CHAPTER 8

MILIRARY SCHOOL - TRISTAN

"Yeah, alright. Well call me when you're on your way then... bye." Dave hung up the phone as Tristan walked in the room.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Dave said with a smirk.

"Dude, I'm serious."

"It just so happens that it was Rory and she was confessing her love for me." Dave said with a laugh. Tristan ran over to give him a punch in the arm when he was suddenly stopped with Dave's hand in his face.

"I was just kidding...it was my grandma. She said she can't come this Saturday, so she has to come the next. I'm so pissed, I wanted to leave early." Dave said, looking upset.

"Well be happy that you're leaving soon, I'm stuck here for another 3 weeks. I'm missing everything back home... my old classes' graduation, prom, and all the good parties." Tristan smiled at the last option.

"Dude, did you just say prom?"

"Yeah...why?" Tristan was confused, why did Dave suddenly get so excited about prom?

"When is prom?"

"Next Saturday."

Dave's smile widened. "That's when my grandma is coming to pick me up."

"So?"

"So, your exit is only a couple away from mine on the highway, which means it's on the way home AND the PROM is on Saturday! And Rory and Grace are going to be at the prom right?" Dave quickly spat out.

"Yeah...so? She already knows I can't go. And besdies, Rory has a date."

"You said her date was a friend."

"He is." Tristan said quickly.

"So..." Dave said, giving Tristan leiway to guess what he was going to say."

"So...what?"

"So, this means that we've got to get you to that prom." Dave said confidently. And with that, Dave marched to the phone and dialed his grandmother's number. She would have to drive her mini-van if she wanted to fit all Dave's and Tristan's stuff in there.

DuGREY HOUSE

It was 3AM when Grace and Rory finally gave in and fell asleep. All night they had talked and laughed, comparing boy horror stories and even the flattering / incredibly hilarious stories. Grace had spilled about how she had a very secret crush, that no one knew about, on her brother's roommate up at school. She had only met him once, but she swore the moment their eyes met, her whole world changed. Once Rory got her started on this so called "Dave" she didn't stop. Hearing all this led Rory to believe that if she were to tell Grace about Tristan, it would only screw things up. She valued her friendship with Grace so much, that she didn't want to risk it on some high school romance that probably won't even make it past its second week. So as Grace proceeded to tell her more about her and Dave's brief encounter, Rory kept her mouth shut, and dug up other silly boy stories she could share. Ones that didn't include Tristan.

Grace woke up at 7. She had so much fun that night, but for some reason couldn't sleep. She turned on her side and saw that across the room, Rory was still asleep. Grace was bummed because her brilliant plan wasn't working too brilliantly last night. She was hoping that after she shared her crush on Dave that Rory would take the initiative and share one of her deepest, darkest secrets. "Maybe one that would have to do with a certain boy, whose sister was sitting right across from her. But NO! Rory didn't dish on anything. She shared lame-ass stories about some shit named Dean who left her for another girl." Grace thought to herself that night. She knew, she just KNEW that Rory liked Tristan, and she just wished that Rory would've let off something that she could call her on. If she just slipped once, Grace couldn've taken that and turned it into another phone call from Tristan. Something, anything, to further her plan. She needed a reason to tell Tristan, to get him home early. He wouldn't come home three weeks early if she just fed him some line about how much Rory liked him, no, she needed something more, something bigger! Something that would lead him to her house to ask her to prom formally. Something that would fulfill the rest of her plan.

But that something was the only thing missing from her plan. It was the one piece to the puzzle that she had lost, and not figured out yet. Grace got up out of her bed and headed downstairs. She would need some more s'mores if she was going to be doing this much thinking.

CHILTON

The weekend went with a flash. Rory had barely noticed that it had come and gone, she and her mom spent days locked up in the house, measuring, cutting, fitting, making sure that Rory was to-die-for in her prom dress.

"I can't believe it's this Saturday." Louise said in homeroom.

"I know, I am so stoked for prom!" Madeline exclaimed.

"Madeline, stoked?" Rory gave her a look.

