Tim had to admit – he couldn't believe he had lost the wager. Sure, writing about the Alamo was an easy paper, but the others in his class were usually more prone to over achieving than he was. So he had been pretty secure in his bet with the blonde Taylor. However, it appeared that by attending class regularly he was a bad influence on their school work. This to him was a sign that he should go back to taking Wednesdays off – but to Mrs. Coach and the rest of the Taylor clan it was a sign he had lost his bet with Julie. A loss that was now looming over him in ways he didn't like. Because Julie Taylor had yet to claim her favor and Time was less than pleased about that.

"C'mon Taylor, you should just get this over with. You know you wanna just ask me to change the oil in your car or something." Tim said as he waited, and he thought very patiently, for Julie get a book out of her locker, "You draggin' this out is slowly making me nuts." He shot her his most charming grin, the one that had a tendency to make ladies melt and had gotten him out of more than one scrape over the years.

"But see Tim, this is part of the fun. Driving you completely insane is one of the perks of winning this bet." She found her English book and slid it into her messenger bag before looking up at him with a smirk of her own, "So just sit tight, I am sure that sooner or later there will be something that you can assist me with." She held up her hand, "And no – changing my oil doesn't count. And no I don't want another go 'round with your spiel on the rip off artists that are the Quick Change locations."

The fullback shook his head, "Julie, they are rippin' you off. It's stupid to pay them when I can get it done for you faster and cheaper. Even I know that." He leaned against the locker next to hers, "Are you sure you don't need anythin'? Anythin' at all?"

"Well, world peace would be kinda cool."

"Somethin' reasonable?"

"Not yet…" She grinned up at him and then caught a glimpse of something over his shoulder that made her roll her eyes, "Okay, new Rally Girl incoming – the clingy one. You might wanna make like Smash and run like hell."

Taking her word for it Tim moved down the hall, calling over his shoulder, "This isn't over Taylor."

She saluted his back as it vanished into the crowd, "Tell me that when you aren't running from a five foot two Rally Girl Riggins!"

Timothy Riggins was not hiding from a Rally Girl. He wasn't. He wasn't in the men's room hiding from a Rally Girl. It was that he was killing time until the bell rang. It helped that Saracen was also in there with him not hiding. But really, that new girl just had a lot of – exuberance for football players. He had tried pawning her off on Landry – but Tyra had scared her off. Tim leaned against the tile on the wall and ran a hand over his face.

"So, um…a-are you going to help out with the JV team t-thing this weekend?" Matt asked from his perch on one of the sinks.

Time rolled his eyes and sighed, "Well, as a team leader, "he used air quotes and smirked, "It's my responsibility to be there to help guide the up and comers." He looked at Matt, "When I was there age I was already bumped up to Varsity- so I don't get this whole training camp thing. But if it earns some extra points with Coach for the next time practice is just too damn early…"

Matt shot Tim an exasperated look, "L-listen up Riggs – I don't know how else I can say this…are you tryin' to piss him off with some of this shit? You are damn good and…"

Tim chuckled, "Seven, I love football, beer and making sure I have as few regrets as I possibly can. The goals that these loves give me – sometimes wires get crossed an'…"

"And you end up doing s-suicides in hundred degree heat."

"Damn right – besides without me y'all would be bored shitless."

"….where is the downside to that?"

"Seven, you dated a Taylor too damn long. We need to get you a Rally Girl."

"Y-you can keep your stalker Riggs."

"Dammit."

Now he was sure that Hell was freezing over – he was in the library without any type of bribe or threat of lost game time. Granted his math was reading a bit like hieroglyphics at the moment –but if Landry would hurry his ass up and get here to decipher the damned equation for him into English – or some form of English, because it currently was not in any form of English that Tim was familiar with. He tossed the pencil onto the table and ran his fingers through his hair – in frustration or boredom or some combination of emotions – he wasn't entirely sure yet. All Tim Riggins knew at the moment was that he loathed trig, he wasn't overly fond of anyone with the last name 'Taylor' that had helped him get his grades to the point where they would let him TAKE trig and that Landry Clarke REALLY needed to stop making out with Tyra and get his ass into the library.

"Sorry Tim, I…" Landry plopped down into the chair across from Tim, a silly grin on his face and Tim just rolled his eyes.

"Dude, it's great that you and Tyra are all kissy-kissy…but I don' really care right now." He gestured at his math homework, "'Cause this crap isn't in English or if it is – not in any form I know. This is why two being kissy kissy at the moment? NOT helping."

"Okay! I get it. Really." Landry shook his head and spun Tim's book around so he could see where the football player was, "Okay, you are right – this is a little complicated. But nothing you can't do. Let's just start from the top of the page…"

Two hours and a location change later, Landry was wondering if anyone would care if he killed Tim Riggins in the middle of the Alamo Freeze. Just beat him to death with the other player's own books, "Tim…I swear to you – not since 'Of Mice and Men' have I wanted to kill you this badly."

"Yeah yeah yeah…I think I got it." Tim bit his lower lip and finished the last problem before shoving the notebook at Landry with a look of weary ambivalence on his face, "If it's wrong – jus' LIE to me. I don' wanna know at this point Clarke."

"At this point I say we call it a damned night." Landry said looking over the problem before shooting Tim a grin, "Okay and I swear to you I am not lying – you got it. Thank the gods I think you finally are starting to get trig."

