Title:
Miss Me?
Author: DaxisSteele
Rating: PG
Summary: Senior year, One bus, two enemies, 14 hours together.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Characters do
not belong to the author.
Chapter Seven: Friendly Fire
"Mom, I told you this afternoon that you have to go. Come on, we’re going to be late and you know how she hates that."
"Did you call and tell her that Tristan was coming?"
"Yes and she is counting the seconds until we get there now lets go."
"I really don’t like you. Maybe I will take you out into the middle of no where and drop you off on the side of the road."
"No you won’t."
"Why not? Sounds like a good plan to me."
"Luke will never give you coffee again and you know it."
"I hate you."
"I know." Rory just shook her head and handed Lorelei her coat.
"Where is the boy wonder?"
"He went home to change." Rory wasn’t swayed by the diversionary tactic though and pushed her out the door. "Hurry up."
"Chilton is sucking all the fun out of you."
"You can whine about it in the car."
"Fine."
"You’re late." Tristan smiled from the couch in the sitting room.
"How long have you been here?" Rory sat down next to him with a sigh.
"A minute or two. How’s it looking out there?"
"The usual we have guests and you are late speech. I swear it’s easier to get Paris to smile than it is to get my Mom here."
"Tristan, I am so sorry we kept you waiting." Lorelei ground out through clenched teeth to appease her mother. He fought the urge not to laugh at the death glare she shot Emily behind her back.
"That’s alright, Mrs. Gilmore was just telling me a little about your family dinners. I didn’t realize they were a new tradition. From the way Lorelei and Rory spoke of they’re time here I thought this had been going on forever." He flashed a charming smile to hide the double meaning behind his statement. Lorelei couldn’t help but laugh.
"Unfortunately no, Lorelei has just recently brought Rory back into our lives." There was a mildly disguised bitterness behind Emily’s voice.
"Where is Grandpa?" Rory noticed the folded paper on the table where her grandfather usually sat.
"He’s on a business trip, dear. He won’t be back until Saturday."
"Lucky him."
"I heard that Lorelei." Lorelei had the decency to at least pretend to look embarrassed. "Dinner’s ready, why don’t we move to the dining room." She smiled warmly at Rory and Tristan and turned to scowl at Lorelei.
"Ten bucks say the plates aren’t even on the table before it starts." Rory whispered to Tristan as they walked into the dining room.
"I’ll take that bet."
"So Rory, how was your trip? Did the other students give you a hard time about your mother and Maxwell?" Lorelei slammed her glass down.
"Mom, we are not doing this again. We have company and I would appreciate it if you would keep your disapproval of my personal life out of this."
"Well it is slightly scandalous Lorelei, honestly what would the other parents think of you dating your daughters teacher?"
"Good call." Tristan whispered to Rory as a woman emerged from the kitchen with the dinner plates.
"The trip was fine grandma. Except for an incident at the museum," she glared at Tristan, "it was very educational."
"What happened at the museum?"
"She got hassled by Elliot Ness for trying to steal the great baseball diamond." Lorelei chuckled, thankful Rory had changed the subject.
"I beg your pardon?"
"One of the Security guards mistook Rory for a shoplifter." Tristan smirked, still impressed with himself for the prank.
"And how on Earth could they mistake Rory for a common thief?"
"One of the boys in the class thought it would be funny to tell the security guard I was trying to steal a statue twice my size from the gift shop." She sent another cold glare at Tristan. "It didn’t take the guard long to figure out I was too small to pull it off and he let me go after Tristan came to my rescue."
"Well thank you young man for protecting Rory’s virtue." Emily beamed at Tristan.
"Yea, thank you for not getting my daughter arrested on federal property in another state." Lorelei shot him a look letting him know she knew the real story.
"It was my pleasure." He hid a smirk behind his glass of Coke.
"So, when did you two finally come to your senses and start dating?" Rory almost spit her salad across the table.
"Smooth Mom." Lorelei chuckled.
"On the trip."
"Well I’m glad to hear it. Gladys Filbet and I were discussing the two of you at the last DAR meeting and she positively couldn’t understand why the two of you hadn’t started seeing each other. I mean the with DuGrey family reputation and your academic excellence it was only a matter of time beforesome one pushed the two of you together."
"Well, Rory’s a little slow when it comes to mergers and acquisitions Mom. She wanted to research the portfolio before she got into a relationship." Lorelei huffed. "Can you stop making my daughters relationship sound like a stock report? It’s not an arranged marriage, they’re just dating." Rory slid down in her chair wishing she could vanish. School today was bad enough but this was too much. She felt Tristan take her hand as she pushed the lettuce around her plate.
"Oh, quit exaggerating Lorelei. I was just saying it’s about time. I was telling the Gellars today at the club how happy we all were. Patricia told me she wished Paris had caught Tristan’s eye but I told her our Rory stole his heart first."
"Mom can we drop this please?"
"Why Lorelei, just because you couldn’t keep a hold of a nice young man like Christopher doesn’t mean we can’t be proud of Rory. Tristan is a good catch."
"This has nothing to do with Christopher. I’m not going to let you push Rory or Tristan into some neat little showcase so you can gloat at your bridge club. Just leave them alone."
"Can I be excused?"
"Sure hon," Lorelei looked compassionately at her daughter.
"Is something wrong dear?"
"I just need some air."
"I’ll come with you." Tristan and pulled her chair back for her.
"It’s always going to be like this isn’t it." She asked as they slipped out the front door.
"No, sometimes it will be better, probably not in this town though. If you ever meet my family it will be much, much worse." He looked nervously at his feet. "Is it worth it?" She was shocked by the vulnerability in his voice.
Touching his cheek she turned his face to hers. "Yes, I’m just really starting to understand why Mom left."
"We’ll get through this." He wrapped his arms around her and smiled as she burrowed further into his warm embrace.
"Come on Kiddo, we’re leaving." The door slammed behind Lorelei as she stormed past them out to the jeep.
"I guess I’ll see you tomorrow." Tristan smiled to hide his disappointment the night was ending so early.
"Come on Bible Boy, I’ll buy you a burger to make up for this." Lorelei called from the window.
"Meet you at Luke’s?" Rory looked up at him hopefully.
"Yeah. Wouldn’t miss the post game wrap up for the world. Tell Lorelei she can’t start until I get there though."
"See you in a little while. Maybe we can catch a movie."
"Sounds like a plan. I’ll even sneak you in a cup of coffee."
"Rory let’s go." Lorelei was whining.
"Coming." She kissed him on the cheek and rushed to the car. "What happened?" She knew whether she asked or not Lorelei would spill the beans all the way to Stars Hollow.
"Well...."