Black Eyes and Broken Hearts

Season 1 – Episode 16

To all my reviewers: Thank you for joining me on this journey. I appreciate you taking the few minutes to let me know you are out there on this journey with me.

Disclaimer: This episode was created by Peter Berg and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. All recognizable dialogue is theirs, all italics are mine.

A/N: This chapter got away from me a bit. I wanted to include more details about certain things during the episode, but this chapter was so very long! I do hope you enjoy it!

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Eric asked. Before he knew it, it would be Friday night. He brought his team to the damn playoffs and it was all about to be mean absolutely nothing. How was he going to play this team without sixteen of his players?

He would be lying if he said he wasn't in complete and utter shock when, led by Smash, every player with dark skin refused to practice yesterday.

He sat on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes as Tami still lay under the covers, the thin sheet covering her bare breasts. As much as he would have loved to pulled that sheet down further, come back to bed and continue their escapades from the prior evening, he had to go. He called an early meeting with his assistant coaches to figure out what the hell they were going to do.

And Tami was no help. She spent the last the ten minutes not offering any words, just listening to him rant and being nothing more than a sexy distraction. She looked so damn good, he thought to himself.

"I can't beg them to come back and play for me. I won't." They were quite clear how they felt the minute they steeped off his field.

As Eric stood up and grabbed his blue pullover from the closet, she sat up, pulling the sheet with her, remaining covered. "They're angry, babe. They didn't know how to express it other than to stick it to team. Right now, this was their best move, even if it wasn't in the best interest of the team."

He threaded his arms through the sleeves and pulled the jacket over his head. "That's just it. The team didn't do anything to them."

"Mac is part of the team."

"I know. He said something stupid. That's all."

He started to walk out, but turned around to face her. "I'll see you later." His eyes moved from her face to her chest. He brought his eyes back to hers as he spoke. "I'll never know why you feel the need to cover up there." He waved his hands at her chest. "You know I just had full access to those with, not only my eyes, about…" He paused to look at his watch, smiled and looked back to her. "…about 7 hours ago."

"It's morning Eric." She said suddenly a little bit shy.

Eric couldn't help but smirk. "Does it really matter what time it is?" He looked again at his watch. "I have to go."

"Good luck." She called after him.

As Eric sat down with his coaches, and Crawley starting naming all the players he would not have the pleasure to work with this week, he looked to Mac. Why would he say something like that? He kept asking himself the same question over and over again.

The only solution Eric had right now was one he really didn't like. "What we're going to do is we're going to dip into the JV." He couldn't give in to demands. He was never that guy.

Once he had them all out on the field, he quickly realized that he had nothing to work with. He was losing his patience. He barked at some poor kid Tyler and then had to yell at Riggins for yelling at those very young boys. It was going to be a long week.

The next morning, he got a call from Crawley telling him to turn on the news. As they waited for Julie to leave for school, he and Tami listened to Smash on local television make threats. Tami stood in the kitchen stealing glances at Eric knowing how much he was holding in. She could tell he was frustrated and he was angry. She knew how much he hated feeling the pressure from others. He put enough of it on himself.

It was Eric's junior year of high school and they were headed to State. Tami's mother was allowing her to go to cheer on Mo, but she was under parent supervision. Her friend Danielle was going with her mother and Tami was invited to tag along.

They were headed to Austin. Tami was so excited to get away and get to experience what it feels like to have your high school get a shot at winning a state championship. She was excited for Mo too, but more about the entire experience.

They checked in to the hotel and Danielle's mother took them out for a late dinner. When they arrived back at the hotel, most of the team was hanging out in the lobby. Bed check wasn't for another hour and Danielle's mom allowed them a little bit of freedom, for that one hour anyway.

As soon as Danielle's mother was out of sight, Tami found Mo and they shared an oversized chair in the corner of the lobby. With all their friends around, they talked about what tomorrow was going to bring. All their hopes and dreams were on the line. Everyone seemed a little tense except for Mo. He was being a little bit arrogant and cocky.

At first, his confidence was what drew her to him, but over time, little by little she was starting to find that trait more and more annoying. Mo was going on and on about everyone needing to relax. That tomorrow wasn't a big deal. They were going to win, but if they didn't, the exposure was going to be enough to get colleges to notice.

The more he talked, the more Tami felt the need to get some fresh air. She removed his wrapped arms, got up off the chair and started to walk away from their circle in the corner. Instead of saying good-bye or asking where she was headed, he called after her. "You going to sneak up to my room later? It'd be good for all of us if you did."

She spun around just as Mo was high-fiving his teammate next to him. "Yeah." She said with her best southern smile. "Make sure you wait up for me." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and it seemed everyone but Mo knew she was pissed.

As she made her way toward the front entrance to the hotel, she noticed there were a few people outside. She pushed through the revolving glass door and as soon as she was clear from the whirling sound of the glass, a stern voice coming from the right caused her head to turn.

