*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.

*A/N: Hey!!! It's been a while, I know. But don't worry, I'm back!!! I'm totally gonna focus on this story right now, until it's finished no other stories will be updated. I think ;-) Thanks again for all the reviews I got on the last chapter of 'Around'!!! Please review this chapter. It's going to be R/J, but for now there's some R/T and R/D in it now. Opinions on how I'm writing Dean, Tristan and Jess are extremely welcome. Which one would you choose ? The flirt, Tristan ? The sweet Dean ? Or the mysterious Jess ? Let me know and drop a line. THANKS!!!

*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)

Rory pushed open the doors that would lead her into the hallway, that was already crowded with talking and laughing teens. Rory was still trying to get used to all the people. This school was much bigger than the one back in Stars Hollow. The atmosphere was different too. You could clearly see the different 'ranks' between these walls. The first thing you saw when you entered the school, were the different groups that were scattered all over. Cheerleaders and jocks by the lockers, the wanna be's at the row of lockers across from the cheerleaders and jocks, people who actually had a brain were sitting in classrooms or in the library and the outcasts were usually found in front of the school, smoking or shooting death glares at basically everyone who walked past them. As Rory was making her way towards her locker, she was trying to figure out where she belonged. She definitely wasn't a cheerleader. People didn't seem to ignore and avoid her and they occasionally talked to her, so that didn't make her an outcast, so what did it make her ? Was she one of those people who could be found in the library whenever she had a free period ? Rory shrugged. She didn't really care. It was nice to be accepted, but she could live without being one of the most popular girls at school. She gently pushed past a couple of girls who were conveniently holding a probably pointless conversation in the middle of the hallway. When she did, they gave her an annoyed look before they continued their conversation. Rory automatically rolled her eyes and hurried towards her locker. When she saw Tristan leaning against it, she immediately slowed down. She casually walked over to him, avoiding his eyes, but instead looking at her locker while she was repeating her combination over and over in her mind.

R: ''Hey.''

T: ''Hey.''

If she would have looked up, she would have seen Tristan looking at her with a boyish grin on his face. Rory reached out her hand to try her locker combination, her fingers crossed behind her back that it would open this time. But of course luck wasn't on her side today and the locker didn't open. Rory sighed and was just about to try her combination again when Tristan raised his fist and brought it down on the locker, forcing the locker to open. Rory smiled. Maybe she was lucky after all ? She looked up at Tristan and immediately she was mesmerized by his intense cerulean eyes. She found that she couldn't tear herself away from them.

R: ''Thanks.''

Tristan kept looking into her light blue eyes that were as transparent as hyaline, locking it's grasp around his heart. He was trying to burn the image of her in his head, so that he could picture her in front of him whenever he wanted.

T: ''You're welcome, Mary.''

A light blush appeared on her cheeks, making Tristan laugh softly. Rory started to rummage through her locker, to hide herself from him.

T: ''So, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me and some of my friends.''

R: ''Real romantic.''

As soon as Rory said that, she bit her tongue. How could she say something like that ? That sounded way too suggestive. Sure, Tristan was cute, but she didn't have to be so obvious about it and besides she hadn't quite figured him out yet.

T: ''If you want it to be romantic, just say so.''

Rory smiled at his comment. She had never met anyone like him before. It seemed as if he always had something to say with that sharp tongue of his.

R: ''I wasn't suggesting anything, if that's what you think.''

She closed her locker and looked him straight in the eyes, her heart racing as she did.

T: ''Well, I was.''

R: ''Honesty, I like that in a guy.''

T: ''What more do you like in a guy ?''

He took a step towards Rory and Rory didn't back away, even though she knew that he was standing too close for her own good. She forced herself to keep looking at his eyes.

R: ''Take me out on a date and maybe I'll tell you.''

T: ''Pick you up at 7 ?''

R: ''You don't even know where I live.''

T: ''I have my ways. See you around, Mary.''

