CHAPTER 9 - Anything that Can go Wrong

MILITARY SCHOOL - TRISTAN

Tristan was on a high the whole rest of the day. Rory did that to him; she made him feel like nothing could go wrong. He felt all cooped up in his room all afternoon, so he told Dave that he was going out. When Dave turned around to ask him where he was going, it was too late. Tristan was already out the door.

At around 8:00 that night the phone rang. Dave thought it might be Tristan calling to tell him where he was, because he still wasn't back yet, but boy was Dave wrong!

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

"Tristan, mom said we can get you a ride home on Wednesday, so pack your bags."

"Umm...this isn't Tristan. It's Dave."

Grace's heart stopped, and coincidentally Dave's did too.

"Ohh...hi. Well is he there?" Grace asked, her voice quivering.

"No he's not here, Grace."

"Oh...well I don't have much time, but could you just tell him that mom is sending someone to come pick him up on Wednesday."

"Umm, actually-." Dave tried to say, but Grace just butt in again. She wouldn't give him a chance to speak.

"Tell him to be packed, ready, and waiting outside at 5 sharp."

"Grace."

"Umm, okay. Thanks. I have to go now." Grace hung up quickly. She wasn't expecting Dave, and she really wasn't expecting this freak-out she was having at the moment. Usually she was smooth around guys and had no trouble talking to them. "What is he doing to me?" Grace was at a loss. She put the phone back on the hook and pressed the on button on her stereo, only one song could calm her down right now. Hold My Heart: Part 2 by Letter Kills. Grace lay back on her bed listening as the speakers blared out the words to the song

Remember when you said

You'd hold my heart instead

Well I'm letting you know now, go ahead

Grace instantly fell asleep, only to find herself dreaming about Dave.

MILITARY SCHOOL - TRISTAN

As Dave hung up the phone he felt his heart sinking. He couldn't believe he didn't say anything on the phone. "Not a word," he thought to himself, "oh wait that's not true I said her name. Her FREAKEN name. Damn it." Dave walked over to his bed and grabbed his IPOD off his desk. As he scrolled to the one song that would cure him of his shitty mood, he lay down on his bed. As he listened to the lyrics he thought about what she thought about him.

Remember when you said

You'd hold my heart instead

I'm letting you know now, go ahead.

CHILTON

Rory was walking on clouds all day. That is, until she saw Jake. She saw him down the hall talking to Louise! LOUISE! He had never talked to Louise in his life, and he chose now to start, only days away from prom. Suddenly they both made eye contact with each other and Jake came shuffling over. He looked like the bearer of bad news.

"You don't look so good. Are you okay Jake?" Rory asked, concerned.

"Umm, actually... can I talk to you? In private?"

"Yeah, sure." Rory said, as she led him into an empty classroom. Once they were inside and Jake closed the door, he started to talk.

"Rory, I'm really sorry about this but.."

"Jake just spit it out."

"Ok, well... I bumped into Louise today and we were talking and it turns out that her prom date bailed on her,"

"Jake," Rory said, her eyes starting to get teary.

"Rory, I'm sorry. I thought you of all people would understand. You know how much I have liked her, and now she's finally giving me a chance."

"So...I gave you a chance. Jake, she didn't even know you existed until I told her that you were my date. D-does this mean I'm just you're back up. I mean nothing? I mean come on. This is shit Jake."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I really am Rory."

"So if you are so sorry then why are you leaving me and taking her to prom?"

"Rory," Jake's face looked pained. He didn't know what to say. There really was no reasonable explanation for what he was doing. He had a prom date and he just stumbled across a better one.

"You know what Jake, save it. I don't give two shits what you have to say." Rory ran out of the classroom and to the nearest bathroom. When she got to there, she was relieved to see that it was empty. As she rinsed her face, she could feel the tears fall harder. "Why the hell am I crying? We weren't even going out or anything, we were just friends." she thought to herself. Rory pressed her back up against the wall and slid down to sit. Quickly she whipped out her cell phone and texted Grace to meet her in the main bathrooms ASAP. Two minutes later Grace came in.

"Rory?" she whispered.

"Right here." she answered.

"What's wrong?"

"J-Jake isn't taking me to prom?"

"WHAT?" Grace asked, worried about Rory but also VERY WORRIED about another bump in the road for her master plan.

Rory proceeded to tell Grace the whole story, only stopping when they got interrupted by an innocent freshman. When Grace got up and told the girl to leave, she grabbed more tissues for Rory from her purse.

"And that's what he said to you? Damn, that chicken shit has got some nerve. Rory, when I see this kid he is gonna get a piece of my mind."

"Grace, you don't need-"

"No Rory, this guy made you cry, and he didn't even have the decency to come see if you were alright. What an ass."

Rory smiled as she watched Grace get all worked up.

"Thanks Grace. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Rory, you're my best friend, and this piece of ass doesn't deserve your tears."

As Rory and Grace got up and threw all the damp tissues in the garbage Rory enveloped Grace in a hug.

"Don't worry about it. You'll thank me later." Grace said, and then walked out of the bathroom after giving Rory a departing glance.

"What do you mean?" Rory asked. But it was too late, the door already shut, and Grace was gone.

GILMORE HOUSE

"Ror, I am so sorry."

"mmmhmmm." Rory answered.

"But one question, are you still going to prom?"

"Why should I? Everyone knew I was going with Jake and when he shows up with Louise I'll just have to tell the story another bazillion times, and who needs that."

"Yeah, but what about the dress? You looked so good. If you show up in that, Jake will be begging you to take him back."