She immediately noticed Eric, a little out of breath but extremely agitated. She could tell. He often bit down on his back teeth and pressed his lips together when he was trying desperately to hold in the anger that should be spilling out of him.

It took years for Tami to convince him it was okay to let it spill out. Nothing bad would happen if he did it in the right ways. She would never run from him, rather feel closer to him if she understood him.

"How many times?" Eric's father yelled. He took the football and tossed it back at Eric. "How many times am I going to have to tell you the move your feet?" Mr. Taylor was frustrated. "Huh, Eric?"

Eric kept his eyes at the ground, trying to maintain some sense of composure. Tami stayed closer to the entrance of the hotel so Eric wouldn't see her. He was already broken by this man who was being way too hard on him. She didn't want him to be embarrassed by her presence.

"Look at me when I talk to you, boy!"

When Eric looked up, Tami noticed how weary he looked. "Yes, sir."

"Run it again."

Eric took the ball and on his father's cue, words that meant nothing to Tami, he started an imaginary play.

"Again, Eric." He did the same thing again.

"Dad, I…"

"What? You want to be mediocre? You want to go out there and embarrass yourself? You want to embarrass me? Embarrass your team?"

Tami couldn't believe how much pressure this man was putting on his son, when inside, the rest of the team was just thinking about getting laid. This dynamic was a bit of an eye-opener for Tami. She almost understood why Eric was the way he was when not in the presence of this man who expected way too much.

"You are better than this Eric. There are going to be a lot of scouts there tomorrow. You need to impress them. You need to be better than what you are showing me right now."

"I'm trying." Eric raised his voice a bit to get his point across, but he didn't dare yell. He knew never to cross that line of disrespect.

"Not hard enough, Eric. If you were trying, really trying, I would be seeing something different right now. Visualize and execute. Everyone is depending on you to get it done. You need to get it done." He handed him the football. "Let's see it again. Five step drop, look off the safeties, move your feet, read the angles and see your options. Don't release too quickly, don't pump fake, and don't try to force it."

Tami watched Eric as his father spoke. She could tell he had enough. He looked confused. She never saw him like that. He always looked determined on the field, like the leader that he normally was. She had no idea this went on behind closed doors.

Eric took the ball and started a faux play. She didn't understand why his father threw his head back in frustration and why Eric had stopped. "Damn it, Eric!" He shouted. He started walking away. "Are you stupid? Can you not comprehend what to do?" He started walking back toward Eric and pointed his finger in his face. "You're going to get this right, but I'm not going to stand here and waste my time watching you fuck it up over and over again. Get it right!"

As he father walked away from him, Eric fell to his knees. Tami felt so sorry for him. She knew it wasn't her place, but she wanted to go to him and comfort him. No one should be spoken to like that, especially over football. Where was Laura, Eric's rally girl? Shouldn't she be here to help him?

As Mr. Taylor approached the area where Tami was, by the entrance of the hotel, she quick turned away. She didn't want him to know she witnessed the whole exchange. When she heard the revolving door stop spinning, she dared to turn to see if he was gone. Once confirmed, she slowly walked toward the slumped figure on the grass.

Eric felt someone kneel down next to him and knew it was her. It was her perfume that gave her away. She always wore it. He couldn't tell you what it smelt like exactly, except that it smelt like Tami Hayes. His voice cracked a bit when he spoke. "Please, leave me alone."

Tami was startled by the sound of his voice. She never knew this guy who had absolutely no feelings at all when it came to girls would feel such a deep need of approval from a man who treated him in the way she just witnessed. "I think that would be the worst thing right now."

"You think you know everything, don't you?" He leaned back and took a seat on the grass, dropping the football between his feet as he folded his arms around his knees.

"No." She said softly, taking a seat next to him. "I definitely don't know why your father is so hard on you."

Her words confirmed she witnessed his father's harsh words. He could feel himself starting to breakdown, a lump forming in throat, not being able to speak. He took his hands, covered his face and slowly rubbed his eyes.

She wasn't sure if he was weary or if he was shielding himself from embarrassment of letting her see him cry. "You know, it's only one football game." She didn't know what possessed her to do this, but she felt the need to soothe him. She raised her right hand and slowly rubbed his back. "It's just a game that, in a year or two from now, no one will care about."

His eyes were red when they met hers. "One person will care. One person, for sure, will go over and over every minute of what happens tomorrow for the rest of my life."

"What about you? Are you going to care? Care that much? Because I have to tell you, half the team is not even thinking about the game to the depths that you are."

"I want to win." He said defensively.

"Who doesn't? Everyone wants to win. But at what cost?" She removed her hand from his back, almost feeling like it was a bit inappropriate. They were friends and they spent time together, but they rarely had a conversation like this. "Your father shouldn't talk to you like that."

"My father's proud of me. He just doesn't show it in the best of ways. "He picked a blade a grass and was playing with it between his fingers. "He'll feel differently tomorrow."

"And you? Are you proud of yourself?" She dared to ask.

