CHAPTER 10 Grandma Places the Order

GILMORE HOUSE

Rory awoke earlier than her alarm clock that morning. She used the time to take an extra long shower. Once she was out and dressed, her mom came downstairs.

"Feeling better today?"

"Ready to take on the world." Rory said with a smile.

"That's my girl."

"So you ready? I told Luke that we'd be over in five minutes."

"Yup, let's go."

As the girls walked to Luke's, Rory looked at her mom and saw an excited smile. "You happy mom?"

"Yeah kid, I am." Lorelai replied, grabbing Rory in for a tight hug.

MILITARY SCHOOL - TRISTAN

After dinner Dave and Tristan headed back to the room to pack some more.

"Dave, is this yours or mine?" Tristan asked, holding up a navy sweatshirt.

"I'd say yours." Dave answered.

"Ok." Tristan went back to his box and then turned around to face Dave again, "hey, how come you didn't tell me that Grace called the other day?" he asked.

"I guess I just forgot." Dave said, without looking up.

"And how come you won't look me in the eye?" Tristan began to notice Dave's uneasiness.

Dave looked up at Tristan, "There. You happy now?"

"You're acting weird is all I'm sayin."

"I am not."

"You like her don't you?" Tristan couldn't believe he had been that oblivious.

"Like who? I don't know who you're talkin about, man."

"Dude, it's so obvious."

Dave was starting to get nervous. He had never told Tristan that he had a thing for Grace, and he assumed Tristan was finally figuring it out.

"Tristan, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Man, I can't believe you," Tristan was beginning to smirk, "all this time you kept buggin me to tell Rory how I felt when..when here you were hiding this big secret the whole time?"

"Tristan... I was only telling you that because I knew that she would've liked you back. From all the stories you told it was obvious that she liked you too."

"And it's obious that you like Grace. So why didn't you ever tell her? Since you're all so big into the truth."

"Because I knew that she would never feel the same, so why risk it." Dave answered, going back to packing.

"If you're so sure, then why is it so important to you that we get to that prom?"

"Dude, I'm doing this for you. The prom is about Rory."

"Well, what if I told you that Rory may not be going to the prom anymore?" Tristan asked. He wanted to see just how in love Dave was with his sister.

"Then I'd say that we are majorly screwed."

"No, I think you'd be bummed too."

"And why would I be bummed?" Dave asked, trying to play cool.

"BECAUSE...then you wouldn't get to see Grace."

"Dude, I've met your sister once. This is NOT about Grace, this is about Rory."

"Sure Dave, we'll just see who whinds up with who at the dance."

"Fine." Dave replied. "just finish packing."

Tristan grinned as he shoved some more clothes into a box. Dave and Grace... he never saw it coming, but his feminine side thought it was somewhat cute. He knew Grace had a date to prom, but he also knew that she wasn't serious about him. As Tristan's mind drifted, he started to think more of Rory and the prom and it dawned on him: he would have to find a tux place between here and Chilton. He and Dave would both be needing them, if they were going to go in there and expect to sweep the girls off their feet. "Or the military uniform thing might work. Girls rave all the time how they like a man in uniform." he thought to himself. Tristan decided to get Dave's opinion on it.

"Do you think we should rent tuxes for the dance, or go in our uniforms?"

"Why the hell would we go in our uniforms? We would look so out of place, standing next to freaken penguins." Dave replied, a smile on his face.

"I don't know, don't girls like a man in uniform?" Tristan asked sincerely.

"When girls talk about that, I think they think about the marines, or the navy or something. Not being sent off to military school because you got kicked out of private school."

"True. So, you know any place we can get a tux?"

"Well...aren't there small towns closer to Chilton? One is bound to have a tux place. I mean Chilton, rich kids. Come on."

"Yeah... I'll call Grace and ask her." Tristan said, "or you can call her, if you want." he added, just to get a rouse out of Dave.

"Shut up." he said with a big smile on his face. Then he got serious, "but if you call and ask, won't she know that we're gonna surpise them at the dance?"

"Umm...then what should we do? I mean it's not like I'm gonna call your grandma up and tell her to order them." Tristan said sarcastically.

"DUDE! YOU'RE A GENIUS! I'll go call her now." Dave exclaimed.

"Dave-Dave, I was kidding."

"Well, I'm not." he said, dialing the phone.

