Disclaimer: I don't own FNL.

Authors Note: I won't get into the habit of putting these every chapter but I forgot to mention that parts of the dialogue are lifted from the show to set the scene. As fans of the show you would have realised this. Initially this chapter was joined to the first so I'm still setting the scene. As it continues I will move away from the show picking and choosing bits that fit into my story.

xxx Thanks to everyone who took the time to read, review and favourite or follow. Journey4eva you're officially my first reviewer on fan fic :D xxx

Big thanks to JohnGreenGirl again for Beta reading this chapter.

Rocky Road – Chapter 2

Hey r we meetn up 2night

Julie waited in anticipation, checking her phone sporadically. After her shower, when she woke up, and between classes. Days passed and still nothing.

The Swede was totally blowing her off.

Julie quivered with indignation reaching for her phone. Her fingers became a flurry across the keys. She read over the text and squeezed her eyes shut. Sending this wasn't going to get her any answers.

Julie deleted her words instead asking the question on the forefront of her mind: Did I do something?

He replied seconds later: I think we're better as friends. I don't want da drama. C u at da pool.

Disappointment sagged through her upon reading his message. He seemed to be into her when they hung out last weekend at the pool. She remembered their kiss in the carpark at the pep rally.

What could have happened between then and now? Maybe somebody said something to him?

Matt.

Julie couldn't believe it! Where did he get off? Lois had told her that Matt was dating already, some new girl. The news had cut like a knife, he was never in love with her. If he was, he couldn't have moved on so quickly. She typed another text, this one was for Matt.

Wat did u say 2 The Swede?

Wat r u talkn about?

How dare u say somethin 2 him he wasn't y we broke up

I never said anythin 2 him, I'm fine by da way

I know ur fine ur datin a cheerleader, u've movd on so hav I

Knock, knock. Her bedroom door opened. "Dinners ready."

Julie offered a half shrug pretending to focus on her phone. The tension between her mother and herself had been building all summer. Ever since her father left she found herself at her mum's beck and call, not that she ever heard a thank you. Eyes full of contempt and lectures awaited her if she wasn't chipper 24/7.

Julie trudged from her room to the kitchen, exhaling loudly. Tacos again. Her mum knew this was her least favourite meal. The glare her mother shot at her was a warning to keep her mouth closed. Julie opened the cutlery draw and selected a knife and fork. She picked up her plate and headed for her room, kicking the door closed once inside.

Avoiding her mother was getting easier by the day. Unfortunately, her sister Gracie was caught in the middle. Julie turned on the television, finding Reno 911 repeats. They always cheered her up without fail. How it was allowed on air she'd never know.

Her mind drifted back to The Swede when she went to bed. Maybe he had found someone else and was just going to ignore her. An older girl, possibly, and he didn't have the heart to tell her. Matt was the only one that knew about him besides Lois, and she wouldn't do anything to hurt Julie.

Tim!

She sat up in bed. He knew. "He saw us together at the petrol station and he's always at the pool."

She took her phone from the side table, opening a new message. "Damn it." She didn't know his number. Julie put it back on charge and pulled her covers up. Tomorrow, she would confront Tim.

At school, after practise, Julie waited for him by his truck. Dillon's finest players strolled out from the locker rooms. Tim was taking his time by the look of things, marching to his own beat. Julie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, hoping to regain some feeling.

"I'm out of here."

Julie spotted Tim's brown locks and his broad shoulders. He nodded bye to some second-string player whose face beamed at the acknowledgement Tim provided. He hadn't seen her yet.

A slight smile appeared on his face when their eyes met.

"Taylor, you wait'n on me?" Tim threw his school bag into the bed of the truck.

"This might seem like a strange question, but you didn't say anything to the lifeguard about me, did you? I know you saw us at the petrol station."

"And in the carpark. Why?" Tim ran a hand through his wet hair.

Julie noticed a glint of mischief in his eyes. She raised an arm to rest on her hip.

"Did you talk to him?" Tim smirked in response to her now hardened gaze. "What did you say?"

He shrugged and Julie didn't move an inch, waiting for his actual answer. "It was private."

"Private!" she threw her hands in the air, "unbelievable! Can't this town stay out of my business? We don't even know each other. Why are you getting involved, because Matt's on the team? Did he ask you to say something?"

Tim leant against the truck, folding his arms. His stance emphasised his already towering physique.

"I was looking out for Coach, that's all." His attitude too smug for her liking.

"He's not your Coach anymore. Remember? He left you," she offered spitefully.

"You can do better," Tim uttered.

Julie was stunned into silence at his words, since when did Tim notice her?

"Shouldn't you be busy getting drunk…?" Julie paused as his body tensed from her insult, immediately regretting it. She softened her voice and added, "Just butt out and leave me alone, Tim. I know what I'm doing."