"Not right now, but hopefully tomorrow."

She pulled the blade of grass out of his hand so he would look at her when she spoke. "Eric, you should be very proud of yourself. You took this team here. You created most of this. Don't let your Dad take that away from you."

"I just don't want to fail him. I just…." He couldn't admit to her that he was afraid of failing himself.

"The only person you should be worried about is yourself. If you try your hardest and you leave it all out on the field, then who cares what anyone else thinks?"

He stared into her eyes. He always admired her smile, but he never noticed until this moment how gorgeously honest her eyes were. "You're right. I know you're right."

"Well, I'm right most of the time." She cracked a small smile, almost afraid he wouldn't appreciate the joke.

He smirked back and looked back down at the football. He felt a bit uncomfortable because, right at that moment, all he wanted to do was kiss her. He looked back into her eyes, trying to read her inner thoughts.

Eric had a great smile. She'd often see it on the football field or when he flirted with girls. But that smirk was something different. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen it before, but it was shy, cute and somewhat unassuming. She got lost in his eyes, trying to figure out exactly what shade of green they were. She saw so much of him through his eyes.

He leaned in a bit to see if she would lean in too. He sensed she was thinking the same thing he was, all thoughts of Mo pushed far back into some dark corner that didn't matter at that moment.

She felt herself lean toward him and when the yellow speckles of his eyes gazed down at her lips and quickly back to her eyes, she felt something inside of her surge.

He leaned in a bit more and as desperately as Tami wanted that feeling to continue, she broke their intense eye contact and looked at the ground. "I better go back inside. Danielle's probably wondering what happened to me."

Eric looked down at the ground himself, almost embarrassed to look at her now. Tami lifted herself off the lawn, and started to head back toward the entrance of the hotel.

"Tami?"

She spun around.

"Thank you." He wanted to say more than that. He wanted to tell her what he was exactly thanking her for. He was never so vulnerable in front of a girl.

"Good luck tomorrow, Eric."

And just like that, he remembered that she was Mo's.

Eric didn't want to watch anymore. His players decided to grace him with their presence if he fired Mac McGil? He wasn't going to give in to their demands. He took the remote and clicked off the television. Julie finally joined them in the kitchen, talking on her cell phone.

"Your mom is so cool." Julie said into the phone and that got Tami's attention.

"Who was that?" Tami tried to be nonchalant when she asked although she was totally peeved.

"Tyra."

"Your father and I have been wanting to talk to you about that. We have some concerns about this new relationship you've got going with Tyra. I'm just kind of surprised that's somebody you chose to spend so much time with."

Eric sat there listening to Tami, wondering how she could remain so calm when, he knew how earlier when they had this conversation, she was borderline psychotic.

Julie immediately defended herself. "Okay, first of all you don't even know Tyra. And second of all, if this is about the whole cutting class thing, I mean, you already punished me for that, remember?"

Tami couldn't believe she was answering her back like this. "Oh no. Actually that was your guidance counselor who was trying to help you make up a grade. This is your mother talking who knows for a fact that you never skipped school before you started hanging out with Tyra."

Eric could sense Tami's anger level rising and they both agreed to remain calm while they talked to Julie – try to treat her like an adult. He diverted. "What happened to Lois? Lois? What happened to Lois? She was a nice girl."

Julie's guard went up as she spoke about how wrong they were about her dating Matt Saracen and how they were dictating her friendship with Tyra. "So, maybe you guys should just homeschool me." She said sarcastically.

"Honey, I don't like your tone." Tami said with her best southern smile, a sure sign that she was on the verge of exploding. "I don't like your sarcasm and I really don't know what you see hanging out with this girl." Tami continued, as she listed all of Tyra's faults.

Eric interjected trying to put their point across in a different way. When that didn't work, Julie said something that shocked him. "Do you realize that this is the definition of prejudice? You guys are pre-judging her. And maybe if you weren't so prejudice, sixteen of your players wouldn't have walked off your team."

"Watch your mouth!" Eric didn't need to hear the harsh truth from his fifteen year old daughter.

Julie lifted her bag on her shoulder and headed toward the front door. "Maybe you should think about that next time."

"You know what? Come here a second. Come here a second." He tried to stop her.

"I don't like the way you're talking young lady. You and I are not finished with this conversation." Tami said, as she trailed behind her.

Eric threw his bag in frustration. There were more important things than football, and right now, it was his unruly, pushing the envelope, teenage daughter.

When Eric got into his office, there was a thick manila envelope on his desk. He threw his hat and sunglasses on the surface of the desk and picked it up. It was heavy, the return address was from the boosters and had the name "Mac McGill" on it. This couldn't be good.

When he opened the envelope, he was staring at a decision being made for him. The boosters wanted him to fire Mac. He didn't need them breathing down his neck about this. He wanted to make this decision on his own, and right now, he didn't know what that was. He knew what Mac did was wrong, but he knew what he had in Mac. He could trust Mac.

