IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE: Haven't updated in a while, eh? I lacked ideas not to mention fanfiction.net's technical difficulties. Just wanted to tell you that I had touched up chapters 1-8. Added some stuff, replaced, removed. I hope I actually improved things instead of made it worse. Just know that I have changed some of the time spans in between chapters and 'scenes' especially from chapter 5 and so on. Chapter 6 occurs one week later after chapter 5 and the study thing [chap. 8] happens the next day, Friday night dinners have been postponed since Emily and Richard are on vacation [chap.7]. If you have time, in other words you are really bored, it might help just to scan through the chapters, it isn't necessary, but if you are really [when I say really I mean really] confused right this second or in the future then you probably should. Sorry about that  : ( Thanks for the reviews. It's really nice to know that people actually like my fic. : ) [Please] Enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you think [I'm nagging again aren't I?]

I'll shut up now

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Love can be a pain in the butt- Chapter nine

One month later….

Dugrey residence (Morning)

Tristan was heading out the front door when his mother called after him.

"Tristan!" She finally caught up to him. In her hand was a book. "Thought you might need this." She handed him his biology notebook. "By the way Tris, didn't mean to look through your book but who's Rory?" she asked winking at him.

'She's teasing me.' Tristan blushed and his mother laughed.

"Didn't you know that curiosity killed the cat mom?"

"But the truth brought it back honey."  

Tristan tried to think of a good comeback. Mrs Dugrey took the silence as a sign of defeat.

"Typical! Anyway, there's something I have to tell you."

"I'm all ears."

"Since you are hardly at home anymore, probably spending time with Rory," she winked again, "I should tell you that your father and I are going to hold a retirement party at your grandfather's estate. You did know that Janlen's retiring right?"

Tristan nodded.

"OK. It's semi formal and it's going to be two weeks from now on a Saturday. We expect you to be there and you can bring a date. Now can you tell me who Ror…."

"Mom. I kinda have to go now. School." Tristan interrupted looking at his watch.

"Right." Mrs Dugrey rolled her eyes. "Have a good day then. And Tristan, I need to meet this Rory, who has my son wrapped around her little finger. Why don't you invite Rory for dinner in the *near* future?" She eyed her son.

"Yes mom, I'll see if she can come over for dinner this weekend."

"Good! You're forgiven."

"Forgiven?"

"For not telling me. She must be very special."

"She's just a friend you know."

"Whatever son. You forgot to add the girl to friend."

'I wish' Tristan thought to himself as he headed to his car.

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Chilton

"Mary."

Rory closed her locker to see Tristan leaning against the locker next to hers.

"Ready for the routine?" Tristan asked.

"Which one? The one where we go over to my house, study for biology then watch a bunch of movies afterwards, forgetting everything I learnt? Or, the other one when you meet me at my locker every morning then you walk me to my first class?" Rory took a big breath.

"No, the one where we go to the janitor's closet and we ram our tongues down each other's throats." He smirked.

"Oh that one. I don't know how to break this to you but, I think this isn't going to work."

"Work?"

"Us. This routine. Tristan, it's been fun, but seriously, you and I know that this wasn't going to last forever."

"Yeah." Tristan wiped a fake tear with his hand.

They were now walking side by side to Rory's first class.

"English, then the b word. The day starts really good then it's squashed by I don't even want to say or hear it."

"Biology?"

"Next time I'll use reverse psychology on you. Yes."

"Why do you hate biology so much anyway, I thought you loved school?"

"I don't hate it, hate's a powerful word. I dislike it simply because it is a huge contribution factor to my alarmingly high stress level."

"You're going to do OK in her quiz. Any student of mine always does well. They are taught by the best."

"I'm your only student."

"There's a first time for everything."

"And there's a last too."

"Well when everyone hears that Rory Gilmore passed biology because of the great Tristan Dugrey, everyone will want me to tutor them."

"Nice to know you think so highly of yourself."

"Well, my character doesn't exactly spell out modest."

"True. But I thought everyone wanted you. Wait! That was before when people didn't have taste. It's nice to know that people have come to their senses."

"Such harsh words for a little Mary. How are you going to make friends in Harvard with that sour attitude of yours? And for the record, I'm talking about my brains, my intelligence, my I.Q. "

"You mean the peanut size thingy that happens to be in that head of yours?"

"Yes that peanut size thingy that happens to know a lot about biology and is saving your backside from failing biology. "

Rory turned to face him as they reached the English room.

"Yeah yeah. Paris is frantically waving to me to come in. I bet you a million bucks it's to do with the Franklin or the disadvantages of being vice president. See you in Biology?"

"I was thinking of ditching, gotta maintain my bad boy image, but if you really need the moral support then sure."

"Sometimes I sit down and wonder why we are even friends." Rory went in closing the door in his face before he could say anything.

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Last period had ended and Rory was heading to her locker, with a huge grin plastered onto her face, when she bumped into Summer.

"Sorry." Rory apologized.

"You should be." Summer sneered.

"Excuse me?" Rory stopped walking. Her grin had disappeared and was replaced with an annoyed look.

"I said you should be."

"What is your problem?"

"You want to know what my problem is? It's you!"

"Me?"

"Tristan is mine. You're being the pebble in my shoe. Stay away from him."

Rory sighed; she was seriously sick and tired of this. "We're just friends."

"Yeah and I'm Alyssa Milano."

"Fine don't believe me. But I'm gonna give you some advice. If I were you, I'd get a life. Sorry to burst your bubble but you do not always get what you want. So if you decide to come back to the real world, leave me alone because I'm getting sick of your third grade crap. "

"I always get what I want. And don't you dare tell me what to do!"

Rory sighed. She was tempted to roll her eyes at Summer, but chose not to make the situation worse. Too late.

"Tell me Summer, are you intimidated of me?"

"If you're thinking that I think you are competition, you're wrong. Poor, goody two shoes' aren't even worth of considering as competition."

"Well I'm not a low, bitter, hypocritical snob like you are so I'm just going to go away now, away from you that I might add and I hope you do take my advice about seriously getting a life."

Summer looked around her after had Rory left. Other students turned away as soon as they saw her see them.

"You're going down Rory Gilmore." Summer slowly shook her head as she walked away.

A/N:  If you would like to know why I set chapter 9 a month later, simple answer is that if all the events that will occur later on in the fic, happened a week later after they had become friends, it would seem everything is happening too too quick and in my opinion it didn't feel right. 

Maria 

P.S: Did you know that a guy speaks around an average of 7500 [forgot if it was 7000 or 8000] words a day, while a girl speaks around 20 000 words? Just wanted to tell you, I thought it was an interesting fact.