Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter Eleven:

"Rory! Rory! Rory!" Lorelai chirped as Rory, Chris, Tristan and Erick entered the kitchen. She sprung up from her seat at the counter and embraced her daughter. "You're home," she grinned.

"Well don't I feel loved," Chris said sarcastically.

"Uh huh," Lorelai shrugged completely ignoring him, "So anyway, he'll be here at eight to pick you up."

"What are you talking about?" Rory questioned with a perplexed look gracing her features.

"Shane!" Lorelai screeched, "He called, three times," she said raising three of her fingers up and waging them in front of Rory face. "He said he'd come by around eight to get you and then he'd have you home by twelve. He sounded so happy. He went on about how pretty he thought you were and then he said he was so happy that you finally agreed to go out with him."

Rory's jaw almost hit the floor, "I think there's something terribly wrong here," she said.

"What?" Lorelai questioned not noticing that everyone else in the room beside her was looking as though they had just seen a ghost.

"He never asked me out. I never said yes. I would never say yes!" Rory said trying to keep herself from screaming the last part.

This was definitely not her day. An hour ago her brother, who told her everything, was kissing some snazzy red-head. Ok, so maybe she wasn't snazzy per say but he had still kept Nicole from her. Why? She would probably never figure it out. Nicole was perfect. She was smart, sweet, she was a walking Barbie doll for crying out loud.

But that wasn't the point right now. The point was that Shane Renevante had somehow produced the illusion of her going out with him tonight on a date in that thick skull of his.

"I don't understand," Lorelai said as she slowly let go of Rory. "You don't have a date with him?"

"Of course I don't have a date with him," Rory almost yelled, "I wouldn't breathe the same oxygen as him if I had a choice in the matter," she finished while walking toward the coffee maker.

She poured herself a large cup of the steaming liquid and then retreated to the counter. Chris stared at his mother then back at Rory. He wasn't exactly sure if this was one of the best moments to interrupt them but the tension was killing him.

"Ror?" he questioned, "Has mom gone off her rocker?"

"Hey! I resent that," Lorelai said in mock horror.

Tristan and Erick who had both been standing quite still in shock seemed to finally regain mobility of their body and were both putting up quite a fight inorder to refrain themselves from laughing hysterically.

"I'm glad you two find this humorous," Rory said sarcastically still clutching to the cup directly in front of her. "She," she pointed to Lorelai, "Just tells me," she jabbed herself in the chest, "That I have a date with Shane, who by the way I never agreed to go out with and you," she pointed at Chris, "Can't find anything better to do but mock the English!"

She finally removed both hands from her cup and rested her head on the granite counter with a heavy thud which caused Lorelai to rub her own forehead. The only thing that seemed to echo in her head was 'Somebody in heaven hates me'.

"Rory?" Erick called, "Did you talk to Renevante today?"

"Not willingly," she said bitterly.

"Well what did he say?" Erick tried again.

"The usual. Called me Mary, told me I would give in and admit that I like him, said it was only a matter of time before he had me."

"That jerk," Lorelai said as she moved over to Rory.

"A few seconds ago you were jumping for joy when you said his name," Tristan said matter-of-factly.

"Not helping Bible boy."

"Right, sorry," he smirked. "So anyway back to what happened. What did you say to him Mar?"

"I told him that he was full of himself and his ego would suffocate him if he was left in a room by himself," she said as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I'm so proud of my baby!" Lorelai grinned, "Mommy's taught you well."

"Wait, so if he never asked you out and you never agreed to go out with him then why do you have a date with him?" Chris questioned.

"You have to be the most brilliant person on the face of the earth," Rory said sarcastically. "If we knew do you think we would all be sitting here trying to figure that out?"

"Right," Chris smiled cheekily.

"Tristan," Erick said almost immediately, "Why were you and Renevante arguing in the hall?"

Tristan looked at his best friend as though he were a deer caught in headlights, "Nothing really. You know how it is with him."

"Did that nothing have anything to do with a certain brunette that we know?" Erick asked with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Maybe," Tristan answered coyly.

"Oh this is so all yours now," Erick laughed out loud, "Can't wait to see her reaction when you tell her."

"Tell her what?" Lorelai and Chris asked at the same time.

"Tristan don't you have something to tell Rory?" Erick grinned.

