Rory got out of the car and stretched her legs. After a few hours drive
from Louisville, KY; the teens were now in Toledo, Ohio. In Louisville,
they had gone to Churchill Downs and watched a few horse races, and they
had gone spelunking in some caves. Now, in Toledo, they were at "The Center
of Science and Industry", or "COSI". Tristan had promised Rory that this
was the best science museum she would ever go to. Rory hoped he was right.
The teens headed inside, and the first thing Rory saw was a tightrope with
a unicycle attached. This made her think that Tristan might just be right,
after all. She pointed to it. "I wanna go on that".
"So do I" agreed Tristan, and the teenagers got in line. After that, they went on the bike that went around in a circle. This ride tested your 'G- Force', and was somewhat akin to the carnival ride 'Ring of Fire'. Then, Rory found the anti-gravity room.
"Let's go in here" Rory pulled Tristan in.
The two ran around on the slanted floor for a few minutes, until they got bored. After that, they headed into the mock roller coaster. It was kind of like the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios, except different concept. Then they went into the sports section, where you could test your pitch speed, see how fast you could run, and lots of other fun stuff. They fooled around at the museum for a few hours, until suddenly Tristan realized it was closing time.
"We'd better get out of here" he told his companion.
They left the museum and drove to a hotel. They grabbed some dinner at a Coney Island, and then went to the hotel and slept. It had been a long day.
*******************************************************
The next day, a major storm blew through the town. Not wanting to drive in it, Rory and Tristan waited until late afternoon before getting on the road. They drove for a few hours, getting into Michigan, and finally stopping to eat at about 9:00.
"Let's eat there" Rory pointed to a Thai food restaurant inside a small strip mall.
"Sounds good" replied Tristan, pulling into the lot.
The teens each enjoyed some Sweet n Sour Chicken, and then Rory yawned. "Let's stop for the night. There's a hotel right there" she said, pointing across the street to a Courtyard Marriott. There was also a coffee shop next to the Thai place, but it was unfortunately closed for the night. So, Rory and Tristan checked into a room at the hotel.
"Sorry, Mary, I could only get a single."
"Why?"
"The Detroit Electronic Music Festival's in town. The hotels are booked up. I only got this one because of a last minute cancellation. I couldn't even get any rollaway beds!"
The teens went up to the room. Tristan sighed, knowing he wasn't going to sleep much that night. He got dressed for bed, putting on heavy sweats and a wife beater. He knew he would be hot as hell, but it was better then having Rory feel… never mind.
Rory, oblivious to Tristan's feelings, put on some blue PJ shorts and a long, but tight, T-shirt. 'Better then that damn tank top' he thought to himself, and climbed into the bed alongside Rory. Neither one of them got much sleep that night.
**************************************************************************
The next day, Rory and Tristan showered and dressed and then stumbled, yawning, to the aforementioned coffee shop. They each got an extra-large coffee, Rory's with an added shot of espresso, and sighed.
"Wanna check this thing out, Mary?" Tristan asked, pointing to a picture of people dancing at the DEMF. "It's totally free, and we can always leave if we don't like it."
"Sure, I guess" answered Rory. They got their coffees to go and left, deciding not to check out of the room. They didn't wanna risk losing it if they decided to stay all day for the DEMF.
**************************************************************************** ***************
Lorelei sighed in happiness. She and Luke had just landed in Hawaii, after a VERY long flight, and it looked beautiful. She wanted to go and do everything at once, but first, they had to check in their hotel.
After they grabbed their bags, Luke hailed a cab to take them to their hotel. They reached their room, which was on the tenth floor. It had a balcony, a king-sized bed, and a great view.
"It's gorgeous" said Lorelei. "C'mon, let's go swimming."
She and Luke began rooting around for their bathing suites, clothing flying all over the room. They decided they would pick it all up later, and ran down to the beach like excited 8 year-olds.
***************************************************************************
"This is great!" said Tristan, bobbing his head to the beat of the techno.
"Yeah. Not too crowded, weather's perfect…" agreed Rory.
