In Life and Death

A Haunting in Connecticut

A Haunting in Connecticut
 
Rory stood waiting with the other ‘losers' of the trails, she wasn’t sure why her and the other moles were present this time instead of riding back with the others and then on to the party. In fact, she realised she didn’t actually know anything about the party this time.
“Well at least we know why Tiger didn’t get it. I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk again properly for months,” Snipe said to her with a wink, he seemed down though. All the ‘losers’ did.
“We should meet up another day anyway,” Irish suggested.
“No way, I didn’t get in, fine, but I’m not meeting up with you all again,” a guy replied, he was wearing a label calling him ‘monster' which considering he was five foot nothing was fairly ironic. “No offense and everything, but I have better things to do than waste my time with a load of losers.”
Rory frowned, who had voted him in? She really didn’t think he’d fit.
“Oh yeah, no offence taken,” Irish rolled her eyes.
“Least we know why you didn’t make it, you’ve got the personality of a cod fish,” Snipe said sarcastically.
“And we know why you didn’t get in, don’t we?” Monster replied, his eyes travelling up and down Snipe. Multiple people sucked in breaths. Snipe was an attractive guy, shining brown eyes, a square jaw, his head was completely bald and he had a small gold hoop in his ear which stood out fantastically against his dark skin. Monster was not fitting into this group at all.
“Hey do you think we can use the bathroom?” Rory asked, her mind turning.
“Unless they’re planning on breaking the Genève conventions then yes, I’m pretty sure you can go use the bathroom Tiger,” Hench replied, his eyes fixed on Monster. Yup Monster needed to be gone before he got really hurt.
Rory left the winners tent looking round to see who was still there. She landed on Poppins. She rushed over to him, pulling the long skirt up so she didn’t trip on the uneven ground.
“Wow, Bam-Tiger, where’s the fire?” Poppins asked, his mask in place.
“Monster, who’s was he, do you know?” Rory asked.
“Pretty sure he was Boss' why?”
“He’s a racist, belligerent, asshole whose about to get his head stomped on and I’m pretty sure no-one in there is going to stop it,” Rory explained looking round for Boss, it was much more difficult when everyone was still wearing the stupid Gorilla masks.
“Charles!” Poppins yelled loudly, sure he could always do that too.
“What!” Boss yelled back, he was packing away the food table.
“You have an issue!” Poppins shouted back.
Boss put the things he’d been clearing away back down and strode over to them.
“Why are you always the one to bring me issues Tiger?” Boss sighed catching sight of her.
“Next time I’ll just let the fights happen then shall I?” Rory asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Tell me already,” Boss said with another sigh, his arms crossed over his chest and his foot tapping.
“Your guy, Monster?” Rory said.
“Yeah, I was on the fence about him but I only had one other, what’s up with him?” Boss asked, his foot stilling.
“He’s just told someone they’re not in based on the colour of their skin, after he insulted everyone else, he’s about to get his ass kicked,” Rory explained again.
“Well he’s out then, I’ll go get him,” Boss said sounding annoyed. “You know, you just attract drama don’t you?”
“Uh huh, been on any sinking ships lately Jack?” Rory replied with a smirk.
“Fair point, alright I’m going,” Boss replied striding off towards the members tent.
“You best get back too Tiger,” Poppins said stretching his arms up.
“Sure thing, Conrad,” she smirked at him, his middle name had been a source of amusement for her for weeks now.
“I hate you,” Poppins said grumpily.
“I love you too,” Rory grinned heading back to the tent as Boss and Monster started walking out, Monster had a grin on his face, he’d obviously been told he might have got in after all. Idiot.
It was almost two hours later that the LDB started coming back into the members tent, all wearing their masks.
Logan once more took the lead in speaking and Rory watched as the newest members looked around them in awe. Irish looked particularly freaked out.
“Are you prepared to join us? To pledge yourself to us?” Logan asked quietly. Rory moved closer to her fellow moles.
“Yes,” echoed out from the new members.
“In Omnia Paratus,” Rory intoned with the other members, smiling softly as Irish, Hench and Snipe all looked at her with wide eyes. She’d played her part well enough it seemed; they hadn’t suspected her.
“Now, we party!” Logan said and everyone else whipped off their masks.
