Such Sweet Sorrow

Disclaimer: For legal purposes it must be stated that I do not own any of the characters from Gilmore Girls nor do I own characters originated by Jennieln, who has given me permission to use them.

Author's Note: Wow! I can barely believe I'm here. Finally, Chapter six, possibly one chapter and one Epilogue away from the end. The End is in sight! Don't give up on me people! Hopefully everyone liked Chapters four and five since I'll be posting the three of these almost simultaneously. This chapter is dedicated to all the Trories out there who are still hanging in there, praying for the Tristan return! I'm with you all and consider this humble tale a mere distraction until CMM makes his return.

Chapter Six:



'Coffee. Must have coffee!' Lorelei thought as she rolled over to glare at the alarm clock that she'd forgotten to turn off the night before. She shut her eyes, determined to go back to sleep and instantly realized she was awake. She pulled the pillow over her head, trying to deny the insistent thoughts that invaded her mind. This was awful, she was really awake, not half-awake, not a quarter awake but completely awake; able to recall all of last evenings proceedings clearly and she was even bitterly aware that in a moment of weakness she'd agreed to meet her mother to go shopping for Rory later day. 'Arggg!!'

Huffing indignantly she flipped the covers away to hop out of the bed. Lorelei ran a hand through her hair as she stumbled down the stairs, belatedly recalling Tristan's presence on her couch. Quieting her steps she peeked into the livingroom as she headed past toward the kitchen and coffee. She was halfway past the doorway before the empty couch registered. She took a step back and walked closer. "Tristan?" she called quietly. 'Bathroom.'

She continued toward the kitchen intending to knock on the bathroom door and make sure he was all right before inviting him to join her for coffee and inquisition. 'Not that she was going to tell him that.' She reassured herself. The bathroom door was open and she peeked in, finding the room as empty as the livingroom and she frowned. She hesitated as she reached Rory's bedroom but slowly pushed the door open.

Rory lay with her head on Tristan's shoulder. Tristan had an arm curled around her, his hand still tangled in her hair, his head tilted toward her as if he'd fallen asleep watching her.

Lorelei's brain skidded to a sudden halt before shifting into high gear. She would pull the two of them apart and demand an explanation. No, that was ridiculous she could see that nothing had happened here except some shared sleeping quarters. Her mother was gestapo she wasn't going to do that to Rory she trusted Rory. Lorelei nodded. 'I don't trust him though, I don't even know him!' she thought with a venomous look toward Tristan. She looked at Rory again and saw how peacefully she was sleeping and immediately softened again. 'Rory was probably upset over Dean, maybe she was crying and he heard her. He probably went to comfort her and just fell asleep holding her like that. Awww. That was so sweet. She definitely liked this boy.'

Lorelei sighed as she leaned against the door frame watching the pair. 'At least she's getting some sleep.' Her mouth twisted into a wry smile before she turned away, resolving to let Rory explain in her own time.

An hour later Tristan stumbled into the kitchen rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Lorelei sat starring unblinkingly at him and he froze. "Uh, Good Morning?" he offered.

"You want to tell me how you went from sleeping on my couch to sleeping in my daughter's bed last night?" Lorelei demanded.

"I-that is..Nothing happened, Mrs. Gilmore. I mean we slept that's it. She was-and I went in. We didn't- I'm sorry." Tristan stuttered, his face heated as he realized Lorelei had seen him sleeping with Rory.

"Coffee!" Rory came up behind him and pushed him aside.

"Sorry, all gone!" Lorelei chirped with malicious glee as she lifted her own mug.

"What?" Rory whispered, horrified. "You drank all the coffee? You didn't save me one cup? Why do you hate me?"

"You slept with a strange boy. You must account for acts of teenaging before you can be permitted back into the big people world where coffee lives." Lorelei insisted.

"I was not teen-aging. He was just..like a big strange-boy-pillow. Completely different animal." Rory quipped.

