Rory Swenson

Rory Swenson is the main protagonist in the second book in the Willow Falls series, Finally.

"Looking is different then seeing"- Rory, realizing her gift in Finally.

Rory Swenson is the narrator and main character of Finally. Rory has over-protective parents who watch her every move, causing her to wish for all kinds of different 12-year-old things for her birthday such as getting her ears pierced, walking to school, drinking coffee, and the most important...owning a cell phone! However, she learns the hard way that things don't always turn out like you want.

Appearance
Rory has brown hair, and is relatively small for her age. She has green eyes and is usually injured in some sort of way. She is also known to often lose her cell phone.She loves to have fun with her friends

Finally
Turning 12 isn't all it's cracked up to be! Rory Swenson has been waiting her whole life to turn twelve. And she's got a list to prove it. Whenever Rory asks her parents for something, they always say, "When you're twelve . . ." Well, in exactly, 18 hours, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds it will finally happen. Her parents get along fairly well, but all Rory wants from them is to be a normal 12-year-old girl with normal 12-year-old responsibilities. Unfortunately, she explains that her parents had her shortly after college so they didn't want her making the same mistakes they did.
 * 1) Get a cell phone.
 * 2) Stay home alone.
 * 3) Go to the mall with best friend and No Parents
 * 4) Wear makeup.
 * 5) Get contact lenses.
 * 6) Attend Natalie's boy-girl party.
 * 7) Get ears pierced
 * 8) Get a pet
 * 9) Walk to school by myself
 * 10) Babysit
 * 11) Go to bed at 9:30
 * 12) have my own house key
 * 13) Sit in front seat of car
 * 14) Pick out my own clothes
 * 15) Ride an upside-down roller coaster
 * 16) Shave my legs
 * 17) Get my own IM
 * 18) Buy my own lunch at school
 * 19) Use oven, stove and other electrical appliances without permission or supervision
 * 20) Do my homework with anyone not checking it
 * 21) Watch Friday the 13th part X ( which is part of the family lore because my dad took my mom to see a midnight showing of it on their first date in college, and my mom hid her face in his shoulder during the scary parts, and they fell in love right then and there)

Friends
Annabelle: Annabelle is known as her sweet and spunky best friend. Rory describes Annabelle as a typical girly-girl, as she wears lip gloss, with great fashion sense. Annabelle's parents are polar opposites of Rory's, nearing their fifties as Rory mentions, and they have allowed Annabelle to do almost everything on Rory's list. However, Annabelle, like Rory, is kindhearted and open, seeing people for their true qualities rather than their outward appearance. She is very jovial and outgoing. Rory expresses, "How can you stay mad at someone who does things as nice as that?" and "Annabelle practically glows in the hallway, there's no way you couldn't notice her." She and Annabelle like to joke around with each other along with their friend, Sari, and they also like doing just about everything with one another.

Sari: Sari is also Rory's friend, but doesn't measure up to the same level as Annabelle. Sari has a thing for hair and wears it different everyday, and even helps Rory with her hair. Rory says at the beginning of Finally that she and Sari almost never talk unless their with Annabelle because Sari is more of Annabelle's friend. It's clear that as the book goes on, they become a lot closer.

Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick: She confronts them occasionally in Finally and she says that they know something about her that she doesn't. In the end, she decides she likes Amanda and Leo, even though they weird her out when they talk to her about things like "Seeing not Looking" and Angelina (although they never actually mention the name in front of her). In the beginning of 13 Gifts, you can tell that Rory, Leo, and Amanda (along with David) have become best friends.

David: Tara used to think that David had a crush on Rory, but she can see now that they're just very good friends.

Sawyer: Rory is a good big sister to Sawyer and is very nice to him no matter the age difference.

Jake Harrison: Rory is rumored to have been dating the 14-year-old movie star in the beginning of 13 Gifts (where Rory is now 13), which is cleared up by the end of the book, where she says that she and Jake aren't officially allowed to date until she's in 9th grade, but for now they're just very good friends. Tara doesn't think that they'll be able to hold off on the 9th grade thing after she sees Jake and Rory laughing and dancing together.

Emily St. Claire: Rory is Emily's baby-sitter, but being only a year apart, they are good friends. According to Rory's friend Annabelle, she has "the best gig in town".

Being Helpful and Seeing
Throughout the series, Rory is known to not judge people, instead see people in her own special way. In fact, Tara decides that she can't say no to anything Rory says because of her eyes. Rory is described as "bossy, determined, and ready to help whether or not asked". As she learns in Finally, Rory makes friends easily not because of her material possessions (like a cell phone) but because of her leadership and her unbeatable personality. Also, Rory is known to be extremely helpful and kind towards others, and most of the time, strangers. Leo says she can even be a little bossy in the process. Rory even helps a whole family in Finally, and continues to help Tara in 13 Gifts. She also is extremely resourceful. That story is an amazing story! You should read!!!