It was finally Friday afternoon. Anna, much to the dismay of Coach Taylor, had skipped out on the afternoon help he assigned her. Anna had also successfully avoided Tim Riggins walking through the hallways. Anna was standing at her locker and heard someone walk up next to her. It was Lyla.
"Yeah?" said Anna turning to face her.
"My name is," started Lyla.
"Lyla Garrity. I know. What do you want?" asked Anna.
"I want to ask you to dawn a Panthers Uniform and cheer with us tonight at the game," said Lyla, with a big smile on her face.
"No," said Anna walking away.
Anna was halfway to her car when Coach Taylor found her.
"And where do you think you are going Miss Carter?" asked Coach walking up.
"Home. Because I have no reason to stay after and help your football players," said Anna opening her door.
Coach closed the door and took the keys from her and locked it back and started walking towards the field. Anna huffed and started to follow him. By the time that Anna had caught up with the man he was on the field already.
"Coach, my keys," said Anna.
"Sorry. I don't have your keys," said Coach Taylor.
"Look. Give me my keys and I will be out of your hair and you wont ever see me again," said Anna.
"Not going to happen. What I need you to do is take those cones back to the locker room and pick up some extra towels for the boys," said Coach Taylor.
"Whatever," said Anna walking over towards the bleachers.
Anna walked up into the stands and sat down and watched the rest of the practice. Once practice was over the guys started to take their jerseys and pads off. Coach looked up into the stands and Anna smiled back at him.
"What do you think you are doing Riggins? You've got bleacher runs to do. Get to it," said Coach Taylor.
Tim cursed under his breath and he started to run up the bleacher steps. Anna watched Tim run up and down the steps. After his tenth trip up he slowly walked down the steps. He stopped just above where Anna had been sitting and collapsed on the bleacher seat.
Anna walked back up the steps and stopped where her bag was sitting. She unscrewed the cap on water bottle and started to slowly poor it on Tim's Face and chest.
"That's cold, but it feels good," said Tim, not opening his eyes.
"And what earned you bleacher runs?" asked Anna when he sat up.
"Showed up to practice hung over this morning," said Tim.
"That was dumb," said Anna.
"It happens," said Tim.
"Hey, Anna. We need to go. Dad's pissed and wants to talk to you," said Paul walking up the steps.
"Not gonna happen," said Anna as she took a sip of the water.
Tim looked over at Anna and saw she was sweating. He smiled and took his water bottle and poured a little on her head.
"That's not funny Riggins," said Skyler walking up.
"Cool it Sky. I'm older than you. I can take care of myself," said Anna as she wiped her hand across her face.
Skyler and Paul turned and walked down the bleachers and over to Mark's car to wait on him. Tim smiled and looked over at Anna. She had just run her hand across her left eyes getting the water off her face. Tim frowned and took his towel and poured water on it and ran it across her face.
"Hey! What are you doing?" said Anna turning away from him.
"Look at me," said Tim.
"No. I've got to go," said Anna standing up.
Tim stood up and grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. Anna immediately looked down at her shoes. Tim lifted her face so he could look at it. Anna's left eye was in the healing process of a black eye. It was faded, but it was there.
"What happened?" asked Tim.
"Would you believe me if I said I fell?" asked Anna.
"No," said Tim.
"Then my dad," said Anna.
Tim didn't answer her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the bleacher steps and over to his truck. Screw changing clothes. He threw the truck into gear and started off towards her house.
Anna sat quietly in the passenger seat. Tim pulled up to the driveway and parked the truck. He turned it off and Anna jumped out and made a beeline towards the house, Tim hot on her heels. Anna didn't have the door completely open when her father's hand connected with her face. Tim pushed Anna forwards and looked her dad in the eye. Both men were pissed, but for two different reasons.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" asked Anna's dad.
"Who the hell do you think you are if you think it is okay to hit women," said Tim.
"She is my daughter, and I will do whatever I want. Leave," said her dad.
"Not gonna happen," said Tim. "She not safe with you hitting her."
"She deserves every one of them. If she could learn how to act then it would stop," he said.
"Mr. Hamilton, you have a call in your office," said a maid walking up to the man.
"If you will excuse me," he said walking away.
Anna had long since disappeared. Tim looked around at what he could see of the house. He heard shuffling on the stairs and turned to see Anna walking down them with a large bag. Anna stopped when she saw Tim was still standing at the door. She looked around frantically.
"He's not here," whispered Tim.
Anna nodded her head and continued down the stairs. She walked over to him and out the door, Tim right behind her. She started digging around in her pockets for her keys.
"Damn it!" said Anna.
"What?" asked Tim.
"Coach Taylor still has my keys!" said Anna.
"You're car is at school anyway," said Tim.
Anna pointed to one of the many cars sitting in the driveway, "I have more than one."
Tim eyed the car before he took the bag and tossed it in the bed of the truck. Anna climbed up in the cab and Tim drove off. He drove back to the school. He told her to stay in the truck and he would be back soon. He walked into the locker room and over to Coach Taylor's office.
"Yeah, Tim?" said the Coach.
"Can I get Anna's keys?" asked Tim.
"Why can't she come get them? I want to talk to her, anyway," said Coach.
"She isn't…she can't," said Tim.
"Tim, what aren't you telling me?" asked Coach grabbing the keys off the wall.
"Nothing. She just needs her keys," said Tim.
Coach Taylor handed the keys to Tim and watched him walk out of the office. Tim walked out of the locker room and over to his truck. He jumped up in the cab and handed the keys to Anna. Anna moved to get out of the truck when Tim grabbed her arm.
"Where are you going to go?" asked Tim.
"Don't know. Figured I would find a woman's shelter or something," said Anna.
"You can crash at my place. Billy wont mind, and I can sleep on the couch," said Tim.
"That's thoughtful, but I don't want this to have any kind of repercussion on your family," said Anna.
"My family can't get any farther in the proverbial ditch than it already is," said Tim.
"Ah," said Anna. "For tonight. I will follow you."
Tim nodded and Anna jumped out of the truck and walked over to her car. She tossed her bag in the backseat and climbed in and followed Tim to his house.