"What?" Tristan's bewildered look made Rory snicker as she sat beside her mom.

"Look, your making him turn bright red. Mom stop scaring Tristan." She admonished.

"He's the one who snuck in to be my daughter's strange-boy-pillow last night. I'm supposed to scare him. He's supposed to tell me he has honorable intentions!" Lorelei whined.

"I didn't sneak. We just sleep better next to each other." Tristan blurted out.

Lorelei and Rory both turned to stare at him. Rory frowned while Lorelei's eyebrows flew upward. "Sleep together often do you?"

"What?" Tristan choked out as he realized what he had just said. He was beginning to feel as though he'd walked into a movie late and had no idea what the plot was. Lorelei was apparently. Not really upset at learning he'd spent the night in Rory's bedroom but was taking a great dal of malicious joy in confusing him about it.

"Let's go to Luke's. I need coffee, since someone didn't save me any." Rory's voice broke into his thoughts and Tristan blinked just as Rory shot her mother a reproachful glance.

"Okay but you have to tell me everything later and tell Mr. Boy-Band never to call me Mrs. Gilmore again!" Lorelei shuddered. "I almost screamed before I realized Emily wasn't really here and that he was talking to me. Than I wanted to hit him really hard." Lorelei warned as she stood, heading toward the living room.

"Call her Lorelei. She pouts." Rory told him as she walked past him toward her bedroom to change.

"Uh..Mr. Boy band?" he asked hesitantly, his brain still reeling from the conversation he'd almost been a part of.

"She thinks you're cute. Don't let it go to your head. Boy bands are evil, sent here to destroy our taste in music and lull us into pattern thought processes." Rory warned as Lorelei reappeared carrying Tristan's clothes.

"You should get dressed in the bathroom. Quickly. I want food." Lorelei said as she shoved the clothes into his arms.

"Thanks, Lorelei." Tristan smiled slowly at her and winked. "Maybe you could pass the good thoughts along to your daughter, just like your beauty?" he told her charmingly.

"Oh you're good! Your bible boy is smooth, mini me, you must be wise like the grasshopper, sly like the mongoose, quick like Jet Li in that movie where you couldn't really see him move but all of a sudden he was there and kicking your ass, if you do not wish to be caught in his web." Lorelei counseled.

"Mixing metaphors." Rory groaned. "Let's go, it's too early for this. I haven't even had my coffee yet."

"Okay just give me five minutes, point me toward some hair gel and we can get going. My treat this morning to say thanks for letting me stay." Tristan offered as he headed for the bathroom.

Lorelei stopped on her way to the kitchen and turned back to stare at him. "You're going to buy me coffee?" she asked wide-eyed. She sniffed dramatically and turned her awestruck gaze on Rory. "He's a kind and wonderful boy, you must bring him often."

Tristan laughed at Lorelei's antics and shot Rory a superior look. "Oh no, it's my privilege to do such a small thing for the town beauties. And you can have more than just coffee."

Rory glared at him. "Didn't you have gel to apply?"

"Ohh compliments and coffee. He's a keeper." Lorelei nodded emphatically.

"Shut up, Mom." Rory growled as she stalked into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Tristan and Lorelei exchanged a look of mutual understand and Lorelei smiled evilly. "So, Tristan..you'll tell me everything of course."

"I'd be delighted, but I've gotta get changed. How about over breakfast?" he smiled at her and realized he like the crazy woman before him. The Gilmore home was nothing like the cold place he inhabited. The lives of the Gilmore women might not contain all the material things he enjoyed but their love for each other was obvious and their home reflected that.

Lorelei nodded her head regally and waved her hand. "I give you leave to complete your ablutions but be quick about it, knave. I would learn much before the interference of mine daughter. Thee product you seek is contained beneath the water basin."

Tristan grinned but bowed dutifully. "I shall return with all possible haste, Mistress."

Lorelei smiled, delighted with him for continuing the game as he stepped into the bathroom to change.

