-Chapter Three-
Legs pulled up underneath her, fingers clamped over a book, she sat by her locker. She had another half hour before the start of school. Lorelai had had an early meeting at the inn and Rory had decided to catch a ride with her to school, thinking she could read ahead while she waited for Chilton to come to life around her.
Several students and teachers dotted the halls but overall, the building was empty.
Lost in her book, it was only a few minutes later when she felt someone sit down next to her that she was propelled back to reality.
"Wipe that smirk off your face Gilmore, you look like you just got laid," Paris put in before pulling out several books from her bag.
"I wasn't smirking Paris," Rory defended, turning her attention back to the book and trying to keep her face as neutral as possible. She had to admit, she actually felt giddy but she didn't want that broadcast all over her face.
"Whatever. You can waste your time however you like…just don't expect me to baby-sit the little rug rats while you're working all-nighters at the 7-11 and taking classes at a community college designed around the special needs of young…"
"Paris…"
"What? Teen pregnancy in America is rising Rory, and so is the high school drop out rate."
"I didn't…get laid," Rory practically whispered, not sure whether to find Paris's words offensive or hysterical. She wondered how the two had ever become friends.
"So what? You can do it but not say it…it's called sex Rory…an act between a man and…"
"I think I know what sex is Paris. I took the same Sex Ed class you did, remember. The one where you made the visiting lecturer cry?"
"What? I merely pointed out that he didn't seem to be speaking from personal experience…"
"You asked him if he was a virgin and whether he was qualified to teach the subject?"
"You can't expect people to take sex advice from someone who looks like he still lives in his parents' basement, surrounded by his Star Trek memorabilia."
"He's some professor of reproduction Paris…not Sue Johanson…"
"…I always wondered about that one. I mean isn't she…"
"How did we end up on this topic?" Rory interrupted, leaning her head back against the locker and letting her eyes drift down the hall.
Almost as if carried there by her thoughts, Tristan, along with several of his friends, the group consisting mainly of jocks and giggling girls, came into view down the hall.
Beside her, Paris continued on but Rory was lost to her friend's words.
Had it been last week, Rory would have simply turned away, focusing her attention back on Paris or her book or anything else. But today was different.
She watched as he closed his locker and broke away from the others, heading down towards her. He drew closer and she waited for him to catch sight of her and walk over.
Ten minutes till the bell, the halls were busier now with students walking in all directions. Effortlessly, he weaved through them, gaze fixed just ahead. She rose from her sitting position, book unconsciously held tight against her body.
Five feet away, his gaze finally landed on her and she softly smiled. For an instance, as she caught the flutter in his eyes, everything else faded to the sidelines and the moment was perfect.
But a few seconds later, it crumpled away as a figure materialized at his side and laced their fingers through his: Summer.
Rory's body went rigid as his gaze slipped away from hers'. Summer leaning heavily against him, Rory remained frozen as he walked past her, as if he had looked at her and found nothing there.
"…Gilmore," Paris, who had also risen to her feet, snapped her fingers in front of Rory's face, pulling her back from the moment. Stunned, she tried to focus her attention back on Paris but her thoughts were racing a mile a minute and a sick feeling was rising from the pit of her stomach.
It was happening all over again.
Shutting her locker, she picked her bag off the floor and headed for her first period class, Paris protesting after her. Tears stung the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
---
She tried to concentrate on the blackboard but letters mixed with numbers and the colours around her all faded to a single shade: black.
She hated that he still had such an affect on her…hated that she'd let him do this to her. Again.
Taking shallow, quick breaths, something she'd learned from Ms. Patty, she tried to focus again. Her professor was saying something about quadratic functions and writing equations on the board but she couldn't make sense of them.
When the bell finally rang, indicating her lunch period, she quickly packed her things and rushed out of the room. Her head was spinning. Madeline and Paris called after her but she continued on, afraid that if she stopped moving, she would completely break down.
She weaved through the students lining the halls and walked into the cafeteria thinking to find a table in the corner and get lost in a book. Fate however had other plans for her. Entering the cafeteria, the first thing to catch her attention was a group of people occupying two tables set against the left wall of the room. In the middle of it all was Tristan, with Summer on his lap, straddling him.
Unable to turn away, Rory watched as Summer slid her fingers underneath his chin and brought his mouth to hers. She watched as his arms went across her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Fresh tears threatened to spill but she pushed past it, walking out of the cafeteria and towards the bathroom.
---
Hating the fact that she would have to see him again, she entered the classroom, the last class of the day. It was already full of students but the only one that caught her attention was Tristan, his gaze fixed on her as she entered the room. Dropping her own gaze, she took her seat, thankfully several rows away from him, and moved her eyes to the board.
She felt his eyes on her the whole time but she did not turn around. Nor did she hear anything her English professor said. Wrapped in her own thoughts, her heart threatening to burst from her chest, she simply concentrated on a chalk mark at the base of the blackboard.
