The Plan: Confusion (part 8)
Author: snoflaik
Disclaimer: own nothing, no money to sue for. . .
Author's Note: Well I know you've all been dying for me to continue this so
without further ado . . .
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Rory was shocked to say the least. She stood there for a full ten minutes just looking where Tristan had left. What he had said played in her head over and over. What confused her even more was the look in his eyes. She had never seen such expressive eyes before and as he was speaking the guards were let down and she could see into his soul. A mixture if pain, despair, hunger and love filled their blue depths. She could she them now as his words played around in her head. And she knew that every word he had said was the truth.
She soon felt the rain as it fell on and around her. She moved as if in a daze and walked to the bus stop and onto the bus. She looked out the windows but didn't see what was out there
The ride was soon over and she finally snapped back into herself when she saw Dean waiting for her, where he had been waiting for her everyday since they got back together. She knew she could never tell him what had happened that day. She wasn't even sure if she could tell her mom or Lane. He stepped towards her and kissed her lightly. She stood there and did not kiss back. As he pulled away, he saw her eyes briefly; they were clouded and distracted as if she were confused and thinking hard about something. They cleared seconds later and she smiled up at him. He took her hand and they started down they're daily route to Luke's.
"How was your day?" asked Dean. He could tell that she was only half listening her eyes were diverted and her mouth was frowning.
"Great." She plastered a quick smile onto her face. He knew she was lying and tried to pry deeper.
"Have those Chiltonites been bothering you again?"
"Nope same as always."
She had started looking away again, deep in thought.
"Ok so then I thought that . . . " began Dean.
"Sorry but I've gotta go." And with that Rory turned and walked straight home with out a glance back.
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"HE SAID WHAT!!!"
"Lane can you keep it down here."
"HE'S IN LOVE WITH YOU!
"Lane!"
"I KNEW IT! I knew it all along. That whole helping act that was all a scheme so that he could go out with you. I knew he had a thing for you. I could just tell you know. I mean like why else would he go berserk at the dance. Wow he liked you all the way back then."
"Would you stop babbling on about it! I need to know what to do."
"Well there's the obvious question that I just need to ask even though your with Dean. What do you feel towards him? And think about it cause its important."
Silence ensued
"Rory? Rory, you still there?"
"I guess I kind of don't hate him as much as I used to. I don't know. I've never really thought about him in that way seriously. I always just brushed off his asking me out and flirting because I knew he wasn't serious but this is different. He was totally honest. I could see it in his eyes."
"Hmm. . . staring into his eyes are you?"
"Shut up"
"Okay sorry. Well when you think about what he said, how do you feel?"
"Confused, angry, scared, surprised and I'll admit a little. . . happy."
"RORY LOVES TRISTAN!"
"STOP THAT! I DO NOT"
"Sorry, it slipped."
"So anyway back to the topic at hand. What should I so about it?"
"I wouldn't do anything. He's prolly waiting to see what you'd do and if you would return his feelings. An IF you can't do that, I would just continue on with life. He'll eventually get over you and move on. On the other hand, if you think you might possibly have feelings for him. Figure those feelings out. Don't wait because you could end up driving Tristan AND Dean away."
"Thanks a lot Lane."
"No Prob. Just call me Boy Problems Anonymous.
"Later"
"Later, And you better keep me updated!"
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School on was buzzing with the news of what happened in the courtyard the past Friday. Tristan DuGrey, in LOVE. Those words just do not go together. No one bothered saying anything out loud about it but the situation was being passed all around school.
Tristan just continued through the week before the Farewell Formal as if nothing had changed. He felt a sense of freedom. It was like tremendous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Letting go had left him feeling almost airy. He did not regret it. Not one bit. The ball was now in her court. He neither sought Rory out nor ignored her. And if she thought that she would be bombarded with pleas of love and tokens of affection, she was wrong. Tristan played it cool in all things and love was no exception.
