*********PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE**********

Hey guys, this will probably be my last update for a couple of days. I'm really sorry but I'm going on a road trip to Sacramento and I'm gonna try and see if I can get internet at my grandparents house because I'm going to have my laptop. I'll be writing in the car! Haha, but keep those reviews coming! I'm so sad, I barely get them anymore ): But I promise you, when I come back in a couple days... You're gonna be happy with what I have for you! I know you all are dying for Julie and Tim to get together but what story would it be without some drama? ;) So trust me, when I come back, ya'll are gonna be sayin it was worth the wait ;) So PLEASEEEE review! I love them! And send me messages for future ideas? Haven't gotten any of those yet and I'm dying to hear what all of your ideas are. My phone has internet everywhere so I will be able to reply to your messages and reviews whenever. I DO check my inbox! So make sure you do those things! I love to hear from my readers. Thanks! (:

-Madi.

Chapter Seven.

"Excuse me have you seen a black Chevy truck drive past here at all?" Eric Taylor asked a farmer that was working on the side of the road. He had been searching for an hour for Julie and Tim Riggins. He prayed to God that they hadn't been doing anything foolish. He swore that Riggins would be kicked out of the house the moment he found them and he wouldn't be playing for a hell of a long time.

"They just turned at the next right on the dirt road." The old man stated pointing down the road.

"Thank you very much," Coach said and started his engine again.

"Hey Coach, we going for a win tonight," the man asked fixing his hat.

"You bet your ass we are," Taylor replied and pressed his foot on the gas. He sped down the road, anticipating the moment he found the two of them. He knew his Julie, she wouldn't dare fall for a drunk fool like Riggins. She deserved to be with someone like Saracen. But no, she dumped him for the Swede. Eric Taylor may have been distant from his daughter lately, but he sure did know what was best for her – and that was not Riggins.

He had figured something had been going on between the two lately. Julie had been ignoring Tim whenever a family member was around and they were always looking at each other strange. He wondered what had happened that night when Tim left the house over the weekend. When he came back he could already smell the beer on him. For a second, he thought Riggins had sobered up since he started living with the Taylor's – but he thought wrong. Everything started making sense one he put the pieces of the puzzle together. Julie was seeing Tim Riggins.

He turned the corner and sped up once he was able to make out a black truck in the distance. He came closer and he watched as Tim Riggins leaned his daughter against the truck. They were both laughing and Eric's eyes narrowed as he glared at Riggins. He smiled pulling her in for a tight hug. The Coach drove faster coming to a complete stop as the two kids pulled apart. Riggins and Coach both locked eyes and Eric Taylor's jaw was clenched.

Coach got out of the car and walked straight up to Riggins. He never stopped looking at him. "Julie, get in the car." His daughter didn't move a muscle. "Get in the car." He shouted. Julie ran over to her father's car and got in the passenger seat.

Riggins looked worried about what his coach had to say to him. He knew it was wrong to take his daughter away from school but it was definitely not what Coach thought it was. Tim looked over Coach's shoulder and saw a worried look on Julie's face. She bit her bottom lip in fear for Tim. He looked down taking a deep breath, getting ready for what the consequences were that were coming at him.

Eric Taylor thought long and hard as he was glaring at Riggins. He wondered what the outcome of his conversation with him would end up being. "What the hell do you think you're doing ditching class with my daughter?"

Riggins glanced up, his hair falling to his face. "I'm sorry, Coach." He mumbled.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Coach raised his voice. "Give me a straight answer or you're out of here."

Riggins sighed, standing up straight to his coach. "Your daughter and I needed to fix some things." He stated.

Eric Taylor stared defiantly at one of his star players. But frankly, he couldn't see a star player anymore. He wasn't sure what he saw, to be honest. "You better tell me you ain't seeing my daughter."

"Sir, Julie and I are just friends," he shook his head and looked at the coach just wanting the conversation to be over.

Coach watched as the look on Tim Riggins' face was nearly pleading to not punish him. He shook his head, "You know, I'm thinking about kicking you out of our house. I swear to God, you make one move on my daughter, you can bet your ass you'll be kicked out faster than you can say football. Speaking of, don't even think about showin up to tonight's game because I can assure you, you won't be part of it."

Riggins shook his head, "Coach, I want to play."

"Yeah? Well you should've thought about that when you ditched school grounds with my daughter. I have made the decision to not have the number thirty-three on my field tonight and my decision is final. It's hard enough to have you living in my house." Eric Taylor was sick of him already. He pointed his finger at Riggins. "You listen closely; I'm watching you from now on. So you better think twice." He turned his back and left going straight for the car.

Riggins' eyes fell on Julie who was worried for herself and him. She had wondered what had just happened and what was about to happen to her. She watched as her dad climbed into the truck starting the car. He turned the truck around and she saw that Tim Riggins, being soaked by the rain, just stood there looking down at his feet while they drove away. She worried for his sake that he would be coming home tonight. She glanced at her father with a worried look but he didn't dare look at her. "Julie, I want you to be honest with me," he said. "I want you tell me what's going on between you and Tim Riggins."

