Trompe Le Monde

Author: Genevah

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I claim to own nothing.

Summary: Sometimes the one you're with isn't always the one you need.

A/N: To all the confused – This takes place senior year. I've added flashbacks to provide some insight from their sophomore and junior years so you guys can see how Rory and Tristan's friendship developed.

..…'.' Chilton – Friday Afternoon '.' …..

Rounding the corner leading to her locker, Rory mechanically prepared herself to come face to face with the all too familiar scene that played for her many times in the course of her school day...

Should she be paying for this? Have a tub of popcorn and a large Blue Raspberry Icee handy?

It was the same scene over and over... every day (give or take) for the past five months.

Is this one ever going to end? So the thought was unkind and self-seeking, but quite frankly she was tired of it- of this, of seeing this display, not just once a day but numerous times a day. She'd even asked Madeline if she would switch lockers with her. Hers was down near the end of the hallway, closer to the senior parking lot and away from the raging teenage hormones of Tristan and his latest girlfriend. Madeline had kindly turned her down because apparently hers was the area where all the cute guys hung out.

Why did he insist on going out with girls that just happen to have a locker next to hers?

In her junior year, Tristan had dated Ally and Alicia (Yes. Twins. And Identical twins at that). They both had a locker on either side of hers and to her surprise he dated them at different times. It turned out he wasn't the man-slut she had originally made him out to be. Yeah right…

There was also Gabrielle (she owned the locker two down from hers). Who could forget about Gabrielle? That girl left a sour spot in Rory's stomach every time she thought of her. For some ridiculous reason, Tristan couldn't get enough of her. They had the on again/off again kind of relationship, breaking up and getting back together for weeks or months at a time. They started dating sophomore year and carried their strange relationship well into their junior year. Rory and Avery loathed the girl. She seriously must have had a borderline personality disorder or something. She was known to be a happy, energetic and pretty cool person all around, but sometimes she'd pull a 180 out of nowhere and be all irritable and irate. She'd treat him great one minute and like pure crap the next. But Tristan fell hard for her- a damn mystery. It was a wonder sometimes, how someone as cocky and impervious as Tristan could give so much of himself to one girl.

He could closely resemble her lap dog.

There was only one instance where he came out of a relationship as the vulnerable one. And that one instance was with Gabrielle. Their vicious cycle ended the summer before senior year... only because she was booked in quite a number of modeling shows in Milan with many of the top designers. Predictably, she didn't do long distance relationships. Their final breakup was the hardest thing for Rory to watch. Sort of like watching him fall into a downward spiral. The boy drowned himself in partying and alcohol and meaningless sex. It was amazing how these girls could find so many different ways to comfort him.

Senior year started off with Caitlin, the owner of the locker on her right. The wench cheated on him after only two months and Rory silently reveled in the momentary peacefulness. Sure she felt for him because as always he really liked the girl.

But now with Jacqueline, the owner of the locker to her left and Tristan's longest known high school relationship (without any breakups) she had to endure five agonizing months of them performing every pda known to man short of dry humping. She'd have to give him points for at least having the decency to take care of that in the girl's bathroom or the janitor's closet. At least, that's what Rory assumed they were doing in there. Then again... this was Tristan. They were probably having actual sex.

By Rory's senior year, her obliviousness to the bad and the ugly of Chilton Prep had diminished significantly. The Star's Hollow bubble that shielded her burst the first day she entered Chilton three years ago. When one hears the words 'Private School' one thinks higher learning and better education, but never the tightly guarded undisclosed activities. The kids there had money and power and lots of it and it all boiled down to one simple thing. Their namesake. It made it easier to obtain their drug of choice or use their 'get out of jail' card when caught. Money and status proved to be the answer to everything around there. And Rory wasn't immune to it anymore... she too had benefited from it.

The sound of Rory intentionally jingling her locker combination a little more than necessary caused the two love-birds... or more affectionately called... horn-dogs to come up for air.

Rory briefly locked eyes with Tristan's. She could see him struggling to see her through the sensual haze of kissing Jacqueline. And somewhere floating in the back of her mind, she wondered what it would feel like to look like he did.

