The Scare

A/N: Hi, friends! Just a reminder to check out GlibLittleActor and her Tulie story Rocky Road. If you have time, I think you should check it out! It's a good one! :)

Julie Taylor was not unaware of her boyfriend's sexual history. It was common knowledge to the whole town of Dillon. It wasn't anything that she gave much thought to, honestly.

Until a drunk Matt Saracen had put doubts in her head during Smash William's graduation party.

Tim had graduated high school quietly. He only walked in the ceremony at Julie and Tami's insistence. Even Billy had come to the ceremony. Billy cheered louder than Eric, Tami, Julie, and Jason combined when Tim walked across the stage.

Everything was so happy for Julie those last few days of school that she didn't even pay much mind to the things Matt had said to her.

But that changed once summer began. Julie found herself back in the lifeguard tower, with plenty of time to let her mind wander around. She felt like she went on autopilot. Sure, Julie made sure she turned her head and scanned the water to make sure everything was good. She waved to Gracie Bell when Tami brought her to the pool. She walked her rounds along the perimeter of the pool.

He's never cheated on me, Julie reminded herself. Even Tyra has said Tim's a completely different person. He hasn't even talked to a rally girl since we started dating.

Julie remembered that well. After the night she kissed Tim in her parent's backyard, he had stopped accepting any attention from rally girls. Julie remembered the way Smash had teased Tim, asking if he was sick, had amnesia, had a good twin who had swapped places with him.

But despite her self-reassurance, she couldn't seem to forget what Matt had said. College, and college girls, would be a whole different ball game. What if Julie couldn't compete?

Julie was deep in these thoughts one day when Tim was at the pool. He was working on the farm again that summer, but he never worked Sundays. That was the Sabbath day—not that that meant anything to Tim. He couldn't tell you the last time he had attended church. But it meant something to his boss, and Tim took full advantage of his day of rest.

She was walking along the edge of the pool when she suddenly felt cold water splash against her bare skin. Julie was about to yell at whichever immature kid had done it when she looked down to see Tim's smiling face.

"We coulda been drowning!" Tim teased her. Julie hadn't even realized that Tim and Jason were at the pool.

"Yeah!" Jason agreed. "You're walking around like a sunstroke zombie."

Tim raised his eyebrows at her in a silent question. Are you okay? his eyes seemed to say. Of course, Tim had noticed how absent-minded Julie had been lately—not just at work, but at home and when he took her out, too.

Julie put her hands on her hips and tossed her long braid. "As the senior lifeguard on shift, I'm making a new rule about splashing the people who save your lives."

"So, how are you gonna punish us?" Tim asked, a devilish sparkle coming into his eyes. Julie laughed and shook her head at her boyfriend.

"You're a mess." When she leaned down to kiss him, the end of her braid dipped into the pool and became soaked. Tim's eyes trailed after her as she walked away.

"You've got it so bad, man," Jason teased him. Tim slapped at the water, sending a shower over his best friend.

"Shut up, Street."

While Jason clearly saw it, Julie's vision had been clouded by her ex-boyfriend.

"Guns up, Gracie Bell." Tim was sitting on the living room floor with Julie's little sister. The three of them had been in the living room together for quite some time. Julie was working on her summer reading list for her upcoming senior year. Tim was watching recordings of Texas Tech's last football season.

Eric had made sure to record every single game once Tech had expressed interest in Tim, long before Tim had even made a decision. Tim was happy now that Coach had done that for him. He was comfortable playing fullback for the Panthers, but he might be in a completely new position playing for Tech.

Gracie Bell was there just because she liked to be wherever Tim or Julie was. If one of them were around, Tiger was much more likely to play with her. That's what the two had been doing, Gracie Bell trailing a piece of yarn behind her for Tiger to chase.

Julie glanced up from her book in time to see Gracie Bell give Tim a wide smile and lift her hand. The little girl's thumb and forefinger were pointed into the shape of a gun, the symbol Texas Tech Red Raiders fans used every time the team scored.

"Guns up!" Gracie Bell said back to Tim. She was obviously proud of herself, lifting her palm for Tim to give her a high five. Usually this scene would have made Julie smile.

But at that moment, it made her heart pang in her chest. She loved Tim. She knew that. The idea that he might not be in her life anymore made her heart break.

Julie hated Matt for putting this in her head, but she couldn't help herself.

