Leaves
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to ASP and all those companies. I've spent all my money on Christmas presents anyway. Just for fun.
Pairing: R/T
Feedback: Please. Just so I don't disappear under a rock.
Author's Note: Many thanks to Rianna, for betaing this.
Rory pressed her fingers to her lips, and stared after Tristan in shock. It wasn't anything he had done, really. It had just been a kiss. A chaste kiss, a sign of good will between friends, although they weren't even that anymore. But her heart had sped, her knees had weakened, and she had leaned in, wanting more.
Tristan was standing beside his grandfather, his head bent solicitously over the old man's. Rory's eyes met Mr DuGrey's, and he smiled that smile she knew so well, motioning for her to join them.
Rory spun around, pretending she hadn't seen him, hoping she wasn't being unforgivably rude. She threaded through the clusters of celebrating people, heading for the door. She was more determined than ever to leave immediately.
**************************************************************************
Rory drove home as fast as she could, not to confide in her mother or seek the sanctuary of her bedroom, but to catch the end of the party and possibly avert disaster. It had started at six, and had looked like it was shaping up to be a reasonable, civilized celebration. That had set all of Rory's alarm bells jangling. Nothing connected with Lorelai Gilmore was reasonable or civilized. When she left there had been leaves and branches and various kinds of shrubbery strewn over the living room floor, and the pony had been eating Babette's flowers. But the guests had been quiet and orderly, and Lorelai herself had been reserved and gracious. Rory had known they were hiding something from her, but hadn't had time to find out what it was.
She rounded the corner onto her street, and was met with the familiar sight of a police car parked outside her house. She sighed wearily, assuming the police had been called out to persuade her mother to turn down the music, but then she heard muffled shouting from the back of the house. They weren't actually here to arrest somebody, were they? Maybe the pony was being pulled in for wanton destruction of public property.
Rory frowned, and hurried to the source of the shouting. She groaned. Déjà vu. Well, at least her mother wouldn't have to pay bail. Two police officers were struggling with a costumed man, forcing him to the ground. His facepaint was smeared, making him look like a smushed cake. The guests were in a circle around the combatants, gaping down at them in fascination. Rory heard her mother yelling at the officers, and followed the sound until she located her.
"I can't believe you hired him again. After last time?"
"How was I to know this would happen again? This should have been like lightning. And besides, Carlos the Crazy Clown is the best entertainer ever!"
"I don't understand the attraction. Okay, if he was selling Bangles B-sides out of his trunk, it would be understandable, but animé? You hate that almost as much as you do Jerry Falwell."
"Okay, firstly, I don't hate anyone as much as I do Falwell. Well, I do, but this isn't the time. Secondly, I've come to believe that the annoying little squeaking things are part of an unfairly maligned, much misunderstood art form. Thirdly, I wanted to see Luke's reaction when the flower squirted water in his face."
Rory shook her head in resignation. "What was it this time?"
"Digimon."
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
"I know. Card Captors would have been so much cooler. Okay, okay, you're crushing those lilacs!" Lorelai shook her head in disgust. "The police just have no respect for other people's property these days. So how was Beelzebub's Ball?"
"Um, not too bad. I mean, not fun, but there were no fights, so that was a plus. Why is there a tree on our porch?"
"We were about to plant it when these guys showed up."
"Don't you think that's taking the whole "new leaf" thing just a teeny bit too far?"
"Oh I know, but I had this tree for the garden, and I needed help planting it, so..... didn't you spot the crater ready and waiting for it? It looks like Mir crash-landed in our front lawn."
"I was sort of distracted. It's getting cold, want to go in?"
"Yeah, I think we've seen all there is to see here. Bye, Carlos! Let me know when you get out!"
"You're not hiring him for my next birthday party."
"But-"
"No."
"Well, see-"
"No."
"Oh, fine. I'll hire a wedding band instead. You're no fun."
"No other clowns either. No clowns, mom. Or magicians." Lorelai huffed, and tugged Rory towards the house. "Oh, look at the pony! I didn't see the hair! That's so pretty - hey. Did you use those markers that came with that Barbie?"
"We ran out of food dye. What? They came with a remover."
**************************************************************************** *
It was close to three by the time the last guest had stumbled into the night, and Rory and Lorelai were both exhausted. Lorelai began interrogating Rory about the party, but gave it up because she couldn't speak through the yawns. Rory lay in bed, gazing drowsily up at the pink and yellow fairy lights that bordered her window, and walked herself through her night.
