~*~Part 2~*~
"Mom, is this even food?" Lorelai asked, scrunching up her nose and she shot a disgusted look at her mom. Emily sighed and looked at Ms. DuGrey.
"I am so sorry, my daughter does not know the proper things to say at a dinner. I told you she has no manners." Emily whispered, but it was more like a loud whisper as Lorelai glared at her.
"Excuse me? I do too have mannners, mom. I asked a question." She protested. Rory shot a look at Jess that clearly said trouble was brewing. Jess shook his head, and the two didn't notice Tristan watching them.
"So, Rory, how long have you two been going out?" He asked innocently. The table grew silent and both Lorelai and Luke's forks fell to the plate. Lorelai shot Rory a look.
"Rory?!" She asked, shock in her voice. Rory stared at Tristan in confusion.
"Tristan, what are you talking about?" She asked, confused. Tristan shot Jess a smug look.
"Well, someone had just informed of it earlier. And I was wondering what happened to dear ol' bag boy?" He asked. The missing pieces of the puzzle fell into place as Rory gave Jess an evil look.
"Are you serious?" She asked him. Jess raised his hands up.
"I don't know what he is talking about. Maybe military school did something to his brain." He replied.
"How did you know I went to military school?" Tristan asked, suspiscion in his eyes.
"I learn something new every day." He said, shooting a lightening fast look at Rory. Not fast enough for Tristan though.
"Talk about me, Mary?" He asked, winking. Rory let out of a breath of frustration.
"Oh you know it. Excuse me." She said, getting up from the table, leaving everyone to just stare at each other.
~~~
Rory sat on the back porch, and just looked into Emily's garden. She wasn't really all that mad at Jess, but it was all too overwhelming to have Tristan back. It wasn't as if she liked him. If she did it was only as a friend. But for some reason, her feelings were jumbled up. She heard the door open behind her, but didn't bother to look behind her. It didn't really matter. Tristan sat down next to her.
"So, long time no see, huh?" He said, trying to break in a conversation.
"What do you want?" She asked hesitantly. He held his hands up.
"Well, to be able to have a civil conversation." He shot back. Rory sighed and leaned against the chair. Tristan slouched back with her.
"You're ruining your posture." He commented. Rory gave him a look.
"Does is look like I care?" She asked, not bothering to move.
"So, you like Jess?" He asked innocently.
"No! I love Dean." She said, but didn't succeed in convincing him.
"I may not be close to you, Mary, but I know that you are not happy with Dean. And I also know that I kind of see something between you and Jess." He said quietly. Rory sat up straight and looked him in the eye.
"What are you talking about? Why are you acting so NICE?" She exclaimed. Tristan laughed and Rory felt her stomach turn, that was not a happy laugh.
"Frightening, isn't it? I honestly don't know why.Wanna know something funny, Mary? I actually didn't mind military school. Can you believe that? I would rather be doing push-ups than going to stupid dinners and pretend I live in the perfect family." He snapped.
"Then go back." Rory said simply. A look of disbelief crossed over Tristan's features.
"You're joking right. You know what me being gone did? It ruined my familys image. We had the perfect image and people wanted to be like us. Then I get kicked out of school and the image fell apart. People like to gossip. They thrive on it, it makes them feel good to see the "perfect" family to fall apart. Makes them feel like they are doing something right." He said. Rory stared in shock at him. He just opened up to her in a way that he never had.
"Why did you just tell me all of this?" She asked, questions in her blue eyes. Tristan shrugged, not saying anything this time. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before another word was spoken.
"So, whats with you and bag boy?" He asked.
"He has a name."
"Deave?"
"You can be a real jerk sometimes."
"It's my nature. How is Deave? Did you actually realize how possessive he was getting?" He asked. Rory stood up.
"Look, get his name right. You're bad with names, did you know that? And stop trying to get back in my life. Actually, no, you were never a big part of my life so nevermind." She said, opening the door. She slammed into Jess and pushed him away. Jess stared in shock as she walked away. And he could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes.
~~~
"What did you do?" He asked, walking up to Tristan. Tristan snorted.
"I didn't do anything. What are you talking about?" He asked. Jess pushed him.
"You know what I am talking about. She just walked out upset. What did you say?" He asked, getting to be angry.
"Be careful, JESS, you might start to act like bag-boy." Tristan said, walking out.
