Telluride

The Big Screen

Friday Morning
Tim POV
I have so much to organiser right now it's crazy. It's our first home game of the season and to our fans that's quite a big deal. After being the first school to win the state championship three years running we have gained quite a bit I support from companies and people we never would've expected. This makes paying for new gear and any funding really easy but it also means that a lot of people want a price of the pie when it comes to home games. Like tonight we have a company who has offered to bring in a big screen and cameras to catch the whole game live and to stream it online for our out of town fans. I don't even know what streaming is but if some of these boys are getting the chance to be scouted via the internet I'm happy. But organising it is a logistical nightmare. And on top of all of this we're playing a team that we lost to in preseason and once during last years season. If my boys don't play out of their skins we could lose.
"Knock, knock." I hear Faiths sweet voice as she enters my office with two cups of coffee in her hand. "I thought you could use a pick me up right about now." She's amazing.
"Thank you so much." I say as she takes the seat in front of my desk.
"How are you feeling about tonight?" She asks me taking a sip of her coffee.
"I'm shit scared. I have 100% confidence in our boys but Westlake are a great team and the added pressure of not wanting to lose at home could freak some of them out." I say releasing a loud sigh.
"They have he best coach in the world so I think they've got a great chance." She tells me. We still haven't told anyone about us mostly just be say I feel like we have been so busy this week. Faith ran some first aid training courses and football has consumed my life. It's been a tough week with no good excuse for her to stay over or anything. I miss her. We finish our coffee together and she says that she has some paper work to do before she clocks of fore the weekend.
"Do you want to come to my place before we head to the game tonight?" I ask her hoping we can spend sometime together.
"That sounds lovely." She says waking out.

Faith POV
I think Tim and I should like go on a date. I know it sounds weird since we've been running around for 2 weeks hiding whatever it is that we've got going on but if we go on a date then people can see us out together in a romantic setting and they might think that we're giving it a chance. I'm completely list in my thoughts when Karla knocks at my door.
"Hey, Karla come in!" I say.
"Faith..." She says. Should I be worried?
"Yeeeaaahhhh?" I reply slowly.
"I heard the funniest story this morning when I went to get a coffee from the diner. Dana told me that you rang on Sunday to order 2 cheeseburgers. And at first I was like oh okay her and Betty must be hungry and the she told me that you were ringing off Tim's cell phone." Shit shit shit shit shit. "She said that Tim tried to tell her that the two of you were just getting lunch after spending the whole day doing office work. Except funny thing was I was right here at reception all Sunday trying to connect my new computer from the system. So what we're you two really doing." What do I say. I'm not ready to say cuddling on his sunbed all day.
"We were doing office work, just from home we both had our laptops so we didn't come into school." I lie.
"Why did you need to do it together?" She asks. I know Karla is my friend who just wants to know what's going on but right now I'm not ready to tell her but she will be the first to know when I am.
"Because I needed him to sign off on my work from the last 3 weeks so that the medical council can approve it too." I make up. "And I like his company," I throw in so that she doesn't focus to much on the details of my lies.
It's the end of the day and Tim and I are going to his place to spend some time together. This week has been so chaotic I feel like I've hardly seen him at all. Once we get inside I attack his face with my lips.
"Mmmh, I've missed that." He tells me.
"Me too." I say because I can't even explain how much.
"If we win, I'm staying here tonight. And then we can celebrate." I say.
"I would love that." Tim says.
We make out for probably an hour, maybe more. It reminds me of an innocent young romance. No pressure to go any further than tongues and light groping. It's actually super nice. I'm laying on top of him on the couch just kissing when there's a knock at the door. "Shit!" I whisper. I roll to the floor and send Tim to the door.
"Hey, Joey! How can I help?" Tim says, sounding very disheveled.
"I just wanted to let you know that Brodie said he has to leave town this weekend or his Nanas birthday so he won't be able to watch this game." I hear Joey say from the front porch.
"Oh well thank you for coming to tell me. I like your maturity." Tim tells him.
"Thanks sir," Joey says walking away. "I like your lipstick." He says, gone before Tim can reply. When Tim looks back at me his eyes are wide and that's when I see the red stains in his lips and in parts of his stubble.
"Shit Tim." I say laughing as I walk towards him. He wraps his arms around my waist.
"You're not mad?" He asks.
"No, someone had to find out eventually. I don't think there are many secrets here in Start."

