Her First Love

Your Heart or Your Brain


The room was silent. Logan's eyes were still latched to Rory while Rory, Finn, and Colin looked at Stephanie; Rory pleadingly, Finn and Colin expectantly. She wasn't going to tell him. A knock on the door broke the silence.

"Come on guys, inductees are supposed to be out there now."

Looking out the window, Rory saw that a small group of people had started to gather and was relieved to see they were still in plain clothes.

"I have to go." She whispered before slipping out of the room.

Rory didn't realize that they all followed her. She got to where the inductees were gathering and noticed that they all went to the front of the small group; there were only six other inductees. Colin spoke first.

"Okay, I assume you all know what you are doing here. You all had a choice; you didn't have to be here if you didn't want to."

"The four of us are founder legacies. That means one of our family members founded the life and death brigade. The six founders are McCrea, Huntzberger, Vanderbilt, Morgan, Gilmore, and Hayden. Now, if there is not a member of the family from one of the six legacies attending Yale, the family would pick a representative. This year we have someone from each family, so that will not be necessary." Explained Finn

"Each of you will have to do some type of challenge, may it be physical or mental, that you will have to complete. You will be told what your task is tonight. After you find out what your challenge is, be ready, you may have to complete your challenge as soon as you get it." Stephanie informed the group

"There are clothes in each of your rooms; tonight's attire is in on the green hanger. Everyone needs to be ready by eight o'clock." Recited Logan

As soon as Logan was done talking, he made a beeline for Rory. The rest of the group took this as a sign that the meeting was over and started to break away. Before Rory could move, Logan grabbed her hand and led her into his cabin, past the group of boys in the living room, who stared confused at them, and into the room he was sharing with his two friends. Colin, Finn, and Stephanie followed them, but stayed outside the closed room.

"What did you tell her?"

"That's none of your business."

"Like hell it is."

"How is it any of your business?"

"Because it's about me!"

"How would you know?"

"Why else would you not want me to know if it's not about me?"

"Well, I guess the ego's still the same!"

They were now yelling so everyone in the cabin could hear what they were saying.

"This has nothing to do with my ego. This has to do with you not telling me what you told Stephanie who, by the way, couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it! And I know it's something important or else you wouldn't have made such a big deal about it!"

"I'm not making anything about it! You're the one who dragged me here! You're the one making the big deal out of it!"

"Just tell me!"

"No!"

"Your being a coward! You're not telling me because you're scared of what might happen!"

"I think you've taken the prize in not telling people things because you're scared!"

"I was eighteen Rory! That was two and a half year ago and I've regretted it every damn day sense! You can't keep throwing that in my face or using it as the only reason not to be with me."

"Watch me!"

Outside, Stephanie, Colin, and Finn were waiting outside the door.

"Do you think it would be bad if we went in?" asked Finn

"Yes!" answered Colin

"But what if they never come out? My stash is in there!"

"Your stash?" asked Stephanie

"My stash of alcohol just in case we run out."

"We've never run out of alcohol."

"What about last years Christmas Party?" Finn cried triumphantly

"That's because you started to drink the scotch two days before the actual party." Pointed out Colin

"Oh, right."

"So Stephanie, what did she tell you?" asked Colin curiously

"I can't tell you. I promised her I wouldn't tell." She said nervously

"That you wouldn't tell or that you wouldn't tell Logan?" Colin asked mischievously

"That I wouldn't tell Logan." She replied weakly

"We're not Logan." Finn said eagerly

"No, I'm not going to tell you!"

"Why?"

"Because, you will tell Logan. You won't mean to, but everyone knows that once you get Finn drunk he'll tell you anything."

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry, but it's true."

Back in the room:

"Just tell me what you told her!"

"No!"

"Fine, fine, leave me alone; I'll tell you!" Stephanie's voice cried from the other side of the door.

Both of them looked at the door; Rory terrified, Logan eagerly.