"Just don't hurt her." She told the closed door.

*************************************************************

The three of them were laughing as they sat to breakfast until Luke brought coffee. As he poured Rory and Lorelei a cup, he turned a stony look on Tristan and demanded, "Who are you?"

"Tristan Dugrey. I'm a friend of Rory's." He answered respectfully, shooting Rory a questioning look.

"Luke, leave Tristan alone." Rory said negligently. "Can I have flapjacks? A big stack I'm starving."

"Me too! And you can't hurt Tristan, cause he's nice to me and we're gonna keep him. He's our new houseboy." Lorelei added childishly beaming a bright smile at Luke.

Tristan choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken and Rory reached over to whack him between his shoulders. "Relax, she's crazy, remember? What are you having?"

"Uhh.." Tristan stared blankly down at his menu. "I'll have whatever you're having."

Luke grunted as he wrote it down before snatching the menus away and stalking off.

"He's not going to poison our food or anything is he?" Tristan asked shooting a concerned glance toward the kitchen.

"What? No. Luke love's us. That's just how he is." Lorelei waved airily.

Tristan nodded but was far from confident when the stacks of pancakes came. He gaped at the large piles in shock. "You expect us to eat all that?"

"No." Luke grunted as the girls started digging in with relish. "I've got more on in the back. My grill can't make them all at once." He answered as he headed back toward the kitchen.

"Thanks Luke." Lorelei shouted at his back.

"Yeh, Tanks Lup!" Rory mumbled around the food she had shove in her mouth.

"Hey! More coffee!" Lorelei shouted.

Tristan shook his head as he cut into his own food. He stopped suddenly and lowered the utensils.

Both Gilmores turned identical bewildered stares of him, and he finally burst out laughing, until he was clutching his sides.

"Is he okay?" Lorelei asked as she stared at him.

Tristan took a deep breath to regain control and tried to keep a straight face. "Tristan Dugrey, Gilmore Houseboy." He told them and cracked up once again.

Lorelei looked over at Rory and snickered. Rory rolled her eyes and tried to look serious. "You should have cards made up." She told him. Making him howl louder and finally she broke laughing aloud.

Two Weeks Later, Friday

Tristan was on his way to Rory's locker again as he thought about the past two weeks. He'd been waking up next to her almost every day. Some night's he'd stay awake to watch her sleep, her hand tucked carefully against his heart. It never mattered to him that exhaustion plagued him, Rory lay next to him and every day they grew closer. His relationship with Gretchen was easy once again, although he still caught her frowning whenever he told her Rory was spending the night. Lorelei had been a wonderful surprise when he and Rory explained to her their odd connection she'd nodded in acceptance, made him swear not to do anything that would force her to hunt him down and maim and then she'd become practical. How long could this go on? Have they seen a doctor? Studied up on sleep disorders? Did they know anyone who did Voodoo? And if so why was it called voodoo? And was the past tense voodid? Or voodoed?

Once Rory had regained her mother's attention they'd come up with a sleep schedule allowing Tristan to spend most of his nights at the Gilmore home with one or two appearances at the Dugrey mansion. The only proviso that they both kept searching for a way to stop the dreams permanently. He was forbidden from sleeping with Rory in his own bed, Lorelei apparently felt that anything might happen removed from her immediate presence whereas sleeping in Her house would make them both feel guilty enough to keep hormones in check. 'It seemed to be working.' He admitted ruefully to himself.

John, Duncan and Alex had taunted him repeatedly after his absences from the party scene but he'd smiled at them and answered simply that he had better things to do. Word spread like wildfire through the school that Tristan had been completely domesticated by Rory Gilmore and was officially off the market.

He and Rory spend their days together doing homework or arguing over their personal preferences for music, tv, videos or literary works. The most heated debates still concluding with exasperated laughter which left him feeling as though he'd finally become a regular person. With everyone else he'd always held himself apart, watching to see what each person wanted from him before committing himself and yet with Rory he held nothing separate. In a way his world had shifted until he no longer saw his life from the same view. Chilton, seen through Rory's eyes, was just a place they went to, to learn. The students there he'd once considered some approximation of friends we're really a shallow group, full of self-importance and he shuddered whenever he thought of how he must have appeared to Rory the past few months.