He needed to talk to Tami. Instead of calling her, her just rushed up the steps toward her office. The door was closed when he approached. He didn't care that she was in a session with someone. He needed her. He knocked and opened the door to find someone sitting there. He needed his wife. His isss issues were way more important.

"I've got a guidance counselor emergency."

"Well, I'm talking to Carrie here. We're just going to finish up here…" Was he kidding right now? If she ever did that to him, he would be livid.

"I've got a guidance counselor emergency." He repeated.

After the student left, Tami was started to say, "What is…"

"Listen to me. Everything hangs in the balance right here. I've got a question and I need some advice from you."

Tami immediately recognized how serious this was. "Alright."

Eric wanted to be clear. "I need to talk to the guidance counselor and not my wife. I need some unbiased, clear, honest advice. Everything hangs in the balance."

"Alright. Sit down. Come on. Sit down."

She took a seat in her chair and Eric sat across from her. He leaned forward as he spoke. "The boosters and Buddy want me to fire Mac McGill. I don't want to fire Mac McGill. He's a damn good coach and Mac McGill is important to me in the playoffs. I thought this was going to end a while ago. I didn't think it would go on as far as it did. I was wrong."

"So what's the question?"

"The question is what do I do about firing Mac McGill?"

Tami asked Eric to review exactly what happened. She wanted to review the exact words and the meaning behind them.

Although he was annoyed because she knew damn well what he said, Eric realized this why he came to Tami. She was so damn good at her job. Eric went through the words that spewed out of Mac's mouth that caused this mess in the first place.

"As a guidance counselor, I have to say that, to me, is a fire-able offense. What he said!"

That was not the answer he wanted from her. "Alright. Let me talk to my wife. Let me talk to the person who cares about me and cares about the team and also has to understand the relevance and importance to our future of us winning the regional."

"There is nothing way more clear to me that your team is way more important than Mac McGill."

He didn't like that answer either. "Is there anyone else I can talk to?"

"You can talk to your friend."

"What does she have to say?"

"This is not about Mac McGill. This is not about the team. This is about you. You have been put in this position where you have to make the decision. If you don't fire him at this point, you are condoning what he said."

"Honey, he said something stupid." He pleaded. "He's not a racist."

"I know, but that is not something for a kids' assistant coach to say, no less for a government employee, which is what he is."

Damn it! Eric wanted her to say something else. Anything else! He got up, feeling worse than when he entered her office. She got up as he opened her office door. "The three of you scare me."

Later that night, Mac rang the Taylor's doorbell. Eric got up to greet him and Tami disappeared to the formal living room in the front of the house. "You want a beer?"

"Sure." They sat down at the kitchen counter and as they sipped their beers, Mac came clean to Eric. He spoke about his love for the Panthers, how he resented Eric for taking the job he once thought was his and how his father was a racist, that maybe that rubbed off on him. "I know that I screwed this up here. I love these boys. I love this team. And I'm not going to do anything to stand in the way of it. I'm not going to do anything to hurt it."

He pulled an envelope out of the front pocket of his plaid shirt and threw it on the table. "I know y'all have a real good chance to go to state…"

"What are you doing?" Eric couldn't believe this man.

"My resignation."

"Oh come on. What the hell are you doing?"

Eric was shocked and, when he woke the next day, that feeling was still resonating. He had to go talk to the press this morning and that was his least favorite part of this job. Dealing with the media was what started this, so he was annoyed to have to play by their rules this morning.

Mac gave him an easy out last night. He just had to take it, but he didn't want to. He really wanted to play by his own damn rules for once. "I know what's easy and I know what's right." He told Tami over coffee. "The guy is giving up 20 years of his life for that program and yet he is willing to sacrifice his ego and half his damn pension. But I still have to do what's right, right? He was asking her to let him off the hook.

"Right." She said sadly. She wasn't going to lie and sugarcoat the situation for him. As they made their way out of the house, she stopped him. "But you are the head coach, and that means you get the final say. You get to do what you want to do. I know that a part of you doesn't want to give in to this standoff a bunch of kids created." She stroked his cheek, and he reveled in the comfort of her touch. "Make the decision that is easier for you to live with."

He thought about Tami's words as he entered the fieldhouse. As he saw the countless reporters' cars, his anger built and he felt more strongly about his decision. When he opened the door to the film room to address the reporters, he was met with yelling questions and flashing cameras. "I'll start talking when y'all stop. First of all, it's a damn shame that we're here this morning. We should be focusing on tomorrow's game. And I'll tell you what? That's exactly what we're going to do because Mac McGill is going to stay on as offensive coordinator of the Dillon Panthers. That's it. Thank you very much."

Later that night, Eric was watching game tape when Julie announced she was going to the movies. With the house to themselves, Tami took a seat on the couch across from him. "You okay?"

He picked up the remote and paused the game tape. He looked at her. "Yes. Thank you. I appreciate you giving me the courage to do what I wanted to do."