"She said that when Logan was in her room she wished he would have not listened to her and kissed her and she still wishes he would kiss her! Now, please, put the scissors down!" she cried frantically

Rory opened the door and found Finn, Colin, and Stephanie. Finn had a pair of scissors up to Stephanie's hair while Colin was holding her down. Logan was still standing in the same place. Rory grabbed Stephanie's wrist and pulled her out of Colin's grip and out of the cabin, past the stunned group of people in the living room. Once out of the cabin she kept going.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Stephanie exclaimed once in their room.

"Stephanie-"

"They were going to cut my hair! I didn't mean to scream it!"

"It's-"

"I didn't mean for Logan to hear. Did I mention I'm sorry?"

"Stephanie, I'm not mad at you."

"Okay."

"But now Logan knows."

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?"

"What do you mean is that necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's a bad thing!"

"Why?"

"Because now he might kiss me and my knees will go all weak and I'll kiss him back!" she yelled, slightly neurotic, as she pace the room.

"Okay, Rory, first you need to calm down."

Rory stopped pacing

"We need to get ready for tonight. Since you're a founder, you're doing your challenge tonight."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I am telling you."

"Why didn't you say it out there?" she asked, pointing outside.

"Well, for one, Logan said that you needed to be ready because any of you could be going first. Second, because technically you're not supposed to know. All four of us were told a head of time."

"Do you know what my challenge is?"

"No." Stephanie answered, a little too quickly.

"Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously

"Yes." She answered anxiously.

"Come one Stephanie! You know, and you owe me."

"They were going to cut my hair!"

"Please."

"Under one condition."

"Name it."

"If you love Logan, and you want him, why won't you be with him?"

Rory's face dropped. It took her a little while to answer the question.

"Because I don't think I can go through what I went through again."

Stephanie looked at her, confused, for a moment

"When Logan left, I was in bad shape. For two days straight I was locked in my room, crying and I hated myself for it. I didn't want to be the girl who fell apart because her guy left her. Even if it was the person she loved most, I didn't want to be her. So, after two days, I came out of my room, went to school, and went back to being my own self."

"Only you weren't."

Rory shook her head.

"I went back to school, and I couldn't find a place that didn't remind me of him. Without Paris and Tristan I probably wouldn't have made it. To everyone on the outside, I was the same but I wasn't. He took something. He makes by heart and my brains say two very different things, and that scares me beyond belief."

"What does your brain say?"

Rory wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"To stay away from Logan."

"What does your heart say?"

"Give him another chance."

Stephanie looked at her friend. She had never really had any girl friends, just the three guys. She liked having Rory as a friend.

"Come on, we need to start getting ready."

Both of them completely forgot about Stephanie's promise to tell Rory about her task.


Rory was ready. She felt good. Her dress fitted her perfectly, size wise and personality wise. She knew that either Logan or Robert had picked it out. (A/N Think dress from You Jump I Jump Jack w/out the sash) She thought of Robert like a brother, and he, in turn, thought of her like a sister. As Stephanie was finishing, Rory read the code book of the Life and Death Brigade.

She and Stephanie walked out of the cabin together, and she immediately heard her name being called.

"Rory!"

Rory looked over her shoulder and was shocked to see Madeline and Louise running toward her. Madeline and Louis had been a year ahead of her at Chilton, but they had still been good friends.

"What are you two doing here? I thought you guys went to Brown!"

"They have better parties at Yale." Louise said simply.

"How do you know Rory?" asked Stephanie

"Chilton." said Madeline, "Rory, did you know Logan's here?"

She had never been the brightest girl.

"Yes, I saw Logan. And before you ask, I'm fine. No need to call my mother. Stephanie and I need to go, but we should catch up, meet for lunch or something."

Rory had actually been having a good time. All the girls were in full length ball gowns and the guys in tuxedos. There were tables of food and champagne everywhere. She pretty much stuck with Stephanie, who was turning out to be a great friend, and had almost forgot about her having to do her task tonight. That was until, however, she heard Colin's voice demanding the attention of the crowd.

"In Omnia Paratus!"

The entire group raised their champagne glasses and responded with:

"In Omnia Paratus!"

"Welcome to the 108th induction ceremony of the Life and Death Brigade. Tonight we are welcoming seven into our group. Among those seven, is a founder legacy, which means we will have a challenge faced tonight."

