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Disclaimer: I don't own gilmore girls. teardrops

Chapter 4: Someone to Depend on

"Ursalyn has a team schedule," Tristan said as he walked Rory

through the school that morning. He had been assigned as her tour guide

after he had been goofing off in class. "Everybody has the same class

with everybody," he continued.

"So that means I'm stuck with you all day long?" Rory said

playfully.

"Isn't it your dream come true?" Tristan replied, smirking.

"Actually it is," Rory thought, biting her tongue to keep her

from saying it out loud.

"Okay Mary. Considering you will be following me around all day

I don't see the point in showing you around this whole school. I say we

blow this whole thing off and go out for coffee so you can tell me

exactly what you're doing here."

Rory thought about it for a minute. She had never really ditched

classes before. And it was only her first day at school. She would be

making a really bad impression ditching all her classes like that.

But Tristan did have a point, and she wanted to talk to him more than

anything in the world.

"Listen," Tristan said, reading her unsure expression. "There's

still 45 minutes left to Math, and then we have Study Hall followed by

snack. No one will miss us at Study Hall. We could be back by third

period. What do you say?"

"I'd like that," Rory said smiling, and with that they walked

off to Tristan's car and drove away to the nearest coffee shop.



*****

"So, tell my why you're here. I would have expected North

Carolina to be the last place I'd ever see you," Tristan said as

he set the coffee down at the table he and Rory were sitting at. There

were four cups- three for Rory, one for him.

"Well my mom bought an inn. So we're here," Rory said simply,

taking a sip of her black coffee.

"That's it? It's as simple as that? You're mom bought an inn?

Why not in Sleepy Hollow?"

"Stars Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is a legend," Rory corrected him.

"My mom just had the opportunity to buy an inn here. So she took it.

Now please explain to me what you are doing here? I mean, I remember

you telling me you were being sent off to North Carolina, but I thought

you were being banished to military school."

"Yah I was. And the whole thing sucked. A lot of the guys were

in there because they liked the challenge. But me, I'm different. It's

too strict. Plus, you know, there's no girls there."

Rory smiled. Tristan always would be Tristan. "So your parents

let you off the hook? Or did you run away?"

Tristan laughed. "No. They let me off at the end of Junior year

on 'good behavior' as my parents put it."

"Why didn't you return to Hartford?"

"I didn't want to go home. Too many questions. Too many people

I didn't want to see."

"Was I one of them?" Rory asked, half playfully, half serious.

"No," Tristan answered truthfully.

"So, where are you staying now?" Rory asked, not noticing the

longing in Tristan's eyes.

"My Aunt Jen has a summer house here and she's letting me stay

in it for as long as I want."

"All by yourself? Don't you get lonely?"



"Its no different than home. My parents are always off either

on buisness or on vacation. I was always alone. Well, except for all

the maids. Now, that's something I miss."

"So you don't have one?" Tristan shook his head. "Wow, I would

have never imagined you doing your own laundry."

Tristan laughed. "It's not exactly rocket science."

"I can't believe your Aunt trusts you, of all people, to stay

in her house all alone. No offense or anything," Rory said.

"Yup. It's awesome. I don't even have to sneak in the ladies!"

Tristan replied, smirking.

Rory smiled. "You'll never change will you?"

"Would you want me to?"

"Nope."

"Why? Mary likes the chances she has to get in bed with me?"

he answered playfully.

Rory sighed. "No, its more like I'm glad that even through

all the things changing in my life some things will never change. You

know, most people would say change is a good thing, but I think that

what I need right now is dependability. Its comforting to know you are

still the person I remember."

Tristan saw the pain in her eyes. "You know that you can talk

to me about anything. You can trust me, Rory. You'd be surprised at how

good a listener I am. And I probably give some good advice too, well, I

should at least or all of those visits to the shrink when I was a kid

was for nothing. Just know that I'm here for you."

Rory looked into his eyes and knew that even though he had

thrown in a joke he was dead serious. She could tell by the way he

called her 'Rory.'

"Thanks Tristan."

"No problem. Hey, we better be getting back to class now, snack

will be over in a few minutes."

"Sure. Oh, and for the record, I just wanted to say that I'm

really glad I came here."

"Oh? Why's that?" he questioned.

"Because I get to see you again."

Tristan looked into her beautiful blue eyes and smiled. "I'm

really glad to see you to."