Tristan went up to his room that evening when he got home and pulled out
the poetry book Rory had given him. He flipped through it, smiling at the
notes Rory had written beside her favorite poems.
He found one poem that he read over and over again. Entitled "Not In Vain", the words shot straight to Tristan's heart.
"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain." Tristan whispered to his empty room. Rory's pale, drawn face swam before his eyes. He wanted to ease her life the aching. He hoped that today was a step in the right direction, one foot towards her being herself again.
Tristan knew that she would never fully recover from the pain she must have. He knew how close she and her mother were, just like best friends. And no matter how much he had disliked Dean, and called him "bag boy", he knew that Rory had loved him deeply. It was only his jealousy that had caused him to treat Dean like he had, he knew that anyone Rory would be acquainted with had to be a good person.
"Rory!" Tristan called, running up to her as she got out of her car that morning. "Listen to this!"
"Leave me alone, Tristan!" Rory yelled at him, sidestepping his body and walking across the courtyard.
Tristan's face fell as she cruelly ignored him. "Rory, what's wrong?" he asked her, following her into the building.
"I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to be near you. Just leave me alone."
"Wait…" Tristan said, crushed. He paused in the middle of the hallway, watching her walk away. His hand fell, letting the poetry book fall limply to his side.
No, he thought to himself, seeing her sit down and hunch her shoulders. She can't just ignore everyone and live alone. She has to talk to me….
"Rory, tell me what's wrong!" Tristan begged her, following her out of the building after school that day. She had disappeared during lunch, and he had spent the entire period trying to find her.
"Just go away, please," Rory asked him, fumbling with her keys to open her car door. When she pulled it open, Tristan put his hand on it and held it shut.
"No! Not until you tell me what's wrong!" Tristan commanded her.
"Nothing's WRONG, Tristan. Everything's fine, everything's fucking brilliant," she told him, her voice low and full of sorrow.
"If everything's so great, what was up this morning?" Tristan asked her, trying to keep his voice low and caring. Low and caring, don't make her sadder. Just be there for her, he thought as he looked at Rory.
"Does something always have to be up? Maybe I just don't want to talk to you, Tristan. I don't want to be friends," Rory said, again reaching for the door handle.
"Why not? If you think I'm an arrogant asshole, fine. If you just don't like me, FINE. But give me an answer!" Tristan said, his voice rising. Why wouldn't she let him help her? Why was she pushing him away?
She looked down at the ground, at the trail of ants crawling in front of her feet. She thought about how easy it would be to step on them, take their lives. Do ants have mothers? She thought to herself. Boyfriends? Does anyone miss them when they get killed by an insensitive human?
"Rory?" Tristan asked gently, putting one finger under her chin and lifting her face up so she met his eyes.
"Don't touch me!" Rory screamed, knocking his hand away. While he was off balance, she pulled open the car door and started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot.
Tristan watched her go, wanting to cry.
She hated him, and there had to be a reason.
He found one poem that he read over and over again. Entitled "Not In Vain", the words shot straight to Tristan's heart.
"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain." Tristan whispered to his empty room. Rory's pale, drawn face swam before his eyes. He wanted to ease her life the aching. He hoped that today was a step in the right direction, one foot towards her being herself again.
Tristan knew that she would never fully recover from the pain she must have. He knew how close she and her mother were, just like best friends. And no matter how much he had disliked Dean, and called him "bag boy", he knew that Rory had loved him deeply. It was only his jealousy that had caused him to treat Dean like he had, he knew that anyone Rory would be acquainted with had to be a good person.
"Rory!" Tristan called, running up to her as she got out of her car that morning. "Listen to this!"
"Leave me alone, Tristan!" Rory yelled at him, sidestepping his body and walking across the courtyard.
Tristan's face fell as she cruelly ignored him. "Rory, what's wrong?" he asked her, following her into the building.
"I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to be near you. Just leave me alone."
"Wait…" Tristan said, crushed. He paused in the middle of the hallway, watching her walk away. His hand fell, letting the poetry book fall limply to his side.
No, he thought to himself, seeing her sit down and hunch her shoulders. She can't just ignore everyone and live alone. She has to talk to me….
"Rory, tell me what's wrong!" Tristan begged her, following her out of the building after school that day. She had disappeared during lunch, and he had spent the entire period trying to find her.
"Just go away, please," Rory asked him, fumbling with her keys to open her car door. When she pulled it open, Tristan put his hand on it and held it shut.
"No! Not until you tell me what's wrong!" Tristan commanded her.
"Nothing's WRONG, Tristan. Everything's fine, everything's fucking brilliant," she told him, her voice low and full of sorrow.
"If everything's so great, what was up this morning?" Tristan asked her, trying to keep his voice low and caring. Low and caring, don't make her sadder. Just be there for her, he thought as he looked at Rory.
"Does something always have to be up? Maybe I just don't want to talk to you, Tristan. I don't want to be friends," Rory said, again reaching for the door handle.
"Why not? If you think I'm an arrogant asshole, fine. If you just don't like me, FINE. But give me an answer!" Tristan said, his voice rising. Why wouldn't she let him help her? Why was she pushing him away?
She looked down at the ground, at the trail of ants crawling in front of her feet. She thought about how easy it would be to step on them, take their lives. Do ants have mothers? She thought to herself. Boyfriends? Does anyone miss them when they get killed by an insensitive human?
"Rory?" Tristan asked gently, putting one finger under her chin and lifting her face up so she met his eyes.
"Don't touch me!" Rory screamed, knocking his hand away. While he was off balance, she pulled open the car door and started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot.
Tristan watched her go, wanting to cry.
She hated him, and there had to be a reason.