"I don't know...I guess we'll just see what happens. I'm gonna go to bed, it's been a long day."

"Kay, g'night kid." Lorelai said as Rory walked into her room.

About twenty minutes later at 9, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Lorelai answered.

"Hi, is Rory there."

"Listen Tristan, I don't think she's up for it right now. She's had a rough day and she went to bed early. I'll tell her to call you tomorrow though, okay?"

"That's fine."

"Ok, bye kid."

"Umm...Lorelai?"

"Yeah?"

"She's ok, right?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah, she's fine. School is just stressin her out, she'll be fine for your flirtathon tomorrow, ok?"

Tristan laughed. "Bye, Miss Gilmore," he said as he hung up the phone.

Lorelai laughed as she put the phone back in its receiver.

DuGREY HOUSE

Grace got home later than usual that night. She had stayed after school to give Jake a piece of her mind, which made her late for her 2 hour dance class.

"You're home late." The maid, Jean said to her.

"Yeah well, I got held up at school." Unlike most posh people in her neighborhood, Grace was friends with her maid. For an older, exotic woman, she was alright.

"You okay? You don't look too good."

"I just ripped some guy's heart out and tore him apart because he made Rory cry."

"Rory?" Jean said with wide-eyes. "But she's doesn't do nothin to nobody."

"I know, and that's why I completely ripped this kid apart." Grace said, with a developing smile.

"So, you did good huh?"

"Yeah, it was great. I may be a mean person for saying this, but I loved every minute of telling that pain in the ass that he was indeed a pain in the ass."

"Well, remind me to never screw with you."

Grace laughed out loud as she climbed the stairs to her room. Right as she closed the door, her room phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Grace, it's Tristan."

"Oh hey, what's up."

"I need to ask you something, and what I have to say does not mean in any way, shape, or form that I like this girl, it just means I'm concerned about her." Tristan said, setting up his argument.

"Tris, what the hell are you talking about? It's been a long day and I don't need your antics, if you've got something to say then just say it."

"Fine, what is wrong with Rory?"

Grace dropped her backpack. "Rory?" How did he know anything about Rory? Well, he's got my attention now. Grace thought to herself.

"Yes, Rory. What happened? I know it's more then just school work, now what is it?"

"How do you know? Who have you been talking to? HAVE YOU BEEN TALKING TO RORY?"

Tristan took note that Grace sounded upset, so he did the only sensible thing he could think of : he lied. "No, I was just talking to Aaron Bleday, and he said that he saw Rory was upset today, so I called to ask you why."

"Oh," Grace said, sounding more relaxed, "why are you so concerned?"

"Because...she's your best friend, and I'm just looking out for you guys."

"But why, you're more than a hundred miles away, what good are you gonna do if one of us is in trouble?" Grace asked, a smirk growing wide on her face. She was going to make him admit that he liked Rory once and for all. And when he finally did, she could quit fooling around and get her plan in action again.

"Grace, just tell me what happened." Tristan said, angrily.

"Fine, I didn't want to get you upset, so I'll tell you. But only if you tell me one thing first."

"What?"

"Why do you care so much?"

"I told you, I don't. I'm only looking out for you."

"And Rory."

"What?" Tristan asked, getting confused.

"You're looking out for me and Rory. Because, ya know, this story is about Rory, so you would have to care about Rory, since you want to know this story so bad."

"Grace, just give it up."

"Fine, fine. So Rory was going to prom with Jake Hemmers and he came up to her today and told her that he found another date. So then I got her text message to meet her in the bathroom and when I went, she was a mess. Tissues all over the place, and she was crying. I felt so bad. So I did the only thing I could think of, and at the end of the day I went off on the kid.

"Oh," Tristan replied.

"Let's just say, that if he felt bad before, well he's eternally sorry now."

"Is Rory okay?"

"Yeah, I'd say that she'll survive."

"Is she still going to prom?"

"I don't know." Grace answered. "Oh hey, did Dave give you my message that I left you yesterday?"

"No, what?"

"Well that mom could get you home tomorrow. She can send a guy and you'll be home tomorrow night."

"Grace, I was gonna catch a ride with Dave." Tristan said. He knew if he was home tomorrow night then he could go visit Rory, but part of him wanted to surprise her at the prom.

"But, Tris...tomorrow night. I mean come on. You NEED to come home." Grace plead. She needed him home, if this was all going to work out.

"And I will, this weekend. I've got to go, I'll talk to you later Grace." Tristan hung up and found himself face to face with Dave.

"Dude, start packing your stuff. My grandma just called my cell and said she'd be here on Saturday morning, because we'll be driving all day. If we hit no traffic and go straight through, we should be there by 8." Dace said.

"Will we make the prom?"

"Definitely. There is no way we are missing it." Dave said confidently.

For the next three hours the boys packed all the stuff that they wouldn't be using between now and Saturday. They gave in at 11:30, to go to bed. Dave could tell something was bothering Tristan, he assumed it was the prom thing, so before he turned off the light, he said, "Don't worry man, we'll get there."

DuGREY HOUSE

"Damn." Grace thought to herself. "this whole plan is going straight into a shithole." Grace didn't know what to do. She thought she had this all planned out, and she wanted in the worst way, to see Tristan and Rory together at that dance. But part of her told herself that it would never happen. The only thing she could do now was give up, before either of them found out too much or built their hopes up. She knew Tristan was madly in love with Rory and she knew Rory was pining for Tristan. "There's just no way it'll happen." Grace thought. She was at a loss, and no more brilliant ideas were running through her head.