**Part 12**

"Here's to my love. Oh true apothecary, thy drugs are quick… Line?" Tristan looked up.

"Thus with a kiss, I die. How hard is that to remember?" Paris's blood boiled.

"Thus with a kiss, I die, right… and then I kiss her, right?"

"Yes. You say 'Thus with a kiss, I die.' Then you kiss her and die. Why are you smiling? You think this is a joke? The performance is tomorrow"

"Wait, tomorrow?" Tristan mocked, "Oh my God. I totally missed it the first 47 times you said it"

"Can we just get through the scene?" Rory's chest felt as if it were going to explode. Tristan had avoided her all week, looked for any opportunity to not be around her in private. She needed to speak with him.

"Fine" Paris snapped, "But yell line once more and you're out"

"Oh true apothecary, thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss, I die"

Tristan stopped halfway to kissing Rory

"What?" Paris annoyance was very apparent in her voice

"Well, it's just, with this being our last kiss and all; it makes me think about our first kiss. You know, at the party"

"What?!" Rory's eyes shot open. He wouldn't be this much of an asshole, where was he going to take that? She quickly scanned for Dean.

"Lie down, you're dead" Paris reminded her

"We all are" Louise saw her easy grade slipping away

"You remember the kiss," Tristan answered unfazed, "In Act 1 at the Capulet's masked party?"

"What about it?" Paris clenched her jaw

"Well, I was just trying to think of something that would make this kiss as special as that one"

"Tristan" Rory voiced hoping to stop him

"I thought she could cry" Tristan blurted out, clearly alluding to their first real kiss.

"What?" Rory silently begged him to leave it at that.

"She's dead" Paris fought to contain her disdain, "You're dead, lie down"

"Yeah, but that's the beauty of it. No one would expect her to cry" Tristan snidely added

"I would" Dean, who stood by the curtains answered not at all amused

"You know, funny you should say that…" Tristan straightened up

"I need to take five" Rory shot up feeling her heart in the back of her mouth

"You know what?" Paris had had enough, "Let's all take five. That way you can all cancel whatever plans you had tonight because we are staying here until we get this right"

Rory pushed Tristan off to go to Dean. Brad took out his cell phone.

"Who could you possibly be calling?" Louise asked him raising her brow at him.

"He is un-fucking-believable" Dean hissed as soon as Rory was within earshot

"Dean," Rory breathed, "I really need you to leave"

"What?" Dean's head snapped down to look at his girlfriend

"The play is tomorrow, and it's fifty percent of my grade, and you standing there staring at Tristan down," Rory tried to explain, "it's like a challenge or something"

"Well, I don't like the way he's messing with you"

"I don't like it either but we have to get through this scene and we can't get through the scene with you standing there. So, Dean, please" Rory looked up holding her breath

"Fine" Dean pouted angrily "Call me later"

Rory breathed out relieved as she gave him a quick kiss she hoped Tristan didn't see to send Dean on his way. Tristan of course, had noticed the whole exchange, he walked towards Rory,

"Now I noticed you didn't cry when you kissed him. I'm starting to feel a little insecure"

"What is wrong with you?" Rory snapped at him

"Whoa, I think I liked you better comatose"

"I thought you weren't going to say anything" Rory's blood sped up, but really not out of anger… they were alone, maybe now she could talk to him.

"Did I say that?" He lowered his eyes looking straight into hers. He wasn't happy.

"You make it impossible for anyone to be nice to you, you know that?" Rory bit out before she could stop herself, she was trying to steer the conversation somewhere else. She needed to tell him that she had changed her mind about the dare.

"Gee, I really wish we could continue your analysis on how pathetic I am," Tristan stepped forward making Rory take a step back. He leaned down and reached into her book bag. Rory's heart fell through her stomach when Tristan pulled out the paperback, held it in front of her face for a second so that she could understand the meaning behind his actions, and stuffed it into his back pocket, "unfortunately, I have to meet some friends"

Rory's heart ached as he pushed past her and out the studio.

"Where are you going?" Paris frowned "Where is he going? We're not finished! Hey, I'm the director here! Tristan!"

"Tristan," Brad's face blanched, "come back!"

Rory felt ill, she felt faint, she had to go.

"Hey!" Paris called angrily, "Where are you going now?!"

Rory raced outside in time to catch Tristan right before he got in his car,

"Tristan!"

"No more Rory"

"The game?" Rory wanted to crumble

"No, this… you and me, no more. I need a break" Tristan's resolute tone felt like a hundred doors slamming in her face.

"For how long?" Rory's voice cracked

"I don't know…" Tristan ran his hand through his hair mulling that over, "probably until after Chilton"

"You can't be serious" Rory felt her heart break

"I am" Tristan looked down to meet her eyes. He pulled the paperback back out, "I dare you"

"I… I can't do that" Rory felt like crying. She was grateful that it was already dark out so he wouldn't see.

"Don't worry" Tristan breathed in deeply resolved to go through with what he had in mind, "I'll make it easy for you"

Tristan backed away from Rory and got in his car taking off before he changed his mind.

"Tristan?" Rory breathed out heart broken and confused.

**End of Part 12**

A/N - Aww.. this one broke my heart. I was quickly running out of episodes with Tristan in them, so the story had to wind down. Up until this point I had so much fun writing this, mixing in my story with canon. Hope you liked it too. One more part to go. Please review!