Thursday 7:45am Chilton Prep

Chapter 9: Something about Today is Different,
Something about today is wrong

Thursday 7:45am Chilton Prep

Tristan approached with caution, the second he had turned the corner heading towards her locker he had sensed the shift in atmosphere. He watched from a distance at first, as she shoved book after book irritably into her locker, then swallowing the unsettling feeling in his throat he started towards her. She stopped mid shove and turned on him, as if she had smelled the fear in his blood. Smiling charmingly he came to a stop next to her.

'That's some pretty sweet gear you've got yourself Geller.'

'You little'

She paused, eyes narrowed in deep concentration.

'ASS!'

'What did I do?'

He pointed at himself innocently.

'If I were able to lift both of my arms I'd be beating the crap out of you right now!'

He couldn't hold back his laughter any longer, Paris eye's grew as a voice sounded from behind Tristan calling out to him.

'Tristan!'

Rory came to a stop beside Tristan and a hand flew over her mouth.

'Don't you dare say a word.'

Stifling her giggles, Rory let her concern come forward.

'What happened?'

'She fell down the steps outside yesterday, the ones in the student parking.'

'Oh my God, are you ok?'

'Do I look ok?'

'Right, sorry.'

'She broke her ankle, well it's a hairline break and a torn ligament, and she messed up her wrist pretty damn bad. Hence the casts.'

'Casts?'

Sean came up behind them and upon seeing Paris, he rushed to her side.

'What the hell happened?'

'I'm fine; I just had a small accident.'

'A small accident? Paris, you look like you went a few rounds with Barbie, what's with all the pink?'

Tristan cleared his throat.

'Actually it's fuschia.'

Sean eyed him suspiciously.

'Dude, why do you know that?'

Paris tossed her head in his direction, while shifting her weight onto the crutch under her good arm.

'It's his fault that I look like a piece of bubble gum!'

'What happened to good old fashioned gratitude? I did something nice out of pure concern for my friends well being and this is the thanks I get.'

'You had the doctor drug me.'

Tristan rolled his eyes, as his two other friends stared at him in disbelief.

'He didn't drug her, he gave her a sedative to put her to sleep. When he asked what color cast she might want, I told him her favorite color was fuschia.'

Sean shook his head in confusion.

'Wait you went with her to the doctor?'

Tristan could sense the uneasiness in his friends voice, so he remained silent while he turned to Paris.

'Why didn't you call me?'

'Because I was fine, there was no reason to call and worry you. Tristan was there when I fell and'

She paused a moment and looked from Tristan to Rory then back to her boyfriend. She shook her head and closed her locker, positioning her bag over her good shoulder she leaned back onto her crutch.

'You know what, you're my boyfriend not my husband. And Tristan's my friend, so I really don't need to explain myself to you. I'm going to class.'

She kissed a shocked Sean on the cheek and then limped away at a surprisingly quick speed.

The three friends remained silent for awhile until Rory tilted her head to the side.

'What?'

She pointed behind herself in the direction Paris had left, confused. Sean shook his head and looked helplessly to Tristan for some sort of answer.

'What the hell was that?'

'I don't know man, maybe a side effect from the pills they gave her?'

Rory looked to him curiously.

'What did they give her?'

'Vicodin?'

She gave an understanding nod then walked over to her locker, opened it.

'And here we all thought there was no way to make her scarier.'

Tristan laughed while Sean remained in silent shock.

'Man just forget it, she'll forget completely about it in an hour or so. You've known she was insane since the day you guys met.'

'But all I asked is why she didn't call!'

'Yea well it's kinda like that egg commercial. This is you're brain. This is you're brain on drugs.'

Rubbing his head Sean walked away mumbling something about all women being insane. Tristan laughed and leaned against Paris locker staring at Rory.

'Why so quiet?'

'I'm not being quiet.'

'Yea you are. I mean you didn't even tease Paris about the Pink.'

'Oh, I guess I just figured she was upset enough.'

There was an emptiness in her voice that had Tristan standing straight and turning her face to search her eye's.

'What's wrong?'

Her eye's filled with tears, but in an instant she remembered there were still students all around them, most of which were most-likely watching them. She smiled and shook her head as Tristan let his hand drop.

'You're crying.'

'Got something in my eye.'

She turned back to her locker and finished putting her books in, while regaining her composure. Placed a smiled on her face and turned back in fake excitement.

'Did I tell you I ran into Cooper yesterday? After you left for PE. He came up to me acting all jerky and when I turned to tell him to shove it where the sun don't shine, he had make-up on!'

He searched her eyes for a second and then decided she'd tell him later. Going along with it he laughed.

'I always told you he was Gay.'

'He was covering up the bruise my wonderful cousin left him.'

'What did you say?'

'Nothing! What could I say? I just burst into laughter, I know it was mean but Tris he had foundation on!'

