Road Trip

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and the characters that you don't recognize from the show.

Summary: Rory and Tristan are paired up for a school trip. A truce is formed, and a friendship is created, but what happens when chemistry starts brewing and denial runs its course?

Rating: PG13


Chapter 3


"Omg, this is so nice!" Rory said as she looked around the cozy little cabin.

There was a little living room connected to a small kitchen; a bathroom, and two bedrooms with two twin beds in each.

"I'm going to run an inspection." Paris stated.

"An inspection?" asked Kyle.

"Yes, you never know what these places might have. There might be mold under the sink, dead bugs under the bed, or worst, a nest, unstable furniture, I could go on but that would just be a waste of my time." And she started to walk off for her little inspection.

"We're only going to be staying here for a night. We'll be leaving tomorrow after lunch for another car ride in hell."

"How can you call it hell when all you do is sleep?"

"Just because I close my eyes and pretend to snore doesn't mean that I'm actually sleeping. I can hear pretty much everything you know."

"You pretend to snore."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"So it seems like I'm asleep so that you guys will be quiet so that I can actually be asleep."

"Kyle we don't care enough about you to be worried if we're going to wake you up."

"Ya, I know."

"Then why do you still pretend to snore?"

"'Cause I know it bugs you."

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Paris."

Paris stormed off in a huff, mumbling something inaudible.

Kyle just shrugged and went into one of the rooms.

"Well I can tell those two are going to get along." Tristan said.

"Like anyone gets along with Paris." Rory remarked.

"Well you do, don't you? I mean, aren't you two friends?"

"Ya, but that doesn't exactly mean I enjoy her company all the time, you know how Paris can be."

"Yes, but you still get along don't you?"

"Occasionally."

"Like you an me?"

"Well I wouldn't exactly call you Paris." Rory snorted.

"You know what I mean. Like, get alone occasionally."

"I guess."

"So does that mean we're friends?"

"Ummm, ya." She smiled.

"K." 'Well at least she doesn't hate me.'

"Mmm hmm."

"Yup."

The two stared at each other, not quite knowing what to say.

Paris, who was inspecting the bedroom that the boys were staying in, and Kyle, watched the two, staring at each other, lost in their own little world.

"How much do you wanna bet that those two are going to hook up by the end of this trip?" Paris whispered to Kyle.

"I don't know, they just started being friends. Plus Rory seems oblivious to the whole thing."

"Fifty bucks?"

"Deal."

They shook hands before heading out.

"Well, inspection's done. I think this will pass."

Paris' voice snapped both Rory and Tristan out of their trance.

"Ok. Let's go then." Kyle said.

"They better have good food." Rory mumbled as the four teenagers went outside into the rain and walked toward the main building.

"This is a school outing, so I doubt it." Tristan replied.

"Well I did not go for a three hour drive with you and Paris for bad food. Especially if the weather's this crappy. Eww! Bug!" She said swatting a mosquito.

"No, you didn't. You did it for your grade."

"Shut up."

"Grumpy are we?"

"No."

"Then why are you pouting?"

"Because."

"Because..."

"I said shut up."

"I could think of a few ways to make you happy." Tristan said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ugh."

They reached the rest of the class.

"Ok," Mr. Callaway began, "Now that we're all here, let's not waste any time getting started. Everyone grab a fishing rod and a supply box, we're going fishing!"

Practically everyone groaned.

"Well you didn't really think that you were going to have people you serving you dinner now did you? Why else do you think those cabins have kitchens? After you catch the fish, you're going to go back to your cabin and cook your fish. The supplies should be in there already, if not, come and see me."

"Great. Just what I need, I fishing trip." Rory mumbled.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Tristan said as they made their way to the lake.

"No it won't."

"Have you ever gone fishing before?"

"No."

"Then how do you know it won't be fun?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because it's pouring rain, I'm soaked, I'm cold, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm grumpy, and I'm going to be sitting by a freezing lake holding a stick over the water for eternity." she said sarcastically.

"Ok, it's not pouring rain, well, maybe it is, yes, you're soaked, you look cold and tired, you seem hungry, you are so, very grumpy, you will be sitting by a freezing lake holding a fishing rod over the water, but it'll just be for a little while."

"Are there even fish in a lake at this temperature?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes, Mary, I don't think they'd be telling us to go fishing in a fish-less lake."

"You never know..."

"Right."


"Ok, I've been sitting here for hours." Rory said, holding her fishing rod over the lake.

"Mary, we've been here for two minutes." Tristan said.

"Well it seems like hours." She mumbled, "Hey! You gotta fish already!"

"Yes, I did."

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"Umm, I just caught it."

"And you said we haven't been here for hours!" she said throwing one of her arms up in the air.

"Well we haven't."

Rory eyes him for a moment, the smiles angelically.

"Tristan?" she asks sweetly.

"Yes..."

"We're friends right?"

"Yes..."

"And friends do things for each other right...?"

"Yes..."

"Sooooooo, I was thinking since you're such a good friend that you would, ummm, be willing to, possibly, maybe, give me that fish that you ever so brutally killed?"

"Now why would I do something like that?"

"Because I'm you're friend..."

"Right. And what would I get in return?"

"Can't you just give it to me out of the goodness of your heart?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine. Then... ummm... well what do you want?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No. I'll... I'll... ummmm... give you a nice big hug?"

