The next week at school, Rae notices a shift in attitude towards her. The rally girls don't seem to like her, the cheerleaders snicker, and Tyra is downright murderous. With a sinking feeling, she realizes she's getting noticed. She sighs and closes her eyes, resting her head on her locker. Someone grabs her shoulder and she jumps, startled. Tim gives her a strange look.
"Jesus Tim you scared me." She accuses, putting a hand over her heart.
"I got a B on that history quiz." He says proudly and she smiles, patting his chest while he beams.
"You're not just Texas dumb anymore." She teases him and he grins, ignoring the slight insult.
"Come to my game on Friday." He blurts out. She looks at him oddly.
"Of course, I'm going with Julie." She reminds him.
"No, no I mean like… Come to watch me." He tries to explain, going red in the cheeks and neck.
"Of course I'll watch you, you're kinda hard to miss." She says slowly, brow furrowed. He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated and amused at the time at how oblivious she is.
"No, I want you to come for me. Wear my jersey, paint a little 33 on your check." He says, remembering her insult from long ago. Her eyes are wide in surprise when she remembers the last part of the insult.
"Ok." Is all she can get out. He grins and walks her to class.
Before the game, she's at Julie's, getting ready.
"Uh, Julie?" She asks hesitantly.
"Yeah?" Julie asks, from inside her closet.
"Do you have any of that face paint? Like the kind the cheerleaders use?" She asks. Julie turns and grins.
"You wanna paint Tim Riggins number on your cheek, don't you?" She demands. "I know you're tutoring him, because it's all the rally girls can talk about." Rae goes pink.
"He asked me to." She reveals and Julie's eyes go wide.
"So the rally girls weren't just making stuff up." She says in wonder.
"I'm just his tutor, that's all!" She insists, but Julie grins knowingly.
"I'll draw the 33 on you if you draw the 7 on me." She offers, grinning. Rae grabs the brush.
At the game, Rae and Julie stand side by side, watching as Matt and Tim battle on the field. Rae wonders if Tim can see her and the 33.
Tim glances up at the stands for the billionth time, finding Rae easily. The girl is turned, whispering something in Julie's ear. A big 33 is painted on her cheek. He grins inside his helmet. When Matt calls the play and he realizes what the plan is, he looks up at Rae one more time. Then he just runs, straight to the end zone. When Tim scores, Rae is screaming, jumping, hugging and squeezing Julie.
When the game ends, the crowd floods the field, ecstatic. Rae watches as Matt and Julie meet, smiling. Then suddenly she's picked up, causing her to scream slightly in surprise. When she's put down and spun around, Tim pulls off his helmet, beaming down at her.
"You're wearing my number." He says.
"Yeah, I thought if the rally girls are going to talk… I might as well let them. It's not like I like Texas anyways." She says, grinning up at him. He just picks her up again, laughing. They spend the entire after game party together, her tucked into his side, him laughing and accepting congratulations from everyone.
"You ok?" He whispers in her ear. She nods, looking up at him.
"I've got the number of the star of the game painted on my face and his arm around me. I'm fine." She says, grinning.
"Am I the star of the game?" He asks her cheekily and she laughs quietly, rolling her eyes.
"Don't act humble, Tim Riggins, it's not you." She chides. He laughs and pulls her closer. It's the first time that she's ever seen him actually happy.
Later that night, he drives her home and stops in her driveway.
"You really did play an amazing game." She compliments softly.
"I've never been so happy that about who was wearing my number." He admits. She grins, shaking her head.
"I haven't gotten such dirty looks since I told middle school girls to stop smoking in the bathroom at hockey games." She says, laughing. He doesn't fully understand it, but he laughs with her. "Goodnight Tim Riggins." She says over her shoulder, opening her door.
"Rae, wait!" He says hastily, climbing out of the truck. She turns, looking at him curiously.
"Why… Why do you want people to call you Rae?" He finally asks the question that has been on his mind for weeks now. She sighs, walking up to him, putting her hands on his shoulders.
"My mom, when she was sick, she had this song she would always sing, whenever the chemo was hurting the worst. 'Maisie, Maisie, my little daisy, soaking up the sunshine. Maisie, Maisie, my little daisy, always my ray of sunshine'." She sings. "She only ever sang that to me when the chemo got so bad she wouldn't be able to move from the pain. She said it made her feel better. And on the day that she died, that was the last thing I said to her. I sang her that song and she just… was gone. I'm her Maisie and I don't want to be anyone else's." She says, fighting back tears. Tim crushes her into a hug. She doesn't sob this time, just a slight trickle of tears down her cheeks. He kisses the top of her head.
"I'm sorry." He says gently. "So, so, so sorry." He whispers into her hair. She leans back and kisses his cheek, surprising him.
"See you tomorrow for math, superstar." She says, hurrying into her house. Stunned, Tim climbs into his truck and drives home.
AN: Please read, review, follow, favorite, all the stuff. Let me know your thoughts! A special thanks to Naguabo for always leaving me questions and thoughts- I hope you love reading this as much as I look forward to reading your reviews.