"Doesn't seem like it to me," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you think you know me?" He didn't answer, instead letting his green eyes bore into hers. Julie started to feel her steel weaken, so she whirled around and stormed off towards the school entrance.

Julie sat in the passenger's seat of The Swede's van with the window down. The cool night air blew on her face as she deliberated the potential success a relationship between them would have. Did he even want something serious? After meeting his friends, she had her doubts.

Hours earlier, at the pool, Julie had apologised to The Swede for whatever Tim had said. In return, he'd invited her to hang out at his place after work. She'd texted her mum and switched off her phone.

I'm gettn a ride home. Won't b bck til late.

The whole night was long and uncomfortable, especially when a joint was passed around. She didn't want to appear childish but drugs weren't her thing. Julie wasn't a nark, so she simply passed it on. This crowd was definitely not for her.

She had wanted some time alone with The Swede to see what they had in common.

His van came to a stop in front of her house. Julie still had hope that they could make it work. She leant towards him, meeting in the middle for a goodnight kiss.

"Get in the house right now!" Julie pulled away from The Swede to see her mother marching across the lawn. Her face turning red, Julie glanced at her watch, it was after curfew.

"I'm not going in," Julie said defiantly. "Take me somewhere," she begged The Swede.

"I can't, that's kidnapping." Her mother pounded on the car window.

"I don't care... I'm not going in."

Her mother stepped closer, opening the car door. She began to forcefully drag Julie from the car.

"What is wrong with you?! Have you totally lost it?! What are you doing?!" Julie screamed hysterically.

The Swede sped off, taking her last hope of a relationship with him.

"I am your mother, alright! You have not grown up yet… and you're not rid of me yet, you hear!" She screamed for all the neighbours to hear.

"Go to Hell!" Julie spat in her mother's face.

SLAP. Pain and the sudden need for revenge shot through her. Julie was paralysed in place. Nobody had ever laid a hand on her, let alone her own mother. Once the initial shock wore off, she held her cold hands up to her face, trying to ease the sting.

"You got rid of me when you had Gracie and Dad left. So, you know what… you need to learn to live with that," Julie whispered, unable to keep her voice steady. She hustled it to her bedroom and locked the door before her sobs broke free.

Beep, Beep, BEEP, BEEP.

Julie hit the snooze button on her alarm. The sun was barely up as she woke. Julie momentarily forgot about last night's events… until she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She climbed out of bed edging closer to her mirror.

The slap wasn't just a bad memory, it had left her with a faint bruise around her eye. Worry gnawed at her, she didn't want anyone to know.

Julie tried to cover it by applying her usual makeup. It was no good, the purple bruise was clearly visible underneath. She fumbled through her makeup basket searching for heavy concealer. That did the trick. Julie styled her hair down across her face for extra surety.

Julie slunk out of the house with her lunch and textbooks before her mother woke. With no licence, she was walking to school for the foreseeable future.

By lunchtime, Julie was relieved that nobody, including Lois, could tell anything had changed.

Granted, Lois wasn't the most observant person to begin with. Tyra was never around anymore, so it wasn't all that hard of an act to keep up.

The foundation of Julie's life was crumbling out from under her but she kept up a show of normality. It was funny how you could feel so alone when you were surrounded by so many people.

The cafeteria emptied and the hallways filled with students, headed to their classes. Julie strolled up the internal stairs, lost in her thoughts when she plummeted forward, reeling from a sharp stab of pain in her back.

Julie toppled into the stair railing trying to steady herself. She glanced behind her into the crowd, heart pumping, wanting to find the culprit.

Sporting a sly grin on her face, there stood Lauren, Matt's seemingly perfect cheerleader girlfriend, at the bend in the stairwell. Julie was careful to keep a neutral expression. This girl did not get to see how much she had rattled her. Julie carried on walking up the stairs, softly rubbing her back.

It was comforting to know that Lauren was ugly on the inside and definitely not perfect.

In Science class, constant whispers and bitchy cackles had Julie on edge. She wondered who everyone was gossiping about now. Vanessa and Brittany, your typical blonde cheerleaders, sat directly across the room from her. Julie heard some more of her classmates muttering under their breath.

She glanced around to see a few quickly focus on their books or use their hand to hide their smiles. What was going on?

From the corner of her eye she could see the cheerleaders pointing at her. She turned towards them, glaring, and they glared back at her before whispering to each other. These types of girls seemed to travel in packs waiting to attack.

Julie couldn't wait for the day to be over, grateful when the school bell rang. She lifted her backpack up to the bench, feeling something wet and sticky on her fingers. What was that?

Pink gum was stuck all over her backpack. She heard their mocking laughter, turning in time to catch them each blowing a pink bubble while exiting the room. Julie sighed and grabbed a tissue. She began picking the gum off her bag.

