The Girl That Got Away

Oh Boy

•Takes place during S1 E17•

They broke up. Rory and Dean are in pieces, and somehow, I'm the one being dragged out of bed at six in the morning to go shopping. How does that even make sense?

I glance at the clock-6:03 AM.

"Rory, what the hell?" I groan, barely able to keep my eyes open.

"Come on, you said you'd go last night!" Rory's voice is annoyingly perky as she stands in the doorway, fully dressed, ready to conquer the world or, at the very least, a mall.

I sit up, pulling the blanket over my head in a weak attempt to avoid the inevitable. "It's six in the morning," I mumble. "Six. In the morning."

She doesn't budge. "I know. That's why it's perfect! We'll get the good stuff before the crowds. Plus, I need new shoes."

I roll my eyes and throw the blanket off. "Fine. But if you think I'm going to be enthusiastic about this, you're wrong."

Rory grins. "I just need you there to judge me when I pick out the perfect pair of shoes. Trust me, it'll be fun."

"Fun?" I say as I get out of bed, pulling on a sweatshirt. "The only thing that's going to be fun is when we're back here and I can go back to sleep."

She flashes a quick smile before turning to head out. "Too bad! We're on a mission. Let's go, early bird."

I mutter under my breath, "This is the last time I agree to be your emotional support shopper."

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A party. A party in Hartford. At some rich girl's mansion. Why on earth did I agree to this? How did my sister turn into a master manipulator? And how the hell did she convince Lane to come? There better be booze at this thing, or I'm walking out.

The inside of the mansion is... well, exactly what you'd expect. Polished floors, perfectly placed art on the walls, and people standing around with their drinks, talking about their *exotic vacations* and their *boutique shopping experiences*. I glance over at Rory, who's still trying to look like she's okay, and Lane, who's too busy raiding the snack table to care about any of it.

But then, in the middle of all the chatter, my eyes land on him.

Daniel.

He's standing by the edge of the living room, talking to a couple of people, his dark hair just messy enough to look effortless. He's wearing a simple button-up shirt and jeans, and somehow, he makes it look like he just stepped out of a magazine. I don't know why it always hits me like this-every time I see him, it feels like I can't think straight.

"Uh, Chrissy?" Rory's voice cuts through my thoughts. "You okay?"

I blink, realizing I've been staring a little too long. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Fine. Just... um, just gonna say hi."

Rory looks at me, raising an eyebrow but not saying anything. She knows about my crush on Daniel-how could she not? But she's also good at letting me figure things out myself.

"Sure. Go for it," she says, her voice almost teasing.

I hesitate for just a second before walking toward Daniel. My heart's beating a little faster than it should, but at least it's not as obvious as my blush. I stop just a few feet away from him, trying to act cool-like this isn't a huge deal-but I know I'm probably failing miserably.

"Hey, Daniel," I say, trying to sound casual. "How's it going?"

He turns, his smile instantly making the butterflies in my stomach go wild. "Hey, Chrissy. I didn't know you were coming to this." His eyes flicker over me, like he's just now noticing the outfit I picked out-something simple but nice-and I can't help but feel a little self-conscious under his gaze.