Tristan smiled, "Ok."

"Really?"

"Ya."

Pause.

"Hug?" "Fish?" Rory and Tristan said in unison.

"Fine, hug first."

Rory put down here fishing rod and wrapped her arms around Tristan, a surge of energy going through both of them at the contact.

'Omg, she smells so damn good. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she's too close... way too close.' Tristan thought.

'God this feels good. Hmmmmmmmm... wow, this is lasting longer that I intended...' Rory thought.

They both just stood there in each other's arms, both trying to ignore the wonderful sensation that they were both getting.

'Ok, I've got to pull away before I do something I'll regret.' They both thought.

They retreated, an awkward silence coming over them as they stared at each other.

Tristan was first to say something, "Uhhh, here's your fish." He handed her the fish and she took it, neither of them breaking eye contact.

"Thanks."

"I should probably get another one then."

"Ummm, ya, of course."

A few minutes later, they began walking back to their cabin, each with the fish that they had caught, well, that Tristan had caught.

"You think we should wait for Paris and Kyle?" Rory asked as she glanced back at them.

Paris was currently yelling at Kyle, blaming him that he had made her lose her fish, and Kyle just seemed to be agreeing with everything she was saying, and saying it was his fault, just to shut Paris up, but of course that wasn't doing any good.

"Uh, I think they'll be a while. We should go, plus I'm looking forward to seeing you cook." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that. The last time my mom and I attempted to cook, we ended up with three firemen in our kitchen."

Tristan laughed. "I wish I could've seen that."

"No you wouldn't. It was truly horrifying. We pre-heated the oven without knowing that we had thrown a bunch of stuff in there when my Grandma said that she was coming for a surprise visit and we had to clean up the house in like, ten minutes. So we kinda burned a bunch of stuff which was a real bummer. Mr. Ickumbobbers was a total lost, he was a plastic frisbee by he cooled off. Plus my mom threw the pan of so called cake batter in the air when she saw smoke coming out of the oven and smelt the disgusting smell of burning... everything, and it landed on top of the very unstable bag of flour which kinda went topsy turvy."

"I'm not even going to ask who or what Mr. Ickumbobbers was."

"Good idea."

"So I guess that pretty much rules you out, which leaves me to do all the cooking."

"Ha! You cooking, that's funny!" Rory snorted.

"What? You don't think I can cook?"

"No, I don't."

"Well I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong then."

"I guess so."


"Omigosh! I SO need to take a picture!" Rory squealed as she ran to get her camera.

Tristan was in a frilly peach colored apron (it was the only one available that wasn't covered in some kind of moldy leftover cooking) while holding a spatula in his hand and standing by the stove.

"Smile!" she said gleefully as Tristan posed for the picture.

"If you ever show that picture to anyone, I just might have to kill you."

"Well then I guess I'll just have to take my chances, because there is absolutely no way that I'm ever going to let you live down that photo. How'd you learn to cook anyway?"

"Well not everyone needs classes to learn how to cook you know. All you're basically doing is throwing a bunch of stuff together over a stove."

"Well then you're just gifted."

"I know. I'm amazing aren't I?"

"No, just gifted."


"Do you think we should go check on Paris and Kyle? They've been gone an offly long time." Rory asked.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Knowing them, Paris is probably yelling at Kyle again for making her lose her fish."

"Ha, ha. By the way, I underestimated your cooking skills, I usually hate fish, but this is pretty good!"

"What'd I tell you? I am amazing."

Rory rolled her eyes, "I'll note to myself not to give you compliments again. Your ego is big enough as it is."

They continued talking and eating their dinner when the front door swung open to reveal a very, very, VERY angry, soaking wet Paris covered in mud and a very tired Kyle, who was also covered in mud, though not as much as Paris.

When Rory and Tristan saw them they couldn't help but laugh. The mud covered teenagers just stood there.

"Oh you think this is funny now do you? Well news flash! IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN, LOOK AT ME!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Oh, we're sorry, Paris. We really- hahaha- shouldn't be laughing., w- what happened?" Tristan said, stifling another chuckle.

"Wouldn't you like to know? ASK THIS IDIOTIC MORON HERE!!!!!!" Paris yelled and she stormed off into her room.

"Kyle?" Rory asked, a firm smile still planted on her face.

"I hate that bitch. She's a bitchy bitch that acts bitchy all day long."

"Now tell us something we don't know."

"She was yelling at me –yet again- about making her lose her fish when it was evidently all her fault, and I was ignoring her because I was sick of hearing her blame it all on me, which got her even more mad, so she dove for my fishing rod and –whoops! Slippity slip slip. Tumble in the mud. And of course she's blaming the whole freakin' incident on me."

"I'm surprised you two didn't fall in the lake." Tristan said, still smiling.

"Oh but SHE did fall in the lake, I almost did, but not quite."

"What kind of flowers would you like for your funeral? 'Cause we all know you'll be dead by morning." Rory stated.

"Thanks." He mumbled as he walked to his room, saying many more inaudible things, most likely about Paris.

"I feel sorry for them-" her and Tristan just stare at each other smiling, "......almost."

"I know!" Tristan snorted, "Did you see them? They looked hilarious! You should have gotten a picture!"

"I did!"

"You did?"

"You were too busy laughing to notice. Now I'm going to have to guard that camera with my life."

"Paris is going to kill you."

"Go figure."