Tristan smirked at her before he turned around and walked away from her. Rory shook her head as she leaned against her locker, watching him until he disappeared in the crowd. What had possessed her to talk to him like that ? She had never been this straight forward before, especially not with a guy. When the bell rang, Rory pushed the thoughts of Tristan into the back of her mind and focused on finding her classroom. She waited until the hall was almost empty, she never liked big crowds. When she was just about to head for her class, she felt someone looking at her. It was the same feeling she had when she was walking home alone, she always had the feeling that there was someone behind her, following her. But every time she turned around to look, there would be no one to look at. This time there was. Jess was leaning against the wall across from her locker, staring at her. Rory met his eyes and wondered if he would be considered an outcast. He never said more than two words to anyone and he always seemed to be alone. He didn't look at people as if he despised them though, he looked at them as if he felt sorry for them. She wondered if he felt sorry for her too ?

As soon as he looked into her eyes, he knew what she was thinking. Confusion was written in them, as well as curiosity. Although he didn't show it, he was curious as well. For some reason he wanted to know more about her, little things, like her favorite color and stuff like that. Things that seemed unimportant to some people, but to him that were the most fascinating things about people. He tried to think of a word that would describe the color of her eyes, but he couldn't find one. And there probably wasn't one. One thing he did see though, was the beauty that he could see in her eyes. He smirked at her and turned around, leaving her wondering.

As she watched him walk away, her heart started to beat louder than it ever did before and she couldn't stop looking at him, until he disappeared outside. There was something about him that made her curious. Curious about the golden glow in his dark brown eyes and curious about the all-knowing smirk on his face that just added to his mysterious appearance.

*~*~*

Because she was the last one to arrive in the classroom, there was only one empty seat left. She quickly made her way towards it and sat down without looking at the person who was sitting next to her. She carefully listened to the teacher as he explained some things that she already knew and pretended to be fascinated. As soon as the teacher turned around to write some notes on the blackboard, she started to look around the classroom, finally resting her gaze on the person that was sitting right next to her. She smiled at him warmly, note realizing what she was doing to him.

R: ''Hey.''

D: ''Hey.''

Rory could scream of frustration, when she felt butterflies in her stomach. How could she be attracted to two, no wait three guys! It was impossible. No it wasn't. They were all three so different. She sighed and started to doubt her feelings for Tristan. Maybe she was only feeling attracted to them, because she was new here and they were paying attention to her. Jess didn't quite fit that explanation though.

D: ''Rory, can I ask you something.''

Rory looked up at Dean and nodded.

R: ''Yeah, sure.''

D: ''Well, I was wondering since you're new and all if you wanted to go out with me. Just as a friend of course, I could show you around and we could get to know each other a little better.''

R: ''When ?''

D: ''Tonight ?''

Rory bit her lip. He was so sweet and she didn't wanna turn him down, but she already had a date.

R: ''I can't.''

Dean's expression immediately changed and she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

R: ''I would really like to, but I already have a date. Sorry.''

D: ''With who ?''

He already knew, but he wanted to hear it for himself.

R: ''Tristan. I'm really sorry.''

Dean shrugged.

D: ''Don't worry about it, maybe some other time.''

R: ''Definitely.''

Dean smiled at her and went back to taking notes. He knew that Tristan just got to her first, but he couldn't help to feel a little jealous. But there were other ways to win her heart.

*~*~*

At lunchtime Rory sat down at an empty table in the cafeteria. Since she didn't like to wait in line, she brought her own lunch. She dropped her bag on the floor and got out one of her favorite books. She was just about to open it, when Jane and some of her friends joined her.

Jane: ''Hey Rory.''

R: ''Hey.''

Jane: ''Mind if we join you ?''

Rory shook her head and put the book back in her bag, a little disappointed, but glad at the same time. She really enjoyed spending time with Jane and her friends weren't that bad either, especially Camille. Brittany, Liz, Camille and Jane installed themselves and immediately the air around them was filled with laughter and girl-talk. Finally they stopped talking long enough for Jane to ask Rory something.

