Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: This is two firsts for me- AU and Chiltonverse (is that still a word people use?). The next thing I post on here ought to be the fourth mystery.
Begin Anew
From the passenger side seat of Jess's car, Rory tossed him a sidelong glance. He was dressed in a tux, but had refused to wear a tie. Lorelai had jokingly dared Rory to suggest he wear a red cumber bun to match her dress. At least, Rory hoped her mother was joking. She was lucky enough he suggested coming tonight, so coordinating accessories would be pushing it.
Rory wondered if he would have offered if he hadn't fought Dean a couple weeks ago. She had her doubts considering she'd had to persuade him to go to Stars Hollow's prom—but that was before the fight. Dean still stepped up to the plate to fill the role of her protector. Not even their new relationships got in the way of that. It was like a truth of life. He'd be there whenever she needed him.
And Jess knew. She was pretty sure he'd always known. It shouldn't still be like that though.
She briefly wondered how she would feel if Jess was the one to run to his ex-girlfriend's rescue at the drop of a hat. If she was being brutally honest, it would eat at her every day. She would never know if he even wanted to be with her if that was the case. She had to let Dean go, he couldn't be there for her anymore. It wasn't fair to Lindsay.
She had the distinct feeling Jess didn't trust her, but then again, he had reason. She'd made a move on him when she had a boyfriend. She'd lied to her boyfriend in front of him about their time together. What was to stop her from doing the same to him?
Rory mentally kicked herself. She didn't like this person, this person who lied and snuck around. This person who shouldn't be trusted. She didn't recognize this person.
She had no idea how good Dean had been to her until she didn't have him. Or maybe she just assumed all boyfriends would treat her the way he had. Either way, the grass seemed much greener on the other side of the fence, no matter which side she was on. There was no balance.
She was glad her grandmother wasn't at the house to see her off as she had for the formal. It wasn't even at Lorelai's assistance this time, but Rory's. Friday night dinner with Jess had been a disaster, and she definitely didn't want to dredge up memories from the last time she'd stayed out with a boy all night. Especially when Jess was the current boy—the one she'd thought would be her first. Her teenage hormone cloud had cleared about two weeks ago.
They'd talked about what happened at the party. Well, their version of talking. Jess had grunted an apology about the bedroom, but made it clear he wasn't responsible for the fight. Lorelai found out from Luke that he wasn't graduating, but he had yet to tell Rory himself. She didn't want to fight, so it remained an elephant in the room. It explained his angst, but she didn't understand why he wouldn't talk to her about it. She could have helped him with school work, if he needed it. Hadn't she given him enough encouragement? Dean had applied to a four-year school just from listening to her college talk. Why couldn't Jess have at least gone to class?
She stopped her line of thinking. She had to quit comparing them.
Rory sighed and turned her attention to the passing scenery outside the window. She didn't know what Jess was planning to do, and Luke had made a deal with him. He'd made his loathing for Stars Hollow clear a long time ago, so she couldn't imagine him sticking around another year.
Truth be told, she'd had enough. Ever since they officially started dating, the tension between them had steadily increased. She was exhausted and didn't have any more solutions. They didn't talk about what bothered them, and they didn't trust each other. Somewhere along the line, his taste in books hadn't been enough. Clash lyrics couldn't replace phone calls and planned date nights.
In any case, she'd be headed off to Yale in the fall. Maybe prom could provide a good last memory of him.
When they drove into Middletown, Rory gave him directions to Long Hill Estate. Her eyes widened in awe when Wadsworth Mansion came into view. Her grandmother had highly praised its beauty, but even her description hadn't done the elegant house justice. The pink twilight of the setting sun was the perfect backdrop for the structure. Soft light glowed through arch shaped windows and spilled out onto the perfectly cut grass.
"Wow," she breathed.
But at the same time, Jess said, "Jeez."
She looked over in time to see him roll his eyes. Feeling indignant, but not wanting to argue, she said, "I think it's pretty."
Still scowling at the mansion, he said, "Let's get this over with." He got out of the car, and started walking toward the building without waiting for Rory.
She climbed out as quickly as she could in a dress and heels and hurried to catch up. He didn't offer his arm, but she took it anyway. "We don't have to stay long, maybe just one dance," she said encouragingly. She always felt like a salesman when she persuaded him to do social things with her. She was tired.
They walked through the large front doors and into the ballroom. Rory could feel Jess slow down, like he didn't want to go any further. She tugged on his arm, prompting him to continue. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and round tables filled the dining room. They passed a photographer who'd set up in a corner. Rory knew better than to ask him to pose for a picture.
