Chapter 5 – Old Friends, New Faces
Tristan had spent the whole of his last period class staring at Rory. She was already sitting in her seat by the time he arrived, late, as was required of the school hot shot. As he passed her seat, he noticed that she was hunched down, as if trying to hide something from the world. He was concerned, so he grabbed the seat with the best view of the shy girl.
Ever since Rory had come to Chilton, Tristan had been perfecting his non-stare. He had always been able to watch any girl he wanted to. He could stare openly at her, and she would just giggle, or stare back. It had always been simple. Then Rory appeared, and all of the rules changed. He had to figure out how to watch her without letting anyone know, let alone her. Of course, he had never cared enough about a girl to go to all that trouble. If it had been anyone other than Rory, he never would have made the effort. He would have just shrugged her off, and moved on.
All throughout the class, Rory had kept her head down, making Tristan worry more and more with every passing second. He could tell that there was something seriously wrong with her, he just couldn't figure out what. He had been watching her all day, and she had been the same. She seemed like she was broken. And all Tristan wanted to do was fix her.
When class ended, Tristan shrugged off his friends as fast as he could, and followed Rory to her locker. As a cover, he opened his locker, the same one he had had before he left. Then he turned towards Rory, and gently said hello.
"What do you want?" Rory responded immediately, turning her face slightly, but being sure to cover the left side, and her bruises as well.
"You seem upset. I just wanted to know if I could help."
Rory was taken aback. Tristan's words seemed almost sincere. But that couldn't be true, she told herself. Tristan DuGray only thinks about himself.
"I'm not upset, I'm fine. There's nothing for you to help with. Now leave me the hell alone!" Rory slammed her locker, startling the people around them. She hugged her books closer to her body and took off, not wanting to see people's faces. When she got to the bus stop, her bus had just arrived. Rory almost ran to the back and collapsed, pulling out her book.
About half way to Stars Hollow, Rory realized she had no excuse for her behavior that morning. Too exhausted to think up a lie, she decided she would head for home right away, and worry about the rest later. She figured she could call her mother's cell when she got there, and ask her to come home. She knew she could count on her mom to come right away, without questions.
Lorelai was sitting at her usual spot at the counter of Luke's Dinner, annoying the crap out of the owner, trying to get her coffee out of the man. She wasn't just looking for one cup either, she was looking for one for Rory too. Her daughter had left way too early that morning, and they definitely needed to talk about something. In the middle of one of her rants, her cell phone rang. Two seconds later, she jumped up from the stool and took off, without explanation, leaving a very confused Luke in her wake. Jess, who was off to the side, just sighed and walked upstairs, needing to be alone.
Five minutes later, Lorelai burst through her front door, calling out her daughter's name at the top of her lungs. Not seeing Rory in the living room, she headed towards the kitchen. As she stepped foot in the sacred coffee room, she heard a strangled sob coming from the adjacent room. Pushing open the door, Lorelai saw what every mother dreads; a beaten daughter.
"Oh, Rory baby, what happened?" she asked, sinking down onto the bed, and wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl.
"I don't know," Rory managed to get out in between sobs. "One minute he was fine, and then he was upset, and then there was pain. I couldn't stop it. And it was all my fault, I got him angry."
Lorelai held back a sob of her own, and just pulled her daughter closer to her. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault," she kept whispering, praying it wasn't as bad as she thought. But in her heart, she knew it was. The town's prince charming wasn't so charming after all.
Tristan threw open the door to his bedroom, and barely made it to the bed before he collapsed. Not caring about anything, he kicked off his shoes, pulled off his tie and blazer, and crawled into bed. A little while later, he heard footsteps approaching his room, and prayed that it wasn't his father. After a couple seconds, his door was pushed open, and Carmella tiptoed in, carrying freshly made chocolate brownies.
"Thought you might want some comfort food. You came in like you needed it," she smiled, and held out the tray. Tristan smiled back, and motioned for her to sit down.
"You're amazing, Carmella. Thank you," Tristan answered as he took one of the brownies.
"You want to talk, sweetie?" she asked, and then bit into one of the brownies herself. She grinned and added, "you know I won't take no for an answer!"
