FIC: the sky above, the field below
Jun. 8th, 2009 09:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hoosierbitchTitle: the sky above, the field below
Characters: Tim (mentions Coach, Billy, Jay)
Rating: PG
Summary: Following Tim getting kicked out of the Taylor's house.
And here he is again. Door doesn't quite close behind him because the doorframe doesn't quite fit. Jay's banged the wheelchair into it a time too many. Or Tim has, really. He never got around to making the ramp so instead they just make do.
Jay's not here now. He's alone in the house (his father’s house). Billy's paid the mortgage for years (every other month, Billy, he reminds Tim of who they owe). See only now walking into it, it feels that way. He feels that was. Alone in a house. Feels empty. Feels like all the echoes of yelling and music and breaking have faded out the cracked floorboards, into cracked earth below. There's stuff everywhere. Trash on trashy furniture, and he doesn't think about cleaning up because that's what Billy does when he wants to parent, and then he realizes, he looks around, and realizes that Billy hasn't lived here in a long while.
Tim takes a beer out of the fridge and smiles, because the condensation's on his hand down his wrist even and it hisses when he pulls it open with his teeth. At the Taylor’s house Tami'd been shocked when he’d grabbed a cold one and really, he hadn’t been trying to do anything dumb, hadn't been goin' for the shock value. Just been thirsty. He almost wishes that Tami Taylor (guidance counselor extraordinaire) had caught him seven years earlier when he’d stolen his first Corona from beside his dad's recliner. He thinks Tami knows, too, that really it's years too late for him. He's pretty sure he's maybe the only kid in Dillon High she ever gave up on. Landry's stopped reading for him and Tim never started reading for himself and he's stopped expecting her to come after him. Yell at him. Tell him he shouldn't grow up dumb. Whatever. Didn't stop her telling him to put his beer back. Looking at him like he was wrong but it was okay.
The game's too soon and Billy’s somewhere that isn’t here (not next door, he thinks, please, he wouldn’t) and Tim’s got no one to drive him to the game. He’s never liked driving himself because then he'd have to drive himself home afterward. He'd rather stare out the window, fall asleep, think things over, or not think at all. Some games, after, he just needs to sit.
He almost calls Jason to ask for a ride. Phone's in his hand, finger on Jay's speed dial, before he remembers Jason doesn't go to the games anymore. And they aren't really friends. He sets his cell phone down on the one clean spot of counter and stares at the empty house that he belongs to.
The beer going down is cold. Tastes good but not special. He drives himself to the game.
*
He runs out of the locker room before Coach is done yelling at Dickies. The guys laugh at him on the way out, he shakes his head and hikes his bag up higher. They don’t know where he stands anymore. Coach’s been running hot and cold lately, punishment and praise, Mexico and then babysitting and now how everyone knows he’s been kicked out of Coach's house but not why. It’s pretty safe to say, though, that anyone who gets hit by the other team's coach gets ribbed a bit.
The parking lot's full of family and friends and he nods to Mrs. Williams on his way to his truck. Truck purrs when he turns the key. The parking lot's not cold yet, still bright with field lights someone's not clicked off. People cheering and chatting and Tim, he'd rather be sleeping while Billy rags about the other team. About fair play and cheating and are Tim's ribs okay and does he want to grab a burger on the way home.
He’d missed his parents this way, for a while. And Billy, when he'd left after high school to play golf. He knows it’ll go away. Half a year, maybe, give or take a few months and the clench in Tim’s stomach telling him someone’s gone will start to fade.
Tim, see, he may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he knows that he's been left. If nothing else in the world, he knows that. It's just that all he knows how to do is stay.
*
It's next Wednesday after Julie explains away the whole drunk kiss fiasco when Coach corners him again and says, “you and Billy getting on alright?” and “you been quieter than usual” and “you need a place to stay, son?” The first few times Coach called him son, close and careful, Tim thought Jason musta been there standing next to him and Tim'd just accidentally got in the way.
Tim does what's best for the Taylors and says Billy’s back now, and sorry, and really he's fine. Practice kicks his ass 'cause he's more than a bit hungover and he wonders if Coach felt guilty or frustrated when he could smell the stale beer on Tim's breath. He huffs out a sigh when he gets taken down again and it feels like every other Wednesday morning has since he was twelve.
Sky's too big above him. Ground's hard below. He gets back up.
Characters: Tim (mentions Coach, Billy, Jay)
Rating: PG
Summary: Following Tim getting kicked out of the Taylor's house.
And here he is again. Door doesn't quite close behind him because the doorframe doesn't quite fit. Jay's banged the wheelchair into it a time too many. Or Tim has, really. He never got around to making the ramp so instead they just make do.
