CHAPTER 11 - Goofy Smiles All 'Round

CHILTON

"Hey Grace. Excited for Saturday?" Rory asked Grace that morning.

"Yes! Are you?" Grace asked, then quickly followed up, "you are going aren't you?"

Rory stood there, staring at the lockers for a moment. "I don't know. Do you really think I should?" Rory asked, unsure.

"Definitley. We'll have so much fun. Come on Ror, it's prom!"

"I guess. We'll see what happens." Rory shrugged.

"Just promise me you'll think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, ok." Rory said smiling.

Grace gave Rory a look.

"I will okay!" Rory turned and headed for math class as Grace was left behind, deep in thought.

The rest of the day whizzed by. Rory tried to focus on her school work, but kept getting distracted the moment someone mentioned prom. Grace couldn't concentrate either, she knew there was a loophole through her plan, she just had to figure it out.

GILMORE HOUSE

"Hey hun, how was school?" Lorelai asked when Rory walked in the door.

"Fine. How was work?"

"Good. Michele threw a fit today because some annoying kid would come and steal the mints off the counter every two minutes. It was so funny."

"I bet." Rory said.

"Hey, I just told you a very laugh-worthy story and all I get is an 'I bet.' What's wrong grouchface?" Lorelai asked with a pouty look.

"Nothing. It's just been a long day. And I am dreading this weekend."

"Aww Ror."

"No Mom, it's not fair. I was supposed to have a date and look pretty and have the best night of my life. Everyone remembers their prom. If you go up to anyone on the street they will tell you about how they took the jock, or the nerd, or how someone spiked the punch bowl and the teachers were drunk all night. They'll tell you something. And all I'll have to tell is that I was ditched and left home on prom night. " Rory said, walking around frantically. "Good story."

"Rory. It's not like that. How about we get out your dress and I'll do your make-up for you. Hell if you really want I'll find you a date. A really hot one... who is not Michele."

Rory laughed at her mom's joke, teary eyed. "I'm sorry, I know I sound like a seven year old, carrying on like this."

"It's ok, you can vent. I'd be pissed to. Infact if it was me, the kid would have a black eye by now." Lorelai walked over and grabbed Rory in a hug. As she whiped her eyes she said, "So, how about we do that, huh? I'll do your make-up and add some more sequins to your dress...because sequins make everyone look good. And I can get you a date. Do you want a date Ror?"

Rory laughed. "Mom, who would in their right mind say yes now?"

"I think I can find someone." Lorelai said with an evil smile.

"I'm not sure I want to leave it in your hands, if you're smiling like that."

"Don't worry about a thing Ror. You just be ready on Saturday night, and at 8:00 when that doorbell rings you will be dying to get to that prom. Okay?"

"Thanks mom."

"It's nothin sweets." Lorelai said as she hugged Rory again.

MILITARY SCHOOL - TRISTAN

"So, have you talked to Rory?" Dave asked Tristan.

"Yeah the last few days. Why?"

"She doens't know you're coming, does she?"

"No, I was gonna surprise her." Tristan answered, "why?"

"I was just thinking...what if we go through all this trouble and they don't even want to see us?" Dave said slowly.

"Dude, what is your problem? We both KNOW that they want to see us. You're just nervous."

"Yeah, I guess so." Dave said as he went back to studying.

Over the next hour or so, Tristan couldn't concentrate at all. Dave had planted a bad seed in his head, and he knew the only way to get it out would be to call Rory. So after dinner Tristan dialed her number.

"Hello?" the voice on the other side answered.

"Hi, is Rory there?"

"Yeah, who's this?" the voice sounded distant and preoccupied.

"um..Tristan." he answered. Tristan knew that Rory only lived with her mom, and the last couple of times he called they both knew his voice, so he knew something was going on.

"TRISTAN!"

"umm..Rory?" he asked. It didn't sound like her, so he wasn't sure.

"No, it's her mom. But let me ask you, when do your exams end?"

"Tomorrow. Why?" he asked. Lorelai is acting strange, he thought to himself.

"Well...you know Rory's prom is coming up. I'm sure she's mentioned it. And I'm kind of in a rut here.

"How so?"

"I promised Rory I would make everything ok and get her a date. So tell me, when are you coming home?"

"I'm supposed to come home Saturday, but-"

"That's great! Her prom is Saturday night."

"Lorelai-"

"And I'm sure if you come straight here then you guys would get there on time and-"

"Lorelai-"

"and I just know that she would love it if you brought her.-"

"LORELAI!"

"What?"

Tristan realized what she had just said, "she would really like it if I took her?"

"Tristan, it would mean the world to her."

"But-" he hesitated. He had a plan of his own, and he didn't know what to do.

"But what?"

"It's just, I- I didn't want Rory to know that I was coming home on Saturday."

"Why? Are you taking someone else? Tristan, if you're taking someone else, I sware to god you better tell me now because it would break-"

"Lorelai, it's nothing like that. I'm not taking someone else."

"Then what is it? What could possibly be keeping you from this prom? I mean you kids today must kill yourselves trying to hide so many secrets. You like her, she likes you. It's all not that hard to understand."

"It's just- I-I- I wanted to wait until Saturday to suprise you guys, but I guess I'll just tell you now. I was going to catch a ride with a friend and show up at the prom and suprise Rory. I wanted to do it myself."

Lorelai's heart broke. "Aww. Tristan, I had no idea."

"Yeah."

"Well, she's not here now, so she didn't hear any of that. We don't have to tell her."

"Really?" Tristan asked, his spirits lifting.

"Sure, I'll do whatever you want."

"Okay, well I was going to meet her at the prom and surprise her there."

"Okay. Should I get her another date? It'll be nothing to worry about, she'll drop him in a second if she sees you but-"

"Well, do you think she'd go alone?"

"I'll work on it."

"Okay."

"So I guess I'll see you soon, Tristan."

"Bye Miss Gilmore." Tristan said, "and thank you, so much. You have no idea."

"No, thank you. Now I know there is at least one half-decent guy in this world."

"Wait- half?"

"Yeah. I mean, come on, I still haven't even laid eyes on you yet."

"I guess you've got a point."

"Okay, bye."

Tristan hung up the phone with a smile on his face.

"What, did she just propose or something?" Dave asked, noticing his expression.

Tristan laughed, "No, she's just gonna be so surprised."

"Yeah well, let's hope they both are."

"They will be." Tristan said, opening his geometry book. "No doubt about that."

GILMORE HOUSE

Lorelai walked around for an hour with a goofy grin on her face. When Rory walked in the door she could tell something was up.

"How was Lane's?" Lorelai asked, trying to fix her smile.

"Fine, what's with you?"

"Nothing."

"Then what's with the face?"

"What face?" Lorelai asked, trying to play innocent.

"Mom, the weird one that you've got plastered on."

"Well it's just- you can't tell anyone that I told you okay?"

"Fine, what is it?" Rory said quickly, getting impatient.

"I just got off the phone with Sookie and she told me that she made a new dessert for the Dragonfly."

"What?"

"Yup. So now that makes 10 desserts. We can put it on our menu now!" Lorelai said convincingly.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. Why, were you expecting something else?"

"Well I thought it would be more excting than dessert. I mean, that is a pretty freaky face you got there."

Lorelai laughed. "You'r sooooo funny. It's kind of like yours."

"You crack me up mom." Rory said, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Ror, I'm serious. Next time you get off the phone with your loverboy, you should run to the bathroom miror and see that thing alive. It's crazy."

"No mom, you're crazy."

"Yeah, but you love me."

"Yeah, I do." Rory said as she plopped down next to her mom on the couch.