"Ok then." Tristan laughed.

"Hey grandma? Yeah, it's me Dave..."

LUKE'S

"Hey hun, how was school?" Lorelai asked Rory when she entered the diner.

"Ehh...I'm kind of wishing this prom stuff were just over with already."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah well...I kind of avoided Louise and Jake all day, but I don't care anymore, I'm over it. Just listening to everyone talk about it..."

"Are you still gonna go?" Lorelai asked. Part of her really wanted Rory to go, she knew if she did, once she got there, she would have a great time.

"I don't know...I don't have a date."

"Well...I don't mean to put you down, but before Jake asked you, you were going to go without a date."

"Yeah but, I'll just feel weird. I don't know." Rory said, unsure of herself.

"Well, do you want me to dig you someone up? If not someone from Stars Hollow, I could call grandma and we can get you a nice, pretty blind date. She would love to set you up."

"Mom, I hope you're kidding." Rory looked at her mom.

"No babe, I can tell her to make sure he's one hell of a date. She'll even hold auditions, kind of like an American Idol except no singing, or dancing, or..actually nothing like American Idol, she'd just hold auditions."

"That's alright."

"Oh I got it!" Lorelai screamed, almost knocking her coffee all over the counter.

"Will you be careful! And stop screaming in the diner." Luke exclaimed.

"Sorry Hunny buns."

"Anndddd will you stop callin' me hunny buns."

"Alright Lukey bear."

"Aww Christ." Luke sighed as he walked into the back.

"So anyway, back to my BRILLIANT idea."

"hmm mmm." Rory sighed, waiting for her mother to talk.

"MICHELE CAN TAKE YOU!"

"Eww mom! NO! I can't believe you would even think that is a good idea. What the hell are you thinking?" Rory said, disgusted.

"Yes! I knew you'd like it."

"Thanks, but no thanks mom." Rory smiled.

"Fine, but if you need any help, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay. I think I'm gonna go, I've got a lot of homework."

"Ok, bye sweets."

GILMORE HOUSE

When Rory got home, she took a nice warm shower and changed into her pajamas. As she took out her books from her backpack, the phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hi, is Rory there?"

Rory smiled, "Ahh. See, I told you, you wouldn't make it until Saturday without hearing my voice."

"Yes. I just knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight unless I heard your voice Mare." Tristan joked.

"I know, I know."

"So, how are you doing?" he asked, sincerely.

"I'm doing good. You?"

"No, I mean, how are you really doing?"

"Tristan, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I called yesterday and your mom told me that you were sleeping. She said you kind of had a hard day." he said slowly, unsure of how she'd react.

"Oh, well, I'm fine now. Just a lot of Prom crap happened yesterday. I'm over it though."

"That's good." Tristan replied.

"Let's just say, that if you were coming, it'd be a whole lot easier to find a date."

"Wait, wait, wait. Let's not get ahead of ourselves now, Mare."

"What?"

"What makes you so sure that I would bring you to prom if I were back home."

"Tristan, let's be real here." Rory paused, then said "I KNOW you would ask me to prom." They both laughed.

"Okay, okay. You caught me." Tristan said, turning slightly more serious.

"But anyway, now that Jake is out of the picture, I don't really have any more guy friends who don't have dates yet. I don't know what I'm going to do. I just may not go at all."

"Well, did you ever think of going alone?"

"That's what my mom keeps telling me. Then again my mom also suggested me going with a grumpy, old, french guy who she works with. So, I don't know what I want to do."

"Oh."

"Yup. But enough about me, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing much. I'm just overcoming shock."

"And why is that?" Rory asked smiling. It was so good to hear his voice. She found herself getting excited for the day he comes home.

"Well, my roommate told me that he digs my sister today."

IT DID NOT HAPPEN LIKE THAT! Dave shouted in the background, listening to every word.

"Oh yeah? Dave, right." Rory said.

Tristan laughed, "how'd you know?"

"Let's just say a little bird told me." Rory said, laughing.

Tristan grabbed the cordless phone and left the room. If Rory was about to tell him what he thought she was, he didn't want Dave to overhear it beforehand.

"Does that little bird happen to be named Grace?" he asked.

"Just so happens."

"Get out," Tristan exclaimed, "Grace likes Dave?"