"Well, I knew you didn't like what all three of us had to say in my office." She joked.

"Not one agreed with me." He said, not liking when he and Tami weren't on the same page about an issue.

"But how do you feel about it now?" She ventured.

"I feel like I won, Mac didn't lose and I didn't give in to any demands." He kicked in the foot rest of the recliner, stood up and joined her on the couch.

"So the three of us don't scare you anymore?" She smiled and she felt his hand massage lazy circles on her upper back.

He leaned in and kissed her. It started as slow sweet kiss, but Eric quickly deepened it feeling aroused and stimulated by her response. She opened her mouth and let him in, their tongues circling around. She put her hand behind his head, and pulled him toward her and she started to lie down on the couch. He followed her, covering her body with his own. His lips moved from her lips, down to the exposed skin above her breasts. He nipped at her skin as he moved his right hand to cup her breast.

Tami loved the feel of his hands and the hardness of his groin pushing against her heated center. She arched her back pushing back against him, the friction he was giving her was not nearly enough. She found his lips again, cupped his face and sat them both back into a sitting position on the couch.

He looked at her with questioning eyes, but was quickly pleased when she climbed on top of him, straddling his lap, placing a knee on either side of his hips. He moved his hands to the hem of her red cotton shirt and in one swoop, pulled it over her heard. To his disappointment, a pink and white shirt still covered the area he most wanted to kiss. "How many layers do you have on?" He asked with a smirk.

"I couldn't make it easy for you." She joked and she leaned into him, her breasts right in his face. As he kissed what bare skin was exposed, he once again played with the hem of her shirt. In another swoop, he tore it a little more roughly this time over her head. This was his favorite look on her – jeans and a bra. He pulled the cup of her bra lower to reveal her nipple. As he took her breast in his mouth, he used his other hand to reach behind and unhook the clasp of her bra. He quickly fondled her breasts, kneading them simultaneously.

She rocked her body back and forth atop him, but wanted to feel his skin. She started with his shirt, unbuttoning one button at a time. He pulled back from her lips so he could watch her hands work. As the material hung open, she caressed his bare chest moving her hands quickly to the button of his jeans. She popped the button open and lowered his zipper. As he swelled out of his pants, she reluctantly removed herself completely from his lap so she could rid herself of her own jeans. Eric lifted himself off the couch just enough to lower his jeans and boxers to fully reveal himself to her.

She left her panties on as she straddled him once again, feeling him trying to push into her. She kissed him hard but he was the one to pull back. "Why did you leave these on?" He asked as he hooked a finger through the lacy material.

"You have to work a little, Eric."

He left the elastic go, flicking against her skin. He dipped his hand in from the top and sought her most intimate of areas with his pointer and middle fingers. She gasped at the pleasure, grabbing his head to press it against her chest. It wasn't enough. She needed more.

"Please." She begged.

"You're the one calling the shots." He said referring to the fact that she was on top of him.

She pulled back and lifted her groin off of his and he roughly pulled her garment to the side, allowing her access. She lowered herself on to him and waited for him to fill her completely. "You feel so damn good, Tami." Eric managed to get out.

Just as she started to move on top of him, the shrill ring of the phone shrieked through their ears. Tami stopped for a second, becoming distracted, but Eric tried get gain her full attention. "Ignore it. Don't stop."

The ringing stopped and no one left a message. Eric pulled her head toward him, kissing her desperately.

The phone rang again.

"I need to get it." Tami insisted. Eric leaned forward, placing one hand on Tami's bare back and the other out to the end table to grab the cordless phone. He was still inside her, wanting to get rid of whoever was interrupting them.

"Hello." Eric said breathlessly.

Tami listened to the one-sided conversation. "This is he." He let go of her and sat back, his eyes going from clouded with desire to clouded with confusion. "She's was where?" Tami could see something was wrong. She felt him going limp inside her, a feeling she was only used after a powerful release. Something was definitely wrong. "She's with you now?" Tami figured this was about Julie, otherwise he would have hung up. "Yes, sir. We'll be right down."

As Eric clicked the off button on the phone, Tami quizzically searched his eyes. Eric rubbed his eyes, as he spoke. "Your daughter is at the police station. She managed to get herself picked up by the police from the Landing Strip."

"What?" Tami exclaimed, jumping off Eric in a complete panic. She started picking up her clothes and throwing on piece by piece as she asked a million questions, knowing damn well Eric didn't have the answers. "What the hell would she be doing there? Wasn't she supposed to be going to the movies? Who the hell was she with?"

Eric was quickly getting dressed himself. "I don't know, but I want to get down there and find out."

When they pulled into the police station parking lot, Eric parked the car and was about to turn the key in the ignition and get out. Tami put a hand on top of his hand. "Wait."

"What? Why?"

Tami nodded toward the front door of the police station. Eric's eyes followed hers as he watched Matt and Lance leaving with a male adult who Eric had to assume was Lance's father. Eric's eyes followed Matt, wondering what the hell was this kid thinking taking his daughter to a shithole like that. Eric was going to have to have a talk with Matt about what his expectations were of him when it came to dating his daughter, if they were still dating. He couldn't keep up anymore.

