Lorelai came down the stairs around ten in the morning and her face
scrunched up in confusion at what she saw in the living room. Paris was
seated on the couch, legs drawn up to her chest, holding her cell phone and
crying.
"Oh, honey, what happened?"
"He, he called my cell."
"You talked to him?"
"No, he j-just left a message."
Lorelai had wrapped an arm around the shaking girl and now Paris was literally weeping on her shoulder. Rory came shuffling out of her room clad in robe and slippers and noticed the pair. She mouthed 'what happened' to her mom, who mouthed back 'he called'.
"Paris, how 'bout some mac and cheese?" Rory soothingly suggested.
"F-for breakfast?"
"Comfort food knows no time restrictions. Mom can run to Luke's for coffee and food."
"Mom, huh? My, aren't we bossy in our snooty ivy league years?"
She received an eyebrow raise from Rory.
"Fine, but you come take my place."
Rory nodded and sat beside Paris, hugging her friend. Paris sniffled and laid her head against Rory's shoulder.
"Oh and some tissues from Doose's!" Rory cried after her mother, who'd gone upstairs to change.
Three hours later all the comfort food had been consumed and the Gilmore girls were attempting to explain to Paris why calling Asher back was a bad idea.
"But he misses me! He says I overreacted and he wants to work this out."
"You said he didn't want a future with you."
"I overreacted, I'm telling you."
"Do you even want the same things?"
"I don't know. I didn't let him talk much. I need to listen to him. I owe him that."
"Look, just wait until we get back to school. Take a breather and figure out what you want," Rory suggested.
"Fine. I can do that."
"So, what is on the agenda today, Mom?"
"Well, we've done the food portion of the wallowing, so I guess it's movie time. TIME! CRAP! Look at the TIME!"
"Mom, what is wrong with you?"
"I spaced, I completely spaced! I'm the original space cadet! Gah! Crap, crap, CRAP! Okay, start the movies; I'll be back for dinner. There's going to be a flooring guy at the Dragonfly in twenty minutes, and I have to be there to talk about estimates and sign my life away, maybe even yours. CRAP!" Lorelai yelled one last time as she fled out the door, barely pulling her shoes onto her feet and within seconds the girls could hear the jeep firing up.
After watching Steel Magnolias (Lorelai had gone for true tear-jerkers to pull out the extra reserves), Rory popped in A Walk to Remember. Paris grabbed the remote twenty minutes in and paused the movie.
"Need more soda?"
"Do you think I should continue seeing Asher?"
"Well, I don't think my opinion matters much. That's really between the two of you."
Paris nodded, chewing on bottom lip.
"Why didn't you ever date Tristan in high school?"
Rory's eyes widened at the unexpected question.
"What do you mean, why?"
"He obviously liked you. He asked you out all the time."
"He was never serious, Paris. He did all that to torment me."
"But you kissed him."
Rory looked shocked. She'd never told anyone other than Lorelai and Lane about that kiss at Madeline's party. That kiss had started her first wallowing session. How did Paris know, no one saw them.
"He told me about it, Rory. He was completely freaked that you started crying afterwards."
"The crying had nothing to do with him. I told him that."
"Well, he's been through a lot the past couple of years. He's different."
"What are you getting at, Paris?"
"I just think maybe you should give him a chance, that's all."
"He hasn't asked me out. He's in North Carolina, anyways. All we've done is exchanged a couple of emails. There's no chance to give."
"Just, keep what I said in mind."
"Okay. Thanks."
Paris pushed the pause button again and Wallowfest 2004 resumed. Rory seemed to be looking past the television and remained preoccupied in thought the rest of the evening.
Sunday came too fast, bringing reality right along with it. It was time to leave the comforts of home behind and return to the ever-changing world of college. Each girl hugged Lorelai when they left. Both had messages waiting for them when they got back to school.
Paris was given her cell phone back by Rory (it had been confiscated in order to avoid temptation) and Asher had filled her voicemail with messages. Paris went outside for privacy to listen to the messages and decide whether or not she should call him back.
Rory sat at her desk. She had avoided checking her email this weekend; she said it was so that she could be there for Paris. For some reason, though, she was nervous at the thought that Tristan had responded to her email. The thought of him not having responded was worse though.
'Suck it up, just check it,' she thought to herself as she double clicked on her email program. She scanned her new messages until she saw what she had been hoping for. Taking a deep breath, she opened the email.
TO: rgilmor@yale.edu
FROM: tdugrey1@unc.edu
SUBJ: not enough information
Rory,
So the survey wasn't enough information for you. I must admit, it wasn't enough for me, either. I'll actually be coming to Hartford in two weeks, for my grandfather's birthday celebration. Would you maybe want to meet for coffee that Saturday and catch up? I'm dying to hear how one goes about devil egging a car. Seriously, I know I once called you odd, but there must be good reasons behind the seemingly odd. What do you say?
Tristan
'Meet. He wants to meet. Wow, now I know how Meg Ryan's character felt in You've Got Mail'. Rory stared at the screen, seemingly blankly, but was re- reading the email. He wanted to meet her. In two weeks. She took out her day planner, she had a social obligation with her grandparents that night, but that just meant that she had to go to Hartford that day anyhow. She was going to do this. She was going to see Tristan Dugrey again.
