Fears ~ Chapter 2 ~ The Party
Rory stood up sipping her champagne. The sour taste burning her throat, she winced in disgust. She had just begun drinking in social environments. The taste she loathed, the effect she loved. She loved how her nerves eased, how she talked more, and loosened up.
"Rory dear!" An annoyingly high voice interrupted her thoughts. "How nice to see you." Mrs. Walter shouted as she walked over. "You're looking lovely tonight."
"Thank you." Rory smiled lightly feeling self-conscious again. She had worn something more daring and revealing then she ever normally would. Her hair was up in a bun, with some pieces falling around her face in light curls.
Mrs. Walter kept on talking while Rory wasn't listening. She was concentrating on the painting behind her so that it would look as if she was paying attention. Her eyes took in every detail. The fine strokes, exquisite color, and visible texture. Rory wanted to reach out and step into the picture of the Spanish Steps. She wanted to be the women dancing with the man in the picture. The one gazing into his eyes as if in love. Yearning to be the one he was looking at like the mysterious women in the painting. She shook her head free of all silly thoughts and gave her full attention to the person whom was known as the most annoying women alive.
"Why, if it isn't Naomi! I must go over and say hello. I'll see you later darling." And with a flick of her wrist she waltzed away to torment someone else.
Rory sighed in relief that she was gone. Raising her glass to meet her lips, Rory glanced around the room. Searching through all the fake smiles and cheers to find her mother. She had been dragged away by her own mother for being immature. Failing, Rory scanned the room once more and froze in shock at whom she saw. Her blue eyes wide in shock met another pair of blue eyes. She remembered those eyes, his hair too.blonde and tousled, like always.
"Tristan." she whispered slowly remembering him. She was greeted with more bad then good memories, but the good memories were wonderful. They made the bad ones worth the pain, they way he could match her in intelligence and wit, and how he made her smile. Until.the PJ Harvey concert.
Rory frowned at that one memory but kept on staring at him, as did he. His eyes revealing nothing, but making her feel exposed. As if he could see within her, into parts she herself couldn't see, his gaze made her flush crimson, red. She blinked and he was gone.
~*~*~*~*~
It had been thirty-seven minutes since she had last seen him. Who was counting though? Rory certainly wasn't.
She halted a waiter, putting her glass down on the tray. Once more her gaze fell on her watch. She tried convincing herself it was only to see how long her mother had been gone for.
She decided to take a breath of fresh air and started making her way to the balcony. Walk through the hordes of people that had gathered she twisted and turned inbetween people when needed. Sometimes being stopped by former classmates and people introduced to her by her grandmother and introduced less formally by her mother.
****
"Rory I'd like you to meet Charlotte Watts." Her grandmother had said at a previous party.
"Nice to meet you" She had replied while her mother indiscreetly whispered in her ear,
"Her last name may be Watts, but she's not too bright."
****
Just as she was about to reach the balcony a glass appeared in front of her face, and it disappeared just as quickly. Not turning around for the fear of smacking into someone else's chest. The mysterious person was close. Rory could feel the heat radiating off of a body behind her. The scent of Polo Sport wafted through the air. The person behind her was defiantly male.
He stepped back giving her enough room to turn around. Slowly turning on her heel she anticipated meeting the person behind her. It was who she feared it was.Tristan.
"A toast" Tristan simply stated raising a glass and handing her another.
"A toast? To what?"
"Us."
"Us?"
"Yes. If not us then at least our previous friendship?"
"Can't we be friends now?"
"After I treated you like I did you would still consider being friends with me?" He answered surprise evident in his voice.
"But of course" She drawled smiling.
"Ok," he said matching her smile. "To our re-instated friendship." He raised his glass once more, this time her glass met his creating a light *Tink* as the expensive crystal glasses met.
After taking a sip Rory began questioning him. "How have you been?"
"Fine." He replied simply.
Rory frowned slightly as she shifted her weight to her other foot, wringing her wrist. Uncomfortable would defiantly sum up how she felt. There was something a-miss with him. He seemed more awry, tired, depressed then the Tristan she knew.and his didn't have the same energetic spark. All she wished for then was to fall back onto familiar territory with him. The territory being their bickering and bantering. After he had left no one could match her in wit except her mother, that is where she had gotten her biting wit after all. One person had come close to them in wit, and that person was Jess. They had broken up in the middle of her senior year. It was mutual and naturally they stayed good friends after. He met his present girlfriend through Rory. Rory smiled remembering Paris and Jess together.
