A/N - Strongly based off of and practically copying the intro of ChennaiChica's California Love (with permission if anyone decides to point that out to me).
Here is the criteria of the story. After Lorelai got pregnant her parents sent her to California to get through the birth with a couple of family friends, who will not be involved in the story. Rory and Lorelai want to stay in California and despite Emily's attempts only go back to Hartford to visit. This is the basis of Emily's compromise over the summer and Rory's corresponding scheme to limit the results. Because of her new environment Rory grew up differently, basically meaning popular and with less tact. But when she goes to Hartford she is treated the same way as on the show.
"Your grandparents want you to visit them for a month," was the starting statement for a weekly tradition of movie nights.
"Cool, so do I leave after school is over?" Rory responded to her mother's comment.
"No, it's more like you'll leave a month before school start,." Lorelai said still stiff and unmoving toward the junk food.
"But I'll be back in time for school, right? I mean, my grades just can't slip this year. It's the first year that colleges will actually look at," Rory pouted at her mom, cheeks full of some unknown mixture of candy and chips.
"Well, you'll stay in the mansion with them the first two weeks...then they want you to go to Chilton Prep for the last two weeks." When Lorelai was done talking she immediately grabbed the pillow off her lap and held it in front of her face as a shield.
"WHAT!?!" and the soda she had been drinking was abruptly spit out. "Why? Why would I need to go there? I'm perfectly happy in California. I don't even like the cold."
"Try telling them that. Okay, all they want you to do is see if you like the school. So, I figure what you need to do is have a reason for not liking...being there," Lorelai explained struggling with the wording of the last part and munching on some chips to help think.
Rory grinned evilly and nodded eagerly, "I'll just do everything opposite of what I do here and then no one will like me and since Grandma only cares about what makes me happy she can't force me to move over there."
"Exactly!" Lorelai agreed and both turned back to their movie.
Two months and two weeks later Rory and company were gathered at the airport terminal, wishing her some good luck at being unpopular. All of her guy friends, TJ, Brian, Trey, Jess, and Daryll, made her promise to draw up a hit list for every guy that flirted with her. And the girls, Lane, Eliza, Jenna, and Kat, made her promise to get every hot guy's phone number and, if possible, a picture, too. A teary goodbye commenced and Rory slept away five hours before happily greeting her grandparents in Hartford.
"Okay, Rory, we have the whole month planned. For the first week you'll spend all your time getting to know Hartford's elite, with me as your guide, of course. Oh, we'll have so much fun, shopping for gowns, having tea, I just can't wait to show off my beautiful granddaughter to all the girls. They will be so jealous," Emily continued on and even Rory had to agree that spending all that time with her grandmother sounded fun.
"And for the next week," her grandfather interjected, "I'm going to take you around my new office and show you all the tricks of the trade." Rory remembered that he had started a new business and, from what Lorelai said, was very successful and proud.
They quickly pulled up to the looming mansion, and even though the house back in California was large and well-furnished, nothing could compare to this. The next two weeks were spent buying evening gowns and properly showing them off at numerous parties which seemed stifling formal to the wild parties back home. And Rory, after the proper introductions, used the library as her lifeline and escape route.
The last two weeks were entirely different to the interesting lifestyle her grandparents led. In the school she was immediately shunned. One: for being a new student who didn't really talk with anyone, which she didn't at all, and two: for only staying there for two weeks. During those two weeks she had caught the eye of a certain playboy and even while playing the shy, naive, young girl knew that her friends back home would approve.
In an odd turn of events Emily had made sure that Rory was invited to the student's parties and at times even made her go. Most of the time she was dismissed by the others because they didn't need to get to know her if she was just going to be leaving. This was the case with Madeline, Louise, and not to mention Paris. They had already written her off as the weird out-of-state girl who liked to transfer schools. The worst part of the parties was the increasingly annoying attentions of the popular Summer and her groupies. Summer was determined to make the two weeks the worst of Rory's life and very much succeeded. Rory was criticized on everything from her plain Jane look, modified specifically for the visit, to her need to be anti-social, which would prevent any returning visits to Chilton.
But for some reason when the guy began talking to her the old Rory had shone through and she couldn't resist poking some fun at his crude methods of trying to seduce her. By the end of her stay Rory had successfully put off the few situations of being friendly toward someone and had shown her grandparents that their only granddaughter could not survive in the cutthroat world of Hartford high society.
