Authors: Summer and Joan

Title: Whispered Existence

Rating: R

Chapter Title: Burning Questions

Chapter Summary: Talking with the roommates

Dedication: To all our wonderful reviewers. 'Cuz you're the reason we keep writing. And as Joan says, you fuel us.

Authors' Notes:

So, I have essentially nothing to say. Anyway, I love writing this. It's fun to write, because whenever I get bored, Joan thinks of something new, some little twist for a character, something to make me see it in a new light. She's the best co-author I could ask for.

-Summer, the manic outliner

Bah. I'm tired. Um, AN? Right. Hey everyone! Aw, Summer is too sweet. SHe is a better writer than me and I worship her. All hail Summer. Yes, you should do that in the many reviews I want.

-Joan, the self proclaimed review whore

Rory put her laptop on sleep and zipped it safely back into its case. As she walked towards the exit, her eyes met with Noel's. They smiled at each other. Nervously, she gripped the strap of her laptop case. His eyes slowly trailed over her body, not once but twice.

Rory faintly remembered Lorelai telling her the importance of the twice over versus the once over. She recalled that Lorelai had said it was much more important, and meant the guy truly had a thing for you.

Shaking her head, she slipped from the room.

Rory shifted the laptop case so it was resting between her body and the condo door. She opened the flap of the case, pulling out the key to the condo. As she was about to insert the key into the lock the door opened.

"Wow," Gregg jumped back, his eyes widening. "Uh, I didn't know you were there. I was just going to go get a newspaper…"

Rory smiled. "Sorry if I freaked you out. I was just coming back… from class. What time did your classes for today end?"

"Um, I have a class in a little bit, actually. I just came home between classes." He stepped to the side, allowing Rory to come in.

Rory walked past him toward the kitchen. Setting her laptop on the kitchen table, she turned back to Gregg. "Is there any food here?" she asked, opening a cabinet.

"Um, next cabinet down. There's pretzels, chips, Cheez-Its… that kind of thing."

Rory nodded, opening the cabinet and taking a bag of pretzels out. "Want some?" she asked, sitting down at the table.

Gregg nodded, sitting down across from her. "Yeah, sure." She offered the bag to him and he took a handful. "So, not to sound all motherly, but how was your first day of college?"

Rory shrugged. "Good. I guess."

"Meet any cute guys?"

Rory raised an eyebrow. "Not in my classes. Well, one of my professors was cute. Kind of."

"A professor. So, you're into that older guy thing? You know, the ones with dental plans and everything."

Rory smiled. "No. Not a professor, really. A teacher's assistant. But the professor's out because of a surgery, so he's the only one teaching."

"What's his name?"

She paused. "Noel Bradford."

Gregg's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah. He's cute. Seems smart, too. Which means he's probably gay." Rory froze. "Um, I didn't mean…"

Gregg laughed. "Hey, no problem. And he's not."

"What? How do you know that?"

"I just do."

Rory nodded. "Okay." She looked over at Gregg, not saying anything else.

"Just ask it."

"What?" Rory's eyes widened.

"I can tell you have a question. I won't be offended. I promise. Just ask it. We're going to be living together, and you shouldn't have to be curious all the time or whatever so…"

Rory sighed. "You're very perceptive, Gregg."

"And you're trying to avoid asking me a question."

"Yeah, I am." Rory paused. "You're sure you won't be offended."

"As long as you don't ask me what kind of freak I think I am, no, I won't be offended."

Rory smiled, shaking her head. "Fine." She paused again. "How did you know?" she blurted out quickly.

"That Noel isn't gay. Because he flirts with half the girls in the class. That was simple."

"No. I meant…"

"How did I know I was gay…"

"Yeah."

Gregg paused. "Um, I came out when I was sixteen. I'd gone to a party, and um… anyway, I'd kind of had feelings for this friend of mine for a while, but I ignored them. And you've probably heard that alcohol lowers inhibitions." Gregg glanced down at the table.

"Oh, Gregg. You don't have to go into this if you don't want-"

Gregg shook his head quickly. "No, it's okay. It was years ago. Um, anyway. I ended up kissing my friend, who of course kind of freaked out and didn't talk to me for weeks afterwards. I told my parents about a week after that."

Rory sighed, leaning forward. "How'd they take it?"

