One thing was for sure, Buddy Garrity's love for Dillon football was just as strong, if not stronger, as it had been during Tim and Julie's high school years. The fanfare that he had orchestrated to honor the fifth anniversary of Coach Taylor's first state championship and its team surely rivaled that of one that had won an NCAA national championship. The day had begun with a brunch, team members and coaches only, to be followed by a pre-game ceremony to honor the team and a halftime tribute by the band. Topping off the night was a party for that infamous team and their families at the Dillon Lodge.
As the 2006 State Championship team stood in the middle of the field twenty minutes before kick-off, a highlight reel of the season playing on the highly controversial jumbotron, Julie sat in the stands with Tami, Gracie Belle, and Tyra, who had driven over from Austin where she was working as a high school counselor for the weekend. With every eye in the stadium turned to the video playing, Julie's were settled on Tim where he was standing, sandwiched between Smash and Jason. Panther blue, she was quickly remembering, sure did suit him well.
When Tim caught her eye, smirked, and then shifted his attention back to the jumbotron, so did she, a smile playing on her lips.
"Julie?" Tyra asked her over the cheering of the crowd around them.
"Yeah?" Julie turned her attention from the screen to Tyra.
"Is there, uh, something going on with you and Riggins?"
Julie was sure she blushed. "Uh, no, uh, why do you say that?"
"Because," Tyra paused, "you two have been making googly eyes at each other the entire time this video has been playin'."
"No we haven't," defended Julie.
Tyra gave her a famous Collette smirk. "You know, your eyes are doing this thing where they don't match your mouth," she said.
Julie opened her mouth to speak then shut it again. "Okay, fine," she whispered to Tyra, hoping that Tami would be too occupied with Gracie Belle to notice.
"We've been dating for a few months, but no one really knows yet," she nodded in Tami's direction. "Tim and I want to tell my parents together, for obvious reasons, so I would appreciate if you would withhold any scolding or squealing until later."
"Scolding or squealing?"
"Well, either you're gonna be pissed at me or happy for me, so I covered my bases," Julie explained.
Tyra contemplated this. "Is this a sick joke?"
"No," Julie answered bluntly, turning her attention back to the field where Buddy was now holding a microphone, no doubt about to start praising the team like they were gods.
"We will talk about this before you go back to New York," Tyra said firmly.
"Yes, mom," Julie responded sarcastically. "So, how's Landry?" she then asked, attempting to turn attention away from her relationship with Tim.
Tyra's face lit up. "He's real good, he had to stay in Austin this weekend and write a paper, but he sends his best to everyone."
"That's good, Tyra," Julie smiled.
"Yeah," she said, "it is."
Finally, Buddy finished his speech and most of the former Panthers dispersed back into the stands as the coaches headed back into the locker rooms, the stars of the championship team going with them to help pump up and inspire a new generation of Panthers. Tim, of course, was among them.
--
"Clear eyes. Full hearts," Eric said from the front of the locker room, his team kneeling in front of him as per pregame tradition.
"Can't lose," the team said in unison, their voices rising in volume as they repeated the team's battle cry.
The locker room was updated, more high tech than it had been in Tim and Smash's day, but as the pair stood next to their former coach and helped him pump up the team, memories flooded back. No doubt, the duo that had been the heart and soul that drove them to state were two of the biggest success stories to come out of Dillon High School. Tim, of course going to the Giants, while Smash had found a team home with the Cowboys.
"CAN'T LOSE," the players finally said at full volume before jumping up and herding out of the building, hands to the "P" on the wall, another tradition that had carried through the years.
Tim and Smash stood, watching the team file out with the coaches behind them. Once they were alone, Tim turned to his former teammate.
"Can you believe all this, Two-Oh?" he asked.
Smash shook his head, a smirk forming on his lips. "Barely, Riggs. Who would have thought that out of that entire team, you and me would be the two that were still playin' after all these years?"
Tim laughed at this. "Five years, man," he drawled.
"Ain't nothing like it," Smash commented, casually walking around the locker room and examining how things had changed, how they had stayed the same.
Tim knew exactly what he meant. Nothing, no one—not San Antonio State, not the Giants—did football the way that Dillon did. The traditions, the fans, the atmosphere were beyond compare.
"You ever miss this?" Tim asked, knowing that Smash would understand what he was referring to.
Smash nodded. "All the time," he said.
"Me too, man," Tim said. "Come on, let's get out there and see what Coach has in store for these boys from Arnett Meade."
--
The second half of the game kicked off with the ballgame tied at 14, both Tim and Smash on the sidelines pumping up the team and giving them small pointers here and there. As the game continued, an old fashioned shoot-out ensued with the teams alternating touchdowns and field goals until late in the fourth quarter.
With less than twenty seconds left to go in the game, the score was once again tied and the Panthers had the ball. Julie looked down onto the field to see her father huddled with his offense, Tim standing next to him and drawing a play out on the whiteboard. A proud grin spread across her face. Maybe announcing their relationship to her parents wouldn't be so bad after all, it seemed that her father's trust in Tim was strong.
As the team took the field, Julie could practically feel the anticipation running through her veins, butterflies erupting in her stomach. The offense lined up, the quarterback in a shotgun position, before the center released the ball. A receiver, she noticed, was streaking down the sideline. Suddenly, a hard thrown pass was soaring across the field, coming to a gentle rest in the arms of the receiver.