After about another three or four minutes, Tami noticed Tyra coming out of the police station. She was rolling her eyes at the young adult who was scantily dressed, not paying attention to a word she was saying.

Eric and Tami stared straight ahead not sure of how to handle what they were about to deal with. "How long are we going to sit out here?" Eric said, breaking the silence.

Tami's eyes were wide with shock. "A little bit longer."

"All the other parents picked up their perps, why can't we pick up ours"

"Because I would like our perp to sit in there and think for a minute about what she's doing sitting in there." Tami gave him a look of annoyance. She was so angry at Julie right now, she felt like she could have left her in there overnight. Eric was always too soft of her.

Eventually they signed her out, and after travelling home in a very quiet care ride, Julie was the one to break the silence first as they entered into their home. "Look, anytime you guys want to say something, that would be great."

"Oh really? Is that the way you want to start the conversation?" Tami struck back at her. Eric took a seat at the kitchen counter, as Tami tore off her coat and followed Julie into the living room. "Do you really want to know what I have to say? You're grounded for starters."

"Fine." Julie snapped back. "Whatever."

"Fine? Whatever? What the hell were you doing at a strip club, Julie?"

"We were waiting for Mindy."

"You were waiting for Mindy?" Tami asked, as if that was an excusable reason.

"Tyra's sister."

"Tyra's sister!" Tami should not have been surprised.

"She works there."

"Of course its Tyra's sister. Of course, she works there."

"You are so totally judgmental about anything to do with Tyra."

"Yeah. You know what? I am judgmental. I am judgmental about a woman who takes her clothes off for a living and as a result, my daughter is not allowed to hang out in strip clubs." Tami couldn't even believe these words were coming out of her own mouth. Eric wanted to say something, but admittedly, he was so surprised by Julie's behavior and Tami was riled up enough for the two of them.

Julie raised her voice. "We weren't hanging out at the strip club. Tyra had to go get money…."

"Tyra had to go get money?" Tami yelled. She finally turned to Eric because Julie's excuses were making her sick. "Honey, do you have anything to say about this situation?"

Eric wanted to yell at Julie too, but he needed to remain calm. He needed to let her know it was okay to call them for help if she ever needed it. He owed her that courtesy. The courtesy his own father never granted him.

It was spring of their senior year of high school. Tami and Mo had broken up a few months before, but because of their mutual friends, they often found themselves in the same social circle. Tami was working on that mild March evening when she got a phone call from Danielle. "The cops just raided the party." Tami could hear the desperation in her voice. "They're not taking anyone in to the station, but they are also not letting anyone leave without a sober driver. Can you come pick me up?"

Tami was getting off in twenty minutes and when she did, she drove over to the address Danielle gave her. She saw the police cars with their flashing lights waiting for the crowd to disperse. Only in west Texas would a bunch of teenagers not get arrested for underage drinking – probably because they shared a common bond – state rings.

As Tami made her way over to the officers, giving them Danielle's name, she noticed two things. The first was Mo being obnoxiously drunk, trying to high-five the officers as he was escorted by that slut Mary Elizabeth to her car. Of course, he called her. The second thing she saw was Eric sitting on the steps of the house, looking a bit nervous and a bit buzzed.

Most of his friends had to call their parents to come and get them via instruction from the on duty officers. There was no way he was going to call his father.

As Danielle made her way over, Tami asked where Laura was, wondering how Eric was going to get home. "She was wasted. Her parents were one the first here."

"Hang on a second." She told Danielle. She walked tentatively to where Eric was standing. "You need a ride?"

"I'll find a ride." He slurred.

"Not from your father I hope?" Tami wanted to take it back the moment she said it. Eric looked at her quizzically and then he remembered what she must have been thinking. She only knew his father as the lunatic he was the night before State a few months back.

"He's going to kick my ass."

"Did you call him yet?"

"No."

"How you planning on getting home?" She asked, smiling at how ridiculous this conversation was, realizing he probably had a lot to drink.

"I'm weighing my options." She said, a cocky smile on his face. This was the Eric she mostly knew. The confident, smooth talking playboy that she often feared.

Tami looked around as the crowd started to thin. "Looks like your running out of options. Last time I'm going to ask. You want a ride or are you going to call your father?"

"You sure?" He said as he started getting up off the stairs.

She didn't answer him, turned around and started to walk to her car. She wasn't sure if he was still following until he heard one of the officers shout in her direction. "Hey Taylor! A night like this is not worth losing that full ride you landed yourself. Keep yourself out of trouble."

"Yes, sir." Eric called back. He opened the back passenger door as Danielle occupied the front.

Once Tami pulled away from the scene, Danielle turned to Eric. "Who the hell called the cops?"

"No idea."

"You're father going to freak?" Danielle asked.

