These Summer Days…
Disclaimer: None of this is mine, only the plot thank you very much.
Chapter 2: Really, truly happyRory thought about what she could do for the rest of the summer, there were only four weeks left and she knew they would slip by quickly and she wouldn't have to worry about lonesome nights while at Harvard. She suddenly remembered Paris telling her how badly she needed some help for some research project she was doing for the Hartford Post. That's what she could do since Lorelai and her friends would be too. She smiled for the first time that night. As she entered her room she opened the window by her bed to let in some fresh air. She was already warm her wet hair was sticking to the back of her neck. And so she sat like that in her window staring up at the stars wishing she wasn't sitting there alone. Minutes later she began to drift to sleep but then she heard a guitar playing softly outside. She thought that she was dreaming but a voice began to sing. She recognized the song 'Wherever You Will Go'. For some reason only one name could come to mind with the song.
"So lately, I've been wonderin
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face
If a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us all
And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
And maybe, I'll find out
The way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days
If a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us all
Well I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you…"
It had to be him, Tristan DuGrey. She slipped out of her window her feet landing onto the lush, green grass. Sure enough, leaning against a tree was Tristan. He looked good she had to admit to herself. She knew he had always looked somewhat cute when he wasn't busy being such a jerk. He continued to sing…
"…If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
Runaway with my heart
Runaway with my hope
Runaway with my love
I know now, just quite how
my life and love might still go on
in your heart and your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go
As the last note faded Rory had to say something but she didn't know what. "Tristan," she whispered. He glanced up to find himself eye to eye with Rory Gilmore.
"Hey Rory," he said weakly. They stood there like that for a while. The awkward silence between them gave Tristan the change to look at her; he had after all hadn't seen her for about a year and a half. He could feel his breath catch in his throat as he looked at her standing there in her pajamas. She was wearing a tank top that was lower cut then he expected of Rory, his Mary. Her shorts stopped at mid-thigh and on her feet were fuzzy slippers. Before he knew it she was hugging him, he suddenly felt warm inside and he didn't want to let go of the feeling. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. "I missed you," she whispered into his shoulder. "I missed you too," he admitted softly. "Really?" she asked eyes sparkling. "Yes, really,"
"So…how many girls have you been with since I last saw you?" she expected a mumbled answer of 60 or more.
"None,"
"Yeah, sure and I'm the queen of England," she teased. "I'm serious," her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh sorry…it's just that I don't know weird, I guess for you not to have like a flavor of the week every week,"
"I know, but how's boyfriend farm boy?"
"Who said I had a boyfriend?" she challenged him. "No one but I thought you'd be dating someone…"
"Why are you here?" she asked suddenly not wanting to discuss her love life with Tristan of all people. "I just wanted to see you before you went off to Harvard," he said softly. "Where are you going?" she asked referring to college. "Harvard," he answered with a sheepish grin. "To be what?"
"A journalist," he said smiling softly. She snorted in reply. "Don't think I could do it, Mary?" he asked with a teasing grin. "I think you can do anything Tristan but I never pictured you as a journalist. A lawyer, yes a business man, yes but never a journalist,"
"It's what I've wanted to be since I can remember,"
"Do you want me to show you around Stars Hollow?" she asked him suddenly. "But your in…" he began but trailed off. "No one will see me there all busy making out," she answered moodily. "Jealous much Rory?"
"I'm not jealous!"
"Stubborn too,"
"I'm not stubborn!"
"Whatever you say Mary," he answered with a wink. "Come on you," she said grabbing his arm and dragging him to Stars Hollow's Main St. "Here's Miss Patty's, you've been there before for Romeo and Juliet practice," as the words were out of her mouth Tristan could see a large lady approaching the two of them. "Be careful," was all Rory could say. "Rory, dear who is this fine specimen with you?"
"Miss Patty, this is Tristan,"
"My, my what a cute name for such a handsome man,"
"Nice meeting you," he told Miss Patty happy to meet the lady until he felt a pinch on his butt. He yelped out in pain making Rory burst into giggles. "Rory!" he hissed as they walked away. "What!" came her response. "She pinched my ass!" making her burst into another laughing fit. "It's not funny!" he complained. "Patty's never done that the first time she meets one of my guy friends, it took her a month with Dean and a week with Jess. You must be a record!" she exclaimed. "And that's suppose to make me feel better?" she laughed again, loud making everyone glance up. It was an odd feeling actually being happy she hadn't felt this good since the letter had arrived from Harvard and her trip in Europe with her mother.
Lorelai leaned back from Luke when she heard laughter. It sounded like her daughter and when she glanced up she spotted Rory laughing and talking with some guy. "Who's he?" Luke interrupted Lorelai's train of thought. "I don't know," she said with a shrug. "Shouldn't you find out?"
"I trust her and I'll ask her later," she said silencing him with a kiss.
"What time is it?" Rory asked Tristan. "12:30," he replied. "Crap," she muttered. They were sitting on the gazebo stairs resting from walking around Stars Hollow for hours. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned. "Mom promised to be home by then and I didn't expect to be out at all tonight," The door across the street at Luke's jingled shut. The shadow of Lorelai Gilmore ran across the street. "Mom!" called out Rory. "Ror?"
"Hey," she greeted walking over to Lorelai, Tristan in tow. "Who's he?" she asked pointing to the boy. "Mom, Tristan…. Tristan, Lorelai,"
"ET?" she asked eagerly. "ET?" he asked cautiously. "Evil Tristan, Bible Boy, Spawn of Satan…."
"Okay, okay I get the picture I'm obviously not the most favorite person in the Gilmore home,"
"You weren't but it could change," said Lorelai thoughtfully. Rory snorted. "Hey!" protested Tristan. "Miss Patty pinched his ass," Rory whispered. "No! And this is his first visit that she met him?"
"First," Rory confirmed. "Wow! That's a brand new record wait until the town hears about this!"
"You wouldn't!" Tristan cried out in horror. "He must not know the Gilmore girls very well," Lorelai said sadly. "He's never seen the bad girl side of Rory either,"
"I like the sound of that," he whispered his voice full of sexual innuendos. "You're sick," Rory commented aloud. "Thank you, thank you very much," Lorelai had already gone inside leaving the two of them standing on the porch. "Good-bye Tristan," she said pointedly. She turned and made her way up the porch steps until Tristan grabbed her arm. "I'm glad you missed me," he said seriously. Rory thought he was going to kiss her as he leaned close to her. "Night Rory," he whispered kissing her cheek. "Night," she said just as softly as he stumbled down the stairs backwards. She laughed again making fun of him. As she went into the house Lorelai was running around yelling at the top of her lungs. "Rory, he's SO hot!!"
"Mom, you think an eighteen-year-old boy is hot? Wait until I tell Luke!"
"Are you my daughter? Did you not see the body on the boy?"
"Mom!" laughing softly Tristan slipped into his car and drove home. The phone rang as soon as he got into his room. "Hello?" he answered it on the third ring. "You're coming to work tomorrow," Paris's crisp voice said quickly. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me DuGrey," she growled. "Yeah I did,"
"See you at seven sharp at the Hartford Post building,"
"But Paris…" CLICK. It was to late the dial tone sounded and Tristan placed the phone back in its cradle. "Damn," he muttered softly, this month was going to be the longest of his life.