The two teens walked around Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, where the festival was being held. Tristan made sure to stick close to Rory, as this was not the best area in the world, and he didn't want either of them to get caught alone. Rory insisted on getting ice cream cones from the Stroh's Ice Cream stand. She and Tristan licked their cones and strolled along the Detroit River, just listening to the music.
"I'm glad you talked me into coming" Rory commented. "This trip has been so much fun so far!"
"And we haven't even reached our main destination yet. Mackinac Island is the best! They don't allow cars, so it's very quiet and peaceful. The whole island is just 8 miles around, and yet there's so much to see and do. We keep bikes at the house, and we can ride horses and go swimming in Lake Superior, or in the pool at the Grand when the lake's too cold."
"It sounds wonderful" said Rory. "I can't wait to get there. How come your parents never go there anymore?"
"They just got some overpriced house in France" said Tristan, bitterly, "this past year. That's where they want to vacation this year, fine. I'm glad it's just gonna be us."
"Do you have friends up there?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, several. My fam used to use this house at least once a year. We didn't go last year at all, though. My best friend up there is Matt, and his twin sister, Sarah, is really nice. Then there's Sarah D. We just call her Slut… it's a long story" he said, at Rory's questioning look. "My other friends up there… Amanda, Mony, Danni, Jeff..."
"Wow. I can't wait to meet them all."
"I'm sure they will all love you."
"I hope so." Just then, Tristan's cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mom."
"No, I won't be joining you in France."
"Rory Gilmore."
"Yes, Mom, Richard's granddaughter."
"Yes, I'm sure. Bye, Mom."
Tristan snapped the phone closed and sighed. "She wants me to join the family in France. No, I'm not going," he said at Rory's surprised and alarmed look."
"That's good, because I don't have a passport," Rory smiled at Tristan. Tristan grinned. "Come on, this is getting boring."
Tristan and Rory began to walk. They entered Greektown and decided to get some dinner.
"Here" Rory decided, pulling Tristan into a restaurant called Pegasus.
They each ordered lamb for their meal and flaming cheese as an appetizer. Rory got a Pepsi, and Tristan, a Mountain Dew. "Do the Dew" he said, lifting his glass to toast her.
"To friendship"
"To friendship" Rory echoed as they their glasses clinked together 'But I want to be so much more' she thought to herself longingly.
The teens ate their food, and then groaned.
"I can't eat another bite" Rory said. Her tune changed, however, when she spotted the La Astoria Pastry Shoppe.
"Let's go in here!" she exclaimed to Tristan.
"I thought you were full, Mary" he looked at her teasingly.
"Shut up," Rory pouted. "There's always room for chocolate!"
Once inside, Rory looked around everything in awe. "Pick whatever you want. I'm paying," said Tristan. "Well, if you're paying…" answered Rory.
"I'll have a pound of those truffles, and one of those Rum truffles, and two chocolate mice, five chocolate covered strawberries, a pumpkin muffin, two slices of triple chocolate torte, and strawberry shortcake. Oh, and how about three scoops of coffee ice cream, in a cone."
The store clerk chuckled at Tristan. "Your girlfriend has quite an appetite."
"She's not-"but the clerk wasn't paying any attention, he was too busy getting together Rory's purchases.
"That'll be $115.75." Tristan staggered at the price. Oh well, he could afford it.
Once the candy was all wrapped up and Rory was happily licking her coffee ice cream cone, the two decided they had better head back to the hotel. They walked to the structure they had parked in, and drove back to the suburbs.
***********************************************************************
Lorelei came out of the bathroom. This was the third morning in a row that she had thrown up. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what was wrong with her. "Honey?" Luke's voice entered her ear. "You OK?"
"I'm fine Lukey" she sighed. "I think I'll go see a doctor today."
"I think that would be best" Luke agreed.
"I'll go right now. Think you can entertain yourself for a couple of hours?"
"I'll be fine. You go ahead. I can just take a swim or something."
