A/N:

For anyone who also reads my other GG story, Can You Really Save Me?, I'm sorry. I've been trying to work on an update for that but I have no idea what I want to happen. I'm trying though. :(

In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys this new story. It's AU. Dean, Jess, Rory, and Tristan all go to Chilton and Rory's new. That seems to be about all you guys need to know right now. If you have questions or whatever, please feel free to leave them in a review. I accept anonymous ones as well.

Yeah, so I'm really pumped for this story and I hope you guys are too. Sorry for the babbling in this author's note. I just wanted to thank xoMusicLoverxo for editing most of this chapter for me. You all should definitely check out her stuff, too. *cough* update *cough* (Just Kidding. Well, no, I'm not. You MUST update eventually. If you don't, I'll cry. But take your time :D)

Umm, yeah so that about sums it up.

I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the original dialogue from the show that was used in here. No animals or people were harmed in the making of this chapter. (Do clementines count? 'Cause one of mine ran away and I still can't find it...)

. Read and review, people :)

Rory Gilmore stood in front of a full-length mirror, tugging at her uniform in frustration. When she'd first gotten the skirt, it went well past her knees and covered…well, everything. Now, it hit right above her knees and made her really uncomfortable. Tugging at the skirt in hopes that it would magically grow longer, she groaned in frustration and finally decided on giving up and going downstairs for breakfast. If she spent anymore time fussing over herself, she was going to be late.

Giving her skirt one last tug, she turned to grab her bag and headed down the hall towards her mothers room. "Mom, are you…" Rory stopped talking when she saw that in fact, her mother was nowhere near ready and still sleeping.

"MOM!" bellowed Rory, "Mom! Wake up, it's seven o'clock, we're going to be late!"

Her mother's sleeping form didn't budge, infuriating Rory even more. "Wake up!" she shouted. Finally, Lorelei stirred a bit, lifting her head off the pillow. "What time is it?"

Rory groaned, "It's seven, mom! We're going to be late! You need to get up, now." She pulled the covers off her mom and pointed towards the bathroom, "Get up!"

"It's not seven, it's five forty five. My alarm was supposed to go off… Oh man." Lorelei shot out of bed and began scrambling around for her clothes, "I'll be right out, I promise."

Rory groaned, "Just hurry it up."

Ten minutes, a pop-tart and a failed outfit later, Lorelei and Rory were both in the car driving towards Chilton.

"You nervous?" asked Rory's mom.

She shrugged, "A little, I mean how bad can it really be? I'm only there to study, so I can go to Harvard."

Loralei smiled, "That's my girl. But you know, it's okay to have a little fun every once in a while."

When they turned into the parking lot for the school, Rory's eyes got wider. "I remember it being smaller."

"Yeah," her mother agreed. "And less…"

"…Off with their heads." finished Rory.

"Yeah." Loralei cocked her head to the side, and began peering up at the building with her mouth agape.

"What're you looking at?"

"I'm just trying to see if there's a hunchback up in that bell tower."

"So," said Rory, turning to her mother, "How do I look?"

"Beautiful. Go in there and show them what smart really is."

Chilton was the size of a castle. Even the doors made Rory feel unbelievably small. Standing outside the main entrance, she took a deep breath before stepping inside.

"One breath was not enough." She muttered to herself.

If the outside of Chilton looked intimidating, the inside was even worse. With fancy wood banisters, marble floors and nothing in it - except the kids - that gave the school a "high school" feel, it made Rory want to be sick to her stomach. The kids probably wouldn't have worn these uniforms if they could help it, Rory noticed. Every girl was decked out with expensive bags and jewelry. The boys were dressed up in ties and suits, with shiny shoes and watches that probably cost as much as the tuition did. She was leaning against a large wood pillar, trying to find the nerve to ask someone where the headmaster's office was, when someone spoke to her.

"Hiding from someone?"

"God!" jumped Rory in surprise, "You're like Ruth Gordon, just standing there with a Tanis root. Make a noise."

"Rosemary's Baby."

Shocked that he understood the reference, Rory turned to face him. "Yeah."

