Later that evening, after dinner and the evening chores, Rory made
her way up to the loft. When she arrived she saw that it was empty and took
the opportunity to stare up at the hypnotizing stars and began to
contemplate how much her life had changed in the last few months.
Fortunately, she heard soft footsteps coming up the stair before she had a
chance to think too much.
"Hey." She heard Clark say as she sat down next to her.
"Hey." She replied.
"This came in the mail today, it's for you." He said handing her a plain white envelope. The site alone made every muscle in her body tense. Clark noticed this and began to worry. "Are you ok?" he asked seeing her tense up.
Slowly she turned it over and saw the return address, relief flooded over her. "Yea, I'm fine."
"Who's it from?" he asked.
"Dean, my ex-boyfriend." She said as she stared at it for a few minutes before opening it. Slowly she read the contents:
Rory,
Hey how's it going. So your probably wondering how I got your address, why I'm writing and why I didn't just call. And if you wait and keep reading I'll explain everything. First off, I called your house and your mom told me you were there. She also gave me the address. I 'm writing because I have to tell you something and it's easier to write than tell you over the phone.
Ok, so this is really hard to tell you. I've already re-written this letter four times and it still isn't getting any easier. But here goes. I know that when I moved here we broke-up because it would have been to hard too keep together with me in Seattle and you in Connecticut. And when we did break-up I didn't expect to meet anyone else. But I did. I met a girl when I started school here. Her name is Hanna. When we met we started out as friends, she was helping me fit in and catch up in class. But then somehow we wound up on a date. And, well, we've been together for a week.
I know that I shouldn't feel bad about being with her, but for some reason I felt I had to tell you. I still love you. I never meant for this to happen. I hope you can move on to someone who deserves you more than me.
1 Love Always
1.1 Dean
Rory finished the letter, folded it up and sat quietly. "What did he say?" Clark asked.
"Um, he met someone." She said much more calmly than she expected.
"Is that bad or good?" Clark asked, "I mean I don't know how or why you split and so I just…" he babbled.
"It's ok, I understand." She said seeing how unsure Clark was. "His dad had to move them to Seattle for his job. When he left we agreed it was best if we split up."
"Oh." Was all Clark could say.
"He was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. But the strange thing is that it doesn't upset me that he's moved on." She tried to explain. "Somehow I feel like I should be upset but I'm not. And now I feel like I'm betraying him for not being mad." She said frustrated.
"I understand what you mean." He said thinking back to the same feelings he'd been wrangling with earlier between liking her and feeling bad for being over Lana. "But Rory, you should feel like you're betraying him. He moved on first. He was the one who wrote you to tell you he had a new girlfriend. You have every right to do the same. You deserve to be happy." He tried to comfort her.
"You're right." She agreed. "It's just weird because I am over him." The two sat there quietly after that. But I wasn't an awkward silence. Both felt there was nothing left to say.
After what seemed like forever Clark finally spoke "I don't know if this is the right time to ask this, but when I came up here it was to ask you a question. I only brought the letter cause mom asked me to find you and give it to you." Clark said uncertainly. "Anyway, there's the tradition at school. Every year we have a dance on the last day of school. And well, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me." He asked quickly, never looking up from his hands. Rory was so surprised that for a moment she couldn't formulate an intelligent thought. "You don't have to, I just…" Clark began but was interrupted.
"I'd love to." She finally said. "But you don't have to take me. I mean, just because I'm staying with, cause I don't want to make anyone mad."
"I didn't ask because I thought I had to, I asked because I wanted to, and who would possible be mad?" Clark asked.
"Chloe." Rory said quietly
"Chloe and I are just friends." He explained.
"Ok." She said seeing that it was a bad topic. "You really want to go with me?" she asked smiling."
"Yea." Clark said smiling back. "If you want go with me that is."
Rory just smiled and said "More than anything." She then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. As she did they heard Martha call from the house.
"Rory, your mom's on the phone."
"I better go talk to her. Oh Jeez! I've got to figure out what I'm going to where." She said jumping up.
"It's still a week away." Clark laughed.
"Yea, but I didn't bring any dresses." She said as she headed back to the house.