She looked ahead and waved at a small group of classmates. "Come on, there's Paris."
"Rory, hi," Madeline greeted cheerfully. She was wearing a long green A-line dress and her dark curly hair was pinned up.
"Hi," Rory answered. She introduced the girls to Jess.
"Nice to meet you," Madeline said.
He nodded once in acknowledgement. "Hey."
With a frown, Louise asked, "What happened to Dean?" Her dress left little to the imagination. The black satin clung to all the right places and the neckline plunged low.
"They broke up," Jess answered for Rory. "They weren't quite right for each other."
"Not from what I saw," the blond drawled, giving Jess an icy stare.
"I love your dress," Madeline told Rory with a smile, obvious to the tone. "Is it another Lorelai Gilmore?"
"No, it's from a dress shop in Stars Hollow. My mom didn't have time to make one," Rory explained. "This was a pretty last minute decision to come."
"We've been planning since we started high school," Louise said.
"I had my dress picked out since last year," Madeline said.
"And our dates."
"Which changed every week," Paris said dryly.
A girl in a purple flowing dress approached Louise, her eyes wide. "Did you hear who Francie sold a prom ticket to last night after school?"
"No, who?"
"Oh my god, come on," the girl said, pulling Louise along. The blond grabbed Madeline's arm as she was whisked away.
"I'm going to go find a table," Jess said abruptly, walking away from the girls and the crowd in general.
"We probably won't stay long," Rory said. "This isn't really his thing." She was actually regretful, the ballroom looked amazing. She had to admit, Francie had outdone herself planning the event.
"Where did you guys go to dinner?" Paris asked.
"We didn't." Jess had never taken her to a restaurant. And she told herself it was okay. "I had a bite at home."
Paris raised a brow, but didn't get a chance to say anything when her boyfriend walked over to join them. "Hey Rory," he said with a smile.
"Jamie, hi. It's good to see you. How's school?"
"Almost over, thankfully." He turned to Paris. "Can I pull you away for a dance?"
"Sure," she answered, letting him take her hand and following him out to the dance floor as a slow song started to play.
Rory watched them, and was glad Paris was having a good time, even though she valued the prom far less than her friends. She looked around and walked over to the table Jess had found. He was bent over a book. She couldn't really blame him, he didn't know anyone here, and she was known to do the same thing in similar situations.
"I'm in Top 40 hell."
She recognized the vocalist as Christina Aguilera. "Sorry, no one asked me. But it's only one night." She looked out at her classmates and wiggled her foot to the beat. Everyone was smiling and laughing, having a good time. "This table sure is out of the way," she commented.
"It was the only one that wasn't taken." He didn't look up from his book.
"Right." She crossed her arms on the table and sighed. "Do you want to dance?"
"To this garbage?"
"It's a dance," she reminded him. "You wanted to bring me, I didn't drag you here. You have to dance at least once." She stood up, frustrated. "I'm going to get drinks." She weaved her way through the tables until she spotted the bar.
"He's back, did you know he was coming tonight?" she heard a girl ask as she walked through the dining room. When she arrived at the bar, she couldn't help but notice there was an energy to the room. Girls were animatedly talking and gawking around. Ridiculous though it was, Rory wondered if a celebrity had just walked in.
A few feet away, she overheard one of the tuxedo-clad boys say, "He just got in yesterday."
Her curiosity peeked, she glanced around at the faces in the crowd, but they were all familiar. She quickly thought back to the last time she saw Brad Langford. Maybe he'd returned from another stint on Broadway. She shook her head and turned back to the bar. She liked Brad well enough, but she knew he wouldn't elicit this kind of electricity amongst her classmates.
When her drinks were ready, she turned to head back and saw what all the commotion was about. A tall blond in a tuxedo was talking with a group of people. He was back.
Blind panic set in, and she didn't even know why. Tristan Dugray wasn't supposed to be here, he was long gone. Forgotten. Seeing him out of the blue like this made her want to hide on reflex. She frowned and got ahold of herself. It wasn't as though she was afraid of him.
Then she remembered the source of her anxiety, it was remnants of the last time she saw him. She hadn't wanted anyone to know they'd kissed. But wait, she thought, she hadn't wanted Dean to find out, and he wasn't here. Jess was. He didn't even know Tristan, and Tristan wasn't an ex-boyfriend. So what was she worried about?
She was also slightly disturbed to remember how guilty she'd been over a kiss that happened when she was single, but hadn't felt the same when she'd kissed Jess at Sookie's wedding. She had kissed someone else while she was with Dean. She didn't know what had happened to her judgment since Jess arrived. Was this the person she wanted to be?