"Well that's a great movie. You got good taste."

She blushed, and smiled. "So are you new here?" he asked.

"Yeah, first day."

He nodded in understanding, "That explains hiding behind the pillar. Don't sweat it." Leaning in closer to her, just enough that she could smell his cologne and the leather from his jacket. "Don't tell anyone, but I puked on my first day. In the bushes out front."

Rory smiled, "I just took to hyperventilating behind the pillar."

"Can I help you find anything? I know that this place is really intimidating when you're not used to it."

"I've been trying to figure out which direction the headmaster's office is in."

He nodded, "Alright, let's go."

"I'm Dean, by the way."

"Hi." Said Rory.

He raised his eyebrows in response, waiting for something more. "Oh," said Rory. "Rory, me. That's me."

Dean repeated her name once more, "Rory."

"Well Lorelai, technically."

"Loralei," said Dean, "I like that."

"It's my mothers name too. She named me after herself, she was lying in the hospital thinking about how men name boys after themselves all the time, you know? So why couldn't women. She says her feminism kind of took over. Though personally, I think a lot of Demerol also went into that decision." When she realized that she was babbling, she looked up into Dean's amused face. "I never talk this much."

They reached the headmaster's office, in the time that it took for the two to find out each other's names. "Well," said Dean, "I better go."

She nodded and thanked him for showing her where the office was, and turned around to stare at the maple wood door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and came face to face with the world's ugliest secretary.

---

Rory was sitting in Mr. Remy's first period Literature class, trying to copy down every word that flew out of the teacher's mouth. She was still in shock from her meeting with Headmaster Charleston, but she couldn't dwell on that now, she had notes to take and she was already behind. While she was furiously scribbling away, she heard the door open and looked up to see who would have the audacity to walk into a class late. Chilton had serious repercussions for that.

"Ah, Mr. DuGray."

"Sir," said the blonde haired boy who walked in, and handed Mr. Remy a note.

"Nice to have you back. Your grandfather's better?"

"Much better, sir."

"Good, take your seat please."

She was looking at Mr. Remy, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw the DuGrey boy stop and smirk when he saw her. Shrinking back a little into her seat, she bent her head down and turned her focus back on her notes.

The rest of the class passed uneventfully, save for the girl in the front of the class who shot out answers to every question before the teacher could even get them out of his mouth. At first, he was impressed, but his smile wore thin after the first ten minutes of class.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Be prepared for a test on this material tomorrow. Ms. Gilmore and Mr. DuGray, up to the front please."

"Tristan, Rory." said Mr. Remy, "Both of you, due to extenuating circumstances, have missed a large chunk of this unit. Unfortunately, I only have one extra copy of the notes. Both of you will be required to get the notes from other students, as these are just the basics. Decide how they will be distributed between the two of you, I want them back on Monday before you take the test." Handing the binder to Rory, he dismissed the two.

"Mary," said Tristan, following her down the hall, "Hey Mary."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"My name is Rory."

"And I'm Tristan."

"Hi."

"So you're new?" asked Tristan.

"Yeah, first day."

"Well, Remy's class is rough."

"Yeah, it seemed very intense."

"So," said Tristan, "How do you want to deal with the notes?"

"Um," began Rory.

"Cause you know," he said, getting closer, "I make an excellent study partner."

"Well, I was thinking that…"

Inching even closer, he began to back Rory up into the wall. " I could even help you study, if you want."

"I kind of view studying as a solitary activity, but thanks." She was getting uncomfortable at how close he was to her. "I'll copy the notes tonight and then you can have them tomorrow. I'll give them to you in class."

He smirked, and turned to leave. "Bye, Mary."

To his retreating figure, she said, "Its Rory."

---

After finally finagling her locker open, Rory was getting out the books she needed for her next couple of classes. Slamming it shut, she turned around and came face to face with the blonde haired girl from her Literature class in the morning.

"Didn't see you there. Where'd you come from?" remarked Rory. To be honest, her sharp features, along with her intimidating demeanor and strong voice, weren't exactly welcoming.

