French Lessons, Volume 5: Risk.....Chapter 2

[fleurlb]

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.

 

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early-August

 

Tim turned on the speed, even as his shoulder complained. He couldn't help it.. He was competitive and he especially didn't want to lose to a girl. He hit the wall and looked up at Julie, who was acting as the referee.

 

 

“Amanda wins!” said Julie, grinning at her fellow lifeguard. “Don't feel bad though, Tim, it was really close.”

 

Tim rested his arms on the edge of the pool and tried to catch his breath.

 

“Thanks for the race,” said Amanda, who was barely out of breath. She readjusted her goggles and then glided off toward the far end of the pool.

 

Julie slipped into the water. She kept a hand on the wall as she tread water. Tim turned to face her.

 

He wondered sometimes if she didn't have something better to do than to hang out with him while he swam. But then, he figured that with Seven working until late every night, maybe she was just a little lonely and bored. He could get that, since he was finding it hard to adjust to being alone so much when Herc was gone for rugby training camps and matches.

 

“You know, you probably shouldn't challenge an NCAA swimmer to race you,” said Julie

 

“Yeah, well, I thought you said I was close. I can beat her next time.”

 

“Problem is, I don't think she was swimming as fast as she can. She kinda likes you, you know?” said Julie in a conspiratorial whisper.

 

Tim rolled his eyes “You're always telling stories, Taylor.”

 

“No, really....You should ask her out.”

 

Tim shook his head and changed the subject. “You narrow down your college choices any yet?”

 

Julie gave him a look that let him know she had noticed his subject change but was going to let it slide. “Well, UT Austin, that's my safe school, of course. Then, I don't know. I hate making decisions.”

 

Tim nodded and waited for her to continue.

 

“Like Oberlin – great school, very liberal, decent programs, but it's in a small town and I think I'm kind of done with small towns. Northwestern – they have a great journalism school and it's in a suburb of Chicago, so maybe that wouldn't be as intimidating as trying to jump to a big city....”

 

“But they're still not exactly what you want?” asked Tim.

 

Julie shook her head. “No. I really want Columbia....New York City, awesome journalism program, decent French program, the opportunity to study for a year in Paris. That's my dream school. I'm just not sure I can get in there.”

 

Tim debated a few things he could say, but they all sounded too cheesy. (I have faith in you, Taylor... It's their loss if they don't take you...I'm sure you'll get in.)

 

“So, you want to be a journalist then?” he asked.

 

She groaned. “See, that's another decision I'll need to make. I'm torn between being a journalist and being a French translator/interpreter.”

 

“An interpreter, huh? So you'd get paid to talk for a living?” The night air was getting chillier and Tim let go of the wall so he could sink down, leaving just his head above the water line.

 

“It's more than just talking. It's bridging a gap....creating a way for people from different cultures and languages to really understand each other.” As Julie spoke, her whole face became animated and her voice took on the tones it did when she passionately believed in something.

 

“I wish I had an interpreter,” said Tim, smiling.

 

Julie laughed. “For when? It's not like you travel internationally.”

 

“For every day. Just ordinary things.”

 

“Tim, you do speak English, you know?” Julie smiled, slightly bewildered.

 

Tim shook his head. “I don't know. Sometimes, it seems like the words that I say aren't the words that I had in my head at all.”

 

Julie frowned and her forehead wrinkled with confusion. “I'm not sure I understand, can you give me an example?”

 

Tim sighed and rubbed his face as he thought about it. The first example that came to him was something he'd never told anyone. He looked at Julie, her face open and encouraging.

 

“OK,” he said quietly, lowering his voice so she had to move closer to be able to hear him. He took a deep breath and began to tell her about the time he went to Lyla's church and felt a new, scary, different feeling. When he talked to Lyla about it, things seemed to be going well, she seemed to understand what he was saying.

 

“I don't know, Taylor, I was standing there and she hugged me and was holding my hand and it all just seemed so natural to kiss her. Only she asked me what I was doing. And I told her that I felt closer to God when I was with her....Didn't go over real well, I guess you could say. She thought it was some kinda line.”

 

Tim looked up at Julie, half-expecting to find her laughing or at least grinning at him. Her expression was serious, though, like she understood what it took for him to talk about this.

 

“So, what you think, Taylor, could you have interpreted that for me? Or was it just a line?”

 

Julie closed her eyes and was silent for several seconds. Then, she started to speak haltingly. “Going to her church, being with her.....it made you feel whole....better....part of something.....alive. It wasn't God, exactly, because you're not even sure you believe in God. But you just know that you felt part of something outside yourself and that you were able to feel good in that.....It wasn't a line. You were just trying to say something that's probably completely impossible to put into words.”

 

Tim felt like she'd reached inside of him, opened his soul and read it like a book. Julie opened her eyes and looked at him expectantly, like she was waiting for a grade.

 

“Not too shabby, Taylor. I don't know if that translation would have passed at the UN or whatever, but that wasn't too bad.”

 

Julie shrugged and looked down, a small, pleased smile on her face. Tim wanted to reach out, tilt her chin up and kiss the lips that had just spoken his closest-held feelings.

 

But he couldn't. He couldn't risk having it turn out like his moment had with Lyla. Instead, he slapped both hands down hard on the surface of the water, generating a small tidal wave that washed over Julie.

 

“You are so dead,” spluttered Julie as she blinked her eyes and reached out blindly toward him.

 

“Yeah? You're going to have to catch me first,” he said before pushing off the wall and swimming away.

 

Chapter 1 

 

 

Comments

[devilc.livejournal.com]

Oh Timmy ... {wibbles}

And I agree with what Khemlab said about you being wonderful and rotten all at the same time.

The Tim+Herc House? I laugh and shudder to think.

Thanks for this very enjoyable story.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I am glad that you're finding it enjoyable. If I could create, in my own original fiction, characters who were half as compelling as the FNL folks, I would have it made.