This will sound bizarre, but go with me.
Instead of using the $
to call a node, try this.
Type get_node()
instead of $
.
After that, drag the node ScoreTimer right from the list of nodes in the lower left corner, into the parentheses. You can do this, even though it may initially take you out of the script scene. Just select the script tab to bring you back.
This will remove your null errors.