Eric looked at Tami, searching her eyes through the rearview mirror. He couldn't help but wonder how much she told her friend about that night at the hotel a few months ago. "Not if he doesn't find out."

Danielle turned back to Tami. "Mo was there. I saw he hooked up with Laura."

"Oh." It was all Tami could muster. This time she searched for Eric eyes through the mirror, feeling sorry for him because, after all, that was his rally girl.

Danielle noticed Tami's look of worry and put the pieces together. "Oh shit. Sorry Eric." Then she thought about the type of guy Eric was. "Should I be sorry?"

Eric laughed a bit, feeling the effects of the alcohol swirl through his system. "No. Laura is free to do whatever and whoever she wants."

"It doesn't bother you?" Danielle continued.

"It would be bothersome if I really, deeply cared about her." He said looking right at Tami again. He knew it must have hurt her feelings as Mo constantly threw his conquests in her face.

"Are you even capable of really, deeply caring about anyone, Eric? Come on." Danielle teased.

"I think so." He caught Tami's eyes again. "Eventually."

Tami dropped Danielle off first and circled back down the block toward Eric's house. Now with Eric in the front seat, Tami suddenly felt a little nervous. Alcohol fueled his next words. "He didn't deserve you." He dared to look at her, hoping she would understand and he wouldn't have to explain it further.

"I don't care."

"You have to care a little bit. You guys were together forever."

"Not forever."

"Okay. For a really long time." He looked straight ahead. "It wasn't fair what he did to you."

"Well, I've learned my lesson. I will never trust so easily again."

"Is that really the lesson?" When she tossed him a dirty look, he explained. "Shouldn't the lesson be that you are better off without him? That you deserve someone better?"

She didn't say anything, but couldn't help but think he was flirting with her a bit. She was aware since that night at the hotel that they had more and more of these conversations. She had her guard up though. She didn't think Eric was much nobler of as guy than Mo was.

She changed the subject as she grew closer to his house. With Danielle out of the car, she spoke a little bit more freely. "Are you sure you are going to be okay? Your dad is not going to do something irrational right?"

"No." He appreciated her concern. "My dad won't care about the drinking. He'll care more about my scholarship if I got arrested."

"But you still wouldn't call him?" She questioned.

"No. He wouldn't have been happy if I did. He wouldn't take too kindly to having to come get me."

He never wanted Julie to feel the way he did – like she couldn't call them. He needed to play the ying to Tami's yang. "Yeah." Eric said as calmly as he could. "First of all, it's important that you're okay. Second of all…"

"She's not okay!" Tami yelled at him. "She just spent the entire evening watching Mindy make an honest living."

There was no getting through to Tami and Eric couldn't help but yell. "Alright then! You talk to her." He was angry with Julie and yelling at Tami was not fair.

"She's not okay, Eric."

"I told you what happened and we weren't hanging out at the strip club, but you're too busy looking down from your ivory tower…"

"You want to see what it looks like from my ivory tower? From my ivory tower girl, you're not hanging out with Tyra Collette anymore."

"You can't punish me like that!"

"That is not a punishment. That is a rule."

"Whatever. Goodnight." Julie turned and walked away.

"Whatever?" She watched Julie walk away and then turned to Eric. "Nice input."

Tami walked away too and Eric was sitting there wondering what the hell just happened. He waited a few minutes to give Tami some time to cool down. When he came into their bedroom about 10 minutes later, he found her at their bathroom sink.

"You a'ight?"

She spit, rinsed and turned off the water. "I'm livid, Eric."

"I know. This is not like her."

"It's not just the behavior. It's everything. It's her attitude and the way that she has been talking to me." She wiped her hands on the towel and started pulling the covers back so she could get into bed. "I feel like we are going to look back at this moment and we are going to pinpoint that this was the start of her spiral."

"No. She's just testing the waters. Tami, we did all sorts of stupid stuff when we were kids." Eric went to the sink himself and started his night time routine. He unbuttoned his shirt and stripped himself of his jeans. He started to brush his teeth in his boxers and white undershirt.

"My mother would have killed me if she found out I was at a strip club. Come on, Eric." Tami roughly situated her pillows, taking her frustration out on the 400 thread cotton sheets.

"I know, but let me say this. She called us."

"She had no choice."

"She always has a choice." He argued. "My father scared me into thinking calling him was never an option. Your mother set fear into your mind at an early age and you never were able to communicate with her because of it."

Tami seemed to soften. "I want her to talk to me. Why can't she see what I see?"

"Because she's fifteen. She needs to make mistakes. She needs to learn from them." He thought about Julie but then his mind drifted to tomorrow. "Hell, I'm still making mistakes. I need to figure out how to win a game tomorrow without some of my best players. Maybe it was a mistake to keep Mac on." He undid his watch and placed it on the night stand before joining her under the covers. He laid on his back, his hands folded behind his head, staring for the answers on the ceiling.