She glanced at Tristan again and some of the tension inexplicably lifted. He was no longer associated with a guilty conscious.
He must have sensed her staring at him, because he looked over and caught her eye. He did a quick double-take and raised his palm in a motionless wave.
She tried to wave back, but ended up lifting both of the drinks in her hands awkwardly. She smiled tightly instead and turned to continue over to Jess. But when she made it to their lonely table, it was empty. She looked around and didn't see him anywhere. She thought about how he'd disappeared at Kyle's house. This was a mansion, so there was any number of places he could sneak off to. She was tired of playing hide-and-seek. She was always the seeker, and she didn't think the hider wanted to be found. It wasn't always this way. She used to be the one he'd confide in, the one person who made him happy when no one else could. But it was too much work now. She wasn't up to the task.
She sighed and sat the drinks down, figuring she needed to find him. They should just leave and call this a wash. He didn't want to be here, and she didn't feel like selling it anymore. She started to walk through the crowd toward the entrance, thinking he might be outside smoking. Before she could make it to the foyer though, Tristan approached her. She stopped in front of him.
"Rory," he said.
"Tristan."
"I was actually looking for you," he said. "Is now a bad time? You look distracted."
She stopped glancing around the room. "No, yeah it's okay. What is it?"
"I wanted to ask you to dance."
Rory shifted from one foot to the other uneasily.
Hastily, Tristan said, "You don't have to. I know you're here with the Beave."
She frowned.
"Sorry, I can't remember his name."
"Dean." She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head. "Jess."
"He changed his name?"
"No. Dean and I broke up."
"Again?"
"Yeah. I'm with Jess now."
Tristan tipped his head back. "Ah. Well I hope this one paid for the dance tickets."
Rory wasn't going to indulge Tristan with the answer.
"So would it be okay with Jess if we danced, just once?"
She crossed her arms and glared at him a little. "You think I need a guy's permission?"
"Uh, no, I'm just not going to try to fight anyone tonight. My dad isn't amused by overt displays of machoism."
"Oh, right," she said, relieved he took punishment seriously.
"So . . . do you want to?"
This might be her only opportunity to dance at her prom, she considered. "Okay."
He gestured toward the dance floor and she followed him to an open space. There was a second of awkward hesitance before Tristan put a hand on her waist. She stepped closer, though still left ample space between them to grasp his arm. For some reason, neither of them seemed confident about linking hands. But they did, and she looked up at him to take her attention away from their close proximity.
The N'Snyc song ended and a new one came on. Rory perked up. "Hey, this is PJ Harvey. I actually like this song."
"You don't say," Tristan said.
She didn't want to be rude, but had to ask, "What are you doing here? Did your dad let you come back?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm just here for a few days. I have to get back to school for our prom."
"Military school has prom?" she asked. "Are there girls there?"
"No, but it won't be as homoerotic as it sounds. There are girls in North Carolina. We get to ask them to our dances." He added, "I organized it."
"You organized the prom?"
"I had to. I'm senior class president."
"You're president?"
"Are you going to repeat everything I say?"
"Sorry, I just didn't peg you as the student government type."
"They don't have bathing suit competitions to judge, so I had to find some other extra-curricular activities," he said dryly. He added, "I was the treasurer of our class sophomore year."
"You were?"
"Yeah. Who wouldn't want to be in control of the purse strings?"
Neither of them spoke for a moment, and though she didn't mind, she asked, "Big summer plans?"
"Huge. I'll be filing and getting coffee for my dad and his colleagues at his office."
"All summer?"
"Yup. I don't do well with free time, so he isn't taking any chances. Ow."
Rory looked down and lifted her foot off his. "Sorry."
"It's okay," he said as he led her around the floor. "What about you? Tackling a big reading list?"
She smiled at his remembering her favorite pastime. "Well that's a given. But I'll have to squeeze it in while backpacking across Europe with my mom."
Tristan raised his brows. "And here I was bragging about coffee runs."
"Those are important, don't take that job lightly."
"But Europe—is it your first time?"
She nodded eagerly. "We've been planning this pretty much since I was born."
"And with your mom?"
"Yeah," she answered easily. "We're close. Really close."
"That's . . . totally normal," he said. He stopped and let go of her waist so he could spin her.
She laughed and took his hand back when she faced him again. "When we get back we're having a major week of bonding before I have to be at school. Oh, do you know where you're going next year?"
"I've always known. Yale."
She stared at him, not sure how she felt about that, beyond shock. "You're joking."
"There's no joking about Yale in my family," he said. "Why?"
"That's where I'm going."
She thought she saw his eyes flash at her. "You're going to Yale?"
