CHAPTER 10

Rory looked up from her book and saw the cousins walk back to her. She was intrigued to hear what transpired between them but was too much of a coward to ask.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Rory asked.

Tristin stood beside her and tried to peer into the cover of her book. She was reading 'The Return of the Native'.

"That's a grim book," Tristin said.

Rory swatted his hand away playfully as she refocused on Graham.

"What do you suggest? We can go boulder hopping or we can go eat," he said.

"I'd go for food. I'm famished," Tristin suggested.

"Then food it is!" Graham agreed with Tristin. Off they left in search of food.

"What is your most embarrassing moment?" Graham asked as he read the question on the back of a sugar packet.

"Too many to mention," Rory said as she took a sip of her iced mocha.

"Rory Gilmore, having an embarrassing moment?" Tristin mocked. "You can't count last night!"

"What did I do last night that was embarrassing?" she countered.

"Yeah, what did she do that is embarrassing?" Graham asked, wrinkling his forehead. "Oh, that!" he added.

"What? What did I do last night that can be misconstrued as embarrassing?" Rory asked.

"Have you picked up stripping as a job or a past time?" Tristin asked.

"When?" Rory asked, color rising to her cheeks. She knew she did not want to hear this.

"Do you remember how you got into your jammies last night?" Tristin asked.

"Vaguely," Rory responded.

"Rory, I know we've all become friends rather quickly but," Graham paused, "you decided to get undressed in front of me and Tris last night in honor of 'getting comfy' for your movie."

Rory covered her face, mortified. "Tell me you're lying."

"Wish I could, babe. You have the prettiest underwear," Tristin teased.

"Oh, just shoot me out of my misery!" Rory groaned.

"You should've seen Graham spit his beer out. I though he was going to choke when you took your top off," Tristin continued teasing, getting aroused by his recollection.

"Please, don't tell my mom I was this horrible," Rory pleaded to Tristin. "It's official. Alcohol and I are not a good combination."

"Ah, don't be so hard on yourself. I've done dumber things," Graham said as he nibbled on his fries. "Modify the question: what non-alcohol related embarrassing moment have you had?"

"That's a tough one. I'm too cool to be embarrassing," Tristin answered cockily.

"I've got one," Rory piped in. "Last semester, I had to write a ballet review for 'The Herald' and I thought her performance was bad. So I wrote what I saw and felt, got it published and when everything's been said and done, the ballerina pretty much screamed at me in the dining area. I thought I was going to die."

"That was you? Oh, wow. I thought the article was great. I remember the quote, 'she had the grace of a drunken dock worker'. That was classic," Graham recalled, laughing himself to a stupor. "I was waiting for the catfight in the dining hall after that."

"I can't believe that someone who I'd think isn't interested in ballet actually read it. Not a lot of people really do read 'The Herald', let alone the reviews," Rory grumbled.

"To be honest, I don't, but since the "Die, Jerk" comment she made in the dining hall, I searched out the said review. I think she took the review out of context," Graham admitted.

"Rory Gilmore, what did your mother say about saying bad things about other people?" Tristin jested.

"Blame her. She was the one who gave me the solution to my conundrum," Rory said. "So what event makes you cringe every time you think about it, Graham?" she asked.

"I think it was when your grandma introduced me to you and the whole diaper thing. I was more than embarrassed," Graham admitted.

"You shouldn't. Everyone does that. The only reason grandma didn't do the same for me is because she never saw me growing up and that my mom is the keeper of my embarrassing pictures," Rory said.

"Now it's your turn," Graham said to Tristin.

"I told you, I don't have embarrassing events. Just... moments I wish I could take back," he said.

Graham rolled his eyes. "So what one incident would you say you'd take back if you could?" Graham asked.

Tristin paused to think. He looked at Rory and said, "Leaving for military school without kissing Juliet."