CHAPTER 1: Friends?
Rory: "Come on you guys. Please. I don't want to be all alone."
Jess: But it's your grandma's. We all know how much she hates me."
Tristan: Yeah and I have gone to too many of these. You know how much I hate them."
Logan: I'll come.
Everyone turned to look at him. Both Tristan and Jess had shocked looks on their faces and Rory had a huge smile. She walked over to him and gave him a tight hug.
Rory: "Thank you so much. See at least one of you guys isn't a coward."
Jess: "Hey! I'm not a coward."
Rory: "Uh huh." She said skeptically almost sarcastically.
Jess: "Fine I'll go, I guess." He mumbled under his breath
Rory: "Thank you! Thank you." She gave him a tight hug, too, almost knocking him off the bridge.
Tristan: "Okay Mary. I'll come too."
She gave him one last hug and smiled. She knew these guys would do anything for her and she would do the same.
Flashback
March 18, 2006
11th grade
Rory was sitting outside on a bench, reading, when Travis Weaver came up to her. She was still looking at her book but she smiled. She thought it was one of her friends. When she saw who it was she quit smiling. Travis was always hitting on her.
Rory: "Oh it's you."
Travis: "Ouch. You really know how to hurt a guy."
Rory: "Sorry I'm not really in the mood for a conversation."
Travis: "I just thought we'd go to a movie. It's pretty dark and very quiet if you know what I mean." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
At first she thought he was kidding but then she saw the seriousness in his eyes.
Rory: "Sorry, I think I'll pass."
She got up to leave when she felt someone grab her wrist. She turned and saw it was Travis. He had had a reputation for beating his girlfriends. That was another reason she didn't like him.
Travis: "I don't think you understand. That was a statement not a question."
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Meanwhile the whole time this was happening, Jess, Tristan, and Logan were nearby. They had witnessed all of this just waiting to make their move.
The first one who saw this was Jess. He was always aware of his surroundings and especially aware when it came to Rory.
Everyone knew he liked her and everyone also knew Rory liked him too. They just didn't want to admit it and they were oblivious to each others feelings.
Jess started looking for Tristan and Logan for back up. Travis Weaver was a big guy and as much as he wanted to take him right there, he knew he couldn't.
Jess spotted them and noticed that they already saw Rory. They looked up and his body language said everything. They were waiting for some thing to happen. Waiting, though, isn't exactly the correct term. They were making sure nothing would happen.
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Travis started squeezing Rory's wrist with a firm grasp.
Rory: Ow. Travis you're hurting me. Stop.
Travis didn't answer, he just kept squeezing tighter. Rory was standing there wondering how she could get out of this. She knew there was one thing she could do but it could just make him madder. She decided to do it though.
Rory took her free hand and smacked him across the face, HARD. She then freed herself from his grasp and ran. She ran as fast as she could but Travis wasn't done with her. She felt him right behind her catching up.
Rory turned around and saw him right behind her reaching for her. The minute she turned around, she tripped over a rock and tumbled down on the ground. The last thing she remembered seeing was black.
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Jess, Tristan and Logan were already running when they saw Rory slap him. All three of them had so much anger that it was dangerous.
They were almost caught up with him when they saw Rory tumble to the ground. Jess sucker punched Travis in the jaw and knocked him down. Logan kicked him in the stomach and Tristan socked him in the nose.
They all took turns beating him until Jess remembered Rory and let Travis scramble up and run away. Jess examined Rory trying to figure out how hurt she was. All he saw was a small gash on the back of her head. Jess took Rory in his arms and just held her there for a while, until he picked her up.
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Rory: "Okay, see you guys at the party. It starts at 7:00."
Rory leaves the bridge and yells back one last 'thank you' over her shoulder. Jess watches her go and thinks to him self 'It's funny how she can con me into anything. I would do anything for her. Why do I love her so much? Wait. Did I just say I love? Ugh.'
Tristan: "Well it looks like we have to go get ready. I can't believe we got conned into this."
Jess: "Yeah well we do anything for Rory."
Logan: "Yeah, some people have different reasons than others though." He looked suggestively to Jess and Jess saw him.
Jess: "Oh and what's that supposed to mean."
Logan: "I think you know what it means."
Jess: "No I don't. Why don't you explain it to me." He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Tristan: "We all know you like Rory, a lot."
Jess: "Of course I do. She's my friend. I think I should like my friends." Jess was trying to play the 'stupid' card but he unknowingly drew out the word friend longer than the rest of the words.
Logan: "Ahh. So you think she doesn't like you back. Well she does."
Jess: "I don't know wha- wait what did you just say?"
Tristan: "He's right. She does like you."
Jess: "How do you know?"
Logan: "Dude, she hugged you so hard she almost pushed you in the lake."
Tristan: "Not to mention all the side glances she gives you."
Jess: "That's a wrap. Thank you for watching 'Girl Talk'. See you next time." He was using his usual defense mechanism. Sarcasm. He didn't want them to get his hopes up.
Jess walked off the bridge to go get ready. Tristan and Logan were both thinking the same thing, 'We have got to get them together.'