Chapter Fifteen

She sat at the table in the high school library looking around and felt old. Was it her or did the kids just keep getting younger....or worse was she really getting older? Abbey shook her head. It felt like years since she had graduated, even if it was only three months ago. What a long, painful summer that had been.

She looked at the chair on her left at the intense and expensive baby carrier beside her at the beaming baby Gracie who was watching her with a gleeful smile. Abbey turned and leaned over the baby to smile and tickle her.

"Who's a pretty girl? Are you beautiful? Of course you are!" She said giggling at the baby.

"Wow," Abbey looked up, to see the one, the only JD McCoy, "I think it is amazing that you are persevering and continuing school," Abbey raised her eyebrows, "You know, through it all," He inclined his head towards the baby carrier.

Abbey looked from the baby to JD and back before looking up at JD and shaking her head, "No, no, no, no, no. HAHAHAHAH! This isn't my baby, ahahaha, no no, this is Coach Taylor's youngest daughter." She explained smiling in spite of who was sitting across from her. Her brothers football nemesis.

"So...you just kidnapped her and...are collecting yourself in the library to decide your next move?" He said smiling, Abbey grudgingly noticed that he had an impishly good looking smile and beautiful eyes. She shook her head trying to clear her head.

"No, I am their nanny."

"You are a nanny? That is what I call extra curricular activities. I heard Principle Taylor was harsh about her students when she was a councilor but this..."

"No," Abbey held up her hand to silence him. "I graduated last year."


"And they trust you with their baby?"

"Well, I took first aid through school to a level three, and I took early child care over the summer."

"Over the summer? Didn't you have any fun?"

"Let's just say I needed the distraction, anyway I am not done," She shrugged, "It's a three year program, but the Taylor's decided to.... give....me .... a shot...." She looked at JD furrowing her brow, "Why do you care?"

"You seem interesting," He said shrugging his shoulders.

"Interesting?" She asked.

He smiled, "I am JD McCoy," He said holding his hand out across the table.

She took it, shaking his hand noticing it was big, maybe that was his gift, that was how he was so good at football. "I know, I am Abbey Saracen,"

He sucked the air through his teeth and shook his head looking physically pained. "Saracen?"

"Y'up Saracen, I would say one and only but you know that isn't true." She smiled coyly at him.

"Ya, do you hate me?"

She wanted to spit at him that yes she did hate him for the thorn she had put in her brother's side, at his senior year of football but something about him made her hesitate. It was far easier to hate Voodoo then it was to hate JD. Maybe it was his innocence, he was only fifteen.

"No I don't hate you," She said smiling at him, "I don't even know you,"

"Oh," He smiled blushing for the first time. She chuckled and he looked up at her from under his incredibly long lashes.

"So 'interesting' huh?" She said smiling at him. He smiled back.

Why was she doing this? Why didn't she tell him to get up and get lost? What if Matt walked in right now? Saw her with his competitor? But it was honestly nice. Nice to be able to talk to someone other than Matt, or Julie, or Landry, or Tyra for that matter. Nice to talk to someone who was nice to her and seemed to pay attention to her. No one had since.... well, before the summer.

"SARACEN?!" Abbey and JD both looked across the library to see Tim Riggins standing in the doorway, pencil behind his ear; notebook in hand, arms open.

Abbey turned bright red and turned back around to face JD, her mouth open her heart hammering. She looked right into JD going into complete panic mode.

"Are you okay?" JD asked raising both his eyebrows.

What a dumb question. Did she look okay? Was anything about this situation okay? She had to keep her head, she had to keep breathing. She stood up and grabbed the baby carrier jerkingly making Gracie gurgle. She turned not bothering to say goodbye to JD and, staggering under the weight of the baby carrier which felt one hundred pounds heavier then it was when she had come in easy, breezy and care free, made her way to the doors.

"Saracen? Saracen where are you going?"Tim hopped over a chair to catch up with her. "Come on we have to talk!"

She shot a look over her shoulder not trusting herself to actually turn around. "You think I have anything to say!?" She had to control herself to not hiss the words. "Tell your girlfriend to stop leaving messages on my phone. She is wasting my minutes." With that she turned and walked out of the library.

****

The droning adult contemporary music kept blaring on and on and on and Abbey wondered what it would take to get her crotchety old manager to change the station. She leaned against her till watching two thirteen year olds giggling at the dirty magazines that were still in the plastic cover.

"Excuse me!" The two boys jumped and turned to look at her going beet red, "If you aren't going to purchase a magazine, beat it! This isn't a library!" She snarled they looked at each other and ran out of the store dropping the magazine on the floor. She rolled her eyes but didn't go over to pic up the fallen book.

She leaned against her tills drawer and looked out the window at the dark sky and wished she was home. She looked at the digital clock in the corner of her computer screen, it was 9:00.

