Chapter 2: Manic Monday
BEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rory's alarm squealed. She groaned and climbed out of bed. A warm cup of coffee sat on her nightstand. She quickly chugged it down. Having been refreshed, she walked to Ryan's room and she peeked her head in. When she saw that he was still asleep, she went over to Robbie's room. She found her little brother wide-awake, dressed, and playing.
"Morning buddy. What do you say we go jump attack Ryan? He's still asleep and we have to go to school."
Robbie nodded enthusiastically and Rory scooped him up. The 2 quietly entered Ryan's room and tiptoed next to his bed. Rory set Robbie on the bed and then positioned herself on the other side. She held up her fingers and counted to 3. On 3, she and Robbie began to bounce on the bed and chant at the top of their lungs, "TIME TO GET UP!"
Ryan bolted out of his deep slumber looking like he'd been scared to death. "Jesus, what time is it?" Ryan said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Time to get up and get ready for school. Your uniform is on the chair over there and we need to leave by 8:30," Rory said briskly. 30 minutes later, Ryan and Rory climbed into the Liberty and headed to Chilton.
Just as Rory pulled into her parking spot, Tristan and Taylor DuGrey pulled up in a fully restored 1955 Mustang Convertible. Tristan shot Rory an appraising look and Rory felt heat rising in her cheeks.
*How can one look from him make my knees so weak? I barely know him? *
~She looks gorgeous even in her uniform~
"Good morning Miss Hayden," Tristan said, nonchalantly taking her book bag from her and kissing the back of her hand.
"Why Mr. DuGrey, aren't you just the sweetest thing," Rory drawled in a voice uncannily like Scarlett O'Hara's.
"Well, thank you very much ma'am," he drawled in reply, tipping an imaginary hat to her and flashing a charming smile. Behind them, Ryan and Taylor were cracking up.
"If you 2 are done, why don't we try and find out 1st class," Ryan suggested as he and Taylor caught up with their siblings.
"What are you first classes?" Rory queried.
"I have English with Mr. Medina," Tristan said looking at his schedule.
"So do I," Taylor said.
"So do I," Ryan chimed in.
"Great, we'll all have the same first period class," Ryan said, turning and walking into the school.
******
"Rory!"
Rory turned around and saw Paris, Madeline, and Louise coming towards her locker after 3rd period.
"Where were you all weekend?" Paris asked, coming up to her best friend.
"I was getting to know my brother," Rory said closing her locker.
"Have you seen the new guys? They're yummy," Louise said.
"Yea, I have. One, the brunette, is my twin, Ryan, and the blonde is Tristan. Our dads work together. The new girl is Tristan's twin sister Taylor."
Just as they were about to head towards the cafeteria, Rory's eyes were covered my 2 strong hands.
"Guess who," a husky voice whispered in her ear.
"Tristan?" she guessed.
"Close enough," another voice said. "It was both of us," Ryan said with a grin. Taylor came up from behind them laughing.
"Oh, Ryan, Tristan, Taylor, these are my friends Paris, Madeline, and Louise."
******
Paris surveyed the newcomers with her usual aloofness. Louise was right about the boys, they were rather cute. Taylor seemed to be a very sweet girl, who really like Ryan Hayden and it seemed like the feeling was mutual. Tristan was obviously in love with Rory. And her best friend was oblivious.
******
Rory, Ryan, Taylor, and Tristan all sat together at lunch talking about their new lives. Even though they had just met, there was a comfortable easiness between the 4 teens. Later that day, Tristan approached Rory at her locker.
"Hey," he said leaning up against the locker next to Rory's.
"Hey yourself," Rory said, smiling up at him. ~She's even more beautiful when she smiles. ~
"I was wondering if you could come over after school and help me with the English sentence structure thingy," Tristan said with a wry smile.
"Um… Sure. I'll have Ryan take the Jeep to pick up Robbie and they can bond or whatever," Rory said after a moment of thought.
"Great," Tristan said, a genuine smile lighting up his features. *I wish he would stop smiling; it makes my knees melt. *
"Do you wanna stay and have dinner with me? My parents have a dinner party or something."
"Sure, what about Taylor?"
"She's going to your house to help Ryan with history. I'll pick her up when I drop you off."
"Then I will meet you at your car after school."
******
"So how was your first day?" Rory asked as she and Tristan climbed in to his Mustang.
"It was fairly good. I think the highlight of it was getting to start the day off in the same class as you," Tristan said flashing her his most charming smile.
"Do they teach roguish flattery at military school as well as how to get great bodies?" Rory asked in a fake husky voice, batting her eyelashes. Tristan looked at her for a minute and then cracked up. Rory joined in. By the time they'd settled into a comfortable silence, they pulled into the driveway of a castle-like mansion.
"Wow, your house reminds me of a place I read about in a book. A handsome prince rescued a princess and then brought her back to his castle and married her and they lived happily ever after."
Tristan wisely chose not to say anything. ~ I want to be your prince~ He led the way into the house and upstairs to his study.
"You have an amazing collection of books. What's your favorite?" Rory said going to examine one of the shelves.
"If I had to choose, I'd say Phantom of the Opera ," Tristan said sitting down in an overstuffed chair and laying out his work.
"Ready to get started?" Rory asked briskly as she sat down in the chair next to Tristan's and got down to business. 3 long hours later, Tristan's butler, Alfred, announced supper. Tristan and Rory spent the meal arguing good-naturedly if the Phantom of the Opera was real or not. After they finished, he drove her home and picked up his sister, not before kissing Rory on the cheek though. Ryan looked at his sister and saw the dreamy way she entered the house and knew something was up.