Chapter 1: Bird boy
"Stupid Dean…stupid bird kisses, stupid Dean! Stupid Beanstalk…too tall. He was too tall for me. What was I thinking! I probably looked like an oompa loompa standing next to him! Oh and the hair…god his hair was ridiculous…made his head look like a basketball. Stupid basketballs. Who likes basketballs anyways? I mean they're round…and big and hard…and orange! What kind of color is orange for a ball. I mean as if you could miss that honking thing coming at you…they had to go and make it orange!" Rory muttered to herself as she picked her books out of her locker.
"Did I just hear you say 'bird like kisses,' oompa loompa, and do a little spiel about basketballs? Tristan asked amused as he came up next to her
"Hi Tristan" Rory said irritated, not at him just at everything.
"Define bird like" He went on with a smirk
"Tristan" Rory warned slamming her locker shut
"What's wrong Mary" he asked ducking his head towards her with a petulant look on his face
"You know what's wrong" She snapped
"Yes. But I didn't know you could write an entire term paper on it. So tell me before you put pen to paper, because he might be slightly disgruntled if he ever finds it" Tristan stated
"You want to leave?" Rory asked suddenly
"What?" he asked immediately thinking he heard her wrong
"Leave? Do you want to leave this crazy institution" she repeated impatiently
"Well…"
"Great" She said not letting him finish. She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the building towards his car "Drive" She ordered as she snagged the keys out of his pockets and unlocked the doors. Walking around to the drivers side, one of his hands still in hers and the keys in the other she opened the door for him and pushed him.
"Mary" he protested confused. What the hell was she thinking? Not that he minded…but it wasn't like her to skip school. It also wasn't like her to practically force him to skip with her.
"Get in Tristan" Rory commanded again, shoving the car keys in his hand before walking around to the other side and letting herself in.
"Where are we going" He asked as he turned the car on, giving up on trying to talk her out of it. After all…how many times does Rory Gilmore force you to play hooky? Might as well make the most of it, he thought.
"Anywhere. Anywhere but Starshollow and here." She said looking straight ahead
"Okay" he drawled out as he sped out of the parking lot. After 15 minutes of driving aimlessly and sneaking quick peaks at her he sighed in frustration "Rory" he said
"You called me Rory" She stated not looking at him
"What's up" he asked slightly irritated
"Are you mad?" She asked incredulously "Seriously? You're mad because I asked you to skip school? Damn…I really thought this time I would make someone happy" She said shaking her head "But I cant even make you happy…I mean I would have thought 'hey, Tristan never comes to class…maybe he wants company wherever he goes during school…' or I thought hey…since I'm such a Mary, I could try living on the wild side a little" She said sarcastically "But no…this doesn't suit me either huh? What? I'm just a constant disappointment to everyone around…it's amazing really. How I can go from being the perfect angel to being on the top of everyone's most wanted list. Fucking Amazing" She ranted her voice rising every few seconds "And to top it all off…you're mad. Or annoyed whatever. What did I do this time Tristan?" She demanded panting slightly
Tristan stared wide eyed at her, glad that he pulled the car over half way through. "Define Bird like" he blurted, the first thing that came to his mind
"Dean! Dean and his stupid bird like pecks. I mean what is that? You'd think that after going out with someone for over 6 months you would learn how to give a decent kiss or two in between the ones where it feels like he's pecking off a part of my face or something! I mean I tried. How much can a girl try! They should have a class or something, something for people like him" She shouted
Tristan's shoulders heaved slightly as he tried to keep his laughter at bay. Birdlike? She just described Bag boy to a feathered animal…. "I'm sorry Mary" He said as he cracked up laughing, unable to hold it in any longer.
"What!" She snapped, blushing furiously at the information she just shared with Tristan.
"Ju-hold on for a minute" He said between laughs, starting to calm down at her obvious glare and discomfort
"Tristan!" She shouted angrily, her cheeks still painted crimson
"Sorry" he said trying to keep a straight face "I'm laughing because you're not being serious Mary…"
"No I'm being perfectly serious. I'm being Emily Gilmore serious" She said seriously
"Okay then" Tristan responded "Well then start at the beginning. I thought you were okay when you went home last night" he questioned
"I was fine. And then I went home…and started putting all of his things away. It just felt…weird." She said annoyed.
"I need a little more" he stated
"He has a girlfriend" She mumbled
"Already?" He asked incredulously backing down at her incredulous stare "Okay so I may have that track record as well…but none of them were serious like you two. And come on…its beanstalk we're talking about. How many girls could want that?"
"Oh well thanks, now I feel better" She retorted "And why isn't this car moving!"
"Because when it does start moving I want to be sure that you're not going to suddenly grab the wheel…I'm not moving this car until you calm down" He stated
"I'm calm." She argued "Perfectly calm"
"Right" He snorted in disbelief
"He already has a girlfriend…" She mumbled pitifully again
"So?" He asked simply
"So what?"
"Why do you care? You're not going out anymore…its not that big a deal Mar…I mean eventually you'll find someone else too" he said
"Well yeah but isn't there a certain grace period in which you should be single!" She protested
He shook his head "If that's what helps you…"
"Can we please move now? This conversation is taking a weird turn and think I liked you better all Casanova on me" She joked uneasily
Tristan smirked "Well it was one of my more endearing qualities"
"Endearing?" She snorted amused
"Well at least I don't kiss like a bird" he joked back as he started the car again
"Touché" Rory agreed seriously
"I'm glad you agree because if you want a repeat…all you have to do is ask"
"Drive Tristan" Rory stated.
