Love can be a pain in the butt- Chapter twelve
[Recap:]
"Ooh, Mary are you afraid of being alone with me in a big dark house. Should I be insulted or flattered?"
'I'm stuck in a blacked out house with a guy I might actually be in love with! Is everything fine!?' Rory covered her mouth as she thought that. 'Omigod, I did not just think that?'
[Now:]
Rory sat in the passenger seat of the jeep. The bags under her eyes were evident. She didn't sleep a wink last night. Rory yawned.
"You seem awfully quiet." Lorelai asked. Her eyes glued to the road ahead of her.
It stopped snowing a few hours earlier and the roads were still being cleared by the snowploughs.
"Just thinking about stuff."
"Does wanting to leave Tristan's house so quickly go under the heading stuff? You did call me at six o'clock on a Saturday morning to come pick you up."
Rory sighed. Ever since last night she felt….really awkward around him. She became extremely self-conscience whenever they talked and touched, not to mention the fact that they slept in the same room, in the same bed! The electric heater stopped so they had to use body warmth to avoid freezing their butts off. If she could, she'd sue electricity.
'Fate's cruel. Do I even believe in fate?' Rory thought to herself. "As mom puts it, only believe in things if it's good. Don't believe in things that are bad.' Rory nodded to herself. 'And this big dilemma right now isn't looking good.'
"So how's the conversation with your thoughts going?" Lorelai broke the silence.
"Peachy." Rory glumly replied.
"I take it you had a disagreement while locked up in the Dugrey palace?"
"No. Everything was fine. He was…. great " Rory replied.
'Why does he have to be too great?' Rory sighed.
**************
Tristan threw a book; it hit the wall landing on the carpeted floor with a soft thump.
"What happened?" he said aloud to himself.
/"Ooh, Mary are you afraid of being alone with me in a big dark house. Should I be insulted or flattered?"/
He waited for her comeback, a witty comment scolding him about his ego. But it didn't come. He saw her tense up and cover her mouth as if she saw an axe murderer raising his axe behind Tristan. He turned around to check, there was nothing there, unless she was like that boy from the sixth sense who could see dead people.
He had left Rory in his room when he went to fetch torches and candles. When he came back Rory was really quiet. Very odd for someone who liked to babble and talk till the cows came home. Tristan couldn't exactly figure what had happened between him and Rory.
The rest of the night was spent in the dark with uncomfortable silence and small talk. And then Rory decided to call it a night, saying she was really tired and that when they wake up in the morning the power would be working again. So there, he laid on his bed staring at the ceiling, feeling alone even though Rory was right next to him, till two in the morning where he finally drifted off to sleep.
He flopped onto his bed. That's when he sadly concluded that… 'We aren't meant to be.'
He sighed. 'I might as well move on and face the fact that Rory and I will only ever be friends.' He scowled at the last part.
He scratched his forehead. 'Good luck at that Dugrey.'
**************
As Lorelai parked the jeep in the driveway, Rory jumped out and headed up the porch steps. Once inside she lazily dragged herself to her bedroom flopping onto her bed with a loud thud. She groaned.
'Something's not right' Lorelai thought to herself, as she headed to Rory's room. 'What happened at Tristan's?'
"Tired?" Lorelai appeared in Rory's bedroom.
"I didn't get much sleep last night." she covered her face with her arm.
"Rory, tell me you didn't…you know?" Lorelai tried to hide the worry in her voice. She failed.
Rory sat up, staring at Lorelai.
"Mom! You're talking to Rory here. The level headed, always in control daughter," she paused lying back on the bed, "who tackles her problems head on…" she added quietly.
Rory didn't see Lorelai's confused and concerned face.
'Except this one' Rory thought. She closed her eyes and heard the door shut.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the phone began to ring. Rory waited for a few seconds before finally getting up to answer it, as she reached the door the ringing stopped. Rory mumbled to herself before flopping onto her bed again, closing her eyes in the process. A minute later she heard a knock on the door.
"Rory?"
Rory opened her eyes and stared at Lorelai.
"Phone." Lorelai handed over the phone and Rory grabbed it. She waited till her mom was in the kitchen.
Rory- What is it?
Her tone was a bit forceful and annoyed.
Tristan- And hello to you to. Did the princess wake up on the wrong side of the bed?
Rory softened.
Rory- Sorry
Tristan- All's good. Listen, I forgot to ask you something. I know you don't necessarily like socialite parties. But I was hoping that you could accompany me at my grandpa's retirement party. You know, come share the burden with me?
Rory- As a date?
Tristan- Not quite. Just two friends having a great night in a backyard. If weather permits.
'Just friends? Oh.' Rory had no idea why she seemed disappointed. She shook her head.
Rory- When is it?
Tristan- Two weeks time
Rory- Sure. I'd love to share the burden with you.
There was silence for a short while
Rory- Uh Tristan?
Tristan- Yeah.
Rory- I'm sorry if I acted all weird and strange last night and this morning.
'Since I'm not sure how I feel about you anymore.' She added to herself.
Tristan- Sorry? I didn't notice anything weird about you while you were here. What are you apologising for?
So he was lying.
Rory- Well I'm still sorry.
Rory yawned.
Tristan- You tired?
Rory- Sorta. Didn't get much sleep last night.
Tristan- Go sleep.
'How can she be tired?' Tristan thought. 'I swear she was asleep the whole night.'
Rory- I should. See you at school?
Tristan- Yeah.
Rory- Bye
Tristan- Bye. And Rory?
Rory- Uh huh
Tristan- Sweet dreams.
A/N: I had to skip. I needed to get the ball rolling. Three chapters have been based on one day and I know it was cruel to leave out the whole blackout thing but at least I mentioned the key facts on what happened that night. You also might be thinking 'Why the hell has she got phone conversations in each chapter?' well the telephone is a marvellous invention and is considered a necessity to every teenager [especially females] around the world besides the computer and Internet. Oh and TV too!
Stay tuned and look out for chapter 13. It would be coming very soon.
Maria
P.S [these P.S's must piss you off eh?] If you like, I can email you to tell you when I have updated a chapter. It's the least I could do considering my irregular updating habit. All you need to do is leave your email in the review and I'll be happy to send you a message. : )