The stadium erupted in cheers as the referee signaled a touchdown. Almost immediately, fans and parents alike began to flood the field, Julie, Tami, and Tyra among them.
When Julie reached the field, she was torn as to whom she should approach first: Tim or her father. She tried to think back to what she would do when she was dating Matt, but she realized the situation was a bit different then because they were in high school and her ties were, of course, to her family first. Now, though, she felt a strong desire to congratulate Tim on his successful play calling. After all, her dad had Tami for that.
Scanning the field, she made a decision to seek out Tim first when she saw her father wrapped in a warm embrace with Tami, Gracie Belle next in line. Before another thought had a chance to cross her mind, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and lift her off the ground, twirling her around before planting her back on the field.
Julie knew those arms well, and of course they were Tim's. Squealing with excitement, she turned in his arms and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you," she said into his ear, hoping he would hear her over the excitement.
He pulled away, a full smile on his face. "Wasn't it incredible? Jules, it was like your dad told me I could do whatever I wanted and he trusted me with the game. The game, Jules" he emphasized the last bit of his statement, excitement clear in his voice.
Forgetting where they were in the midst of the excitement, Julie met the grin on his face with her own lips quickly—not enough for anyone to really notice, but enough Tim to tell she had kissed him.
A booster coming over to congratulate Tim on his success with football and the game that had just transpired, unfortunately, interrupted their moment. After thanking the man and watching him walk off, Tim threw his arm across Julie's shoulders. "You know," he murmured into her ear, "I think your dad might take the news about us better than we thought."
Julie turned to meet his gaze. "I think so, too," she said with wide, happy eyes. "When do you want to break the news?"
"You know, I always say no time like the present," he said before leaning in to whisper in her ear, "that, and I want to kiss you so bad right now I'm having to consciously make an effort not to."
She giggled at this. "So what's your plan then?"
"Well, I could just kiss you, and then it would all be taken care of," he joked.
Playfully, she slapped him in the chest. "Or," he paused, "we could divide and conquer them tomorrow. I'll take your dad, see if he wants to look at film or head out the driving range and you and your mom could go do something girly like get that weird thing done with your feet and you could casually drop the bomb then."
"Drop the bomb?" Julie asked sarcastically.
Tim playfully rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean," he drawled.
"I think that your little plan just might work, Thirty-Three," Julie said, her voice an imitation of a coach.
"It better work," Tim paused, "because I have somewhere I want to show you tomorrow night."
Julie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" She was curious.
"You'll see," he smirked.
Julie smiled and shook her head back and forth at this. She was quickly realizing that the more vague Tim was about something, the better it ended up being.
"You two headin' over to the Lodge?" Jason asked as he wheeled over with Erin, Noah, and Tyra in tow, putting an end to their conversation. For the first time since Tim approached her, Julie noticed that the field was beginning to empty.
Julie nodded. "I'm riding with my parents, but I was supposed to tell you that if you want ya'll can send Noah home with Gracie Belle and her babysitter for the party," she told Jason.
"Thanks, Julie, that'd be great," Erin said with a smile. Julie launched into a rambling statement about who the babysitter was and how Tami had insisted that they share with Jason and Erin.
Meanwhile, Jason turned his attention to Tim. "You still haven't told them, man?"
Tim shook his head no in response.
"Wait," Tyra broke into the boys' conversation, "they knew before I did?" she asked, gesturing between Jason and Erin.
Both Jason and Tim nodded. "In our defense," Jason said, "we are at geographical advantage."
Tyra rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath, stalking away to where Julie and Erin were standing a few feet away.
--
Tim was standing off to the side alone, enjoying a quiet moment away from the never-ending parade of boosters and the crazy older women trying to hit on him when he saw his former coach headed in his direction.
"Riggins," Eric said as he approached.
"Coach," said Tim, standing a little straighter and accepting the man's hand to shake it.
"Sorry I haven't gotten a chance to thank ya yet, you know how those boosters can get," he chuckled.
Tim nodded, calmly waiting for him to continue. "The point is, you did a great job tonight. I'm proud of you, son." There it was again. The phrase that kind of made Tim's knees suddenly feel like jello.
"Thanks, Coach," Tim said with a grin. "You know, I was thinkin' maybe I could go over some game film with you tomorrow or something. I mean, I know you usually do that on Sunday's but I'll be leaving then."
Surprise filtered over Eric's features. "You wanna spend your last day visiting home watchin' game film?"
"Never hurts to practice," Tim answered with a shrug.
"Well, alright," Eric nodded, "you could probably find some stuff I can't, anyway. Why don't you stop by the house after lunch? I think Tami and Jules are planning some secretive 'girls only' thing in the afternoon so we'll have the TV to ourselves."
Tim grinned. "Sounds great, Coach."
Now all he had to do was figure out the perfect way to announce to his mentor, the man who had helped mold him into what he was today, that he was dating his baby girl.
A/N: I know, I know everyone is ready for Julie and Tim to "announce" their relationship to the Taylor's...I promise it's coming soon :) Hope ya'll enjoyed the chapter!