Disclaimer: It is my duty to sadly inform you that Gilmore Girls does not belong to me in any way shape or form—yet.
One of these days my crazy schemes will work and I will reap the benefits!
A/N: Wow, over 300 reviews. I am impressed and ecstatic. Thank you to everyone who reviewed you've brought a lot of happiness in my life and a more of an excuse to indulge my coffee habit (sorry mom need to stay awake to write this chapter, my readers need me). Also big thanks to everyone who congratulated me on my grades. I have the best reviewers ::big sappy grin:: but anyway back what you guys really want, the story. No lip locking action yet, slowly building. But it will come, I promise. So go on read, review.
Chapter Fourteen
"It's just not fair. I miss all the good stuff." Lane despaired as she draped herself across her friend's bed.
"Don't worry, you'll be the first to see the pictures when Lorelai gets them back. And I've told you the story about a thousand times. So you were practically there." Rory said as she flopped down next to her best friend.
"Pictures as in more than one?" Lane asked.
"Yeah apparently my mom kept taking them as he was chasing her." Rory laughed recalling the whole event.
"I miss everything." Lane lamented again but perked up as the phone rang.
"Hello." Rory answered.
"Hey Princess."
"Why hello Lola." Rory said while cracking up with Lane.
"I thought we agreed never to speak of that again." Tristan said cringing.
"No you agreed. I said nothing of the sort."
"You're evil. Not me, why do I get labeled the evil one, and other various nicknames, when you and your mother and possibly the whole town are actually Satan's cabana boys—girls. You get my point."
"What was that about cabana's?" Rory giggled.
"The Copacabana?" Lane asked also laughing.
"Drop it you two." He said.
"Aw but you're so much fun to tease, Tris."
"Next subject please."
"Fine." Rory conceded, "So why are you calling, any particular reason?"
Tristan shrugged and then remembering he was on the phone said "Not really. I'm bored wanted to see what you were up to?"
"I see. Well we are having a girl's night out, or in. We haven't decided yet."
"Oh." He murmured trying not to sound too deflated.
Lane whose ear was pressed as close as she could get to the phone responded, "Well he pretty much qualifies, so why not invite him?"
"True." Rory nodded.
"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted." He replied.
"A little of both probably." Rory answered.
"Fine I'll be there. But only cause I want to meet Lane."
"Yeah yeah whatever Lola, see ya in a half an hour." Rory said hanging up.
A half an hour passed quickly but the girls had yet to move from Rory's bed. Out of the window Lane spied a silver expensive looking car pull up to the Gilmore house. She jumped up and rushed to the door. Lane opened the door before Tristan even had a chance to knock.
"Wow, Lorelai didn't exaggerate." Lane said drinking the sight of the teenager who looked like a model from J. Crew or something.
"Hello, you must be Lane." Tristan said as he offered his hand, but instead of shaking it he picked it up and placed a gentle kiss on it, he was positively oozing with charm.
"Wow." Lane uttered again. "You're good."
"Don't tell him that." Rory said as she appeared at the door. "He has enough of an ego problem as it is."
"Don't believe her, she's just jealous." He said in a mock stage whisper to Lane who laughed.
"Yeah that must be it." She replied sarcastically.
"So what do you two beautiful ladies have planned?"
Rory and Lane looked to one another, "Well…we've thought long and hard about this and—"
"We've come up with nothing" Lane finished.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing." They confirmed.
"You've had over a half an hour and nothing."
"Sorry we're just two small town girls." Rory said in her best southern belle accent accompanied with the batting eyelashes.
He snorted at her impression, "Fine as the big strong man, I'll decide what we do."
Both girls laughed, "Thank heavens. What would we do without men?"
"We'd be able to go without make-up"
"Or shaving."
"Or high heels."
"Or low self-esteem"
"Or paralyzing self-doubt."
"And the annoying whistles and catcalls as you walk by a construction site."
"Hmm I'm forgetting the downside." Laughed Rory.
"You guys can stop anytime now. My ego has been taken down by a notch, mission accomplished." Tristan conceded.
Both girls high-fived with broad grins.
"A great step forward for girl power." Rory concluded.
"The Buffy kind of girl power not the lame Spice Girl grrl power." Lane clarified.
"Of course." Tristan said as if this made sense to him. "Can we go yet?"
"Such impatience." Rory tsked him. "Sure let me leave a note for my mom. Lane you should call your mom."
"And tell her what exactly?"
