Disclaimer: I do not own ANY
of these characters. They are property of "Gilmore Girls" and "The WB".
Rory walked into her home and saw her mother and grandma sitting at the kitchen table. "Hey! I'm home," She called to them. They both turned around to look at her then looked back at one another. Rory stared back at them confused. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"Oh, no Rory. Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all," Her
grandma said as she walked over to Rory pushing her back into the living room.
"So how was school today honey?" Rory looked back into the kitchen, her mom was
trying to hide something, that was obvious. "Rory? How was school," her grandma
snapped, reminding Rory of how she had been a few years ago.
"Uh, it was okay I guess. Nothing really exciting. I
talked to Mrs. Black, my guidance counsellor. She said she will try to help us
out too." Rory said.
"That's very nice of her. I hope we can find a
solution to this problem for you Rory. I just wish there was more I could do."
Emily said. "If there's ever anything you want to talk about you know I'm here
for you."
"Yeah, I know."
**
Tristan walked into Chilton the next morning and made the same detour he'd took every morning of his sophomore year and not since. He walked towards the left wing of the school although his own locker was more towards the middle, this is where Rory's was. He rounded the final corner and saw her putting her books into her locker. He rushed over, "Need some help?" He asked coming up behind her.
"What? Oh, Tristan! You scared me, I thought it was
one of the annoying freshmen." Rory said laughing.
"Annoying freshmen? Are there annoying freshmen near
your locker? Who are they? I'll protect you," Tristan said jokingly, enjoying
seeing her laugh.
Rory laughed again picking up her book bag. "What
are you doing over here anyways? Your locker isn't even near here."
Tristan shrugged. "I parked on the wrong side of the
lot today."
Rory couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth
or not, but she didn't really care. "I'm happy to have a friend here again.
Ever since Paris transferred to France it's been really lonely."
"I have to admit the school is different without
her," Tristan said.
Rory stayed silent and they walked together to her
first period class. Tristan waved as she went into class. He only had a few
minutes to get to his own class but that didn't really matter. So much had
changed since the day before it was hard to believe.
**
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Rory yelled as a kid hit her from behind knocking all her text books to the floor. She sighed and began to put them back in her locker.
"Need a hand now?" Tristan asked as he came up to
her.
"Do I ever," She said sighing. "Stupid kid."
"Don't worry about it. I've got it," he said leaning
to pick up the last book. He handed it to her and she put it in her locker.
"No homework tonight," she said shutting the locker
with all her books inside. "That's a relief."
"Well you're one lucky girl then. I have more than
my own share of work to finish tonight." Tristan said groaning.
"Well since I'm not going to be busy maybe I could
give you some help with it." Rory offered, not wanting to have to go back to
her house where her mom and grandma kept asking her if she was feeling better
every five minutes.
"Would you?" Tristan asked looking genuinely
surprised. "I'd really appreciate it." Rory nodded and they headed out of the
school. "I was thinking it would be nice to go to go back to the Inn. It's so
peaceful there I could probably get more work done there then at home."
"I do that all the time! Whenever I have to work on
a project or something I go there to clear my head. That's so weird you would
have thought of that." Rory said laughing. "Well we better take separate cars
if you have to drive back up here anyways," Rory said climbing into her own
car. Tristan agreed and they headed to the Inn.
**
"I still can't get over how easy you make this seem," Tristan said shaking his head. "It would have taken me an hour to do all of that."
"Well that's because you didn't know how to start.
Its not really that hard now is it?" Rory asked
"I guess you're right. Well I guess that's it. It
wasn't that much homework after all," he said grinning at her. Rory smiled
shyly back. "Can I ask you a question Rory?" He asked quieter.
"Of course," Rory said.
"Why are you here helping me with my homework. I
mean it's nice that we can be friends, but don't you have other things to be
doing. Like hanging out with um, Lane or your boyfriend, Dean," he said choking
out the last word.
Rory looked at the ground. "Wow, we really have lost
touch haven't we. Dean uh.. Well he broke up with me, almost a year ago now."
Rory said quietly, staring at the ground.
"Oh, Rory, I'm sorry. I really had no idea," Tristan
said, mad that he'd put his foot in his mouth.
"Don't worry about it. You didn't know. Besides it's
definitely time for me to move on." Rory said sighing. She looked up, "So if
we're all done here did you want to stop and grab something to eat before you
have to go home?"
"Sounds great," Tristan said standing up and
offering her his hand once again. Rory stood up and just like the day before
held onto his hand as they walked to the parking lot. "How about we go to Luke's?"
