Author's Notes:
Sorry this is so short, but I got stuck in terms of where I wanted this to go, and I wanted to get another chapter up before the next millennium. Thank you Aimee, for your ever-valuable comments and suggestions.
Chapter Six
Lorelai drove her to the shuttle in Hartford on Sunday afternoon. Rory had protested that she didn't have to, and that she could catch the bus from Stars Hollow and transfer at the bus station. But Lorelai insisted, and Rory was secretly glad. It had been a long, enjoyable weekend, but another week of Yale and Jackie and loneliness stretched out before her. She wasn't in any hurry to get back.
All too soon the drive to Hartford was over, and Rory found herself back on the bus, waiting to return to a place she didn't want to go back to. It was only five days to get through, she reminded herself. Five more days till Friday, when the bus would be taking her back home again. She could do this. She had graduated first in her class at Chilton, and been accepted at three Ivy League colleges, and she'd waited three years for that. Five days would be nothing. Nothing at all.
One final passenger leapt on board just before the bus rumbled to life. Rory glanced up briefly from her book, and her heart leapt to see Dean's tall figure striding down the aisle toward her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She shot him a brilliant smile and removed her backpack from the seat next to her. Dean was getting closer, he smiled back.
.and sat down across the aisle from her, next to a pretty blonde girl.
Of course, Rory thought, her cheeks flushed. Lindsay.
"Hi, Rory," Dean greeted her. "How was your weekend?"
Rory gave him another smile, but this one took much more effort. "It was great," she answered, trying to sound cheerful. "Hi, Lindsay."
Lindsay gave her the briefest of smiles. "Hi."
Nice to see you too, Rory thought to herself. But then again, why should Lindsay be happy to see her boyfriend's ex? Her fiance's ex, even. Dean and Lindsay had been engaged for almost four months, and she still forgot that little fact.
"I didn't know you were going to school in New Haven, Lindsay," Rory commented, making another stab at conversation. "I thought you were going to Boston College."
"Lindsay's going to NYU," Dean answered. "On full scholarship, too." He smiled proudly at his girlfriend-fiancée-and Rory had to turn away so that Lindsay wouldn't see the jealousy written on her face. She remembered all too well how it felt to have Dean look at her like that, and to have his arm draped around her shoulders. It was her fault, Rory reminded herself. Only her fault that she'd lost that.
"Wow, that's great," Rory exclaimed, sounding much more enthusiastic than she really felt. "Congratulations, Lindsay."
"Thanks, Rory," Lindsay said briefly. She rested her head on Dean's shoulder, and laced her fingers through his.
"Well, I've got a lot of studying to do," Rory lied, unable to stand the situation a moment longer. "I've got to get this book read by tomorrow. We're having a quiz." It wasn't true, but Dean and Lindsay didn't know that.
"All right," Dean agreed. He turned back to Lindsay almost immediately.
Rory opened her book and read for the rest of the way back to New Haven.
Sorry this is so short, but I got stuck in terms of where I wanted this to go, and I wanted to get another chapter up before the next millennium. Thank you Aimee, for your ever-valuable comments and suggestions.
Chapter Six
Lorelai drove her to the shuttle in Hartford on Sunday afternoon. Rory had protested that she didn't have to, and that she could catch the bus from Stars Hollow and transfer at the bus station. But Lorelai insisted, and Rory was secretly glad. It had been a long, enjoyable weekend, but another week of Yale and Jackie and loneliness stretched out before her. She wasn't in any hurry to get back.
All too soon the drive to Hartford was over, and Rory found herself back on the bus, waiting to return to a place she didn't want to go back to. It was only five days to get through, she reminded herself. Five more days till Friday, when the bus would be taking her back home again. She could do this. She had graduated first in her class at Chilton, and been accepted at three Ivy League colleges, and she'd waited three years for that. Five days would be nothing. Nothing at all.
One final passenger leapt on board just before the bus rumbled to life. Rory glanced up briefly from her book, and her heart leapt to see Dean's tall figure striding down the aisle toward her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She shot him a brilliant smile and removed her backpack from the seat next to her. Dean was getting closer, he smiled back.
.and sat down across the aisle from her, next to a pretty blonde girl.
Of course, Rory thought, her cheeks flushed. Lindsay.
"Hi, Rory," Dean greeted her. "How was your weekend?"
Rory gave him another smile, but this one took much more effort. "It was great," she answered, trying to sound cheerful. "Hi, Lindsay."
Lindsay gave her the briefest of smiles. "Hi."
Nice to see you too, Rory thought to herself. But then again, why should Lindsay be happy to see her boyfriend's ex? Her fiance's ex, even. Dean and Lindsay had been engaged for almost four months, and she still forgot that little fact.
"I didn't know you were going to school in New Haven, Lindsay," Rory commented, making another stab at conversation. "I thought you were going to Boston College."
"Lindsay's going to NYU," Dean answered. "On full scholarship, too." He smiled proudly at his girlfriend-fiancée-and Rory had to turn away so that Lindsay wouldn't see the jealousy written on her face. She remembered all too well how it felt to have Dean look at her like that, and to have his arm draped around her shoulders. It was her fault, Rory reminded herself. Only her fault that she'd lost that.
"Wow, that's great," Rory exclaimed, sounding much more enthusiastic than she really felt. "Congratulations, Lindsay."
"Thanks, Rory," Lindsay said briefly. She rested her head on Dean's shoulder, and laced her fingers through his.
"Well, I've got a lot of studying to do," Rory lied, unable to stand the situation a moment longer. "I've got to get this book read by tomorrow. We're having a quiz." It wasn't true, but Dean and Lindsay didn't know that.
"All right," Dean agreed. He turned back to Lindsay almost immediately.
Rory opened her book and read for the rest of the way back to New Haven.