AN: Getting closer to some face-to-face stuff. I promise. As always, thanks for those who review.
"Oh, honey, what happened?"
"He, he called my cell."
"You talked to him?"
"No, he j-just left a message."
Lorelai had wrapped an arm around the shaking girl and now Paris was literally weeping on her shoulder. Rory came shuffling out of her room clad in robe and slippers and noticed the pair. She mouthed 'what happened' to her mom, who mouthed back 'he called'.
"Paris, how 'bout some mac and cheese?" Rory soothingly suggested.
"F-for breakfast?"
"Comfort food knows no time restrictions. Mom can run to Luke's for coffee and food."
"Mom, huh? My, aren't we bossy in our snooty ivy league years?"
She received an eyebrow raise from Rory.
"Fine, but you come take my place."
Rory nodded and sat beside Paris, hugging her friend. Paris sniffled and laid her head against Rory's shoulder.
"Oh and some tissues from Doose's!" Rory cried after her mother, who'd gone upstairs to change.
Three hours later all the comfort food had been consumed and the Gilmore girls were attempting to explain to Paris why calling Asher back was a bad idea.
"But he misses me! He says I overreacted and he wants to work this out."
"You said he didn't want a future with you."
"I overreacted, I'm telling you."
"Do you even want the same things?"
"I don't know. I didn't let him talk much. I need to listen to him. I owe him that."
"Look, just wait until we get back to school. Take a breather and figure out what you want," Rory suggested.
"Fine. I can do that."
"So, what is on the agenda today, Mom?"
"Well, we've done the food portion of the wallowing, so I guess it's movie time. TIME! CRAP! Look at the TIME!"
"Mom, what is wrong with you?"
"I spaced, I completely spaced! I'm the original space cadet! Gah! Crap, crap, CRAP! Okay, start the movies; I'll be back for dinner. There's going to be a flooring guy at the Dragonfly in twenty minutes, and I have to be there to talk about estimates and sign my life away, maybe even yours. CRAP!" Lorelai yelled one last time as she fled out the door, barely pulling her shoes onto her feet and within seconds the girls could hear the jeep firing up.
After watching Steel Magnolias (Lorelai had gone for true tear-jerkers to pull out the extra reserves), Rory popped in A Walk to Remember. Paris grabbed the remote twenty minutes in and paused the movie.
"Need more soda?"
"Do you think I should continue seeing Asher?"
"Well, I don't think my opinion matters much. That's really between the two of you."
Paris nodded, chewing on bottom lip.
"Why didn't you ever date Tristan in high school?"
Rory's eyes widened at the unexpected question.
"What do you mean, why?"
"He obviously liked you. He asked you out all the time."
"He was never serious, Paris. He did all that to torment me."
"But you kissed him."
Rory looked shocked. She'd never told anyone other than Lorelai and Lane about that kiss at Madeline's party. That kiss had started her first wallowing session. How did Paris know, no one saw them.
"He told me about it, Rory. He was completely freaked that you started crying afterwards."
"The crying had nothing to do with him. I told him that."
"Well, he's been through a lot the past couple of years. He's different."
"What are you getting at, Paris?"
"I just think maybe you should give him a chance, that's all."
"He hasn't asked me out. He's in North Carolina, anyways. All we've done is exchanged a couple of emails. There's no chance to give."
"Just, keep what I said in mind."
"Okay. Thanks."
Paris pushed the pause button again and Wallowfest 2004 resumed. Rory seemed to be looking past the television and remained preoccupied in thought the rest of the evening.
Sunday came too fast, bringing reality right along with it. It was time to leave the comforts of home behind and return to the ever-changing world of college. Each girl hugged Lorelai when they left. Both had messages waiting for them when they got back to school.
Paris was given her cell phone back by Rory (it had been confiscated in order to avoid temptation) and Asher had filled her voicemail with messages. Paris went outside for privacy to listen to the messages and decide whether or not she should call him back.
Rory sat at her desk. She had avoided checking her email this weekend; she said it was so that she could be there for Paris. For some reason, though, she was nervous at the thought that Tristan had responded to her email. The thought of him not having responded was worse though.
'Suck it up, just check it,' she thought to herself as she double clicked on her email program. She scanned her new messages until she saw what she had been hoping for. Taking a deep breath, she opened the email.
TO: rgilmor@yale.edu
FROM: tdugrey1@unc.edu
SUBJ: not enough information
Rory,
So the survey wasn't enough information for you. I must admit, it wasn't enough for me, either. I'll actually be coming to Hartford in two weeks, for my grandfather's birthday celebration. Would you maybe want to meet for coffee that Saturday and catch up? I'm dying to hear how one goes about devil egging a car. Seriously, I know I once called you odd, but there must be good reasons behind the seemingly odd. What do you say?
Tristan
'Meet. He wants to meet. Wow, now I know how Meg Ryan's character felt in You've Got Mail'. Rory stared at the screen, seemingly blankly, but was re- reading the email. He wanted to meet her. In two weeks. She took out her day planner, she had a social obligation with her grandparents that night, but that just meant that she had to go to Hartford that day anyhow. She was going to do this. She was going to see Tristan Dugrey again.
AN: Getting closer to some face-to-face stuff. I promise. As always, thanks for those who review.