“Welcome to the Life and Death Brigade,” Rory grinned at the three people from her group who had successfully got in.
///\\\///\\\
“You’re not making your move?” Robert asked Finn, surprised. They were watching the newest members dancing on the stage they’d built yesterday, the party was taking place in the woods, after the initiates had jumped off a platform made from scaffolding. Bambi and Kat were dancing with them, both well into their cups.
“Not today dearest, she had that shit with her ex. And Gary told me to back off a bit,” Finn said, again surprising Robert. It was an uncharacteristically sensible approach from the man.
“Since when do you listen, to anyone but the voices in your head?” Robert chuckled, taking another glass of champagne, he wondered if Kat would be up for round three. Robert didn’t usually go back for seconds, let alone thirds after sleeping with a girl, it was too much like commitment, but she had been truly spectacular and he’d been up front with her.
“Since it concerns my girl. When she gives into my charms it won’t be because she drunk and upset,” Finn smirked, his eyes not leaving the brunette that was jumping up and down in her low-cut dress.
“You almost sound like you care good sir,” Robert smirked back.
“Yes, I do. Don’t I? Obviously not had enough to drink,” Finn replied, grabbing another drink and making his way into the crowd of revellers.
Robert watched. Something quite odd was going on with his friend and he intended to find out what.
///\\\///\\\
“Hey, where are you going? We’re having the planning meeting. This is your plan, no-one else knows it. You need to be here for it,” Poppins said, he was placing snacks out on one of the coffee tables as Rory rushed through the dorm pulling her jacket on.
“I’ve got to go to Boston,” Rory said, her shoulders stiff, her head racing.
“What? No, people coming round here for your master plan, remember?” Poppins said.
“Poppins, I’m going to Boston, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Rory said, she needed to do this. It was important.
“Right, okay, just wait. Tell me why you need to go to Boston,” Poppins said patting the couch for her to sit on.
Rory huffed but sat, five minutes wouldn’t hurt after all.
“My dad rang my mom for help, and of course my mom went round,” Rory explained, feeling the anger coming back.
“I might need a little more than that,” Poppins prompted her, sitting on the sofa next to her.
“My mom’s happy with Luke, really happy, but my dad... he turns up, turns her head. There’s promises and hope and he destroys that. He destroys everything,” Rory said, her dad, she knew he meant well, he always did, but he still always screwed up.
“Bambi...” Poppins said, his voice sympathetic. He put a hand on top of hers.
“Don’t, Poppins, I’m going, you can’t talk me out of it,” Rory warned, she had to do this, for her mom. Her mom who’d given her everything with no help from him at all. Her mom who finally had a chance to be happy, with Luke, a man who’d always been there for her, always been at her birthdays, given her food, cheered her up in his own unique way. She wouldn’t let her dad come between the man who’d been more of a father to her and her mom.
“I wasn’t going to talk you out of it, thank you very much chick for the vote of confidence there. What I was going to say was, wait till after this planning meeting, then I’ll go with you,” Poppins said slinging an arm round her shoulder and pulling her in for a hug.
“Thank you,” Rory said hugging him back. “But I’m still not giving you Janet’s number.”
“You’re cruel, you know that? Still love you though,” Poppins pushing her away playfully.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Rory grinned at him.
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Dan said coming out of his room.
“Yeah, think I might vomit,” Kat added, following him out a thick text book in her hands.
“So, what’s the plan this time, I’m expecting something epic,” Charles came into the room and vaulted over the back of a couch.
“Oh, it’s epic alright, puts our last ones to shame, but it’s going to be harder than the last ones too...” Rory grinned, her mind off her dad for the moment, she’d deal with him after. “First we need to wait for the others.”
They were going to have to do this in the group again, all nine of them. She’d left out Gary, he liked to do his own pranks and she didn’t trust him not to give the game away to other people.
Rory’s competitive side had come out, she refused to lose.
///\\\///\\\
Rory was sat in the library, Poppins, Sophie, Jed and Glenn were studying with her. Rory was trying to finish a paper but the conclusion was giving her trouble. It just didn’t flow right and considering it was for her English Composition class, it needed to flow.
She was about five seconds away from hitting her head on the table when her phone rang saving her from her paper for a few minutes.
“Hey, thank you from saving me from my paper, it’s kicking my ass,” Rory said quietly to her mom.