Rory's head shot up from its resting place on the counter and she directed her view to Tristan. Tristan's ever present smirk was no where to be found but instead it was replaced by a nervous smile.

"Rory," he started off, "Maybe we should talk out there," he pointed to the door leading to the front waiting area.

Rory's eyes slanted considerably as she moved away from the counter and headed toward Tristan, "If this is somehow your fault I swear the harm that I will inflict on you will be so severe that you won't be able to breathe on your own."

Tristan smiled tensely as he put his hand on the small of her back inorder to lead her out of the kitchen. He turned his head toward Erick and mouthed 'I hate you'.

What should have only been a 10 second walk turned into an almost one minute stroll with a deadly silence lingering between them both. Tristan had removed his hand from Rory's back and was fidgeting nervously with his tie while Rory tapped her foot incessantly on the marble floor.

"What did you say to him Tristan?" she questioned maliciously.

"I didn't say anything. It's more that I did something," he replied still fidgeting with his limp tie. "Renevante and I don't really see eye to eye, we usually see fist to fist," he grinned impertinently.

"What does that have to do with me," she asked impatiently.

"Look Rory," he lingered, "Renevante has always been after whatever I wanted to prove that he could be better than me and could get it first. It's been like a game that he plays. He joined the basketball team to prove that he could play better, he toyed with Summer to get back at me for getting to her first and now he's after you to prove that he can get you first."

Rory looked confused, "What do you mean by get me first exactly?"

"Date you before I can," Tristan stated but not without a hint of bashfulness in his voice.

Rory grinned insanely, "Tristan I see this as the beginning of a beautiful friendship between you and I," she stated dramatically.

Tristan stared at her, afraid that at any moment she would realize what he had said and erupt. He had just said, not so subtly, that he wanted to date her and that because of him Shane was also after her to use her to get back at him.

"Now let's see if I got this right," she proclaimed much to herself than him. "If you date me first, Shane leaves me alone?" she questioned.

Tristan nodded his head.

"And if he thinks you're going out with me he'll leave you alone and you'll also have one up on him?"

"What are you getting at Rory?"

"Think Tristan about what I've just said," Rory smiled as though she were the happiest person on the planet.

"You're scaring me right now," Tristan stated.

"Tristan don't you see? If Shane thinks you're dating me he'll leave me alone and I won't have to worry about him trying to jump me in the halls and then to he'll LEAVE ME ALONE," she stressed.

Tristan grinned. He loved where this conversation was heading but decided to play dumb and have some fun with Rory since she was acting rather uncharacteristically.

"What do I get out of this?" he asked.

Rory had began to get frustrated, "And here I was thinking you were absolutely brilliant," she said sardonically, "Tristan if you go out with me first not only does Shane leave you alone but you get to prove to him that you're the better one and you got to me first."

"Why Mary I like this proposal very much," Tristan smirked, "I knew you would finally admit that you wanted me but asking me out. That's a whole new story."

"Oh get over yourself Tristan," Rory said exasperatedly, "All you have to do is pretend to be dating me. I'll tell Shane that I already have a date tonight with you and if he doesn't believe me we'll wait until he comes over or when we see him on Monday and we'll just tell him then."

"What makes you think it'll be that simple?"

"How could it not be? We have proof," she replied.

"Proof? Which would be what exactly?" Tristan asked coyly.

"Well… I don't know exactly," Rory stammered.

"My point exactly," Tristan laughed.

Shane's audacity was definitely proving itself to be a major perk for Tristan. Not only did Rory propose that they go out, whether it be pretend or not, she now needed something to back up the alleged situation. And in Tristan's mind the circumstances couldn't have been anymore perfect.

"Well then Princess this is where my mastery comes in," Tristan stated with a broad smirk in its rightful place. "Now in order to have proof we'll need to be dating for at least two weeks," his smirked broadened if possible, "Then of course we'll have to show up together at places, maybe even make nice at the lockers," he suggested.

Rory's critically insane grin faltered, "But…"

"Hey! Your idea not mine," Tristan laughed.

"Ok fine. FINE!" Rory yelled, "But…"

"Rory," Erick called from the kitchen, "Are you guys done yet? Nicole remember?"

Rory looked up at Tristan and they both grinned. A silent agreement was made at that instant and the game had began. The game of fatal attraction was well on its way now but only the participants didn't know that things would be easier said than done.

They both walked back to the kitchen and were greeted by three smiling faces.

