A/N: This idea has been floating around in my head for quite awhile now. I think I finally have the chance to feasibly work it in. On a personal note, I leave for college tomorrow. YAY!!! So this is it. The last chapter...maybe. I'm not sure yet.
The last day of summer. It was unreal. Where had the time gone? Time. One of the most powerful forces in the world. It lessens as well as strengthens. There seems to be so much of it, an unlimited quantity. Yet, when looked back upon, one realizes that it has flown by in an instant.
Time was Tristin Dugrey's enemy. Within the next twenty four hours, he would be back in the hallways of Chilton, a changed person. To say that he was apprehensive would be the understatement of the century. What would everyone else think of him? Would they whisper behind his back or snub him to his face?
The biggest question was how would Tristin himself act? Would he try to pretend like nothing had happened? As if everything was normal? Would he continue to strut up and down the hallways of Chilton as if he hadn't a care in the world, or would he allow them to see his metamorphosis?
One thing remained constant. Rory would be by his side. She would stand by him and that's all that he could ever hope for. Rory understood him, as if she could see into his very soul. Tristin was amazed at the way their friendship had evolved over the summer. It was uncanny. Something between the two of them had just clicked. He couldn't imagine getting through the day without one of her smiles or hearing the sound of her voice. He briefly wondered if that was what love was like.
Tristin paced around his room as restlessly as a caged animal. Big changes were coming, were already taking effect. And he was powerless to prevent them. It was becoming more and more evident to Tristin that soon, friendship wouldn't be enough. He wanted more. He needed more. But he wouldn't give up their friendship for anything in the world. So where did that leave him? Nowhere. Absolutely nowhere.
Rory stood in front of her mirror, thoughtfully running a brush through her hair. She had to pick up Tristin very soon to go to the town's "End of Summer" Festival. But she couldn't get her hair to cooperate. Nothing she did looked right. She let out a screech of frustration before throwing herself onto her bed in a collapsed heap.
"Hey, what's with the drama queen impression?" Lorelai poked her head cautiously into the room.
"I need to pick up Tristin and my hair looks stupid!"
"Stop the press! I can see the headlines now: TEENAGE GIRL HAS BAD HAIR DAY. The whole nation will be shocked."
When she received no answer to her teasing jabs, she walked over to the bed and rubbed her daughter's back soothingly. "Hey, what's wrong? And I know it's not really the hair, so don't even try it."
"It's everything! It's the hair, it's school tomorrow..."
"...It's Tristin," supplied Lorelai.
For the first time all summer, Rory didn't jump right into the vehement denials. She remained silent and contemplative.
"Sit up, Babe," Lorelai commanded gently. She took the brush from her daughter's hand and began brushing the long strands out. "Have things changed between the two of you?"
"I don't know...yes. Yes they have. We've become so close this summer. I don't know what I'd do without him. And that scares me. I've never been so attached to anyone before. Except for you," she amended sincerely.
"Is that all?" Lorelai prompted.
A blush began to sweep over her cheeks. "Well..."
"I knew it!! I knew it!!" Lorelai jumped up from the bed triumphantly, taking Rory's head with her.
"Mom! Calm down! Release the hair!!"
"Sorry, sorry." She sat back down and returned to her previous task. "When did this happen?"
"It kind of crept up on me."
"So was it more around the sprinkler fest, tour of the town, or maybe that midnight run?"
"It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment." Her eyes sparkled a clear aqua and her lips curved into a blissful smile.
"So what's the problem?"
The smile faded. "He could never go for me."
Lorelai's jaw dropped. "Honey, you have no idea how it pains me to say this, but you are an idiot!"
"Gee, thanks for the motherly support."
"Have you not seen the way he looks at you?"
"What are you talking about?" Rory was genuinely lost.
Lorelai smacked her forehead with her hand. "You know what? I have an idea. Go to Tristin's house. Pick him up. Go to the festival. At some point during the day, I want you to look into his eyes. Deep into his eyes. And then I want you to come home and tell me what you saw."