Coming back to reality Rory started frowning again because of the awkward silence that hung in the air.
"How was military school?" She tried talking to him again.
"It was." His response was met with a frown. Berating himself for being bitter towards her he continued. After all it wasn't her fault he couldn't date a girl for more then one week without remembering her. The one who got away...
"Military school was better then this place. I met real people who cared nothing about my status or last name. Unlike this place," He waved his hand gesturing around them. "All these fake smiles and cheerfulness." He echoed her earlier thoughts.
She grinned at that. "I missed you." She said impulsively surprising even herself.
Shocked at the sincerity in her voice he stared at her, mouth agape. Quickly recovering he smirked. "Missed me and my body? I knew you would Mare." He said confidently with a wink, shine returning to his eyes.
"My name is RORY! R-O-R-Y!" She scoffed exasperated but still smiled," I also said nothing about missing your body," she paused letting her eyes skim over his body. "It's not much anyway." Rory finished with a straight face, looking him directly in the eyes.
Tristan swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed when Rory Gilmore, the shy bookworm, checked him out. "You don't have to deny it Rory. Everyone knows you want to pull me out onto that balcony and have your way with me. You don't have to resist the temptation you know."
Rory nearly choked on her drink when Tristan made the comment about the balcony. When she knew she wasn't going to die from choking to death she burst out laughing, leaving a bewildered Tristan to stare at her.
"Care to enlighten me as to why you're laughing so hard that people are staring?"
It took Rory a while to finally calm down. She slowly stood up straight and fixed her dress that had gone awry during her laughing fit. "It's just." Rory took a deep breath trying to calm down. "I was conceived on a balcony."
"What?" Tristan laughed slightly out of confusion and slightly because of the irony.
"My mother and father they." She began laughing again unable to finish her sentence, Tristan joined in this time.
Once their laughter had ceased they found themselves staring at each other.
"Tristan, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" a voice interrupted their moment.
Rory slightly jumped at the new voice. Now blushing she looked at the source of the voice. She saw a man about her age standing there; He was very handsome, auburn curled hair, and laughing brown eyes.
"I'm Devin." He introduced himself putting his hand out.
"Lorelai, Lorelai Gilmore." She said taking his hand and shaking it. His grip was perfect. Nice and strong. She inwardly rolled her eyes as she remembered what her mother had said about men and their grip "The better the grip the better the guy."
"Rory this is my cousin Devin." Tristan spoke grimly frowning.
"Rory? I thought your name was Lorelai?
"Oh, it was! Is I mean. Rory is a nickname. You can call me that if you want. I've become accustomed to introducing myself as Lorelai in school and such, that's all. But Lorelai or Rory is fine." She rambled not wanting to seem rude.
"It's fine. Lorelai sounds beautiful.like you." She blushed while Tristan rolled his eyes at what he thought to be the most commonly used, unoriginal pick-up line known to man.
"Lorelai Gilmore, may I have this dance?" Devin asked giving her one of his charming smiles, which could send a thousand females swooning.
Completely forgetting about Tristan Rory started to answer yes but was interrupted.
"Rory! Oh my god thank god I found you! Your grandmother is just terribly horrid!" Lorelai finished in a posh tone ignoring her company. "You don't think I was being immature when I told those people I was dying. I mean I did it for kicks. No harm really down right? Most of these people could use a good prank." Lorelai finished an evil glint in her eyes and a smirk starting to form on her lips.
"Mom." Rory warned.
Ignoring Rory, Lorelai finally paid attention to the two young men greeting them. "Hi, I'm Rory's mom, Lorelai." Devin raised his eyebrows at this but remained quiet. "I'm sorry we have to go! Bye." Lorelai finished grabbing Rory's arm, trying to drag her away. Rory stood rooted to her spot. "Come on, QUICK! Before we're forced to stay. I even got Luke to start the car so we can make a quick getaway." Lorelai tugged on her arm again. Rory finally budged.
"My grandmother knows how to contact me, talk to her." She said over her shoulder and then allowed herself to be pulled away leaving both boys wondering who the message was for.
