Rory slept through the majority of the plane ride, trying to catch up with the tumultuous events of the past day.

Was it really only a day? It felt like a millenium since she had slept, or since she had seen her mother. She found herself calmer than she should have been in the situation, and blamed it on denial. It was either that or that she had no soul, so she went with the first choice. Rory glanced at the window and saw that she sky was dark now. She couldn't see much, so she turned her attention back to the private jet's interior. It was everything she had expected a private jet to be, and more. It was laveishly decorated, with luch fabrics and a minibar. It even had a little TV, on which she was watching reruns of the nany. Nothing else would reach the plane, and she didn't feel like expending the energy it would take to select one of the plane's numerous DVDs.

So there she was, sitting several thousand fet up in the air, watching TV, and sitting on a velvet cushion. And she felt fake. None of this was hers, none of this was real. She looked around for something familiar to tie her back down to reality, to the life she had once known. Nothing helped. Everywhere she looked, fake. The curtains were fake, the carpeted floor was fake, the butler standing in front of her was fake.

"Miss," he said. She looked up. "Please put your seatbelt back on, we will be landing shortly." She moved to the window and put on the restraining belt. She tried again to look outside, but could barely make out the landscape beneath her. She cupped her hands around her eyes, and put her face right up against the window. Peering out, she began to see her future school from closer up.

It had a landing pad.

-

Technically it was winter. That was the problem. Rory couldn't feel the cold where she was, but it was winter. The sun set earlier in the winter. This is why she thought it was a far later hour than it actually was. Rory met the entire school populace in the span of 15 minutes, becuase of this unfortunate fact. She left the docking area carrying nothing but her backpack, walking slowly and taking in the scenery.

Forget school, this place was a city in itself. To reach the actual school she had to navigate a series of roads, all lined with restaurants, libraries, and vendors of different sorts. She finally reached an open space, determining it to be between the dorms and the main school. She nodded once to herself in determination, and turned to the larger building. Just then, she heard a bell ring. The doors of the School burst open, and a sea of students poured out from within. Rory stood a moment in surprise, then made her wayw to the double doors.

Suddenly she felt as if she were trapped in a brittany spears music video. Everyone was garbed in uniform, with only very slight variations to each outfit. Rory walked slowly through the throng of bodies at first, though it got easier as she walked. Students noticed her and paused to stare at this outlandish girl. Rory felt even further out of place than she had at the hospital.

Girls wore their hair in a ponytail, Rory's was down. She ran her fingers through it uncertainly as she walked. Everyone donned the same brown loafers, Rory wore orange converse. She felt scolded my the students eyes, and walked a little faster. The closer she got to the doors the more densly packed were the students leaving their classes. Eventually it became that the uniformed masses moved out of her way to watch her pass by, and soon they were clearing a small path in her wake.

Rory walked until she feared she would never reach the main office, but things imporved. Gradually the students left the building, and once it was empty she found it easier to find her way. The office was no different from any of the other doors in the building. Mahogany, polished, with a plain brass latch. There as no window in it, she she took a deep breath before actually entering and seeing it for the first time.

"Hello, Ms. Gilmore. I was wondering if you were planning on coming at all." a balding mad greeted her, tapping his foot and glaring at the clock above the door befind her.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Some of us have places to be." he continued, then changed tones. "Anyway, to business. Here is your key, do not lose it. It opens the doorto your dormroom. By the way, you are in room 329 west. Third floor. Here's a map. Oh, and your schedule. I trust you will be alright to find it?" Rory nodded. "Good. You will recieve your ID as soon as possible. The luggage arrived before you did, and I took the liberty of having it escorted to your room."

"Thank you," Rory said, after a long, pointed silence. "Sorry, you are...?"

"Headmaster Charlston. You may call me Headmaster. Now if you'll please excuse me, I have an expulsion to deliver." With that he left her, to find her new home.

-

She found it with very little difficulty. Hers was a corner room, and when she entered she was not dissapointed with her accomodations. The room was more like three of four, though the first one she entered was the bedroom. There were two beds, one closer to the wall and once closer to a floor to cieling window on the far side. On the closer bed sat a girl, reading a heavy looking book. Rory walked over to the other bed and set down her backpack.

"Those arent allowed." The girl said to her, not looking up from her book.

"Sorry, what?"

"The bag. It's not allowed. Standardized messanger is in your closet. Shh." Rory looked in the large wooden armoire across from her bed, and found the girl had been correct. There were also several uniforms there for her.

"Are these the right size?" she asked.

"A maid came in earlier and checked the sized on all of your clothes. Yes. They're right. Shh." she continued reading, tucking a strand of blond hair behind one ear.

"Hi, I'm Rory." she introduced herself, walking up the the girl. Her new room mate let out a breath of frustration, and slammed her book shut.

"Paris. I gave you the bed near the window."

