Number 33's Rally Girl

Chapter 10

Dr. Sloane and I had finished up our session when Maddie suddenly came storming into the house. Her face was all red and I could have sworn that I saw smoke coming out of her ears and flames in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Dr. Sloane asked before I could speak.

"Savannah, why didn't you tell me about everything that was happening at school with Tim Riggins? I could have helped you. After everything we have been through I can't wrap my head around why you won't let me in." Maddie knelt down in front of me. "I'm your sister and I will always be here to help please let me in." She took my hands in hers and looked into my eyes.

"I didn't want you to worry about silly things when you have so much going for you right now." I responded.

"Nothing that happens to you is silly, no matter how small it is. If you're having problems, don't wait until it is too late. You should have told me about this whole Tim Riggins shit, not your guidance counselor and principle. Savannah, you are all I have left in this world. If I have to move mountains or oceans I will if that is what you need to know you belong here." Tears were now forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Savannah, how does this make you feel?" Dr. Sloane had reentered the conversation.

"Maybe, I should keep trying." I lied to please them.

"Okay, here is what I'm planning on doing. I will stay here till the week is out and we will continue to have a session each day until then. By the end of the week, I will conduct an assessment on whether you need to come back to New York with me for more treatment. I'm going to call this new prescription in. Excuse me." Dr. Sloane removed himself from the living room and walked out the front door.

Maddie was still on her knees holding my hands.

"Will you get up please?" I asked.

She got control of herself and found her feet. I smiled to try and ease the pain I caused her, but that is all I know. I constantly cause people pain, including myself. I excused myself from the room saying I needed to go lay down. Maddie requested that I keep my bedroom door opened, I agreed and headed towards my room.

TIM'S POV

As I pulled into her driveway, I saw a man in a suit close her front door and head down the drive. He stopped when he saw me. I cut the car off and opened the door of truck to get out.

"You wouldn't happen to be Tim Riggins, would you?" Judging his accent, I could tell he wasn't from around here.

"Who wants to know?" I asked.

The stranger walked closer to me and extended his out for a handshake. "I'm Dr. Sloane, Savannah is one of my patients."

Patient? What hell had Savannah done?

"Is she okay?" I asked trying to make my way to the house, but he was blocking my way.

"She is fine, for now. Would you mine driving me to the local pharmacy? I took a taxi here from the airport and haven't had time to rent a car. If you can even rent a car in this little town." He chuckled slightly. "Please, it would really help and now is not a good time for you to see her."

"Why?" My voice was more forceful. I didn't like being kept in the dark about what was happening. But why should I know? I'm trying to erase what happened between us, but part of me is beginning to care way too much.

"Drive to pharmacy and I will explain." The doctor said. I rolled my, but headed back to my truck with this weirdo following me.

"Alright, now explain." I snapped as I turned my truck on to the row headed into town.

"Has Savannah told you anything about her parents?" Dr. Sloane asked.

"She told me about how they died in a car crash and that's why she moved out here. Nothing else, why?"

"Tim, after the death of her parents, Savannah went into a dark place due to serious depression. I knew her family very well, so I offered to treat her after an incident that happened. As her doctor, I suggested that her sister and her try to start over, which of course brought them here."

"Wait, what incident?" I asked.

"I can't say due to confidentiality reasons, but when she is ready she will tell you. There is something else Tim. Yesterday, she seemed to have suffered a relapse, bad enough for her sister to call me in New York and ask me to take the next plane to California. Now, some information has been brought to me that has me thinking that you may have been a reason for this relapse."

No. No. That can't be true. Shit, of course it is. I left her crying in the hallway yesterday, denying that I kissed when of course I did.

"All I was trying to do was save her from making a mistake." I hit the steering wheel in frustration.

"And what mistake would that be?"

"Me. I'm nothing, but a mistake Doc. I didn't want her to get hurt." I ran my finger through my hair. "This is the pharmacy." We had finally reached his destination.

"Wait here, I'll only be a minute." He said climbing out of the truck.

What have I done? In the process of trying to push her away to keep her safe I ended up pushing her over the edge. I hit the steering wheel in frustration. Why am I such a fuck up? More importantly, why can't I get her out of my head? Is there something that makes her different from the other rally girls? Of course, there is. Her personality for one, she's not stupid and actually respects herself. She has no problem telling me off, the whole school is scared to even cross me. Savannah is different.

Maybe, I want to be different now to. For her.

Dr. Sloane returned to my pickup, with a pharmacy bag in his hand.

"What are the meds for?" I asked.

"Can't say. Patient confidentiality." He replied.

"Sir, all I wanted was for her to not get involved with a guy like me, but I can't get her out of my head. But...." Dr. Sloane cut me off.

"Listen Tim, I'm going to give it to straight because I was good friends with her father and I know what he would say to you. Do not begin something you know you can't finish. If you know, not think, but know that being with you is more of a threat to her then cease all contact and move on. Now as her doctor, I will tell you that she needs stability, reliable stability. She experienced a normal life, until is was ripped away from her. There is an anxiety inside her that comes alive when the floor is about to be ripped out from under her. You, my boy, are anything but stable. I don't know you personally, sure, but from what I've seen from you, you are exhibiting behaviors of a typical high school boy. Tim, there is nothing you can give her, judging on the state of your car I say you can barely support yourself. So, what I'm saying is, you need to keep your distance. Her sister is all she needs right now. You are a boy just passing through, if you were a man, then things might be different."

The whole drive back, the car was silent. I really wanted to kick this bastard out of my car for saying that I'm basically useless in any way to help Savannah, but I kept my temper cool because something he did say struck me.

The whole part about me being a boy instead of a man. So, if I acted more like a man, I could see her? What does it mean to be a man?

When we arrived back at Savannah's house, I could see her through her bedroom window. She was sitting at her desk working on homework probably. Looking at her in this moment you could never tell that she was breaking underneath.

"Thank you for the ride, Tim", Dr. Sloane said while climbing out of the truck, "Oh and one more thing. If you end up hurting her in anyway, I will make sure that you will never become anything in this world. I have friends in high places, and I can already tell you don't have a good track record." With that said he shut the door headed up the drive.

Before I pulled out the driveway, I looked back at her window, but she was no longer there. Slowly, I backed out of the driveway, but I kept looking in my rear view, to see if that blonde hair would appear in the background.