"Everything went well then?" Lorelai questioned and after seeing Rory smile she continued, "Now who is Nicole?" she chirped.

Everyone in the room grinned but Chris. He was a deep shade of crimson and seemed to find the tiles on the kitchen floor quite interesting.

"So now would be a good time to tell you I invited her over then?" Rory laughed.

Chris' head shot up almost instantaneously, "You did what?" he yelled.

"Mom," Rory started, "Nicole is Chris' girlfriend. They've been going out for three days. She's a sophomore like us, she's very smart and she's also very pretty. She reminds me of Britney Spears a little though but she's not as fake in some regions," Rory giggled. "She's a reporter on the Franklin and she's also a cheerleader but she's not snobby, she's kind of tall though and she's not blonde, she's more of a red head and she was really nice," Rory finished.

"Are you gushing Rory?" Lorelai laughed.

"I am not!"

"It sounded like you were" Erick joked.

"I was not!" Rory protested.

"You should watch out Chris," Lorelai laughed, "Rory might try to take her away."

"Ha ha ha," Rory said sarcastically, "Very funny."

"I know, I think it is to," Chris laughed, "Maybe I should thank Shane for keeping you occupied for a while."

"Oh!" Rory exclaimed, "About that."

Tristan grinned profusely, "Maybe I should tell them about this."

"I don't know," Rory said, "You'll make it out to be more than it already is."

"That's the point of him telling it," Lorelai smiled, "He makes it so much more interesting."

"Hey!"

"Calm down Mar," Tristan laughed, "So anyway, Rory here has finally gotten over herself and asked me out. Now I know what all of you might be thinking, yes it is high time that she finally gave in but on the contrary. Miss Gilmore-Hayden here has begged me to be her boyfriend for the next two weeks, yes I know, she'll fall in love with me by then but I promise there will be no heart-breaking of any sort on my part. I will play nice"

"See I told you he makes it more interesting," Lorelai cut in.

"Now, now Lorelai let me finish my collective briefing of this fascinating story without interruptions please. So anyway back to my story. Yes so it is up to you to give your blessing to this loving union in which we are all here to celebrate," Tristan ended smiling broadly.

"You do know you ended that like a wedding speech right?" Chris questioned.

"Yeah Lorelai killed my chain of thought," Tristan complained.

"It was still awesome though."

"Yeah, the woman's got a point," Erick laughed.

Rory was beginning to get frustrated again, "How did this go from a tormenting Chris conversation to a tormenting Rory conversation?"

"You asked Bible Boy out," Lorelai smiled.

"I did not!" Rory said aggressively, "I just suggested that he pretend to be my boyfriend so that Shane would leave us alone."

"Right," Chris laughed.

"I did!"

"Yeah sure," Erick smiled.

"I can't believe you guys believe him instead of me," Rory complained.

"You'll live," Tristan smirked.

"Bite me Tristan."

"I'd love to, after all its one of my many privileges as your loving 'Snuggle Muffin'," Tristan grinned.

"Snuggle Muffin?" Rory laughed.

"I couldn't think of anything else," Tristan joked.

"Right."

Chris, Erick and Lorelai looked at the scene before them. Pretty soon they all knew that Rory and Tristan's game would turn into reality. Fatal attraction was playing its cruel game and there was no way of stopping it now when the participants were so willing to give themselves so freely to the hidden ploy.

A/N: Well there you have it. I finally let you in on the big secret. I hope you guys liked this chapter because I tried really hard to make it good. I also tried to make it a bit longer since I haven't updated in a while. The good new is that the next chapter has already been started which means you get to read what happens when Nicole comes over. I promise I'm trying really hard to make it interesting. So look out for that and don't forget to review please.

THANK YOU )

Arlene.

Sneak peek into Chapter Twelve:

"I actually believed that you guys were going out," Nicole laughed, "I mean today in lunch he kept staring at you read and when your lips moved he looked as though he was tracing them with his eyes."

Rory blushed a little, "He does that a lot because he knows it makes me lose my concentration," she said matter-of factly.

Nicole smiled, "I'll be back I told your mom that I would meet her in the kitchen."

She got up and headed towards the door. Rory stared at her in wonder, thinking only that Chris had made the right choice. So what if she looked a lot like Sara?

Nicole grinned behind the closed door, "She's buying it alright."