When the bell rang much later, she was the first one out the door.
She could have sworn he called after her but the sound, lost amidst the throngs of students now pouring out of classrooms, could have been a shuffling of feet or a whisper among friends. She took a detour, stopping at the bathroom once more to wipe at her eyes and when she finally came in view of her locker, he had beaten her to it. Languidly resting against the locker next to hers, hands pocketed, he seemed to be lost in thought. As beautiful as a Greek statue, he waited, eyes locked on a spot on the ceiling.
She contemplated simply turning away and walking out of school but her pride held her from doing so. She knew she had to deal with him sooner or later.
Bracing herself, she approached her locker, eyes downcast. She spun the combination and opening her locker, started pulling out books.
"Hey," came his voice, and she had to hold herself back from meeting his gaze.
"Is something wrong?" he tried again, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice.
"Everything's just fine thanks," she put in, slamming her door shut and moving to walk away.
His arm at her elbow halted her from moving further and she felt herself being gently spun back to face him. Still, she kept her eyes trained on the ground.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice. She felt his fingers rubbing circles against her elbow and she pulled her arm back.
"What are you doing?" she tried, eyes rising up to meet his.
"Waiting for you…" he put in, a smile spreading to his features. God, she hated it when he smiled like that.
"And did you get Summer's permission?"
"What?"
"Well I mean, shouldn't you be waiting by her locker…especially considering that just a few hours ago you had your tongue down her throat?" She watched in satisfaction as his eyes changed, a dark cloud moving across his features.
"I…was with Summer?" he asked, confused.
That had not been the response she had expected
"Tristan…I…just leave me alone, okay," she turned around and walked off, more confused than ever.
"Let me give you a ride home…" he called after her.
"No thanks," she threw back, turning the corner.
She came in sight of the bus stop just as the vehicle was pulling away.
Great, she thought, walking over to the bench and falling back against it. She knew the next bus would take at least another half hour to arrive.
Frustrated, she closed her eyes and let her head fall against the top edge of the bench. A few minutes later, the honking of a horn pulled her back from her thoughts, each one racing a mile a minute.
"We need to talk," Tristan called out as he brought his car to a halt in front of her along the side of the road.
"I don't have anything to say to you," she put in, turning away from his gaze.
"I'm sorry if I did anything to hurt you…"
"I think I've heard this speech already," she interrupted, still refusing to meet his eyes.
"I zone out sometimes Rory…and if I did anything today to…"
"I don't care Tristan…"
"Just get in the car Rore and let me explain." This time, he was the one to interrupt. She caught the pleading tone in his voice but chose to ignore it, willing the bus to appear.
From the corner of her eye, she caught that urgent look in his eyes. She could tell he was restraining from simply manhandling her into the car.
"The bus probably won't be here for another half hour," he broke through and was once again greeted with silence.
"Damn it Rory, just get in the car," he snapped.
"Gee when you put it like that…"
"I'm sorry I blanked on you like that before. It happens sometimes…and I didn't mean…"
"It doesn't matter. Just leave me alone."
"I can't do that Rore. Not when I'm so close to having you back in my life…"
"Did you ever think that I don't want you in my life," she interrupted, anger clouding over the friendship that had begun to slowly mend itself.
This time, it was his silence that settled around them.
Unable to stop, she continued, the words spilling out with more malice than she had thought herself capable of. "That maybe, I'm better off without you around. I mean, I've been fine without you for the last 4 years.
"You don't mean that…"
"Like hell I don't. Once the school year is done, we're going go our separate ways, and I'll never have to see you again," she spat out, pushing past the hurt.
"So you can take your explanations and apologies and get as far away from me as possible because I don't need you anymore."
For a few moments, both sat in stunned silence. Then, pulling his eyes away from her, Tristan drove off.
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----Side note:This story means a lot to me and I appreciate everyone who took the time to read and review it. Since I put up the first three parts all at the same time, I didn't get the chance to include answers and my thanks. But I will from now on.-----
austinnme7589: Thanks, I appreciate...lol, your appreciation. Anywho, yes it was someone very close to Tristan that died. Hopefully Chapter Three clarified that it was his mother who died, although I can't reveal the specifics yet.
mdwildcatgirl: Thanks for the feedback. Really helps boost the ego.
Curley-Q: I love any and all compliments and again, as to who died, it was Tristan's mother.
just hidden: I know sometimes prologues and background information can clog up a story but it does really help the plot-line. So thanks for sticking through it and understanding why it's necessary.
Sam: I hope chapter three clarified a few things for you. The story does have a lot of twists but I promise they'll all be worth it. And I'm glad you liked the Rory-Tristan interaction. I guess I wanted him to be a bit different from who he was on the show.
