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 Ten: Roof Jumping
"Are you going to tell me what this brilliant plan of yours is?" Tristan sighed and looked up from the lumber her was carrying out to the middle of the yard. Rory ignored him bobbing her head to some unheard song in her head.
"Mom! We need music!" She started tapping along to the music that suddenly started blaring from the living room and laughed. "No, you’ll have to wait like everyone else." He had watched her huddle in the corner with the phone last night plotting with her father but she hadn’t felt it necessary to fill him in. There seemed to be nothing he could do to get her to spill the beans, even his coffee bribe hadn’t worked so he grunted and lifted his shirt to wiped the sweat off his brow. He heard Rory moan as she took in his sweat glistened chest from across the yard.
Tristan smirked enjoying the power he had over her and yanked off his shirt before strolling over to her. "So," he leaned in to crowd her and Rory fought to get her bearings in the cloud of the masculine aroma that was solely Tristan’s. "There’s nothing I can do to convince you?"
"Umm," she shook her cloudy head and tried to concentrate. He ran his fingers along the hollow of her cheek and resistance flew out the window. "We’re using dad to make Luke jealous."
"But I thought your mom still liked your dad, isn’t that going to be a little dangerous?" He looked past her to make sure Lorelei wasn’t spying on them.
"Nah, she’s too into Luke and she just starting to admit it to herself. Besides, Dad has a woman." She watched the strong chest rise and fall with his breathing. "You better put your shirt back on before Miss Patty tries to make you husband number twelve."
He snickered and backed away from her. She scowled when he smirked knowing he won. It killed her that he had that power over her. "Whatever you say Mary." He backed into the yard again and resumed building the archway with the lumber left from the last Gilmore Extravaganza. Rory couldn’t help but stare at his muscles as they rippled with his movement.
"I have to hand it to you daughter of mine, you really know how to pick em." She jumped at her mother’s voice as Lorelei came bounding out of the house. She blushed furiously at being caught and turned back to untangling the string of lights she was working on.
"Yeah." She mumbled and then scurried to start stringing them along the porch railing. Lorelei chuckled and skipped down the sidewalk to where Tristan was working. "Hey Ab boy!" Tristan turned to look at her.
"Me?"
"Yeah you with the body that is driving my good little spawn to distraction." She smiled at his shock and handed him a piece of plywood. "Here’s the sign." He looked down to see the words ‘Double Latté Ranch’ scrawled across the grain. He couldn’t help the chuckled that emerged.
"Very appropriate."
"Lorelei, I’ve got those bails you asked for." Taylor pulled up in a pick- up truck and unloaded some of the hay bails left over from the fall heritage festival.
"Yeah!" She hopped up and down and pointed to the corner.
"What time are the festivities starting?" Taylor rubbed his hands together with excitement. Stars Hollow loved any excuse to party but Lorelei Gilmore brought down the neighborhood with her parties.
"Four o’clock and it will run until the last person either passes out in their beer or gets busted by the keystone coppers!" She turned and scurried back into the house and let the men finish their jobs. She had less then three hours to pull together the rest of her plans. She sat down at the table with a marker and a box of golf balls when a shrill ring interrupted her. "Tristan!" He was surprised the entire street didn’t hear her bellow as he jogged up the path.
"What?" He stuck his head in the door.
"Phone." She pointed to the ringing contraption on the table. He grabbed his cell phone and barked a greeting into the speaker.
"Tristan?"
"Hey Matt, what’s up?"
"Hey, Ab Man, did you finish your chores?"
"Yes Lorelei, I finished building the arch and the podium, the signs are up and Rory is finishing the lights. Everything’s almost finished we’ll be ready to start at four."
"What’s going on man?" His friend was intrigued, Richie Rich never did any manual labor for anything.
Tristan could only laugh at his girlfriend’s mother dancing around the room to the bangles. "Party, party! Outrageous party, party! We’re having a party!"
"Lorelei, stop with the Snoopy dance already!" He was having trouble containing his laughter.
"Did I hear the word party?" Matt smiled, that explained it. "I haven’t heard anything, is it at the mansion?"
"No Stars Hollow. I’m at Rory’s."
"Oh, small town USA, you gearing up for a square dance?" Matt laughed at the dig.
Tristan just shook his head and chuckled. "No, from the sound of it the Gilmore’s know how to throw down and after meeting Rory’s mom I’m inclined to believe it. It’s supposed to last well into tomorrow, provided everyone isn’t arrested."