'Hey I'm not going defend the guy I would've laughed to. After taking a picture and sending it to Louise so it would get around the school as quickly as possible.'

'Damn it! I knew I forgot something!'

'It's OK maybe you'll run into him again today. I've got to go though.'

'Wow somebody's anxious to learn.'

'Yea you know me.'

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

'I'll see you later.'

She smiled and watched as he walked off. Sighing she put her bag in her locker and then shifted nervously from one foot to the other and glanced continuously to her left then back into her locker. She pulled out a notepad, pen and her cell phone; As she reached to get her textbook, the bell rang and one by one students disappeared behind doors. She looked around the empty hallway and began breathing harder. The sudden feeling that the walls were closing in on her had her falling to her knees clutching her cell phone and dropping everything else in the process. She sat back against her locker and dialed the number imbedded in her memory, gasped for breath and placed the phone to her ear.

'Hey kiddo, shouldn't you be in class?'

Without saying a word she burst into tears.

'Rory?'

'Mommy.'

'I knew I shouldn't have let you go to school today. I'm coming to get you sweetie.'

Forcing herself to catch her breath she began shaking her head as if her mother could see her.

'No, no it's ok. I'm fine, I'll be Ok.'

'Rory honey you're not fine.'

'It's just really, really hard sometimes.'

Lorelai let out a long sigh, and Rory knew she was on the verge of tears now herself.

'I know babe.

'I've got to get going I'm already running late.'

'Are you sure? I can come get you Ror. Or Colin, do you want him to bring you home?'

'Tempting, but no I'll be fine. If I'm not I'll ask him, I promise.'

'OK kid, I love you.'

'Love you to.'

She closed the phone and looked around, nobody would see her if she just got up and left. Now more then ever she wished she could just get in her car and drive until she ran out of road. There was a voice in her head that kept telling her to just go home and stay in bed for the next few weeks. Then there was that other little voice, fighting to be heard, scratching and clawing at her subconscious telling her what she needed to do. Today was one of those days, she wanted to listen to that voice, tell it, it was right and just give in. But she didn't. Instead she gathered all of her energy, stood up, gathered her things together, fixed her hair in the small mirror in her locker, wiped the smeared mascara from beneath her eye's and walked into her first period class with an apologetic smile on her face.

12:10pm CafeteriaMadeline walked into the lunch room carrying the pink bag her families cook put her lunch in every morning. Doing a quick scan of the large room she found Rory sitting alone at a table in the back of the room, reading a book and listening to whatever weird music was playing on her ipod. Smiling she made her way over to her friend and sat down across from her. Rory glanced up from her book and then back down. Madeline knew she would finish the page before removing the earphones and placing both things neatly beside her lunch tray. She waited a few more minutes, readying her own meal in the process. She waited to begin eating until Rory earmarked her spot, and turned the ipod off.

'So what's the book of the day?'

Rory remained silent and turned the book so that she could see the title, while placing a mouthful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

'Moby Dick. What's wrong?'

'Why do you assume something's wrong?'

She took another bite causing Madeline to make a disgusted face.

'How do you eat that stuff?'

'Well it's a rather complex process. You see first, I get the food onto the fork like so.'

She demonstrated the action for her friend, who in turn rolled her eye's.

'Shut up, you know what I'm talking about. The cafeteria food is disgusting.'

'Well I think you're Soy patty lettuce rap is disgusting. Evens things out doesn't it?'

She smiled cheekily at her friend who stuck her tongue out at her.

'I know something's wrong because you're reading you're, 'something's wrong but I'm going to deny it', book.'

'Well now why would you ask if you've already got the answer?'

'Whoa!'

Rory sighed, tilted her head to the side and played with her food.

'Sorry, I just-'

Madeline smiled and gave a short nod while putting her hands in the air.

'Don't wanna talk about I. I get it.'

Rory smiled and looked down at her tray, distractedly. Madeline threw a nod in her direction.

'Hey.'

She looked up at her friend who was studying her.

'But if you ever do wanna talk about it, you know I'm here right? Day or night.'

'Yea? Rain or snow?'

'Whenever.'

'How about if you're with a really hot guy and I call and I'm all, Mads I need you?'

"I'd steal his car and leave him on the side of the road.'

'Dirty! Why are you on the side of the road with hot guy?'

'Because he's hot, how are we possibly gonna make it back to my place without jumping each other?'

Rory laughed, her first real laugh of the day.

'Thanks Maddy.'

Madeline simply smiled as she bit into her sandwich. After a few minutes of random talking, Paris walked over with Louis and Finn following her. She slammed her tray on the table causing both girls to jump a little. Rory looked from her to the two standing behind her. Finn shook his head while Louis who looked clearly irritated, tapped her foot impatiently. Rory looked back to Paris who had her hand placed on her hip expectantly.

'Am I aloud to sit with you guy's today you're majesty?'

Madeline's eye's widened as did Rory's.