When he'd casually mentioned what a jerk he had been she'd agreed politely and now she teased him with the name. She'd introduced him to Lane by saying, "This is Tristan the jerk I told you about." When he just laughed Lane looked confused but she smiled at him and shot Rory frantic looks whenever she thought he was looking. After a couple days Lane had relaxed enough to assure him he had no taste in music and berate him for never having heard of P.J. Harvey, Rory's current favorite singer. He'd smiled his most charming smiled and begged forgiveness for the error of his ways. Lane was still sputtering when Rory reached over to whack him, telling him to stop picking on Lane who wasn't used to his "toothpaste ad smile."

Slowly life was beginning to grow into a different routine for them, each of them blending seamlessly into each others lives until it was understood that he met her at her locker in the mornings and after school. That she would meet him for lunch at their table, he knew that she would spend half her lunch hour in the library and brought magazines to read. He was even getting used to helping out with chores around the house, although he was growing suspicious of Lorelei's insistence that she and Rory usually had to do all the 'fix it' work around the house as well as heavy lifting.

So far the real problem they'd discovered came from an unexpected corner. Paris, whom he had always liked but thought of as a little scary, seemed to loath Rory more than ever. She'd started glaring at them whenever she saw them, and he'd seen her deliberately smash into Rory, knocking her down and making her late to class. Tristan had caught up to Paris to offer a friendly warning, hoping he could fix whatever was going on for Rory's sake.

"Come on Paris, what's the problem with you and Rory anyway?" he'd asked casually.

"She doesn't belong here." Paris spat at him angrily. "She should just go back to her little public school and her thug boyfriend and leave me the hell alone."

Tristan stiffened as jealousy swept through him, making his tone frigid. "No." He bit out furiously. "She's not going anywhere. You need to grow up Paris."

"Or what? Going to fight me for insulting your new flavor of the month? She'll dump you when she figures out what your game is anyway or you'll get bored. Don't forget who your friends are." Paris warned him imperiously.

"I think your forgetting who I am, Paris. You know how bad I can make it for someone here. Whatever happens with Rory I don't think you should cross me. Don't hurt Rory again." He'd walked away knowing he would never be able to consider her a friend again unless she found common ground with Rory and he succeeded in getting Rory to feel something for him. He resented Paris for playing on his fears, she'd known exactly where to thrust the blade by mentioning Rory's ex.

Dean's attack had come at a perfect time apparently. Rory had developed a stubborn dislike of Dean's possessive attitude and unjustified violent outburst. They'd bumped into Dean outside the dairy shop and Rory had ignored him as she walked on at Tristan's side. Only Tristan had seen the sadness and guilt that flickered in her eyes before she hid them and he'd felt his own guilt flicker to life. It seemed unwise to enlighten Rory about the way a guy could tell when his territory was being threatened, that Dean, contrary to what she believed, had understood very well what Tristan's intent was and had reacted as any animal would when threatened. Instead Tristan spent his days trying to be a person Rory could fall for and his nights fighting the desire to pull her closer and lay siege to her heart. He realized he was probably still the villain for Rory but the intense need he felt to stay closer to her warmth until it seeped into him, was too great.

Rory was the most frustrating part of the dreams that drove them together. Despite the two of them becoming friends and spending all their time together she ignored any attempt he made to grow closer. If he suggested a date-like scenario she immediately thought to ask along Lane or he mother or vetoed the suggestion altogether. He couldn't seem to just say he wanted to be alone with her and she was blissfully ignorant of any hints in that direction.

