for a second.
"What if she fails us?"
"She won't read it. Are you too chicken?" He asked with his crooked grin,
"I'm not ten."
"I asked if you were chicken."
Lauren shook her head.
They started to pack up.
"Are the stories about you true?" Tim didn't look up from his backpack or try to pretend he didn't know what she was asking.
"Some." She had to give him credit for not pretending he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Some as in a very few or some as in almost all?"
"Some.".
He could be frustrating. Lauren turned to look at him as he zipped up his backpack.
"Okay." He turned to look at her although he didn't say anything. "I don't even really know you Tim. You don't talk, I don't know what you think. I'd like to think that you are more then the legend you are at Kerr, that there is more to you then that. I actually need you to be more than that.". He turned back to stare at the field. Lauren shook her head and threw the novel into her bag.
"Since we started this project, I have not gone home and had a six pack with dinner. I'm thinking that maybe a scholarship wouldn't be the worst thing." He still hadn't turned to face her and she had to lean in to hear him. "I'm also starting to realize that being a big fish in a small pond might not be the most important thing.". Lauren looked at his flushed cheeks and realized that this was harder for him then standing in front of thousands of people each week and fighting for a win. He shifted so that he was facing her, although he still hadn't made any eye contact with her. "I like spending time with you. I like who you are. I want you."
Everytime he said that it made her clench and this time he wasn't even looking at her.
"Ashley Kowalski cornered me after the dance."
"Ashley?"
"She said you date women, not girls and that I was definetly not a woman that would keep your interest. She also said that she wasn't done with you." Lauren could feel Tim tense up and then he relaxed again.
"Did she give you any details on our relationship?" Tim asked finally making eye contact.
"No, thank god." She hoped her look showed her disgust.
"Ashley and I were both using each other for two different things. It became more work then fun and I broke off with her." His eyes looked almost black in the low light. He put his hands on his hips. "Lauren, when I am done with someone I am done. I don't go back ever, for anything." He leaned in and Lauren lifted her face for the kiss. He wanted her. She could not think rationally when he was around. She was so logical, as long as it had nothing to do with Tim Riggins. When they broke apart, she was both breathing heavily. Why did she like him?
"I don't want anyone to know." Lauren said quietly as she tried to get her breath back. Tim ran a hand up and down her side slowly as he looked at her.
"Come to the game Friday." She looked up at him.
"No one can know. Deal?"
"Deal if you come to the game."
"If Grace is going I'll go." This time she leaned in as much as he did. "Don't tell anyone."
Tim smiled at her and Lauren melted in the flash of white teeth and those damn dimples. This couldn't be good.
