Number 55
They called him Dim. For what reason though? Sure, maybe he didn't realize the answer to something the quickest. Maybe at times he didn't think before he added in his comment. Maybe no one ever gave him a chance. He was always know as one of Nathan Scott's cronies. True, Nathan was probably his best friend since grade school, but he still wanted to be known for himself. He was on the basketball team to. But that didn't really get him anywhere. It's hard to when everyday you are trying to compete with the infamous Scott Brothers, who seemed to be getting closer by the day. His life seemed pretty good, known around school, a well-known brother who could hook you up with anything from fake i.d.s to drugs, a solid basketball career. But how did he really feel? How was he supposed to feel? Maybe, he didn't know how to feel.
"Tim, can't you just watch the big game by yourself? Me and Haley have plans tonight," Nathan repeated, for the third time to his friend. Both dressed in their practice jerseys, Tim sighed as he continued taking free throws. Ever since Nathan had started dating the tutor, everything between them changed. Less time was spent talking about basketball, watching 'big games' and bashing all of the "unpopular" kids at school. Sure, his friend was changing for the better, but sometimes you wanted things the way they were.
"You and Haley always have plans man, we haven't hung out in over a month, it's just one night," Tim responded, gripping the basketball in his hands and looking over at Nathan. It was true, and a good point. It seemed that once Nathan found his significant other, she always came first. Of course that wasn't bad for Haley, but it was bad for everyone else around Nathan. Especially Tim. He hated the fact Haley came first to his best friend now. Maybe he just couldn't handle the fact or being second, or third after so many years of being first.
"She's my girlfriend, what do you expect? If you had a girlfriend, you'd do the same," Nathan replied, briskly tossing another ball into the net. Tim rolled his eyes and took a shot of his own. And he missed. Nathan always stung back with the girlfriend issue. Another reason he was always put second. He never really fit into those group outings when everyone else had a date, and just called it a group outing because he was there on his own. Was there a decent reason he couldn't hold a girlfriend? Because every girl who knew him only thought he was some sort of player, only wanting to get into their pants. And again, they were wrong. Everybody feels that need to be wanted and loved be someone else at one point. It's happened to him a few times before.
"Whatever then, I'll just hit some party tonight," Tim shrugged, stretching his arms. He wanted to say that was a lie, but it was his usually motive. He would figure out some way to find a party, either by talking to his brother about the most recent hotspots or just driving around or sneaking into a club with his fake id. He knew he was drinking his life away but he had nothing else to do. No one to turn to anymore. Nothing or no one to depend on.
"Gotcha, you're usual resort on a lonely night, ever thought of staying in for one evening? Actually doing your homework for once?" Nathan questioned him, as they started to run laps around the gymnasium, thanks to a yelling Whitey. Tim ignored the comment about his 'usual resort on a lonely night'. Why would he like to stay in for a night? So he can watch as his dad and step-mom come home drunk and make the worst amount of sound from their yelling and breaking things? Or should he stay in because his brother is probably out at some bash, getting high and being the reason other people are getting high? He would just be sitting there, feeling horrible about his life. It was better to be out for the night, to forget about everything at home and wish about tomorrow being a better day. And it's not like he needed to do his homework, the teachers gave him a free ride in all his classes anyway, because of basketball.
"Dude, you've experienced my family at night, I don't wanna go there, all that place is to me is a place to sleep," Tim replied in an almost harsh tone. Another true point. Maybe it was because Nathan's family always worked out it's issues that he never really let the experienced of the Smith household past 8 o'clock sink in. Nathan never realized everything that went on in Tim's life. His brother barely getting out of a close sentence in jail. An abusive stage his dad had gone through, which had caused his own mother to flee. How Tim always seemed to cover up talking about his family, cracking a joke or bringing up the 'big game from last night'.
