The Zoo


When Rory came up to her locker Monday morning, Tristan was already waiting. She
opened her locker without a word, hoping Tristan would speak first. He didnÕt, and after she was
done, she turned to him. He raised his eyebrows. She sighed.
"IÕm sorry," she said. "I acted without thinking. I was angry."
"IÕm sorry too," Tristan said in reply. "We were acting immaturely."
Rory nodded. "You were."
"YouÕre always so quick to agree with me when I apologize for what I did wrong,"
Tristan said, half-laughing.
"But I overreacted," Rory finished.
"ItÕs okay," Tristan said. He paused. "So are we friends again?"
Rory had to laugh. "Yes."
"Then do you want to go to the zoo sometime?"
Rory laughed again. "The _zoo_?"
Tristan shrugged. "IÕve decided to embrace my childishness. I used to love the zoo, but I
havenÕt gone in years. And I figured thatÑ" He stopped himself. "Your boyfriend wouldnÕt feel
as threatened by it." He grinned.
Rory leaned back against her locker. "HeÕs not my boyfriend anymore." Again, she added
silently. To tell the truth, this time she was more angry than sad.
"IÕm sorry," Tristan said. He looked at the floor, then up again. "Did you talk to him?"
Rory nodded. "I tried, anyway," she said with a sigh.
Tristan reached out and took her hand. "He really is an idiot, then," he said quietly,
looking straight into her eyes. She shivered, and breathed deep. The scent of vanilla filled the air.
Then she realized he was still looking straight at her, a bemused expression on his face.
She smiled and nodded in reply. "So, is this Saturday good for you?" she asked.
He grinned. "IÕll pick you up at 10," he said.

~*~

"Star Wars," Lorelai said in a "let's pry into every detail of Rory's life" voice, picking up
the video box. Rory glared at her mother.
"I liked it so much I decided to buy it," she said casually.
"Could the reason you bought it perhaps be more because of your company at the time of
watching?"
"Lane and Henry?" Rory said innocently.
"I was referring to Vanilla Boy." Rory winced. In a moment of weakness, she'd told her
mother about vanilla. And overnight, Tristan had gone from "Evil Tristan" to "Vanilla Boy." Her
mom did love nicknames.
"We're just friends," she said, shrugging. Her mom looked at her through narrowed eyes.
Rory looked back, half-fearing what was to come.
"Well, let's check the evidence. You invite him over, even though you have a boyfriend."
"I thought Dean would be there," Rory protested. Lorelai ignored her.
"You two watch a movie together, and then you buy it."
"Star Wars is a classic," Rory said, sweetly but firmly.
"You dream about vanilla."
"I do not!"
"You do. I snuck into your room last light, and you were tossing and turning and moaning,
'vanilla...vaniiiiillaaaa!'"
"Now you're being silly. I'm going to wait outside."
Lorelai followed her through the kitchen. "Wait." Rory turned. "I bought you a present."
She grabbed a dark brown glass bottle from the kitchen table and tossed over. Rory grabbed at it
instinctively, and looked down at the label.
But before either of them could say anything more, there was a knock at the door. Rory
rushed to open it.
"Hey Rory," Tristan said, smiling easily and leaning against the doorframe. He looked
down at her hands, and then looked back up at her. "Uh, why do you have a bottle of vanilla
extract?"
Inadequately muffled sounds of howling laughter came out of the kitchen.
Rory blushed. "Long story," she muttered.
"Oh," Tristan said, looking extremely interested. "Do I get to hear it?"
"IÉ umÉ" Rory exhaled. "You-smell-like-vanilla," she said, turning the sentence into
one word.
"You noticed what I smell like?" Tristan laughed. "Does this mean I have a chance after
all?"
"WeÕre friends," Rory said firmly. The laughter from the kitchen increased in frequency
and volume.
"And who exactly are you trying to convince of this?" Tristan asked with a grin, poking
her arm. "I know weÕre friends. Or do you think weÕre something more?"
"You know, I could still not go with you," Rory said, raising an eyebrow. But her smile
ruined the effect.
"IÕll carry you to the car," Tristan teased. "Me Tarzan, you Jane, you know?"
"IÕm glad to see you havenÕt given up your vow to embrace your inner child," Rory said
with a chuckle.