Julie gulped and looked at her father. "Tim and I were just in a fight."

"About what?"

Julie freaked. What was she supposed to say? Tim Riggins took her virginity the night of the party so she was mad because she didn't remember and so he made her ditched and they hugged and made up. That wasn't going to cut and it sure was not appropriate. So she came up with a big fat lie that she knew was probably going to haunt her forever. "He was just being an idiot. We got in a fight last weekend and it was just bad. There was name calling and I didn't want to talk to him. He tried to get me to accept his apology but I wouldn't. So he took me away from school so we could actually talk – and we did and things got better."

Her father's jaw was still clenched and he was glaring as he watched the road closely. "I'm telling you, Jules. That boy is up to no good. You better watch yourself."

"You didn't kick him out did you?" Julie asked, concerned.

He rolled his eyes. "He's one step away from being kicked out. He's suspended from tonight's game."

Julie looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Can I stay home with him?"

The Coach looked at her, then back at road, then back at Julie. "What the… What the hell, Julie? Absolutely not. You're going to the game with Gracie and your mother to support the team."

"But, Dad, Tim will be all alone-"

"No buts. My answer is final. Riggins is a big boy. He can take care of himself." He mumbled.

"I'm tired of going to those games. I'm tired of seeing Matt making touchdowns every minute of the game. I'm tired of everything being all about him and the game. I'm just tired of it, okay? I don't want to support the team. For once, I just want to stay home and relax!" Julie admitted out loud.

"Well, sorry, Julie. But I don't want you home alone with Riggins, okay? He's a bad boy and he's up to no good." He shook his head.

"But don't you think he's changed? He's sobered up, he's running errands for you and Mom, and he's taking me to school and to dance class. I mean seriously, what is so bad about him that makes you not want me to stay at home with him? You have to trust me, Dad. We're just friends." Julie was at the verge of crying.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Jules. I don't trust him, that's all." He said, shaking his head.

Julie leaned back in her seat rolling her eyes. "Fine then," she shrugged her shoulders folding her arms across her chest. "I guess I'll go to the game and watch my ex-boyfriend take all of the fame like I do every single Friday night. Yeah, that really sounds like a blast. Thanks, Dad."

"Consider it me doin' you a favor."

The rest of the car ride was silent. All Julie wanted to do was stay home. Her dad didn't trust her enough to stay home with Riggins even though they were only just friends. She didn't want to go to the game and watch Matt, her ex-boyfriend, take the victory once again. She was tired of it. She didn't want to watch the Panthers lose or win. She just didn't want it. She wanted to relax for once on a Friday night. But no, living in a small town, it was everyone's life to go to the local high school football game.

They drove through town and she noticed the signs on the doors of all the businesses: "Closed – going to the game." She frowned at how football-obsessed this town was. She loved football, but with her father being the coach and having it emotionally being part of her life, she began to grow tired of it. All Julie was asking for was just one small break. She just wanted to be with Tim for a night to hang out and to remember what it was like back when they were friends. But she wasn't sure what to think of her father not trusting Tim – or her for that matter.

She thought about the fight at school. She didn't really noticed how bruised his face was when they were talking but now that she thought about it, his face was bruise. She wondered if her father had heard about the fight, too. But she didn't want to risk saying anything because then Tim could have been kicked out for good and Julie didn't want that.

But Julie was glad the fight had happened. It's a silly thing to say, but she was relieved that there was someone out there to protect her. He was there to comfort her. She felt as if she could trust Tim with taking care of her and that she didn't have to worry about guys trying to get into her pants. She had Tim Riggins there to back her up and she knew that every guy was afraid of him. Literally.

Her father drove into the driveway of their house parking the car. "I'll be back. You're mom needs to catch up on some work but she'll be home in an hour or two." Julie opened the door getting out of the truck and her father watched her walk silently into the house. He worried about when Riggins got back to the house. But he couldn't stay. He had a team to prepare for tonight's game.

Riggins drove him with no radio on. He just thought about how lucky he was that he didn't get kicked out. He had wondered about what Julie had told him exactly when he got back into the car. All he could think about was the worry on Julie's face. He felt bad because he knew that if it wasn't for him, they would have never been in this situation. He pulled into the driveway to the Taylor's house and noticed there was no other car. He wondered if he was the only one there. He got out of his truck and brought in Julie's school bag. He locked his truck and walked in through the front door.

He walked over into Julie's room noticing she was sitting on her bed hugging a fluffy pillow with tears running down her cheeks and her hair damp. He sighed and looked at her with apologetic eyes. "Um," he sighed. "You left your bag in my car." He mumbled setting the bag down on the floor. Julie set her pillow down and ran up to him wrapping her arms tight around his neck. Riggins wasn't expecting it and he wasn't sure whether to hug back or not, worried that Coach could walk in at any moment. But the time was right, and Julie really seemed like she needed a hug at the moment. So he wrapped his arms around her fragile body and squeezed her tight.

He took this moment in and prayed that it would last. He felt closer to Julie now. Not just because they had shared something intimately in the past. But because they both understood what each of them were going through. Riggins had thought of Julie Taylor as one of his closest friends.