"I'm Paris. I know who you are too. Lorelai Gilmore, from Stars Hollow."

"You can call me Rory."

"Let's cut to the chase, are you going out for The Franklin?"

A puzzled expression came over Rory's face, "The what?"

"Nice innocent act, at least I know you're not going out for Drama Club."

Rory furrowed her eyebrows together, "I'm confused."

"The Franklin, the school paper. Are you going out for it?"

"I don't know, I have to find my next class first."

Rory began walking away, still reeling over Paris's intensity, when she heard her voice again. "I'm gonna be editor next year."

"Um, good for you."

"I'm also the top of the class and I intend to be valedictorian when I graduate."

"Okay, I'm going now." Said Rory, walking even faster away from Paris.

"You'll never catch up. You'll never beat me." Paris was now walking towards Rory, getting angrier and angrier with each step. "This school is my domain, and the Franklin is my domain. Don't you ever forget that." She turned around, walking in the other direction, leaving a confused Rory behind.

"She's intense, huh?"

Rory turned around to find the boy from earlier, Dean, leaning against a locker.

"Yeah, she's something, alright."

"Don't worry," said Dean, walking towards Rory, "You'll get used to her."

Rory snorted. "You're used to that?"

"Well, no" said a chuckling Dean, "But it's Paris, no one can ever get used to her."

"So, anyways," said Dean, "What class do you have next?"

"Um," said Rory, trying to grab the piece of paper without dropping all her books. "Chemistry with Mr. Pearlman."

"Great," said Dean, smiling. "I have it too, I'll walk you."

Chemistry was probably going to be her least favorite class. When she walked into the room, she noticed right away that Dean's face turned into a scowl, and Rory herself wasn't exactly thrilled at the sight of Paris.

"Oh man." He muttered. "This is going to be one hell of a class."

Placing her books down in the seat that was furthest away from Paris, Rory looked around her desk only to find that she had chosen the seat closest to the guy who'd called her "Mary" this morning. Tristan.

"Hey Mary."

She wanted to groan out loud. "It's Rory."

Before he could say anything else, Mr. Pearlman walked to the front of the room and began talking. "This is an Honors level Chemistry course. It will be hard, and it will be rigorous. You all are in this room because you were considered the best candidates for the toughest material. This class is a college-level class. Be prepared to work your hardest."

He started passing out the thickest textbook that Rory had ever seen, along with a packet of paper. "This is just the introductory material. Read it, review it, and have it done by tomorrow. Work with a partner, the person you choose will be your lab partner for the rest of the semester. Choose wisely."

The entire class became alive with interest. Everyone was talking to each other, trying to decide partners. Rory, not knowing who to ask, quietly pulled out her textbook and began working on the assignment herself.

Dean walked up to Rory, and put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey…" he began to speak when Tristan cut him off. "Hey Mary, wanna be my partner?"

"Um…" she began. When she looked over at each of their faces, both of them were scowling at each other. Rory could feel the tension between the two, when Tristan chose to speak. "Well, well, bagboy, whose it going to be?"

Dean scowled and tightened his grip on Rory's shoulder, making her wince and shift in her seat. "Dude," came another voice, "Let go of her shoulder, you have a death grip on it."

Rory looked up to find a black haired, dark eyed boy staring at Dean. He had short, wavy hair and a scruffy look about him. His dark eyes met hers, and he gave her the slightest of smiles. "She'll be my partner, won't she?"

All three of them looked at her for confirmation and she nodded. "Yeah, um, I'll be…"

"Jess," he supplied, "I'm Jess."

"Right. I'll be Jess's partner."

Dean and Tristan both glared at each other before going back to themselves, but before Rory got up to go sit next to Jess, she saw Tristan shoot her a wink out of the corner of her eye, and Paris glaring at her from afar.

This was going to be an interesting school year for sure. Chilton clearly wasn't all books and notes.

Clicky the review button. :)

Also, I don't own Kelly Clarkson's song "I Do Not Hookup" I just thought it fit, cause really, Rory doesn't hook up.