“Hon, I have something to tell you,” her mom replied, sadly.
“Mom?” Rory asked sitting up from her slumped position.
“It’s Gran hon, she passed last night, at home in her sleep. It was a heart attack we think,” her mom said, Rory froze. No, it couldn’t be, she’d spoke to Trix two days ago. She’d told her great gran all about the prank she had planned. They’d arranged to meet next week. She couldn’t be gone. Maybe... maybe Trix was playing a prank. She was one of the original LDB members after all, she could be, she could... she’d never do that to Richard, she’d never to that to Lorelai or Rory.
“Rory?” Her mom was saying down the line from a long way away.
“I’m here, how’s grandpa?” Rory asked, she felt as though the world should have frozen with her. Her chest hurt. It was hard and stiff.
“Rory?” She’d tuned out again.
“Sorry mom, how’s grandpa?” She asked again.
“He’s... well he’s not great sweets. Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. Not really,” Rory said, a gnawing pit in her stomach.
“You want me to come get you?”
“No, no it’s fine, just be there for grandpa and let me know if I can do anything,” Rory said, still feeling like everything was wrong. The world was wrong, something had been misplaced, the world wasn’t as it should be.
“Okay, well call me if you need anything okay?”
“Sure, will do,” Rory said before disconnecting the call. Her chest still hurt, like something was building inside of it and she didn’t know what, but it sucked and it hurt and she didn’t want to feel it.
“Bambi?” Poppins asked softly. She looked up from her phone to see her friends all staring at her. “What’s happened chick?”
“Trix, she... she’s...” Rory couldn’t say it and she felt the pressure in her chest building and flowing up through her throat blocking it. Tears prickled painfully in her eyes and she blinked them away. She didn’t want to shed them there in the library.
“Come on Bambi, let’s go,” Jed said standing up, the rest of them followed leaving behind books, pens and pads.
Rory walked back to her dorm with Poppins arm around her shoulder and Jed’s around her waist, Glenn stopped at the coffee cart and caught them up with a giant cup of black coffee that he passed to her. Sophie was busy tapping away at her phone, saying something every now and then that Rory just blanked on. She felt numb.
“Mary?” Tristan popped in front of her as they walked into the dorm building. She really couldn’t deal with him today.
“Mate, move or we move you, not today alright,” Poppins said, his voice a growl, coming out more menacingly than she’d thought he could do.
Tristan wisely moved out of the way.
Rory went in to her dorm and straight to her room where she got changed into her pyjamas laid on the bed and sobbed. The feeling in her chest, abject misery, burst from her, coming out of her eyes and her mouth and it still wasn’t enough it still hurt.
Some time later, Rory wasn’t sure how long enough so that her sobs weren’t audible anymore there was a knock at her door.
“Come in,” Rory called not wanting to move, her voice came out raspy.
Kats head appeared round her door. “We have food, Indian and lots of coffee, even more than you can drink. We also have alcohol if you fancy drinking,” Kat said softly.
“Thanks,” Rory said sitting up. Her head hurt but she felt a tiny bitter better, as long as she didn’t think about. She should go see her grandpa, he probably needed her right now. Maybe tomorrow when she had herself more under control.
Rory went put into the common room where more than her flatmates waited for her. There was everyone from next door as well. The numerous occasional and coffee tables overflowed with food, coffee and alcohol.
Her friends, her family were here to take care of her. Once more she thought just how lucky she was to have the LDB in her life.
///\\\///\\\
Rory climbed out of her car, ready for anything, In Omnia Paratus. It was her birthday and as always, she was spending it with her mom, who’d rang her at four am, as usual. She knew her mom would be planning something, birthdays were a massive celebration after all, but this time she didn’t know what was planned.
The house when she walked in was empty, on the kitchen table was an envelope with her name on it and a cupcake with a single candle. Rory ate the cupcake as she read what was in the envelope.
For your birthday this year sweets,
You’ll have to find all the treats,
First go look and seek if you can,
Where you’d usually find the diner man.
Rory smiled as she finished her cupcake, a scavenger hunt. She wondered what she’d find at the end and very glad the first stop was at Luke’s at least she’d be able to get some coffee for her search.
