The Stars In Your Eyes ✩ Tim Shepard

Buck's

Red lights cut through the cloud of alcohol that hung low in the air. I was pretty sure I would suffocate on it all, but Tim kept a tight arm around my waist as he led me through the dancing crowd and up to the bar.

I felt a lot more comfortable because I had changed out of that stupid dress and into a pair of jeans, a long sleeve red shirt, and the black Converse Tim had gotten me. I also washed the makeup off my face before we left, but I did keep my hair in its ponytail.

"Hey, Shepard." The man behind the counter said in greeting. "I haven't seen you around since ol' Dal went down, how ya doing?"

"I'm alright, man." Tim shrugged.

"Good deal." He smiled, shaking Tim's hand over the bar before his attention turned to me. "And who's this little lady?"

Tim's arm tightened around my waist. "Connie, this is Buck. Buck, Connie." He introduced.

"Good to meet you," Buck said simply, with a nod of his head. "What can I get you two?"

"A beer," Tim said, then looking at me he hesitated.

"Water, please," I said, hoping my voice didn't sound too nervous, though I'm sure it did.

"She's a keeper," Buck said, looking at Tim with a serious look before walking away. Tim chuckled as we sat down. He kept his arm placed firmly over my shoulder, and it stayed like that for pretty much the whole night.

Tim looked over at me as we waited, and I looked up at him after feeling his eyes on me. "What's up?" I asked, fiddling with the ring on my finger.

"You okay?" He asked. "I know bars aren't exactly your scene."

"I kinda like it, actually," I said truthfully, glancing around. Honestly, the bar wasn't too bad. Sure it was crowded, and well, a little dirty, but it wasn't half bad.

Tim looked at me in disbelief. "Really?" He asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow as Buck set our drinks on the counter and left. I nodded, taking a sip of water. "Well, I'm glad you like it." He said, clinking his beer bottle against my glass.

I watched him gulp down his beer, wondering how he could stand to drink it so fast. I had never touched a drop of alcohol in my life, and I'm sure if I did, Mom would kill me.

But I didn't want to anyway. I had seen what it did to my father and the people I used to go to school with. I don't think anything good ever came from drinking, but I wasn't about to stop Tim. I had already seen him once after he drank, but only god knew if that was a one-off.

"Tim?" I suddenly asked, remembering something Buck mentioned.

"Yeah," He replied, looking over at me. I hesitated.

"Who's Dal?"

A hint of sadness flickered behind Tim's smoldering eyes before it was gone. He looked down, swishing around the liquid in his half-empty beer bottle.

"He was a friend." He said. There was evidently sadness in his tone and I felt bad for bringing it up, it's just the name "Dal" sounded familiar, and I was curious.

"Oh," Was all I said, looking down. Was, he was a friend. Tim suddenly tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from my ponytail behind my ear, causing me to look up at him.

"Hey, it was a few months ago, we're okay now." He said.

" 'We'?" I couldn't help but echo.

Tim nodded. "My gang, and the Curtis gang. We were all waiting for Dally's death, but when he went, somethin' in each of us went with him." He explained. "But it's like Darry says, 'just 'cause you lose someone doesn't mean you stop livin' '."

I nodded. Whoever Darry was, was right. You don't just stop living when you lose someone. I guess you move on. Grief, accept it, and move on. Life moves on, and I guess you have to move on too. It's all a circle, like night and day, life and death are the same.

"C'mon," Tim swallowed the rest of his beer, taking my hand as he hopped off his bar stool, "I wanna teach you somethin'."

He pulled me off my stool, leading me to the pool table at the other end of the room.

"You wanna teach me how to play billiards?" I asked as he grabbed a cue and walked back over to me.

"Only if you want." He said shyly. "If not, you could just watch me play."

"No, you can teach me," I said. Tim smiled, handing me the pool stick and showing me how to hold it.

If only he could see my smirk. I knew how to play pool, we had a table at home, and James taught me how to play years ago, I was just interested to see how this would play out.

Tim put his hands over mine on the pool stick as he lined up for a shot. "Go on." He said softly, inclining his head for me to hit the cue ball, which I did.

"Now what?" I asked shyly. Tim smiled, showing me to hit a few more balls before I "got the hang of it" and we actually started playing. Nothing much happened besides me winning as I sunk the eight ball. Tim smiled.

"Shoot, I must be the world's best teacher." He said jokingly as he leaned on his pool stick in front of me.

"That or I already knew how to play," I smirked.

"You-" He started to say but cut himself off with a grin. "Oh, you sly soc." Tim chuckled, leaning his pool cue against the table. He placed his hands on my hips as I did the same. "And here I was thinking you were just a quick learner."

I couldn't help but blush at his comment. Tim smirked to himself, suddenly getting an idea, and lifted me to sit on the edge of the pool table. I gasped at the quick motion, looking into his sapphire blue eyes.

"Oh, my little soc." The boy grumbled, running his thumb over my lips. I shivered as his large hands trailed down my neck and sides, coming to rest on my thighs. "I just can't keep my hands off you."