Rory laughed, "Yeah Tristan, it's so cute. When I slept over she gushed about him all night."

"Yeah?" he said, with his infmaous smirk plastered on his face.

"You should bring him to your house sometime, she would just die if she saw him."

"Yeah, I should." Tristan said smiling.

"But you CANNOT say anything about it to Grace. She would kill me."

"And we wouldn't want that to happen." Tristan finished her sentence.

"Well, I'm sorry to cut this phone call short, but I have to get some homework done."

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Tristan said and hung up.

As Rory hung up, a very questioning thought ran through her head. "He said, 'see you soon.' Did he mean 'See you SOON' or did he just mean 'see ya soon.'" Before she could contemplate the thought any further, her mom walked in.

"Hey Ror, I'm home."

"Hey mom." Rory said, walking into the kitchen.

"Geez!" Lorelai said, stopping short.

"What?" Rory asked, having no idea what her mom was talking about.

"You've got that goofy smile on your face again. You weird freak-child."

Rory laughed, "And you're calling me weird."

"Oh I KNOW!" Lorelai belted out, "Tristan called didn't he? And that's why you are so goofy tonight."

"Mom, yes he did call, but no I am not goofy."

"Yes you are. You always get that way when he calls."

"MOM! No, I'm not!" Rory said laughing.

"Yes you are."

"Mom."

"Ror, I would not lie to you. Now, go sit down, you freak-child."

"I'm going to do homework." Rory yelled over her mother. She walked into her room laughing and shut the door.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't pass that freakiness on to me!" Lorelai shouted.

DuGREY HOUSE

Grace walked around like a zombie all day. She couldn't believe that she couldn't think of anything to get Tristan and Rory together. She had given up earlier that day, but then decided against it. She had already spent so much time and energy on them, she wouldn't go down without a fight. So she called Tristan again that night, begging him to come home early. It was already Wednesday night, but with some more planning she was sure that she could manage a ride for him any day.

bbbbrrrrrrrrrrrinnnnnnnnnnnnggggg

"Hello?"

"Hi, is Tristan there?" Grace asked, knowing better than to just assume it's him. Because you know what people say when you assume.

"It's me. And since when do you ask for me?"

"How about since last time I made a complete fool of myself, and turns out I was talking to the wrong guy the whole time."

"Oh yeah. He just gave me the message."

"Oh. Well the reason I'm calling again is that I need you to come home."

"I am, Grace. I told you, this weekend."

"I know, but I need you sooner than that."

"Why? I'll be home in less than five days. What is it, that can't possibly wait?"

"It's just- I need-" Grace didn't know what to say. I should've planned this out better. "I just need you okay?"

Tristan felt bad. He didn't know what to say. "Grace. Are you positive that this can't wait a few days?"

"Tris."

He felt bad, but he couldn't give in. Not yet. "Grace, you're really puttin me out. I have exams these next few days. They're really important. I mean, I'm coming home early as it is, and if I miss these then they're gonna make me come back during the summer, just to take the tests."

"Fine. If it's that much of a hassle, then-then don't bother okay?"

"Grace, I'm sorry." Tristan really was sorry. Grace sounded bummed, which made it all the more harder to tell her. He just needed to do it though, because he knew in the end it would all be worth it. The look on Grace's face when she saw Dave, and the look on Rory's face when she saw Tristan, it would all just fit.

"It's ok. I'll see you in a few days."

"Bye."

When Tristan hung up Dave looked at him. "Was that Grace?"

"Yeah, she was begging me to come home again."

"Why?"

"I don't know. She said she needs me, but if you ask me, I think she's up to something."

"But, I didn't ask you."

"What?" Tristan asked, confused.

"You said 'if you ask me' and I'm saying that I didn't ask you."

"Dave...shut up." Tristan said as he threw the nearest pillow at him.

"Alright, but that was some quick thinking about the tests. Pretty clever, if you ask me." Dave said, mocking Tristan.

"Thanks, but I wasn't joking. We really do have tests."

Dave's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding? I swear to god, if you are kidding, you son of a bitch."

"Dave, I'm not kidding. We have finals for math and english on Friday. "

"What?"

"You're just lucky we don't have any tomorrow."

"Have you been studying?" Dave asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

"Nah... I'll just half-ass it whenever I get the test."

"Okay," Dave said, starting to calm down, "sounds good."