"I'm going to Yale." She swore his hold on her tightened slightly. She continued, "And my family doesn't joke about it either. Argue and yell about it, sure. But no stand-up, which is surprising when I think about it, because my mom does have some routines about other topics."
"She should go for it," Tristan said, only barely looking at her funny for her rambling. "Handsome Dan is an easy target."
"If you care for your safety, don't say that to my grandfather."
"I won't tell yours if you don't tell mine." Tristan turned them around. "And here you were probably thinking you would never have to see me again." She shared a grin with him. He cringed suddenly and moved his foot out from under hers. "You aren't going to Yale on a dance scholarship, are you?"
"Of course not."
He nodded. "Good, because you're really terrible."
"Hey!" she said. "What if that was my life's goal?"
"Then I just did you a favor," he said, smiling back.
XXX
From inside the men's room, Jess finished his cigarette, smashing the butt into the wall and tossing it into the trash. He went through the door to return to the ballroom—he rolled his eyes—it was an honest to god ballroom. He stood next to the wall and looked out at the crowd of prep school students. They probably all lived in mansions like the elder Gilmore's. He bet their parents paid for their grades—no way were they as smart as they thought they were. They could look at him like they were better all they wanted, he knew it wasn't true.
They were all going off to study up in their ivory towers next fall. It made Jess remember Luke's ultimatum. It was ridiculous. Luke probably got with that lousy school principal to conspire against him. So much for family. Everyone was so obsessed with going to school. Like that was any guarantee in life. Jess didn't need it, and he wasn't about to stick around the loony bin another year. He was eighteen, he could do whatever he wanted.
A PJ Harvey song started playing over the speakers. It was an improvement.
Every time he thought about what he was going to do, he thought of California. No one knew him there—except Jimmy. And that guy abandoned his kid. A failure like that couldn't judge Jess. That might be his chance.
He noticed some of the snobs nudge one another and point to the dance floor. A few looked over to the table he'd vacated a short while ago. He scanned the dance floor, where a few couples had shifted enough for him to spot Rory. She was dancing with some blond guy he'd never seen before. Rory was always busy comparing him to Dean, but she never talked about guys from school. It was always Paris this and Paris that. Occasionally a Francie or a Louise.
He was tired of other guys drooling all over Rory. She was his girlfriend, he'd put in the time and effort. He shouldn't have to deal with this again, or with another guy. And sure as hell not with this guy. He couldn't believe she was even dancing with that douche. He looked like he belonged in a freaking Ralph Lauren catalog. He was so beneath her. Why did she always feel sorry for these losers?
Just then, a couple of girls came out of the restroom. It was the suburban princesses. He knew their names, but forgot which one was which.
"Louise," he said, randomly picking one before they got away.
The blond turned and scanned him up and down quickly—she wished, he thought. "What?"
Jess nodded over to Rory and the yuppie. "Who's that guy?"
Louise looked out to the dance floor and smiled wolfishly. "Tristan Dugray."
The name didn't ring a bell. "He go to Chilton?"
"He used to." She faced him. "He got into trouble so his dad shipped him away."
Jess could relate, but he didn't feel sorry for anyone who likely got a Porsche on his sixteenth birthday. 'Shipped off' was probably code for rehab. The rich thought they had such hard-knock lives. They weren't even real.
He didn't like the way Tristan was looking at Rory. Or the way she smiled pleasantly back. Jess couldn't remember the last time she smiled at him like that—like it wasn't forced.
Louise continued, "Rumor has it he's only back for a few days to register for classes at Yale."
He looked at her sharply. "Yale?"
"Sure," she said with a light shrug. "It's where all the Dugray's go. Like how the Gellar's go to Harvard—well, until Paris. I wonder if she liked him in a Montague and Capulet-forbidden fruit kind of way."
Jess scoffed. "Paris wouldn't go for that kind of guy." She'd go for one who read Jane Austen.
Louise gave him a patronizing look. "Every girl would go for that kind of guy—except Rory. She couldn't stand him."
Jess smugly looked back out at his girlfriend and her dance partner. A guy like that deserved whatever gold digger he attracted. Jess was better than Dean and Richie Rich. He had more brains and didn't need family money to pay for his way in life.
Louise added, "He couldn't even lure her on a date with PJ Harvey tickets."
PJ Harvey. Jess tightened his fist and his heart started to pound.
The blond girl smirked at him before looking out at the dance floor again. "I wonder if he still has a thing for her." She tossed Jess a parting glance and walked in the direction of her airheaded friend.
