Wow 20 chapters already! This chapter takes place just a couple hours after the last.

Shelley carefully tip-toed into the kitchen to grab a glass of water, she was struggling to fall asleep. As she quietly headed back towards the guest bedroom, she noticed the lamp in in Julie's room giving off a bright glow. Shelley peeked in the room to see Julie reading on her bed.

"What are you still doing up?" She whispered, careful not to startle her niece or wake anyone else. Julie looked up from her book to see her aunt standing in her doorway.

"I can't sleep," Julie responded.

"Me either," Shelley added approaching Julie's bed. She noticed the framed picture of Julie and Tim after a football game sitting on her nightstand. Julie scooted over on the bed invited Shelley to join her.

"Tim seemed like a really nice guy," Shelley commented. Julie blushed.

"Yeah, he's pretty great," Julie responded with a smile.

"How'd you two get together? I thought you always said you'd never date one of your dad's players," Shelley inquired. When Julie was younger she refused to look at football players, especially her dad's, romantically.

"He had a falling out with his brother and my dad let him stay here. When the tornado went through, we were at the store together and he pulled me to a safe spot and protected me. Then, I went to a party and got super drunk and this guy was trying to take advantage of me and Tim got him to back off and got me home without my parents finding out I had been at a party. I always thought he was just another arrogant football player that slept around with the rally girls, but after that I dunno I guess I could tell he was different, and then we started dating," Julie confessed. "Everyone thought I was crazy and said that it would never last because I was a good girl and he was Tim Riggins who has been with nearly every girl in Dillon. My parents definitely didn't approve at first, they thought of him as a son after he lived with us, but they were not at all happy when I told them we were dating." Shelley didn't exactly know how to respond to that, so she gave Julie a supportive smile.

Flashback 1 year ago

Julie and Tim had been dating for just about a month, but no one knew yet. They tried to avoid each other at school to keep their relationship out of the public eye and a secret from the Taylors. They would occasionally, when the library wasn't full, eat lunch together in the library. Today was one of those days, they got their lunch and noticed the nearly empty library and decided to eat in there. What they didn't notice, was that Tyra happened to be checking out a new book this hour and saw them eating together. Tyra decided to save her friend the pain that she went through and warn her about Tim.

"Am I blind or did I see you and Tim eating lunch together in the library?" Tyra asked later in the day when Julie had came over. Julie contemplated what to say do I confess and get the ass chewing I can sense coming on? she asked herself. Tyra didn't give her a chance to answer. "ya'll are dating aren't you!" Tyra assumed. "no don't you dare deny it!" Tyra threatened when she saw the look on Julie's face.

"Yeah, we are dating now," Julie finally confessed.

"Julie... why? Why Tim Riggins?" Tyra asked with the best interest in mind for her friend. Tyra knew from experience what it was like to date time.

"He's different! He's changed!" Julie defended.

"No Julie, he's still Tim Riggins, he's still a Dillon Panther, nothings changed. This isn't going to end well Julie, mark my word. And your parents are going to be pissed when they find out," Tyra preached.

Week Later

The winter formal was coming up, and Julie desperately wanted to go with Tim; the only catch - she hadn't told her parents they were dating yet. In order to go with Tim, an upperclassman, Tami had to sign a form. I've got to figure out a way to tell them Julie thought. One evening while her dad was at a dinner with the boosters, Julie decided to ask her mom to sign the permission form.

"Yep, I can!" Tami responded when Julie asked her to sign it. "Wait... your going with Tim Riggins?" Tami furrowed her brow, of all people to go with, why Tim? She had heard horror stories about this boy and experienced first hand the aftermath of the girls that had dated him who came in for counseling.

"Yeah, we're dating now," Julie confidently confessed.

"Since when have you and Tim been dating?" Tami questioned in a demanding tone. I can't believe this! My daughter dating Tim Riggins, unbelievable!

"Just a couple weeks," Julie answered. "I don't see why it's a big deal."

"You din't see why it's a big deal? Julie! He has been with nearly every girl in Dillon!" And Tami exclaimed. "Your dad and I are going to have a talk about this before I sign that paper."

End of Flashback

"So is he a pretty good football player?" Shelley eventually asked to break the silence.

"Yeah, he's been getting college offers," Julie admitted with a weak smile.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, but he says he doesn't wang to go."

"Really?"

"Yep, he says he wants to stay here with me, and the baby," Julie answered. "But I don't want to hold him back." She had been thinking a lot about this recently, with State coming up and colleges adding pressure to Tim about committing. She doesn't want to be a burden to him.

"Let's quit all this mushy gushy talk, you wanna watch a movie?" Shelley asked, she could tell her nieces demeanor had changed, and she wanted to take her mind off of whatever it was she was thinking about. Shelley found the laptop from the living room and started a movie. They spent the rest of the night watching the movie in Julie's bed each trapped in their own thoughts.

I can't imagine going through what she is going through right now Shelley thought. Shelley thought back to her high school days, and how she would handle it if she was in this situation; I definitely not be handling it as well as she is! I wonder what the kids at school think about it? I hope her friends and classmates don't think differently of her or treat her differently!

I hope you enjoyed!