"Get out of here! Mary likes to party? Why don’t we ever see her around here?" Tristan scowled slightly at Matt’s use of the nickname. It had been primarily reserved for his use only.
"Completely different brand of party man. These are epic." He heard Luke shouting from the roof for some help. "Look, I’ve got to go, I have to help Luke install the speakers on the roof." He clicked off the phone before he threw it on the couch and scrambled up the ladder to the roof. "Hey Luke?"
"What?" The gruff older man looked over at Tristan.
"Am I going to live through this thing?" Luke just laughed and shook his head.
"Don’t plan on it." He pointed to the fire department car that pulled up. "I can’t believe she is really doing this again."
"What?" The man jumped out of the car and pulled out a large bag. Walking to the side of the house and dropped the bag. Pulling a cord he watched as it inflated into a huge air filled pillow used on suicidal jumpers in the city. "What is that?" Tristan looked over at the man shocked beyond belief.
"House diving or something like that." Luke grunted and shook his head. "The woman is insane." He watched said woman scurry out of the house with three lawn chairs and a card table. She dropped some paper on the table under a bullhorn and went to help Rory.
"You weren’t kidding when you said insane were you?" Tristan smiled beginning to anticipate the start of the day’s activities.
---------------
At four o’clock on the dot the town of Star’s Hollow began to file into the small yard surrounding the Gilmore house. Right on cue Lorelei cranked up the music, blasting it out the speakers on the roof. Rory and her mother emerged from the front door wearing tight jeans and short leather vests showing off their midriffs. The outfits were accessorized by cowboy hats and high-heeled cowboy boots. It was the whip on Rory’s belt and the lasso on Lorelei’s that scared Tristan. He cowered slightly at the base of the porch not quite sure what was to come.
Rory frowned when a caravan of expensive cars started to pull up. "Tristan, what are all these people from Chilton doing here?" Rory looked over at Tristan slightly panicked.
"Damn, I’m sorry Rory, I was talking to your mom about the party while I was on the phone with Matt, I didn’t think he would drive all the way out here, let alone bring anyone with him." He looked sincerely apologetic so she let it go but inside her nerves were raging. She had no problem being a free spirit within the protective cove of Stars Hollow, but she wasn’t crazy about everything that was sure to happen in front of her classmates.
Lorelei undisturbed by the sudden inflow of high school students went on with things as planned. She handed an apple basket filled with golf balls to Lane and instructed her to pass them out through the crowd. She raised her bullhorn and addressed the group. "Is everyone ready for the Gilmore Family Freedom Fest?" An overwhelming cheer of support egged her on. "All you midgets grab a golf ball. Anyone who pulls a ball marked with an S make your way up here at seven o’clock tonight and you will receive your instructions. If you’re late we shave your head. Any one who pulls the A see Luke, I’m sure all of you repeat offenders know what that means." She laughed at the cheers of their closest friends. "Roof jumping will begin in thirty minutes, judges are Taylor, Sookie and me, cause let’s face it, no one can beat me anymore and it’s getting boring, but I have faith in my dear daughter to carry on the legacy. Let the games begin, and remember the first one arrested springs for the rest of the kegs!" She signaled for Tristan to turn up the music and lowered her bullhorn.
"Tristan!" Matt clapped him on the back as stepped up next to him. "What’s with all the instructions?" They were joined by a couple of their friends.
"Roof jumping? I don’t know, I’ve never seen it." He shrugged. Lane approached them with the basket and thrust it out so they could take one of the golf balls.
"Roof jumping is awesome. It’s like high dive off the roof into the fire and rescue pillow." She pointed to the contraption around the side of the house. "Lorelei was the defending champion, but Rory was the only one whoever came close. We’re about to start the practice round." She smiled and set the now empty bucket on the porch. "Come on." She grabbed Tristan’s hand and led the group over to the side of the house. Leaving there she climbed up the ladder to join Rory on the platform that had been installed on the angle of the roof.
"They’re insane, they are not really going to do this?" Tristan looked over at Lorelei and Sookie," you can’t let her do this she’ll get killed."
"Non sense, quiet Ab Man! That’s why we do it before everyone’s drunk!" Lorelei chided as several members of the town started to follow Lane up the ladder. Lorelei raised the bullhorn and shouted up to the participants on the roof. "Alright Spawn of mine, start the practice round." Tristan’s knuckles turned white as he dug his fingers into his palms. She had shed her hat, boots and belt and was dancing carelessly toward the end of the platform in time with music around them. "Come on Rory!" Tristan glared at the towns people who had gathered to cheer on the spectacle. He watched in fascinated horror as she jumped off the roof and began a series of flips before she landed gracefully on the safety net.