Rory walked to Luke's quickly, the day was cold, the leaves falling on to the floor in stunning hues of red and orange, the air smelt fresh and full of promise. This was going to be a good birthday; she could feel it.
Rory walked into the diner and stopped, her face breaking out into a larger smile, sat at a table surrounded by balloons and a northern cupcake were Lane and Poppins. Her two best friends. She hoped that meant they’d be joining her on her hunt.
“Hey birthday girl,” Lane grinned at her standing up and giving her a hug.
“Bambi, happy birthday,” Poppins also gave her a hug, his hair tied back again from his face, a balloon and an envelope in his hand.
“Dix you guys have anything to do with this?” Rory asked happily as Poppins tied the balloon to her purse and gave her the envelope.
“We’re strictly following instructions,” Lane said.
“Well, strictly is a subjective term,” Poppins smirked, she was pleased he wasn’t giving Lane that smile again, apparently her threats had worked for that particular friend of hers. Though she’d caught Janet sneaking out of their dorm three mornings ago. Poppins had finally succeeded with her it seemed.
“Open the envelope,” Lane said excitedly bouncing up and down.
“After-"
“Coffee?” Luke said from behind her, a large takeaway cup in his hand and a smile on the usually stoic man’s face. “Happy birthday, now I’d advise not keeping your mom waiting, you know how she is.”
“Thank you,” Rory beamed, she’d missed Luke’s coffee. She’d even dreamt of it the night before.
With Luke, Lane and Poppins watching Rory opened the next clue.
Of friends these are your best,
Carry on your hunt to maybe find the rest,
Something special awaits you near,
Somewhere you Read and watch my dear.
“Figured it out?” Luke asked her.
“Of course,” Rory beamed at him, the Black, White and Read movie theatre, it must be.
“Well, what are you waiting for, get out of here,” Luke insisted ushering her to the door, Lane and Poppins behind her.
Rory spent the better part of the afternoon walking around the town picking up clues and people as she went.
At the Black, White and Read she found Kat and Charles.
At the arcade waited Manbat and Jed.
Gary and Nika were in the sweet shop, Glenn and Jed waited for her in Miss Pattys and at the Gazebo, which had been empty everything they’d passed it had been Sophie and Mia, Mia who’d formally been Irish to Rory.
Sophie handed over the envelope as everyone gathered round.
You’ve done really well, you’ve walked around,
There are many people you have found,
Now the time is here, come on nothing to fear,
Your last stop will find, a Frenchman none too kind, a chef with a heart of gold, and now you’re getting old, a surprise a special as you.
Rory put the latest clue in her purse and set off, a trail of people behind her, Lane and Poppins at her side as they made their way to the Dragonfly.
The Dragonfly was decked out in gold and black balloons when they got there, with streamers and confetti everywhere. Her mom had outdone herself.
Rory walked in to find the reception empty, as was the library, the doors to the dining room closed. She opened them to the roar shed been expecting.
“Surprise!” was shouted out from her mom, Sookie, Michele, Miss Patty, Babette, Luke, her grandma and all of the missing members of the Life and Death Brigade.
///\\\///\\\
“Well hello love, fancy meeting you here,” Finn smiled at her as she got herself a coffee from the cart on the way to Professor Bells lecture, it was only a six-week course but she was really enjoying it.
“Stalking out the coffee carts for me again Finn?” Rory smirked up at him and ordered her coffee.
“Put it on my tab please,” Finn said to the barista.
“You don’t have to do that Finn,” Rory said biting her lip, she often stood talking to him at different coffee carts around campus. He hadn’t stopped asking her out yet. She hadn’t given in either. Yet.
“Ah but if I enable your addiction, you’re much more likely to finally go on a date with me Kitten,” Finn said slowly walking with her towards the building her class was in.
“When are you going to give in?” Rory asked Finn, her hair flying in her face from the wind.
“I think the better question is when are you going to give in Bambi?” Finn smirked again, leaning down to brush the hair from her face behind her ear. When he did things like that... well she couldn’t remember why she kept saying no.
“I’m at my class Finn,” Rory said biting her lip, standing outside the room with her classmates going through the open door.
“I’ll be seeing you very soon Bambi, enjoy your class,” he walked backwards from her grinning, until he bumped into someone making Rory laugh.