Tristan laughed as he reluctantly nodded his head. "Yeah, I know," he sighed, and then tried to think of where to begin. "You know who Rory is, right?" he asked, and was answered with a nod. "Well, something was seriously wrong with her today. I spent the entire day watching her, and I don't think she looked up once. She was hiding her face, and never let go of her books. And when I tried to talk to her at the end of the day, her reaction was nothing like I would expect from her. It was like she just snapped, and then she ran away. I don't know what to think. I'm just so worried about her."
"I know, hun. It sounds like she's dealing with some serious shit. I know you're worried, but you just have to stand back until she asks for help. But be looking for the signals, in case she can't ask. Just be there for her, whatever way is best for her right now." Carmella was very worried as she spoke those words. Sure, she was worried for this Rory, but it was tearing Tristan apart. And there was nothing she could do to help.
Luke left Caesar in charge of the dinner, and headed upstairs to the tiny apartment he shared with Jess. Throwing open the door, he stared at his nephew, daring him to leave. Finally, Luke closed the door behind him, and sat down at the kitchen table across from the kid with a sigh. "Alright Jess, I know you know what's going on," Luke started. He noticed the look on the other's face, and so he started again. "Fine, I know you have some idea of what's going on, and I want to know."
"What makes you think I know anything," Jess responded with his usual attitude, at least in the face of authority.
"You ran up here the second Lorelai flew out of the diner, you've been weird all day, and I know that you've been watching for Rory since you got home." Luke could normally deal with Jess's attitude, as he had been dealing with it since he had moved in, but not tonight. Tonight he needed to know what was wrong with Rory.
"Fine, you know what, maybe I do have an idea. But it's not my idea to tell. When Rory's ready, she'll let us know." Jess's idea would send Luke into a frenzy, and Jess wasn't willing to risk Dean's life just yet. Besides, if Dean had hurt Rory, Jess would be the one to kill Dean himself.
"If that's how you feel, that's fine. But I'm going over to their house right now," Luke turned on his heel and headed out of the former office. Jess sighed and ran after him, needing to know what had really happened, and not willing to let Luke find out what it was before he did.
Tristan had spent the whole of his last period class staring at Rory. She was already sitting in her seat by the time he arrived, late, as was required of the school hot shot. As he passed her seat, he noticed that she was hunched down, as if trying to hide something from the world. He was concerned, so he grabbed the seat with the best view of the shy girl.
Ever since Rory had come to Chilton, Tristan had been perfecting his non-stare. He had always been able to watch any girl he wanted to. He could stare openly at her, and she would just giggle, or stare back. It had always been simple. Then Rory appeared, and all of the rules changed. He had to figure out how to watch her without letting anyone know, let alone her. Of course, he had never cared enough about a girl to go to all that trouble. If it had been anyone other than Rory, he never would have made the effort. He would have just shrugged her off, and moved on.
All throughout the class, Rory had kept her head down, making Tristan worry more and more with every passing second. He could tell that there was something seriously wrong with her, he just couldn't figure out what. He had been watching her all day, and she had been the same. She seemed like she was broken. And all Tristan wanted to do was fix her.
When class ended, Tristan shrugged off his friends as fast as he could, and followed Rory to her locker. As a cover, he opened his locker, the same one he had had before he left. Then he turned towards Rory, and gently said hello.
"What do you want?" Rory responded immediately, turning her face slightly, but being sure to cover the left side, and her bruises as well.
"You seem upset. I just wanted to know if I could help."
Rory was taken aback. Tristan's words seemed almost sincere. But that couldn't be true, she told herself. Tristan DuGray only thinks about himself.
"I'm not upset, I'm fine. There's nothing for you to help with. Now leave me the hell alone!" Rory slammed her locker, startling the people around them. She hugged her books closer to her body and took off, not wanting to see people's faces. When she got to the bus stop, her bus had just arrived. Rory almost ran to the back and collapsed, pulling out her book.
About half way to Stars Hollow, Rory realized she had no excuse for her behavior that morning. Too exhausted to think up a lie, she decided she would head for home right away, and worry about the rest later. She figured she could call her mother's cell when she got there, and ask her to come home. She knew she could count on her mom to come right away, without questions.