Jay's not here now. He's alone in the house (his father’s house). Billy's paid the mortgage for years (every other month, Billy, he reminds Tim of who they owe). See only now walking into it, it feels that way. He feels that was. Alone in a house. Feels empty. Feels like all the echoes of yelling and music and breaking have faded out the cracked floorboards, into cracked earth below. There's stuff everywhere. Trash on trashy furniture, and he doesn't think about cleaning up because that's what Billy does when he wants to parent, and then he realizes, he looks around, and realizes that Billy hasn't lived here in a long while.
Tim takes a beer out of the fridge and smiles, because the condensation's on his hand down his wrist even and it hisses when he pulls it open with his teeth. At the Taylor’s house Tami'd been shocked when he’d grabbed a cold one and really, he hadn’t been trying to do anything dumb, hadn't been goin' for the shock value. Just been thirsty. He almost wishes that Tami Taylor (guidance counselor extraordinaire) had caught him seven years earlier when he’d stolen his first Corona from beside his dad's recliner. He thinks Tami knows, too, that really it's years too late for him. He's pretty sure he's maybe the only kid in Dillon High she ever gave up on. Landry's stopped reading for him and Tim never started reading for himself and he's stopped expecting her to come after him. Yell at him. Tell him he shouldn't grow up dumb. Whatever. Didn't stop her telling him to put his beer back. Looking at him like he was wrong but it was okay.
The game's too soon and Billy’s somewhere that isn’t here (not next door, he thinks, please, he wouldn’t) and Tim’s got no one to drive him to the game. He’s never liked driving himself because then he'd have to drive himself home afterward. He'd rather stare out the window, fall asleep, think things over, or not think at all. Some games, after, he just needs to sit.
He almost calls Jason to ask for a ride. Phone's in his hand, finger on Jay's speed dial, before he remembers Jason doesn't go to the games anymore. And they aren't really friends. He sets his cell phone down on the one clean spot of counter and stares at the empty house that he belongs to.
The beer going down is cold. Tastes good but not special. He drives himself to the game.
*
He runs out of the locker room before Coach is done yelling at Dickies. The guys laugh at him on the way out, he shakes his head and hikes his bag up higher. They don’t know where he stands anymore. Coach’s been running hot and cold lately, punishment and praise, Mexico and then babysitting and now how everyone knows he’s been kicked out of Coach's house but not why. It’s pretty safe to say, though, that anyone who gets hit by the other team's coach gets ribbed a bit.
The parking lot's full of family and friends and he nods to Mrs. Williams on his way to his truck. Truck purrs when he turns the key. The parking lot's not cold yet, still bright with field lights someone's not clicked off. People cheering and chatting and Tim, he'd rather be sleeping while Billy rags about the other team. About fair play and cheating and are Tim's ribs okay and does he want to grab a burger on the way home.
He’d missed his parents this way, for a while. And Billy, when he'd left after high school to play golf. He knows it’ll go away. Half a year, maybe, give or take a few months and the clench in Tim’s stomach telling him someone’s gone will start to fade.
Tim, see, he may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he knows that he's been left. If nothing else in the world, he knows that. It's just that all he knows how to do is stay.
*
It's next Wednesday after Julie explains away the whole drunk kiss fiasco when Coach corners him again and says, “you and Billy getting on alright?” and “you been quieter than usual” and “you need a place to stay, son?” The first few times Coach called him son, close and careful, Tim thought Jason musta been there standing next to him and Tim'd just accidentally got in the way.
Tim does what's best for the Taylors and says Billy’s back now, and sorry, and really he's fine. Practice kicks his ass 'cause he's more than a bit hungover and he wonders if Coach felt guilty or frustrated when he could smell the stale beer on Tim's breath. He huffs out a sigh when he gets taken down again and it feels like every other Wednesday morning has since he was twelve.
Sky's too big above him. Ground's hard below. He gets back up.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-09 02:02 am (UTC)Sky's too big above him. Ground's hard below. He gets back up.
Exactly. No matter what, in his own way, Tim keeps getting back up.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-09 03:00 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing this--even if you did make me want to cry. *G*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-09 01:54 pm (UTC)The first few times Coach called him son, close and careful, Tim thought Jason musta been there standing next to him and Tim'd just accidentally got in the way.
So freaking true.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-10 07:44 pm (UTC)Okay...this really got to me. All of a sudden the tears welled up because it really is perfect.
Excellent job of portraying Tim here. He cares, but he doesn't, he tries, but he doesn't...and still he always gets back up.
Awesome last line.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-18 05:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-05 02:42 pm (UTC)Sky's too big above him. Ground's hard below. He gets back up.
Love Tim. Love the story.