It hadn't been so bad. She hadn't been nearly as humiliated as she had expected. Paris had been a bitch, but she had seemed pretty interested in Edward, so Rory wouldn't have expected any less. She wasn't quite sure where to place Edward, if he was a potential friend, or if he was ashamed to have been seen speaking to her now, but it had been fun while it lasted. The next two - well, if she was going to go to those things she had to take the bad with the adequate. And then Tristan.
That had been..... surprising. She hadn't really had a conversation with him since their tentative friendship had crashed and burned at the start of the summer. She had assumed he had given up, as she had, grown indifferent. She certainly hadn't expected him to approach her, and act as if nothing had changed since last year. He hadn't changed; he was as infuriating as ever. As changeable as - more changeable than anything. More fickle than her mother. He was so sweet when he was talking about his grandfather. It had been the first time she had ever seen him show affection for anyone. Sweet Tristan had been proceeded by those remarks - they didn't even count as innuendoes, there had been nothing implied about them. Did Sweet Tristan and Evil Tristan cancel each other out? And then there had been that kiss.
It had been - nice. Rory was reluctant to admit it, but she recognized that self-deception only went so far. Their other kiss hadn't been so nice. Not that it had been bad, but it wasn't ideal to be kissing one boy while thinking of another. She had done that again, with Jess. She had known that she and Dean were finished, for good this time - although his jealousy of Jess had suddenly seemed entirely reasonable when she had kissed him - but she hadn't been able to get him out of her head. She wasn't sure why it still felt like cheating when the relationship was over, and she had no desire to restart it. Convention? She was supposed to be all broken up so she forced herself to feel it? Was that why she had gotten back with Dean the first time?
That thought troubled her mind, keeping sleep just out of reach. She didn't want to force her emotions, ignore the way she felt, and act the way she was expected to. She didn't want to throw away the freedom her mother had fought so hard to give her. This was the most basic mistake she could make, something far more fundamental than agreeing to a coming out party, or - it was a mistake no one could afford to make, something she wouldn't do to herself. Well, it was the time of year to make changes, after all. Next year, Rory would do whatever she wanted, whatever would make her happy, and anyone who didn't like it could go to hell. Maybe she'd even be late for school. She smiled, satisfied with her resolution, and drifted off to sleep.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to ASP and all those companies. I've spent all my money on Christmas presents anyway. Just for fun.
Pairing: R/T
Feedback: Please. Just so I don't disappear under a rock.
Author's Note: Many thanks to Rianna, for betaing this.
Rory pressed her fingers to her lips, and stared after Tristan in shock. It wasn't anything he had done, really. It had just been a kiss. A chaste kiss, a sign of good will between friends, although they weren't even that anymore. But her heart had sped, her knees had weakened, and she had leaned in, wanting more.
Tristan was standing beside his grandfather, his head bent solicitously over the old man's. Rory's eyes met Mr DuGrey's, and he smiled that smile she knew so well, motioning for her to join them.
Rory spun around, pretending she hadn't seen him, hoping she wasn't being unforgivably rude. She threaded through the clusters of celebrating people, heading for the door. She was more determined than ever to leave immediately.
**************************************************************************
Rory drove home as fast as she could, not to confide in her mother or seek the sanctuary of her bedroom, but to catch the end of the party and possibly avert disaster. It had started at six, and had looked like it was shaping up to be a reasonable, civilized celebration. That had set all of Rory's alarm bells jangling. Nothing connected with Lorelai Gilmore was reasonable or civilized. When she left there had been leaves and branches and various kinds of shrubbery strewn over the living room floor, and the pony had been eating Babette's flowers. But the guests had been quiet and orderly, and Lorelai herself had been reserved and gracious. Rory had known they were hiding something from her, but hadn't had time to find out what it was.
She rounded the corner onto her street, and was met with the familiar sight of a police car parked outside her house. She sighed wearily, assuming the police had been called out to persuade her mother to turn down the music, but then she heard muffled shouting from the back of the house. They weren't actually here to arrest somebody, were they? Maybe the pony was being pulled in for wanton destruction of public property.
Rory frowned, and hurried to the source of the shouting. She groaned. Déjà vu. Well, at least her mother wouldn't have to pay bail. Two police officers were struggling with a costumed man, forcing him to the ground. His facepaint was smeared, making him look like a smushed cake. The guests were in a circle around the combatants, gaping down at them in fascination. Rory heard her mother yelling at the officers, and followed the sound until she located her.
"I can't believe you hired him again. After last time?"