"Still man, I'm sorry, sometimes you gotta move on, and right now, all I really care about is Haley," Nathan sighed, heading over to the other side of the gym to start the scrimmage. Yeah, move on and forget about everyone else. Tim breathed in then out again, heading to his own side of the gym, to his new position of defence. It seemed everyone else was getting more and more important to everyone. And Tim was nothing. Not that he was a something. Plus Whitey had moved him to defence with Jake, with some of the juniors 'doing quite well'. Otherwise meaning, Tim moves away from his close to spotlight while some new meat moves up with the Scott brothers.
Basketball practice ended in the usual way, with their coach making comments to everyone on their playing. Good comments mostly. But if Whitey didn't have anything to say to you, he'd just skip you. And once again that happened to Tim. Was it his fault that he isn't good on defence? For his entire life he played point gaurd next to Nathan. The Nathan was bumped to the other point gaurd, both now up against Lucas Scott. He couldn't really take the neglect from everyone around him anymore. No one understood the way he felt, nor did they care to ask. No one ever asked, "Hey Tim, how are ya?" or "Tim, why are you always so tired?" It was more like, "Tim, tell your brother we need this for this party on this day," or "Tim, party at this address tonight, hoping you could get the booze,"
He walked slowly and alone out of Tree Hill High, watching everyone go off with someone. Nathan with Haley. Lucas tagging behind them with Peyton. Jake going home to a daughter who loves him and he loved. Brooke chatting with the other cheerleaders about a movie night. Brooke Davis was the only one Tim ever had a real crush on. The only one he could say he 'loved'. And she'd never know about it. She had guys to look forward to herself. She could get anyone she wanted to get. So would she ever choose Tim Smith out of all the eligible backelors in the small town of Tree Hill? Not really a chance that she would. She saw Tim like most others did. Some sort of a immature man-slut. No one ever gave him a chance.
He was greeted to an empty house, as usual. If his dad and step-mother made it home in time for dinner, it was only to get ready to go out anyway. Or they would slink into their offices and work on who knows what. His brother was probably off finishing class at the community college, never opting to try to get into anything decent. What was there to do in an empty house? Drink? He didn't want to but that was probably what was going to happen, as it usually did. He flipped onto his bed, and just thought. Thought about what everyone else was doing right now. Thought about how he was never included in their plans, for numerous reasons.
"..sometimes you gotta move on.." he recalled his 'best friend' saying. Move on? How was he supposed to move on? He had nothing to move on from. The only way to move on from no where, or where you think you'll never be away from, was probably death. But why would he want to be dead? He did have a family and a roof over his head, although he only considered it a roof over his head, never a family. He had friends, or so he called them friends. He was fine in school, because the teachers passed all the basketball players, for that was all Tree Hill was worth. He really didn't have anything to grasp. Basketball wasn't even his. He only started to play because Nathan was. And look where he ended up.
He ended up no where. With nothing to call his own. No particular skill to be awarded for. No family honour. No acedemic achievments ever. Never to be known popular as Tim Smith. Only as Nathan's friend. Or the guy from the basketball team. Nothing.
So why am I still here? No one really cares that I play basketball. No one really cares about how I am feeling. They only notice when I make the stupid remarks, never when something intelligent comes out of my mouth. No one really notices if Tim isn't doing to well at home. Nothing. There really is no reason for me to be here. Is there?
He walked to school early the next day, at least half an hour before there 8 am practice. He walked solemly, through the front doors. No one was really around. They were probably only all waking up right now. Tim even knew Whitey wouldn't be there yet. Couragously, he entered the locker room, his hands tightly grasping the straps of his pack sack. This is the only way they will notice me. He quickly opened his locker and put the bag in. Keeping one item from the bag. He took a seat at the bench and looked around. Basketball seemed like nothing to him now. He grasped the gun in his hand. His palms getting sweatier by the moment. His family was a nothing, a blur. He gulped, then sighed. His friends, a thoughtless time waster. He pulled the trigger. Tim Smith, a memory.
(that was my one shot about tim, hope you liked it. maybe it was exagerating, but tim needs a storied past. so let me know what you thought about it , hope it wasnt too harsh, darn my freezeful computer, ahha ;) thanks for readin, R&R)