Finally the bell rang, signaling that it was the end of school. Rory gathered her things and stood up.
"Miss Gilmore can you please stay for a minute?" Mr. Medina requested.
"Sure," Rory replied.
"Rory I just want to talk to you about your grades."
"Oh is this a bad thing?"
"No, no the opposite actually. You have the top grade in English out of all my classes, and I wanted to let you know about this program Chilton is offering for exceptional students in literature."
Mr. Medina went on to explain to Rory about a six week program in Italy for English, and because she had excelled in the subject, he wanted Rory to attend this program along with one other Chilton student who he hadn't chosen yet.
"So go home, talk it over with your mom and give me your answer within a few days."
"Ok. Thank you so much Mr. Medina. See you tomorrow." Rory smiled and walked out the classroom door and towards her bus.
She couldn't wait to get to Luke's and talk to her mom. Rory wanted to go to Italy, but six weeks without her mom would be hard. This was also an opportunity of a lifetime, and it would look good on the Harvard application she reminded herself.
The second Rory got off the bus she made her way down the sidewalk to Luke's.
"Coffee pretty please with sugar on top," Rory asked Luke once she had taken a seat on a barstool.
"All right but just one cup," Luke said as he placed a steaming mug of java in front of her.
Rory took a large, refreshing gulp. The door swung open behind her and Rory turned to see her mom bounding in.
"Hey mom how was your day?" Rory asked, as Lorelai took a seat next to her.
"Wonderful! Lukey fill 'er up!"
"No way. No coffee for you, I think you have enough energy already," Luke huffed.
"Please you gave her some." Lorelai whined as she gestured towards Rory.
"She does have a point Luke," Rory added.
"Fine ,dig yourself into a early grave."
"Thank you! So Rory, how was your day at hell?"
"Well you'll never believe what Mr. Medina offered me to do!"
Rory told Lorelai about Italy.
"So what do you think? Should I go?"
"Are you kidding? Of course you should go! Hey maybe I could come with you. Well maybe not, Michel could never handle the inn without me. But you'll write me everyday, and call me, and send faxes, and …"
"Mom you're babbling," Rory cut her off.
"Oh sorry, it's just that I will miss you so much. When do you leave again?"
"In eight days."
"Well that just means that we'll have to spend every moment together from now until then, except for when you're at school and I'm at work. Hmm that doesn't leave us a lot of time but we'll work it out." Lorelai hugged Rory.
"Mom, mom you're cutting off my air supply."
"Sorry babe." Lorelai smiled, as she downed the rest of her coffee.
The next few days passed quickly. Rory told Mr. Medina that she could go to Italy, but he still hadn't chosen the second person yet.
Rory walked into Mr. Medina's class Monday, and took her usual seat. She was leaving for Italy in two days.
"Hey Mary," Tristan smirked as her sat down in the seat next to Rory.
"Ugh Tristan what do you want?"
"You didn't hear? I though Mr. Medina would have told you be now. I'm going to Italy too."
"What! No this isn't happening. This was supposed to be a fun trip, and now you're coming great." Rory complained.
"Ahh Mary I'm hurt. You don't want to spend six whole weeks in a foreign country with me? Who know maybe we could even share a hotel room." Tristan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Rory just shook her head in disgust as the bell rang.
School seemed to drag on forever, but finally the last bell rang and Rory was free from hell. She dashed out the door and to her locker. Tristan sauntered up next to her.
"So Mary you excited for our trip?"
"Tristan, listen to me very carefully. You are not going to ruin this for me. This trip is a wonderful, amazing opportunity and I plan to enjoy it. I don't care if you come along or not, but do both of us a favor and stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours ok."
"Ouch, well Rory I have to go. See you later." Tristan grinned as he walked away.
Rory finished putting her books away and then made her way to the bus.
"Luke. Coffee. Now." Rory demanded as she sat down on a barstool.
"You're starting to sound more and more like Lorelai every day."
"Bad day?" Jess asked her as he sat in the stool to her left, as Luke poured coffee.
"You have no idea." Rory grimaced, and took a giant sip of coffee.
"What happened?"
"Tristan happened. He's the other person coming to Italy. I didn't even know he did that well in English!"
"The 'evil one' Tristan?" Jess laughed.
"Yes, and it's not funny Jess, stop laughing. I have to spend six agonizingly long weeks with him, and his annoying comments." Rory hit her head against the counter.
