A day went by and still Rory did not come to school. Another day after that
and another, until all those days turned into a week.
Tristan went to the wake where he saw Rory, but it wasn't Rory. Not really anyway. At the wake she barely spoke, barely moved and she always looked so tired. But most of all her blue, blue eyes were dull and overcast. They weren't bright and hopeful as they usually were. The whole time he was there Rory stayed close and held hands with a dark haired boy who looked about the same age.
He couldn't help being jealous, wishing it were him she wanted to be protected by.
When he went to her to offer condolence she barely even recognized him. Just whispered a thank you and looked away.
No, it definitely was not the same Rory.
Tristan sighed and tried to force his mind to concentrate more on the road he was driving on but failed to do so. He wished there was something he could do to help her. Anything at all.
Maybe she would be at school today.
The funeral had been three days ago. Only family members and close friends had been allowed to attend. There would've been way too many people had there not been restrictions. When he went to the wake it had been packed, the waiting line out the door. Many people had loved Lorelai Gilmore.
He pulled into the student parking lot and parked his sleek, red camero. He slipped his keys into his pocket as he made his way up to school. The courtyard was empty, if he didn't hurry he would be late for class. When he got to his locker and grabbed his books the hallways were empty except for one other person.
Rory Gilmore.
She was slowly, no, painstakingly, taking her books out of her locker. Her face was contorted in grief and fear. Probably fear of living without her mother for the rest of her life.
He gently made his way towards her. "Hey." He said when he was close enough.
Her head jerked up, for one small second her face revealed everything: anguish, grief, distress. But she quickly recovered herself and hid everything away. "Hi."
"If you need anything, just let me know. Okay?" Tristan leaned against the locker next to hers, his face full of concern.
"Okay. Thanks." Rory forced a smile and closed her locker door quietly.
The bell rang and Tristan stood straight, "See you around."
"Bye." Rory said quietly and they walked in their separate directions.
She looked back at him, surprised at how kind and concerned he seemed. He didn't even ask how she was. Thank God.
She was ready to yell at the next person who asked her that. How did they THINK she was??!!! She bit her lip and held back a scream of rage. She didn't want to be here, she wanted her mother and she wanted her now. How could she have left her? How?
She steadied herself and made her way into the classroom.
* * *
Two weeks later Tristan was lying on his bed listening to music and doing his homework. A habit his mother found quite annoying. He was almost done with math when his mother called him from downstairs.
"I'll be done in a minute!" He yelled back through his music.
Tristan clambered down the stairs and into the kitchen, the kitchen of his new house. Or should he say old house? He and his mother had finally moved into a very old, but beautiful brick house. Much smaller then he was used to and he loved it. His mother had enough inheritance and divorce money for them to live about two years but she was going to have to get a job. Right now she was going to college again and Tristan had never seen her happier.
"What's up Mom?' Tristan asked as he entered the kitchen.
Kathryn DuGrey, or Farley now, looked up from what she was doing when her son entered the room. "Hey, hun. How do you think these shelves look?"
Tristan saw that his mother had been putting up cherry wood shelves that matched the old style kitchen perfectly. "Great."
Kathryn pushed back a piece of her black hair, which was slightly graying now. "I just received a call from Emily Gilmore." She had the same piercing blue eyes as Tristan but the rest of his looks came from his father. Kathryn Farley was pure Irish.
"Oh?" Tristan said his mind in full gear now. He had told his mother about Lorelai and Rory, and well, everything else with it.
"Yes, we know each other form business parties and such. She actually doesn't live to far away from here." She hammered a nail into the wall losing interest.
"She knows that you attend Chilton and wanted to know if you could give Rory a ride home in the afternoons after school; since she would not be able to." Kathryn raised her eyebrows at Tristan as she saw his face lighten. "I said you'd be delighted to."
"Yeah, sure. Except on Fridays." Tristan said.
"I told her about Fridays and she said that was just fine and told me to thank you."
"How far away is Stars Hollow?" Tristan asked.
Kathryn looked puzzled, "Stars Hollow? Why do you ask?"
"Isn't that where Rory lives?"