Still it was the weekend again and he'd finally found something nonthreatening to suggest as a date and he felt anticipation hum through him as he approached her locker. Rory was standing at the locker talking to a girl from her Math class; Carrie, Carol, Cathy something or other and she smiled at him when she saw him heading her way. She gave a short wave and said something to Cathy before turning away to pull her backpack from her locker.

"How was algebraic conversion today?" he said by way of greeting as he nodded toward Cathy who passed him.

"Sorta nightmarish with a side of Yuk." Rory answered slinging her pack onto her shoulder as she turned to leave with him.

"Ahh but I've got the perfect antidote."

"Coffee, a government ban on Algebra and a letter from Harvard explaining the pointlessness of Algebra and assuring me that I do not need an A in it in order to be accepted there?" she asked hopefully.

"Uh, no." Her face fell and he hurried to continue. "I mean, of course, there will be coffee and I can help you with Algebra, it's getting easier right?" she nodded and he smiled. "But that's not the antidote. This weekend we're going to take a break and do something relaxing."

"Ohhh, Movie night? With extra popcorn, nachos, chocolate walnuts and Mochachinos?" Rory guessed with childlike enthusiasm.

"No." He laughed. "Guess again."

"Tell me, tell me, tell me. Tell me!"

"Okay, okay. Cleeveston's got the fair this weekend. I thought if we could okay it with Lorelei that I'd drive us up there. We can take a couple things and stay all weekend if you want. I'll even spring for the motel." He suggested waiting for her to admire his brilliance.

"I don't know." Rory answered thoughtfully. "My mom probably can't take time off work and without my mom Mrs. Kim would never let Lane out of the house unless we could convince her it was some kind of bible retreat?"

"No, Rory, I meant just the two of us." Tristan told her exasperated finally.

"Tristan.." Rory said, dragging out his name unhappily.

"Damn it Rory! I wanted to do something together what's the big deal. I just-" Tristan looked away as he felt his control slipping. "I just wanted to hang out with you, for the day. Not your mom, not lane, not Luke. Just us."

"I thought you liked them, what's wrong with them?" Rory demanded.

"Nothing." Tristan ground out. "What's wrong with you? What are you so afraid of? I try to spend time with you along and you want to drag a chaperone along. Did I miss a time warp? Is it 1889?" he demanded. People looked over, some smiling as they took in the heated scene and Tristan almost groaned. "Come on, we can talk in here," he told Rory propelling her toward an open classroom door. The room was empty and he quickly shut the door, before turning to her.

"Great. Maybe now you can explain what your talking about?" Rory demanded facing him combatively.

"I'm talking about being together. I can't take it anymore Rory. Half the time I can't even talk to you because someone else is always around. If we're not sleeping next to each other I can't touch you or you freeze. It's driving me nuts." Tristan stalked over to the window to stare out, he could feel himself losing control over his frustration and he grimly reached for whatever sanity he had left.

"I'm sorry I don't know what your talking about. Your not making any sense, do you need to talk to someone? I can get a councillor?"

"I'm talking about our dreams. I'm talking about the fact that I go to sleeping holding you and I end up hurting almost as bad as the nights I sleep alone. I'm talking about the fact that I'm so far ahead in all of my classes I can probably apply to Harvard myself, that I'm constantly on time, that I spend hours in the library. Damn it Rory!" Tristan vented.

"O-Kay. You don't want to go to Harvard and you don't like the library. What? I give up I don't get it." Rory held up her hands in surrender.

Tristan turned to look at her, solemnly. "Maybe..maybe the tow of them are trying to tell us something. William and Isabella I mean."

"Like what? Life sucks? Sleep is overrated?" Rory asked sarcastically as she stomped over to sit at one of the desks.

"No..like maybe we.." Tristan took a deep breath, his heart seemed to have moved up into his throat. "Like maybe we're..meant to be together. Maybe it's been about us the whole time."

Rory stared bewildered at him. "What?" she whispered.

