Rory Gilmore was not a happy camper.

That day, as she sat looking dejectedly at her mash potatoes during lunch-time, her copy of 'Pride and Prejudice' pushed aside (unusually so) on her table, she felt like the most miserable student in the room. She looked around.

Students laughing, planning things to do over the first term school holidays (which were just around the corner) and just...being happy and content in general.

"This is no fun," she said to her book.

Sighing, she picked it up.

And then put it down again a moment later.

She began to daydream about Jess. And then, annoyingly, Dean and Tristan's faces pushed in as well, asking for air-time in her thoughts.

"Go - away, - I - want - to - think - about - Jess!" she said with gritted teeth to herself. The apparitions disappeared in her mind quickly as someone sat next to her unexpectedly.

"What is it, Paris? I'm busy," she sighed, turning to face her classmate.

"Rory..."

It was Tristan.

Rory's cheeks flamed, "I - I thought that you were Paris."

"No biggy," Tristan shrugged. He felt comfortable again - apparently, Rory was latching onto his every word. He avoided the embarrassing subject of that morning's encounter, "So...are you free this week-end?"

Rory stared at him in disbelief, "What?!"

"Are you free this week-end? We can...you know, go watch a movie or something?"

"Tristan - you just moved back to Stars Hollow - how do you even know if Dean and I are still together? And even if we weren't, what makes you think I want to go out with you right now?"

Coolly, Tristan said, "I asked around. Found out you had no-one special in your life." A moment later, "So, about this week-end..."

Rory stared again, unable to swallow what he had said, "Excuse me, Tristan - but, yes - I do have a 'special' someone 'in my life' so you can just go and choke on your stupid invitation and go ask out some preppy cheerleader who WOULD drool over you, because you know what? I don't want you."

It took Tristan some time to recover, but when he did, he asked, "So would you enlighten me on who this 'special someone' is?"

For the third time that day Rory stared at him in disbelief, "No!" she cried, grabbed her bag, lunch and book, and stormed out of the canteen, leaving Tristan stranded. He shrugged, "What did I say?"

***

Rory got off the school bus, unhappy just like yesterday. Although this time mingled in was disbelief and despair. She walked home, flung her school uniform into the laundry room, changed and grabbed a Mars bar from the fridge.

Lorelai walked into the kitchen just then, "Hi, honey, how was school? I must tell you - you should never leave me stranded again in Luke's diner. That is an absolute no-no. Now, I'm never going to be able to sleep tonight!"

"You said caffeine was good," Rory remarked.

"Don't you twist my words around, young lady!" Lorelai smiled.

They sat together in silence for a while.

"Tristan's back," Rory blurted.

"What?! Tristan? That guy with the funny-looking blonde hair?"

Rory smiled despite herself, "Yes."

"Okay."

They sat quietly again. Then Lorelai left the room, "I got to go out for a while honey - I just realised I left some papers at the Inn."

"Okay Mum, bye - see you tonight..."

Lorelai grabbed her coat and walked out the door.

"Oh, and Mum?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Don't forget you have to wash my school uniform in time for tomorrow."

"Aaww..." Lorelai pouted, "My hands don't cope well with menial tasks!"

Rory gave her a look.

"All right, all right." She muttered under her breath, "Slavedriver."

"I heard that!" Rory said, feeling better already.

"Okay okay, bye hun! Dinner's in the fridge."

"Okay, bye-bye."

***

That night, as Rory was just completing some homework, Lorelai bounded into the room.

"You left some things in your blazer pocket, Ror," Lorelai said. In her outstretched hand, Rory could see a rubber band, 50 cents, a piece of folded up paper, and two apple seeds.

Rory grabbed them from her, rolling her eyes.

Lorelai sighed and walked out the door, "Oh, and Mum, thanks for washing!" Rory called out.

"You're welcome!"

When Rory was left alone again to her own devices, she suddenly realised that she didn't know what the paper was. She reached out for it and opened it. The thing that jumped out almost immediately from the page were the words, "Love, Jess..."