She had forgotten, not even remembering if there was even something to forget. She hadn't had a boyfriend since Dean. And that was two and a half years ago. One boyfriend. She's had one boyfriend in her seventeen years of life. That's pretty darn pathetic... She's done her fair share of partying, though mostly spent in the corner reading a really engaging novel, but that's beside the point. No guy ever tried talk to her. Not once had she gotten the chance to turn down a lame pick up line.

Was there something wrong with her?

Casually, she turned her attention back to her locker contents. So it annoyed her that they were eating each other's faces out near her locker. Okay, yeah, admittedly maybe a little jealous she had no one to make out with, but she took a considerable amount of pleasure in interrupting them. It was just sheer annoyance on her part to be witnessing such pda's so damn closely for her comfort.

"Hey Rory."

Now that's the sound of a bedroom voice... she mused.

No girl could deny that he sounded downright sexy just then. She wasn't secretly in love with him or anything ridiculous like that. She just had the capability to distinguish a good bedroom voice when she heard one. A mindless talent she acquired from hanging out with her mother for seventeen years.

"Hey Tristan... Jacqueline." With the overwhelming urge to glance at them again, she saw that he still had Jacqueline pressed up against the locker… seriously pressed upRory even looked down to see if her feet were actually touching the floor.

Was this considered soft porn?

"Oo Rory, before I forget, do you have the lab notes from Chem.?" Jacqueline asked, fiddling with the lapels of Tristan's Chilton Blazer. As she continued, Rory saw Jacqueline's blue eyes look seductively into Tristan's, "I dazed off again." Those four simple words somehow fueled him, seducing him into kissing her again.

Rory couldn't tear her eyes away... it was a very steamy kiss... who couldn't not stare?

Hoping they'd get a clue, Rory didn't wait for them to stop to answer Jacqueline's question. "I do, but I kind of need them for the weekend." She made a point of raising her voice an octave too.

She waited... and waited... then finally... nope... waited some more... then... finally...

"How about you bring it to Tristan's tomorrow? You are going right?" Jacqueline asked, seemingly licking Tristan's taste off of her lips.

Tristan took the liberty of answering for Rory, releasing his girlfriend and leaning sideways on the closest locker.

"Of course she's gonna be there." Tristan smiled at Rory. "Avery would be very disappointed if she wasn't."

"Well, bring the notes and I'll make copies of it there. I'd do it now, but I am so ready to get out of here."

"Sure," Rory nodded. "I won't forget."

"Thanks. You're a sweetie." Jacqueline intertwined her hands with Tristan's pulling him to walk with her. "C'mon babe, let's get out of here."

With Tristan's free hand, he waved Rory a goodbye.

...'.' DuGrey Mansion – Saturday Evening '.' ...

Avery slouched comfortably against the luscious heated walnut leather interior of Connor's Range Rover. Her gray eyes sorted through the wintry mess of snow flurries to gaze at the countless array of shiny expensive top-of-the-line vehicles that were parked before her.

Quietly, Connor observed her from his seat in the driver's side.

"Stop by to say goodbye, he says. I should've known." She angled her body to get a better view of her boyfriend of three and a half years, her eyes suspicious. "You knew about this didn't you?"

He shrugged, tenderly securing a loose lock of curl behind her ear. "Tristan saw it as a chance to throw a party. C'mon. You can't be mad at him. His intentions were good."

"I'm not mad... I'm just not in a partying mood."

"Then we'll just make an appearance. You give your short but sweet goodbyes and we're outta there. Just say the word."

"You make it sound so uncomplicated."

He smirked knowing it wouldn't be anything but uncomplicated. He was the first to get out of the car having to drag Avery out soon thereafter.

When Tristan opened the double doors of his parent's mansion, he found his guest of honor and his cousin leaning against either ends of the door frame, the guest of honor glaring rather nicely at him... just as he expected.

Avery graced him with a little push to the chest. "You dork, you threw me a party."

Tristan slipped his hands into his jean pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "It's a small get-together."

"Tristan, you never throw small get-togethers. You always throw these crazy huge parties."

"Can I help it if all these people really want to say their good-byes and take-cares and... all that mess to you."

"See. This is the exact reason why I choose not to tell anyone when I'm leaving town."

All Tristan had to do was point a stern finger at her and she immediately regretted what she said... her hands in the surrender stance even.

She stepped into the house, prepared to get pounced. And pounced she did. Before the swarm swept her away, she threw a look of mock anger and hatred at Tristan but he took it all in stride and just smiled at her. Even as he read her lips saying 'I hate you'.