Tim lifted his head and gave her a radiant smile. She tried to return it, but she wasn't sure she did a very good job.

For the life of him, as June turned into July, Tim still couldn't figure out what was bothering his girlfriend. He just doesn't understand the funk Julie seemed to be in.

It bothered him more than he would like to admit. And if he was being honest, he would have to say that it scared him, too. The Fourth of July was approaching, and Tim knew that the fireworks would give them plenty of privacy for him to talk to Julie.

That isn't to say that Tim was particularly excited to confront Julie about it all. He just knew he had to do it.

Just like the summer before, Tim drove Julie out to the farm so that they would have the best view of the fireworks. They filled the bed of Tim's truck with blankets and climbed in. As they waited for them to start, Julie curled herself around Tim, laying her head on his chest.

"Your heart's beating pretty fast," she told him, tipping her head up to look at him. When she did, the first firework popped in the sky. The green glow of it painted Tim's face in its light.

"Watch your fireworks, Jules," he told her, planting a kiss on her forehead. Tim knew how much she loved the fireworks. He didn't want her to miss them.

But that Julie Taylor of his could be stubborn, and it was coming out then. She kept her eyes on Tim even though he had turned his eyes to the sky. He could feel her staring at him, though, so he glanced down.

"Last time I checked, I'm not fireworks." Julie smirked at him.

"What's bothering you enough to make your heart beat like that?"

Tim tried to shrug and leave it at that, but Julie wasn't having any of it. She didn't speak again, but she kept her eyes on Tim's face. Julie knew she wouldn't even have to say anything, and that was confirmed when Tim sighed and looked back down at her.

She offered him a smile. Tim shook his head at her. "You could drive a man crazy, Jules, you know that?"

"I think you might have told me before."

"So, are you gonna tell me why you've been in a weird mood all summer?" Tim didn't know any other way to say it than to just say it outright. He watched smile slide right off of Julie's face to be replaced with a pout.

"Think I didn't notice?" Tim tried to tease her, but it didn't work. Julie sat up in the truck bed, fireworks going off right behind her head. She put a hand out to him, an offering. Tim put his hand in hers and let her pull him up.

"Tim, what are we gonna do when you go to college?" So that's what had been eating at her.

"Well, I was hoping you might come to some of my home games," Tim admitted. "And I figured I would be back in Dillon for all of the school breaks."

"You don't want to break up?" Julie asked, her lower lip quivering. Tim had seen Julie cry a few times before, and every time it made him feel like he was going to throw up. He hated seeing Julie cry, and he didn't want that to happen now.

"Julie Taylor," Tim said. He never used her full name, not unless he was being truly serious. "Why the hell would you think that?"

Tim ran his hand through his hair before opening his arms for Julie to come into. It was obvious from her face that these tears weren't going to stop. Julie moved into his lap as Tim's arms wrapped around her.

"Where is this coming from?" He asked her, his voice softer now.

"There's gonna be a lot of new girls at college," Julie told him. "And they'll be your age. Or older. What if you meet someone that is better than me? More fun or prettier or—"

Tim cut Julie off here. "Julie, I don't give a damn about any girl I could meet at college. I'm going there to play football and do homework and think about the only girl I've ever cared about."

That actually made Julie laugh a little even though she was crying. "Really?"

"Where did all of this come from?" Tim asked. Julie was quiet for a moment. She was embarrassed to tell him.

"Well, at Smash's party, Matt told me—" Tim rolled his eyes and cut her off.

"Who cares what Seven said, Jules! He's an idiot. He's just jealous he was too stupid to hold on to you."

"You think so?" Julie asked. She was happy that he had switched to using her nickname again. She didn't really like when Tim called her by her full name.

"I know so," Tim told her. "Jules, I love you. Okay? Don't doubt that, and don't listen to idiots, because that's the truth."

Tim had never said those words to Julie. He had felt it for quite a while, but he hadn't had the courage to tell her. But now it had come out without Tim thinking about it, because Julie was crying, and he hated that, and he wanted it to stop.

It did not go unnoticed by Julie, though. She smiled, her face tucked close against his chest, and wrapped her arms around him. Julie was sure she had never been so happy in her whole life, sitting in that truck bed with Tim Riggins, who had just told her that he loved her.

Matt and second-guessing be damned. Julie knew she was right where she needed to be.