Clark just watched and laughed. Then something caught his eye outside. Looking over he saw that it came from Lana's house. She had just walked out her door and was headed his way. He watched her from his place. After a few minutes she had made her way to the barn.
"Clark?" she called.
"Hey." She heard Clark say as she sat down next to her.
"Hey." She replied.
"This came in the mail today, it's for you." He said handing her a plain white envelope. The site alone made every muscle in her body tense. Clark noticed this and began to worry. "Are you ok?" he asked seeing her tense up.
Slowly she turned it over and saw the return address, relief flooded over her. "Yea, I'm fine."
"Who's it from?" he asked.
"Dean, my ex-boyfriend." She said as she stared at it for a few minutes before opening it. Slowly she read the contents:
Rory,
Hey how's it going. So your probably wondering how I got your address, why I'm writing and why I didn't just call. And if you wait and keep reading I'll explain everything. First off, I called your house and your mom told me you were there. She also gave me the address. I 'm writing because I have to tell you something and it's easier to write than tell you over the phone.
Ok, so this is really hard to tell you. I've already re-written this letter four times and it still isn't getting any easier. But here goes. I know that when I moved here we broke-up because it would have been to hard too keep together with me in Seattle and you in Connecticut. And when we did break-up I didn't expect to meet anyone else. But I did. I met a girl when I started school here. Her name is Hanna. When we met we started out as friends, she was helping me fit in and catch up in class. But then somehow we wound up on a date. And, well, we've been together for a week.
I know that I shouldn't feel bad about being with her, but for some reason I felt I had to tell you. I still love you. I never meant for this to happen. I hope you can move on to someone who deserves you more than me.
1 Love Always
1.1 Dean
Rory finished the letter, folded it up and sat quietly. "What did he say?" Clark asked.
"Um, he met someone." She said much more calmly than she expected.
"Is that bad or good?" Clark asked, "I mean I don't know how or why you split and so I just…" he babbled.
"It's ok, I understand." She said seeing how unsure Clark was. "His dad had to move them to Seattle for his job. When he left we agreed it was best if we split up."
"Oh." Was all Clark could say.
"He was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. But the strange thing is that it doesn't upset me that he's moved on." She tried to explain. "Somehow I feel like I should be upset but I'm not. And now I feel like I'm betraying him for not being mad." She said frustrated.
"I understand what you mean." He said thinking back to the same feelings he'd been wrangling with earlier between liking her and feeling bad for being over Lana. "But Rory, you should feel like you're betraying him. He moved on first. He was the one who wrote you to tell you he had a new girlfriend. You have every right to do the same. You deserve to be happy." He tried to comfort her.
"You're right." She agreed. "It's just weird because I am over him." The two sat there quietly after that. But I wasn't an awkward silence. Both felt there was nothing left to say.
After what seemed like forever Clark finally spoke "I don't know if this is the right time to ask this, but when I came up here it was to ask you a question. I only brought the letter cause mom asked me to find you and give it to you." Clark said uncertainly. "Anyway, there's the tradition at school. Every year we have a dance on the last day of school. And well, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me." He asked quickly, never looking up from his hands. Rory was so surprised that for a moment she couldn't formulate an intelligent thought. "You don't have to, I just…" Clark began but was interrupted.
"I'd love to." She finally said. "But you don't have to take me. I mean, just because I'm staying with, cause I don't want to make anyone mad."
"I didn't ask because I thought I had to, I asked because I wanted to, and who would possible be mad?" Clark asked.
"Chloe." Rory said quietly
"Chloe and I are just friends." He explained.
"Ok." She said seeing that it was a bad topic. "You really want to go with me?" she asked smiling."
"Yea." Clark said smiling back. "If you want go with me that is."
Rory just smiled and said "More than anything." She then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. As she did they heard Martha call from the house.
"Rory, your mom's on the phone."
"I better go talk to her. Oh Jeez! I've got to figure out what I'm going to where." She said jumping up.
"It's still a week away." Clark laughed.
"Yea, but I didn't bring any dresses." She said as she headed back to the house.
Clark just watched and laughed. Then something caught his eye outside. Looking over he saw that it came from Lana's house. She had just walked out her door and was headed his way. He watched her from his place. After a few minutes she had made her way to the barn.
"Clark?" she called.
