Reliving the Past
Chapter Eleven
Tristan DuGrey II was moody, disheveled, and what's more, looked absolutely horrible. His eyes were bloodshot, his movements slow. He seemed lost in his own world.
Stephanie swore to herself she wasn't watching him. She wasn't in the least bit worried about Tristan. She wasn't wondering why he had a cast. She wasn't wondering what had happened between him and Lorelai.
So it was a mystery to all involved, actually to herself, why she was moving towards him.
"Tristan… are you all right?"
And for the first time that she knew Tristan, he didn't greet her with a lewd remark, or gaze that made her self-conscious.
He only glanced briefly at her and took books out of his locker again. "Do I look all right?"
"No, you look like hell," Stephanie answered truthfully, not mentioning he looked so lost as well, that she wanted nothing more to get that dead look out of his eyes.
Tristan slammed his locker shut. "Is there a point to this?" But he didn't wait for an answer. He started walking away.
"I was wondering if you knew why Lorelai wasn't in class today," she called out to him.
He stopped short. "She's in the hospital."
She walked towards him. "The hospital, why?"
His voice was clipped. "None of your business."
He walked off, and this time, Stephanie didn't follow him.
"Tristan!" another voice called. Tristan spun around in annoyance. What now?
It was Willow.
"Tristan!"
Tristan sighed. "What?"
"Where's Lorelai? She wasn't in class, and there was this majorly important surprise test, she's going to be-"
"In the hospital."
"The hospital? Why? What happened?"
Tristan shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Tristan! You do not tell me, while wearing a cast, that my best friend since we were three is in the hospital, and then tell me 'I don't want to talk about it!'"
"It was my fault, okay! Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm the idiot who nearly got the person I cared for most in the world get hurt! She's in a coma, she might never wake up, and it's all my damn fault!"
Tristan took a deep breath. "We were driving to Star's Hollow. We were arguing. I took my eyes off the road, lost control of the car, and the last thing I saw was the Lorelai's blood on my hands."
Willow's eyes filled with tears. "But… she's going to be okay right? She'll be all right?"
Tristan started walking away from her, but Willow ran after him.
"Tristan! Tell me my best friend is going to wake up, go to school, be valedictorian, and go to Harvard, like she always wanted!" Willow was openly sobbing already.
Tristan stared at the ground.
"TELL ME!"
Tristan shook his head. "The- the doctors…" Tristan swallowed hard. "They said if she does wake up, she wouldn't be… in full use of her capabilities."
Willow sniffed. "You mean, like amnesia, right?"
"I mean paralyzed."
"Oh god…" Willow put a hand over her mouth. "It's not fair…"
"You mean why isn't it me in that bed? I'm the one who'll never amount to anything, it's Lorelai who's the perfect child?"
"Tristan, that's not what I meant-"
But Tristan wasn't paying attention. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't know what everyone is thinking? It should have been me! Every time I see my dad, I know exactly what he's thinking! He blames ME!"
Tristan took a deep breath. "It's my fault," he said quietly.
Willow took a step forward, and hugged Tristan. Tristan tentatively returned the hug. Willow was the only one of his ex-girlfriends that he was still, if not friends, on good terms with. When they had started dating, Lorelai had given a major talking-to. The whole, 'If you hurt her, I will spill all your secrets to the Chilton community' speech had never been so scary. They had broken up about a month later. Tristan's longest relationship.
It had been after she had arrived from that exchange program. When she left, she was his little sister's best friend, when she came back, Tristan realized she was incredibly attractive.
They realized that they weren't going to make it, and Tristan called it off, much to Willow's own relief. Lorelai had been disappointed.
"It wasn't your fault Tristan. It wasn't like you asked for it. I know how much you care about Lorelai."
Tristan had nothing to say.
So they stayed that way, in an empty hallway, holding on to each other for comfort. Old habits kicked in, and they didn't know who initiated the kiss, just that they were kissing each other. No love, no passion. Just comfort. They both knew that.
But Stephanie didn't.
And that was how she found them a few minutes later.
As she quickly left, she swore to herself Tristan kissing another girl didn't affect her one bit.
Not at all.
So it was a mystery to her why tears were running down her face as she left them.