"Yeah Rory!" Lane yelled before she followed as soon as her friend was clear.
"You weren’t joking when you said different breed of party." Matt gasped with awe as the bodies started flinging themselves into the pillow with varying degrees of acrobatics.
Tristan walked up to Rory and grasped her shoulders, "are you insane?" His eyes were wild.
"It’s perfectly safe, that’s what Ed and the boys are here for." She pointed to the series of firemen and EMT’s who had surrounded the net. "Don’t knock it until you try it. Now come on live a little devil boy." She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the ladder. The Chiltonites just stared slightly flabbergasted; they never in a million years would picture Rory Gilmore doing anything like this. Soon they all ran to take their turns. Even Tristan had to admit it was a hell of a lot of fun. This was shaping up to be one hell of a party.
After three hours, twenty contestants and a great deal of fun later the competition was wrapped up leaving Rory the victor. It was hard to beat six years of experience in an event like this. The party was raging. The adults had tapped the kegs and the teens had managed to sneak a beer or two when they managed to distract Luke from his bouncer duty.
Tristan was pleasantly surprised when Rory approached him with a spring in her step. She danced her way around him before grinding up against him. "To what do I owe this honor?" He whispered into her ear as they danced to sensual rhythm.
"Can’t a girl dance with her boyfriend?" She smiled and wrapped his hands around her waist allowing her to dip. Tristan groaned, knowing he could definitely get used to this.
"Um, why did it take us so long to get together?"
"You were an idiot." She smiled.
"That I was." He leaned to pull her into a kiss. The pulsing rhythm was replaced with a fast paced rock song and Rory turned and bounced over to Lane. Her watched with mild fascination as the two of them danced together as he was sure they had for years.
"I see why you like her so much." Matt stepped up behind his friend and clasped him on the shoulder. "Who knew our little Mary had a wild side." Before Tristan had a chance to knock him down a peg Lorelei’s voice boomed over the music.
"All right kiddies, everyone who pulled the S from the bucket get your butt up here now. Tristan and Rory, get your butts up here even if you didn’t." Tristan groaned not even wanting to know where this was going. She ushered the ten victims into the living room and handed them all bags, ordering them to change.
"Mom, you have got to be kidding." Rory whined, "I made you coffee, and I upheld the Gilmore Roof Jumping legacy how can you do this to me?"
"Just open your bag, whiny girl." Lorelei fought the urge to jump up and down with excitement. Rory followed her instructions and shrieked with glee when she saw the contents. Matt nudged Tristan with a question in his eyes. Tristan just shrugged and opened his bag. He got a very sick feeling when he looked at the contents.
"You’ve got to be kidding me." He sighed and trampled up to the bathroom. Various room of the house had clothing scattered as the chosen few changed into their designated costumes. Lorelei met them as they emerged slapping toy handcuffs on them and chuckling. Rory was already waiting outside dressed in a tight leather outfit sporting an executioners mask and cracking her whip. The crowd cheered as one by one they were shoved out the door and lined up along the wall. Most wore torn up work pants tied with a drawstring of rope, and the girls wore tattered t-shirts as well. The only person left to exit was Tristan. "I am not coming out." He yelled through the door to Lorelei.
"Mom, what did you do to him?" Rory laughed at her mother’s evil grin.
"Nothing." She stuck her head in the door and emerged pulling a chain consequently attached to the collar around Tristan’s neck. He was dressed in a deerskin loincloth, which much to his relief at least covered him somewhat conservatively. Her catcalls and wolf whistles were deafening.
"Oh." Rory’s breath caught in her throat when she saw him get pulled into line by her mother. "Wow." She could have sworn she was having a heart attack at the ripe old age of eighteen. She noticed Miss Patty fanning herself furiously.
Tristan looked over at Rory pathetically and raised his handcuffed wrists. "Will you please tell me what’s going on?"
She fought to form a coherent sentence. "You are about to be auctioned." She whispered still visibly shaken.
"What?" He glared at her.
"You have been captured for auction, for the Chilton Fund."
He looked past her at the dance teacher practically salivating over him. "You have my permission to bet whatever you have to, to buy me." His eyes were pleading. "I’ll sign the check in a heartbeat. Please don’t let Miss Patty outbid you." Rory smiled evilly and cracked her whip.
"Back in line slave." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Relax, I’m going to get her back for this." He relaxed slightly but was still wary. Lorelei as the auctioneer made him nervous.