'Well? Are you just going to sit there or are you going to remember that you've got you're self a brain unlike these two?'

She tossed her head back. Louis and Finn looked at each other then moved around Paris and sat down. She looked at them as if they had grown a third head.

'What are you doing?'

'Eating! She's not mad at us.'

'So who's going to sit with me?'

'I don't know love why don't you ask one of the lovely girls in you're head.'

She looked between the two and glared. Rory moved to the empty seat across from Finn.

'Sit down Paris, where's you're crutch?'

The girl sat down slowly trying to find a comfortable position.

'The stupid thing was irritating me so I threw it at Sean's locker.'

Everybody at the table looked at each other, silently begging each other to be the next to speak. Before anyone could say anything though, a very irritated Sean, carrying the aforementioned crutch, and an equally amused Tristan came through the doors and over to the table. He shoved the crutch in Paris face. She looked at it bemused then back up at her boyfriend. Tristan walked over and took the empty seat beside Rory grabbing a chip off her tray in the process.

'What the hell Paris?'

'What?'

'You dented my locker! Headmaster Charleston is going to make my parents pay for that!'

He pulled a chair over from another table and placed it in front of her so she could put her leg up; Then proceeded to take the seat across from her. Tristan watched his friend cater to his girlfriend, and shook his head sadly. Rory bumped him bringing his attention to her.

'What's up?'

'Nothing.'

He glanced at the book beside her tray.

'Moby Dick? What's wrong?'

Rory rolled her eye's and looked to Madeline who laughed. Paris turned to Rory, effectively ignoring Sean who sighed.

'I'm right there with ya sister!'

Tristan looked between the two girls confused but he wasn't alone, every other person at the table wore the same expression as he did.

'Does that book have some like Bitchy underlining to it?'

Paris glared at him then turned back to her lunch. The table grew quiet once again, until a minute later she dropped her fork on the plate and groaned painfully.

Sean jumped forward immediately.

'What's wrong?'

'The stupid pills wearing off.'

'When's the last time you took one?'

'I don't know like 6 clock.'

'I'll go get it. Is it in you're locker?'

She gave short nod and he turned to leave. Rory stood up causing everyone to look to her.

'Stay with Paris. I'll go.'

Nodding he sat back down. Tristan looked up at her, worry clouding his eye's.

'You want me to come with you?'

'No I'm a big girl. I'll be back. Don't eat all my food.'

She moved around him and left the cafeteria. He watched her for a second before pulling her try in front of him and digging into her lunch.

Chilton hallway

She walked slowly, taking the long way to Paris locker. The need to get away from that table was overwhelming; she honestly didn't know how many more times she could hear, 'What's wrong?' or 'Are you OK?' Obviously she wasn't OK, and obviously she didn't want to talk about it. Why did people have to be so damn nosey all of the time? Sighing she rubbed her hands over her face and through her hair, pulling it back into a knot in the process. Honestly she knew they weren't prying but only caring. There was only so many sympathetic smiles she could take though. It was as if every one knew she was on the verge of breaking down, when in all reality nobody, outside of her family of course, knew just how hard she would fall. How quickly the need to escape would take her over, clouding all judgment and sanity.

That voice would replay itself over and over in her head, telling her she was right, she had every right to feel the way she did. She had lost the person who had meant the most to her in the entire world. He was gone and never coming back, why the hell couldn't anybody understand that, yea she needed to get away sometimes. She needed that escape.

It wasn't until she opened Paris locker coming face to face with herself in the small yellow mirror that she realized she had at some point began to cry. She wiped the tears away and found the white bottle sitting on the top shelf along with some pens and paper clips. Opening the bottle she tilted it and let some of the white pills fall into her palm. It was then that time seemed to freeze and the voice in her head began screaming, reminding her of how good it felt when the pain would fade and that calm serene feeling would wash over her body. As if her hand had a life of it's own, it lifted to her lips and dropped the two bitter tasting pills into her mouth, she dry swallowed with the sort of satisfaction that would tell anybody watching that it was in no way the first time this girl had done so.

Her eye's remained closed for a while as she let the chalky taste disappear from her taste buds, then once again she dropped a pill into her palm, placed the bottle back on the shelf and shut the locker, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the process.

As she made her way back to the lunch room, she sighed knowing she had let the taunting little voice she had fought so hard to silence, win; And she knew that this wasn't going to be the last time.

AN: OK so I know this chapter took a darker turn then expected but I wanted to show just how much Rory was effected by her brothers death.

I'm not sure on the age thing right now, I can't remember if I've actually made Rory older of Chris, so I'm going to check in on that, if not I'm thinking about making them twins bec ause it would bring the story together better.

Anyway I hope you're all enjoying this story so far, and I hope I didn't lose any readers with this storyline, it was planned from the beginning, not someting that just poped into my head spur of the moment.

Like it or not? Tell me what you think! :)