"Mom, is this even food?" Lorelai asked, scrunching up her nose and she shot a disgusted look at her mom. Emily sighed and looked at Ms. DuGrey.
"I am so sorry, my daughter does not know the proper things to say at a dinner. I told you she has no manners." Emily whispered, but it was more like a loud whisper as Lorelai glared at her.
"Excuse me? I do too have mannners, mom. I asked a question." She protested. Rory shot a look at Jess that clearly said trouble was brewing. Jess shook his head, and the two didn't notice Tristan watching them.
"So, Rory, how long have you two been going out?" He asked innocently. The table grew silent and both Lorelai and Luke's forks fell to the plate. Lorelai shot Rory a look.
"Rory?!" She asked, shock in her voice. Rory stared at Tristan in confusion.
"Tristan, what are you talking about?" She asked, confused. Tristan shot Jess a smug look.
"Well, someone had just informed of it earlier. And I was wondering what happened to dear ol' bag boy?" He asked. The missing pieces of the puzzle fell into place as Rory gave Jess an evil look.
"Are you serious?" She asked him. Jess raised his hands up.
"I don't know what he is talking about. Maybe military school did something to his brain." He replied.
"How did you know I went to military school?" Tristan asked, suspiscion in his eyes.
"I learn something new every day." He said, shooting a lightening fast look at Rory. Not fast enough for Tristan though.
"Talk about me, Mary?" He asked, winking. Rory let out of a breath of frustration.
"Oh you know it. Excuse me." She said, getting up from the table, leaving everyone to just stare at each other.
~~~
Rory sat on the back porch, and just looked into Emily's garden. She wasn't really all that mad at Jess, but it was all too overwhelming to have Tristan back. It wasn't as if she liked him. If she did it was only as a friend. But for some reason, her feelings were jumbled up. She heard the door open behind her, but didn't bother to look behind her. It didn't really matter. Tristan sat down next to her.
"So, long time no see, huh?" He said, trying to break in a conversation.
"What do you want?" She asked hesitantly. He held his hands up.
"Well, to be able to have a civil conversation." He shot back. Rory sighed and leaned against the chair. Tristan slouched back with her.
"You're ruining your posture." He commented. Rory gave him a look.
"Does is look like I care?" She asked, not bothering to move.
"So, you like Jess?" He asked innocently.
"No! I love Dean." She said, but didn't succeed in convincing him.
"I may not be close to you, Mary, but I know that you are not happy with Dean. And I also know that I kind of see something between you and Jess." He said quietly. Rory sat up straight and looked him in the eye.
"What are you talking about? Why are you acting so NICE?" She exclaimed. Tristan laughed and Rory felt her stomach turn, that was not a happy laugh.
"Frightening, isn't it? I honestly don't know why.Wanna know something funny, Mary? I actually didn't mind military school. Can you believe that? I would rather be doing push-ups than going to stupid dinners and pretend I live in the perfect family." He snapped.
"Then go back." Rory said simply. A look of disbelief crossed over Tristan's features.
"You're joking right. You know what me being gone did? It ruined my familys image. We had the perfect image and people wanted to be like us. Then I get kicked out of school and the image fell apart. People like to gossip. They thrive on it, it makes them feel good to see the "perfect" family to fall apart. Makes them feel like they are doing something right." He said. Rory stared in shock at him. He just opened up to her in a way that he never had.
"Why did you just tell me all of this?" She asked, questions in her blue eyes. Tristan shrugged, not saying anything this time. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before another word was spoken.
"So, whats with you and bag boy?" He asked.
"He has a name."
"Deave?"
"You can be a real jerk sometimes."
"It's my nature. How is Deave? Did you actually realize how possessive he was getting?" He asked. Rory stood up.
"Look, get his name right. You're bad with names, did you know that? And stop trying to get back in my life. Actually, no, you were never a big part of my life so nevermind." She said, opening the door. She slammed into Jess and pushed him away. Jess stared in shock as she walked away. And he could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes.
~~~
"What did you do?" He asked, walking up to Tristan. Tristan snorted.
"I didn't do anything. What are you talking about?" He asked. Jess pushed him.
"You know what I am talking about. She just walked out upset. What did you say?" He asked, getting to be angry.
"Be careful, JESS, you might start to act like bag-boy." Tristan said, walking out.