Round One (Friday Night Lights) | ✔

Round One

"Hi, Lyla. Missed you at the pep rally." Tami walked up to her, clearly noticing something was amiss with the teenager who she had known since she was a little girl. It wasn't hard to miss all the glaring events happening with her lately, like the uncomfortable stares students gave her as she walked into the lunchroom. Or the guy banging on all the lockers around her as she stood there at her locker. "What's the matter?" She took the note out of Lyla's hands and read it before crumpling up the horrible words someone had written about her. For a good time call Lyla, 1-800-SLUT. "Well, that's just bush league. We don't listen to them. Come on." When Lyla didn't respond, Tami put an arm around her shoulder and gently prompted her to move down the hall. Despite the comforting gesture, the teenager looked down at the floor until Tami shut the door to her office.

"I just thought, let em' talk, you know?" Lyla stated through mostly shaky tears as Tami sat down beside her on the couch to offer a listening ear. "Let them say what they're gonna say, and I'll just tough it out." She paused, as if she had been really contemplating this decision for a while. "I'm quitting the cheerleading team."

"That's a big move." Tami raised an eyebrow, although she didn't blame her for wanting to. After her boyfriend Jason had been paralyzed after playing football, she had slept with Tim Riggins. The guy had a huge reputation for being a womanizer who drank heavily and skipped class. While he got off, for the most part, the brunt of people's anger with the situation fell to her. "Sure you want to do that?"

"My parents dressed me up in cheerleader outfits and took me to Panthers games since I was five. Becoming a cheerleader for the Dillon Panthers was like this dream come time. And I bought into it. But you know what? The truth is since Jason's accident, I've been pretending. And I am done pretending, Mrs. Taylor, I care about any of this." She admitted through a heavy conviction that this was the best decision for her.

"You are a smart young woman, Lyla Garrity." Tami put a hand over hers and squeezed her hand to let her know she was there for her. "They can say all they want about you, but I know the real you."

"How do you know that? I'm not even sure I know the real me right now." Her insecurity about the situation was returning and somehow she had to bring her out of it.

"Because I've been lucky to witness all the good things you've done for people."

"I'm not sure all the good outweighs the bad in all this." A tear slipped down her cheek as she once again stared down at the floor. "I made one mistake, and now I feel like I'm paying for it over and over again." She swiped at her cheeks, but she couldn't keep the tears from flowing at this point. "I have no idea what to do now."

"You need to know, we all make mistakes. Whether they're big or small. Even if we want to admit them to ourselves or others, we all make them. You may not find it all blowing over today or tomorrow, but when it does, only you can decide how it will affect you."

"I think I'll take some time to think all of this over." Scooting to the edge of the couch, she pointed her finger at the clock. "I should get to my next class."

"Okay. You're probably going to need this" Tami rounded the corner of her desk, taking a pad of paper and writing a pass for her just as the bell rang overhead. "And Lyla?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me if things ever get like this again, you'll come and see me." Tami handed her the pass and she nodded appreciatively. "My door is always open."

"I will. Thank you, Mrs. Taylor, for everything."

"Of course. Okay, get to class." Tami excused her, then let out a long sigh as she sat back in her chair.