"Oh, well it was. She's moving to Hartford to love with her grandparents now."
"Oh." Tristan said surprised. "That's gotta be hard on Rory. I wonder why she wouldn't live with her father?"
"Probably because she wouldn't want to change schools her senior year." Kathryn shrugged. "So you'll do it?"
"Yeah." Tristan said wondering how all this would turn out.
* * *
Tristan shoved the last of his books into his bag and shut his locker. He scanned the hallways for Rory Gilmore, he would be bringing her home today. He found her walking out the door into the courtyard.
"Rory!" He called running after her, trying to catch up.
She turned around with a quizzical look on her face, "What is it Tristan?"
"I'm taking you home today." He said as soon as he caught up to her.
Rory looked confused, "I take the bus home, I don't need a ride."
"Your grandmother didn't tell you?" When she shook her head, he said, "She asked if I would take you home after school and I said yes."
"She didn't tell me, besides I always take the bus. I'm just fine." She started making her way to the bus stop once again.
Tristan caught her by the arm and stopped her. "But I told her I would."
"But that's silly, we live so far from each other."
"Rory, we only live like two minutes from each other now." He raised his eyebrows.
Rory scowled, "No, I live almost 45 minutes from you in Stars . . . " She trailed off and looked away. She bit her lip and her cheeks turned a deep crimson.
Oh, Christ, she forgot. Tristan swelled with sympathy, he wished he knew what to say, but he didn't. They stood there in silence.
Finally, she said, "Alright, I'll go with you." She looked down when she spoke to him.
"My car's over their, follow me." Tristan led the way to his car.
Rory followed him noiselessly.
Tristan opened the door for when they reached his car.
"Thanks." She whispered softly.
He noticed tears in her eyes.
He went around to the other side and got in himself. He started the engine and left the Chilton parking lot. "So, when did you move in with your grandparents?" He asked hoping for conversation.
"Just the other day." Rory answered as best she could.
"Adjusting okay?" He asked.
"I guess." Rory looked out the window, watching as the unfamiliar town of Hartford passed by.
The rest of the ride was silent, an uncomfortable one. When they finally reached her grandparents house Rory didn't make any movement to get out of the car. She just stared at the house with uncertainty.
"Rory?" Tristan said tearing her out of her reverie.
"Yeah." She opened the car door and was about to step out when he grabbed her hand. She looked at him, confused.
"Listen. I would like to say that I understand what you're going through. But I don't." He stopped searching for words. "I just want to let you know that I'm here for you." He squeezed her hand once and then let it go.
Rory gave him a small smile, "I appreciate that Tristan, I really do. I'll see you tomorrow." She shut the door and made her way up to the house.
He waited until she was safely in the house before he drove off to his own home.
Tristan was in the family room watching TV when his mother returned home from her classes that day.
She came into the family room with a bag of groceries and kissed him on the cheek, "How was school?"
"Same as it always is." He replied shutting of the TV now that he had some company. "How about you?"
"I've got a lot of homework tonight. We'll have to have a quick dinner." She answered as she went into the kitchen.
Tristan followed her, "Sounds good." He watched as she took food out of the grocery bag. "Hamburgers?"
"Yep." Kathryn said taking the meat out of the bag and putting it on the counter. "Did you drive Rory home today?"
"Yeah." Tristan sighed.
"Didn't go so well?" She asked with a concerned look.
"Not really." He shook his head. "She forgot."
"What, that you were taking her home?"
"No, that she lived in Hartford now." Tristan ran a hand through his still short hair. "When I told her I was taking her home she got all confused and said that wasn't necessary because she lived so far away. And then I think she remembered."
"Oh, the poor dear." Kathryn shook her head. "It must be so hard on her."
"She and her Mom were really close. When I went over there they practically finished each other's sentences." Tristan thought about what it would be like to lose his own Mom. He didn't even want to think about it. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Well, you are giving her rides home." Kathryn supplied as she began laying out the meat in hamburger form.
"Yeah, to a place where she doesn't want to go."
"She doesn't like her grandparents?" She asked.
Tristan put away the rest of the groceries and said, "No, she does. I think she'd just rather be . . . "
"At home." Kathryn finished for him.
