JEALOUSY REARS ITS UGLY HEAD

Chapter 1

As usual she was accompanied by an extra large steaming cup of coffee as she headed up thefront steps of Chilton Prep. He spotted her, grinning, a spring in his step as he jogged to catchup with her.

"Hey Mare…"

She had strangely come to terms with his pet name for her as he referred to it and as their tentative steps towards friendship developed into the real thing she found herself not minding as much. Today was not one of those days.

"Tristan, unless you have more of Luke's coffee hidden somewhere within this vicinity it's too early to be calling me Mary. As a matter of fact the name's Rory and you'd think by now being friends and all for let's see the past couple of months you'd remember but as it so happens….."

"Whoa, stop right there. Deep breaths, that's right. Take it easy." Tristan placed gentle hands on both her shoulders watching her closely with a rather amused gleam in his eyes. She turned from his grasp and continued on her way, Tristan sidling up to her with ease.

"It's never too early or too late to be calling you Mary, Mary, you know that." He cocked his head to the side grinning trying to get a smile or anything remotely civil out of her as they walked through the halls of Chilton finally settling in front of Rory's locker. She suddenly turned to face him needing an outlet.

"Okay since you asked I have been up all night and morning studying for this exam and I'll have you know I've only had four cups of coffee."

"I asked? I don't quite remember that." Tristan voiced his doubt ever so slowly furrowing his brows in jest as his urge to laugh at her wayward babbling grew by the minute. He thought it safer to merely chuckle in case she took offense going by her mood. "Hold on only four cups?"

"Well Luke was unmoved by all this and flat out refused to serve me anymore coffee insisting that it wouldn't help my sleep deprived state. Now that kind of behavior just knocked him down a couple of spots on my list."

"Mare, he may have a point. The last I heard caffeine and sleep did not go together."

"Oh hush up, no one asked you smarty pants."

"Smarty pants?" Tristan couldn't help it this time and laughed. "Wait a second, you have a list? What list? Am I on it?" Rory huffed. That would be about right she thought before giving him a playful shove. He loved it when she got all riled up and he loved being able to joke with her without the threat of her getting mad and ignoring him.

"Not everything revolves around you Dugrey."

"That may be but I have my doubts." An exasperated sigh and eye roll later from Rory their conversation returned to the main issue at hand. "Okay so minor lack of sleep is the cause of all this." Tristan looked at her pointedly. When she didn't respond Tristan whose hands had found their way back onto her shoulders pulled her in for a hug that surprisingly she didn't resist which put a genuine smile on his face. Rory sighed despite herself welcoming the smell of him and the warmth he provided. She further nestled her head into his shoulder feeling herself starting to drift. "God, you'd be a wonderful pillow." It was a thought meant to stay in her head but as she felt him stiffen she realised that it hadn't. The temptation to sleep all but left her system. She looked up albeit a little slowly seeing him staring down at her with a look she couldn't exactly place. She shuddered involuntarily, the odd sensation coursing through her. Deciding it was a rather chilly morning she hastily pulled away.

"Hey, you cold?" He fought the surge within himself when he felt her body quiver and the sound of her voice almost breathy as she was drifting off made it that much harder to deny himself the need to kiss her. He shook the gnawing feeling away nervous about treading down that path. Tristan Dugrey nervous around girls? He said it to himself twice and it still made no sense but then again Rory Gilmore wasn't just some other girl. He also knew that friendship was what she wanted from him and he wouldn't spoil what they had now that she had given him a chance.

"No, I'm fine." The expression on his face lingered making her heady or maybe it was just his cologne she wasn't sure. "I'm just…it's only. I'm fine." Verbal diarrhea, yes, but stumbling on her own tongue virtually unheard of. She immediately started on her locker to distract herself from her thoughts but the stupid thing wouldn't open again. Tristan gave it the magic touch without a word from Rory now used to the routine. She wasn't sure whether to be thankful or annoyed that it never failed him. She gave her locker door an aggravated shove the metal door banging against its neighbor with a noisy clang.

"Oookay, if you say so. The mood had lightened once again both welcoming it. "Well I'd better head off but if you want I can give you a ride home today unless you prefer the company of strangers on that bus you've grown attached to. If you're interested let me know, I'm more than willing."

Rory rolled her eyes yet again. Tristan was without a doubt still Tristan and she had gotten used to his ways realising she'd probably have a coronary if he ever did change as he gave her his trademark smirk, one that was notably very swoon worthy and boy did he know it.

"How do you do it?" Rory jumped and yelped not necessarily in that order as Louise along with Madeline and Paris approached her from behind.

"God Louise ever heard of tact?" Rory let out a long deep breath once her heart was back to normal rhythm. The three girls had been watching the interaction between Tristan and Rory with interest and a tad jealous. Not that they didn't like Rory which they did but they weren't immune to Tristan like Rory seemed to be and all three secretly wished they could be Rory for a day just to have Tristan be the way he only seemed to be around one Rory Gilmore.

"What are you talking about?" Rory shot her a confused look having indeed no idea what the blond was talking about.

"You know."

Rory sighed. "Okay, let me rephrase. When I said 'what are you talking about' I actually meant 'what are you talking about?" Rory sighed not in the mood for cryptic Louise as she rummaged through her locker for her books. It just seemed too much effort on her part with the lack of sleep to decipher the underlying meaning to Louise's question which knowing Louise there would be one.

"Well since you asked." Louise paused for dramatic effect before she continued. "How in God's name are you able to be Tristan Dugrey's 'friend' and nothing more? I just don't know how you restrain yourself around him, I mean I could never."

"We're well aware of that." Paris just couldn't help herself Louise choosing to ignore her. Sighing yet again Rory answered. "Is that all you think about?" She figured she'd hyperventilate soon with all the sighing. "Tristan and I are just friends and I plan on keeping it that way. I'm happy, he's happy, end of story."

"Well I couldn't do it. I mean if you were declared legally blind I would understand and sympathize ofcourse but that boy is King of Chilton for a reason and it all seems to be lost on you my dear friend."

Rory watched silently as the three walked away. She was a little tired of trying to explain her relationship or non-relationship with Tristan but she knew trying to get them to see it from her point of view was beyond pointless. Her focus lingered on Paris who turned her head a little although her expression when she looked back at Rory gave her no indication as to what she was thinking. Rory only thought about the conversation a few minutes longer then returned to her rummaging and foul mood in peace.

How Rory was immune to Tristan Dugrey's charm and looks was beyond Paris. She only wished she knew Rory's secret having harbored feelings for him since second grade. She was a realist knowing her chances with Tristan were slim to none as he only ever saw her as a friend which she had come to terms with although hard in the beginning. His type of girl was usually drop dead gorgeous albeit on the dim side and substantially lacking in personality if anyone ever cared to ask her opinion. How he could tolerate these girls was beyond her comprehension but then again that was probably the reason they never lasted more than a week, if that.

Rory Gilmore was different though. Paris had taken an instant dislike to Rory noticing Tristan's obvious interest when she had first transferred to Chilton but dislike soon grew to tolerate and eventually turned to acceptance that the girl wasn't half bad. They weren't close but one might say they had something bordering on friendship. She glanced at the brunette a second longer before joining in on the conversation at hand.