"Well hey Rae, how are you?" Mrs. Taylor asks when Rae climbs into the car, Tim's sweatshirt on.
"I'm good Mrs. Taylor, how are you?" Rae asks and she smiles at her through the mirror.
"Well I'm glad you're coming with." She comments.
"She means you instead of Tyra." Julie comments and Mrs. Taylor simply slides her sunglasses down her face while Rae struggles to hide her smirk. Mrs. Taylor pulls out of the parking lot and follows the bus.
She and Julie are in the stands, hands clasped, watching the brutal game. Rae knows she doesn't understand football, but from the look on Julie and Mrs. Taylor's faces, she knows it's bad.
"This ain't right, this ain't right." Mrs. Taylor is muttering, watching with wide eyes. "I've never seen a team play so dirty." Rae watches the late tackle on Smash and squeezes Julie's hand.
"Tim… Tim…" She says quietly, watching the 33 on the field. "Don't do anything…" She flinches and closes her eyes when she sees him take off running. The crowd roars and she hears the announcer inform them of the hit and ensuing fight. When she opens her eyes, the entire team is on the field and it is complete chaos. She exchanges looks with Julie, wide eyed.
When the game is called, there is no excited rush of the field, no happy hugs from excited players. Rae fleetingly sees Tim, still in full pads, boarding the bus. She tries to catch his eye but Mrs. Taylor quickly puts an arm around Rae and Julie and ushers both of them quickly to the car, wary of the other team's fans, parents, coaches, and players.
"Well, at least we're still in the playoffs." Julie says, once they're safely in the car and headed home. Mrs. Taylor exhales and laughs.
"There's the little fighter of the night." Rae says sweetly, when Tim gets off the bus. He shakes his head and takes her aside to tell her the story of the bus getting pulled over and the sheriff talking about assault charges. She shakes her head, looking at Smash as he talks to his mom.
"I hate Texas." She repeats spitefully. "It's a big stupid state full of big stupid racist old men."
"I thought it was for me." He says lowly, mostly ignoring her rant, watching Smash as well. She looks up at him, amused.
"Well that's because you tackled that kid at least thirty if not more seconds after the whistle." She reminds him. "I may not know anything about football but I'm pretty sure that's not allowed." He just shakes his head and wraps an arm around her, leading her to their cars.
"Can I stay tonight?" Tim asks quietly, parking in her driveway. Rae draws her knees to her chest and smiles at him.
"Of course. C'mon, I'll tend your wounds, you little fighter." She teases and flinches as they walk inside. She's applying icy hot to his back when the phone rings. She answers, tucking it between her ear and shoulder. "Hello?"
"MATT ASKED ME TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND!" Julie screeches and Rae jumps, dropping the phone. She swears and picks it up as Tim snickers. Rae flicks the back of his head.
"Jules, that's great, tell me all about it."
Tim stumbles into the kitchen one night. Rae looks up from her college applications and sighs.
"You were drinking with your dad again, weren't you." She doesn't ask, just states it. He holds up a fresh $100 bill.
"We hustled um at pool." He says, grinning like a dope. "I pretended to be all bad Rae and then we won."
"Congratulations. And I see you got in a fight." She says flatly, seeing a slight bruise on his cheek. He makes a gesture for 'a little'. Sighing, she arranges him on the couch and rubs her eyes. The next morning Carden sticks his head in her room without announcing himself.
"Why's Tim on the couch?" He asks curiously.
"Long story but you have my permission to wake him up and be loud about it." She mutters, not opening her eyes. Carden grins and shuts her door. She hears him messing around it the cupboards. Tim seeks refuge in her room minutes later, hair and eyes wild.
"Your brother is absolutely crazy." He says, holding the door shut as Carden bangs pots together outside.
"When you land on my couch drunk, you get woken up rudely. It's karma." She says, snuggling back into her blankets. Tim jumps on her bed. "Tim!" She protests, trying to fight him off. He just grins, hugging her.