In the midst of emptying out her locker, which basically meant taking back all her textbooks, she was for the last time cornered by the certain playboy. The usual barbs had been exchanged and he offered her a farewell present. Unable to resist the bait, she complied and was somewhat taken back and somewhat expectant when, after she had closed her eyes per instruction, he kissed her. Well and thoroughly.
He pulled away, smirking, and she simply walked out of his life and onto a plane back home.
Her flight had been delayed and Rory only made it home the night before school started. Fighting off the jet lag she somehow convinced Lorelai to let her return to class the next day and got in the few hours of sleep she could. That is, after calling Lane and filling her in on all the exciting adventures in Hartford, knowing that full well tomorrow the rest of her friends would know all about it.
The next morning after some convincing of her mom Rory arrived late to her school, Barris Learning Academy, and cooly walked into her first class, fashionably late. Unable to fully cover the dark circles under her eyes Rory had opted to wear sunglasses knowing that her fist period teacher would not make her remove them.
She walked into class perfectly calm and her teacher eyed her with suspicion. "You are late, Lorelai."
Rory slightly winced at her full name and turned to Ms. Parrence agitated, "No, really? Damn. I didn't notice."
The glare only got harsher and Rory turned to her seat knowing she was going to regret what was to come.
"Ms. Gilmore, I don't appreciate that kind of language or disrespect in my classroom and if this wasn't the first day of school I would have you in detention for the next week."
Rory nodded in understanding and her gaze shifted to her obligatory pleated khaki skirt, suddenly intent on smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles. The girl behind her, London Wiels, noted the sunglasses and felt obliged to make a scathing remark. "Nice sunglasses. If you're trying to hide your hangover it's very unoriginal."
"It's called jet lag, you stupid bitch. Now get the hell away from me," Rory coldly responded without even turning around.
Ms. Parrence was just about ready to scream at Rory for disrupting her class once again. When the PA system went off.
*All sophomore students please report to the gym for a brief assembly. Again all sophomore students please report to the gym for a brief assembly.*
The class eagerly stood up and scurried in the general direction of the gym and Rory caught up with her friends in the hall as the crowd practically parted for them. "So what do you think this is all about?" someone asked.
Lane gave the obligatory shrug and answered, "Probably just another welcome back to BLA again. And please make our school proud." She had deepened her voice in imitation of their school principle.
"Actually we have surprise for you students today. There will be some exchange students from Connecticut joining us for the rest of this year. I hope you have your speeches prepared, Ms. Gilmore and Mr. Mariano, I have come to look forward to them."
All ten quickly spun around in embarrassment and faced their principle in imitation, Mr. Dasun.
Rory was the first to recover and answered in earnest. "Yes, sir, I have been preparing it for the past month. Jess and I are looking forward to another great year as president and vice."
"I'm sure the two of you will make it as interesting as our last," he noted sternly, most likely remembering the first ever freshman prank, planned and executed by the student leaders themselves.
The group walked into the gym after a dismissive nod and couldn't hold in their laughter anymore. The secretary of the sophomore class ran up to Rory and handed her a slip of paper. "The principle wanted you to be the one to announce this after your speech."
Rory smiled warmly and looked at the girl, "Thanks, Mary, I'll do that." She was about to look at what the type on the paper said but the principal announced for everyone to take their seats and she had to walk up onto the stage, the paper being forgotten somewhere along the way.
The student cabinet went through their speeches after the required lectures from the principle and vice principle. Rory was the last up and at the end she suddenly remembered the small paper folded and tucked into her blazer pocket. "And I would also like to introduce to you the exchange students who will be in our school for the rest of the year. They are joining us from Chilton Prepatory Academy in Hartford," her speaking slowed somewhere in the middle of the sentence and the audience of about 500 students looked at her questioningly.
"Will the following students please rise? Paris Gellar, Louise Grant, Madeline Lynn, Summer Teal, Henry Cho, Jaime Healy, Blake Darrin, and Tristan DuGrey." Her heart practically stopped on the last name and she could have sworn that her lips started tingling. No one stood and the class looked around in question. Suddenly one of the main doors opened and eight people walked in.