She sat a desk as the rest of the class came in, a smile on her face. Finn was persistent, she’d give him that and she’d never seen him with another girl, with the exceptions of Juliet, Rosemary and Stef. She wondered if he was as much a player as Sophie had said he was.
She was brought out of her daydreams of the tall, handsome Australian as Professor Bell started the lecture. They talked about Dillan Thomas, a poet as well as an alcoholic, though now he was more famous for the latter unfortunately. Rory blamed reality shows for that, the gradual dumbing down of America.
It was near the end of the class; Professor Bell was winding down and people were starting to put away their belongs when the door crashed open.
Colin stormed into the room, hurriedly, searching until his eyes landed on her.
“Bambi!” Colin practically shouted, Rory stuffed her things in her bag, something must have happened. Someone was hurt or needed help. “Bambi, you can’t just walk out like that! Not after everything we’ve been through together!”
Rory raised her eyebrow. Really, this was the prank he was pulling to try and win? She had it in the bag if that was the case. Interrupt her class and embarrass her? Or try too anyway. Poppins had once interrupted a lecture to tell her she’d left her tampons at home. He’d hid from her for a week after. This was nothing. Suddenly Finn's words from earlier had more meaning.
“Colin! Give it up man! It’s me she wants not you! Tell him Bambi, tell him you don’t love him!” Logan had come in next.
Rory rose to her feet and grabbed her bag, both guys stopping, obviously not expecting this. She hoped they could do improv.
“Logan’s right Colin, I don’t love you. But Logan, I don’t love you either. I’m sorry to do this so publicly, but you chose the setting. I’m in love with her,” Rory said pointing at Kat who stood and wrapped her arm around Rory's waist. “It’s always been her, I’m sorry.”
Kat and Rory left the room pushing past Logan and Colin who were stood watching with their mouths open. The class silent behind them.
They managed to get out into the corridor before they started laughing.
“Now I see why you won’t go out with me,” Finn grinned waiting in the hallway, he was wearing an old-fashioned British police outfit causing Rory to laugh harder.
“I thought I was going to have to work hard to beat you guys?” Rory smiled at Finn.
“It seems we underestimated you Kat, Bambi, no worries, we’re not done yet,” Finn swept into a bow. “There’s coffees waiting for you at that delightful cart, I thought I might need a bribe so you didn’t have my balls love.”
“Thanks Finn,” Kat said once more wrapping her arm around Rory's waist and towing her from the building.
“When are you going to say yes to him?” Kat asked as the heavy oak door slammed shut behind them.
“Are you trying to break up with me Kat? I’m hurt, truly deeply hurt,” Rory said avoiding Kat's question. It was getting harder and harder not to say yes.
///\\\///\\\
Rory stood on the podium proud. The prank they’d pulled this time had taken time, money, technology and a lot of sneaking around, but they’d pulled it off flawlessly. And no-one had any idea that it had been a prank or that they were behind it. The screen behind them lit up as Poppins pulled in his phone.
“Ladies, Gentlemen and Gary, we give you, a Haunting in Connecticut,” Kat said as behind them the screen showed the newspaper article that Rory had written.
Strange goings on had been happening around the old campus near Halloween. Esteemed professors had witnessed ghostly apparitions, some even captured on camera and video. Students in dorms had seen things fly across their rooms. One student had even set up a webcam that captured these happenings.
For weeks Rory, Kat, Dan, Charles, Poppins, Nika, Glenn, Jed and Manbat had worked to make the old campus haunted. They’d set up holograms (or Nika had anyway) they’d rigged things to go bump at night, put spring loaded pads around that had made books fly, or coffee cups. They’d made sure to catch them on camera. They’d haunted Yale.
“No fucking way,” Colin said into the silence.
“Oh yes, we were the ones behind the Hauntings,” Poppins smirked, they were all pleased with what they done.
“No, I never saw you and in the library-"
Rory cut over Colin, her face hurting with the smile on it. “There was a ghost of an old librarian? Yes, we know,” Rory turned to Poppins who put the picture of Colin running from the ‘ghost’ up.
Laughter started rippling through the crowd followed shortly after by applause that was almost deafening.
Rory caught Finn's eye, he was clapping with the rest of them, stopping to put his fingers in his mouth and whistle before giving her a small bow. Rory felt her face heating up under his approving gaze.