"Come on you stupid, inanimate excuse for a storage space! I have been so
generous to you this year; I've opened you gently, except for that one time
when I kicked you and that was only because you were being difficult like
you're being right now. Besides, I've apologized for that. I've made you
pretty with all my pictures of literary authors, and they don't seem to
have a problem with you, so why won't you open?" Rory Gilmore's chocolate
brown hair flew in front of her face as she fought with her locker, pulling
the handle with all the energy she could muster. Finally, with an
exasperated sigh, and a menacing glare, she kicked it.
".Sorry," she mumbled as she leaned against the long row of lockers, crossing her arms.
"You know Mary, as much as you may wish, it's not going to answer you back."
Rory squeezed her eyes tightly, and mumbled "Not now, not now, not now.", hoping that if she said it enough times, he would go away. No such luck. "You know, I haven't seen you all day, and now, I see you talking to your locker? Did you miss me that much that you had to resort to talking to inanimate objects? All you had to do was say 'Hi, Tristan', and you would not be in this predicament."
"For your information, Tristan, my locker is stuck and I can't get it open, and I'm going to be late for English. You're cocky attitude is not going to open Leonard, and you know what? If he won't open for me, he's not going to open for you, because I'm a nice person, and all you do is annoy people with your smug looks and your spiked hair." she ranted, frustrated with the whole situation.
Tristan chuckled to himself, walked over to her locker with his "look-at-me- I'm-a-big-tough-man" stride, and hit the locker once with his elbow. It opened with ease, and he smirked in Rory's direction. "See? All Leonard needed was a little smack to smarten him up and show him who's boss."
Rory rolled her eyes, and grabbed her books. "Yeah, well now that I know the trick to opening Leonard when he's stuck, I probably won't be needing your assistance in that area anymore."
"What, not even a thank-you? Or was that a thank-you in your weird Rory Gilmore way?" Tristan moved his glance from her hands that were gathering her books, and watched her face as her eyebrows drew together in frustration. "Could anything get better today?" She asked, more to herself, clearly in a bad mood.
"Wow Mary, wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"
"Not by choice, Tristan. I think God pulled my name out of a hat today and said 'Hmmm, Rory Gilmore? Let's give her the worst day of her life.'" Closing her eyes momentarily, she breathed deeply, trying to forget about her text book that was lodged underneath her science project. She was usually so organized, but of course she wasn't today. Today started off terrible; she woke up a half an hour later than she intended, there was no coffee in the house and she didn't have time to run into Luke's to grab a to-go cup. She almost missed her bus, and when she was halfway to Chilton, she realized that she had left her Philosophy paper sitting on the counter. Her mom, Lorelai, who was busy attending to a problem at the Inn, couldn't drop it off to her, although she did tell her to flash the teacher to get her out of trouble. "But mom," she'd said while running her hand through her hair trying to calm herself down, "I don't think Mrs. McCollum would appreciate that too much."
"Mary? Earth to Mary," Tristan taunted, leaning over her body to grab the trapped book. He did so with ease, making it look simple. Rory groaned and snatched the book from his hand. "For the last time, Tristan, my name is Rory. R-o-r-y." As the bell sounded, she turned, and slammed her locker shut before she started racing to her next class. Turning her body slightly, in an awkward position, her book bag heavy on her back, she yelled "Oh yeah, thanks!"
Tristan shook his head slightly, amused. He didn't know what it was about her, but she intrigued him. At first, she was just a contest to him; a game. But now, he wanted to get to know the strange Lorelai Gilmore. Whenever he was around her, he couldn't help but tease her, she just made it so easy. He grinned, and thought 'Someday, Mary, we'll be friends. And then from there, who knows?' He ran his hand down her locker lightly before turning towards the direction of second period class.
* * * * *
"..And then he picked up the book from the bottom of my locker, and handed it to me."
"No!" Lorelai gasped, her hand over her mouth. "He didn't politely take your book that was jammed under your insanely perfect science project, and hand it to you? Man, that boy is trouble with a capitol T! How many times have I told you not to accept gestures of kindness from anyone?"
Rory sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Mom, you have no idea. He was doing it to irritate me. It was like he was saying 'Ha-ha, I'm an annoying guy and I can pick up this book that you couldn't, and I'm going it just to spite you.' And he had this irritating smirk on his face the whole time. It was so infuriating."