"Hey man," he greeted Connor, throwing a heavy arm over his shoulder. "Keg's out back. Good shit's in the fridge."

Connor smirked and headed to the kitchen with Tristan.

"Hey, is Rory coming?" Avery asked, appearing at his side, leaning against the bar.

Tristan took the last swig of his Corona before answering her. With his free hand he tugged on a curl of her blond hair resting against the side of her face. "Yeah, she's runnin' a little late. Something about a surprise for you," he told her with a sly glint in his eyes.

"How many of those have you had?" She asked, pointing at the now empty bottle in his hand.

He tried to look innocent, but there was no lying to her. "This is only my fourth mom."

She shook her head at him. "Don't think I can't lock you in your room. I've done it before and I will do it again if I have to," she half-teased.

As she was saying this to him, he was already in the process of popping open another Corona, plunking a slice of lime through the mouth of the bottle, purposely wanting a reaction out of her.

He smirked, "This time make sure Jacqueline's in there with me."

She rolled her eyes, "Just don't drink yourself into a stupor. to the point where you're sleeping in your own pool of vomit. Cleaning that crap up is really getting old."

"The maid'll do it."

"I'm serious Tristan. You scared the shit out of us last time... you really scared Rory-"

He raised his bottle up to her before downing a gulp of it.

"It happened once Avery. One time," stressing 'one time' by shoving one finger in her face.

"I don't care how cliché it sounds but all it takes is one time."

Tristan sighed heavily, not really a conversation topic he wanted to get into right now. He was feeling too good. "This isn't an after-school special. I don't need a lecture alright. I can handle my alcohol." He reached behind the bar for a chilled bottle of Alizé and poured it into a glass. "Here. A glass of Red Passion for the one girl who truly loves me for the jerk I can't help to be." Avery smiled a sympathetic smile and willingly took the glass. It was her favorite drink.

She took a delicious sip. "Apparently you can't handle your alcohol. Would you like me to paint a pretty picture for you?"

He didn't say anything, already knowing her words before she spoke them.

"You must've enjoyed having your stomach pumped in the a.m. Who would've guessed?"

He still didn't say anything, just looked beyond her at Jacqueline dancing with two other girls- each one of them sexy in their own right. Oh how he'd love to have a threesome with them...

"I'm serious Tristan."

"I'm serious Tristan," he repeated childishly with his ever-present smirk, looking straight into Avery's eyes, intentionally baiting her.

She punched him in the stomach and started to walk away, "I'm not flying home for your funeral," she told him, not looking back.

He ignored her, letting the alcohol take him to a fun-filled place- full of multiple orgasms and a beautiful naked willing Jacqueline.

Avery took it upon herself to talk to his girlfriend. If he wasn't going to listen then maybe she could knock some sense into him. Or at least look after him. The boy seriously never knows when to say when.

After searching the house with no success she proceeded to the pool house, which is where she finally found Jacqueline in mid step into the heated water.

"Hey Jackie, could I talk to you for a sec."

Jacqueline tested the water with her toes. "Feels divine. Grab your suit and get in with me."

"I really need to talk to you."

"Alright."

Avery led them to a quiet corner away from everyone else.

"Hey I need you to make sure Tristan doesn't drink so much tonight... you know with what happened last time-"

Clearly annoyed with Avery's audacity, "I already know this Avery," she bit. Friend or not, she didn't like to be told how to take care of her own boyfriend.

"Cool. I just... Well you know how he gets."

"Yeah I do. He is my boyfriend... Look, I know it seemed like I wasn't there for him. But what else can I say, I can't stand hospitals."

Avery resisted in rolling her eyes at the girl.

"Okay, well I'll... that's all I wanted to say, I guess I'll see you when I get back."

Jacqueline smiled, fake written all over it. "See ya," complete with hug and all.

Avery walked away first.

Hey she tried.

..…'.' '.' …..

A/N: Aww... it's nice to hear from a few familiar reviewers of my Lit fics, makes me feel all warm and gooey inside des06, someone, sarahl, smile1, shouhei thanks for trying this Trory out...

republican(Sarah) – The kiss still happened Sophomore year. Flashback in Ch. 1 went back to sophomore year, about two weeks after the kiss. Rory and Tristan's friendship started towards the end of sophomore year.