'Only an hour and a half, then freedom....' She shook her head trying not to focus on the time.......... 'Only an hour and twenty-nine minutes......'

She turned when she heard a group of people coming up to her till. A group of young kids who Abbey knew went to Dillon High came up to her till buying pop, chips and dip. She rung them through and they gave her a very weathered ten dollar bill. The girl who seemed to be their leader thanked Abbey shyly before they all scurried out of the super market.

"Well, I see," She turned to see JD McCoy standing at the end of her till with a tub of ice cream in his hand. He put it down and walked up to stand across from her. "You are a mild mannered Nanny by day but at night, your prowl the aisles as a...cashier!"

She smirked at him. "If I didn't know better, which I don't for that matter, I would say you were stalking me,"

He smiled and shrugged leaning on the signing stand as his ice cream beeped as Abbey dragged it over her scanner. "Naw, I just really like this grocery store."

"Oh, glad you cleared that up." She said smiling as she took his fiver and turned to count out his change.

"JD!!" They both turned to one of the girls who had come gone through Abbey's till not two seconds earlier, leaning in through the out door batting her eyelashes at JD. Abbey was struck by how young she looked, in her barely filled out spaghetti strap top and poorly applied too dark eye liner. When she looked back at JD Abbey realized for the first time really that he was, in fact, young too.

"Your friends are waiting," She said smiling brightly handing him his change. He was blushing.

"Oh them, uh, yeah...." He trailed off and pocketed the change. He was wearing blue jeans and a white and red polo t-shirt. "What time are you here till?"

She looked at him and noticed he seemed pretty hopeful. "I close tonight," She said shrugging.

He nodded and picked up the plastic bag with his ice cream and waved at her, "Later,"

"Later," She said waving back wondering what exactly was going on with this JD McCoy.

*****

Her pen scratched across the page, as she crossed off all the signs that had to come down tomorrow her mind wondered off topic....to JD.

What was with this kid? Why did he keep popping up? She shook her head writing it off as coincidence. She reached down and picked up her bag and walked out of the back office.

She marched through the store. "Night George," She yelled down aisle eight to the night janitor.

"Night Abbey!" He called back.

She came to the front and double checked that the tills were all locked before she walked out the out door which was the only one not locked.

The night air was refreshing as she stepped out. She zipped up her Panthers Football wind breaker.

"Hey!" She looked up from the zipper to see JD leaning against her truck a Panthers Football hoody now on. She was stunned.

"Uh hi, what are you still doing here?" Abbey asked shocked to see him standing there.

"I could ask you the same, I thought they closed at ten?" He asked pointing at the store.

"Yeah but we need an extra half hour to get everything squared away." She said stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Did you wait here just for me?" Abbey found it hard to believe there could be any other explanation for his presence.

"Ahh, yeah kinda." He smiled at her from under his lashes. She felt a little dumb founded.

"Uh you want a ride home?" She asked pointing at her truck.

"Yeah, thanks," He said smiling and walking over to the passenger side door.

Abbey shook her head wondering just exactly what she was getting into and got into the driver side door.

They drove along the dark Dillon streets in silence before JD turned to look at her. "So what's the deal with you and that Riggins kid? You hauled out of that library pretty fast," He asked looking at her.

Abbey shifted in her seat uncomfortably, "Why do you care?"

He shrugged, "I dunno, I find you interesting I guess," He said smiling.

"Ya you mentioned that. Let me get this straight, you moved from Dallas to here, and you find me interesting?" She asked her eyebrows raised. "Not to mention all the cheer leaders and rally girls falling off you now,"

He simply shrugged again, "They aren't interesting."

"Oh?"

"No, take your next right and then the third left. So Riggins?"

Abbey looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "You really want to know?" He just nodded. "Ok well it is pretty involved and I thought....well lets just say that... to say that 'I miss read the situation' would be a major understatement and that basically I was an idiot."

"I think he kinda seems like an ass," Abbey looked at JD.

"In your best interest, keep that opinion to your self." She smiled at him.

"This is me" They pulled up to the enormous house and Abbey had to struggle to keep her jaw from dropping. He got out and slammed his door only to turn back and motion for her to roll down the passenger window.

Abbey leaned over and unrolled the window. "Uh I was wondering, do you know anything about poetry?"

"Pardon?" Abbey asked chuckling.

"Uh I have this huge paper and hole section of my english class about poetry and I really suck at poetry," He said blushing rather intensely.

She shook her head, "Don't you have like a 4.0 grade point average?"

"Uh...." He looked around trying to avoid her eye contact, before finally meeting her gaze, "Yeah but...."

Abbey shook her head, "You don't need my help JD," She said smiling slightly at him.

"Well, think about it, ya know, my paper is due next friday so if you want.....whatever," He shrugged his shoulders before banging his hand on the window frame, waving lamely and turning to go into his home.