Jane: ''So, is it true ?''

Rory who didn't understand what she was talking about, looked at her with a look of confusion on her face.

R: ''What's true ?''

Both Brittany and Liz rolled their eyes when they heard her answer.

Jane: ''That you and Tristan are going out tonight ?''

R: ''Well, sort of. His friends are joining us.''

C: ''That still qualifies as a date.''

R: ''I never said it wasn't.''

Jane: ''So, you admit it ?''

R: ''Admit what ?''

B: ''What do you think ? To liking Tristan of course.''

Rory shrugged.

R: ''I don't know.''

Jane: ''Well, he definitely likes you.''

R: ''He does ?''

L: ''Duh ! Isn't it obvious ? He asked you out on a date.''

C: ''Yeah, Tristan only does that when he really likes someone.''

B: ''Don't you like him ?''

R: ''Sort of, I don't know him that well.''

L: ''So ? Don't you have eyes ? I mean he's like the hottest guy around.''

B: ''And he's popular.''

R: ''I didn't agree to go out with him, because he's popular or because he's hot.''

B: ''Then why did you ?''

Rory shrugged again.

R: ''There's something about him.''

L: ''Yeah, his body !''

Brittany and Liz started to laugh.

C: ''Don't mind them, they're obsessed with guys.''

R: ''I hadn't noticed yet.''

Jane smiled and moments later the girls were talking and giggling again. Rory occasionally said something, but most of the times she just listened to their conversation about make-up, clothes and most important boys. Camille and Jane threw a new subject into the conversation every now and then, but before they knew it Brittany and Liz were talking about boys again. At one point Rory couldn't stand it anymore and got up.

Jane: ''Where are you going ?''

R: ''Library.''

Jane: ''See you later.''

R: ''Bye.''

She made her way out of the cafeteria and was glad when she was standing in the empty hall. She didn't think she could stand another minute of their conversation that she couldn't relate too. She tightened her grip around her bag and checked her watch to see how much time she had left. She decided to go to the library. It wasn't that hard to find. As soon as she placed a foot in the library, she knew that she would be spending all her lunches here from now on. She walked past the tables and installed herself on the window-sill of one of the big windows in the library. She got out her book and started to read, while the sun was making her hair seem like gold. She ignored everyone and everything, until the bell rung she wasn't getting up.

He saw her, sitting on a window-sill. Her eyes were shining. He didn't know if it was because of the sunlight or because of the book, but he didn't care. She looked beautiful. He slowly walked up to her and stopped in front of the window-sill.

When a shadow fell on Rory's book, she looked up and was surprised to see Jess standing next to her.

R: '''Hi.''

She smiled, forgetting about her book for a minute.

J: ''What are you doing here ?''

R: ''Glad to see you too.''

Rory rolled her eyes, which made Jess smile slightly.

R: ''I'm reading.''

J: ''Popularity not treating you well ?''

R: ''I don't wanna be popular, I just wanna read.''

J: ''If you haven't noticed yet, Jane and her friends are popular, so that automatically makes you popular.''

R: ''Fine, then I'm a popular girl who's reading a book. Besides they're really nice once you get to know them.''

J: ''Right.''

The bell rang and Rory sighed. So much for reading. She got up from the window-sill, standing only inches away from Jess.

J: ''Good luck with your date.''

R: ''How did you know ?''

Jess smirked.

J: ''News travels fast here, especially with the social butterflies at this school.''

R: ''I've gotta get to class.''

J: ''Who's stopping you ?''

R: ''You. You're standing in my way, making it impossible for me to leave. If I'm late for class it's your fault.''

Jess took a step aside so that she could pass.

J: ''Then you better hurry.''

R: ''Bye Jess.''

She shot him one last look before she head to class. Jess followed her with his eyes until she was out of sight and smiled. The way she said his name made him want to smile. He sat down on the window-sill where she had been sitting only moments before and got a book out of his pocket. Hoping that the social butterflies wouldn't ruin her purity and innocence.