"How was I to know this would happen again? This should have been like lightning. And besides, Carlos the Crazy Clown is the best entertainer ever!"
"I don't understand the attraction. Okay, if he was selling Bangles B-sides out of his trunk, it would be understandable, but animé? You hate that almost as much as you do Jerry Falwell."
"Okay, firstly, I don't hate anyone as much as I do Falwell. Well, I do, but this isn't the time. Secondly, I've come to believe that the annoying little squeaking things are part of an unfairly maligned, much misunderstood art form. Thirdly, I wanted to see Luke's reaction when the flower squirted water in his face."
Rory shook her head in resignation. "What was it this time?"
"Digimon."
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
"I know. Card Captors would have been so much cooler. Okay, okay, you're crushing those lilacs!" Lorelai shook her head in disgust. "The police just have no respect for other people's property these days. So how was Beelzebub's Ball?"
"Um, not too bad. I mean, not fun, but there were no fights, so that was a plus. Why is there a tree on our porch?"
"We were about to plant it when these guys showed up."
"Don't you think that's taking the whole "new leaf" thing just a teeny bit too far?"
"Oh I know, but I had this tree for the garden, and I needed help planting it, so..... didn't you spot the crater ready and waiting for it? It looks like Mir crash-landed in our front lawn."
"I was sort of distracted. It's getting cold, want to go in?"
"Yeah, I think we've seen all there is to see here. Bye, Carlos! Let me know when you get out!"
"You're not hiring him for my next birthday party."
"But-"
"No."
"Well, see-"
"No."
"Oh, fine. I'll hire a wedding band instead. You're no fun."
"No other clowns either. No clowns, mom. Or magicians." Lorelai huffed, and tugged Rory towards the house. "Oh, look at the pony! I didn't see the hair! That's so pretty - hey. Did you use those markers that came with that Barbie?"
"We ran out of food dye. What? They came with a remover."
**************************************************************************** *
It was close to three by the time the last guest had stumbled into the night, and Rory and Lorelai were both exhausted. Lorelai began interrogating Rory about the party, but gave it up because she couldn't speak through the yawns. Rory lay in bed, gazing drowsily up at the pink and yellow fairy lights that bordered her window, and walked herself through her night.
It hadn't been so bad. She hadn't been nearly as humiliated as she had expected. Paris had been a bitch, but she had seemed pretty interested in Edward, so Rory wouldn't have expected any less. She wasn't quite sure where to place Edward, if he was a potential friend, or if he was ashamed to have been seen speaking to her now, but it had been fun while it lasted. The next two - well, if she was going to go to those things she had to take the bad with the adequate. And then Tristan.
That had been..... surprising. She hadn't really had a conversation with him since their tentative friendship had crashed and burned at the start of the summer. She had assumed he had given up, as she had, grown indifferent. She certainly hadn't expected him to approach her, and act as if nothing had changed since last year. He hadn't changed; he was as infuriating as ever. As changeable as - more changeable than anything. More fickle than her mother. He was so sweet when he was talking about his grandfather. It had been the first time she had ever seen him show affection for anyone. Sweet Tristan had been proceeded by those remarks - they didn't even count as innuendoes, there had been nothing implied about them. Did Sweet Tristan and Evil Tristan cancel each other out? And then there had been that kiss.
It had been - nice. Rory was reluctant to admit it, but she recognized that self-deception only went so far. Their other kiss hadn't been so nice. Not that it had been bad, but it wasn't ideal to be kissing one boy while thinking of another. She had done that again, with Jess. She had known that she and Dean were finished, for good this time - although his jealousy of Jess had suddenly seemed entirely reasonable when she had kissed him - but she hadn't been able to get him out of her head. She wasn't sure why it still felt like cheating when the relationship was over, and she had no desire to restart it. Convention? She was supposed to be all broken up so she forced herself to feel it? Was that why she had gotten back with Dean the first time?
That thought troubled her mind, keeping sleep just out of reach. She didn't want to force her emotions, ignore the way she felt, and act the way she was expected to. She didn't want to throw away the freedom her mother had fought so hard to give her. This was the most basic mistake she could make, something far more fundamental than agreeing to a coming out party, or - it was a mistake no one could afford to make, something she wouldn't do to herself. Well, it was the time of year to make changes, after all. Next year, Rory would do whatever she wanted, whatever would make her happy, and anyone who didn't like it could go to hell. Maybe she'd even be late for school. She smiled, satisfied with her resolution, and drifted off to sleep.