*****

"Uh, Mrs. Taylor?" Abbey sat on the Taylor's couch, her legs crossed with Gracie lying on her back in front of her on the couch, freshly changed.

"Yes Abbey?" The coach's wife was puttering in the kitchen before Abbey went home.

"I need some advice,"

"Shoot," Tammy Taylor appeared from behind the counter and looked right at Abbey making her blush.

"Uh I think, and this is just me, ya know, speculating here, I think that this guy might like me and he keeps popping up and now wants me to tutor him and I don't think it is a good idea at all but .... I dunno, he's sweet and he is like really paying attention to me and it is flattering , I guess," Abbey took a deep breath realizing she was babbling and looked at Tammy who was smiling knowingly. Abbey took hold of Gracie Bell's tiny hands in her own and the baby gurgled happily.

"Who's the boy?" She asked quirking her head to the side.

Abbey didn't really want to answer but need some good solid advice and thought honesty was the best way to get constructive advice, "JD McCoy," The name came out in a rush and Tammy's eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open. Abbey blushed.

"JD...McCoy?" She asked quietly.

Abbey nodded, "I know he is like three years younger then me, and I should set the kid straight but every time I try it's like he looks at me and I can't. And all I can think is what if Matt finds out that I am hanging out with him? He is gonna be devastated." Abbey looked guiltily at Tammy, who licked her lips and took a deep breath.

"Well Abbey, I don't think Matt should be devastated, if he is he is wrong. JD is a sweet kid, and he is only fifteen. As far as tutoring him that is up to you and how comfortable you are doing that knowing that the boy has feelings for you."

"That is the thing, I don't, not know for sure at least." She shrugged.

"Well Abbey this is the way it goes sometimes, if you want to help him you should." Tammy said all of a sudden very enthusiastic looking. "Ya know what you should do? You should come over, with me, help his mum.... find out what kind of kid he is."

"Help with what?"

"The BBQ, the coaches BBQ. Mrs. McCoy said they don't mind having it at their place."

It was Abbey's turn to let her jaw drop, "And the coach was okay with this?"

******

"I don't want to go! I don't see why I have too!"

"Cause you are QB1 Matt take some ownership of that please," Abbey said shooting a glance at her brother who was slumped in the seat next to her.

"Not for long with this kid breathing down my throat." Matt said motioning out the windshield like JD was standing right there.

"Matt, he is fifteen and the coach is standing firmly beside YOU." Abbey snapped again.

Matt looked at her, "What's your problem?"

"What's my problem? What's your problem? You drove out to mom's place without even telling me so you could imancipate yourself, so you could become grandma's guardian!"

"Well, it isn't like you could!" He snapped back. Abbey's head snapped around to glare at her brother. They pulled up to the valet service in front of the McCoy's house, which snapped them both out of their argument. They got out of the car and Abbey handed over her keys.

She looked at her brother pulling down the bottom of her white tightly fitting blouse over her jean skirt.

"Can we just get through this please?" She asked glancing at her brother.

He nodded, looking at her out the corner of his eye, "You think Riggins is gonna be here?"

She glared at him, "Pardon me!?"

Matt shrugged, "Just you haven't really dressed up since, well ya know," She glared at him and he didn't finish the train of thought.

"I wanted to look nice, Sorry," She said shaking her head. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, two strands framed her face and were pulled behind her ears. It was the first time she had put her hair up in about seven months. She was wearing her glasses which she hadn't really known why. She had always put her contacts in but hadn't bothered tonight even though it had taken her nearly an hour to get ready.

"Let's just get this over with." Matt said shaking her head.

Abbey nodded and they both walked towards the house.

*****

"Your brother doesn't think that I'm funny," Abbey jumped. She had been standing on the balcony on edge, a red plastic gripped tightly in her hand. She looked and saw JD standing beside her. "Sorry didn't mean to freak you out or anything."

"No you just snuck up on me is all. Ignore Matt, he ....he has a lot on his mind."

"Oh ya?" JD turned and looked out over the pool same as Abbey.

"Not like you don't," Abbey shrugged and looked at JD only to see Lyla standing in kitchen talking to Tyra. She looked at the ground and swallowed.

"You okay?" JD looked at her.

"Uh, nothing, I just kinda really don't want to bump into someone," She said shaking her head.

"Riggins?" Abbey shook her head. But JD only nodded.

"I got to go," Abbey said smiling at him, "I was thinking, I can help you with your paper, how about staring after friday's game?"

A huge smile crossed JD's face. "Great! That would be perfect!"

"Okay, well, I will see you around," She said nodding.

"Will you be at the game tomorrow?" He asked brightly as she started to walk back into the house.

"Course, my brother is QB1," She said smiling at him over her shoulder.

A/N: Hey all, in a rush to get this up before the new episode premiers (my time at least). ok so sorry about the false start for season two, had a lot going on, but now i mean business. hope you enjoy this! will write more soon. Later days!!