"Excuse me?"
"Just do it!"
"If you say so," Rory shrugged. "Thanks for the tip, Nike ad."
"Get outta here!" Lorelai pushed.
"I'm gone!"
Tristin swung open his door to reveal Rory, cheeks slightly rosy and hair down around her shoulders. His greeting smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hey," he said softly.
Rory remembered her mother's command and looked up into his eyes. They were cloudy and filled with...longing? For her? Her breath caught in her throat and she involuntarily took a step back.
Tristin was at a loss for words. The blinders had been taken off. Their unspoken communication spoke volumes. The jig was up. Everything was out in the open. Realization shone brightly in her eyes.
Realizing that she was backing away, Tristin reached forward and gently took her hand in his. He pulled her closer, closer until she was cradled safely within the shelter of his arms. He hugged her close to him, not wanting her to bolt. He felt her go limp in his arms as she melted into his embrace. His heart beat faster, drumming a cadence through his very soul.
Rory wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Nothing had ever felt so right before. How had she not seen it before? That look in his eyes...it had always been there. But for the first time, that very same look had been reflected from her eyes. Leading up to his very moment.
Tristin pulled back a little, needing to see her eyes. He stooped lower and looked straight into the blue orbs. He absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "Rory..." he started.
She put a finger up to his lips, effectively quieting him. "I know."
He smiled joyously, a smile that had never graced his features before. Her smile matched perfectly. Two halves of a whole. He bent his head, lower, lower. Their lips were magnetic, inexorably being pulled together. Closer, closer...
A loud eruption of cheers and applause prevented the last few millimeters from being breached. Both heads snapped to face the direction of the unwelcome distraction. The whole town was standing on Tristin's lawn, cheering the couple on.
They turned to face each other, amused but frustrated. Their foreheads touched and they looked deep into each other's eyes. "I think the gossip club finally caught up to us," Tristin said wryly.
Rory looked at her watch. "Hmmm...five minutes. I'm surprised it took them that long. They're slipping."
From the crowd, Miss Patty's very loud voice could be heard. "Who picked today?"
The last day of summer. It was unreal. Where had the time gone? Time. One of the most powerful forces in the world. It lessens as well as strengthens. There seems to be so much of it, an unlimited quantity. Yet, when looked back upon, one realizes that it has flown by in an instant.
Time was Tristin Dugrey's enemy. Within the next twenty four hours, he would be back in the hallways of Chilton, a changed person. To say that he was apprehensive would be the understatement of the century. What would everyone else think of him? Would they whisper behind his back or snub him to his face?
The biggest question was how would Tristin himself act? Would he try to pretend like nothing had happened? As if everything was normal? Would he continue to strut up and down the hallways of Chilton as if he hadn't a care in the world, or would he allow them to see his metamorphosis?
One thing remained constant. Rory would be by his side. She would stand by him and that's all that he could ever hope for. Rory understood him, as if she could see into his very soul. Tristin was amazed at the way their friendship had evolved over the summer. It was uncanny. Something between the two of them had just clicked. He couldn't imagine getting through the day without one of her smiles or hearing the sound of her voice. He briefly wondered if that was what love was like.
Tristin paced around his room as restlessly as a caged animal. Big changes were coming, were already taking effect. And he was powerless to prevent them. It was becoming more and more evident to Tristin that soon, friendship wouldn't be enough. He wanted more. He needed more. But he wouldn't give up their friendship for anything in the world. So where did that leave him? Nowhere. Absolutely nowhere.
Rory stood in front of her mirror, thoughtfully running a brush through her hair. She had to pick up Tristin very soon to go to the town's "End of Summer" Festival. But she couldn't get her hair to cooperate. Nothing she did looked right. She let out a screech of frustration before throwing herself onto her bed in a collapsed heap.
"Hey, what's with the drama queen impression?" Lorelai poked her head cautiously into the room.
"I need to pick up Tristin and my hair looks stupid!"
