chapter nine! the psats
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"I'm depressed,"
Louise dramatically sighed, refusing to take her eyes off Thea who sat counting Fritos out onto two separate napkins for her friends.
"Jeremy didn't call?" Madeline asked, watching as her share of the Fritos began to be counted out.
"Not in a timely manner, no,"
"Well, good riddance to bad luggage," Thea dismissed, she had never heard majorly pleasant things said about Jeremey.
"I guess. I just thought we really connected the other day in the supply closet," Lousie sighed, knocking her crips around her napkin.
"Boys, a Nancy Drew mystery," Thea sarcastically scoffed, pushing the second napkin to Madeline.
"Thea, Louise, Madeline,"
Paris greeted sitting down beside Thea, placing her lunch tray on the table in front of her, an uncharacteristically bright smile plastered across her face.
"You look happy," Thea noted, finally turning her attention to her own lunch, a chicken salad her grandmother's current maid had packed her that morning.
"Really? Huh,"
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just a nice day. A nice, nice day," Paris smugly answered, clearly holding something back.
"Okay,"
"So, did you get your PSAT scores back yet?" Paris asked looking between the girls.
"Oh, yeah, yesterday. Grandma almost lost her mind," Thea answered, a gentle laugh escaping her lips as she recalled Emily Gilmore racing through the Gilmore mansion with the envelope containing Thea's PSAT results.
"And?"
"770 verbal, 770 math," Thea answered, Rory turned her attention from the book she'd been reading at the end of the table her eyes widening in shock at her sister's score. Rory had always just assumed Thea was just as dumb as some of the people she was friends with.
"Impressive," Paris nodded, smiling at her best friend's score, she never had any doubt that Thea would do amazing,
"Madeline?"
"500 verbal, 560 math,"
"Respectable," Thea smiled, pushing her fork into her salad once more.
"Louise, what did you get?" Paris asked, turning away from the two darker-haired girls.
"Highlights, just around my face," Louise answered, refusing to meet Paris and Thea's gaze.
"You will take them again and do better,"
"Your highlights look amazing," Thea pointed out, a pleased smile crossing Louise's face.
"I will take them again and get my nose done," Louise rebutted, lifting one of the Fritos to her lips.
"You don't study, you don't apply yourself," Paris scolded, she'd always been the one to scold her friends while Thea was the one to comfort and encourage. They always made the best duo, perfectly balancing each other out.
"Why don't you join our study group?" the Gilmore offered, grabbing a hold of her pastel pink metal water bottle, "Madeline did and look how well she did."
"Blah, blah, blah. I need another chip," Louise brushed the girls off, extending a hand to Thea, who had been guarding the chips from the two as they had requested.
"Take them," Thea sighed, pushing over the napkin of crisps.
"So, I got my scores back today too," Paris revealed, a smirk crossing her face.
"Oh, yeah?"
"This morning, I just came downstairs and there they were, just sitting on the table. Boy, was I nervous, just imagining what I got. But then I realized that I'd have to open them eventually, and so I did. And was I surprised by what I found. Could've knocked me over with a feather. Yup, I was just that surprised,"
Paris moved her gaze over to Rory, who sat alone at the other end of the table, listening to the four girls.
"So what did you get?" Rory interrupted, her eyes flitting between Paris and her sister.
"Well, Rory, since you asked, and by the way, I'm not bragging or anything, but I got a 750 math and a 730 verbal,"
"Wow, that is good,"
"Not as good as Thea," Paris added, a light blush rising to Thea's cheeks.
"Congratulations,"
"Thank you,"
"So, did you get your scores back yet?" Paris asked the older Gilmore, praying she had done better than Rory.
"Yup,"
"And?"
"I'm happy,"
"How happy?"
"Pretty happy,"
"Yes, but how do I know that you're not one of those people who gets pretty happy looking at a sunset? How do I know what's your barometer for being pretty happy is?" Paris asked, ranting and confusing her friends.
"She definitely gets very happy looking at a sunset," Thea quipped, reaching out for the water bottle that sat in front of her.
"You don't," Rory snapped, regretting her choice of table.
"Right. So are you?"
"Am I what?" Rory asked, glancing back down at her lunch tray.
"Are you one of those people who gets pretty happy looking at a sunset?" Paris asked once again.
"I don't get unhappy looking at a sunset,"
"What did you get?" Paris asked once more, clenching her fingers into small fists.
"That's personal," Rory bit back, not falling for anything Paris was pulling to try and get the scores out of her.
"Why won't you tell me?"
"Cause it's none of your business," Rory argued.
"Okay, fine, don't tell me what you got?"
"I won't,"
"Bye Paris," Rory sighed, rising from her seat.
"You're not torturing me, you know. I don't care," Paris snapped, watching angrily as Rory moved across the canteen away from the girls,
"My scores were great. I'm very, very happy with my scores. And I hate looking at sunrise so my standard for happiness is high,"
• • • • • • •
"So I heard you beat Paris on the PSATS," Alec announced,
walking up behind Thea as she rummaged through her locker.
"I did," Thea smiled, not looking away from her hunt for her lipgloss.
Alec leaned up against the closed lockers, a smile crossing his face as he looked down at the petite girl. Thea pulled out a textbook, placing it in Alec's arms to clear more space in her locker as she continued routing through her locker in hopes of finding her cherry lip gloss that had rolled out of her bag while she'd been in gym class.
"I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight?" Alec asked, pulling the girl's textbook to his chest, "We can celebrate your PSAT scores."
"I'd love to,"
• • • • • • •
"Paris, stop panicking," Thea sighed into the pink landline, balancing it on her shoulder as she continued with ease through her Italian essay.
Richard had been teaching Thea as many languages as possible from as early as he possible could.
"I'm allowed to panic, Alec finally asked you on a date," Paris bites back, just as Thea thought she would.
"It's going to be fine, P, I promise," Thea laughed, stopping writing for a second as she debated how to write the next section.
"Thea?" Paris asked after a moment of silence passed between the two best friends, "Are you doing your language essay?"
"Mmh," Thea mumbled, finally figuring out what needed to come next, "Is something the matter, Paris?"
"I'm not like them, T," Paris sighed, her voice catching slightly, making Thea panic as she noted her friend's upset.
"Like who?"
"Like Madeline and Louise, I can't advise you on what to wear or how to act or anything for your date," Paris sniffled out, "How am I supposed to be your best friend if I can't do that?"
"Paris, I don't care if you can't do any of that," Thea promised, hating that her best friend was doubting if she was good enough, "You'll always be my best friend no matter what. I love you."
"I love you too,"
"P?" the Gilmore asked, gaining a hum of acknowledgement from the other end, Thea smiled knowing the next piece of information would really make her best friend happy,
"Rory got a 740 verbal, 760 math."