Everyone was paying attention to Colin who was on a stage.

"As you all know, two of the mandatory things in the Life and Death brigade is honesty and trust; they are interchangeable. You need to trust someone to tell them the truth and you need to tell someone the truth in order for them to trust you. So, without further ado, will the founder legacy being induct tonight please step forward."

Timidly, Rory made her way to the stage. It was there that she caught her first glance at Logan, who didn't take his eyes off her. He, like all the guys, was in a tuxedo; it reminded her of when he escorted her to his junior prom.

"Will you please state your full name?"

"Loreali Leigh Gilmore-Hayden." She said steadily

She noticed the people around her gasp at herdouble founder name.

"Miss Gilmore-Hayden, your challenge tonight will be mental. Each of the founders will ask you four questions, they can ask you any four questions they want, and you have to answer them truthfully. Do you accept?"

It sounded easy; answering sixteen questions from four people who knew her, one who really knew her. It worried her what questions Logan might ask, but did she really have a choice?

"I accept." She heard herself answer.

A cheer went through the crowd.

Finn, Stephanie, and Logan joined them on the stage. She didn't notice the five chairs being brought to them and was surprised when they gestured for her to sit down. Finn cleared his voice, signaling that he would go first. She could tell he was already drunk.

"Do you have any nicknames? And if so, what are they?"

Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

"Yes. Most people call me Rory. One of my friends calls me Mary and someone else calls me Ace."

She tried not to notice the pained look on Logan's face.

"Who calls you Ace?"

"Logan does."

A buzz went through the crowd.

"And what is your relationship with Logan?"

"At one time he was my boyfriend."

She was going to murder Finn. The females of the crowd were shocked; Logan Huntzberger didn't have girlfriends, he had dates, not girlfriends.

"Did you love him?"

Not only was she going to murder him, she was going to make sure it was slow and painful.

"Yes."

Not it was Colin's turn.

"What High School did you attend?"

"Chilton."

"What did you and Logan do for your first date?

The look on Colin's face surprised her. It was curiosity, Logan wouldn't tell him and he just wanted to know more about her. She had, after all, been in their lives quite a lot these past few weeks.

"He took me to a showing of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at a park in Hartford."

"You're not from Hartford, Correct?"

"Right, I'm from this town called Stars Hollow."

Now it was time for the final question.

"How did you two meet?"


So far, Colin and Finn were on his hit list. Logan couldn't believe his friends were asking her these questions in front of everyone. Sure, he wouldn't tell them, but he never thought they would go this far.

"How did you two meet?"

He felt responsible for this. He should have answered the questions, not her; he should have told them in the privacy of his dorm, not her spilling her soul to complete strangers.

He had finally realized that it hurt her to talk about it; about when they were together and she was happy.

"A party thrown by my friend Louise. My other friend, Paris, had to go so I kept her company."

Now it was Stephanie's turn.

"What is your favorite movie?"

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

She wouldn't kill Stephanie.

"What is your favorite book?"

"The Fountainhead."

"What is something you can't live without?"

"Coffee."

"Do you think it is more important to listen to your brain or your heart?"

"Your heart." She answered; her voice kind of shaky.

Stephanie came over and hugged her.

"Then you know what you have to do." She whispered in Rory's ear.

Now it was Logan's turn.

"I am calling code 34. This rule states that a founder may conduct his questioning any place he chooses in front of any audience he chooses."

Before anyone could say anything, he gently pulled her off the stage and through the crowd. He kept walking until he found a secluded spot in the woods.

"Did you mean what you said to Stephanie? About me kissing you?"

She nodded her head.

He couldn't help but notice that the dress she was wearing made her eyes, if possible, look even bluer.

"If I were to step closer to you, would you step back?"

She shook her head.

"If I were to kiss you, what would you do?"

She looked into his eyes and knew she had to make a choice. This choice, no one could make for her. Would she listen to her heart or to her brain?

She went with her heart.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked huskily.

She kissed him first.


Okay. This was my longest chapter ever. I took me a while to figure out how this chapter was going to go. Please review!