Chapter Text
Julie was half reading her history textbook when she found out. Her mom called for their weekly phone call and slipped it near the end.
"Oh sweetie, before I forget, Tim Riggins is going to jail. Apparently, he was using his brother's shop as a chop shop. Isn't that a shame?"
Julie pictured Tim doing a lot of dumb things, but never anything that would stick him in jail. She was shocked and sadden for him. He never seemed like the type. Sure, he made questionable decisions with alcohol, girls, and his education. But he never was a criminal. He was too good of a guy.
Julie thought before she spoke. "Mom, what's going to happen to him?" Her hands were wringing with nerves and she kept picturing Tim's green hazel eyes getting dimmer being locked up.
Julie could hear Tami take a deep breath and sigh, "Well... I don't quite know. Me and your dad will be praying for him though."
Julie didn't know what else to say. She could feel herself getting emotional. She was always intrigued by Tim Riggins. Sure, she thought he was an idiot 90% of the time but there was something about him. He was the bad boy fullback with a heart of gold and she was the bratty coach's daughter who hated football and the stifling small town she came from. But even with those differences, she was intrigued and always kept an eye on him. And after he crashed at her house, she definitely watched him more. She used to kid herself into thinking she was just observing him for data on the typical American male, almost like a study. But eventually she stopped kidding herself and admitted that she liked him. He was the forbidden fruit.
Julie took a deep breath. She didn't want to alert her mom of her feelings. "Do you know where he's gonna be?"
Tami replied in a questioning tone, "Tim's gonna be at Hopkins. Why do you ask?"
Julie felt her mom's questioning tone and had to change the subject. "Oh, um I was just wondering. Anyways Mom I gotta go. I have a ton of history reading. Give dad and Gracie a kiss for me." She quickly hung up the phone and ran her hands through her hair. If her mom knew the real reason why she asked, she would be getting an earful.
Julie looked around the room. She spotted her stationary on her desk. It was a light blue with faint stars. Her Aunt Shelley got it for her. She thought that every girl should have pretty stationary. Or at least that's what she told her parents when she gifted it to her. At her graduation party, Shelley whispered in her ear her real thoughts: "Every girl needs some good stationary to write dirty love letters." She could feel her cheeks getting hot at the memory. She decided then and there that she would write Tim Riggins a letter every month. Julie knew a thing or two about loneliness. And Tim didn't deserve to feel that.