~*~

"So, what animals would you like to see?" Rory asked. They had spent most of the car
ride chatting about their lives and school, but they were nearing the zoo, and she always liked to
have a plan for these types of outings.
"I like the animal fries," Tristan said, glancing over at her, a teasing look in his eyes.
"So you go to the zoo merely to eat?" Rory laughed. "ItÕs not your inner child thatÕs the
problem. Your id has taken over your life."
Tristan grinned. "Can you blame me? Alone with a beautiful lady? Whose id wouldnÕt
take over?"
Rory grew quiet and looked down at her hands.
"RoryÉ" Tristan pleaded. "DonÕt do this. Please. CanÕt we just have a good time?"
"Tristan, thatÕs what I want, too. But you make it hard sometimes."
"What if we call a truce, then. IÕll be a perfect ego controlled gentleman, and you can feel
comfortable, and we can both go home after two hours of slightly boring conversation and be
relieved that nothing has changed." He pulled into the parking lot for the zoo, and began driving
around, looking for a space to park.
Rory was surprised by the bitterness in his voice. "Would it ever be like that between
us?" she asked gently.
Tristan laughed and shook his head. "I canÕt imagine that it would, no."
"Then letÕs just continue our current not-quite-peaceful existence," Rory suggested. "And
there will be no danger of us either being either bored or comfortable."
They both laughed together.

~*~

"Wow, I donÕt remember the zoo being so crowded!" Rory said as they were pushed
around by the hordes of people in front of the seal exhibit.
"I think thatÕs because when youÕre little, you can duck under the people and stand right
up against the edge of the guardrail," Tristan said with a chuckle. He pointed at the little kids who
were doing exactly that.
"True," Rory admitted. She consulted the list she had made while they were waiting to
pay, and the map she had been given as they entered the park.
"Well," she began. "The giraffes are closest, but theyÕre in the opposite direction of
anything else we want to seeÑ"
"Hey," Tristan interrupted. "Look at that little boy." Rory looked over at where he was
pointing. There was a little boy, not more than three or four wandering aimlessly around the
gopher exhibit.
"I think he might be lost," Tristan explained. "I donÕt see anyone with him."
They walked over to him. Tristan hunkered down to be on the little boyÕs level. "Hi, IÕm
Tristan, and this is Rory."
The boy looked at him warily. "IÕm George," he said finally.
"Hi George," Tristan said warmly. Then he hesitated for a second. "George, do you know
where your family is?"
George shook his head, and rubbed his eyes with his fist.
"Hey, itÕs okay. WeÕll help you find them." He turned to Rory. "Why donÕt you go find
someone who works here, and IÕll wait here with George in case his mother comes by." Rory
nodded, and took off.
"So what does your mother look like?" Tristan asked.
George sniffed. "My mama is home."
"Then who did you come with?" Tristan asked patiently.
"My dad and my sister."
Before he could ask another question, a voice yelled out, "Georgie!" Both Tristan and
George turned toward the voice. A teenaged girl was running toward them. Tristan stood up
again, and the girl picked up George and hugged him.
"Don't ever run off like that again," she scolded. Then she turned to Tristan. "And what
were you doing?" Her eyes accused him of luring off young children.
Tristan sighed. "My friend and I saw him wandering around and thought he might be
lost."
"He's nice," George said. The girl's eyes lost the accusatory look, and her whole body
assumed a position he recognized--head tilted back and to the side, eyes smiling and occasionally
looking down coyly, left hand playing with the low neckline of her shirt. Tristan sighed inwardly,
and wished Rory was there.
"All right then. I'm Catherine. I'm George's sister." She extended her free hand. Tristan
shook it.
"And I'm Tristan."
Catherine leaned back against the guardrail of the gopher exhibit. She smiled. "That was a
really nice thing you did. I don't suppose you and your friend would like to come to lunch with
us."
"Well, I guess that depends on how Rory feels about it," Tristan said frankly. He wished
he could just get away. But then someone slipped up beside him, and put her soft arms around
his waist. Was he dreaming? No, she must have seen his dilemma, and come to his rescue. You
gotta love a girl like that, he thought.
"Hey sweetie," Rory said, leaning against him. He instinctively put his arm around her
shoulder--she fit so perfectly--and although she would probably hate him for it, kissed the top of
her head.
"Speak of an Angel," he said.
"Your _friend_?" Catherine asked, eyebrow raised.
"Girlfriend," Rory corrected, a sharp edge to her voice. She and Tristan shared a look.
Rory's, eyebrows raised, lips pursed, was a question. "Is it okay?" it secretly asked, though it
might have been seen as, "you didn't tell her?"
Tristan's was pure reassurance. "It's okay, I love you," it said. It could not have been
mistaken for anything else.
Rory cleared her throat. Tristan smiled. "Rory, this is Catherine. Catherine, Rory. My
girlfriend."
"Pleased to meet you," Catherine said, her voice icy. "So, would you like to come have
lunch with us?"
"Actually," Rory said. "I think I need to get home. It's getting late, my mom might get
worried."
Catherine didn't push it. "Thanks again," she said. George waved at them solemnly, and
then Catherine turned and rushed away.
"Cute kid," Tristan remarked as they watched them go out of sight.
"The boy or his sister?" Rory asked dryly. She showed no signs of moving. Tristan didn't
move either.
"The boy, of course. And thank you," he said. "I can't tell you how much appreciate what
you did."
"You're welcome," Rory said. She smiled up at him. "I'm sorry you had to miss out on the
animal fries though. I know that's your favorite part."
Tristan shrugged. "I'll take you to lunch in a real restaurant. Unless, of course, you really
do need to get home."
Rory shook her head. "But it's still not a date," she warned.
He reluctantly let go of her and they began to walk to the exit, so close their hands
brushed with every step. Tristan steeled himself against interlacing his fingers through hers, and
so he was surprised when her hand reached out for his. He looked over at her. A slight smile
played across her lips, but she said nothing.