"Fellow Stars Hollow delinquents, welcome to the freedom fest auction. Proceeds go to the Gilmore educational scholarship." Lorelei rubbed her hands together evilly and cackled. "On the block tonight we have strong, young, supple natives of the Connecticut wild lands. I am auctioning off two hours of their time as slaves."
"What?" One of the Chilton girls among the captives squealed.
"Please remember, there are laws in this state." Lorelei glared at Miss Patty who broke her concentration from Tristan and nodded when she realized Lorelei was waiting for a response from her. "So come one, come all, and buy yourself and honest to God beer bitch, right here at the Gilmore auction house!" She turned to Rory. "Bring forth the first wench!" Rory grabbed the cuffs on the girl that had shrieked.
"Don’t worry, this is Stars Hollow, they aren’t creative enough to be lewd, well except for my mother." She smiled reassuringly and the girl smiled slightly.
"Rory, right?"
"Yeah."
"I’m Amy. This is defiantly a unique party." She giggled a little as Lorelei started a spell about the girl’s days in the rough jungle of the Hartford social circles.
Rory smiled. "Trust me, it’s just getting started, no one is naked yet, or in jail for that matter."
"Are you serious?"
"Very. My mom gives new meaning to party of the century." Rory laughed and turned to watch the auction.
"We will start the bidding at ten do I hear ten?" One of the boys from Stars Hollow High raised his hand.
"See not so bad." Rory whispered to Amy as she eyed the cute boy.
"Twenty?" Taylor raised his hand and the bidding war began.
"Fifty five!"
"Sixty." Taylor waved paper above his head.
Lorelei stopped what she was doing. "Taylor is that Monopoly money? Explain yourself."
"Yes, it was on the table, isn’t this what it’s for?"
"The suspect is found guilty on all counts. You are in violation of Gilmore rule number ten and shall be appropriately punished. Whoever pulled the A can relax, Taylor just won it by default. Executioner, please carry out the sentence." Rory laughed and pulled the donkey head off the table on the porch.
"Lorelei, I swear I didn’t mean anything by it. I didn’t break law ten, I thought that’s what it’s for, I’m sorry."
"Appeal noted and denied, executioner."
"Please don’t make me wear it." Taylor looked defeated. Rory saw Matt lean over to whisper to Lane.
"What’s rule ten?"
"Party foul." She laughed and pointed to the mask Rory was carrying through the crowd. "He has to where the donkey mask for the rest of the party and is the designated brunt of all jokes. If he tries to take it off, Rory’s mom will shave his head in his sleep."
"No way."
"I kid you not, she’s done it before."
"Strange town." He shook his head as Taylor begrudgingly pulled on the mask and Rory returned to the stage.
"You don’t know the half of it." Lane giggled and watched as Amy was awarded to the original bidder for fifty-five dollars.
"Next on the block." Lorelei gestured for the next victim. The impromptu fundraiser went on with surprising success. There were advantages to have Chiltonites at parties. They knew how to spend.
"Rory." Rory turned to follow the hushed call of her name and found her father standing at the side of the porch.
"Hi Dad."
"I see some things never change." He pointed to the excited ham that was her mother.
"Of course not. Are you ready for your part?" He just nodded with a smile.
"So which one is Tristan?" He looked around the crowd. Rory pointed over her shoulder at the dejected face of Tristan.
"Tarzan."
"Hmm." Christopher looked over the boy with a fierce scrutiny. "Is he good to you?"
"Yeah."
He studied his daughter for a moment then nodded his head. "Okay then. I’m going to fade into the crowd." He winked at her and disappeared.
"And last on the block is our very own king of the jungle, crowned prince of Chilton." Lorelei grabbed the chain on Tristan’s neck and pulled him to stand next to her. "Do I hear ten?"
"Ten!" Miss Patty practically jumped out of her skin.
"Twenty!" A Chilton girl hollered out and Rory’s humor at Tristan’s discomfort faded into jealousy but she held her tongue and sat back on the porch rail.
"Thirty."
"Forty."
"Fifty."
"Sixty." Shouts were coming from everywhere much to Miss Patty’s frustration. Tristan turned and smirked at his silent girlfriend.
"One hundred!" The Chilton girl hollered out again.
"Two hundred." Miss Patty glared at the girl and everyone was suddenly silent. Lorelei’s eyes grew huge. No one challenged and Tristan looked nervously at Rory.
"Two fifty." She smiled predatorily sending a charge through him.
"Three hundred, you get him all the time dear you can share him for a few hours." Miss Patty smiled sweetly. Rory paused, letting him sweat.