Rory stood up sipping her champagne. The sour taste burning her throat, she winced in disgust. She had just begun drinking in social environments. The taste she loathed, the effect she loved. She loved how her nerves eased, how she talked more, and loosened up.
"Rory dear!" An annoyingly high voice interrupted her thoughts. "How nice to see you." Mrs. Walter shouted as she walked over. "You're looking lovely tonight."
"Thank you." Rory smiled lightly feeling self-conscious again. She had worn something more daring and revealing then she ever normally would. Her hair was up in a bun, with some pieces falling around her face in light curls.
Mrs. Walter kept on talking while Rory wasn't listening. She was concentrating on the painting behind her so that it would look as if she was paying attention. Her eyes took in every detail. The fine strokes, exquisite color, and visible texture. Rory wanted to reach out and step into the picture of the Spanish Steps. She wanted to be the women dancing with the man in the picture. The one gazing into his eyes as if in love. Yearning to be the one he was looking at like the mysterious women in the painting. She shook her head free of all silly thoughts and gave her full attention to the person whom was known as the most annoying women alive.
"Why, if it isn't Naomi! I must go over and say hello. I'll see you later darling." And with a flick of her wrist she waltzed away to torment someone else.
Rory sighed in relief that she was gone. Raising her glass to meet her lips, Rory glanced around the room. Searching through all the fake smiles and cheers to find her mother. She had been dragged away by her own mother for being immature. Failing, Rory scanned the room once more and froze in shock at whom she saw. Her blue eyes wide in shock met another pair of blue eyes. She remembered those eyes, his hair too.blonde and tousled, like always.
"Tristan." she whispered slowly remembering him. She was greeted with more bad then good memories, but the good memories were wonderful. They made the bad ones worth the pain, they way he could match her in intelligence and wit, and how he made her smile. Until.the PJ Harvey concert.
Rory frowned at that one memory but kept on staring at him, as did he. His eyes revealing nothing, but making her feel exposed. As if he could see within her, into parts she herself couldn't see, his gaze made her flush crimson, red. She blinked and he was gone.
~*~*~*~*~
It had been thirty-seven minutes since she had last seen him. Who was counting though? Rory certainly wasn't.
She halted a waiter, putting her glass down on the tray. Once more her gaze fell on her watch. She tried convincing herself it was only to see how long her mother had been gone for.
She decided to take a breath of fresh air and started making her way to the balcony. Walk through the hordes of people that had gathered she twisted and turned inbetween people when needed. Sometimes being stopped by former classmates and people introduced to her by her grandmother and introduced less formally by her mother.
****
"Rory I'd like you to meet Charlotte Watts." Her grandmother had said at a previous party.
"Nice to meet you" She had replied while her mother indiscreetly whispered in her ear,
"Her last name may be Watts, but she's not too bright."
****
Just as she was about to reach the balcony a glass appeared in front of her face, and it disappeared just as quickly. Not turning around for the fear of smacking into someone else's chest. The mysterious person was close. Rory could feel the heat radiating off of a body behind her. The scent of Polo Sport wafted through the air. The person behind her was defiantly male.
He stepped back giving her enough room to turn around. Slowly turning on her heel she anticipated meeting the person behind her. It was who she feared it was.Tristan.
"A toast" Tristan simply stated raising a glass and handing her another.
"A toast? To what?"
"Us."
"Us?"
"Yes. If not us then at least our previous friendship?"
"Can't we be friends now?"
"After I treated you like I did you would still consider being friends with me?" He answered surprise evident in his voice.
"But of course" She drawled smiling.
"Ok," he said matching her smile. "To our re-instated friendship." He raised his glass once more, this time her glass met his creating a light *Tink* as the expensive crystal glasses met.
After taking a sip Rory began questioning him. "How have you been?"
"Fine." He replied simply.
Rory frowned slightly as she shifted her weight to her other foot, wringing her wrist. Uncomfortable would defiantly sum up how she felt. There was something a-miss with him. He seemed more awry, tired, depressed then the Tristan she knew.and his didn't have the same energetic spark. All she wished for then was to fall back onto familiar territory with him. The territory being their bickering and bantering. After he had left no one could match her in wit except her mother, that is where she had gotten her biting wit after all. One person had come close to them in wit, and that person was Jess. They had broken up in the middle of her senior year. It was mutual and naturally they stayed good friends after. He met his present girlfriend through Rory. Rory smiled remembering Paris and Jess together.
