Hey, Ladies,
Here it is. Thanks for the reviews. I will upload again, if I get feedback. You can tell me if you don't like something, I will try to change ;)
betareader: Fleurlb
CHAPTER 1
THE BITCH IS BACK
When Alex stepped into the Applebees with Tim, another rush of excitement ran through her body. The place was just like she remembered: full of high school students, the tv set to the sport channel, the smell of hamburgers and fries filled the air.
"Hey, Julie," Tim turned to one of the waitress.
"Oh, hey, Tim," the girl greeted him.
Alex tried to hide her smile as she saw the girl blushing. She was sure there wasn't any female who could resist that Riggins charm. Not to mention even she had to admit, Tim had grown up nicely and she was way sure he also knew how to use it.
"Have ya seen Tyra?" Tim asked as he looked around.
"I think she's back in the kitchen," the girl said, shrugging a little.
"Thanks," Tim mumbled. "You stay here," he said to Alex before he went to find their friends.
"You're bossy," Alex complained, rolling her eyes.
"Stay," Tim pointed at her.
"Yes, sir," Alex saluted, grinning.
The girl, who Tim called Julie, looked at Alex with undisguised curiosity in her eyes. Alex smiled at her before she turned her attention back to Tim.
"Collette," Tim called when he stepped to the entry of the kitchen.
"What?" Alex heard the irritated voice of Tyra and giggled a little. That was just so Tyra.
"Look who I found next to the road," Tim said.
"If it isn't Johnny Depp or George Clooney, I don't care," Tyra answered.
"Just come out," Tim commanded, frustrated.
"I'm trying to work…" Tyra started as she left the kitchen but stopped when she saw Alex.
"Hi, Tyra," Alex grinned at her.
"Oh. My. God. No way!" Tyra stared at Alex in disbelief.
"I can't believe you're here," Tyra screamed as she pulled Alex in a huge hug.
The two girls jumped up and down, both of them screaming about how much they missed each other. Tim rolled his eyes but grinned as he watched them.
"Collette, when you stopped the screaming, you could bring me some food," Tim smirked as when the girls finally stopped jumping around like they were insane.
"Shut up, Riggins," Tyra and Alex yelled at the same time, and bursted into laughing.
"How I knew it won't be any good for me when you two met again," Tim mumbled as he sat down at a table.
"Oh, Julie, come here. I would like you to meet my friend here," Tyra waved to the girl Tim talked to before.
"Julie, this is Alex Sawyer, my best friend. She's a real bitch, but you'll like her," Tyra said to Julie.
"Tyra, you hurt my feelings," Alex said, looking at Tyra hurt.
"Alex, this is Julie Taylor. She's the Coach's daughter," Tyra said, ignoring Alex's little comment.
"Wow, you are one lucky girl then," Alex said to Julie.
"I would use some other words…" Julie muttered causing Alex look at her questioningly.
"Sore point," Tyra whispered to Alex.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Julie," Alex offered her hand.
"Nice to meet you, too," Julie smiled at her shyly, shaking her hand.
"Just remember, whatever you hear about me is true… unless it's nothing good," Alex laughed.
Alex decided Julie was a little weird, but she seemed nice enough. Though she couldn't understand what was wrong with being the daughter of the Coach. Alex's dad was the coach of the Panthers before he died when Alex was only 7 years old.
That was why she loved football so much. Her dad always took her to the practices and she was there on every single match, cheering for him.
Alex missed her dad in every minute of her life. After his death, everything changed. First, her mom dug in her work and later came the first man, the second, the third and so on. Alex stopped counting around the tenth. That was when she started to run wild.
For a while, people were forgiving of her. They thought poor little girl, she lost her daddy. But as the time went by and Alex caused more and more trouble everyday, people stopped seeing her as Coach Sawyer's grieving daughter and she became 'that Sawyer girl'.
"I hate to say it but I have to go back to work," Tyra sighed. "But hey, when I'm done here, you should come to us. Mindy is working, but Mom will be happy to see you."