"It's so great to have my dad back, Rae." He says, almost dreamily. "We go out to bars and play pool. I'm actually going out drinking with my dad. It's all I've ever wanted." He rambles on about his dad while Rae listens wordlessly.
She waits until Tim is gone, watching film with the team, to head over to the Riggins house. She hesitates on the stoop then grits her teeth and raises her fist to knock. A blonde opens the door.
"Yeah?" She asks, unimpressed.
"Hi. Is Billy here?" Rae asks, as the woman looks her up and down with a disdainful curl in her lip.
"Billy, some chick's here to see you." She calls, glancing over her shoulder. A moment later Billy appears at the door and upon seeing her pushes it open and joins her on the porch.
"Hey Rae." He says in surprise. "It'll be just a second." He tells the woman, shutting the door. "What's up?"
"I'm uh… I'm here about Tim." She says awkwardly. "He's… You know, drinking again."
"Well, that's right on schedule." Bill mutters, avoiding her eyes.
"Yeah, well, Tim doesn't see anything wrong with it. He's been doing so good lately and I just… Thought maybe he'd listen to you better than he does with me." She says quietly.
"Rae, I don't know if maybe you'd noticed this with Tim, but he doesn't listen to anyone." He tells her and she looks away, biting her lip. "You can't help him." Bill says, somewhat harshly. "Look. Tim chose this situation and our dad. I've done everything I can Rae but he's made his bed and now he's gotta lie in it. He's just gonna have to live with his decision. Alright?" He asks and she shakes her head, turning and striding down the steps with a gnawing feeling in her stomach that something will go wrong.
And it does go wrong, in a spectacular fashion. He storms into her house a couple days later, slamming the door.
"That's rude." She says quietly, watching him pace back and forth, hands on top of his head.
"Coach accused my dad of taking a damn video camera." He yells and Rae sighs, rubbing her temples
"Tim." She tries, but he ignores her and keeps going.
"He's not going over to Smash's mom and asking her if she took it. He's not going to Matt's or anyone else's dad to ask them!" He rants. Carden sticks his head out to raise his eyebrows at Rae then ducks back into his room when she shakes her head quickly.
"Tim, calm down." She says, catching his arm and rubbing it gently. He pulls it away angrily.
"I thought you'd understand." He accuses, walking out the door. Rae watches him go, unsure of what she did wrong.
"Did Tim piss you off?" Julie asks, pushing the door open.
"No, I think I pissed him off, why?" Rae asks gloomily.
"Because he just drove past me and didn't even slow down, even though I'm clearly a damsel in distress." Julie says, sitting on the couch.
"He's in a terrible mood, don't take it personally." Rae says, sighing and curling up next to Julie.
"Have you two had sex?" Julie asks and Rae bolts straight up, stammering and unable to form complete sentences.
"What brought that on?" She demands, once her heart has stopped racing. Julie shrugs nonchalantly.
"I think Matt and I should have sex." Julie informs her and Rae stares at her in pure horror.
"No!" She says finally, when her voice has returned. "No, Jules! You're young! So is Matt! You're just little babies! Oh my god!" She says and Julie rolls her eyes, going to move off the couch.
"I knew you wouldn't understand." She mutters and Rae grabs her hand, pulling her back to the couch.
"Jules, I'm not judging you. I'm the last person who should do that. No, I haven't had sex with Tim and I don't think I want to, at least for a while. If you think you're ready, you are, but Jesus Christ, are you protected?" She demands and Julie exhales. Rae looks at her sternly.
"I'll buy condoms!" She insists and Rae narrows her eyes.
"You can't buy tampons in this town without someone commenting that coach's daughter's got her monthly. Condoms? Forget it." Rae points out and Julie flops over, groaning.
"Well can I borrow some from you?" She asks and Rae frowns, smacking Julie's shoulder.
"What makes you think I have condoms?" She demands and Julie makes a face. "If you're having sex, have sex. But lord if I find out it's unprotected Julie Taylor, your Matthew will not have balls." She threatens.
AN: I know you guys can probably guess what I'm going to say, but review? Follow? Fav? Tell me what you love, hate, made you laugh, cry?