Coming back to reality Rory started frowning again because of the awkward silence that hung in the air.
"How was military school?" She tried talking to him again.
"It was." His response was met with a frown. Berating himself for being bitter towards her he continued. After all it wasn't her fault he couldn't date a girl for more then one week without remembering her. The one who got away...
"Military school was better then this place. I met real people who cared nothing about my status or last name. Unlike this place," He waved his hand gesturing around them. "All these fake smiles and cheerfulness." He echoed her earlier thoughts.
She grinned at that. "I missed you." She said impulsively surprising even herself.
Shocked at the sincerity in her voice he stared at her, mouth agape. Quickly recovering he smirked. "Missed me and my body? I knew you would Mare." He said confidently with a wink, shine returning to his eyes.
"My name is RORY! R-O-R-Y!" She scoffed exasperated but still smiled," I also said nothing about missing your body," she paused letting her eyes skim over his body. "It's not much anyway." Rory finished with a straight face, looking him directly in the eyes.
Tristan swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed when Rory Gilmore, the shy bookworm, checked him out. "You don't have to deny it Rory. Everyone knows you want to pull me out onto that balcony and have your way with me. You don't have to resist the temptation you know."
Rory nearly choked on her drink when Tristan made the comment about the balcony. When she knew she wasn't going to die from choking to death she burst out laughing, leaving a bewildered Tristan to stare at her.
"Care to enlighten me as to why you're laughing so hard that people are staring?"
It took Rory a while to finally calm down. She slowly stood up straight and fixed her dress that had gone awry during her laughing fit. "It's just." Rory took a deep breath trying to calm down. "I was conceived on a balcony."
"What?" Tristan laughed slightly out of confusion and slightly because of the irony.
"My mother and father they." She began laughing again unable to finish her sentence, Tristan joined in this time.
Once their laughter had ceased they found themselves staring at each other.
"Tristan, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" a voice interrupted their moment.
Rory slightly jumped at the new voice. Now blushing she looked at the source of the voice. She saw a man about her age standing there; He was very handsome, auburn curled hair, and laughing brown eyes.
"I'm Devin." He introduced himself putting his hand out.
"Lorelai, Lorelai Gilmore." She said taking his hand and shaking it. His grip was perfect. Nice and strong. She inwardly rolled her eyes as she remembered what her mother had said about men and their grip "The better the grip the better the guy."
"Rory this is my cousin Devin." Tristan spoke grimly frowning.
"Rory? I thought your name was Lorelai?
"Oh, it was! Is I mean. Rory is a nickname. You can call me that if you want. I've become accustomed to introducing myself as Lorelai in school and such, that's all. But Lorelai or Rory is fine." She rambled not wanting to seem rude.
"It's fine. Lorelai sounds beautiful.like you." She blushed while Tristan rolled his eyes at what he thought to be the most commonly used, unoriginal pick-up line known to man.
"Lorelai Gilmore, may I have this dance?" Devin asked giving her one of his charming smiles, which could send a thousand females swooning.
Completely forgetting about Tristan Rory started to answer yes but was interrupted.
"Rory! Oh my god thank god I found you! Your grandmother is just terribly horrid!" Lorelai finished in a posh tone ignoring her company. "You don't think I was being immature when I told those people I was dying. I mean I did it for kicks. No harm really down right? Most of these people could use a good prank." Lorelai finished an evil glint in her eyes and a smirk starting to form on her lips.
"Mom." Rory warned.
Ignoring Rory, Lorelai finally paid attention to the two young men greeting them. "Hi, I'm Rory's mom, Lorelai." Devin raised his eyebrows at this but remained quiet. "I'm sorry we have to go! Bye." Lorelai finished grabbing Rory's arm, trying to drag her away. Rory stood rooted to her spot. "Come on, QUICK! Before we're forced to stay. I even got Luke to start the car so we can make a quick getaway." Lorelai tugged on her arm again. Rory finally budged.
"My grandmother knows how to contact me, talk to her." She said over her shoulder and then allowed herself to be pulled away leaving both boys wondering who the message was for.