Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. Only the characters you don't recognize from the show are mine.
Please review! This is my first Gilmore Girls fan fiction so I need feedback!
Are We or Aren't We?
Chapter 1 – I'm Sorry
He couldn't take his eyes off her.
Warm sunlight filtered into the classroom, casting a warm glow onto Rory's face. Rory stared out of the window, her eyes unfocused and unseeing. She was tapping a pencil on her temple, a frown on her face. Her lips were slightly parted and she murmured softly what appeared to be a poem.
"Mr. DuGrey! Have you had quite enough of a look?" It was Ms Rachelle, the new student teacher in History, young and still trying to be the teacher. "Perhaps you should consider hiring Miss Gilmore to pose for you." There were snickers around the room. Paris shot daggers at Rory. But Tristan didn't take his eyes off her. At the last minute he'd finally been able to convince his father for one more day. One more day at Chilton before military school. And that day was for Rory. He wasn't going to waste it.
At the sound of Ms Rachelle's voice Rory seemed to come out of her daydream. She was now staring down at her History book, a red glow on her cheeks. So beautiful ...
"Mr. DuGrey!" said Ms Rachelle sarcastically in a singsong voice somewhere in the distance. Rory's eyes were still fixed on her desk. A thin strand of hair had slipped out from behind her hair band.
"Mr. DuGrey! Did you hear what I said?" The classroom went silent, knowing than an invisible boundary had been crossed. One lone snicker was quelled by a glare from Ms Rachelle.
Tristan tore his eyes off Rory. The silence continued as he slowly brought his eyes up to meet Ms Rachelle's.
"No, I'm sorry, I didn't," he said enunciating each word perfectly. He stared at Ms Rachelle straight in her eyes.
"Oh you didn't?" Ms Rachelle repeated, coming down the aisle towards Tristan, bearing down on him. But suddenly she turned and pounced on Rory. "Miss Gilmore, as you seem to be his object of affection, perhaps you could help Mr. DuGrey out?"
"Umm, I -" Rory faltered. She tried desperately to think of the subject they were covering.
"You don't mean to say that you weren't listening either?" Ms Rachelle said, resting her hands on Rory's desk and staring her in the eye. Rory drew back.
"Well -"
"That's it!" Ms Rachelle slammed Rory's History book shut. "I have no time for either of you. Leave my classroom." Rory stared at her, aghast, about to protest. Then she met Ms Rachelle's eyes once more and she quickly began packing away her books. Tristan picked up his unopened History book and strode out of the classroom, winking at Rory as she struggled with her books. She answered with a glare.
* * *
I can't believe this is happening, Rory thought to herself as she hurried out of the room. She knew at this point that her whole face must be a flaming red. And the way that Tristan had looked at the teacher ...so calm and collected. Ugh! Would he never lose his nerve? Then sauntering out of class like that ...Rory's face darkened into an even deeper frown. And as if it wasn't bad enough she could feel Paris' snide look eating into her back.
Tristan was waiting for her outside the door. Like a tiger waiting to pounce, Rory thought. Or maybe a hyena. Rory tossed her hair behind her and turned in the opposite direction, making her steps longer and quicker than usual. But she was no match for Tristan. The next second he was beside her.
"Ms Rachelle certainly has a temper doesn't she," Tristan said, the same smirk as ever on his face. Rory felt an urge to slap him.
"Aren't you supposed to have been shipped off somewhere already, Tristan?" Rory asked.
"Nah. My father relented at the last moment, I leave tomorrow morning."
"Great."
"See, I knew you wouldn't be able to wait for me to leave, Mary," said Tristan, still smirking, but looking closely at her. Rory was digging in her knapsack avoiding his glance.
"Oh?"
"Answering in monosyllables today, are we?" Tristan reached for her chin and turned her head, forcing her to look at him. "What happened to the Mary I knew?" Tristan looked at her face, almost as if studying her for a test. He finally came to a rest on her eyes and for a split second, their eyes were locked together. Blue eyes. Rory felt as if his eyes were piercing her own, forcing her to tell him her deepest secrets. She struggled out of his grasp and Tristan let go.
"You don't know me, you never did and you never will," Rory whispered. Then she shook her head. "Just go to hell, Tristan," Rory turned to her locker. Tristan slouched on the locker next to hers. He bit his lip and tasted blood. But he couldn't stop himself.
"Wow. Are my ears hearing properly? Or did little Miss Mary actually say a big bad word?" That was too much. Rory whirled around and slapped him across the face, hard. She could hear the sound echo down the hallway. Rory stared down at her hand, and then at his face. A red tinge was already appearing on his cheek. Tristan's mouth was open as he stared at Rory. His eyes were so blue. And there was something in them...
"Oh God, Tristan," Rory reached out towards him. He took a quick step backwards, almost falling over his own feet in his hurry to get away from her. But he kept staring straight at her, boring into her own eyes. And then he turned and in a few long strides was down the hallway and around the corner.
Rory let her hand drop to her side. She looked to where he had disappeared and then back at her hand. Then she sighed and bent her head over her knapsack.
"I'm sorry, Tristan," Rory finally whispered to the empty hallway.
Thanks for reading. Please review!