"Ok, then I'm leaving soon. First I'm gonna shower."
"Don't you want breakfast?"
Lorelei grimaced. "I'm not hungry. Thank you anyway."
"Ok, sweetie, if you're sure." Luke put his bathing suit on. He grabbed a towel and headed down to the pool, planning to eat at the little food stand down there. A few minutes afterward, Lorelei grabbed her purse and headed out the door on her way to the doctor's office.
************************************************************
Rory stirred and opened her eyes. "Where are we?"
"Just driving onto the Mackinac Bridge" Tristan smiled. "This is what separates the Lower Peninsula from the Upper.
"I know that!" Rory snapped. "I'm not a complete fool."
Tristan held up his hands. "Never said you were, Mary, never said you were."
"Sorry. I guess I didn't get enough coffee today."
"Well, I happen to know it's been at least four hours since your last fix. We can stop as soon as we get across the bridge."
"Thanks." Rory smiled gratefully. Tristan drove across the Mackinac Bridge, which spanned five miles across Lake Huron. The trip across, made in heavy traffic, took about half an hour. As soon as they were across, Tristan pulled into the parking lot of a Big Boy and dragged Rory inside.
"Two?" the waitress snapped her gum and led Rory and Tristan to a booth.
"We'll have three coffees and a chocolate milkshake to start with" Tristan ordered.
"Wanna split one of those?" Rory asked, pointing to a picture on the dessert menu.
"Sure" Tristan agreed. When the waitress came back, he ordered a Fudge Brownie Sundae with two spoons. He and Rory soon dug into the treat.
"So, we're almost there?" Rory asked.
"Yep. Just have to take the ferry from Mackinac City, which is about 15 minutes from here, to Mackinac Island.
"Sounds good." The two finished their food and left.
On the ferry, Rory had her first glimpse of Mackinac Island.
"It's beautiful, isn't it Rory?"
"Yeah, it is." Rory smiled at Tristan. "I can't wait to get there."
After a few more minutes, the ferry docked and Rory and Tristan collected their bags.
"How are we gonna get all this stuff to the house?" Rory asked, thinking of the lack of cars on the island.
"Easy." Tristan hailed a horse-drawn 'taxi' and had a porter load their luggage into it. A few minutes later, Rory had her first glimpse of Tristan's house on Mackinac Island.
"So do I" agreed Tristan, and the teenagers got in line. After that, they went on the bike that went around in a circle. This ride tested your 'G- Force', and was somewhat akin to the carnival ride 'Ring of Fire'. Then, Rory found the anti-gravity room.
"Let's go in here" Rory pulled Tristan in.
The two ran around on the slanted floor for a few minutes, until they got bored. After that, they headed into the mock roller coaster. It was kind of like the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios, except different concept. Then they went into the sports section, where you could test your pitch speed, see how fast you could run, and lots of other fun stuff. They fooled around at the museum for a few hours, until suddenly Tristan realized it was closing time.
"We'd better get out of here" he told his companion.
They left the museum and drove to a hotel. They grabbed some dinner at a Coney Island, and then went to the hotel and slept. It had been a long day.
*******************************************************
The next day, a major storm blew through the town. Not wanting to drive in it, Rory and Tristan waited until late afternoon before getting on the road. They drove for a few hours, getting into Michigan, and finally stopping to eat at about 9:00.
"Let's eat there" Rory pointed to a Thai food restaurant inside a small strip mall.
"Sounds good" replied Tristan, pulling into the lot.
The teens each enjoyed some Sweet n Sour Chicken, and then Rory yawned. "Let's stop for the night. There's a hotel right there" she said, pointing across the street to a Courtyard Marriott. There was also a coffee shop next to the Thai place, but it was unfortunately closed for the night. So, Rory and Tristan checked into a room at the hotel.
"Sorry, Mary, I could only get a single."
"Why?"
"The Detroit Electronic Music Festival's in town. The hotels are booked up. I only got this one because of a last minute cancellation. I couldn't even get any rollaway beds!"
