CHAPTER 12

CHILTON

It was the day before prom and everyone was buzzing. It was all anyone talked about in the halls and Rory found herself actually getting excited. Grace on the other hand, seemed a little bummed.

"Why aren't you excited Grace? I mean, you bagged one of the hottest seniors."

Grace shrugged and grabbed a book from her locker.

"Come on Grace. He's gorgeous and the quarterback."

She reached for another book.

"I'm tryin' here, at least throw me a bone, throw me something."

Grace sighed. "Rory, it's not that I'm excited, I am, it's just- I don't know. I thought it'd be more, ya know?"

"No, I don't know," Rory reploed, "it hasn't even happened yet and you're acting like it's all over."

"I don't know. Just forget. I'm extremely excited." Grace faked a smile. "See?"

"Whatever. Let's just get to class." Rory said as the bell rang.

Rory was at her locker, getting her things to go home, when someone came up and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Rory?" the girl asked.

Rory turned around and was surprised to find Madeline staring back at her.

"Hey." she replied, expressionless.

"I just wanted to say that I thought it was a pretty shitty thing that Louise did to you. And I wanted you to know that I tried to stop her. I didn't want her to hurt you."

"It's okay." Rory said, touched that Madeline came to try and apologize.

"Okay, good." Madeline stood there, unsure of what to say next.

"So, who's your prom date?" Rory asked.

"You don't want to know." she said with an embarrassed smile.

Rory smiled, she could tell it was going to be funny. "Aww, come on tell me. Besides it can't be worse than Brad." Rory said laughing.

"Well..."

"Come on! Tell me!"

"How bad is it going to be if I said my date is Brad?"

Rory's jaw dropped. "You're going with Brad?"

Madeline frowned. "I know. I don't know what I was thinking. He came up to me, and just looked so helpless. I felt so bad."

"Aww," Rory giggled, "you guys will have fun though. I just know it."

Madeline talked slowly, "Soo... are you still going?"

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"Oh yeah?" she smiled, "Who are you going with?"

"It's kind of a surprise." Rory said sounding unsure of herself.

"Oh! Well I can't wait to find out who the mystery man is."

"Me neither." Rory whispered to herself.

"What?" Madeline said.

"Nothing. I was just gonna ask you what time you were coming tonight."

"Oh. I think probably around nine."

"Okay."

"Well I better get going."

"See you tomorrow night."

"Nine sharp!" Madeline said as she turned to leave.

LUKE'S

"So what'll it be?" Luke asked Rory and Lorelai that night.

"hmm...I'd say...YOU!" Lorelai said with a big smile on her face.

"Okay, one cheeseburger for you." Luke wrote, then looked to Rory, "And you?"

"One for me too."

"Okay. I'll be back."

"Is that a promise?" Lorelai teased again.

Luke gave Lorelai a little wink before leaving.

"Did you see that?" Lorelai asked, with her jaw dropped.

"You mean - did I just see Luke make an attempt to flirt with you? Yes mom, I'd say I did."

"Golly gee Willikers. I'd better go follow up on that!" Lorelai exclaimed as she got up from her chair and headed for the counter.

"Well, if I wasn't mistaken, I'd say that you just flirted with me Luke Danes."

"And if I wasn't mistaken, I'd say you started it."

"You have a way with words Lukey."

"Lorelai." Luke said with that droned tone.

"Yes Lukey cakes?"

"How many times have I told you not to call me Lukey."

"Many. But you have never once asked me to stop calling you Lukey cakes."

Luke smiled, "Well can you stop calling me Lukey cakes?"

"Sure, hunky bear."

"Why don't I go check on your cheeseburgers."

"Okay." Lorelai said, then quickly added, "Wait!"

"For what?"

"I have to give you something."

Luke put his orders pad down and leaned on the counter. "And what would that be?" Luke said slowly, as if he was tired.

Lorelai leaned over and gave Luke a kiss. As they kissed, he reached for her hand and slid it in his. When they broke apart Lorelai said, "Luke, are you holding my hand?"

He got a little color in his cheeks and replied, "Nah."

"No. no, I'd definitely say that you just held my hand."

Luke blushed.

"Oh my god. And you're blushing. I'd never thought I'd see the day when Luke Dane's blushes. Luke never blushes. He's the backwards baseball cap, diner guy, who BLUSHES?"

"Lorelai," Luke said grinning, "I am not blushing."

"RORY! RORY! Luke is blushing!"

"Rory, don't listen to her, I am not blushing."

Rory look up from her book she was reading, "Cut it out you to, before I have to come over there."