Tim was about to say something when two blonde joined them at the table. He looked from Tyra to Julie with a raised brow, "Tyra, Landry an' I were havin' a moment here…"

She just snorted and patted his hand, "He is a math whore Tim, and he has these moments with lotsa people."

"Now Tyra don' cheapen my time with Tim here…" Landry said leaning back in his chair, an arm going over the back of her chair in what for Landry – was a subtle maneuver.

Julie just shook her head, "Alright Tim, I sorta have the favor that I need your help with."

The fullback blinked and looked at her and then at Tyra, "If Tyra had ANY help in pickin' this out – I may jus' have to back out."

"No, it's not that. Really. See, my mother – you remember my mother Tim? Woman who has this AMAZING guilt trip ability…?" Julie grinned at Tim and continued, "But see she seems to think I am not involved enough at school so she volunteered me to sell tickets to the spring formal and since you will be around for the JV orientation camp thing…."

Tim started to shake his head, "Jules…really? C'mon – I have to deal with a bunch a guys who all think that they are going to have this cake walk onto Starting Line up, then there's your Dad, and Buddy Garrity. Have you ever MET Buddy on a day that has to deal with football? No, no tickets. No way in hell." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her and then at Tyra, "NO."

"I KINDA already told my mom you would man the table with me…and give me a ride home after…" Julie said with a little hopeful grin, "One weekend Tim and you can intimidate JV players and then help me sell tickets. It'll be fun."

"You and I have VERY different meanings to the word fun Taylor. An' I also have to try and do Trig. Because you an' your mom have made me your next project…" He shot Tyra a look when the blonde started to laugh.

"Tim, you love it and you damn well know it. Well, the project part. I think the only one where that likes trig is Landry." She patted her boyfriend's hand and kissed his cheek, "Crazy man."

Tim just shook his head and turned his attention back to Julie, "Seriously Jules? This is seriously what you want from me."

She nodded and smirked at him, "I do – plus think how much sales will go up with the bad boy of the Dillon Panthers helping me sell tickets."

"I see now Julie…I see. You are usin' me for this. I am jus' eye candy for your ticket sales." Tim's eyes twinkled wickedly at Julie, who was flushed and on the verge of pouting at him, and he didn't move fast enough to miss the smack to his bicep.

"Jerk." Julie sniffed and then stole one of his fries, "Ew cold."

"Thief. I am a growing boy here…"

"So go get more."

"You…you are the fry thief."

The two girls shared a look and an eye roll before Julie did just that, Julie waving off Tim's suggesting that she should get him a chocolate swizzle while she was up there, "Now who is using whom Riggins?" She shot over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out at him.

Tyra looked from Julie to Tim and back again, and leaned across the table while she was gone, "Tim so help me if you are actually flirting-"

"Oh my god Tyra….she is the coach's DAUGHTER and I am no Seven. I like my balls attached thanks." He gave her an exasperated look, "Besides, she isn't really my type now is she. I mean – think about it." His eyes darkened and his lips lost that usual smirk for a moment, but then they were back, "Anyway, we are jus' friends. No more and no less. Got it?"

"Keep it that way jackass. All I am sayin'."

Tim help up his hands in surrender and grinned at Julie when she handed him the swizzle, "Just to keep you from pouting Riggins. I know your addiction to the things."

"Mhmm. You are a giver Taylor. How about you give me my fries too?"

"Your fries? No, see these are mine. And I am going to eat every…" She smacked at his hand as it darted in to steal some of them, "Ass."

Tim shot her a wounded look, "Really…?"

She just shook her head and ignored him, turning her attention back to Tyra and Landry, "So you two are going to the dance right? You wouldn't make me suffer through this alone now would you?"

The taller blonde sighed, "Well, since we're actually together…and his mother seems really excited about it…" She pointed a finger at the smirking Tim, "And you…watch it or I will tell Mrs. T that you would LOVE to work the dance."

Tim shook his head, "You are evil Tyra…just sayin'."

Julie looked at the faces around the table and chuckled to herself – if anyone had told her that this was going to happen here in Dillon when she first moved here. That she would have a best friend like Tyra, that she would have a group of people in her life like Landry and Tim, she would have laughed. She never would have thought that this little town was where her life would really take shape. She pulled a scrunchie out of her purse and pulled her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head, "Alright, this girl needs to head home. I have Gracie Belle tonight so that my parents can go and get their smile on."

Tim started packing up, "Team has to be there too – I can drop you off if you want Julie." He pointed at Landry, "Don't forget to be there. I know from experience – and you don' want to be doin' that many suicides and bleachers Clarke. TRUST me." He shook his head and waited while Julie gathered up her stuff, "Why do you girls always have so much stuff anyway?"

"So that we can make boys like you carry it all for us." Julie said as she shouldered her bag, with a shake of her head. Tim just shook his and rolled his shoulders to loosen them before leading her out of the restaurant.

Once they were completely out of the restaurant, Tyra looked at Landry, "So, did Tim Riggins just WILLINGLY agree to sell dance tickets?"

"Yeah…and the world isn't ending…"

Tyra watched as the truck pulled out of the parking lot, shaking her head, "Oh my, this is going to get interesting…"