Author's Note 2004/05/23: Here is another chapter.  Hope you enjoy it!  Special thanks to Rae for the help on editing this chapter.

The Thin Line Between Love And Hate
Chapter 8: I Don't Like Mondays

Waiting for the bus to come and pick her up, Rory watches Dean from afar, feeling sorry for the way things ended between them and hoping that they could still be friends.  As the bus stops in front of her, she slowly climbs inside, wondering what this day will bring her.  She felt anxious, nervous and uncertain of the way she should act around Tristan, because over night--after having many dreams of kissing Tristan--she realised that it would be harder to ignore Tristan, than she originally thought.  She is well aware that if anything else, she feels a strong attraction toward Tristan, she sighs deeply as the bus drives her to Chilton.  Opening her book, Rory tries to concentrate on reading.

Tristan is leaning against his locker, talking with his former friends and noting that after being away for a year, nothing changed.  The guys still want to be around him while the girls still smile and wink at him as they try to catch his attention.  As he feigns listening to the conversation going on around him, Tristan averts his attention elsewhere, eyes seeking the masses of people walking in the halls, trying to find one particular girl.  Not wanting the guys to find out that he has no idea what they are talking about, he makes his timed "Hu-hum."

When the guys around him burst into laughter, Tristan finally snaps out of his reverie and pays attention to them.  "What?"

"You completely spaced out.  I just asked you if you would like to go out on a date with me and you accepted."

Tristan pretends to laugh as well, "Well, I was just trying to figure out who my next conquest will be."

"Already finished with Caroline?"

Tristan smirks as he picks his bag up, "Yeah, she was way too easy for me."  With that, he leaves the guys to go to his first class.

Entering the classroom early, Tristan looks at the people occupying the seats. Not seeing anyone he's interested in sitting close to, he walks to the side of the room near the back where there are four empty desks.  After selecting the seat that he thinks he will prefer having for the rest of the year, Tristan sits down, waiting for the bell to ring.

Entering the classroom, Caroline places her bag on the desk that one of her friends saved her and continues to walk towards Tristan's desk.  Caroline sits on his desk, smiling seductively.  "I wanted to speak to you."

Looking bored as his eyes remained watching the doorway, Tristan answers sharply, "Should I care?"

Students are filling the desks around them, some whispering that Tristan and Caroline are now dating seriously, others saying that he or she probably is using the other one. "Well, I'll give you one more chance to stay quiet about yesterday." 

Rory enters the classroom, seeking an empty desk. There is only three left, one is in the back corner—a place that she has always tried to avoid, the other two are either in front or beside Tristan.  Thinking that she would have less trouble concentrating on the teacher's lesson if she had to turn around to look at him, she decides to sit in front of him. 

Caroline continues her little speech, "So, I'll give you two choices; my place, or yours?"

Tristan is intensely looking at Rory's hair, as he replies, "Neither.  Told you I have a girlfriend.  The last thing I want to do is cheat on her."

Coldness seizes Rory as she feels surprisingly sad and disheartened as she hears Caroline's response. "Then I feel sorry for your little girlfriend as you have already cheated on her.  I'll make sure to crush her heart the way you crushed mine."

Tristan cocks an eyebrow and smirks. "Are we done yet?"

Before Caroline can answer, the teacher makes his entrance, "Everybody please take your seats."  When everyone was seated the teacher makes his introductions, "My name is Mr. Lombardo; I'll be your Economics teacher."  As he speaks, he gives a stack of paper to every student in the first row.  "This is the timesheet for this class.  As you can see, we have a really tight schedule."  The people in the first row each take a timesheet and passes the rest of the pile behind them.  Going to the person sitting in the rightmost corner of the front row, Mr. Lombardo puts a sheet on the desk, "Okay, the sheet that will circulate during the next few minutes, is for you to write your name in the square situating your desk.  The desk you are currently occupying will be yours for the rest of the year and I won't allow any changes."