"He likes you," Lorelai said with a small smile.
"No he doesn't. He lives his life to make me miserable. He does nothing but torment me all day, and when he does say something decent, which isn't very often, he covers it up with another stupid comment." Rory took a long sip of coffee, trying to calm herself down. She didn't know what it was about him that made her get so out of control. Usually she just brushed off comments like that because she didn't care what other people thought of her.
"He likes you," she said again, this time her smile getting bigger. "And I think you like him, too. Hon, usually you don't get this kind of stuff get to you. You're bigger than that. You say 'I am Rory, hear me roar.'"
"Okay, first of all, you're crazy---."
"Thank you."
"Second of all, I do not like Tristan. Never in a million years would I like Tristan." Rory said, a determined look on her face, and for emphasis, she added, "Never."
"Rory likes Tristan, Rory likes Tristan." Lorelai chanted as Luke walked over to their table, coffee pot in hand. "Rory likes.oh! Coffee! I like coffee!"
Luke grunted. "This is your last cup."
Lorelai batted her lashes up at him. "Oh Luke, you're so pretty. I love you so much, and because I said all that, you're going to give me all the coffee. If you understand what I'm saying, reply 'Yes Lorelai, I will give you all the coffee you could ever dream of.'"
Rory and Luke rolled their eyes. "Dream on," was his gruff reply before walking behind the counter. Lorelai took a deep breath, and continued, "Where was I? Oh yes, Rory likes Tristan, Rory likes Tristan."
"Mom, stop!"
"Why? You and Dean aren't together anymore, that means you're an eligible bachelorette! Get your groove on! Oh, but not like Stella, that was just sad."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't like Tristan. I never will. Drop it." Rory absently looked into her coffee cup, a sigh escaping past her lips.
"Okay, lovely daughter of mine, I'll drop it for now. But we'll see. We'll see."
"Yes. I'll stop thinking you're crazy for now, but we'll see. We'll see," she mimicked. She finished off the last of her coffee, and put her jacket on. "I'm going home to study, I'll see you later."
"Bye! Oh, Rory and Tristan, up a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g." Rory slammed the door shut, the bell ringing loudly. On her walk home, she could hear only Lorelai's voice in her head, singing corny love songs about her and Bible Boy.
".Sorry," she mumbled as she leaned against the long row of lockers, crossing her arms.
"You know Mary, as much as you may wish, it's not going to answer you back."
Rory squeezed her eyes tightly, and mumbled "Not now, not now, not now.", hoping that if she said it enough times, he would go away. No such luck. "You know, I haven't seen you all day, and now, I see you talking to your locker? Did you miss me that much that you had to resort to talking to inanimate objects? All you had to do was say 'Hi, Tristan', and you would not be in this predicament."
"For your information, Tristan, my locker is stuck and I can't get it open, and I'm going to be late for English. You're cocky attitude is not going to open Leonard, and you know what? If he won't open for me, he's not going to open for you, because I'm a nice person, and all you do is annoy people with your smug looks and your spiked hair." she ranted, frustrated with the whole situation.
Tristan chuckled to himself, walked over to her locker with his "look-at-me- I'm-a-big-tough-man" stride, and hit the locker once with his elbow. It opened with ease, and he smirked in Rory's direction. "See? All Leonard needed was a little smack to smarten him up and show him who's boss."
Rory rolled her eyes, and grabbed her books. "Yeah, well now that I know the trick to opening Leonard when he's stuck, I probably won't be needing your assistance in that area anymore."
"What, not even a thank-you? Or was that a thank-you in your weird Rory Gilmore way?" Tristan moved his glance from her hands that were gathering her books, and watched her face as her eyebrows drew together in frustration. "Could anything get better today?" She asked, more to herself, clearly in a bad mood.