This whole year was going to suck.

To make matters worse, she was seeing The Swede this afternoon. She wished she never signed up for extra shifts. Julie would be happy to avoid him indefinitely, mortified over the events of last night. Who was she kidding? They were never going to work out. She laughed to herself. Maybe Tim Riggins was right, she didn't know what she was doing.

Tim hoped Taylor was working after school. He lifted the child safety lock on the gate at the community pool and found her sitting atop the tower. She'd been acting odd all day, didn't smile or say much to her friend at lunch. Instead, she stared at her lunch tray and dragged her fork around the food.

Her change in appearance wasn't hard to miss, blonde hair strewn half across her face. Before school she wore sunglasses, which wasn't abnormal, but for her it was. She never wore them, not once that he could recall. Tim remembered the tricks his mum would use when his dad let loose after too many drinks.

Something was up with Taylor and he was determined to get answers.

She climbed down off her lifeguard stand. He decided now was the time to talk to her. He heaved himself out of the pool, grabbing his towel. Tim quickened his pace so they would meet at the corner bend.

"Hold up."

"Not now, Tim." She sighed moving to veer past him.

"Stop, will you? I just wanted to say..." Tim squinted as if the sun was reflecting off her sunglasses. Taylor lifted them to sit atop her head. Her makeup had melted in the heat allowing her bruised eye to shine through. He crumbled inside, raising his hand to touch her eye. She flinched in anticipation.

"How'd that happen?"

"None of your business," She responded angling herself to flee, stopped by Tim's fingers which now encased her wrist.

"Did he do this?" Tim said, staring at The Swede. He simmered with anger, balling his fists. Of all the mistakes he'd ever made, that was a line he would never cross, putting his hands on a woman.

"What? No!" She answered quickly, biting down on her lower lip.

"You've been avoiding him?" Was she trying to cover for him? He glimpsed a haunted expression flash briefly across her eyes. She opened her mouth about to speak but gave him a frosty look instead. Tim wished he could read her thoughts.

She folded her arms across her chest. "Isn't that what you wanted?" Her eyes darted around to nearby swimmers. Tim dragged her around to the side of the pool shed out of everyone's eye line and earshot.

"Tim! What the hell?" She shrieked, pulling free from his hold on her arm.

"Was this Seven?" he said between gritted teeth. Tim would make him pay, it didn't matter in the least that he was a teammate.

"No... Matt... No," her eyes started to glisten. "He would never do that."

"You can tell me." Tim searched her eyes for what felt like an eternity. He wanted Taylor to trust him, to feel safe around him.

She closed her eyelids, exhaling heavily. "It was my Mum…"

"Mrs Taylor?" he muttered in disbelief.

"Yeah, so you can go tell everyone now, happy? Spread some gossip, that's what everyone loves to do in Dillon." Julie kept her eyes from meeting his.

"Is everything alright at home?" he whispered, brushing off her last comment.

She bitterly laughed at his question before silence set in between them. He was happy she didn't run away. He gave her time to regain composure and hopefully open up to him.

Tim lifted her chin with his finger so their eyes met. "Jules."

"No, I..." she paused as her voice cracked. "I feel like I'm drowning… Have you ever had that? My life's falling apart and… I don't know what to do." She didn't hide her tears, letting them roll down her cheeks.

Tim felt his heart constrict at the sight. He didn't want her to cry. Tim wasn't comfortable being emotionally close to anybody. He wasn't sure what to say, but he wanted to comfort her.

Tim put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer to him. She leant into the hug resting against his chest. A small sob escaped her throat. He wrapped his other arm around her trembling body, his fingers meeting the bare skin of her back.

"Julie?... JULIE!" a female voice called, minutes later. Tim watched Taylor wipe her face dry and distance herself from him before he could object.

Tim looked down at his shirt, the remnants of her tears present as he drove home from the community pool. Julie Taylor was feeling the same as him. He'd just assumed she had a perfect life. Perfect family. Perfect grades. Perfect body. What could she possibly have to complain about?

Everything he knew about her was second hand gossip. Inwardly wincing, he thought she'd probably heard all about the Riggins family too. Holding her close to him minutes ago, it felt right. She needed someone in that moment, to care about her.

Last year was a nightmare for Tim. Jason's injury shook him, his on/off again relationship with Tyra had ended and nobody would ever forget the disaster that was Lyla Garrity. Tim didn't know what he was doing either, his life was a string of bad choices.

Julie Taylor's blunt words had stuck with him.

"Shouldn't you be busy getting drunk."

She wasn't wrong, all summer long he had leant on his faithful crutch. That was another thing Tim could thank his dysfunctional family for. It was the best coping mechanism he currently had.

The Taylor's were the only bright light in what was a very dark year. Deep down, deep, deep down if he was honest… he needed someone to care about him too.