We head over to the football field at 4. Game starts at 6. It looks crazy in the field, extra bleacher, a big screen and even a whole bunch of food trucks. I just hope I don't end up on the big screen. "Who's gonna be filming?" I ask Tim.
"The company that supplied the cameras and screen is letting our media students do it to give them experience." He explains to me.
"That's so cool." I tell him. "You give your students so many opportunities."
"That's my job." He says as we approach the boys and the other coaches. He doesn't realise how much extra he does and the effect that it has. He is such a great guy. Tim walks over to see Jason and the rest of the guys, so I sit I the bleachers. I see Joey walking towards me, he's such a sweet kid.
"Hey Miss Perry." He says and I suddenly remember his encounter with Tim and my lipstick an hour ago.
"Hi Joey." I say trying to sound like I'm not mortified. He stops and looks at me and says very confidently be fore walking off,
"That shade of lipstick looks much better on you than it does Mr McGraw."

It's half time and were down. I fit know by how much because I'm to nervous to look at the scoreboard. And because I'm not sure who are audio and visual kids are but I swear to god my face has been up on the screen far more than everyone else's. They're about to start the second half. Tim is so tense, I've never seen him this stressed out before. "We're going to be fine." I tell him standing as close as I can without looking suspicious. I look at the big screen again to see how much longer we have left to play and my face is on there again. I look away so that the camera can move.
"Quite the camera magnet, aren't you?" Tim says smiling at me but I can see he's super stressed.
There's 3 minutes if the game left are we need a touch down to win. The other team is taking so long to set up, time wasting strategy. As time winds down we get closer and closer and in the last 10 seconds Joey makes a touch down. The crowd is roaring.
"We won!" I tell facing Tim who looks very relieved. Tim grabs me and pull me in for a kiss right there in the field, I think it must just be my imagination but it sounds like while we're kissing the roaring of the crowd got louder.
"Sorry, I know you wanted to..." He begins but I cut him off with another kiss. "Shit." Tim says, all the colour drains from his face. I turn to look at at what he's looking at, the big screen. With our faces plastered on them. That's why the crowd roared louder.
"It's okay." I say to him, not actually that bothered.
"Are you sure?" He asks apprehensively.
"Positive. Go talk to the boys. I'll be waiting." I tell him. I'm so happy we won. This was a super important match to win and for Joey to play well in. Scouts from all around the country would've been watching. I just stand there by the officials area next to the field watching as Tim celebrates with the boys.
"You want to tell me what that was about?" I hear from behind me. I turn around and see Karla standing with Russel.
"Are you two always together?" I ask them, not intending to change the subject.
"We weren't until we saw you and Tim on the screen and I guess we both had the same idea to come talk to you." He doesn't sound mad but I don't think I can tell them that I've been lying to them, they're my best friends.
"Oh yeah. That."
"Yes that, what's the story?" Russel asks me.
"I think it was just a heat of the moment thing." I lie. "But it was nice."
"Well maybe this opens the door for you two to you know become more than just whatever you are right now." Karla says, forever the voice of reason.
"Yeah, I think so." I tell them. Karla replies with a squeal and I just laugh at her.
"Okay he's coming back over here, we're gonna go, we will see you at church probably." Karla says dragging Russel off.
"What did Karla and Russel want?" Tim asks me.
"They just told me to congratulate the boys and yourself on a well won match." I lie.
"Oh cool. We are going out for celebratory drinks, are you going to join?" He asks me holding out his hand. I take it in mine and pull myself in close to him. I'm ready for the world to see us together.