"I know it sounds nutty coming from me but I think that's it. That's what's going on. It's why we share the same dreams, why we have to be together to sleep peacefully, why we wake up miserable when we're apart. It's the only thing left that makes any kind os sense. Look, Rory, I never believed in Fate either but this..?" his eyes pleaded with her to believe, promised devotiona dn a depth of emotin wich made Rory trembel before disbelief kicked in.

"Your-if your using these dreams as some sort of excuse to get me to go out with you you can jsut forget it!"

"What?! Damn it, Rory aren't you listening? It's not about a date, your not just some girl. It's us, together. If we're not meant to be together then you tell me why we dream the same dreams, why I end up aching for you? Why the only time either of us gets any rest is when we touch? Your all I think about. When I'm studying, when I'm in class, when I lay in bed wishing you would just look at me for once. Rory, look at me." he demanded throwing his hands wide.

"You're just confused. I'm not Isabella." She protested, ignoring the fierce ache that ripped open inside her as she spoke.

"I'm not William. I'm not looking for a dream. I don't even know what the hell she is but I know she'd not you! She's not the one I keep hoping will notice-"he broke off in frustration, raking a hand through his hair and disrupting the carefully disheveled look.

Rory stared silently, stunned by his outburst as she tried to fit what he was saying into the image she carried of Tristan Dugrey. Testing the strength of his words, she turned them over and over looking for weaknesses.

"Forget it," Tristan muttered angrily. "Maybe your right. Maybe it's nothing and I'm crazy. Who the hell cares?! You can go back to bag boy." He grabbed his pack, slinging it roughly onto his shoulder as he headed for the door.

"Tristan wait!" Rory jumped up, standing between him and the door. He paused, watching her with a shuttered gaze. "You scare me." She told him quietly. Tristan's brow knitted. "You're too much for me, Tristan. I like you but your too fast and too experienced. Too wild, too arrogant and too rich. I can't understand your world. You need someone who won't get hurt when you walk away. That's not me. I don't know who you are from one minute to the next, how am I supposed to trust you?"

Tristan's eyes blazed, "how are you supposed to trust me? You don't know who I am? Is that right? So all those nights we spend together; laughing, working, talking; all the nights I've spent keeping my damn hands off you. None of that means anything? That's crap Rory, and you know it. You know me better then anyone else in this whole damn school. Better then my parents know me. But that's not real right? Cause I"m still the bad guy? Seducer of innocents?" his voice lowered and he moved closer, stalked her with smooth practiced grace. "Are you seduced? Are you really angry at yourself for wanting me? I'm touched, really Mary, I am. But you shouldn't feel guilty. Every girl wants me eventually and the ones I want, I take."

"Stop it. I know what your doing and it wont work!" Rory shouted at him.

He smiled evilly at her. "Why not? Oh..Should I be more like Dean then? Huh sweetie?: Rory, can I hold your hand? Rory, can I kiss your cheek? Rory, can I walk behind you like some pathetic slave?" Tristan mocked cruelly.

"Shut up! At least Dean really cared about me. At least he made me feel special, like I was the one he wanted not just some name on a checklist!" Rory threw at him bitterly. Her heart was aching at his accusations but she ignored the voice that wondered how much of what Tristan said was true. She ignored the voice that wanted to believe in him, to risk everything to be with him. She ruthlessly thrust aside the voice that whispered of love.

"You mean, he made it easy for you," Tristan said through clenched teeth. "He gave you a nice, safe relationship to hide behind. No tough decisions, no hard choices and better yet; no risky, messy emotions."

"No! You don't understand!" Rory cried, almost hating him in that instant. Even as that other voice whispered, 'Yes! Dean was the safe choice but not the right one!'