The teens went up to the room. Tristan sighed, knowing he wasn't going to sleep much that night. He got dressed for bed, putting on heavy sweats and a wife beater. He knew he would be hot as hell, but it was better then having Rory feel… never mind.
Rory, oblivious to Tristan's feelings, put on some blue PJ shorts and a long, but tight, T-shirt. 'Better then that damn tank top' he thought to himself, and climbed into the bed alongside Rory. Neither one of them got much sleep that night.
**************************************************************************
The next day, Rory and Tristan showered and dressed and then stumbled, yawning, to the aforementioned coffee shop. They each got an extra-large coffee, Rory's with an added shot of espresso, and sighed.
"Wanna check this thing out, Mary?" Tristan asked, pointing to a picture of people dancing at the DEMF. "It's totally free, and we can always leave if we don't like it."
"Sure, I guess" answered Rory. They got their coffees to go and left, deciding not to check out of the room. They didn't wanna risk losing it if they decided to stay all day for the DEMF.
**************************************************************************** ***************
Lorelei sighed in happiness. She and Luke had just landed in Hawaii, after a VERY long flight, and it looked beautiful. She wanted to go and do everything at once, but first, they had to check in their hotel.
After they grabbed their bags, Luke hailed a cab to take them to their hotel. They reached their room, which was on the tenth floor. It had a balcony, a king-sized bed, and a great view.
"It's gorgeous" said Lorelei. "C'mon, let's go swimming."
She and Luke began rooting around for their bathing suites, clothing flying all over the room. They decided they would pick it all up later, and ran down to the beach like excited 8 year-olds.
***************************************************************************
"This is great!" said Tristan, bobbing his head to the beat of the techno.
"Yeah. Not too crowded, weather's perfect…" agreed Rory.
The two teens walked around Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, where the festival was being held. Tristan made sure to stick close to Rory, as this was not the best area in the world, and he didn't want either of them to get caught alone. Rory insisted on getting ice cream cones from the Stroh's Ice Cream stand. She and Tristan licked their cones and strolled along the Detroit River, just listening to the music.
"I'm glad you talked me into coming" Rory commented. "This trip has been so much fun so far!"
"And we haven't even reached our main destination yet. Mackinac Island is the best! They don't allow cars, so it's very quiet and peaceful. The whole island is just 8 miles around, and yet there's so much to see and do. We keep bikes at the house, and we can ride horses and go swimming in Lake Superior, or in the pool at the Grand when the lake's too cold."
"It sounds wonderful" said Rory. "I can't wait to get there. How come your parents never go there anymore?"
"They just got some overpriced house in France" said Tristan, bitterly, "this past year. That's where they want to vacation this year, fine. I'm glad it's just gonna be us."
"Do you have friends up there?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, several. My fam used to use this house at least once a year. We didn't go last year at all, though. My best friend up there is Matt, and his twin sister, Sarah, is really nice. Then there's Sarah D. We just call her Slut… it's a long story" he said, at Rory's questioning look. "My other friends up there… Amanda, Mony, Danni, Jeff..."
"Wow. I can't wait to meet them all."
"I'm sure they will all love you."
"I hope so." Just then, Tristan's cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mom."
"No, I won't be joining you in France."
"Rory Gilmore."
"Yes, Mom, Richard's granddaughter."
"Yes, I'm sure. Bye, Mom."
Tristan snapped the phone closed and sighed. "She wants me to join the family in France. No, I'm not going," he said at Rory's surprised and alarmed look."
"That's good, because I don't have a passport," Rory smiled at Tristan. Tristan grinned. "Come on, this is getting boring."
Tristan and Rory began to walk. They entered Greektown and decided to get some dinner.
"Here" Rory decided, pulling Tristan into a restaurant called Pegasus.
They each ordered lamb for their meal and flaming cheese as an appetizer. Rory got a Pepsi, and Tristan, a Mountain Dew. "Do the Dew" he said, lifting his glass to toast her.