"Stop the press! I can see the headlines now: TEENAGE GIRL HAS BAD HAIR DAY. The whole nation will be shocked."
When she received no answer to her teasing jabs, she walked over to the bed and rubbed her daughter's back soothingly. "Hey, what's wrong? And I know it's not really the hair, so don't even try it."
"It's everything! It's the hair, it's school tomorrow..."
"...It's Tristin," supplied Lorelai.
For the first time all summer, Rory didn't jump right into the vehement denials. She remained silent and contemplative.
"Sit up, Babe," Lorelai commanded gently. She took the brush from her daughter's hand and began brushing the long strands out. "Have things changed between the two of you?"
"I don't know...yes. Yes they have. We've become so close this summer. I don't know what I'd do without him. And that scares me. I've never been so attached to anyone before. Except for you," she amended sincerely.
"Is that all?" Lorelai prompted.
A blush began to sweep over her cheeks. "Well..."
"I knew it!! I knew it!!" Lorelai jumped up from the bed triumphantly, taking Rory's head with her.
"Mom! Calm down! Release the hair!!"
"Sorry, sorry." She sat back down and returned to her previous task. "When did this happen?"
"It kind of crept up on me."
"So was it more around the sprinkler fest, tour of the town, or maybe that midnight run?"
"It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment." Her eyes sparkled a clear aqua and her lips curved into a blissful smile.
"So what's the problem?"
The smile faded. "He could never go for me."
Lorelai's jaw dropped. "Honey, you have no idea how it pains me to say this, but you are an idiot!"
"Gee, thanks for the motherly support."
"Have you not seen the way he looks at you?"
"What are you talking about?" Rory was genuinely lost.
Lorelai smacked her forehead with her hand. "You know what? I have an idea. Go to Tristin's house. Pick him up. Go to the festival. At some point during the day, I want you to look into his eyes. Deep into his eyes. And then I want you to come home and tell me what you saw."
"Excuse me?"
"Just do it!"
"If you say so," Rory shrugged. "Thanks for the tip, Nike ad."
"Get outta here!" Lorelai pushed.
"I'm gone!"
Tristin swung open his door to reveal Rory, cheeks slightly rosy and hair down around her shoulders. His greeting smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hey," he said softly.
Rory remembered her mother's command and looked up into his eyes. They were cloudy and filled with...longing? For her? Her breath caught in her throat and she involuntarily took a step back.
Tristin was at a loss for words. The blinders had been taken off. Their unspoken communication spoke volumes. The jig was up. Everything was out in the open. Realization shone brightly in her eyes.
Realizing that she was backing away, Tristin reached forward and gently took her hand in his. He pulled her closer, closer until she was cradled safely within the shelter of his arms. He hugged her close to him, not wanting her to bolt. He felt her go limp in his arms as she melted into his embrace. His heart beat faster, drumming a cadence through his very soul.
Rory wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Nothing had ever felt so right before. How had she not seen it before? That look in his eyes...it had always been there. But for the first time, that very same look had been reflected from her eyes. Leading up to his very moment.
Tristin pulled back a little, needing to see her eyes. He stooped lower and looked straight into the blue orbs. He absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "Rory..." he started.
She put a finger up to his lips, effectively quieting him. "I know."
He smiled joyously, a smile that had never graced his features before. Her smile matched perfectly. Two halves of a whole. He bent his head, lower, lower. Their lips were magnetic, inexorably being pulled together. Closer, closer...
A loud eruption of cheers and applause prevented the last few millimeters from being breached. Both heads snapped to face the direction of the unwelcome distraction. The whole town was standing on Tristin's lawn, cheering the couple on.
They turned to face each other, amused but frustrated. Their foreheads touched and they looked deep into each other's eyes. "I think the gossip club finally caught up to us," Tristin said wryly.
Rory looked at her watch. "Hmmm...five minutes. I'm surprised it took them that long. They're slipping."
From the crowd, Miss Patty's very loud voice could be heard. "Who picked today?"