Are We or Aren't We?

Chapter 3 – Where Are We Anyway?

So here he was.

Tristan stared out of the car.  Military school.  It looked even worse than it sounded.  A large drab building rose up in front of him, the small windows like gaping holes.  Images came to his mind of old war movies, cold, unfeeling soldiers marching for hours each day.  He shivered.  Then shook his head.  Don't lose it...You can handle this.  You've handled everything else.  His father turned back to glare at him from the front seat, blaming Tristan for this.  And everything else. 

"Let's go, Tristan.  I really don't have time for this.  I'm leaving in fifteen minutes."        

Tristan stared back at his father, but quickly, his father shifted his gaze and looked away.  Tristan dropped his eyes and bit his lower lip.

"Yeah, whatever, Dad," he muttered.  He got out of the car.  The building loomed up in front of him.  Tristan shivered again.  He was scared.  Just then, a figure came marching out of the front doors towards him.  Helplessly, Tristan stayed still, wanting desperately to run.  But the man was in front of him in a few seconds. 

He was young, probably in his late twenties.  He was dressed in uniform with several decorations on his front.

"Hello, Tristan, I presume?" he asked, looking Tristan in the eye and smiling.  Tristan looked up and found himself smiling back. 

"Yeah," he said, shaking the man's hand.

"Yes, not yeah," said the man, correcting him.  But he was still smiling.  "I'm CaptainWallace, the assistant headmaster.  I will be acting as headmaster for the next month.  Colonel Wick, the usual headmaster, is away on leave."  Tristan nodded his head.  Captain Wallace turned to his father.  "I'm sure Tristan will be fine now," he said.  "Unless you want to have a tour of the school?"

"No, that won't be necessary," his father said, shaking his head.  "I'm in a hurry anyway."

"Fine," said Captain Wallace.  "I will be waiting inside, Tristan."  He turned and left.

Tristan looked back down at his feet.  His father was silent beside him.  Finally, his father cleared his throat, and Tristan looked up. 

"Well, Tristan, you know why you're here," he said gruffly.  "See that you learn a lot, and - " his voice dropped.  "And make me proud, son." He slapped Tristan on the shoulder, then got into his car and drove off.

Tristan stared after him, alone except for his bags on the cement ground.  Then he picked up his bags and trudged off towards the school.

* * *

Another day at Chilton was finally over.  Rory made her way up to her front door and opened it with a sigh.  Today had been – should have been – like any other.  Early to school for a club meeting, classes, reading Jude the Obscure at lunch, newspaper after school... Rory plunked her heavy knapsack on the ground and then let herself fall back onto the couch.  She closed her eyes.  Nothing had really been different today just – just something felt different that was all.  Rory sighed again, trying to breathe deeply.

Then a large, fluffy pillow hit Rory full on her face.  Her eyes flew open as she clawed at the pillow.  Finally, she sat up, her hair sticking up, a disheveled mess. 

Jess.

He stood, arms crossed and eyebrows raised as he smirked down at her.  In frustration, Rory picked up the pillow and threw it at him.  He didn't even flinch.  The pillow flew past him, missing him completely and knocking over a lamp instead.  At that, Jess' smirk only increased.  It slowly turned into a genuine smile, and then he was bent over laughing.  At her.

Rory grunted in frustration, only making Jess laugh harder.  She narrowed her eyes.

"Don't think you can get away with that, Mister, without some pay-back!" 

"Oh, I'm shakin' in my boots, here, Rory," said Jess sarcastically.

With that, Rory launched herself onto him.

"What the -" Jess said, backing up.  But Rory was on him, and he fell back onto the floor as they began wrestling.  By the time Jess had her pinned on the floor she was laughing too. 

"You thought you could pay me back – huh?" said Jess, laughing, out of breath.  He was straddling her on the ground as he crowed over his victory. 

"Oh, there'll be time for that.  Plenty of time," said Rory.  They both laughed.  Then her eyes rose to meet Jess's.  There was uncomfortable silence.  He looked at their position on the ground.

"This looks bad, doesn't it?" said Jess.  "I think I'll get up..." He got up, brushing his hands on his pants.  Rory scrambled to her feet also.  Jess's hands were on his hips as his head swerved every which way, as though in a panic.

"So, uh," Rory searched desperately for a topic to break the silence.  To make everything okay again.  "What are you -"  She was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.  "Uh, I should probably get that," she said, pointlessly.  Jess nodded.  Rory walked over to the phone and picked it up. 

"Hello?"  There was silence.  "Hello?" Rory repeated.  There was the noise of the person on the other side taking a breath, as if preparing to speak.  Then Jess coughed.  Back to silence.  Feelings of guilt rose up in Rory, as she thought about what she had just been doing with Jess. 

"Dean?" Rory said.  "Is that you?"  She heard Jess shift behind her impatiently.  "Dean?" she repeated.  She thought she heard a sigh, and then she got the dial tone.  Slowly, she hung up the phone and then turned around.

"I hate when that hap-" she stopped. She was speaking to an empty room.  Jess was gone.  Great, Rory thought.  She stood still for a second, not sure what to do.  Then she walked back over to the couch and flopped down on it.  She closed her eyes.

* * *

Tristan carefully stored the cell-phone he'd been able to sneak into the school back into its hiding place under the bed.  Then he lay back down and sighed.  What had he been thinking anyway?  Why should she care?  After all, she had Dean.  And he had – he had no one.  He closed his eyes, blocking out to the tears that were coming to his eyes.  There was no time for that here.

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