"Right" he said as he pulled out onto the road again.
"So who's your newest flavor?" Rory asked with raised eyebrows
"Excuse me?" Tristan sputtered
"Girl. With you. Name" She said slowly
"I know what you're talking about Rory. But have you seen me with anyone?" he asked slightly peeved
"No" She said a bit taken back by the tone in his voice
"Well then why would you ask?"
"You're still hung up on summer?" She asked sympathetically
Shaking his head and letting out a bitter laugh, he clenched his jaw "Yeah. Summer that's it. God Rory you can be so dense" he said annoyed
"What are you talking about?" She exclaimed
"You! You okay? I'm hung up on you! Have been for the past year! Everyone except you knows it!" he shouted in frustration
"But I just broke up with Dean" She blurted
"Yes I know. You and bagboy broke up, and you'll probably kiss and make up real soon just like last time." He said bitterly
She shook her head "no we wont" She stated strongly
"You never told me why you ended your great romance with the Beav" he said clutching the steering wheel for dear life as he asked
"You don't want to know" She mumbled knowing he would go AWOL if he found out
He pulled into a small park and turned sharply towards her "Why" he demanded not liking the hesitant tone in her voice
She shook her head "Tristan just leave it. It was mutual" She tried not looking at him and reaching for the door handle
Immediately he locked the doors, shaking his head when she tried opening them "Child lock" he said
"Tristan" She seethed "Open the door"
"I think I deserve to know. I am skipping school with you…and I don't think I've been terrible lately" he reasoned
"Trust me. You won't like it!" She said loudly
"Maybe not! But I want to know!" he matched her volume
"We can't always get what we want Tristan. You may not be familiar with the concept but hey there's a first for everything" she retorted sarcastically
"Just tell me!" He demanded
"No!"
"Fine then I'll just go ask him myself" he said starting the car again
"I'm not going anywhere near him!" She panicked wide eyed finally looking him in the eye.
A scowl formed on Tristan's lips as he stopped what he was doing and once again turned towards her in his seat "He did something didn't he" he stated more then questioned
"I don't want to go near him!" She repeated
Seeing the fearful look in her eye he stopped the retort that was going to come flying out of his big mouth "Okay" he said cautiously "What did he do? I promise I wont go over there and kick his ass…" he coaxed
Rory shook her head, swallowing the lump that rose in her throat "No you will" she assured softly
"Well then I promise I wont do it with you anywhere in the vicinity" he compromised sighing when she remained silent
"I want to tell you…I want to tell someone but I can't" She whispered
"Why not?" he asked
"God I can't even say it!" She said irritated "Too many questions…everyone says they wont ask. But you will…I'm still asking myself"
"You're starting to freak me out Rory. What did he do?" Tristan asked firmly
A few tears escaped Rory's eyes as she slowly began unbuttoning her sweater, shaking her head when she heard Tristan about to speak. Finally she slipped it off and sat quietly, waiting for him to discover what happened.
"What the fuck!" Tristan muttered loudly as he noticed a series of bruises on her arm. "Rory!" He exclaimed
"I know!" She whispered "Just stop it"
"How long?" he asked calmly, clenching his jaw tightly trying to keep himself barging into that stupid market and shoving that apron up his ass.
"A few weeks…I think he was just under a lot of stress. And then I told him that we were friends…" she said shakily
He shook his head "You're making excuses for him?" he asked incredulously
"He didn't hit me or anything…I don't even think he knows what he did" She reasoned
"Well when you grab someone hard enough that it leaves bruises you should probably point that out" he stated
"I just don't want to see him. Ever" Rory pleaded
"Well he lives in your town Rory." Tristan pointed out
"And he sees me at the bus stop every day…and when I'm walking home from the bus stop…"
"You have to tell him" he said leaving no room for argument
"What?" She snapped "What am I supposed to say? Hey Dean, I know we're not together anymore and sorry for ruining your chances with your new hot blonde but you sort of abused me during our relationship without knowing it"
"If that's what you came up with then yeah" He said seriously "And you have to tell your mom"
"Are you kidding? She would be worse than you"
"Where else" Tristan asked
"What are you talking about?"
"Where else did he hurt you" he asked again "Neck right? You never wear your hair down at school"
"Tristan…" She protested when he reached over and picked her hair out of the way, nodding at the bruise on the back of her neck before retrieving his hand
"So where else? Back? Legs?"
"Nowhere" she said quietly
"I'm going to kill him. Murder him. You were right" he seethed, anger practically radiating off of him.
"No. you're not" Rory replied seriously
"Rory!" he said looking like her as if she had grown a second head you expect me to do nothing?"
"Yeah! You know why! Because you're not my boyfriend Tristan…and Dean isn't either so it doesn't matter" she stated, reaching over him and unlocking the doors before stepping out
A/N: okay so this story was written WAYYY long ago lol. And I just read it again after well…a while. So I decided I'd post it, why not. I mean I did take the time to write it so it's the least I could do. Enjoy, review please