Passing her stack of timesheet behind her, Rory feels Tristan taking her hand. Bending to be closer to the back of her head, he whispers, "So Mary, I guess we're stuck together 'til the end of the year."

Rory pulls her hand, groaning in frustration. A couple of minutes pass before Tristan starts playing with her hair.  Rory advances away from his reach, desperately trying to suppress the need to scream at him.  Hearing him chuckling, her irritation increases.  Tristan whispers, "Mary, chart."

Rory extends her hand behind her to take the paper. Putting the sheet on her desk, she sees a second sheet under the chart.  She writes her name on the chart, and passes it in front of her, ignoring the second paper.  As the teacher continues talking about all the 'exciting projects' they have to do over the year, curiosity strikes Rory.  Discretely, she takes discarded piece of paper, reading it.

I missed you yesterday,
I was waiting for you this morning but I didn't see you come in. 
Meet me for lunch on the bench where we used to talk.

Taking a pencil, she scribbles,

Why don't you forget about me and ask your girlfriend?  You know, the one you cheated on.

As the bell rings signalling the end of class is heard, Rory gathers her books, drops the paper on Tristan's desk and leaves for her next class—wishing that Tristan isn't in it.

The morning classes ended and to Rory's relief, she only shared her first period with Tristan.  After dropping her morning books in her locker, Rory is walking to the cafeteria when someone grabs her arm.  Turning to face the person holding her, she sees Tristan looking at her with pleading eyes.  "Come on Rory.  I can explain."

"I don't feel like dealing with you right now.  Go away Tristan."

Tristan backs Rory into the nearest locker, pressing his body against hers, "I don't want to go away."  With pleading eyes, "Come on, let me explain."

With cold eyes, Rory looks at Tristan, whispering, "We spent a nice evening Friday night, but it didn't mean anything since you already had a girlfriend and that you were with Caroline yesterday."

Caroline passes close by, laughing, "That was way too easy!  Just know that when she dumps you, you should come by my place and I'll make you whole again."  She leaves to join her friends, laughing hysterically.

Rory pushes Tristan away, tears glistening in her eyes. 

"Rory, wait!  I can explain."

Rory walks away without turning around.

Tristan has searched in every place he knows are Rory's favourite places.  Passing by Paris, Tristan asks, "Have you seen Rory anywhere?"

"Yeah I've seen her.  What have you done to her?  She went back home, unable to face you anymore today."

Tristan runs out of the building to the direction of the bus stop.

Rory wipes her eyes for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.  "How could I be such an idiot?  I've known from the beginning that I was just a challenge for him.  He must be laughing so hard right now.  Everybody is going to be laughing by the end of lunch."

"I don't think so."

Turning to see Tristan standing behind her, "I don't like you very much right now.  You have a girlfriend that you cheated on twice this weekend.  I can't trust you."

Tristan sits beside Rory, "You're not a game to me. You never were."

"That's a lie and you know it."

"Okay, maybe in the beginning you were a challenge."

"I knew it!"

"But you're not anymore, that changed a long time ago.  I like you."

"What about your girlfriend?"

Tristan takes Rory's hand, stroking it softly, "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Why would Caroline thinks you have one then?"

"Because I told her I had one."

"Why?"

"To get rid of her.  She came to see me yesterday, she wanted to… well, let's just say she came on to me."

"Are you saying that you rejected her?"

"You don't believe me?"

"It doesn't fit your personality."

"How would you know?  I was gone for a year! And even before that, it's not as if you really tried to get to know me!  You know what?  Let's just forget about it.  Just go back to your little town and floppy boyfriend."

As Tristan stands up, ready to leave, Rory takes his hand, pleading, "Tristan wait."  As she doesn't see him turn around but standing still, "Why did you reject her?"

Tristan takes a deep breath, pondering the best way to explain, "Because when she kissed me, I saw you.  I felt as if I was cheating on you."

Stunned, Rory doesn't move or say anything.  Tristan walks away, leaving Rory to assimilate the latest information.

Author's Note: That's it for today
Siaram