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Ronnie's bedroom was a chaotic mix of charm and clutter, the perfect embodiment of its owner. Clothes hung precariously over the back of a chair, an open box of Pop-Tarts sat on the desk next to an overflowing stack of magazines, and a string of fairy lights blinked lazily over the bedframe. The room smelled faintly of vanilla and hair spray, with the distant hum of the town square serving as background noise.
Brooke Hollister, sprawled out on the bed, held up a Chilton brochure like it was a tabloid expose. Her eyes practically sparkled as she flipped the page.
She was one of Ronnie's closest friends in Stars Hollow—despite what everyone assumed about her only hanging out with Matt. The two shared a lot in common: a love for fashion, gossiping, and boys. In this, Ronnie was the polar opposite of Rory. But while Ronnie enjoyed the idea of love, fueled by her obsession with rom-coms and epic love stories, Brooke thrived on the attention boys gave her. Dating, for Brooke, was practically a sport, and she made it her mission to go out with as many guys as possible.
"Oh. My. God. These boys are hot," she exclaimed, holding the brochure up like it was the holy grail. "Do the guys at your school actually look like this? Or is this like, false advertising?"
Ronnie looked up from her fashion magazine, amused. "I mean, yeah, kind of. Welcome to the world of designer uniforms and genetic lotteries. Beats Stars Hollow, huh?"
"That's it," Brooke said with mock determination, slapping the brochure shut. "I'm transferring. Effective immediately."
Ronnie smirked. "Sure, Hollister. One week at Chilton, and you'd be so distracted by all the boys, you'd flunk out faster than you could say, 'Where's my lip gloss?'"
Brooke gasped in faux offense. "How dare you? I could focus... I mean, probably. Maybe. Okay, fine, how do you focus? With all that hotness walking around?"
Ronnie leaned back against the wall, considering her response. The truth? She didn't find Chilton distracting at all—not because she lacked interest in boys, but because the school itself left her cold.
Chilton was supposed to be her ticket to Harvard, but even that wasn't her dream. It was Rory's, and Ronnie had tagged along to avoid looking like the unambitious twin. On paper, Chilton was perfect: prestigious, challenging, full of opportunities. But in reality, it was a pressure cooker filled with snobby, overachieving clones she couldn't relate to. Sure, she might have had things in common with some of them—her love of fashion, parties, and even a good academic rivalry—but she didn't try to fit in. She didn't want to. Stars Hollow High was her turf: familiar, laid-back, and a whole lot easier.
Ronnie shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Maybe I'm just not as boy-crazy as you."
Brooke snorted. "Understatement of the year. Your love life compared to mine is, like, non-existent. Not to be harsh or anything."