Lorelai was sitting at her usual spot at the counter of Luke's Dinner, annoying the crap out of the owner, trying to get her coffee out of the man. She wasn't just looking for one cup either, she was looking for one for Rory too. Her daughter had left way too early that morning, and they definitely needed to talk about something. In the middle of one of her rants, her cell phone rang. Two seconds later, she jumped up from the stool and took off, without explanation, leaving a very confused Luke in her wake. Jess, who was off to the side, just sighed and walked upstairs, needing to be alone.
Five minutes later, Lorelai burst through her front door, calling out her daughter's name at the top of her lungs. Not seeing Rory in the living room, she headed towards the kitchen. As she stepped foot in the sacred coffee room, she heard a strangled sob coming from the adjacent room. Pushing open the door, Lorelai saw what every mother dreads; a beaten daughter.
"Oh, Rory baby, what happened?" she asked, sinking down onto the bed, and wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl.
"I don't know," Rory managed to get out in between sobs. "One minute he was fine, and then he was upset, and then there was pain. I couldn't stop it. And it was all my fault, I got him angry."
Lorelai held back a sob of her own, and just pulled her daughter closer to her. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault," she kept whispering, praying it wasn't as bad as she thought. But in her heart, she knew it was. The town's prince charming wasn't so charming after all.
Tristan threw open the door to his bedroom, and barely made it to the bed before he collapsed. Not caring about anything, he kicked off his shoes, pulled off his tie and blazer, and crawled into bed. A little while later, he heard footsteps approaching his room, and prayed that it wasn't his father. After a couple seconds, his door was pushed open, and Carmella tiptoed in, carrying freshly made chocolate brownies.
"Thought you might want some comfort food. You came in like you needed it," she smiled, and held out the tray. Tristan smiled back, and motioned for her to sit down.
"You're amazing, Carmella. Thank you," Tristan answered as he took one of the brownies.
"You want to talk, sweetie?" she asked, and then bit into one of the brownies herself. She grinned and added, "you know I won't take no for an answer!"
Tristan laughed as he reluctantly nodded his head. "Yeah, I know," he sighed, and then tried to think of where to begin. "You know who Rory is, right?" he asked, and was answered with a nod. "Well, something was seriously wrong with her today. I spent the entire day watching her, and I don't think she looked up once. She was hiding her face, and never let go of her books. And when I tried to talk to her at the end of the day, her reaction was nothing like I would expect from her. It was like she just snapped, and then she ran away. I don't know what to think. I'm just so worried about her."
"I know, hun. It sounds like she's dealing with some serious shit. I know you're worried, but you just have to stand back until she asks for help. But be looking for the signals, in case she can't ask. Just be there for her, whatever way is best for her right now." Carmella was very worried as she spoke those words. Sure, she was worried for this Rory, but it was tearing Tristan apart. And there was nothing she could do to help.
Luke left Caesar in charge of the dinner, and headed upstairs to the tiny apartment he shared with Jess. Throwing open the door, he stared at his nephew, daring him to leave. Finally, Luke closed the door behind him, and sat down at the kitchen table across from the kid with a sigh. "Alright Jess, I know you know what's going on," Luke started. He noticed the look on the other's face, and so he started again. "Fine, I know you have some idea of what's going on, and I want to know."
"What makes you think I know anything," Jess responded with his usual attitude, at least in the face of authority.
"You ran up here the second Lorelai flew out of the diner, you've been weird all day, and I know that you've been watching for Rory since you got home." Luke could normally deal with Jess's attitude, as he had been dealing with it since he had moved in, but not tonight. Tonight he needed to know what was wrong with Rory.
"Fine, you know what, maybe I do have an idea. But it's not my idea to tell. When Rory's ready, she'll let us know." Jess's idea would send Luke into a frenzy, and Jess wasn't willing to risk Dean's life just yet. Besides, if Dean had hurt Rory, Jess would be the one to kill Dean himself.
"If that's how you feel, that's fine. But I'm going over to their house right now," Luke turned on his heel and headed out of the former office. Jess sighed and ran after him, needing to know what had really happened, and not willing to let Luke find out what it was before he did.