"Um...thank you,"

"Don't. I don't like being woken up by the sun. Grand tour: this, the bathroom, the room with the TV. Do you need anything else!" Rory shook her head mutely. "Well then. If you don't mind." Paris opened her book again. Rory looked around the room once more, but it seemed there was nothing left for her to do.

Lacking distraction, her fatigue finally caught up with her. She mumbled something to her roommate and closed her eyes, falling immediately into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

-

Not many students wanted to talk to the new girl. She was a natural outcast, and prefered to keep it that way. Rory wasn't quite sure she was ready to settle for this life, one without...the people she used to know.

She buried herself in schoolwork, which admittedly wasn't difficult. Chilton's workload was far heavier than that of San Fransisco High, and she was joining late. She had 4 months of missed work to make up. Here even astronomy was a new subject to her, with her teachers finally delving into the subject deep enough to pass what knowledge she already possesed.

She could often be seen walking swiftly from class to class, and was easily found in the library during the 30 minutes between each class. She had already selected a favorite among the numerous libraries in the area.

The area. The school campus itself was more like a small city. There were restaurants and things to do, museums and theaters. The best part was that all of these commodities were free. Apparently the cost of the school was so high, it included an admirable set of extras.

Rory had been a student at the school for almost a week now. Today she followed her regular schedule. In between classes: coffee, library. More classes. She was currently struggling to balance a pile of books and a large cup in her arms, and was admittedly failing.

She stumbled down the road, and just when she thought she had the catch of things, she slammed into something. Well, actually, someone. Somehow, she held on to her coffee--didn't spill a drop. She and her burdon, however, were sprawled out on the ground, on top of the figure she had just ran into.

"Enjoying the feeling? Because personally I'd rather breath," a drawling voice came from beneath her. Rory tore her eyes away from the successfully full cup in her hand to the victim of her clumsiness, and almost gasped out loud. The eyes she met were a startling shade of blue, and were currently glaring at her.

They changed, though. After their eyes actually met, something in his changed. They got darker, smokier, for lack of better word. They got more intense, and suddenly Rory found she could not look away. She lifted herself off of him, not breaking eye contact.

"Sorry" she murmered, still transfixed by his gaze.

"So," the lips beneath those eyes moved with his words. "I finally meet the famous new girl."

"Disappointed?" Rory asked. His eyes began to move downward, looking her over inch by inch. Rory, however, was having none of that. Just because she'd shared a moment with him didn't mean she was going to let some audacious guy ogle her like a piece of meat. She moved her textbook in front of her chest before his eyes had the chance to reach there.

"Now I am," he said humorously. She leaned over to pick up the last of her books, and came up with one short. She stood and saw the guy she had bumped into, holding it in his hands, tapping the spine with one long finger.

"Thank you,"

"Oh, this? This is mine. Finders keepers," he said. Rory rolled her eyes.

"Look, I don't have time for this. What will it take to get my book back?"

"Discussing the when and where of this deal already? Alright then. All you need to do is tell me you name, and--"

"You already know my name, I'm sure." Rory retorted. The guy smirked.

"Yes, but I want to hear you talk dirty." She ignored the innuendo, and he held the book aloft.

"And then You'll give me my book?" He grinned slyly.

"Well sure, but I must have forgot to mention that the 'where' happens in my dormroom..." Rory couldn't help it. She didn't want to blush, but all of the sudden she felt her cheeks heat up. The guys around her gorgeous bully tittered.

"Well well well then, I think I do already know your name." he adressed the guys behind him, but never took his eyes away from her. "What do you think guys, I think she's a Mary." They laughed harder. Rory didn't know exactly what was being said, but she wasn't going to stick around and hear it. She was a senior. She was strong. She had certainly been through more hardship than any of these jerks, and she knew it. Suddenly she found herself consumed with anger, probably more than was appropriate. She didn't care.

Her eyes narrowed, and she promptly stuck a foot out and slammed it onto that of the guy in front of her. He lowered his hand in shock, just enough for her to grab the small book from his hand.

"Hey!" he let out in pain. She hadn't held back at all. He just had all 115 pounds of Rory slammed on his foot.

Instead of saying anything, she took her book and walked--she was holding too much to run--to the library. She wasn't followed. However, she turned once before rounding the corner, and saw the guys laughing and looking at her. The blond one waved.

"Bye, Mary!" he called.

Wow. Kay so I'm sort of proud of this, and I also sort of hate it.

Yes, I know, I decided on Paris. In the end it just didn't make sense that Lane would be there. This is an AU, but I want it to have it's own sort of reality, instead of something that wouldn't make sense under any conditions. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I gave you guys the first meeting with Tristan, so, yeah. I hope I got the right mix of cocky and mysterious, with a touch of interested here and there. Hmm. Anyway.

Suggestions? This is the part of the story that can be messed with a little, whereas the beggining and end are sort of set in stone as to what should happen.

Oh? You do have suggestions/ideas/critisisms/praise?

Do tell.