Disclaimer: I own no part of Gilmore Girls. *sigh*
A/N: you've probably already read the previous chapters, so without further ado.
When Rory left the stage, she could see her mom, Sookie, and Dean; but she didn't feel like being with them right then. She needed to talk to Tristan. Something in the back of her head told her to think about the fact that she was avoiding her boyfriend to talk to a guy whom she had passionately kissed less than an hour before; but she ignored it. *All I wanna do is say a final good-bye to Tristan* She tried not to think about the earlier kiss, or wonder why she was so upset at the thought of Tristan leaving.
She heard Tristan before she saw him. Or rather, she heard his name. Being spoken by his father in a quiet, yet still unpleasant tone. "Tristan, I no longer have any idea what to do with you! I let you say a quick good-bye, you join the play and miss your flight. Could you be any more irresponsible?" Rory had an idea. Before Tristan could answer, she strode up to them and interrupted the father-son battle. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt. You must be Mr. DuGrey. I'm Rory Gilmore. Pleased to meet you." Then, without giving the elder DuGrey a chance to shoo her away, she turned to Tristan. "I just wanted to thank you for doing the play tonight. We probably would have failed if you'd skipped out on us. It was the responsible thing to do." She hoped his father caught that part. "I was pleasantly surprised. At your decision as well as your acting. You were great tonight." "So were you," Tristan replied with a smile. He saw what Rory was trying to do, and while it probably wouldn't work, he appreciated the effort. And the fact that it was coming from the girl of his dreams. Just then, Mrs. Jacobs, the teacher who had assigned this whole thing, walked up. "Mr. DuGrey and Miss Gilmore, just the people I wanted to see. I just wanted you both to know that you earned 100 on this project. If it were my policy to give bonus points, I'd give you 110. You both did spectacular jobs. I'm proud of you both." She then turned to Tristan's father, who had been waiting impatiently for Rory and now this teacher to leave (he'd order them off, but he couldn't afford to make a scene with so many people around. "You should be proud of your son, Mr. DuGrey. He's a great student and also has the makings of a decent actor. A bit of a trouble maker," she added with a stern look at Tristan, "but he'll grow out of that." She then excused herself and walked off to tell a nervous Paris her grade. Rory could feel Mr. DuGrey seething and knew that it was time to make an exit. "I should go, too. My mom's waiting on me." She had to force herself to maintain her light tone; to even say her next words. "Good-bye, Tristan. I'll miss you." For the second time that night Rory saw Tristan's perfect lips form something that resembled a real smile. It didn't reach his eyes, though. Those were sadder than she had ever seen them. She didn't have to look at his eyes long, since he hugged her. "I'll miss you, too, Rory," he said. "Mary," he whispered into her ear so his father couldn't hear him. Rory laughed and pulled away. She gave him one last look and walked away. *God, he can't leave now!* *Oh hell, why do I have to leave now?*
A/N: you've probably already read the previous chapters, so without further ado.
When Rory left the stage, she could see her mom, Sookie, and Dean; but she didn't feel like being with them right then. She needed to talk to Tristan. Something in the back of her head told her to think about the fact that she was avoiding her boyfriend to talk to a guy whom she had passionately kissed less than an hour before; but she ignored it. *All I wanna do is say a final good-bye to Tristan* She tried not to think about the earlier kiss, or wonder why she was so upset at the thought of Tristan leaving.
She heard Tristan before she saw him. Or rather, she heard his name. Being spoken by his father in a quiet, yet still unpleasant tone. "Tristan, I no longer have any idea what to do with you! I let you say a quick good-bye, you join the play and miss your flight. Could you be any more irresponsible?" Rory had an idea. Before Tristan could answer, she strode up to them and interrupted the father-son battle. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt. You must be Mr. DuGrey. I'm Rory Gilmore. Pleased to meet you." Then, without giving the elder DuGrey a chance to shoo her away, she turned to Tristan. "I just wanted to thank you for doing the play tonight. We probably would have failed if you'd skipped out on us. It was the responsible thing to do." She hoped his father caught that part. "I was pleasantly surprised. At your decision as well as your acting. You were great tonight." "So were you," Tristan replied with a smile. He saw what Rory was trying to do, and while it probably wouldn't work, he appreciated the effort. And the fact that it was coming from the girl of his dreams. Just then, Mrs. Jacobs, the teacher who had assigned this whole thing, walked up. "Mr. DuGrey and Miss Gilmore, just the people I wanted to see. I just wanted you both to know that you earned 100 on this project. If it were my policy to give bonus points, I'd give you 110. You both did spectacular jobs. I'm proud of you both." She then turned to Tristan's father, who had been waiting impatiently for Rory and now this teacher to leave (he'd order them off, but he couldn't afford to make a scene with so many people around. "You should be proud of your son, Mr. DuGrey. He's a great student and also has the makings of a decent actor. A bit of a trouble maker," she added with a stern look at Tristan, "but he'll grow out of that." She then excused herself and walked off to tell a nervous Paris her grade. Rory could feel Mr. DuGrey seething and knew that it was time to make an exit. "I should go, too. My mom's waiting on me." She had to force herself to maintain her light tone; to even say her next words. "Good-bye, Tristan. I'll miss you." For the second time that night Rory saw Tristan's perfect lips form something that resembled a real smile. It didn't reach his eyes, though. Those were sadder than she had ever seen them. She didn't have to look at his eyes long, since he hugged her. "I'll miss you, too, Rory," he said. "Mary," he whispered into her ear so his father couldn't hear him. Rory laughed and pulled away. She gave him one last look and walked away. *God, he can't leave now!* *Oh hell, why do I have to leave now?*