"What? I was watching Blue Crush this weekend, and I thought I'd try the whole surfer lingo thing out. " Madeline said with a smile, "I can totally pull it off, right?"

"Hmm...hun, I'd stick to the suburbs." Louise said with a grin.

"Well, you never know unless you try right?"

"Sure." Rory said, laughing along with the others.

"So, what time are you guys showing up? I mean, I know it starts at 8, but I was thinking I'd go at like 8:30. What do you think?" Louise asked, turning suddenly serious.

"8:30? I was thinking 9." Madeline said, the smile vanished from her face.

"Yeah maybe you're right, the cool people will probably go at 9."

"Or, should we push it back to 10?" Madeline raised an eyebrow.

"God, I didn't even think about 10. Yeah 10's good. The cool people will probably go at 10." Louise agreed.

"What do you think Rory?" Madeline asked.

"Well, if the prom starts at 8, why would you stay home and sit around for two hours when you could be there, dancing and having fun."

"Because the cool people don't arrive until 10." Louise said convincingly.

"Yeah, but who cares. Just go at 8." Rory said, not believing she was actually having this conversation.

"Are you going at 8?" Both girls looked at Rory, wide-eyed.

"Yes, it just so happens, I am."

"Well I guess if Rory is going at 8, then we could too." Louise looked at Madeline.

"Are you serious?" Madeline asked.

"No," Louise let out a big laugh, "if you think I am going to be standing outside when the doors open, you're crazy. I'll show up at precisely 10:00."

"Yeah me too." Madeline replied, with a sigh of relief.

"Fine, while you two are home cutting your toe-nails I'll be at the dance, dancing my ass off. But have fun picking off the hangnails." Rory said. As she got up, the bell rang and she carried on to her next class.

After Rory left Madeline and Louise looked at eachother with worried looks.

"8:00?" Madeline said to Louise.

"Make it 8:30. We don't want to be complete dorks." Both girls nodded.

"Good idea." The duo walked out of homeroom with a little less on their mind.

During her 3rd period bio class, Grace spent the whole period brainstorming possible ideas that would bring Tristan home early. She could tell him the dog died. Of course, she would have to get a dog first. She could tell him she broke her leg, but then he'll just ask why the maid can't help. She could tell him that Rory is madly in love with him and that her dream prom had him and her dancing as the clock struck 12. Or...she could just tell him that she can get him an early ride home.

"Yup, I think the last option will do just fine." she said to herself, proud of coming up with the one idea that didn't even need to be thought up in the first place.

So it was settled, Grace would call Tristan right when she got come, to tell him that she could get him a ride home on Wednesday night. Then and only then, would her plan be in order and she could start checking things off her "How to get Rory and Tristan at the Prom Together" checklist.

GILMORE HOUSE

As Rory walked home from the bus stop she walked past Luke's and noticed what was inside. She had to do a double take to realize that her mother and Luke were kissing AGAIN! "Well, it's about time." she said to herself. About an hour after she got home the phone rang. She picked it up on its second ring.

"Hello?"

"Mary?" he said slowly, as if unsure of himself.

Rory smiled to herself. Since she knew exactly who it was, she knew she could joke around. "Ahh...Well if it isn't Bible Boy!" she said with a grin.

"Well, well, well. How've you been?"

"I've been doing good, how have YOU been?"

"Well my day just got better." Tristan replied smoothly.

Rory blushed, she was at a loss at how he could make he blush and still be hundreds of miles away.

"So, you excited for prom?" Tristan asked, now sounding upbeat, knowing something Rory didn't.

"Yeah, it'll be fun. Today, Louise and Madeline were talking about what time they want to show up. They started at 8:30 and wound up at 10:00."

Tristan laughed. Rory loved his laugh and she loved the fact that she made him laugh.

"Sounds like them."

"Yeah, I couldn't believe I participated in the conversation. I could feel myself getting stupider the more we talked about it."

Tristan laughed again.

"And let me guess...you told them that going at 10 was a waste of time and that you would show up at 8, when it starts."

"What are you, the next Bewitched?"