"Hey be careful with my counter!" Luke called.
"Thanks for the concern Luke I'm just fine." Rory retorted.
"Hello Luke, coffee please." Lorelai sang as she sat down on the other side of Rory.
"What's got you in such a good mood mom?"
"Oh nothing in particular. What's causing that grim look on you face?"
"Tristan, he's the other person going to Italy."
"Bible boy!" Lorelai gasped, "No! how could it be? Whatever are you going to do?"
"Mom don't mock me, I don't find it funny."
"I'm sorry hun, but look on the bright side, you're going to Italy and you know they have great coffee there, which by the way I expect you will bring home several pounds of."
"Great just what you need more coffee," Luke interrupted, "It will kill you one of these days."
"Yes, but what a way to go. So Rory you're bringing me coffee right?"
"Yeah I will."
"Oh you're the best!" Lorelai squealed as she hugged Rory.
"Mom I'm gonna head home ok. I'll see you there."
"Sure sweetie. Bye."
"Bye mom, bye Jess, bye Luke." Rory called as she walked out the door.
Rory made her way home, and once she walked through the door she immediately went to her room and flopped down on her bed.
"Arg! Why Tristan?" She complained aloud. "Well maybe this won't be so bad. Besides it could have been Paris coming with me. And maybe Tristan will act like a human being for once in his life."
"Do you always talk to yourself?"
Rory sat up in surprise.
"Jess what are you doing here? You scared the hell outta me."
"Sorry I followed you home. There's not much else to do around here. And I figured that we should spend some quality time together before you leave."
"Ok. I don't think that we have ever spent quality time together before." Rory said laughing.
"Hey no time like the present."
Jess walked into her room and looked around. His eyes landed on the book at that on the top of Rory's desk.
"The Shining?" He grinned holding the book up. "I never thought you were the Stephen King kind of girl."
"Really and what type of girl did you think I was?"
"I don't know. I guess more like the Pride and Predijuce kind of girl."
They continued to spend quality time together until Lorelai arrived home.
"Ror, I'm home," she called, "where are you?"
"In my room Mom." Rory called back.
"Ahh there you are. And Jess hi. What are you doing in my only daughter's room? Alone."
"Nothing Lorelai. We were just talking about books. But I should get going before Luke freaks out. Bye."
"Miss Gilmore can you please stay for a minute?" Mr. Medina requested.
"Sure," Rory replied.
"Rory I just want to talk to you about your grades."
"Oh is this a bad thing?"
"No, no the opposite actually. You have the top grade in English out of all my classes, and I wanted to let you know about this program Chilton is offering for exceptional students in literature."
Mr. Medina went on to explain to Rory about a six week program in Italy for English, and because she had excelled in the subject, he wanted Rory to attend this program along with one other Chilton student who he hadn't chosen yet.
"So go home, talk it over with your mom and give me your answer within a few days."
"Ok. Thank you so much Mr. Medina. See you tomorrow." Rory smiled and walked out the classroom door and towards her bus.
She couldn't wait to get to Luke's and talk to her mom. Rory wanted to go to Italy, but six weeks without her mom would be hard. This was also an opportunity of a lifetime, and it would look good on the Harvard application she reminded herself.
The second Rory got off the bus she made her way down the sidewalk to Luke's.
"Coffee pretty please with sugar on top," Rory asked Luke once she had taken a seat on a barstool.
"All right but just one cup," Luke said as he placed a steaming mug of java in front of her.
Rory took a large, refreshing gulp. The door swung open behind her and Rory turned to see her mom bounding in.
"Hey mom how was your day?" Rory asked, as Lorelai took a seat next to her.
"Wonderful! Lukey fill 'er up!"
"No way. No coffee for you, I think you have enough energy already," Luke huffed.
"Please you gave her some." Lorelai whined as she gestured towards Rory.
"She does have a point Luke," Rory added.
"Fine ,dig yourself into a early grave."
"Thank you! So Rory, how was your day at hell?"
"Well you'll never believe what Mr. Medina offered me to do!"
Rory told Lorelai about Italy.
"So what do you think? Should I go?"
"Are you kidding? Of course you should go! Hey maybe I could come with you. Well maybe not, Michel could never handle the inn without me. But you'll write me everyday, and call me, and send faxes, and …"
"Mom you're babbling," Rory cut her off.
"Oh sorry, it's just that I will miss you so much. When do you leave again?"
"In eight days."