She suggested. Tristan agreed and got in his SUV. Rory got into her car, turned
the ignition, but the car wouldn't start. She saw Tristan pull out and tried
again. It still wouldn't work, Rory wasn't all that surprised she'd been
expecting this for awhile. She got back out of the car and ran towards the
large SUV that was almost out of the parking lot.
"Tristan!" she yelled, she saw his brake lights come
on, and a second later his head popped out the window.
"What?" he yelled back.
"My car won't start, I'll need to ride with you,"
she said nearing him. He nodded and she rushed up to open the passenger door.
"Thanks," she said panting
"No problem." Tristan said starting to drive again.
"You know what, I'm not really that hungry anyways.
Maybe I should go home and tell my mom about the car." Rory noticed Tristan's
face fall. "Oh, you can come too. It's just I haven't really told her I
wouldn't come home after school and she'll be worried."
Tristan nodded and drove towards the Gilmore
B&B. When he pulled up out front he looked over at Rory. "Here you go," he
said. I think I'll just head home.
Rory nodded. "You do understand though right?" She
asked, "My mom and me..?
"No I understand, don't worry about it," he said
resting his hand on he knee to reassure her.
Rory looked down at his hand on her knee and then
back up at his eyes. "Okay," she said slowly not wanting to look away.
"Okay," he said, trying to fill the space between
them. The connection they had was so strong at that moment they wouldn't have noticed
if a tornado swept them up. They both began to lean in towards one another, but
as Rory's face came closer to his own Tristan remembered the other time they
had kissed. It had been a nice kiss, but the feelings were one sided, plus it
was one of the reasons they had stopped talking in the first place. She had
actually left the room in tears. Tristan knew he didn't want to make the same
mistake again. He moved his head to the left slightly and kissed her on the
cheek. "Bye Rory," he said calmly. She looked at him surprised, but he nodded
and she got out of the car.
"I'll see you tomorrow Tristan." She said walking
slowly towards the house looking back at him.
**
"Surprise!" Rory shook her head in disbelief. The living room of the house was decorated with balloons and streamers and everyone was over. The house was full. Why were they all here.
"Rory! Over here," she heard her best friend Lane
Kim call.
Rory went over, "What are all these people doing
here? What's going on?" She asked quietly.
"Well your mom and grandma threw a 'Cheer up Rory'
party," Lane said giggling, "Look, even my mom came!". Rory stared at her and
then burst out laughing. "No, I'm not kidding," Lane said, answering the
question she knew Rory was about to ask.
"Wow. Uh, Lane I'm going to have to talk to you
later okay. So don't leave. Promise?"
"Promise" Lane said, going off to check up on her
mother.
Rory headed through the room to where her mother was
standing "A 'Cheer up Rory' party?" She asked shaking her head.
"It was all her idea," Lorelai said nodding
her head at Emily. "I thought it would be a little too corny.
"I think you thought right. But it's the thought
that counts, I better go say thanks," she said going to see her grandmother.
"Do you like it Rory?" He grandma asked as she came
over.
"Yes. Thanks Grandma. That was so nice of you." Rory
replied.
"I knew you'd like it. You mother didn't think so,"
Rory tried to hide a grin as she saw her mom standing behind Emily making faces
at her.
Rory wandered around the party for a little bit,
saying hello and thank you to everyone who had come. She found Lane back in the
corner of the room. "Let's go to my room," Rory said. Lance nodded, a very
concerned look on her face. "Don't worry, it's not bad news. At least I don't
think it is." She said, laughing. This let Lane calm down a bit. She had been
running possibilities through her head of what Rory had to talk to her about
and none of them had been too pleasant.
**
Rory fell down on her bed and Lane sat on the bean bag chair facing her. "Okay spill," Lane said.
"Well.." Rory began telling Lane about the
developments between her and Tristan.
"He didn't kiss you!" Lane said shocked.
"I know!" Rory agreed. "It's Tristan. I mean he
seems a lot different, but I still thought he would have kissed me. It was
weird, I mean maybe he doesn't even like me. And the worst part is I think I
like him now."
Lane looked Rory up and down. "Are you kidding me?"
she asked.
"No! I can't believe it either. Trust me!" Rory said
laughing at the situation. She never would have thought of this two years ago.
Lane was about to say something when they heard her mother yelling at her from
downstairs. Lane shrugged and left Rory alone in her room to think over the
possibilities of what was happening.
End of the chapter. Sorry L Now I'd like to thank everyone who took the time
to review. It's greatly appreciated.
Courtney (no, definitely not the end), Jackie (Thanks.
J), Starlight125, Melissa (yes, I think Rory and
Tristan will get together eventually ;) I think she likes him), mrschimpf, Jessie
& Lenny & Chelle (Rebels Rock!), Dax and last but actually first Janaz