A/N - Sorry I haven't done much of anything to anything lately. It's finals time at my high school so I'm just avoiding studying.
"Will someone please explain to me why I got roped into covering the sophomore prom?" Rory practically screamed as she walked into the Newspaper room. At her uncharacteristic yell for attention all eyes immediately turned to her. When she realized that she had gained everyone's gaze she mumbled a quick sorry and blushed embarrassed. Finding Paris attached to the main computer and evidently not even hearing a word of her outburst. Rory approached her cautiously, like a person would when walking up to an angry lion or something to that extent.
"You're not getting another story, " Paris responded to Rory's unasked question. Whirling around in her swivel chair she continued to speak. "All last year and for the past couple months you begged me for a cover story or a major event. And now you have one. Granted it's not front page but it is a major section of our prom issue. So I finally give you what you want and now you're upset. Tell me what is this sudden change of heart from oh, last Friday."
Rory's eyes were downcast as if ashamed of herself for being this futile. This time she had really angered the king or queen of the jungle and her reason for wanting to back out would not exactly make Paris a happy camper. "I, uh, stumbled into a trap."
Suddenly her interest was piqued and Paris was suspicious as to what would make the normally collected Rory fumble for words and an excuse.
"I kinda put myself in an awkward situation. That sort of..." Rory trailed off scared at what would come if she revealed her explanation.
"What? Just spit it out already Gilmore."
"IgotbackedintobeingTristan'sdatetoprom," she suddenly rambled no longer at a loss for words. Rory resisted to put her hands over her head and duck for cover while Paris resisted the urge to laugh out loud which quickly turned into a look of awkward nervousness.
"Don't worry Rory I, uh, actually already have a date for the dance. So it's alright that you go with Tristan," at this Paris turned around in her chair and went back to playing around with the layout for said prom issue.
"Oh, okay. So are you going to tell me who this mystery date is?" Rory asked, suddenly uninterested in her own "dilemma" and plenty interested in who Paris would even consider dating.
"Just a friend that I've known for a little while. He's not really into the whole social scene so it's kinda nice that he's going with me," Paris responded not turning around or else Rory would have spotted the slight blush that crept into her cheeks.
"All right, all right, you don't want to tell me but I'll find out about the dance." Rory walked away and began preparing herself to break the news to her mom. Her first formal at Chilton.
During lunch Rory noticed the multitude of girls fuming silently in her direction. Getting tired of the dirty looks she went to search for Paris who, lo and behold, was cooped up in the newspaper room. "You're going to the prom with Tristan remember," reminded Paris when questioned.
Rory sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face before dejectedly replying, "Oh, yeah."
Surviving the rest of the day with many reminders of who she happened to be going with, she gratefully reached her last class of the day, Basic Graphics, a required course. Entering the room and dropping her backpack with a heavy sigh, Rory noticed that the four girls who usually came in barely on time and threw themselves at the jocks in the room, were glaring at her quite obviously.
Glancing around she realized, not for the first time, that this was a required class and everyone in here was either forced to the class, clawing and screaming the entire way, or wannabe computer engineers who fell behind. Rory sighed once again as she watched the girls approach her out of the corner of her eye.
"Roxy, is it? I heard you were going to sophomore prom with Tristan DuGrey," Rory heard the blonde leader speak and opened her mouth to reply but was quickly cut off before a word escaped. "Well, that is obviously something you made up in your attempt to matter at this school cause he is mine and I highly doubt that he would be interested in a Mary like you."
The girls sauntered away as Rory unhappily mumbled to herself, "It's Rory."
As the bell rang she bolted for the door almost ending up in a crash collision with Tristan who was impatiently waiting for school to end. He caught her before she went flying over his right foot and pulled her to the side of the door. "Oh, great just what I needed," she spat out right before beginning to thank him.
"Why, thank you, Mary. I always knew that I brightened up your day," he seriously responded, keeping his arm around her waist where he had grabbed her. Just then, the four girls exited the room scowling at Rory before throwing smiles in Tristan direction.
He nodded tightly in recognition before focusing attention back to Rory. "You know them," she stated rather than asked.
Tristan grimaced inwardly before answering her, "Yeah their uh...leader is Summer. I went out with her for a little while before she got...bored. And now she figures I'll come crawling back."
"But, uh, you've already deemed yourself now unattainable to her," Rory elaborated on his explanation, mocking his easy way with the ladies. She smiled slightly as he looked away slightly embarrassed with her interpretation of him.
"I guess you'll just have to find out what kind of person I am at the dance," Tristan stated smugly before walking out into the parking lot.
Exasperated Rory watched him leave before going to switch her books in her locker. Waiting at the bus stop she noticed that there were a few stray cars still left in the parking lot. Seeing one in particular since the owner was currently leaning against the hood, she squinted against the bright sun and noticed that it was Tristan. Soon after the bus pulled up and she got on not before noticing that Tristan was about to get in his car.
Half an hour later and three chapters farther Rory got off the bus and walked to Luke's. Sullenly she sat down in a bar stool and sighed heavily while Jess eyed her skeptically.
"All right what's wrong?" he finally asked when Rory didn't move a muscle or even ask for coffee. No answer. "What's with the no talking part? You're kind of freaking me out."
"Just a really bad and horribly scaring day. Can you make that coffee to go? I just want to curl up in my bed and die." He gave her another look before he did what she asked and watched her trudge out the door.
"Mom, come out wherever you are. I come bearing coffee," Rory called out to the seemingly quiet house. She heard some fumbling, a thud, and then a loud 'ow'. Setting the cups on the kitchen table Rory raced upstairs and found her mother in a sprawling heap at the foot of her bed.
"Where's the coffee?" And suddenly despite her desolate day Rory found the need to laugh hysterically at her mother's antics, finally ending up on the floor next to her.
"God that so reminded me of all the Twinkie commercials. "Where's the cream filling?" Rory let out in the short pause between laughs. Soon Lorelai was also laughing and they both pulled themselves up off the floor and went downstairs for the coffee.
"So anything you need to tell me about, dear daughter? Anything interesting about your day?" Lorelai asked, peering over the top of her cup.
Rory stared back at her suspiciously and took her time answering, "Is there anything that you would need to know about? Something so riveting that you just had to know and you couldn't wait for me to get home and tell you myself?"
A short smirk appeared on Lorelai's face although the cup covered it and she responded in the same fashion as Rory. "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. Maybe your grandmother called me, maybe she didn't. Maybe we talked about a certain dance, maybe we didn't. Care to elaborate?"
She shot her mother a sour look before picking up their drinks and throwing them away. "You went so far as to talk about this to a women, who, although gave birth to you, you can't really stand."
"Well, yes, I would especially if she calls me and asks where we plan on getting a dress cause she knows this just fabulous designer," Lorelai retorted, following Rory out into the living room.
Before conceding Rory showed one last ounce of will power and fitfully threw herself onto the couch. "Fine, fine, fine. I have to go to the sophomore prom with the spawn of Satan."
"With Tristan?!? Have to? Like you can't get out of it at all?" she questioned adjusting Rory on the couch so that she could sit also.
"Yeah, Paris gave the story on the prom and I have no one else to go with." Rory picked up a random pillow and buried her face in it as Lorelai hugged her reassuringly.
"You can't go with Jess or someone else?"
"Not allowed."
"You can't go stag?"
"Couples only."
"Then, honey, you better start praying for your soul."