"Exuseee mee... but I did not wiggle my nose to figure that last bit out...I am physic, not a witch."

"Impressive." Rory said sarcastically.

"Rory, can I ask you something?" Tristan asked, his voice turning serious.

"Anything," she said, before she realized that the words left her mouth.

"Are you going out with Jake Hemmers? I have to know the truth, I know you told me you were going as friends, but that is something you would do to spare my feelings, so tell me the truth: Are you going with Jake?"

"Are you challenging me to a game of truth, Tristan DuGrey?"

"A game of truth?" he replied, dumfounded. The game had nothing to do with what he asked her.

"Yes. You don't think that I'm just going to answer each and every question you throw at me willingly, do you?"

"Well, I guess not."

"Good then. We'll just play a game of truth,"

"You ask, I ask, and whoever doesn't tell loses type of deal, right?"

"By god, I think he's got it."

"Ok, me fir-" Tristan started to say, but then was quickly cut off.

"HEY HEY HEY! Ladies first..."

"I'm sorry...I am a gentlemen, ladies first."

"I'll start with something light, do you miss home."

"Well there are somethings, some people, that make me miss home, yes."

He said some people...does that mean I am one of them? Rory thought to herself, but then realized he was suddenly quiet. "Okay, your turn." she replied.

"Are you going with Jake Hemmers?"

"No, like I've said before, we are just friends."

"Ok, that's all I needed to know...so what else is new?"

"Wait a minute, I have just started a game of truth, we've opened up a can of worms, you can't just put the top on that can and shove it back in the ground. We have to finish the game."

"Rory, this isn't Jumanji, we started the game two seconds ago. I asked a question, you asked a question, we broke even."

"I am sensing that you, Tristan DuGrey, are just afraid to be beat at your own game. You've got a few skeletons in your closet you wish to keep hidden?" Rory smiled, knowing that Tristan would never back down.

"No, I am just fine playing this game, I just thought that you would rather talk about something else than all my old girlfriends."

Rory laughed, "Your old girlfriends, eh?" Tristan laughed along with her.

"Alright, my turn, just HOW MANY real girlfriends have you had Tristan?"

"Hmmm..let me count. Jenna, Missy, Brittany, Summer, Paris, Louise, Madeline, Kelly, Jackie, Casey, you." Tristan knew that last name would strike a nerve, which was the reason he said it in the first place. He liked to get a rouse out of Rory.

"Excuse me! I am not your girlfriend, never was, never will be." Rory said as she went blue in the face. I wish, she thought to herself.

"But Rory, don't you remember that night you declared your love for me and you kissed me by the piano? At Madeline's party?" He laughed after he said it, he could hear Rory laughing too, at the other end.

"Why I remember it, but if I'm not mistaken, it was you that was declaring your love." Rory said. She liked joking around with Tristan. It's just joking, right? Just as Rory finished her sentence the doorbell rang.

"Well, I have to go, we'll finish this game another time."

"Oh so you think you're getting ANOTHER phone call?"

"Think..pshh...I know!" Rory said laughing.

"I"ll talk to you later, have fun at your prom if I don't talk to you."

"Thanks," she said, then added, "and Tristan?"

"Yeah?"

"You won't last until Saturday without hearing my voice." and with that Rory hung up, knowing she left a smile on his face.

Rory got up and opened the door to find her mother with her arms full of grocery bags.

"Mom : food shopping? I never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah, well... our fridge is bare, and Luke threatened to never serve me again. He said he didn't like serving me three meals a day, which I took as a compliment because you know me, I am just not good with insults."

Rory helped her mom with the bags, her smile still stretching from ear to ear.

"So, what's with you?" Lorelai asked, noting the smile that hadn't yet left her face.

"Nothing, Tristan called, it was fun."

"Oh. Well can you stop smiling, you look like some kinda freak-child." Lorelai said as she put the pop tarts in the pantry.

"Funny mom."

"I'm not kidding honey, people are starting to stare. And to be honest, it's getting embarrassing." Lorelai started to laugh at her own joke.

"Well I'm glad someone thinks you're funny." Rory said as she went into her room, still smiling.