CHAPTER 1 : Coffee causes craziness
"MOM!" Rory screamed up the stairs, early one Monday morning.
"Yeah, hun?" Lorelei yelled back.
"Can I take the car? I missed the bus! And if I don't leave in 2 seconds I'll be late for school!"
"Yeah go ahead, I'll call Michele!"
"Kay thanks!" And with that Rory was off. She was running late this morning because she overslept. She never thought that the cause of her first tardy to school would be because she was dreaming of the one and only Bible Boy! The one boy she told herself over and over again not to like.
His presence in her dream frazzled her, so she woke up a bit out of the ordinary.
CHILTON
"You're late Gilmore." Paris said as she walked the halls. Rory had just gotten to her locker and she was taking her books out of her backpack when Paris came up behind her with her booming voice.
"Thank you Captain Obvious. Now can you please just go to class so I can get back to what I was doing?" Rory said as she turned to look Paris in the eyes. They weren't on good terms lately and all Paris has been looking to do is start some trouble.
As Paris turned to leave, Rory could sense someone on the other side of her locker door, standing against the wall of lockers. Could it be? No, it was just a dream. Tristan couldn't be her-
"Hi Rory!"
"Oh Brad," Rory tried to get out, somewhat strangely disappointed, "hi, didn't see you there."
"Did you happen to take notes yesterday in geometry?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Do you think I-I could borrow them?" He said, stuttering.
"Yeah sure Brad, I'll give them to you before lunch."
"Okay. Thanks." As Brad walked away Rory began to notice the empty feeling in her the pit of her stomach. A feeling like she was missing something or someone rather. Or it could just be COFFEE! She hadn't had her coffee this morning and it was starting to get to her. "Yes that's it," she thought, "it was just my lack of coffee...nothing about wanting Tristan to come back." And so on her way to class, Rory decided to keep telling herself that it was the coffee. IT WAS!
"I hear her name is Grace."
"Yeah, she's supposed to be coming to the meeting today."
"What are you guys talking about?" Rory asked Madeline and Louise as she sat down at the big oak table, just in time for the Chilton newspaper meeting to start.
"Paris told us that a new girl is joining the paper today. She's a sophomore..."
"Supposedly Tristan's little sister." Madeline said, finishing up for Louise. Rory's heart lurched. "...it's just the coffee..." she thought to herself.
"Oh, when is she coming?" Rory asked, trying to get a grip.
"SHE'S LATE!" Paris yelped as she paced around the room. "I GO OUT ON A LIMB, LETTING HER INTO THE PAPER. AND HOW DOES SHE REPAY ME? SHE'S LATE!"
"I guess that would answer it." All three girls looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Suddenly a blonde haired girl entered the room.
"Umm...I'm here for the paper." The girl said. She had big brown eyes, and looked just like Tristan, well, as much a girl COULD look like him. It was surprising to everyone, but she didn't look one bit intimidated by Paris. "She must get it from Tristan." Rory thought to herself.
"You're late." Paris said glaring at her. Just then the teacher advisor looked up from his book-
"Everyone here? Okay, I think we should get started." He then caught sight of the new girl and stopped. "Grace, I presume?"
"Yes, sir." '...sir... Tristan always used to say sir. STOP...you don't like him, you can't like him, Rory told herself. Great now I'm not only talking to myself, I'm having full on conversations. '
"Everyone, this is Grace DuGrey. She is only a sophomore, one of few, seeing as how many of you are juniors and seniors. But make her feel welcome." After all the hello's and introductions the group started to get down to work.
"Is she always like that?" Grace said, leaning into Rory. Just as she was about to say what, Rory looked up to see what Grace was talking about. She looked up to find Grace motioning at Paris, only to find Paris glaring at her like she could shoot fire out of her eyes.
"Yeah, but you'll get used to it." she replied, "just don't back down, because the second you let her get in your face she'll never leave you alone." Rory finished, managing a laugh.
"Good to know." Grace said, smiling.
GILMORE HOUSE
"RORYYY!" Lorelei belted out, as she ran into the house.
"Yeah, mom?"
"Luke's or Al's? You pick, but fast because I am starving and if I don't eat something I think I will shrivel up and start to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West on the Wizard of Oz.--"
"Whoa MOM! Take a breath," Rory said as she laughed, "Luke's...let's go, I'm hungry too."
"Okay! Grab you're coat... We'll walk, even though it beyond FREEZING outside, but that's ok because it feels like snow! I got my coat, gloves, hat, scarf.." Lorelei carried on, as she ran around her foyer looking for more things she could put on.
"LET'S GO!" Rory said, closing the front door behind her.
"So how was hell?" Lorelei asked.
"Ehh...school was fine I guess.. Although it was pretty fun to watch Paris fume because there is this new girl, Grace, on the paper and she was late and Paris was getting all hot and bothered. It was pretty funny."
"Well, at least you had a good laugh."
"Yeah, but actually this new girl Grace, is Tristan's younger sister."
"Tristan? Bible boy Tristan? Military school must-look-hot-in-a-military-uniform Tristan?"
"Momm.."
"What? He must! You can't tell me you never imagined it! I mean the second you said military school that's what I pictured in my head!" Lorelei laughed as Rory's eyes glazed over a bit. Lorelei knew she was thinking of Tristan, she had guessed a long time ago that Rory liked him a little more then she let on. But of course she told no one.
As Lorelei was thinking about Rory, Rory began to think of the number of times she had already thought of Tristan in his uniform prior to this night. Too many to count!
"Luke's right?" Lorelei asked, trying to wake Rory up from her little trance.
"Yeah, Luke's!"
"Luke's it is." And they both turned the corner laughing.