Life in Dillon

Chapter 8

"Lets go Riggins" Coach Taylor's voice booms as I'm laying on the ground just being knocked down by Garrett Matthews, "get up Rigg" Smash says. I was hungover and I didn't know this was going to happen when I came to practice today. Coach was pissed, like really pissed, some bitch on the team decided to rat me out to Coach Mac because they found two cans of Coronas in my bag. The whole defensive line including Smash and Garrett were standing in a circle as coach called each of their number one by one taking turns to tackle me.

I finally get up on my two feet and I can hear the ringing in my ears, "sober up Tim, twenty!" Coach screams and before I know it Smash comes at me and tackles me back on the ground. "We've got two days Riggins till opening game! Show me that you belong on this team!" Coach screams. I get back up and I look around the circle at each person's eyes getting ready for the next tackle, "nine again" Coach says, my head snaps over to Garrett Matthews and I see him start to charge at me, I make contact first coming to realization that I finally made a tackle. "Finally" I hear Smash say as he walks away from the circle and the rest of the other guys following right behind him. I get off of Garrett and I watch him get up from the ground, "good tackle, Tim" he says then walking away. I was panting and I look over at Coach, he wasn't even a little bit amused. "Twelve tackles and you manage to take one" he scoffs, he slowly walks towards me "you don't fix this right now I can tell you for damn sure you and that bench will become pretty good friends this season" he says low and angrily and I don't respond "you got that?" he adds "yes sir" I answer.

Practice finishes and I start to quickly pack up my stuff from my locker preventing any ways of communicating with the rest of the team. "Rigg" Smash's voice comes from behind me stopping my movements, "what do you want two zero" I ask him not bothering to turn around and face him and I continue getting ready. "Are you gonna come smashed again tomorrow because there's really no point coming if that's your plan" he says making some of the guys in the locker room chuckle. I don't feed into whatever he's trying to start instead I take my bag and walk towards the exit of the change room, "hey I'm talking to you Riggins" he says calling for me "I'm not" I say as I exit the room.

I make my way towards the teacher's parking lot where I always park my truck, as I get closer I can tell that Tyra Collette was standing next to my truck. "Hey Tim" she says "what do you want Tyra" I snap at her while I throw my bag into my truck "I was wondering if you're doing anything today?" she says batting her eyelashes at me. This doesn't impress me, she knows that but she's does it anyway. I open my passenger door for her giving into what she's implying, hell it's not like I'm doing anything today anyway.

I open my eyes and I see Tyra's blonde hair sprawled across my chest, I don't know how I find ways to always end up in this situation. I get up from my bed pushing her naked body off of mine, she doesn't budge when I move her, she's dead asleep. I put some random pants on making my way into the living room. There was still light outside meaning it wasn't too late. I grab a Coors from the fridge and pop it open. I walk out to the front lawn first thing I notice was a familiar black backpack on the grass, it was Bo's. I walk over to it picking it up, on the front of the bag Bo Miller was stitched in yellow.

I go back into the house and I see Billy now behind the kitchen counter getting himself a glass of water, he automatically notices the beer in my one hand causing him to rolls his eyes, "dammit Tim, enough with the drinking" he says "do you know the Millers?" I ask him changing the topic "no seriously Tim, I went to the grocery store today and you know how many kids from your school were there talking about how drunk you are everyday at school?" he continues "they live down the street don't they?" I say changing the topic back to the Millers. Billy puts his hands on his hips and sighs "who are you talking about?" he says "the Millers" I say, he looks up looking like he was giving it some thought "Jackie Miller?" he asks, I didn't know what he was saying all I know was Bo had a sister and their last name was Miller. "Does she have two kids?" I ask him. Billy shrugs his shoulder, god he's stupid.