Authors: Summer and Joan

Title: Whispered Existence

Rating: R

Chapter Title: Muted Words

Chapter Summary: Rory talks with Tristan, then Samantha and Alex show up.

Dedication: To the trories at ORG.

Authors' Notes:

Heh, there's no point in a note this time. But, anyway, there's a break in the lightning so I'm not afraid to touch the computer so I might as well type something. So, um, yeah. Hope you like this chapter. Yeah, I know that was completely pointless.

-Summer, the manic outliner

I'd have to say this is my favorite chapter so far. There's a lot of good dialogue ahead. Summer and I worked hard on this, as always. I hope everyone partying at ORG with me loves it! :D

-Joan, the self proclaimed review whore

Rory was looking over her journalism notes when she heard the doorbell ring. She sighed, pushing the notebook off her lap, standing up. "Coming," she called, although there was no way the person on the other side of the door could hear her.

She scrambled down the hallway toward the door, swinging it open. "Come in." She paused when she saw who it was. "Um, hi, Tristan."

Tristan stood in the doorway, his head tilted to the side. "Are those Oreos?" he asked, as if he hadn't heard her greeting.

"Huh?" Rory asked, completely confused. Tristan gestured to her pajamas and she nodded. "Yeah. Between me and my mother, I think we have every outfit that has anything to do with food."

Tristan smiled. "So, you still planning on letting me in?"

Rory realized she was still standing in front of the door. "Um, yeah," she said, stepping aside quickly. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I came looking for Alex. Seen her around?" Tristan poked his head into the living room, as if he expected her to be there.

"She's not here," Rory said, stating the obvious. "I actually don't know where she is."

"Oh."

"Do you need her for something important?" Rory asked, sitting back down on the couch.

Tristan shook his head, sitting down on the opposite end. "Not really."

"Well, you're welcome to wait for her here. I have to study though, so…"

"I'll be quiet."

Half an hour passed. Rory looked over the third page of her journalism notes for the fifth time, not absorbing any of it. She looked up at Tristan. "What's going on?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you've waited half an hour. Generally, someone would just leave a message with a roommate or something. Or leave and call later. But you're still here."

"Yeah. I guess I should get going. I just wanted to invite her to a party."

"What? No Sam?"

"Eh, you're lucky she didn't hear you call her that. And no. No Samantha." Tristan turned toward Rory, shrugging. "She's out. I don't know where."

"Huh. And I would've thought you'd always know where she is."

"What makes you think that?" Tristan asked, frowning.

Rory shrugged. "I don't know. You guys just seemed really close. I thought you would've-"

"She always knows where I am. I just don't always know where she is. I trust Samantha."

"Cool." Rory paused. "You know I wasn't saying you shouldn't trust her, right? Because that's not what I meant… at all."

"Yeah, I know. Well, I was going to go to a party with her. But she wasn't there, so I figured I'd ask Alex."

"And she's not here."

Tristan laughed. "Right. So… do you want to go?"

"Third choice? Should I feel flattered?"

"I didn't mean-"

"No, no. I know. I was just joking." Rory looked over at Tristan. "I can't go to the party. I wouldn't know anyone anyway. Plus, I'm going to visit Paris."

Tristan's eyes widened. "She's…here?"

"Yes. Yes she is." Rory smirked. "Not expecting that?"

Tristan shook his head. "No. Not at all. She's like a leech. Always around. There's no getting rid of her."

Rory frowned. "She's a nice person. You don't have to be so-"

"I didn't mean it that way. I just meant… with the obvious exception of my time in military school, she's been in almost every single one of my classes since… well, since forever."

"Yeah, well Chilton's like that."

Tristan sighed, checking his watch. "You sure you don't want to come to the party? It could be fun."

"Yeah. I'm sure."

"Okay. Bye then, Rory."

"Bye."

