Somebody stroked Rory's hair, soothingly; and a part of her hoped that when she opened her eyes, Tristan would be staring at her, with his beautiful blue eyes.
But it wasn't Tristan, it was Lorelai, looking tired and run down.
Just then the nights events came flooding back to Rory, and she cringed at the thought.
"Hey baby!" Lorelai said softly- she sounded tired, were they in the hospital?
Rory looked around, no; she was at home- in her bed.
Lorelai saw the confused look on her face and explained "I took you to the hospital, and they took a look at you're eye- it's quite a shiner you got there" Lorelai said, trying to laugh, but the anxious tone in her voice couldn't be covered.
Rory tried to sit up a little, but as she did a shock wave of pain ran through her body.
"Oh, don't move honey" Lorelai said softly; and gently pushed Rory back down on her pillow.
"You took a bit of a fall aswell- just a few bumps and bruises that will be pretty sore in the morning," she said, looking sweetly at her daughter.
"What time is it?" Rory asked, her mouth a little parched.
Rory noticed Lorelai had pulled a chair up alongside Rory's bed, and had a blanket around her shoulders- had she stayed by her bedside all night?
Lorelai rubbed her eyes, and picked Rory's clock up, looking at the time.
"10:00 in the morning" Lorelai said, "It's Sunday" she added.
"Oh" was all Rory could think to say- though she desperately wanted to ask about Tristan, she didn't think her mother would particularly like to talk about what had happened between him and Dean, not just yet anyway.
"You want something to eat and drink?" Lorelai asked, putting the clock back down and looking tentatively at Rory.
"Just a glass of water, please" she said in a small voice.
Lorelai got up and went into the kitchen; but when she came back into Rory's room she found her daughter had fallen back asleep.
So she placed the glass of water by her bed-side table, and sat back down in the chair, rested her head on Rory's bed, and went back to sleep aswell.
Rory wasn't as sore as she had been yesterday; and after her mother ordered her to be bed-ridden through all of Sunday (which is usually what she and Lorelai did anyway), she was ready to walk around again- and infact liked the exercise.
While shed been resting she'd heard Lane knock on her door at about 11:30 on Sunday morning, hearing from word-of-mouth what had happened, and wanting to see her friend.
Lorelai had allowed her to come in, and offered her a coffee, but when she went in to ask Rory if she felt like seeing anyone, Rory had turned over in her bed and mumbled something incomprehensible, so Lorelai shut her door again and entertained Lane until 12:00, when she left, saying she had to help her mother in the shop.
Dean and Tristan had come over aswell- not together, of course.
They had both come over several times on Sunday; Rory heard Tristan's gruff voice speaking with Lorelai at the front door at about 12:20, and then again at 3:30, and finally at 5:00 aswell- but that was as far as he got, as Lorelai asked him to leave in a rather stern, angry tone.
Rory wanted to jump out of bed, run to the door and hold him in her arms- she was so worried about him!
But Dean had also come over, first at 1:00 and then again at 7:00, but he received the same, cold treatment as Tristan.
But Rory didn't feel the same urge to see Dean, infact, she was furious at him, for starting the fight in the first place!
Though, there was a part of her that understood his anger- she knew that he loved her, and it must have torn him up when she told him the truth about her and Tristan- and then seeing him at her house!
Pretty soon Rory's hatred for Dean faded, and she only felt guilt- guilt for betraying Dean and starting this whole mess in the first place!
"Hey" Lorelai said, turning when she heard Rory's footsteps behind her.
"Hey" Rory said, and slumped into a chair at the kitchen table, hunching her head over onto the table.
"Gimme a look at that shiner of yours" Lorelai said, sitting across from Rory.
Rory looked up, showing her mother the black circle around her left eye
"God! That thing's so big it needs it's own internet site," Lorelai said, trying to lighten Rory's mood.
But she just slumped her head back onto the table, unamused.
She wanted to ask her mother about Tristan- and Dean, but she didn't want to cause her any un-wanted stress-, which is what she thought the mere mention of their names, would bring.
Lorelai took a sip from her coffee, and unfolded the newspaper, bringing it to her face, she began reading.
Without lifting her head, Rory asked, "How are they?" her voice a little muffled.
Lorelai was unfazed, still reading, "Well, they've seen much better days" she answered her daughter, with no particular tone in her voice.
"How's Tristan?" Rory asked, now lifting her head and resting it on her hand.
Lorelai put the paper down on the table, and looked at Rory.
"So then, you made you're choice between the two of them, have you?" Lorelai asked.
Rory looked away from her mothers stare "I care about them both, but-" Rory didn't quite know how to put it.
"But you asked about Tristan first?" Lorelai said, knowingly.
"Fine! How's Dean?" Rory snapped back, then instantly regretted it.
"I'm sorry, it's just-" again, she couldn't find the words.
"I know it's not easy," Lorelai said, rubbing Rory's arm comfortingly.
"I didn't want this" Rory said sadly.
