For Six Weeks It's Great

AN: My first attempt, so please be gentle! I'm not a native speaker, and unfortunatly my beta reader sort of disappeared, so don't hesitiate to point out any mistakes regarding language and grammar. And a review would be nice of course. I know it's not Tulie, but anyway ;-)

"Hi Lyla, can I sit?"

Lyla looked up from her lunch and saw Tyra standing above her. If she was surprised by the request she didn't let it show.

"Sure", she answered and Tyra slid down on the chair on the opposite side of the table.

Tyra opened a bottle of water and had a sip.

"Are you not eating lunch?" Lyla asked.

"Can't", said Tyra. "I have a toothache. I went to the dentist this morning and now it's only worse." She sipped her water again. "Anyway, I missed calculus because of that, so I was wondering if I could copy your notes."

Lyla nodded.

"Of course. But couldn't Landry just explain it to you? I'm not sure my notes are all that useful."

Tyra frowned. "I'd rather not ask him. We broke up."

Lyla raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Don't ask, it's a long story", Tyra said dismissively.

Lyla nodded slightly and handed over her notebook. Tyra brought out a pen and a similar notebook from her bag and started jotting down notes. Lyla finished her yoghurt and took a bite of her apple.

"But you're okay and all?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine", Tyra replied, lifting her eyes only slightly from the notes. She let out a long sigh. "Ah, great", she muttered. "Riggins is coming our way."

Lyla turned her head a little and saw Tim walking casually over to their table, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Hi girls", he said, looking only at Lyla.

"Hi", Lyla answered, while Tyra remained silent, refusing to look up.

"Don't you have class?" Tim asked, still focusing his eyes on Lyla. "I mean, you have late lunch on Tuesdays, don't you?"

"Stalker", Tyra muttered under her breath but loud enough for Tim and Lyla to hear. Tim only smirked a little, not acknowledging her remark any more than that.

"Uh, well yeah, but the teacher was sick and since the semester's practically over anyway they didn't bother with a sub, so…", Lyla explained.

"Sweet", Tim said.

Tyra finally looked up from her notebook.

"You planning on talking to her all day? Then sit down please, it's annoying to have you hovering up there", she complained.

Tim chuckled a little. "Whoa, easy now." He looked back at Lyla. "What's up with her?"

"She has a toothache", Lyla filled him in.

Tim smirked. "Um, sure thing."

"I do!" Tyra barked.

Tim backed off, still smiling. "I'll see you later then."

"Bye", Lyla said, holding his gaze.

"Bye Lyla."

Ha sauntered out of the cafeteria, while Lyla kept her eyes fixed on his back.

"He's just not giving up, is he?" Tyra said and let out a sigh.

Lyla didn't answer.

"Well, you'd better put an end to it before he starts building a shrine in that dodgy room of his."

Lyla walked out of the convenience store, a light grocery bag in her hand. She got to her car and found the keys in her bag, opened the door and put the bags on the passenger seat.

"Garrity, hi."

At hearing her name, she turned around. It was almost dark and the streetlamps hadn't come on yet but she spotted Tim walking towards her.

"Hello Tim."

"What are you doing?" he asked casually while putting his keys in his jeans pocket.

"Um, just picking up a few things. I made pie for dessert for our family dinner, but there was no custard left so I had to… you know, get some." She smiled slightly. "I'm guessing you're not here to buy custard?"

Tim smiled back.

"Well, actually I am. That, and a six pack."

Lyla chuckled a little at that.

"Okay, so…", she drawled, motioning to climb into her car.

"Anyway, how-, how are you?" Tim hurriedly asked, obviously not wanting her to leave just yet.

"I'm okay. Glad that this semester is finally over."

"Yeah, I guess." Tim didn't seem overjoyed at the thought.

"What? I thought getting out of school was all you ever dreamed of?" Lyla asked, raising her eyebrows and smirking.

"Sure, but then… it's about the only place I see you nowadays. I mean, since you – and me too, for that matter – stopped going to church, I don't see much of you."

He talked with his gaze glued to the ground and only dared to look up at her from behind the curtain of his long hair after he finished talking.

Lyla didn't say anything back, just fiddled with the car keys in her hand.

"Why do you want out of school anyway, miss Straight A's?" Tim continued, regaining his confidence and looking her in the eyes again as he spoke, one corner of his mouth turning upwards.

Lyla leaned back against the car.

"Classes are fine, it's the rest that's just… killing me at the moment." She sighed a little before continuing. "I guess I feel a bit out of place. I mean, since I quit cheerleading most of the girls aren't talking to me. And after I stopped going to church, I can't exactly hang out with that Bible study group."

Tim was looking intensely at her, but now she had her eyes turned down to the ground.

She crossed her arms over her chest before speaking again.

"And then Jason moved out to Austin after dropping the bomb about the baby, and Chris and I broke up, so I suppose I've been a bit… lonely."

She sniffed, almost inaudibly, and brought a hand up to her face.

Tim had his hands stuffed in his back pockets standing a few steps away from her, now stepping a little bit closer.

Lyla looked up suddenly, a weak smile on her lips. She quickly wiped a tear from her eyes.

"Don't worry Tim, I won't cry", she said with a laugh after seeing the serious expression on his face. "Anyway, I'm going away for a few weeks now, it'll be nice just to get out of here for a while."

"Where are you going?" Tim got his right hand out of his back pockets and ran it through his hair.

"California. My mom and her fiancé are looking for a new house there, and I'm going to work at a camp for kids. Volunteer work, you know."

"When?"

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, and I'll be back by the end of June."

He nodded, his lips pursed.

"Well, hope you have a good time. I'll let you get back and eat that pie", he said, taking a few steps backwards.

Lyla reached out for him.

"Tim…" she said, meeting his gaze. "Thanks for listening."

"Anytime." He came towards her and enclosed her in his arms. They stood so for a long while, Lyla resting her forehead on his shoulder. He eventually loosened his grip, both of them reluctant to pull away. Lyla looked up, meeting his eyes for a moment before softly pressing her lips against his while letting her hands run down the length of his arms.

"I'll give you a call when I get back, okay?" she mumbled as their lips parted.

"Yeah." He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

"I've got to go."

"Lyla…" he drawled, stroking her hair before pulling her into another kiss, this one a bit less careful and a bit more passionate.

"I'll see you soon", Lyla said quietly as she got into her car, Tim holding onto her hand as long as he could before she closed the door.