~*~

Tristan jumped out of the car and rushed around to the other side to open the door for
Rory. She grinned at him as he unnecessarily helped her out. "Thank you," she said, smiling into
his warm blue eyes. "I had fun." She looked down at her hands, both clasped in his.
Tristan raised his eyebrows with a teasing smile. "Just fun? I think not, my dear Rory. I
think you had the best afternoon of your life, and once you get inside, you will flop on your bed
and sigh dreamily as you write about it in your diary, punctuated by lots of little hearts, of
course." He stroked the back of her right hand with his thumb, seemingly without doing so.
Rory laughed. "Of course. You have me down perfectly. But you forgot about the squeals
of delight when I tell my mom and Lane about your perfection."
"IÕd like to hear those," Tristan said. Rory sighed in mock disgust, and shook her head.
"Well, IÕll see you Monday then," she said. She backed away and turned to leave, but
couldnÕt. He was still holding her hands.
She looked at him, daring him to try anything more. He looked back. Then he pulled her
back toward him. She went willingly.
"Monday, then," he said in a low voice. His breath was warm on her cheek. Before she
had a chance to respond, he bent down and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth.
"Okay, then," Rory said, her mind unable to think of anything except "he kissed me!"
Not that it was the first time, although sheÕd reacted the same way then, too. Would she react
that way the third time as well? Would her heart beat a million more times a minute than it was
supposed to, would her breathing speed up to hyperventilation levels? Would her head suddenly
go all dizzy and her mind stop working? Would she long for more even while telling herself she
was crazy for wanting it?
Tristan was still watching her, a lazy grin on his face. She backed away toward the house,
and he let go of her hands. The air suddenly felt cold and strange on them, and she wished they
were still safely entwined with his. She wished _she_ was safely in his embrace, surrounded by
the smell of vanilla forever, never to be let go. Would this, too, happen the third time he kissed
her?

~*~

Rory flopped on her bed and sighed. Then she pulled out her diary.

Dear Diary,

I went to the zoo today. With Tristan.
Yes, Tristan.
Yes, I know IÕm spending a lot of time with him now. But the heÕs different now.
Sweet. Nice. And his teasing is friendlier. Flirtier.
I canÕt believe I just said that. Wrote it, anyway.
There was a kid at the zooÑa little boy named George. He was lost. And Tristan
noticed, and he was the one to talk to him and make friends with him. George liked him.
ArenÕt little kids supposed to be more perceptive to a personÕs true nature? Was I the
one who was wrong the whole time?
Then GeorgeÕs sister cameÑShe was flirting with Tristan. It was so obvious even
I could see it. And whatÕs more, I was jealous.
Yes. I, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, was jealous. Of a girl flirting with Tristan.
Even though he barely even looked at her. He was too busy looking at me because
of the stupid thing I did, completely on the spur of the moment..
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
WhatÕs my excuse? Other than temporary insanity, that is?
I wanted to be near him. To pretend, even if only for a moment, that he was mine.
But why would he ever choose me?
Why would he kiss me?