He'd had enough of this. He knew he shouldn't have come here. It was just a stupid peace offering for a fight he didn't start. He should have let her get over it on her own. He didn't owe her anything.
XXX
"My grandpa's been teaching me the fight song," Rory said.
"I'm a little uncomfortable with the barking at the end," Tristan said, and they both chuckled.
"Well, well, you just have admirers in every town, don't you?"
Rory stiffened and stopped in her tracks, catching Tristan off guard. They both turned to Jess, and she let go of Tristan quickly, crossing her arms across her body. "Jess, there you are. I was looking for you."
He stared at her. "Doesn't look like it."
She hurriedly added, "We were just dancing."
"So I see." He glared up at the taller boy, who offered his hand.
"Tristan Dugray."
"Rory's never mentioned you."
"He's been at military school for two years," she explained. "I didn't know he was going to be here tonight."
"Funny," Jess said humorlessly. "I thought you came here with me."
"I did."
"You and Jay Gatsby looked pretty cozy dancing the night away."
"We weren't," she insisted. "I kept stepping on his feet. And we were just talking about Yale."
"Daddy pay them to let you in?" Jess mocked.
Rory knit her brows. "Jess."
"He might have," Tristan said. "But I haven't found the paper trail yet."
"He doesn't need anyone to buy his college admissions."
Jess sneered. "You're just everybody's cheerleader, aren't you? School isn't for everyone."
"I didn't say it was."
"Really? That's not how I remember things."
"Are we finally talking about this? Because there has to be a better place."
"Why? You seem pretty comfortable here in this ridiculous mansion. Your grandmother will be proud you're enjoying yourself so much."
A crowd had started to form around them. If they were eager before, it was the tip of the ice burg. This couldn't be happening, Rory thought. Not again. For his part, Tristan stood down. He didn't make a move, but kept his eyes on the couple.
"Please calm down. Let's just go sit and talk."
"You know what?" Jess said. "I don't need this. I'm out of here." He scowled at her and headed for the door. The crowd of people had to part for him to get through. They looked from him back to Rory.
"Jess!" she followed him to the entrance, but stopped when he didn't even glance her way. She stood at the door and watched him walk to his car.
After a minute, she heard a throat being cleared. Tristan spoke, "Aren't you going to go after him?"
Without turning toward him, she answered, "No." She had enough experience finding her own way home to know she should have had a backup plan tonight.
A second ticked by and he said, "You should have stuck with the Beave. I don't think he would have abandoned you."
She didn't need Tristan or anyone else to tell her. She already knew. It was too late to go back though, Dean had moved on. And she remembered the way she'd convinced herself she'd been in love with him, even when she could no longer say it.
As much as she regretted how things had gone down that year, she didn't want to go back. Dean or Jess, Jess or Dean. She couldn't have it both ways. She'd exhausted herself comparing them, telling herself which one she should be with, trying to make it work when she was no longer happy. It had plagued her for over a year, and she didn't want to deal with it anymore. She just wanted to move forward.
"Are you going to be okay?" Tristan asked.
She sighed heavily and finally turned to him. "I will be, at some point. I'm going have plenty time to get over it this summer."
He tilted his head, not quite sure of himself as he asked, "By wallowing?"
She nodded. "Yeah." Wallow over Jess. Wallow over Dean—she hadn't taken the time after the dance marathon, she'd jumped into the next relationship. Wallow over bad decisions with the hope she'd make better ones in the future. "That's the first step." And the second should probably involve a hiatus from boys.
"You're sure?"
She nodded. "I'll be a whole new person by fall."
"You don't have to go that far," Tristan said, shoving his hands into his black pants. "You aren't so bad. Maybe take some dance lessons though."
She smiled slightly.
Cautiously, he asked, "Do you need a ride home?"
She shook her head. "My grandpa will probably come get me. I'll just call him."
"I can drive you to Stars Hollow."
"Thanks, but I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You didn't, I offered," he said. "Really, it's no problem. It's not like I have a date or anything to keep me here."
"You're being really nice tonight."
He shrugged. "You're sad."
Rory took a deep breath and stood up straight. She looked through the window at her classmates, all having a good time. She'd survived Chilton and gained their respect—though she hoped she hadn't just lost any. This was still her senior prom, even if her date bailed. She wasn't having a good time with him anyway. She looked over at Tristan. "Let's go back in. We don't have to go yet."
They both headed inside, and Tristan commented, "Sorry I wasn't much help in there. I just can't be at the scene of a crime again when the police show up. My dad will let them have me this time."
Rory covered her face. "I do not want to be around when the police are involved ever again."
"Again?" Tristan said with a brow cocked. "What have you been up to?"
Fin