A/N: Italics are Rory's thoughts. This takes place at Chilton in their Junior year. Tristan was never sent to military school.

Where Did Things Go Wrong?

Where did things go wrong? Everything seemed so perfect in the beginning. I can't believe how much things have changed. We loved each other so much, but now, it was just so hard to get through one day without yelling at each other. Rory knew that she would regret the decision she had come to, but it would release them from the hell that they've been experiencing for the past couple months.

They had been going out for five months now, which was a great accomplishment to both of them. Rory took their relationship very seriously, as did Tristan. Once they had started dating each other, he had stopped flirting with all of those air-headed blondes he would normally give all of his attention to. Everything was so perfect; they were perfect. But somewhere down the road, they had started to fight more and it was starting to become so unbearable for her. Every time that either of them would say something horrible to the other, her heart would clench and she felt as if someone was trying to rip it out of her chest.

She stood at her locker, not really needing anything from it, but focusing on exactly what she was going to say.

"What are you doing?" came his voice. She smiled slightly, before remembering.

"I need to talk to you, Tristan." She tried her hardest to avoid his gaze, but soon found herself staring into his eyes deeply, displaying to him all of her intentions.

"No," he simply said, while walking off.

I ran after him as we approached the student center. It seemed that everyone in the student body was there, but I had to do it. "Tristan," I called out while reaching for his arm.

"You can't do this." His voice raising with every word that came out.

"Please don't make this harder than it has to be." Her pleading voice was small and quiet, trying not to attract anymore attention than the two screaming teenagers already had.

"'Make it harder than it has to be'?! You want me to just let you walk away from me?! I won't let you!"

She sniffled, trying her hardest to keep the never-ending flow of tears at bay that had still found a way to break their way through. She took off the promise ring he had given her months before, softly placing it in his hands. Everyone could see how much she was crying now, her face red and blotchy, her small frame shaking with sobs as she tried to gasp for breath, how much this was killing her; but she had to do it. "Bye, Tristan."