:: Confused ::
10 Things I Hate About You
07 : Confused
by inmyeyes


(Luke's)

"Ok, so now you have the coffee you so desperately needed. Tell me about this!" Lane demanded, waving the yellow post-it in the air.

"I went to my locker after second period, and there was a cup of Starbucks coffee inside, with that note."

Lane shook her head. "You're still not telling me the important stuff. Who's it from?"

Rory curled her fingers around the coffee mug. "Who do you think it's from?"

Lane thumped her head against the table. "Rory, I've got no time to play these games with you... why can't you just-" She broke off and her mouth dropped open. "It's from Evil Tristan, isn't it?"

"Oooooh, I heard the 'T' word," Lorelai sing-songed as she entered the diner and made her way to the girls. "Talking about Hot Tristan, are we?"

Rory gave her mother a look. "Since when is he Hot Tristan?"

"Since I found out he was hot," Lorelai grinned. "It has a much nicer ring than Evil Tristan, don't you think?"

"Wait, Tristan is hot?" Lane was incredulous. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"That's what I said," Lorelai agreed. "But apparently, it wasn't necessary information." She used quotations mark to quote Rory's words.

Lane reached over and lightly hit Rory. "Rory!"

Lorelai smiled triumphantly at her daughter before bouncing over to get some coffee. "Lukey!"

"So tell me about this Tristan. How hot is he? What does he look like?"

"Can't I tell you about what happened today first?" Rory whined.

"Well, this story you wanna tell involved Tristan, right?" When Rory nodded she went on. "So, I need a visual. Tell me what he looks like."

"Fine. He's tall, blond and has blue eyes," Rory said in a monotone.

Lane shook her head disappointingly. "Lorelai!"

Lorelai came over, holding a mug of coffee protectively. "Yes?"

"Tell me what Hot Tristan looks like."

Lorelai squealed and sat herself beside Rory. "He's tall with tousled blond hair that looks so soft and the bluest blue eyes you've ever seen. They're like the blue of the Pacific Ocean or something. And his smile... the boy has a good smile. He's a charmer too."

Lane gave Rory a scolding look. "That's the kind description I was looking for."

"I'm disturbed that you paid that much attention to him," Rory remarked dryly.

Lorelai ignored her. "What did she say?"

"He's tall, blond and has blue eyes."

Lorelai gave her daughter a sad look. "That's an understatement, Mini-Me. What happened to your English skills?" She caught sight of the yellow post-it that was on the table. "What's that?"

As Lane handed the piece of paper to Lorelai, Rory leaned her head down on the table and sighed deeply, preparing herself for her mother's reaction. Lorelai didn't disappoint.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. "This is from Hot Tristan!"

Rory decided she might as well hit her mother with all the information she had. "And he told me that he only has eyes for me."

Another gasp was drawn from Lorelai. "I knew it!" she cried victoriously. "I knew that he had a thing for you!"

"Hot Tristan has a thing for you?" Lane repeated. "I don't talk to you for one day and I miss all these things!" she complained.

"He does not have a thing for me!" Rory protested.

"Did he not give you this note? Did he not tell you that he only has eyes for you? Did you not kiss him and like it?" Lorelai let loose with a barrage of questions.

"You kissed him?" Lane was shocked. "You don't tell me anything!"

"What has the kiss got to do with anything?"

Lorelai shrieked in frustration. "Believe me, Mini-Me... he has a thing for you."

"He's just being Tristan. Confusing me is his hobby."

"He has a thing for you." Lorelai repeated.

"I'm leaving," Rory declared, picking up her bag and walking out of the diner. Barely three seconds later, she came back in and snatched the yellow post-it from Lorelai's hand before stomping out again.

"She has a thing for him," Lane & Lorelai chorused.

*****

(Gilmore House)

Rory trudged her way to her room and let her bag fall with a loud thud. Then she posted the yellow post-it on her mirror and flopped down on her bed.

"He does not have a thing for me," she mumbled. "I don't have a thing for him. We're just friends. We're not even friends... we're...." Rory searched her mind for something to describe their relationship but nothing came to mind. She gave up and sighed.

*****

(Later)

"Rory!" Lorelai called out, closing the front door behind her. There was no answer. She found her daughter laying in bed, holding her stuffed rooster close to her, staring up at the ceiling.

"Do you think he really likes me?" Rory asked in a soft voice, her eyes never leaving the feeling.

Without any hesitation, Lorelai lay down next to Rory and hugged her close. "I think there's something there."

Rory sighed and snuggled closer to her mother. "He confuses me, mom. Sometimes, I feel like smacking him and telling him to shut up. Other times, seeing him smile make me smile, and I loved seeing how happy he was when he was here. I don't know if he's teasing or if he's serious, if I'm just a conquest, or if he really likes me..."

"Ok, so you don't know about him. What about you? How do you feel?"

"I feel that, given a chance to know him, I could really come to care for him," she revealed.

"Care for him in what way?" Lorelai asked, wanting Rory to sort through what she was feeling.

"I don't know yet."

*****

(That Night. The DuGrey house)

He flipped through the pages of the History book, but realised that his attempt to study was futile. Every six seconds, his mind wandered to her. Ever six seconds, her smile flashed in his mind. Every six seconds, he remembered the scent of her raspberry in her hair as he leaned close to her. Every six seconds, he remembered how blue her eyes looked.

Tristan snapped the book close and leaned back on his chair. He couldn't believe how quickly things had changed between Rory and himself. All it took was some time spent together away from Chilton.

He had learnt a lot about her that night at her house. She was open, and loving, and funny when she wanted to be. She had the worst coffee addiction, second only to her mother. She had the most beautiful laugh. She got embarrassed easily, and always tried to cover her blush with her long hair.

She was every inch as amazing as he had made her out to be.

Homecoming was coming up quite soon, and Tristan hoped that Rory had forgotten her plan to set him up with someone. He was thinking about asking her. Hell, she was the only girl that he had even considered asking. But he needed to be sure that she'd accept his invitation. He didn't think that his heart could handle rejection from her. He had to be sure that he went about asking her in the correct way.

'Knowing me, I'll probably screw it up. She'll throw me some insult and stomp away,' he shook his head wryly.

He didn't know exactly what she thought of him. Did she still despise him? Or had her feelings softened? Did she enjoy his company?

Did she realise that he was half in-love with her?

With a hard shake of his head, Tristan snapped himself out of his thoughts. He needed to get his homework done. Resolving to at least stop thinking of Rory for the next few hours, he turned back to his books.