"That you're going to Hartford with me and a friend from Chilton. Tristan is a unisex name so…"
"If she assumes it's a girl. Who are we to correct her." Lane said with a smile.
"Precisely." Rory complied with a nod.
"You two are devious." Tristan said an admiring glint shining in his eyes.
"Thank you." The girls replied in unison.
They all got into Tristan's car, with Rory in the passengers seat and Lane in the backseat going through Tristan's CDs.
"You have potential." Lane declared in reference to his music taste. "You've managed to go a bit astray but Rory and I can set you on the right track again. Return the lamb to the fold so to speak."
Rory laughed "Looks like you're actually picking some stuff up at Bible school."
"Ack! You're right; this must be purged from my mind. Tristan could you please turn up the music please?"
"Sure no problem." He complied turning up the music of Oleander as they drove towards Hartford.
The trio browsed through both music and book shops, stopping twice for coffee to appease Rory's cravings. Tristan and Lane slipped into the friendship roles very quickly; they became very comfortable with each other, which made things much easier for Rory. Their outings to Hartford became a sort of ritual throughout the summer. Tristan became part of a standard for the Gilmore movie nights. And while Mrs. Kim did not approve of him she did approve of the 3 expensive pieces he bought from her store. The town of Stars Hallow gradually accepted Tristan as a regular; it wasn't without some incidents though.
Tristan had become accustom, well as accustom as he could as a non-resident, to the quirky townspeople of Stars Hallow. He was use to the way Lorelai and Rory tortured the confused Kirk and how Miss Patty pinched his butt the first time he met her, declaring him a fine specimen of a young man. Lorelai then interceded to tell Patty exactly how young, and she backed off, physically at least. She still occasionally let out a catcall or two. He had engaged in a long discussion over jazz artists with Morey and was cosseted by Babette. Michel called him the 'preppy blonde boy'. Sookie adored him and kept feeding him delicious calorie rich foods saying she knew he would burn them off so she wouldn't have to hear him complain about his weight, unlike a certain Frenchman. Most of these meetings of the girls friends were uneventful, all but one. The most important one, meeting Luke.
For over a month now, Tristan had been regaled of stories of Stars Hallow, most with Luke playing leading man. He understood that this was a father figure to Rory and from Rory's description of the relationship, Luke was also head over heels for Lorelai. So going into the diner for the first time, he was a little nervous.
It was a normal day, he Rory and Lane had gotten back from shopping in Hartford. They dropped Lane off and ran into Lorelai who was on her way to Luke's for her daily pilgrimage to the giver of coffee.
"Hey!" Lorelai said greeting them as they approached her, "What are you two crazy kids up to?"
"The usual." Rory responded. "Drugs." She deadpanned.
"Sex." Tristan contributed.
"Rock and roll." Rory continued.
"Don't forget selling Paris into white slavery." Tristan said.
"Oh right." Rory groaned mock slapping her forehead. "How could I forget that?"
"Just checking." Lorelai replied with a grin, she had taught these kids well. "To Luke's then."
"Defiantly, I need some coffee. It's been hours." Rory affirmed.
Tristan stalled, "Maybe I should be getting home."
"You are avoiding Luke's." Rory accused.
"Am not." He said trying not to sound like a petulant 3 year old.
He failed.
"Come on you big baby. Are you scared of Luke?"
"No!" He denied rapidly. "But if I said yes would you let me go home?"
"Come on Devil boy." Rory began to drag him along. "He'll like you."
"No he won't. He doesn't like any teenage guy who's within 10 feet of you."
"He's right you know." Interjected Lorelai.
"Wow, you do pay attention to my stories."
"Yes I do. And I would prefer staying out of a headlock, thank you."
Rory was beginning to get impatient with him, "You're not my boyfriend so you don't have to worry about that."
Tristan eyes darkened and he tried not to scowl, "Yeah that's right. Let's go." And he took off to Luke's.
"Damn." Rory swore softly she hadn't meant for it to come out like that.
Lorelai draped her arm around her daughter's shoulders and walked with her. "Come on sweetie. This should be interesting."
People, it's that time again. For me to shamelessly beg and plead for reviews. Looking back on these little notes it's apparent I lost any semblance of dignity long ago. But oh well—out with the old and in with the new. Give this review junkie, some might say review tramp, something—anything to sustain her. I'm going to the beach for the weekend and I'm looking forward to coming back to reviews. Reviews which will console me after the sunburn and sand and the lack of finding Mr. Right or even Mr. I'll do for 3 days. You understand. Only you can stop the madness, review!