"Oh, I understand. You think I don't feel you watching me? That I don't notice when you hold your breath because I get too close? You can build all the walls you want, throw bagboy in my face a million times but I know what I feel, and I know what you wish you didn't feel. Maybe it's just attraction but you feel something for me!" Tristan's eyes turned pleading again. "It's not because you're new and I'm between girls, not because I'm wild and your innocent. You aren't some face in a crowd you're the only one I see!" he told her desperately. He felt as though it was his last chance, and maybe for them it was. The need to be with her that he'd held in check for so long had finally broken open, leaving him anxious. What if this was the dream and tomorrow she hated him again? What if life pulled them apart and he never told her how dead he'd been until she arrived at Chilton? What if she never knew that she warmed an entire room just by being in it and when she left he was made of ice until her return? He hated her for it, almost as much as he loved her because if she couldn't love him he would die again and this time would be worse because in his mind he would remember what if felt like to love, to be warmed by it.

"You think I like feeling like this?" Tristan demanded suddenly. "I feel half alive when your not around. No one supposed to be necessary to my existence and suddenly here you are! And I can't breathe again until you smile because then I know you don't hate me. So, I give up! You win. Now you know exactly how I feel about you, exactly how much power you have over me and I Know you don't feel the same! I know you don't love me but whatever you do feel..maybe it's bigger then a Friday night date, and it's not about a highschool sweetheart or the latest lover! Go ahead, deny it. It's what you want to do right? Tell me I'm crazy? Go back to your safe little town where things don't get hard and maybe your safe little bagboy will take you back. I'm going home and taking a couple SleepEZ," he pushed past her and stormed out as she stared at him with stricken eyes.

She felt a crushing pain in her chest and she sank weakly to knees, as the silent tears that had fallen became great jagged sobs ripped from her chest. She shook her head against the words that echoed in her head and the memory of Tristan's tortured eyes.

"What did you do to him?" A strident voice demanded.

Rory looked up to see Paris glaring down at her. "Go away Paris." She choked, wiping her face against her sleeve.

"I saw Tristan, he looks like hell. Paradise finally over?" Paris asked snidely as she stepped inside the room and paused to shut the door. "What is this? The young and the pointless, get moving people!" she shouted at the people shuffling past the door. She slammed the door in their faces with a satisfied thud before turning on Rory like a vengeful valikyrie. "So what happened?"

"None of your business. I'm going home." Rory said dragging herself to her feet. She suddenly felt very old and tired.

"No, you're not." Paris informed her haughtily. "Your staying right here until I figure out what happened."

"Why? We fought, Tristan left. Here's your chance. Isn't that what you wanted?" Rory shouted at her.

"That depends. If he dumped you because he's bored or your annoying or something then that's fine. You can leave. But if he's upset because your stupid enough to think you prefer that oversized lapdog or you finally managed to really hurt him then I have more questions." Paris answered calmly.

"I'm not answering your questions." Rory bit out.

"Why not? If you're mad at him then I'll just think it's your own fault you know what he's like but if he's mad at you then you should be glad your going back to the lapdog." Paris reasoned.

"His name is Dean. And I'm not going back to him! Besides you had it all wrong anyway. Tristan and I are just friends!" Rory insisted but even as she said the words she heard herself repeating the same statement over and over during the past few weeks and she realized she'd never spoken the truth.

"Right. Your friends. That's why he stares at you and why he ignores his friends, he's risking everything he's built here because of you. We've been friends almost my entire life, did you know that? Not close but we've been in the same groups since our nannies stuck us in the same playgroup. I was here the whole time but he picked you over that. The really sad thing is he thought he was so happy. I warned him you thought you were too good for him." Paris shook her head as she headed toward the door.

"I didn't-"

"I thought you were supposed to be really smart? Looks like Tristan's bad taste in girls continues. If your stupid enough to let him go then you might want to consider going back to your town after all, and staying there. We could have been friends I suppose but I can't let you hurt my friends and even Tristan tries to protect you again I've got my own power. Well, this school can be a hard place to be in, if you get on the wrong persons bad side." Paris suggested as she walked out of the room.

Rory stared after her, the things she said finally sinking in. Paris was defending Tristan? Paris thought Tristan risked everything for Her?? He'd protected Her? He was happy?