A/N: Spring break! I'm sorry I wasn't prepared to post this sooner, but it
still is early…rite? I feel bad for not having it up right when I got my
five reviews, so I posted this ASAP. It's still kinda in rough draft form
though; I'll probably revise it but the concepts will be the same. Kudos to
Melissa, ScarletCord, and anyone else who guessed it. Y'all are so smart-I
guess I'll just have to add more twists to my plot * rubs hands and grins
maniacally *
French Student: Thanks for letting me know. I guess it must've slipped my mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catching his breath, the newcomer leaned his hands on his knees while he greeted them, falling naturally into the accented lilt hours of practice had given him. Everyone returned the greeting. He soon noticed that a new party had joined the original huddle of guys. As he studied the girl sitting beside Charlie, the youth had to admit that these French girls were amazing. A deep red bodice covered a form-fitting t-shirt, complemented by a stark black skirt. It set off the wearer's lithe figure perfectly. Her hair was let down naturally, a silky sheet of cinnamon covering her face from his view. If it was even half as great as her body… Charlie was tugging at his sleeve, impatiently trying to gain his attention. He glanced down at him. Before he could speak, though, a honey-like voice rang out, a voice that pulled him in and spun him around.
"Hello, Tristan."
His head snapped up inhumanly quickly, and he stared at her side profile, now cursing the sheet of hair that hid the object of his interest from him. How had she known? Was she one of his ex's? I'd definitely remember an ex like that, he thought as he ran the length of her again. Her voice, he remembered, and he was instantly glad he had Charlie to lean on.
"How did you know? Anyway, this is Rory. She sat by me on the plane. You know, on the way here. Rory, this is my cousin-Tristan."
Silence ensued, and Charlie glanced at them questioningly. He not-so- discreetly nudged Tristan in the side. Clearing his throat, Tristan took the moment to compose himself. "What a surprise, Mary. Did you come all the way to France just to see little ole me?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously, but Kellyn soon stepped up, shoving herself between the two eagerly. "Bonjour, Tristan. I am Kellyn."
His gaze reluctantly left Rory and he mechanically went through the duties politeness required. By the time they'd gotten through everyone, the others were getting impatient.
"I don't know about you, but I'm famished. Did you bring the sandwhiches, Tyra?" Nicholas pompously ordained.
"What do you mean did I bring them? It was supposed to be YOUR turn, remember? We brought cheese and crackers last time!"
"Oh, hehe."
"Nicholas…"
"Well, uh…hey, I heard about a new café just down the street. You guys wanna check it out?" He slurred quickly, edging slowly away from an irate Tyra.
The other agreed heartily, and Rory, sensing the fuming, threw her weight in, dismissing thoughts of Tristan for the present. She eagerly grabbed Tyra's hand and followed the others.
All night she avoided him, hiding behind the excuse that she needed to acquaint herself with her new friends. Tristan hadn't uttered another word to her by the time they were all settled into their last cups of coffee. The girls took leave of them cheerily, Rory taking one last swig before hurrying out the door with the others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, you like?"
Rolling over in her bed, Rory tried to shut them out. They were not so easily dissuaded.
"Oof!" Three figures appeared beside her.
"So, do you like?"
"Like what?"
"Tristan, of course!"
"He's gorgeous!"
"He's hot!"
"No, he's not!" She mimicked their cheery voices, shoving a pillow on top of her head.
Always the inquisitive one, Tyra put a finger to her cheek. "Hey, how did you know that his name was Tristan before he'd introduced himself?"
Finally giving in to the fact that she would get no peace until she'd answered all their questions, she lifted her head. "You know when Nicholas and the other told you about the new exchange student? Are you SURE they said California?"
"Yes. Something hard to pronounce."
"And you're positive it wasn't-oh, say Connecticut?"
She clapped her hands together. "That was it! I knew California did not seem right!"
At the deathly look Rory was shooting her, she was soon silenced. "Er…what's the matter?"
"I'm from Connecticut."
It all made sense now. "So you knew him from before?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately?"
"That's what I said."
