:: Something True ::
10 Things I Hate About You
09 : Something True
by inmyeyes


(Hartford. Gilmore House)

"I'm screwed."

"Hey no, I don't wanna hear that defeatist attitude. I wanna hear you upbeat."

"I'm screwed."

"Oh c'mon, it's only dinner," Lorelai said, trying to cheer Rory up as they trudged their way to the front door.

Rory shot her mother a look. "Oh right, this coming from you Miss "Tell them I broke my leg and we can't come for the next three months". This is a bad night. Dinner with Tristan. Bad."

Lorelai pressed the doorbell. "I'll let you sit opposite him, so that you can stare into his blue-" The sound of a throat clearing interrupted her. "Oh, hi mom."

"Hello, Lorelai. Late again, I see," she commented, allowing them to come in. "You could have at least made the effort to come early since we have guests."

"Hi Grandma."

"Hello Rory. How's school?"

"Oh, it's good. As stressful as ever."

"Speaking of Chilton, Tristan DuGrey is here with his parents. Do you know him, Rory?"

"He's in some of my classes." was her noncommittal answer.

"Good. He's in the library, why don't you join him there? I'll send for you once dinner is ready."

"Ok, Grandma," Rory said, giving Lorelai a "Help-Me" look.

Lorelai just shrugged.

*****

He had seen her the moment she arrived with her mother. He watched them through the window as the pair seemingly bickered. Straight away he noticed the expression on Rory's face and instinctively knew that it was because she had just found out he would be there.

It wasn't as though he was willingly there. Ok, he actually was. He'd take any chance at spending more time with her, but he wasn't too thrilled that she would meet his parents. He feared that his parents would chew her up and spit her up. After spending time with Lorelai and Rory, it would be difficult to introduce Rory to his social-conscious parents.

Add to all that his anxiety over her reaction over the whole "Darcy & Elizabeth" thing, and he was probably the most nervous he had ever been. That was probably why he had nearly jumped out of his skin when her familiar voice sounded in the room.

"Hello Tristan."

He turned away from the window to face her and an involuntary smile overcame him as his eyes took her in. The first thing that caught him was her blue eyes, looking right at him, coupled with a slight smile. She was wearing a knee-length black shirt with a deep blue v-neck top that served to only highlight the intensity of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back with a barrette. There was beauty in her simplicity.

"You look beautiful," the compliment rolled off his tongue, as he drank in the sight of her.

Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was not on her list. For what seemed like the thousandth time, he had thrown her off with his unpredictability. She didn't know how to respond.

"Umm, thank you," she mumbled, looking down at her hands. A moment later, she looked back up and saw that his eyes hadn't moved. They were still fixed on her. Deciding to be bold, she took the chance to look at him.

'Mom is right, he's definitely Hot Tristan,' she silently admitted. The suit he was wearing seemed no different from the Chilton uniform, but for a reason that Rory couldn't place, he looked much better. The confident aura around him seemed more pronounced than ever, even though he wore the suit with the same casual manner he wore the Chilton uniform. His hair was in it usually messy style... and he looked pretty much the same.

But something about him was different.

'Maybe it's just you,' she reasoned.

Tristan caught her appraising look and couldn't help asking, "How do I look?"

Rory's eyes snapped up and caught his amused expression. She fought to keep her blush at bay. "You look like my Great-Uncle Milton," she replied coolly.

"You think I should lose the tie?" he played along, tugging gently at the blue-striped tie he was wearing. He made his way to the settee where Rory had seated herself.

"Yeah, lose the tie."

"I know you're not exactly happy to see me here," Tristan said candidly, trying to keep his tone light.

"I was surprised, that's all."

"Sure you were."

Rory abruptly changed the subject. "Tell me something true."

Tristan gave her a confused look. "Ok. Something true? I hate peas."

Rory laughed. "Ok, tell me something else that's true."

"I think you're beautiful."

"Tristan, I said something true," Rory scolded teasingly, trying to ignore the flutters in her stomach.

"It is true," Tristan insisted, inching himself slightly closer to her. "I know you don't believe it, but it's true." He reached out and lightly ran the back of his hand across her smooth cheek.

"Why don't you like peas?"

Tristan chuckled. Rory was obviously uncomfortable with their line of conversation. Before he could answer, Lorelai came into the room.

"Darcy, Lizzy," Lorelai grinned, noticing how close they were sitting and how relieved Rory looked to see her. "Dinner is served."

Rory was never more glad for her mother's impeccable timing.

*****

(Later that night. Stars Hollow. Luke's)

"Rory, sweetheart, I love you but you're as blind as a bat," Lorelai remarked.

