Monday Morning:

I stretched a little. It was 4 am, and I'd all ready walked two miles into the dense treeline.

"Be chipper, mate." Greg fell in step next to me. "We're not backpacking a million pounds this time!"

"That." I said simply. "Is because we've only got a knife, canteen, flashlight, compass, and a day's rations."

Greg grinned. "C'mon man, only 20 miles to go."

"You signed up for this. I was shipped here." I pointed out.

"It's been two weeks! You're acclimated now!"

"Never acclimated." I insisted.

"Psh. Come on Prince Shrimp Cocktail, I smuggled a can of corned beef and Spagetti-Os."

I shook my head. "Ok. But only if I get the Spaggetti-Os."

He gave a teasing smile. "You don't happen to have a can opener on you, would ya?"

I grinned. "You idiot." (A/N From Napolean Dynomite Amy! Bwhahaha)

I found a good chunk of wood and dumped it on the pile next to the fire. King didn't look up, he just took the sticks and fed them into the dancing flames.

I sat down on one of the log benches we'd made upon arrival and rubbed down my aching legs.

"You sore, your highness?" King snapped, eager to get me riled.

"Everythin' by my ego." I replied loftily.

"When do we eat?" Josh threw another pile of kindling on the growing stack.

"Hey, hey, hey." Drew, one of the funniest guys in the compound, stood up. "It's time for camp fire songs!"

I smirked. "You start Kumbaya and I'm gonna risk it with the bears."

"I'm serious." Drew grinned. "Ok, do it with me y'all." He clearned his throat in all seriousness. "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener..."

We all exploded at once as he continued his ditty, rocking back and forth to the song.

I reined my breaking grin to a big smirk. "Drew, you're all ready one in my book."

Drew's buddies Lance and Chris joined in. "And if I were an Oscar Meyer wiener everyone would be in love with meeee!"

"Stop it! You're making me hungry!" Carlos writhed on the ground and covered his ears.

"Come on Tristan. Let's hear 'I'm A Little Teapot'." King stood. "Can we buy Kareoke Ken?"

I paused. I felt like I was having an out-of-body experiance.If I were at Chilton right now I would have casually walked up to him, smirked, and given him a cool right hook to applause. Then sauntered away.

The last thing I needed right now was to get docked.

I smirked. "Do you wanna play with Kareoke Ken? I didn't know you swing that way."

The vein in King's neck throbbed. "Come on Ken, belt a note."

I cleared my thoat. Then I prepared to do something I hadn't done in a long time. "Yes friends." I announced in a TV personality MC voice, demanding spectators. "I wanna dedicate this song to my friend King." I jumped on the large rock, everyone was grinning. I picked up a stick as a microphone.

"You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye on the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and..."

I sang the song, only knowing the words so well because everyone back home insisted it might be my theme song.

I was purposely, horribly off key, everyone was howling with laughter. But it wasn't at me. Everyone joined in at the chorus.

You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? don't you?

King threw his stick in the fire and walked towards the shelter.

I raised my 'mike', "Long live the King!"

He whirled around. "DuGrey, I'm gonna knock your legs out from under you like it's nobody's business."

Drew, Lance, and Chris chose that moment for another rousing chorus of "You're So Vain". I just grinned.

Monday Morning:

We were all stripped down to our boxers, swimming in the oasis of a lake we'd discovered on our 28 mile nature hike.

I stretched out on the rock, dead center in the lake. The sun beat against me better then the Hawaiian, Caribbian, and Tahitian sun did put together. I lay on my back, glancing at the nature around me. Had I come to this place with my family I would be laying next to some hot girl, and a cabana boy would constantly asking me if I wanted a drink to "charge to my room". I smirked. I like this so much better.

I glanced where King was on the jump rock showing off. He catapulted himself backwards into a flip, neatly tucking his legs under him.

I made sure not to make eye contact. I knew he was the champ at jumping. The last thing I needed was him realizing he could top me at something.

Carlos jumped from the rock, into the water, and his powerful freestyle propelled him toward the rock.

"Hey." He pulled himself up next to me, his body glistened with the clear lake water.

I smirked. "It's great out here in the wilderness."

"Haven't you ever gone camping before?"

"Nah. Dad would never to for a place where there was no place to plug in a laptop."

"Poor little rich boy." Carlos rubbed my head teasingly.

I smirked again. "I got a red Viper though."

"No kiddin?" Carlos' eyes shadowered over. "That wouldn't be safe within ten miles of my place." He slid back in the water and I knew he was going to swim back to everyone else.

"Dude, I didn't mean to brag." I called.

He treaded water a few moments, then shrugged. "Yeah, I know." He climbed back onto the rock.

"Sooo?" I ran my hand over my hair. "How's Tara?"

Carlos began chattering on, but I didn't really hear him.

I am an ego.

That night, I lie awake in our survial shelter. We'd be tearing it down the next day and heading back to the camp, returning late Wednesday afternoon.

I had to be super confident...Dad taught that to me. He would sit at his desk, the world at his feet. I had to be the best, and have the best.

Some things like cars, I could throw money at it. Friends could be bought or impressed. I learned persuasion at a younge age, being able to convince every and any nanny to give me anything. Girls came for my natural looks, my highly sharpened wit, and how I carried myself.