She saw confusion in his stare and forgot about Julie for a moment. She rolled onto her side, and placed a comforting hand over his heart. "You did what felt right in there. There's no better guide to follow."

He placed one hand on top of hers. "And Julie?" He asked cautiously.

"She's punished until I figure out how to handle this."

"Yeah, well I'm going to talk to Matt."

"What? Why?" Tami knew Matt was the unlikely source of the trouble Julie was in tonight.

"I'm not sure what's going on with those two, but I find it interesting that he came out of that police station tonight too. So if he's involved with her being there, then…."

"He's not involved." Tami interrupted. "Eric, you think Julie is this little innocent girl who is easily corrupted by boys, but she is to blame for putting herself in that situation."

"Well, I'm still going to talk to him."

The next day as his team loaded the bus, he and Tami were briefly discussing Julie's boundaries for the next couple of days. After they were saying their goodbyes, Tami noticed the sixteen players Eric desperately needed, walking toward the bus.

Eric knew what their presence meant. Eric knew the weight that it held. He also knew they had a damn good chance of advancing and becoming one step closer to State.

The game was brutal. The opposing team played dirty and refs were not calling one penalty in favor of the Panthers. Then things quickly got out of hand when Tim started a fist fight on the field. Both benches cleared and a war broke out on the field. Tami watched Eric sprint toward his players trying to break it up. As worried as she was for Eric, it amazed her that with all the turmoil going on, the Panthers united.

The game was called. They won. They won, but at what cost? Eric was furious. "This is not who we are!" He yelled at his boys. "This is not what we represent. I don't teach that crap! These coaches don't teach that crap!" Eric felt that he was better than what happened out there. "Y'all are going to take responsibility for your actions, I guarantee it!" He was going to kill them at practice on Monday.

Eric wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. He loaded the team on the bus, making their way through a fierce crowd. He texted Tami to make sure they got out of there safely. Once confirmed, he loaded onto the bus as well.

After a quick threat from the local police, which not only Mac handled, but restored Smash's faith in him, they made their way back to their field house. Eric got off the bus and immediately sought out Tami, who was waiting for him. He wrapped his arms around her securing her safety in his arms.

"Congrats Coach." She whispered. "Are you okay?" She was so worried about him exiting the game.

"I'm fine." He whispered. "You know you don't have to worry about me." He looked back at her smiled. "It's my job to worry about you."

He leaned in and kissed her briefly, but when he pulled back, his eyes were focused on something behind her.

"What?" Tami knew better than to turn her head. She had learned enough social graces over time of being in the spotlight to not draw attention to something.

"I'm going to talk to that boy." Eric's words told her it was safe to follow his eyes. She found Julie and Matt in a tight embrace, as she felt the arms comforting her loosen a bit.

"Eric, maybe…"

"Two seconds." He quickly replied. He didn't want her to talk reason or sense to him.

As he slowly walked over, Julie caught his eyes and pulled away from Matt. Matt turned to see Coach's eyes, which spoke of distance and frustration, mixed with a bit of anger.

"Go wait with your mother in the car. I'll be there in a second."

When Julie didn't move, Eric felt that his baby girl was choosing Matt over him and suddenly something started to hurt. He thought it might be his pride. "If you forgot, you're punished. Please, join your mother at the car."

She looked at Matt, waiting for him to respond, but his eyes were locked on the only father figure he had known. As Julie started to walk away, Matt was a bit confused. "Sir?" He asked tentatively. The Panthers just won. He didn't get involved in any of the fighting. What had he done?

Eric put his hands on his hips, looked around at his surroundings before he spoke. He didn't want anyone in this community to know the inner workings of his family. He took a long, hard look at Matt before he started and Matt, looked at the ground, fearing his words.

"Look at me." Eric said, and as Matt looked at him, he could see the terror. He didn't want that. He just wanted to get his point across. "I'm not sure what is going on with you and Julie, but I do know one thing. If you are going to be a part of my daughter's life, I expect more from you."

"Yes, sir." Matt really wasn't sure what he was exactly agreeing to, but he knew enough to show the respect that Coach deserved.

"I don't want my daughter in places like she was the other night. I certainly don't want to ever have to pick her up from the police station again. To see you walk out of there…" He took a deep breath trying to remain steady when he spoke. "To know she was in that kind of place with you? That really pisses me off."

"Sir, I didn't take her there." Matt started. He quickly stopped when Coach gave him a death stare.

"Not your turn, Saracen." Eric thought about how to word this part next, giving him the guidance he so desperately needed. "I say this as your coach and not as Julie's father. If you like her and want to keep dating her, treat her with protectiveness for her well-being. And if you don't, please let her go."

"Yes, sir."

"As her father, I'm only going to say this once. Don't ever let me find her there again with you in tow. I mean it. You will not be allowed to see her again. Do you understand me?"

Matt nodded and Eric felt he got his point across. Eric patted him on the back before he walked away. "Good game tonight. See you at practice on Monday."

Please review. I love hearing your thoughts!