Rory watched as Tristan stood up and walked away. After a moment, she stood up herself, walking down the hallway to her room. She sighed, opening her door. This whole friendship thing with Tristan was going to be weird. She pulled off her pajamas, changing into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

Rory heard the key turn in the door and looked up from her novel, Amoral Union, to see who was at the door. "Hey Alex," she said cheerfully.

Alex walked into the room. "Hey Ror, I'm exhausted. "

She plopped down onto the couch, as Rory noticed someone behind her. "Oh, hi Samantha."

"Hello Lorelai," she replied, "Do you mind? I need to talk to my friend, Alex." She put an emphasis on my friend, Rory noticed.

"Actually, I do mind. In case you haven't noticed, I'm studying here." Rory turned towards Alex, "Oh, Tristan came by looking for you."

"Okay. Thanks," she replied.

"Tristan?" Samantha said incredulously, "Why the hell was he here?"

Rory shrugged. She'd learned from her experience with Francie that it was best to be in control of the situation. She wasn't about to let Samantha get to her. "He just wanted to talk to Alex, I guess."

"But he ended up talking to you?"

"Yup. He mostly just waited for Alex, but eventually gave up. I was studying, just as I am trying to do right now. You know how we went to high school together, right?"

Samantha's eyes darted around the room, taking in the beat up LAZ boy chair Rory was in, the 3 year old TV Gregg brought from his room at home, and the scruffed coffee table covered in Rory's books. "Yes, Tristan told me all about it. He teased you?" She smiled smugly, as if to show off how close she and Tristan were and how nerdy Rory was.

'I bet he didn't tell her everything,' Rory thought to herself. She sharply inhaled and turned to Alex. "Alex, do you know what time it is?"

She glanced towards her watch, "five thirty."

"Shit!" cried Samantha, "Listen girls, I gotta run. Call me, Alex!" With a flip of her hair and a click of her heels, she was gone.

Alex looked at the closing front door and then back at Rory. "Wow, You dealt with her on your first try better than Madison can even now. I'm impressed."

Rory wasn't quite sure if she was being sarcastic or not. Alex continued," Yeah, Samantha's a total bitch."

Rory chuckled, "Yeah, that's pretty obvious."

They were silent for a moment. Rory spoke, "So, did you guys go shopping or something?"

"No. Samantha's a pain in the ass to shop with. Even if I did go shopping with her, she'd insist on Tristan coming with us."

"Why?"

"So he'd pay and carry her bags."

"That's…uh, taking advantage of him." Rory remembered book shopping with Jess. She never would make him pay. Dean, however, would've insisted on it. She figured Tristan would insist on it, too. But Samantha forcing him to, was just a tad ornery.

Alex shook her head, "I'm not even going to continue talking about them. Frankly, I think they make a cute couple and all that but…."

"But?"

She sighed, "I don't really like Samantha. She's just like this total bitch to everyone."

"Well, yeah. I could tell."

"She always has to know where Tristan is and what he's doing. They've been together for about six months and ever since their second date, 99% of his cell phone calls have been from her. It's insane. Give him a moment with his friends, for once. If they are friends who are girls there, she jumps to conclusions. Ick. She bugs me."

"I can tell. So, if you hate her so much, why do you hang out with her?"

"Tristan."

"Makes you?"

"No, he'd never do that."

"So what then?"

"Tristan and I go way back. Our brothers are friends."

"Oh."

"Yeah, they were roommates here. Well, not in this condo, but they did share an apartment for their four years. Basically, if she wasn't Tristan's girlfriend, I wouldn't put up with all her shit. It's kinda just a courtesy to Tristan that I'm friends with her."

"Well, that's nice of you. I don't know that I could put up with her for so long."

Alex shrugged, "I've gotten used to her."

"Um, sorry for being repetitive, but what time is it? I have to meet someone back at the dorms at five."

"You better go then. It's five-fifty."

"'Kay. Bye!" Rory picked up her purse and keys and walked towards the door.

"See ya! Have fun."

Rory walked out the door and in the direction of Paris' dorm.