Welcome to chapter 3, the one where our foursome gets separated into two pairs. Read on for laughter, surprises, romance, and a revelation (well, to some people, anyway). Thanks for all your reviews, and don't forget to review again at the end! Enjoy.

***

He refused to look at her. Minutes stretched by without a glance, nor speech, nor action of any kind. Hostility cracked between them.

Eventually, Jess got up, reached into the trunk of the car, and pulled a beer out of the icebox. He drank, ignoring Paris.

"Are you going to offer me one?"

"I didn't think you drank," Jess replied.

"Well, considering the vile company I have, insobriety suddenly seems like a good option."

"Ouch." Jess turned to look at her. "Been working on that sarcasm?"

"Oh, yes." Paris adopted a wide-eyed expression of completely innocence. "I spend as much time working on it and refining it as you do on your hair every morning."

Jess grinned. Paris felt somehow affronted.

"Oh, not sulking any more?"

Jess put up his hands, as if to say 'I surrender'.

"Here." He tossed her a beer. "Truce?"

"Fine," she replied ungraciously.

***

"No, Tristan, I don't want to hitch a ride with some unknown and possible axe-wielding stranger, just so you don't have to walk another 10 minutes to the gas station."

"Oh, come on. My feet are tired."

Rory ignored him. It was actually quite easy to tune out his whingeing. You just had to know the keywords, like 'tired', 'feet' and 'I'm too good looking to be…' and block them out.

She continued.

"And besides, the chances of a car passing this stretch of road in the next minute and offering to give us a ride are slim to none."

"That's not true." Tristan paused. "And let me just say this. If I were a driver, I'd pick you up any day."

"Is that meant to be a compliment?"

Tristan nodded seriously, looking at Rory, who after a moment looked away. Unable to help it, she smiled to herself.

The two walked on, side-by-side, but not touching. Neither wanted to break the comfortable silence. Rory was lost in her thoughts. Not of the future, but of the past, which as always seem rose-tinted.

***

Back at the car, Jess and Paris were getting a little tipsy, running through their partners since they had last met.

"Just Jamie, well before we broke up. No one since then."

Jess raised his eyebrows.

"What, since Chilton?" Paris nodded.

"Well, I was with him on and off." Paris took another swig. "He was very…indecisive about what he wanted, let's just say. You?"

"Since Rory?" Jess frowned. "Let's see…there was Celeste, Tina, that Polish girl Anna, Melissa, Sera, Kathryn the service station chick, Alicia, Bonnie…that was long term, I think about 3 months, and finally Carman the redhead. Before Mira, that is."

"That's charming. What was it, speed dating? A relationship drive-thru?"

"What can I say?" Jess shrugged.

***

Tristan leant against the payphone, idly dialling a number he had written on a scrap of paper. Rory, over the rack of chocolates and crisps, watched him out of the corner of her eye. For amusement only, she told herself.

"Sophia?" He paused for a moment, listening. "Oh, I know, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" He smiled. "I've missed you too."

Rory felt an unwelcome feeling bubble up inside her. Was it anger? Or something more inexplicable? She turned away.

"Alright!" Tristan put down the receiver. "They're on their way," he said, excitedly.

"Both of them?" Tristan nodded. "How long will they be?" Rory asked anxiously.

"Oh, not long. A couple of hours, maybe."

Rory nodded.

"That's good," she said. Tristan thought he heard a note of despondency in her voice. "Can I use the phone?"

"Sure."

***

About 10 minutes later, Jess and Paris were well on their way to staggering around muttering incomprehensible things. In other words, drunk. Their conversation, in between long stretches of morose silence, was getting personal.

"Still got the hots for Blondie, huh?"

Paris shot Jess a weak glare.

"You're hardly one to talk about infita, infato…infatuation yourself."

Jess' expression was one of incomprehension. This annoyed Paris, who tutted loudly.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Nope. Don't."

"Yes…" Paris' head bobbed up and down in indignation. "You do!"

"'fraid not."

Paris lifted herself up to her not-very-imposing height. She wobbled a little.

"Rory," she said, and watched Jess' head slump a little.

***

A female voice, slinky and voluptuous, said 'Hello?'

"Uh…" Rory was momentarily confused. Perhaps she had dialled the wrong number. "Is James there, by any chance?"

The voice turned cold. "Who is this?"

"It's Rory Gilmore." Something in her, insecurity, maybe, made her add "His girlfriend." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tristan chatting up the girl at the counter.

There were some shuffling noises in the background: girlish giggling and hushed voices talking hurriedly.

"Hello?" It was James. "Rory, is that you?"

"James? Where are you?" And who was that girl, she wanted to ask.

"I'm, uh, over at my cousin's. Family troubles, what can I say?" He laughed, hollowly.

"Oh." Rory paused. "So, when do you think you'll be getting to the beach house?"

"Um…soon, I, uh…I gotta go Rory."

"Okay, then. Bye Ja–" The line went dead.

The phone went beep-beep in her ear and she hung up, hesitatingly.

***

Clusters of empty bottles lay around the car's wheels, and one heck of a hangover was in store for the two in the morning, but for now, Paris was resolute. She would get him to admit it, even if it took the rest of the night.

"Just admit it."

"No. Not true."

"Well, it's pretty obvious." Paris was determined to get it out of him.

"How can it be obvious," Jess said, lounging in the backseat, "if it's false?" Even when he was drunk, he didn't seem it. Though his words did tend to slur a little.

"Jess." Paris said in a low, intense voice. "I've seen the proof. The looks when you think no one is watching, the accidental touching, not to mention the jealousy."

Jess shook his head slowly, losing his balance as he did so.

"Admit it!"

Jess sighed. His eyes fluttered, slowly, as they closed.

"Alright. You're right."

He turned away, but Paris wasn't through yet.

"Right about what?"

There was a pause, and for a second Paris thought that he had fallen asleep.

"Huh. I, uh…never did get over Rory," he said quietly.

Paris nodded, satisfied.

***

Rory's head spun, like the ground had been cut out from under her. This sneaking suspicion, the whisper of doubt grew in her mind.

"What's wrong?"

"I…I get the feeling that something's, uh, not right." Rory looked up at him, and Tristan was shocked to see tears pooling up in her eyes.

"Is it to do with James?"

"Mm-hmm. I mean, no, nothing. It's nothing." She shook her head quickly, embarrassed by the way Tristan was looking at her. "We'd better get back. It's getting pretty late."

"Wonder what Paris and Jessica have been getting up to?"

"Knowing the both of them," Rory replied, "it would be some kind of cruel and unusual torture."

***

Well, that's it for now. You can look for the next chapter in about 4 days. Maybe 3 if I feel motivated, because I'm a bit lazy. Anyway, next chapter, they finally get to the beach house and the fun really starts… but its 'bye' for now. Oh, and don't forget to review! :)