*****
10 Things I Hate About You
12 : Almost Doesn't Count
by inmyeyes
(The dance)
She realized that she loved to torture herself.
She couldn't keep her eyes off of them. She always knew that there was something brewing underneath the surface of their seemingly antagonistic relationship. It wasn't all cut and dry when it came to the two of them. She had always somehow known that he liked her; she had even come to somewhat accept it. It was all right, so long as she didn't develop any feelings for him.
She should have known better though.
Rory Gilmore had waltzed into Chilton, and without even batting an eyelid, she had Tristan DuGrey falling all over himself to get her attention.
She had accepted the fact that Rory was smart; that much she could handle. A little competition never hurt anyone, least of all Paris Gellar.
The bitter pill for her to swallow was to see them together at the dance. It was difficult to ignore the way he looked at her like she was everything he could ever want in his life. It was difficult to ignore how she was now looking at him, as though she had found something she never knew she wanted. It was difficult to ignore how it was so blatant what their feelings for each other were.
Most of all, it was difficult to ignore the soft, sweet kisses they were sharing.
She clenched her jaw, trying as hard as she could to not let any emotion show. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Paris Gellar wasn't affected by anything.
*****
She made him feel that way all the time. And she now realized that he made her feel the same way.
Her eyes immediately found his form sitting across the table from her. It seemed like she couldn't keep her eyes off of him... and it seemed like he couldn't keep his eyes off her. When their eyes locked, she couldn't stop the blush from overtaking her cheeks. The blush deepened when she recognized the look in his eyes.
He wanted to kiss her.
She watched, enraptured as he licked his lips and leaned across the table. He grinned cheekily and raised an eyebrow at her. Laughing slightly at how cute he was acting, she surprised both him and herself.
She made the first move and closed the distance between them.
*****
It was a surreal sort of haze that he was trapped in. He knew that she was real, that she was in his arms willingly. He knew that whatever that was between them was real... but at the back of his mind, a little voice was telling him that it wouldn't last.
Happiness and Tristan DuGrey never did mix well.
He pushed that nagging feeling away; nothing was going to ruin this night and nothing was going to ruin what he ad with Rory. To reassure himself, he leaned down slightly, his lips brushing hers as he revelled in the wondrous feelings that coursed through his body at the contact.
And when she looked up at him, her eyes glowing, her lips curled up in a smile just for him, he felt like nothing could go wrong.
*****
(A little while later)
As she was about to round the corner leading to the restroom, she was halted by the obnoxious, loud laughter that rang through the hallway. She was about to move on... when she heard her name. Steeped in curiousity, she stayed where she was, listening.
A moment later, she wished that she hadn't.
She couldn't believe it. She
didn't want to believe it. She refused to believe it. It couldn't
be...
Tristan wouldn't..... But-
Rory blindly groped for support
and leaned herself against the wall, trying valiantly to stop the onslaught
of tears. She closed her eyes, trying to block out any truth in what she
had overheard.
She bit her lip, willing the tears to go away. She was not going to cry. Not over him. Not now. She pushed herself away from the wall, inhaled deeply and straightened her back.
For the second time in her life, when it came to Tristan, she followed her head, leaving her trampled heart behind.
*****
When he saw her nearing the table where he was seated, he could barely hold back his smile. The look of joy turned to one of confusion when he noticed the hard, steely look in her eyes. This was not Rory. Something was wrong.
"Can you please take me home?"
His brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong? Are you feeling all right?"
She pulled her arm away from his grasp. "I'm fine," she said curtly, refusing to look him in the eye. "Just take me home."
The nagging feeling that he tried to ignore earlier came back full force. "Rory, something's wrong. Tell me what happened."
She gave him a level gaze that betrayed nothing. "Take me home, Tristan."
He took a deep breath, trying to stop the panic from setting in. "Was it me? Did I do something?" he asked urgently. He need to fix this, whatever that was wrong. He had to.
The laugh that was let out at his comment was cold. The smile that accompanied it was chilling. "I should never have trusted you." She turned to walk away, but Tristan stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"Tell me what happened, what I did," he pleaded. The sinking feeling in his stomach increased.
"I'm nothing but a game to you," she whispered harshly and in that moment, he could how hurt she really was. Her liquid blue eyes turned a soft dewy blue and the fight went out of her stance. But a moment later, her resolute look returned. "I should have known better."
Tristan was at a loss for words. Where the hell had she gotten that idea? She was everything but a game. With her, everything was at stake, especially his heart. "What makes you think-"
She just shook her head, and started walking away, ignoring the looks that everyone was casting her way. She'd find her way home herself. She didn't want to be anywhere near that-that...
"Rory!"
She didn't want to, she really didn't want to... but she stopped. She didn't turn around to face him though. She noticed the eerie silence in the hall. "What else is there to say, Tristan?" She felt his presence behind her and felt his fingers gently thread through hers and she wanted to cry at the sweetness of the contact. Slowly, he pulled her around to face him.
"Rory," he started, ignoring the stares of everyone around him. "I don't know where you got the idea that you're just a game to me. You're not." He took a breath and lowered his voice. "I like you. A lot." He took a plunge. "I think I'm in love with you."
He loved her? She whirled around at his words, her anger sparked by the flippant way he threw the word 'love' at her.
Whatever reaction he had hoped from her was nothing compared to the response he got.
"I scorn your idea of love.
I scorn the counterfeit emotion you offer and I scorn you when you offer
it." She paused, gathering the strength to say her next words. "I hate
you." She saw him flinch at the impact of her words and she wanted desperately
to take the hurtful words back but the memory of what she had overheard
replayed in her mind.
"I hate you and everything
you stand for."
She saw the tortured anguish displayed clearly in his eyes, but his body language didn't betray any of the hurt he was feeling. She turned on her heel and walked away, keeping her jaw clenched tightly and her breathing even to keep the tears at bay.
Had she turned and looked back, she would have seen the desolate and utterly dejected look on Tristan's face.
*****
The worst part was that he had to find the strength to smile and bear it. Pretend that everything was fine. Pretend that his heart was breaking into tiny pieces that could never be glued back together. Pretend that he was unaffected by what had happened. Pretend that her declaration of hate didn't faze him at all. Pretend that his world hadn't come crumbling down.
He did it though. He had to, because it was the only defence he had left. The facade that was Tristan DuGrey was his only salvation.
So he stayed at the dance; finding the will to smile charmingly at the girls who came to offer their 'sympathy', laughing gaily at the comments about Rory that were thrown around and living up to the image that everyone had of him. It was draining but he did it and he was never so glad to be at home, alone in his room.
Finally, in the darkness and loneliness of his room, he let himself fall apart.
*****
A.N : Confused? Have no idea
what happened? -evil laughter- No worries, all will be revealed... later.
And big thanks to you guys who reviewed :D