"Sounds like a plan," Alex nodded, smiling.
"Now that ya have a plan, can I get my burger?" Tim smirked.
"Unbelievable," Tyra mumbled as she left.
"Tell me some juicy gossip," Alex said when she sat down on the opposite side of the table in front of Tim.
"Do you really ask me about gossip?" Tim looked at Alex almost laughing at her.
"Well, who should I ask? Tyra doesn't have time at the moment and you are here, so I ask you. What about Jason? Where is he?" Alex asked.
Tim shifted uncomfortable, staring out the window as he looked away. Alex swallowed hard. She knew that face too well.
"Timmy?" she asked, almost whispering, afraid of the worst.
"Jason is paralyzed," Tim answered numbly.
"What?" Alex asked, shocked. "But what, what happened?"
Old memories of them ran through her mind. Jason had such a promising future. She just couldn't believe he was in a wheelchair.
"Last year, the season opening," Tim said still not looking at her.
Alex knew Tim too well to try to ask more. Also, she exactly knew how hard it was talking about such a painful thing. When her dad died she didn't talk to anybody about it. Actually, she never talked about it, not just then.
"Here's your goddamn burger," Tyra dropped the plate in front of Tim.
"What?" Tyra looked between them.
"Tim just told me about Jason," Alex answered.
"Oh, that's just terrible," Tyra sighed. "And you haven't even heard the rest of it," Tyra added, looking sharply at Tim.
Alex raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"I will tell you. I'm almost finished with my shift," Tyra said as she gave one more nasty look to Tim and left.
"Wait a minute," Alex looked at Tim with wide eyes.
"No way. You and Tyra?" she asked in disbelief.
Tim shrugged as he took a bite from his burger.
"Geesh, if somebody told me that, I would never have believed it," she laughed so hard, her stomach hurt.
"Tim, I just can't believe you're sitting here like you've got nothing better to do," Lyla rushed in, causing Alex almost chock on her coke.
"Or I'd better said I can't believe I thought you would change. I hoped maybe if you found God and faith… but you are hopeless, Tim Riggins" Lyla said, her voice rising.
"Lyla, I…" Tim started but Lyla interrupted him.
Alex looked at them with wide eyes. That just wasn't possible Tim got something with Lyla. He couldn't. And did she say God and faith?
Alex and Lyla used to be friends. When Alex's father died, Lyla couldn't deal with the situation. She started to neglect Alex and left her alone. Though they were just children Alex felt she was betrayed by her best friend.
That was the time when Alex became friends with Tim and Tyra. Through the years, Alex had not only stopped talking to Lyla, she really started to hate her. They were like fire and water. There wasn't anything common between them anymore.
Alex hated Lyla's 'I'm Miss Perfect' attitude, the way she thought she was better than everybody. There was one thing Alex hated more than anything in the word: when people looked at her with pity in their eyes and Lyla did.
"We were counting on you. Chris and I waited more than an hour for you to show up. I don't even know to think. Alex?" Lyla looked at Alex, surprised, when she finally finished her little scene.
"Garrity, Garrity…" Alex sighed, playing with a lighter between her fingers.
"You know I prayed every night you'd disappear from Earth and still… Look, here you are, shining in all of your glory with your pain-in-the-ass perfection. Too bad, seems like there is no God after all. How sad…" Alex said as she sighed dramatically, shaking her head.
"I'm done," Tyra stepped next to the table.
"Garrity," Tyra looked sharply at Lyla who stood there shocked.
"I can see on your face you already talked to Alex. It's awesome, she's back, isn't it?" Tyra said with a mean smile on her face. "We can go," she turned to Alex.
"I'm sad I have to leave now. But Lyla, you don't have to worry, I'm staying in Dillon for good," Alex grinned at Lyla, patting her on the shoulder.
"See ya around, Timmy," she said as she placed a kiss on Tim's cheek.