"Thanks, mom. I appreciate that."

"Like you appreciated the googly-eyes Hot Tristan was making at you alllll night?" Lorelai teased, after taking a long sip of her coffee. She wriggled her eyebrows.

"How did you manage to get us the coffee?" Rory switched topics.

"Wow, that was a subtle change of subject," Lorelai commented. "I distracted Luke, and made a dash for the pot," she proclaimed proudly.

"So, how did you keep him distracted?"

"I dazzled him with my... wits."

"I don't wanna know," Rory declared.

"Anyway, back to your blindness. The boy has got it bad for you, Ror," Lorelai said knowingly.

"Can we not talk about him?"

"It's true."

Rory groaned. "This topic is getting old."

"Ok, fine," Lorelai conceded. "Did you notice that ugly brooch my mother was wearing?" she shuddered in distaste.

Rory just laughed.

*****

(Monday morning. Chilton)

"Hi Rory." The voice startled her, and she dropped the book she was holding. The figure near to her bent down to help her pick it up. "There you go."

"Oh, hi Alexia. Thanks."

The petite girl smiled in return. "I was wondering if I could borrow last Thursday's History notes. I wasn't in school."

"Oh sure, no problem. I have it at home, I'll bring it tomorrow."

"Great, thanks."

Rory decided to take the chance to ask her about Tristan. "I was just wondering... what happened with you and Tristan?" She closed her locker, picked up her bag and walked down the hallway to her next class with Alexia next to her.

Alexia shrugged. "We had a big fight last year."

"You dated him?"

She laughed. "Oh, no, thank god we never did. We were paired together for a project and things didn't go too well."

"I can imagine," Rory sympathized.

"We basically didn't agree on anything. And the day we were supposed to present it, he didn't hold up his end of the work. We had a disagreement right here in the hallway, and we haven't been the best of friends ever since," she continued, ending with a shrug.

"You guys are ok now, right?"

"I guess... we're civil to each other now," she said. Then she grinned. "Just as long as we don't have to do another project together, we're fine."

They both laughed.

"If he were to ask you to Homecoming, would you go?" Rory asked gingerly.

"He wouldn't ask me," she answered surely. "He's already got someone else in mind." Alexia had noticed the friendship between the two, and she was also perceptive enough to know that Tristan liked Rory. It wasn't that it was very obvious, because Tristan was good at hiding his feelings. But all the little things added up to show that he had a partiality for her. The way he always sought her out, the way he smiled at her as though she was something special, the way he stared at her when he thought no one was looking. Hell, with the way Tristan was acting, soon half the school would be aware that he had an interest in Rory.

"He does?" Rory exclaimed. "How do you know?"

Alexia smiled at her blissful ignorance. "I just noticed that he has his eye on someone, that's all. I may be wrong."

But she knew she wasn't.

*****

(After school. Chilton courtyard)

"You've already got someone in mind to ask Homecoming, don't you?" Rory asked the moment she saw Tristan.

"What?" he asked, trying to stop from panicking. How could she have known that he was planning on asking her?

"Who's the girl? Do I know her? Why didn't you tell me?"

Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that she didn't know. "Eager much, Rory? I can't tell you who she is."

"Why not? Do I know her?"

"Yes, you know her," he replied. "I haven't even asked her yet, so I can't tell you who she is."

"Oh my god, is she that girl you like?" Rory waited expectantly for his answer.... which never came.

"Look, you'll be the first to know once I ask her, okay?" he tried to placate her.

Rory pouted. "Ok, fine."

"Are you going?"

"To Homecoming? No."

"Ok." He hoped that for the next two weeks until Homecoming, no one would ask her.... at least until next Monday, which was when he planned on asking her.

Rory stopped in surprise. "What? No lecture? No telling me that I should be more social?"

"Nope, today's a lecture-free day." The pair continued walking. "Hey, do you wanna go to the mall with me this weekend?" he ventured to ask.

"Whatever for?"

"You could help me pick out something to wear for Homecoming," he offered.

She didn't buy his excuse. "No really, why?"

He shrugged, and tried to seem indifferent. "I just thought we could hang out or whatever. I also wanted to get a book."

"Ok." She didn't quite believe that she had agreed to voluntarily spend time with him. As friends. But, she admitted to herself, things had changed somewhat between them. Their tentative friendship wasn't so rocky any more. And she did enjoy talking to him, and being with him.

He was surprised at how fast and easily she agreed, but didn't say anything about it lest it made her change her mind. But he had to say something...

"And I'm back in the game!" he declared, a wide grin on his face. He got smacked in the arm.