"Yeah, at home."
Tristan went to the wake where he saw Rory, but it wasn't Rory. Not really anyway. At the wake she barely spoke, barely moved and she always looked so tired. But most of all her blue, blue eyes were dull and overcast. They weren't bright and hopeful as they usually were. The whole time he was there Rory stayed close and held hands with a dark haired boy who looked about the same age.
He couldn't help being jealous, wishing it were him she wanted to be protected by.
When he went to her to offer condolence she barely even recognized him. Just whispered a thank you and looked away.
No, it definitely was not the same Rory.
Tristan sighed and tried to force his mind to concentrate more on the road he was driving on but failed to do so. He wished there was something he could do to help her. Anything at all.
Maybe she would be at school today.
The funeral had been three days ago. Only family members and close friends had been allowed to attend. There would've been way too many people had there not been restrictions. When he went to the wake it had been packed, the waiting line out the door. Many people had loved Lorelai Gilmore.
He pulled into the student parking lot and parked his sleek, red camero. He slipped his keys into his pocket as he made his way up to school. The courtyard was empty, if he didn't hurry he would be late for class. When he got to his locker and grabbed his books the hallways were empty except for one other person.
Rory Gilmore.
She was slowly, no, painstakingly, taking her books out of her locker. Her face was contorted in grief and fear. Probably fear of living without her mother for the rest of her life.
He gently made his way towards her. "Hey." He said when he was close enough.
Her head jerked up, for one small second her face revealed everything: anguish, grief, distress. But she quickly recovered herself and hid everything away. "Hi."
"If you need anything, just let me know. Okay?" Tristan leaned against the locker next to hers, his face full of concern.
"Okay. Thanks." Rory forced a smile and closed her locker door quietly.
The bell rang and Tristan stood straight, "See you around."
"Bye." Rory said quietly and they walked in their separate directions.
She looked back at him, surprised at how kind and concerned he seemed. He didn't even ask how she was. Thank God.
She was ready to yell at the next person who asked her that. How did they THINK she was??!!! She bit her lip and held back a scream of rage. She didn't want to be here, she wanted her mother and she wanted her now. How could she have left her? How?
She steadied herself and made her way into the classroom.
* * *
Two weeks later Tristan was lying on his bed listening to music and doing his homework. A habit his mother found quite annoying. He was almost done with math when his mother called him from downstairs.
"I'll be done in a minute!" He yelled back through his music.
Tristan clambered down the stairs and into the kitchen, the kitchen of his new house. Or should he say old house? He and his mother had finally moved into a very old, but beautiful brick house. Much smaller then he was used to and he loved it. His mother had enough inheritance and divorce money for them to live about two years but she was going to have to get a job. Right now she was going to college again and Tristan had never seen her happier.
"What's up Mom?' Tristan asked as he entered the kitchen.
Kathryn DuGrey, or Farley now, looked up from what she was doing when her son entered the room. "Hey, hun. How do you think these shelves look?"
Tristan saw that his mother had been putting up cherry wood shelves that matched the old style kitchen perfectly. "Great."
Kathryn pushed back a piece of her black hair, which was slightly graying now. "I just received a call from Emily Gilmore." She had the same piercing blue eyes as Tristan but the rest of his looks came from his father. Kathryn Farley was pure Irish.
"Oh?" Tristan said his mind in full gear now. He had told his mother about Lorelai and Rory, and well, everything else with it.
"Yes, we know each other form business parties and such. She actually doesn't live to far away from here." She hammered a nail into the wall losing interest.
"She knows that you attend Chilton and wanted to know if you could give Rory a ride home in the afternoons after school; since she would not be able to." Kathryn raised her eyebrows at Tristan as she saw his face lighten. "I said you'd be delighted to."
"Yeah, sure. Except on Fridays." Tristan said.
"I told her about Fridays and she said that was just fine and told me to thank you."
"How far away is Stars Hollow?" Tristan asked.
Kathryn looked puzzled, "Stars Hollow? Why do you ask?"
"Isn't that where Rory lives?"
"Oh, well it was. She's moving to Hartford to love with her grandparents now."