"Wow Mary, wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"
"Not by choice, Tristan. I think God pulled my name out of a hat today and said 'Hmmm, Rory Gilmore? Let's give her the worst day of her life.'" Closing her eyes momentarily, she breathed deeply, trying to forget about her text book that was lodged underneath her science project. She was usually so organized, but of course she wasn't today. Today started off terrible; she woke up a half an hour later than she intended, there was no coffee in the house and she didn't have time to run into Luke's to grab a to-go cup. She almost missed her bus, and when she was halfway to Chilton, she realized that she had left her Philosophy paper sitting on the counter. Her mom, Lorelai, who was busy attending to a problem at the Inn, couldn't drop it off to her, although she did tell her to flash the teacher to get her out of trouble. "But mom," she'd said while running her hand through her hair trying to calm herself down, "I don't think Mrs. McCollum would appreciate that too much."
"Mary? Earth to Mary," Tristan taunted, leaning over her body to grab the trapped book. He did so with ease, making it look simple. Rory groaned and snatched the book from his hand. "For the last time, Tristan, my name is Rory. R-o-r-y." As the bell sounded, she turned, and slammed her locker shut before she started racing to her next class. Turning her body slightly, in an awkward position, her book bag heavy on her back, she yelled "Oh yeah, thanks!"
Tristan shook his head slightly, amused. He didn't know what it was about her, but she intrigued him. At first, she was just a contest to him; a game. But now, he wanted to get to know the strange Lorelai Gilmore. Whenever he was around her, he couldn't help but tease her, she just made it so easy. He grinned, and thought 'Someday, Mary, we'll be friends. And then from there, who knows?' He ran his hand down her locker lightly before turning towards the direction of second period class.
* * * * *
"..And then he picked up the book from the bottom of my locker, and handed it to me."
"No!" Lorelai gasped, her hand over her mouth. "He didn't politely take your book that was jammed under your insanely perfect science project, and hand it to you? Man, that boy is trouble with a capitol T! How many times have I told you not to accept gestures of kindness from anyone?"
Rory sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Mom, you have no idea. He was doing it to irritate me. It was like he was saying 'Ha-ha, I'm an annoying guy and I can pick up this book that you couldn't, and I'm going it just to spite you.' And he had this irritating smirk on his face the whole time. It was so infuriating."
"He likes you," Lorelai said with a small smile.
"No he doesn't. He lives his life to make me miserable. He does nothing but torment me all day, and when he does say something decent, which isn't very often, he covers it up with another stupid comment." Rory took a long sip of coffee, trying to calm herself down. She didn't know what it was about him that made her get so out of control. Usually she just brushed off comments like that because she didn't care what other people thought of her.
"He likes you," she said again, this time her smile getting bigger. "And I think you like him, too. Hon, usually you don't get this kind of stuff get to you. You're bigger than that. You say 'I am Rory, hear me roar.'"
"Okay, first of all, you're crazy---."
"Thank you."
"Second of all, I do not like Tristan. Never in a million years would I like Tristan." Rory said, a determined look on her face, and for emphasis, she added, "Never."
"Rory likes Tristan, Rory likes Tristan." Lorelai chanted as Luke walked over to their table, coffee pot in hand. "Rory likes.oh! Coffee! I like coffee!"
Luke grunted. "This is your last cup."
Lorelai batted her lashes up at him. "Oh Luke, you're so pretty. I love you so much, and because I said all that, you're going to give me all the coffee. If you understand what I'm saying, reply 'Yes Lorelai, I will give you all the coffee you could ever dream of.'"
Rory and Luke rolled their eyes. "Dream on," was his gruff reply before walking behind the counter. Lorelai took a deep breath, and continued, "Where was I? Oh yes, Rory likes Tristan, Rory likes Tristan."
"Mom, stop!"
"Why? You and Dean aren't together anymore, that means you're an eligible bachelorette! Get your groove on! Oh, but not like Stella, that was just sad."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't like Tristan. I never will. Drop it." Rory absently looked into her coffee cup, a sigh escaping past her lips.
"Okay, lovely daughter of mine, I'll drop it for now. But we'll see. We'll see."
"Yes. I'll stop thinking you're crazy for now, but we'll see. We'll see," she mimicked. She finished off the last of her coffee, and put her jacket on. "I'm going home to study, I'll see you later."
"Bye! Oh, Rory and Tristan, up a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g." Rory slammed the door shut, the bell ringing loudly. On her walk home, she could hear only Lorelai's voice in her head, singing corny love songs about her and Bible Boy.