"But why would anyone call it unfortunate? Have you not SEEN him?"
Rory groaned while Collen and Kellyn squealed. "It's a love-hate relationship!" they chorused.
Rory closed her eyes. Only 90 more days of this…
French Student: Thanks for letting me know. I guess it must've slipped my mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catching his breath, the newcomer leaned his hands on his knees while he greeted them, falling naturally into the accented lilt hours of practice had given him. Everyone returned the greeting. He soon noticed that a new party had joined the original huddle of guys. As he studied the girl sitting beside Charlie, the youth had to admit that these French girls were amazing. A deep red bodice covered a form-fitting t-shirt, complemented by a stark black skirt. It set off the wearer's lithe figure perfectly. Her hair was let down naturally, a silky sheet of cinnamon covering her face from his view. If it was even half as great as her body… Charlie was tugging at his sleeve, impatiently trying to gain his attention. He glanced down at him. Before he could speak, though, a honey-like voice rang out, a voice that pulled him in and spun him around.
"Hello, Tristan."
His head snapped up inhumanly quickly, and he stared at her side profile, now cursing the sheet of hair that hid the object of his interest from him. How had she known? Was she one of his ex's? I'd definitely remember an ex like that, he thought as he ran the length of her again. Her voice, he remembered, and he was instantly glad he had Charlie to lean on.
"How did you know? Anyway, this is Rory. She sat by me on the plane. You know, on the way here. Rory, this is my cousin-Tristan."
Silence ensued, and Charlie glanced at them questioningly. He not-so- discreetly nudged Tristan in the side. Clearing his throat, Tristan took the moment to compose himself. "What a surprise, Mary. Did you come all the way to France just to see little ole me?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously, but Kellyn soon stepped up, shoving herself between the two eagerly. "Bonjour, Tristan. I am Kellyn."
His gaze reluctantly left Rory and he mechanically went through the duties politeness required. By the time they'd gotten through everyone, the others were getting impatient.
"I don't know about you, but I'm famished. Did you bring the sandwhiches, Tyra?" Nicholas pompously ordained.
"What do you mean did I bring them? It was supposed to be YOUR turn, remember? We brought cheese and crackers last time!"
"Oh, hehe."
"Nicholas…"
"Well, uh…hey, I heard about a new café just down the street. You guys wanna check it out?" He slurred quickly, edging slowly away from an irate Tyra.
The other agreed heartily, and Rory, sensing the fuming, threw her weight in, dismissing thoughts of Tristan for the present. She eagerly grabbed Tyra's hand and followed the others.
All night she avoided him, hiding behind the excuse that she needed to acquaint herself with her new friends. Tristan hadn't uttered another word to her by the time they were all settled into their last cups of coffee. The girls took leave of them cheerily, Rory taking one last swig before hurrying out the door with the others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, you like?"
Rolling over in her bed, Rory tried to shut them out. They were not so easily dissuaded.
"Oof!" Three figures appeared beside her.
"So, do you like?"
"Like what?"
"Tristan, of course!"
"He's gorgeous!"
"He's hot!"
"No, he's not!" She mimicked their cheery voices, shoving a pillow on top of her head.
Always the inquisitive one, Tyra put a finger to her cheek. "Hey, how did you know that his name was Tristan before he'd introduced himself?"
Finally giving in to the fact that she would get no peace until she'd answered all their questions, she lifted her head. "You know when Nicholas and the other told you about the new exchange student? Are you SURE they said California?"
"Yes. Something hard to pronounce."
"And you're positive it wasn't-oh, say Connecticut?"
She clapped her hands together. "That was it! I knew California did not seem right!"
At the deathly look Rory was shooting her, she was soon silenced. "Er…what's the matter?"
"I'm from Connecticut."
It all made sense now. "So you knew him from before?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately?"
"That's what I said."
"But why would anyone call it unfortunate? Have you not SEEN him?"
Rory groaned while Collen and Kellyn squealed. "It's a love-hate relationship!" they chorused.
Rory closed her eyes. Only 90 more days of this…