"My mom was cool. She was supportive, reassured me she still loved me. You know, said everything right. My dad… not so much. He yelled, china was broken, crying began."

"Oh."

"He said he didn't want "no faggot" living under his roof. He never actually kicked me out, but we haven't really talked since then."

"I'm sorry."

"I am too." Gregg paused. "Um, anyway. A guy called for you today. That cute friend of Alex's. Tristan, I think."

Rory's eyes widened, both shocked by the sudden topic change and the news of Tristan's call. "Um, okay then. Did he say what he wanted?"

Gregg shook his head. "Just said to have you call him."

Tristan felt a shaking in his pocket. His cell phone. He got up from the table at the coffee shop and excused himself from his friends. Stepping outside, he answered the phone, "Hello? Tristan DuGrey speaking."

"Uh, hi. This is Rory. Rory Gilmore, formerly known as Mary? Gregg told me you called?"

"Oh, hey. Yeah, I called. I just wanted to talk to you about….." he felt his voice trailing off. There was no way he could skip around this issue. He might as well cut to the chase already.

"About?" Rory prompted him, the curiosity evident in her tone.

"I, uh, I know I was a jerk to you in high school. I'm sorry. Really. I just wanted to know if we could put that behind us. We're both friends of Al's and knowing her, it'd be hard to avoid each other. It's completely pointless, really. I guess I wanted to ask if we could be friends."

"Friends? Us?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I really am. You have to believe me when I say I've changed. Military school was an interesting experience, to say the least. It was a shock after Chilton. Sure, I may still be the arrogant rich jerk you think of me as, but I'm eighteen now. I've obviously matured along with being able to legally buy my cigarettes."

He could tell he had taken her aback from her lack of reply. Tristan knew it was a slightly odd thing to say, but it had to be brought up sometime. Might as well be now. He sighed, "Rory?"

She hesitated, "Yeah. We can be friends. Like, it's unavoidable, right? Um. I gotta go."

Tristan heard a click from the other end. He pressed the end button, deeply exhaling. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he re-entered the Mud House.

Rory was surprised by Tristan's revelation. She knew she couldn't say no, though. It would be pointless and threaten both of their relationships with Alex. There was no point dragging her into the twisted past that was Rory's years at Chilton.

Besides, they'd see each other around campus. Maybe while buying coffee, books, whatever. Getting meals. His presence was unavoidable.

Try as she might to convince herself otherwise, she knew it wouldn't hurt to have him as a friend. There were no stuck lockers at Yale, they didn't even have lockers!

Rory, however, couldn't shake the feeling that this was out of character for him. She could clearly remember him labeling her virgin Mary. Was that what this was about? Was he trying to get her in bed? She could have believed that in high school.

But now, he had a steady girlfriend. She looked like she was happy with him and vice-versa.

Oh well. There was no point in over analyzing this. Maybe he really did just want to be friends. Maybe not.

"I have to leave now. I have a class."

Rory glanced up at Gregg. "Okay. Have fun." She smiled weakly, thinking about their earlier conversation. "Meet a hot guy."

Gregg laughed, grabbing his laptop. "Yeah. I hope I do."

Rory smiled, watching him walk away.

A moment later, a door slammed. Rory looked up as Jade entered the room, pulling her hair down. "This sucks," she said, walking into the room.

"Excuse me?" Rory asked hesitantly, not wanting Jade to flip out on her.

"There's a clinic that was just set fire to a few miles away. People are so ignorant." Jade rolled her eyes angrily.

Rory frowned. "Why'd they set fire to it?"

"Because they gave some woman an abortion the other day. Big deal. it's none of their goddamned business anyway." She sighed. "Could you toss me that shirt?"

Rory picked up a black shirt from the top of a pile of laundry, reading Pro-Child, Pro-Choice. "Do you have a shirt for every occasion?"

"Um, yeah, pretty much."

Jade pulled the shirt over her head, then grabbed a pair of chopsticks, pushing her hair back into a messy bun and thrusting them in. "What time is it?"

"Um, almost 7."

"Shit. The rally starts at 7. Gotta go. Nice talking to you, Lori."

"Rory," Rory corrected meekly, watching as Jade started to walk away.

Jade stopped, turning back. "Right. Rory." She smiled.