I had everything I wanted. I was almost bored. That's why I had flavors of the week, because I got bored so fast. Everything was fast with me. I drove fast, hoping my next stop would carry interest.

After the hunt, boredom overtook me and I had to be the best at something else.

Mary will never lose my interest.

Thursday Morning: A Week Since The Hike

I sat in the mess hall with my buddies. I was reading my letters.

I grinned brightly. There was one from Mary!

Hi Satan,

I'm not sure if 37 cents gets a letter all the way to hell or if you need air-mail stamps... My mom said when someone gives you the elixer of life you have to say thank you.
So...
Thanx
-Rory

I grinned and didn't even read the other letters, they didn't matter. I re-read the letter a few times, imagining her sitting at her desk, her hair gently falling over her face, and her pale hand jotting the letter down between gulps of the coffee I had sent every morning.

"Whoa! Is Tristan DuGrey's heart in..." Drew grabbed the envelope with the return address. "Stars Hollow?"

"Shut up." I shot back, but I was in too good of a mood to be mad.

I folded the letter carefully and slid it in my pocket. I held our my hand for the envelope.

King walked by and snatched the envelope from Drew's hand. "Eat your food, maggot."

I smirked and stood. "Who died and left you in charge?"

"I'm new moniter, that's what." He shot back. "Now sit down and eat or get down and do twenty."

I sat down and shoveled more food inot my mouth. King spit at the ground in front of me and walked way.

Satisfied that I would have the last word, I dug back into the meal...Lately I have been getting the last word.

For one, my table in the mess hall is always full of the funniest, most athletic, and most outgoing guys. The four tables around mine are the same. Needless to say, King's group has gotten smaller, and its been shuffled down to the very end of the room.

Second, I had become captain on my drill team. This means that the next week, my drill team and King's would go head to head for camp champ. When everyone in the dorms started making bets, the money was on our side. My team was in tip-top shape and we were a favorite to win because we worked as a team...though I remained on top.

Thirdly, the girls find me attractive. Not that that's surprising. I didn't really go for any of them though. I have a certain girl back home...

I looked over at Lance, Chris and Drew who were making a comic about Seargent Cruiz's haircut.

"Hey you guys?...What's the toleration level for pranks?"

Drew looked up and grinned. "Sir, zero tolerance, sir."

I knew it would be a fun weekend.

Thursday Morning: Stars Hollow

Lorelai woke up early and ran out to the porch in time to see a Starbucks delivery truck drive away from their front yard. She tightened the knot on her bathrobe and chose a seat on the patio swing. "Goody." Gleefully she chose one of the cups, Irish cream of course. She inhaled the steaming liquid before beginning to savor it.

Every morning since the first major coffee stunt, an array of ten coffee varieties "magically" appeared on their patio table.

Of course Lorelai thought I won't tell Luke I get five cups before getting one from him.

"Rory! Drinks!" Lorelai yelled - waking a few neighbors, who had, by now, grown used to the aroma of coffee perfuming the street.

Rory came out, all ready dressed in her school uniform. "I get the Irish cream."

"Too late." Lorelai threw an all-ready empty cup over her shoulder.

Rory methodically chose one cup and poured it into her thermos, then selected two more fro the bus ride. "I get Irish cream tomorrow."

"Not unelss I'm up first." Lorelai smiled devilishly. "I asssume Dean doesn't know about coffee every morning...or the bracelet. Are you wearing it?"

Rory hid her wrist in her pocket. "No."

Lorelai grinned. "Wuddya mean, no?"

"I just like the, um, shiny aspect." She jangled it admittedly.

"What's the piano charm for?" Lorelai drained the rest of her cup and reached for a new one. She gave Rory a innocent smile.

Rory fingered the piano charm. "Low blow."

Lorelai stood and hugged Rory. "I was just kidding mini-me. I know, I'm sorry."

"How can I enjoy the devil's coffee? I'm with Dean."

Lorelai, though it's humanly impossible, reached for the last cup of coffee. "Come on Rory, let's be almost logical. Why do you hate Satan?"

"He tempted Eve?"

"Rory. Did you know opposites attract? Now go to school." She swatted Rory playfully.

Rory started to the bus, considering what Lorelai had said. Lorelai, peeled out toward Luke's.

"Luke! Coffee!" Lorelai impatiently patted the counter. She wasn't in too much of a hurry considering she had downed 7 before arriving.

"Why do I have this sinking suspicion you're giddy about something?" He poured her a tall mug. "You didn't buy coffee before this one did you?"

"Why no, my flannel-clad friend. But Satan does leave some on my porch."

Satisfied he wasn't being outsmarted, he went back to the kitchen. Lorelai smirked slyly and sipped her victory.

Hey Readers,

Thanks for all the comments! I hope you like these chapters. It will be slower postings because I've got a beta coming soon. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but I've gotten so many comments suggesting I did better in the typo area, so slower updates, but they'll be neater! Or would you rather more updates faster, but a little sloppier? I'm gonna beta a ton myself as well.

-Thought's Pen

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What do you all think makes the best trories? Be specific!