It was deathly silent as Rory strode up to the front. She could feel dozens
of eyes on her. The music began, but her feet wouldn't cooperate with her.
* Not now! * Paris was radiating happiness. There would be a ton of snide
remarks thrown her way if she didn't get herself together. Taking a deep
breath, Rory willed herself to stay calm and forced her mind to concentrate
solely on the steps she had learned.
The plaudits of the class was deafening, and Rory beamed as she finished, wiping sweat from her brows.
"That was amazing, Rory!"
"Are you gonna try out for cheerleading?"
"Cheerleading?"
"Yeah! You know how Janine fractured her leg? Well the squad's holding re- auditions. You'd be perfect for the spot!"
"Oh. I don't know…"
"Oh come on! You would totally blow the competition away. It's today after school, you know. "
She was about to decline when the guys filed in. She caught sight of Tristan in a huddle of his buddies. I'll bet anything. You won't make it anyway. She'd show him!
"Know what? Maybe I will come check it out."
"Great!"
She zoned out as the girls around her continued on about the latest gossip in the locker rooms.
"You're not going to go out in public dressed like that, are you?"
"Dressed like what?" Rory asked innocently. She was putting the finishing touches on her Chilton tie to continue the rest of the day.
"Like THAT!"
"I thought there was only one way to wear a uniform," Rory stammered.
The girls cringed.
"Girls, we've got a code red on our hands," Summer said dramatically. They all nodded in unison and swarmed Rory.
"Oh wow. Gilmore looks hot!"
"Who knew it was possible to make Chilton uniforms looks so great?"
Tristan sat down at the table, a quizzical look on his face. He had always known Rory was breathtaking, but he had never expected his friends to make that admission. They were more into the slutty airhead type. "We ARE talking about the same girl here, right? Rory Gilmore?"
They nodded impatiently and pointed over to a small group clustered around something interesting. He make his way over there, and the students parted for him.
"Oh, Tristan. What are you doing over here?" Summer asked him politely, leaning towards him.
Ever since her fling with Austin, she had been hounding Tristan to take her back. It had taken all his tact and charisma to keep her at bay.
"Mary."
"Tristan."
He looked her over. Summer and the others and hiked her skirt up an inch and unbuttoned the top button, loosening the tie as well. Compounded with her new layered, wispy hairstly and Rory's appearance was completely metamorphosed. She was glaring at him defiantly.
"What's so fascinating?"
He glanced at their crowd of spectators and they departed at once. Once they were no longer being watched, he turned his attention back to her.
"You."
Despite herself, she blushed. Tristan smirked. It was good to know that the old innocent, insecure Rory was still in there somewhere.
"In exactly one month from now, you will no longer be able to come within ten feet of me. You know that, right?" She smiled slightly, taking the sting from her words.
He looked at her for an explanation.
"The bet?"
"Oh!"
"Are you still so sure about yourself, Mr. Dugray?"
"It's not over just yet, Mary."
"You'd be surprised to see just how far I've come."
"Oh really?"
"Hey, you're looking at the newest member of the Chilton Preparatory Academy's cheerleading squad."
His face registered shock before he could completely mask it. He affected an air of nonchalance. "Then I guess I'll be seeing quite a bit of you."
She looked at him suspiciously. "And why's that?"
"'Cause I'm going out for the soccer team."
"YOU? On the soccer TEAM?"
"Yeeeeeaaaaah. What's wrong with that?"
"Tristan, being on a team means actually passing the ball to someone else. That would entail you giving up your self-centered attitude."
"Ouch! She stings like a wasp!"
"Only when I'm with you." She shot back.
He lowered his lips to her ear, delighting in the fact he could fluster her with his mere proximity. "You'd be surprise with how much I could give you."
She looked startled, and he took this opportunity to leave her standing in his wake.
The plaudits of the class was deafening, and Rory beamed as she finished, wiping sweat from her brows.
"That was amazing, Rory!"
"Are you gonna try out for cheerleading?"
"Cheerleading?"
"Yeah! You know how Janine fractured her leg? Well the squad's holding re- auditions. You'd be perfect for the spot!"
"Oh. I don't know…"
"Oh come on! You would totally blow the competition away. It's today after school, you know. "
She was about to decline when the guys filed in. She caught sight of Tristan in a huddle of his buddies. I'll bet anything. You won't make it anyway. She'd show him!
"Know what? Maybe I will come check it out."
"Great!"
She zoned out as the girls around her continued on about the latest gossip in the locker rooms.
"You're not going to go out in public dressed like that, are you?"
"Dressed like what?" Rory asked innocently. She was putting the finishing touches on her Chilton tie to continue the rest of the day.
"Like THAT!"
"I thought there was only one way to wear a uniform," Rory stammered.
The girls cringed.
"Girls, we've got a code red on our hands," Summer said dramatically. They all nodded in unison and swarmed Rory.
"Oh wow. Gilmore looks hot!"
"Who knew it was possible to make Chilton uniforms looks so great?"
Tristan sat down at the table, a quizzical look on his face. He had always known Rory was breathtaking, but he had never expected his friends to make that admission. They were more into the slutty airhead type. "We ARE talking about the same girl here, right? Rory Gilmore?"
They nodded impatiently and pointed over to a small group clustered around something interesting. He make his way over there, and the students parted for him.
"Oh, Tristan. What are you doing over here?" Summer asked him politely, leaning towards him.
Ever since her fling with Austin, she had been hounding Tristan to take her back. It had taken all his tact and charisma to keep her at bay.
"Mary."
"Tristan."
He looked her over. Summer and the others and hiked her skirt up an inch and unbuttoned the top button, loosening the tie as well. Compounded with her new layered, wispy hairstly and Rory's appearance was completely metamorphosed. She was glaring at him defiantly.
"What's so fascinating?"
He glanced at their crowd of spectators and they departed at once. Once they were no longer being watched, he turned his attention back to her.
"You."
Despite herself, she blushed. Tristan smirked. It was good to know that the old innocent, insecure Rory was still in there somewhere.
"In exactly one month from now, you will no longer be able to come within ten feet of me. You know that, right?" She smiled slightly, taking the sting from her words.
He looked at her for an explanation.
"The bet?"
"Oh!"
"Are you still so sure about yourself, Mr. Dugray?"
"It's not over just yet, Mary."
"You'd be surprised to see just how far I've come."
"Oh really?"
"Hey, you're looking at the newest member of the Chilton Preparatory Academy's cheerleading squad."
His face registered shock before he could completely mask it. He affected an air of nonchalance. "Then I guess I'll be seeing quite a bit of you."
She looked at him suspiciously. "And why's that?"
"'Cause I'm going out for the soccer team."
"YOU? On the soccer TEAM?"
"Yeeeeeaaaaah. What's wrong with that?"
"Tristan, being on a team means actually passing the ball to someone else. That would entail you giving up your self-centered attitude."
"Ouch! She stings like a wasp!"
"Only when I'm with you." She shot back.
He lowered his lips to her ear, delighting in the fact he could fluster her with his mere proximity. "You'd be surprise with how much I could give you."
She looked startled, and he took this opportunity to leave her standing in his wake.