Suddenly a burning scent filled up the diner.

"Hey Luke, is something burning?" Rory asked.

"Shit! The burgers!" Luke ran into the back.

"Or it may just be me. Cause I am so damn hot that I make Luke Danes blush like a little school girl!" Lorelai exclaimed.

MILITARY SCHOOL - TRISTAN

"You all packed?" Dave asked Tristan.

"Yup. Are you?"

"Yeah. My grandma said she'd be here around 7, so we have to be up and ready. We're gonna have to drive all day if we want to get there by 8."

"Okay. How long does it take to get home?"

"Umm..I'm not sure. I think maybe 11 hours. But with my grandma driving it'll be more like 9."

Tristan laughed. "Well that makes me feel real safe."

"So, you ready to do this?" Dave asked.

"Dude, I was born ready."

"Aren't you the least bit nervous? I mean the girl you have been dreaming about for two years is gonna be in your arms tomorrow. And you don't have anything to say about that?"

"I'm not really nervous... excited though."

"I'd say. You've been walking around here like a freaken girl the past few days."

Tristan punched Dave lightly in the arm.

"Hey Mr. TOUGH GUY, you've been just as girly. I mean every two seconds it's 'Are you nervous' or 'Are you sure we should go?', 'What if they don't want to see us?'"

Dave threw a pillow at Tristan. "Yeah well, it's not like I have a history with Grace like you do with Rory. How the hell am I supposed to know if she even likes me?"

"Just trust me man, she'll want to see you, okay?"

"Whatever." Dave said and went to lie on his bed. "We better get to sleep if we have to get up in like," he looked at the clock and counted on his fingers, "seven hours."

"You're such a fag." Tristan said laughing at Dave. "Okay, I just need to call Grace real quick and make sure everything's alright."

"Okay." Dave said, trying to hide the big grin on his face.

DuGREY HOUSE

Grace was in her room getting her soft, pink prom dress out of her closet when she stumbled over a box of pictures in the very back. They were from last year when Grace and her family went up to visit Tristan. "Boy I do miss him being around." she thought to herself, as she looked at a picture of him making a goofy face. As she flipped through the next few pictures, she found one of Dave. He was even cuter than she remembered. She was staring at the photo, about to separate it from the pile, when it hit her. She was going to prom with a different guy. A guy who was very special to her and liked her a lot. She immediately felt bad and placed the box back in the corner of her closet. Accidentally, but almost as if on purpose, leaving the picture behind. Grace got up and hung the dress on the front of her closet when the phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey Gracie."

"Tristan?" she asked.

"Yeah. What's goin' on?"

"Nothin. Just getting ready for tomorrow." she asnwered.

"Yeahh! Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I guess." Grace said, dully.

"That didn't sound too convincing. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Graceee... come on. I know you better then to just think that this is no big deal. So what's wrong?"

"It's just been a long couple of days that's all."

"I'd say." Tristan agreed.

"I mean, nothing has been going right. First Rory gets dumped, which just screwed everything up, then I start gettin' all pissy. And then... the stupid shoebox, and-" Grace vented. She hadn't even realized she said all that much. And when she did, it was too late.

"Wait, explain this to me again?"

"It's not a big deal, it's just... nothing is going right."

"You said Rory got dumped, you're all pissy, and something about a shoebox. What, can you not find shoes for tomorrow or something?"

"Yes, that's exactly it." Grace said sarcastically.

Tristan could sense that she was getting impatient and said, "Come on, I'm just trying to help."

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"Okay."

"So... when are you coming home?" Grace asked, changing the subject.

Tristan looked at Dave sleeping in his bed and said, "I should be home late tomorrow." He wanted to give her a little something.

"Tomorrow?" Grace replied, her spirits lifting.

"Yeah. Late though."

"Oh. Well I'll be at prom, but be sure to call my cell phone when you get in. I want to know when you get home."

"You'll probably be back already. Like I said, we're gonna be late."

"Who's taking you home?"

"My buddy Josh." Tristan lied.

"Oh." Grace said, sounding disappointed. She had thought maybe Dave was taking the ride with him.

"But if you're not home, I'll give you a call."

"Okay." she said, with a slight smile.

"I've got to get going. I'll see you."

"Bye Tris."

"Bye. And cheer up kid. I'll be there before you know it."

Grace hung up the phone and finished hanging up her dress. She went to get her shoes out of the closet and found the picture staring up at her. At she grabbed the photo, she smiled and put stuck it on her desk. It was her, Tristan, and Dave, all goofing off, hands around each other's shoulders. Back when things were simpler.