And all Lorelai could do was watch as Rory headed back to her room, her head down, tears about to bubble over again.
Monday morning- Rory was nervous about going to school and facing Tristan- and the rest of the student body with the huge black bruise covering her left eye.
But she was the one who had insisted to Lorelai that she was well enough to go back, thought she wasn't sure if she really was- but she needed to see Tristan.
"No warning?" Rory said to her mother as they drove to Chilton.
"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked.
"About Tristan- no 'stay away from that boy, he's trouble!'" Rory asked.
Lorelai glanced over at her daughter, and then back at the road "He is trouble- and you'll do what you think is best" she answered, simply.
Rory was confused "That's it?" she asked quizzically.
They pulled up to a set of red traffic lights, and Lorelai looked over at her daughter "At the end of all this, I do want to see you happy- and whether Tristan, or Dean, or neither of them is what you want- that is all I want, to see you happy- ok?" Lorelai said this, sounding very wise- and Rory knew she was right.
And as she hoped out of the car, ready to face Chilton, Lorelai kissed her on the forehead "I love you" she said kindly "I love you more" Rory replied.
As she walked through Chilton's doors, the only thing on her mind was Tristan.
She would usually see him, leaning up against a row of lockers, locking lips with some bimbo in a micro-mini school skirt.
She winced as she remembered seeing him all those times with the countless girls that had come before her- and she hoped she wouldn't find him, leaning up against a locker with some girl, doing just that!
Quickly she walked to her locker, but as she turned the corner, her heart sank- Tristan wasn't there- and the many eyes that were staring at her were making her more and more uncomfortable.
She leaned up against the wall, and took a deep breath- 'I need you Tristan', she said to herself.
She closed her eyes and took deeper breaths- then, bliss!
Someone was kissing her mouth, she knew those unforgettable lips!
She kissed him back, dropping her bag on the ground, she began running her hands through his hair.
Oh god! She'd turned into one of those bimbos he locked lips with against the lockers!
And she pulled away, looking up to see his horrified face "Oh Rory! I'm so sorry" he said, gently brushing his fingers against her bruised eye.
For an instant, while he'd been kissing her, she'd forgotten about the pain her eye was still causing her.
"I'm fine," she said, unconvincingly.
He looked at her and frowned, "No your not! You should be at home-" he began, but was soon cut off as Rory gasped, looking at the bruises on his face.
His lip was cut and swollen, and his left eye was also a little swollen- but not black like hers.
She looked down at his arms, they were a little bruised, and when she went to put her arms around his waist he winced in pain.
She quickly lifted up his school shirt, he tried protesting, saying it looked worse than it really was.
But he had huge bruises all around his stomach, and on his sides- it looked tender and excruciatingly sore!
She looked up into his face, but he glanced away, pulling his shirt back down.
"I'm fine," he said, cupping her face in his strong hands, and now looked into her eyes.
"Its you I'm worried about" he said, genuinely concerned.
Rory thought for a moment, the last place she felt like being at that moment was stuck in a classroom- all those eyes watching her.
So she bent down and grabbed her bag, and then clasped her hand around his "Lets get out of here" she said, seriously.
Tristan was taken aback, Rory actually wanted to skip school?
"Rory- we have class-" he began, but she stopped him with a kiss.
"I need to be with you" she whispered- and how could he refuse?
"Alright, my cars out the back" he said, and they began walking down the hallway.
As they were almost out the door, hand in hand, they passed Paris- at first she didn't notice them, or didn't realize who the new girl with Tristan was- but when she looked back she was devastated and angry to see it was Rory!
Rory had seen Paris, but had decided that worrying about how devastated Paris would be to see Rory holding onto her crush of so many years, so intensely, would hurt her- she had too many things on her mind, all of which were far more important!
And relief hit her as she and Tristan walked out the doors, and into the sunshine- finally free! And together!
Tristan looked over at Rory, who was staring out the window, a smile on her face- and he laughed out loud, causing Rory to look over at him strangely.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked him.
"The virgin Mary is skipping school, to go on a secret rendezvous," he said, jokingly.
Rory couldn't help but smile "You know I hate it when you call me Mary!" she said, a smile still on her face, which let Tristan know she was light-hearted about the nick-name he'd given her.
He took her hand in his, bought it to his lips, and kissed it gently; "Forgive me?" he said, with an earnest face.
"You know I do" Rory said, as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"So where are we going Clyde?" Rory asked, sitting back in her seat, and looking out at the road ahead.
"Well Bonnie, I was thinking it would be a surprise" he said, and smiled at her.
WOW! Don't mean to be cruel by keeping you in suspense or anything- but the next chapter will be a SMACK IN THE FACE (but, the good kind)! So keep reading, please
P.s- I just love these little authors notes I leave behind, it's a great way to communicate with my audience! I love you guys, and I especially love the reviews that keep coming in! THANKS SO MUCH!
-I'm already half way through chapter seven!