"Four hundred." Tristan gulped knowing he was going to have to shell out the money for this. She was following his request, he just didn’t think it would be this costly.
"Sold to my suddenly wealthy rug rat who has been hiding her money from her loving and gracious mother who buys her coffee." Rory ignored her and moved over to Tristan.
"Thank you." Obvious relief colored his features.
"I own you." Rory smirked.
"You’ve owned me since the first day I laid eyes on you." She felt herself flush at his quiet words. His trademark smirk returned at her reaction.
"Be careful, I know you pulled the A, I can always get mom to pardon Taylor." His smile faded.
"You wouldn’t."
"In a second."
"Any chance this is a product of werewolf stage."
"Nope, just honest to god pleasure in your discomfort."
"This is about this morning isn’t it?" He smiled knowing no matter how good her poker face was, she was unnerved by his bare chest.
"Sorry to burst your ego filled bubble, but the thought never crossed my mind." She wished that lie was more convincing. He had wormed information out of her with a predatory smile and those damn cut abs.
"Can I get dressed now master?" He chuckled following her eyes to his stomach.
"No." He frowned and she continued. "It’s time to get Lorelei back for the loincloth." His grin was mischievous as he watched her walk over and pick up the bullhorn where Lorelei left it. "Ladies and gentleman, we have one more item on the block tonight." Lorelei looked over at her daughter in shock.
"Rory, what are you doing?"
"I would now like to open the bidding on my dear sweet mother who put my boyfriend on the auction block in a loincloth." She sneered at Lorelei. "Bidding opens at twenty dollars, do I have a bid?" A hand raised at the back of the crowd.
"I have twenty, do I have thirty?"
"Thirty." Kirk shouted from his spot in a front.
"Traitor child, after I fed you and raised you and showed you the fine art of causing chaos." Lorelei stomped up the stairs to stand next to her child.
"I have thirty do I have forty?" Rory ignored her mother with a smile.
"I introduced you to coffee for god’s sake."
"And I appreciate it, now quiet you’re scaring off the bidders."
"Forty." Christopher edged to the front."
"Chris?" Lorelei looked shocked for a minute and then followed the source a scowl to find Luke turning an odd shade of red.
"Fifty." Luke’s grunt was aimed directly at Christopher, ignoring the stage completely.
"One hundred." Christopher just smiled.
"One fifty."
"Christopher, what on earth are you doing?" Lorelei glared at him.
"Two hundred." He turned to look at Lorelei. "Buying you back."
"Two twenty five." Luke took an aggressive step toward him.
"Well stop it I don’t want you to buy me back."
"Two fifty, why Lori, you can’t tell me you have feelings for someone else. Who, flannel boy?" He looked incredulously at Luke.
"Two sixty."
"Yes I do so just stop it!"
"Right, like you’re really in love with him." Christopher rolled his eyes.
"I am in love with him you hypocrite, you have a fiancé. Stay out of my love life Harley boy." Luke stopped stunned and stared at Lorelei.
"Really?"
"Of course you oaf." She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the father of her child. "Why are you even here?"
Christopher grinned and looked at his daughter. "That enough Ror?"
Tristan edge towards Rory and whispered in her ear. "Well done."
"Yeah, Dad, that should do. Thanks." Lorelei spun on her daughter.
"You set me up?" She pointed an accusatory finger at Rory.
"You bet your coffee colored nail polish I did. You think I was going to go off to college with out getting the two of you together? Come on Mom, the whole town knows you have a jones for each other."
"Evil child, you are so grounded for life. I’m finding a tower and locking you away forever. I’m shaving your head too, no Rapunzel acts for you." She stopped her tirade when Luke whipped her around and slammed his lips to hers. Lost, she suddenly went limb and let her arms drift around his neck. The cheers from the town’s people around them pulled her back to reality.
"Alright, who had November 20th?"Taylor hollered from under the mask. Lane raised her hand.
"I had it! I win, I win!"
"You bet on your mom?" Tristan looked over at her with a smile.
"Of course, this is a small town, we bet on everything. They even bet on us."
"Who won?"
"Kirk." She kissed him and then scanned him body from head to toe. Tristan wasn’t sure if the goose bumps were coming from the dropping temperature or her perusal. "Go change, before I have to beat Miss Patty off with a stick." He laughed and returned to the house to join the rest of the changing slaves. Rory smiled and turned the music back on. She slipped into the crowd to go visit with her father as the party kicked into full swing again. This was going to be a long and rowdy night.