"Well that just means that we'll have to spend every moment together from now until then, except for when you're at school and I'm at work. Hmm that doesn't leave us a lot of time but we'll work it out." Lorelai hugged Rory.
"Mom, mom you're cutting off my air supply."
"Sorry babe." Lorelai smiled, as she downed the rest of her coffee.
The next few days passed quickly. Rory told Mr. Medina that she could go to Italy, but he still hadn't chosen the second person yet.
Rory walked into Mr. Medina's class Monday, and took her usual seat. She was leaving for Italy in two days.
"Hey Mary," Tristan smirked as her sat down in the seat next to Rory.
"Ugh Tristan what do you want?"
"You didn't hear? I though Mr. Medina would have told you be now. I'm going to Italy too."
"What! No this isn't happening. This was supposed to be a fun trip, and now you're coming great." Rory complained.
"Ahh Mary I'm hurt. You don't want to spend six whole weeks in a foreign country with me? Who know maybe we could even share a hotel room." Tristan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Rory just shook her head in disgust as the bell rang.
School seemed to drag on forever, but finally the last bell rang and Rory was free from hell. She dashed out the door and to her locker. Tristan sauntered up next to her.
"So Mary you excited for our trip?"
"Tristan, listen to me very carefully. You are not going to ruin this for me. This trip is a wonderful, amazing opportunity and I plan to enjoy it. I don't care if you come along or not, but do both of us a favor and stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours ok."
"Ouch, well Rory I have to go. See you later." Tristan grinned as he walked away.
Rory finished putting her books away and then made her way to the bus.
"Luke. Coffee. Now." Rory demanded as she sat down on a barstool.
"You're starting to sound more and more like Lorelai every day."
"Bad day?" Jess asked her as he sat in the stool to her left, as Luke poured coffee.
"You have no idea." Rory grimaced, and took a giant sip of coffee.
"What happened?"
"Tristan happened. He's the other person coming to Italy. I didn't even know he did that well in English!"
"The 'evil one' Tristan?" Jess laughed.
"Yes, and it's not funny Jess, stop laughing. I have to spend six agonizingly long weeks with him, and his annoying comments." Rory hit her head against the counter.
"Hey be careful with my counter!" Luke called.
"Thanks for the concern Luke I'm just fine." Rory retorted.
"Hello Luke, coffee please." Lorelai sang as she sat down on the other side of Rory.
"What's got you in such a good mood mom?"
"Oh nothing in particular. What's causing that grim look on you face?"
"Tristan, he's the other person going to Italy."
"Bible boy!" Lorelai gasped, "No! how could it be? Whatever are you going to do?"
"Mom don't mock me, I don't find it funny."
"I'm sorry hun, but look on the bright side, you're going to Italy and you know they have great coffee there, which by the way I expect you will bring home several pounds of."
"Great just what you need more coffee," Luke interrupted, "It will kill you one of these days."
"Yes, but what a way to go. So Rory you're bringing me coffee right?"
"Yeah I will."
"Oh you're the best!" Lorelai squealed as she hugged Rory.
"Mom I'm gonna head home ok. I'll see you there."
"Sure sweetie. Bye."
"Bye mom, bye Jess, bye Luke." Rory called as she walked out the door.
Rory made her way home, and once she walked through the door she immediately went to her room and flopped down on her bed.
"Arg! Why Tristan?" She complained aloud. "Well maybe this won't be so bad. Besides it could have been Paris coming with me. And maybe Tristan will act like a human being for once in his life."
"Do you always talk to yourself?"
Rory sat up in surprise.
"Jess what are you doing here? You scared the hell outta me."
"Sorry I followed you home. There's not much else to do around here. And I figured that we should spend some quality time together before you leave."
"Ok. I don't think that we have ever spent quality time together before." Rory said laughing.
"Hey no time like the present."
Jess walked into her room and looked around. His eyes landed on the book at that on the top of Rory's desk.
"The Shining?" He grinned holding the book up. "I never thought you were the Stephen King kind of girl."
"Really and what type of girl did you think I was?"
"I don't know. I guess more like the Pride and Predijuce kind of girl."
They continued to spend quality time together until Lorelai arrived home.
"Ror, I'm home," she called, "where are you?"
"In my room Mom." Rory called back.
"Ahh there you are. And Jess hi. What are you doing in my only daughter's room? Alone."
"Nothing Lorelai. We were just talking about books. But I should get going before Luke freaks out. Bye."