"To friendship"
"To friendship" Rory echoed as they their glasses clinked together 'But I want to be so much more' she thought to herself longingly.
The teens ate their food, and then groaned.
"I can't eat another bite" Rory said. Her tune changed, however, when she spotted the La Astoria Pastry Shoppe.
"Let's go in here!" she exclaimed to Tristan.
"I thought you were full, Mary" he looked at her teasingly.
"Shut up," Rory pouted. "There's always room for chocolate!"
Once inside, Rory looked around everything in awe. "Pick whatever you want. I'm paying," said Tristan. "Well, if you're paying…" answered Rory.
"I'll have a pound of those truffles, and one of those Rum truffles, and two chocolate mice, five chocolate covered strawberries, a pumpkin muffin, two slices of triple chocolate torte, and strawberry shortcake. Oh, and how about three scoops of coffee ice cream, in a cone."
The store clerk chuckled at Tristan. "Your girlfriend has quite an appetite."
"She's not-"but the clerk wasn't paying any attention, he was too busy getting together Rory's purchases.
"That'll be $115.75." Tristan staggered at the price. Oh well, he could afford it.
Once the candy was all wrapped up and Rory was happily licking her coffee ice cream cone, the two decided they had better head back to the hotel. They walked to the structure they had parked in, and drove back to the suburbs.
***********************************************************************
Lorelei came out of the bathroom. This was the third morning in a row that she had thrown up. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what was wrong with her. "Honey?" Luke's voice entered her ear. "You OK?"
"I'm fine Lukey" she sighed. "I think I'll go see a doctor today."
"I think that would be best" Luke agreed.
"I'll go right now. Think you can entertain yourself for a couple of hours?"
"I'll be fine. You go ahead. I can just take a swim or something."
"Ok, then I'm leaving soon. First I'm gonna shower."
"Don't you want breakfast?"
Lorelei grimaced. "I'm not hungry. Thank you anyway."
"Ok, sweetie, if you're sure." Luke put his bathing suit on. He grabbed a towel and headed down to the pool, planning to eat at the little food stand down there. A few minutes afterward, Lorelei grabbed her purse and headed out the door on her way to the doctor's office.
************************************************************
Rory stirred and opened her eyes. "Where are we?"
"Just driving onto the Mackinac Bridge" Tristan smiled. "This is what separates the Lower Peninsula from the Upper.
"I know that!" Rory snapped. "I'm not a complete fool."
Tristan held up his hands. "Never said you were, Mary, never said you were."
"Sorry. I guess I didn't get enough coffee today."
"Well, I happen to know it's been at least four hours since your last fix. We can stop as soon as we get across the bridge."
"Thanks." Rory smiled gratefully. Tristan drove across the Mackinac Bridge, which spanned five miles across Lake Huron. The trip across, made in heavy traffic, took about half an hour. As soon as they were across, Tristan pulled into the parking lot of a Big Boy and dragged Rory inside.
"Two?" the waitress snapped her gum and led Rory and Tristan to a booth.
"We'll have three coffees and a chocolate milkshake to start with" Tristan ordered.
"Wanna split one of those?" Rory asked, pointing to a picture on the dessert menu.
"Sure" Tristan agreed. When the waitress came back, he ordered a Fudge Brownie Sundae with two spoons. He and Rory soon dug into the treat.
"So, we're almost there?" Rory asked.
"Yep. Just have to take the ferry from Mackinac City, which is about 15 minutes from here, to Mackinac Island.
"Sounds good." The two finished their food and left.
On the ferry, Rory had her first glimpse of Mackinac Island.
"It's beautiful, isn't it Rory?"
"Yeah, it is." Rory smiled at Tristan. "I can't wait to get there."
After a few more minutes, the ferry docked and Rory and Tristan collected their bags.
"How are we gonna get all this stuff to the house?" Rory asked, thinking of the lack of cars on the island.
"Easy." Tristan hailed a horse-drawn 'taxi' and had a porter load their luggage into it. A few minutes later, Rory had her first glimpse of Tristan's house on Mackinac Island.