He would say hi to her if he saw her and didn't bother to continue with the charade of sparring and mock hate. Of course, he did miss the opportunity to get a rise out of her as well as her company but he knew that there would be consequences to baring his soul.
Rory went through the week as if in a daze. She took notes in class and paid attention but having Tristan around her made her nervous and she didn't understand why. Whenever he talked to her, she replied but didn't continue the conversation. She did admit that she missed his company and, God forbid, missed their sparring. But she didn't fell comfortable around him anymore and couldn't shake the feeling of a joy when she went over what he had said. This scared her even more.
* No I do not have feelings for him. Not in the least. He was arrogant, conceited, and a pain in the ass. Notice the operative word in that sentence Rory; WAS. And you know that you loved it when he supposedly was a "pain in the ass." Admit your feelings. One foot in front of the other straight down the path. *
She argued with herself thus many times during the day, at night in bed and while on dates with Dean.
Dean noticed something was wrong but she wouldn't tell him what was so different. He sensed her growing distant. She seemed a million miles away while she was with him yet she answered when he talked to her and held her own in conversations. It was like she was on autopilot. He was in fact going to the Farewell Formal with her. They had made plans to go to dinner with Lane and Henry before hand.
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She had grown so lonely and missed their conversations so much that on the Friday of the dance she took a chance and found Tristan sitting on a bench in the courtyard. She walked up behind him silently before he would know that she was there. He was leaning intently over a notebook and scribbling something down:
"Love"
It hits and destroys everything in its path,
there is no rhyme or reason and no explanation
It comes uncalled and fills you with longing
it is unavoidable;
the world is turned upside down
and only one thing remains perfectly clear:
nothing is as it seems
* Wow, I didn't know he could write poetry like that. Interesting title * she thought dryly.
"Hello Rory," he said continuing writing and not bothering to turn around. He, of course, had known she was there the second she walked up.
Rory intent on reading the poem jumped about five feet in the air when he had spoken.
"Tristan," she replied
"Well are you going to stand there gawking over my shoulder or are you gonna sit down or something. I won't bite. I promise " He looked up at her and motioned for her to sit. "Well at least not hard." He added with a slight smile.
When she saw his slight smile her stomach did a small flip. She sat down without a word. The silence continued while Tristan still wrote in his notebook. Rory was totally uncomfortable but he seemed at ease. Of course that was only on the outside; inside he was struggling and fighting keep up his seemingly unaffected demeanor while he felt his pulse race and felt a tad queasy. He then whipped the notebook shut, put it in his school bag and turned to Rory. She was sitting there with her brow furrowed and her eyes focused onto her hands, which lay linked together in her lap. She looked deep in thought.
"So to what do I owe this visit, Mary?" at the sound of the old name he had called her, her head whipped around to look at him.
"Don't call me that."
"Sorry just wanted to break this impenetrable wall of silence you've got going. So really what's up?"
Rory was fighting with herself as to what to say. She didn't want to tell him how she missed him. Being near him, however, made the ache better. She felt her pulse race as he studied her. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes and got lost in their depths once again. She asked the first thing that came into her head.
"Are you going to the dance tonight?" she regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.
He smiled slightly and her heart skipped a beat. "Well I'm not sure. Someone did ask me to go but I've still been feeling under the weather so I told her that I'd answer her today. I think that I'm actually feeling much better now. How about you?"
"I'm going with Dean," she said hesitantly not sure how he would react. "And I'm going out to dinner with Lane and Henry before it."
He smiled warmly and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "Sounds like fun," was his light reply. "Well I've gotta be going if I'm going to have time to get ready. Have a wonderful time tonight Rory. See you there."
He stood up and walked out of the courtyard with the last sentence said over his shoulder and with that mischievous smile that Rory had almost forgotten.
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Yes I know that I am truly evil and I know I said I'd finish this up in two parts like oh two parts ago. . but I just couldn't resist stretching it out further.
By the way, does anyone think that this part needs the thoughts of Rory more? I wasn't sure let me know what you think
snoflaik :)~