"Oh." Tristan said surprised. "That's gotta be hard on Rory. I wonder why she wouldn't live with her father?"
"Probably because she wouldn't want to change schools her senior year." Kathryn shrugged. "So you'll do it?"
"Yeah." Tristan said wondering how all this would turn out.
* * *
Tristan shoved the last of his books into his bag and shut his locker. He scanned the hallways for Rory Gilmore, he would be bringing her home today. He found her walking out the door into the courtyard.
"Rory!" He called running after her, trying to catch up.
She turned around with a quizzical look on her face, "What is it Tristan?"
"I'm taking you home today." He said as soon as he caught up to her.
Rory looked confused, "I take the bus home, I don't need a ride."
"Your grandmother didn't tell you?" When she shook her head, he said, "She asked if I would take you home after school and I said yes."
"She didn't tell me, besides I always take the bus. I'm just fine." She started making her way to the bus stop once again.
Tristan caught her by the arm and stopped her. "But I told her I would."
"But that's silly, we live so far from each other."
"Rory, we only live like two minutes from each other now." He raised his eyebrows.
Rory scowled, "No, I live almost 45 minutes from you in Stars . . . " She trailed off and looked away. She bit her lip and her cheeks turned a deep crimson.
Oh, Christ, she forgot. Tristan swelled with sympathy, he wished he knew what to say, but he didn't. They stood there in silence.
Finally, she said, "Alright, I'll go with you." She looked down when she spoke to him.
"My car's over their, follow me." Tristan led the way to his car.
Rory followed him noiselessly.
Tristan opened the door for when they reached his car.
"Thanks." She whispered softly.
He noticed tears in her eyes.
He went around to the other side and got in himself. He started the engine and left the Chilton parking lot. "So, when did you move in with your grandparents?" He asked hoping for conversation.
"Just the other day." Rory answered as best she could.
"Adjusting okay?" He asked.
"I guess." Rory looked out the window, watching as the unfamiliar town of Hartford passed by.
The rest of the ride was silent, an uncomfortable one. When they finally reached her grandparents house Rory didn't make any movement to get out of the car. She just stared at the house with uncertainty.
"Rory?" Tristan said tearing her out of her reverie.
"Yeah." She opened the car door and was about to step out when he grabbed her hand. She looked at him, confused.
"Listen. I would like to say that I understand what you're going through. But I don't." He stopped searching for words. "I just want to let you know that I'm here for you." He squeezed her hand once and then let it go.
Rory gave him a small smile, "I appreciate that Tristan, I really do. I'll see you tomorrow." She shut the door and made her way up to the house.
He waited until she was safely in the house before he drove off to his own home.
Tristan was in the family room watching TV when his mother returned home from her classes that day.
She came into the family room with a bag of groceries and kissed him on the cheek, "How was school?"
"Same as it always is." He replied shutting of the TV now that he had some company. "How about you?"
"I've got a lot of homework tonight. We'll have to have a quick dinner." She answered as she went into the kitchen.
Tristan followed her, "Sounds good." He watched as she took food out of the grocery bag. "Hamburgers?"
"Yep." Kathryn said taking the meat out of the bag and putting it on the counter. "Did you drive Rory home today?"
"Yeah." Tristan sighed.
"Didn't go so well?" She asked with a concerned look.
"Not really." He shook his head. "She forgot."
"What, that you were taking her home?"
"No, that she lived in Hartford now." Tristan ran a hand through his still short hair. "When I told her I was taking her home she got all confused and said that wasn't necessary because she lived so far away. And then I think she remembered."
"Oh, the poor dear." Kathryn shook her head. "It must be so hard on her."
"She and her Mom were really close. When I went over there they practically finished each other's sentences." Tristan thought about what it would be like to lose his own Mom. He didn't even want to think about it. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Well, you are giving her rides home." Kathryn supplied as she began laying out the meat in hamburger form.
"Yeah, to a place where she doesn't want to go."
"She doesn't like her grandparents?" She asked.
Tristan put away the rest of the groceries and said, "No, she does. I think she'd just rather be . . . "
"At home." Kathryn finished for him.
"Yeah, at home."