CHAPTER 11
"How did we get to this?" Rory gasped as she came up for air.
"You tell me," Tristin challenged her as he nibbled her bottom lip.
It had only been a little over an hour since the Model Congress Group had been introduced to the Yale student body and its faculty. It went without a hitch with the exception of Rory dreading the possibility that she would get sick mid-speech and interview. The lights wilted her and her shoes killed her back. But Tristin, the Good Samaritan he was, insisted on walking her back to her room and get into more comfortable clothing. Rory was too happy to oblige. Currently, they are in a coat closet in a fraternity house making out.
"You know, this reminds me so much of high school," he mused.
"I don't recall having this much fun then," Rory said. "However, I thought it was rather disgusting to see you emerge from a janitor's closet every now and then."
"Well if you actually gave in to me in our short time together at Chilton, you would've probably known what goes behind those walls," he leered.
"You're gross," Rory muttered. "I leave that to you and your nasty minions."
"But now that you're part of the exclusive Closet Club, wouldn't you have wished you were part of it a long time ago?' he teased.
"Why does it always have to be sexual between us? Are we so blinded that sex and foreplay is all that's between us?" Rory asked him.
"I'm rather upset that you think that's all that's between us," Tristin acted insulted. "We've had our fair share of verbal sparring."
"Yeah, so you could get a rise out of me," Rory guffawed.
"So that I could actually have an intellectual conversation with someone and not think that they're conversing with me to get me to notice them," he corrected.
"Chilton was full of smart people. It's a smart school!" Rory argued.
"Yes, but skirts and pants still had meaning. Women in that school were bred to become trophy wives while the men were cultured to become successful entrepreneurs. But no matter what breed you come from, we're all mammals and sex is still sex. You are naïve if you think that because Chilton is a school full of bright people that they attended it for the education. They went there because it's an in-breeding crowd," he suggested.
Rory felt sick to her stomach just thinking about what Tristin told her. He always made her think twice about things she perceived. Maybe that's what made them click. Then for a second, Rory started feeling physically ill.
"Tristin, I have to tell you something," Rory hesitantly responded.
"What is it?" he asked as he nibbled her neck.
"I-," Rory started saying when the closet door went flying as two people tried to enter it.
"Oh, excuse me," the giggling voice apologized.
Tristin and Rory could not see the face immediately but the voice caught their attention.
"Madeline?" Tristin and Rory chorused.
"I thought you didn't know any one here?" her male companion asked angrily. Madeline did not mind her companion.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Madeline responded.
Madeline's make out partner walked away upset. Rory and Tristin followed him out with their eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Rory finally asked as she concentrated on the woman standing in front of her. Madeline extended her arms and Rory accepted the hugs she offered.
"Well, since Louise and I have been kicked out of college for now, we've decided to party ourselves out until we can get back in," Madeline shrugged.
"Why did you get kicked out?" Tristin asked, giving Madeline a peck on the cheek and a hug.
"Remember when you saw us last spring break? Well, Louise and I never made it back for the rest of the school year. So now, she and I took a job working alongside an interior decorator and I think we're just going to be doing that whole Trading Spaces thing," she explained as she walked out of the closet with the couple. "That or marry rich."
"So are you planning to get back to school?" Rory asked, ignoring her last statement.
"I can get back to Brown next year and I'd be on probationary. Louise had better grades than I did so she can go back to Sarah Lawrence by next semester but she, too, would be on probationary," Madeline informed them. "Enough about me. It's about time you horn dogs got together. How did this happen?"
"Oh the usual: Friday kegger, a couple of roofies and then we threw caution to the wind," Tristin teased as he swaggered in place.
"You're so full of yourself," Rory said as she elbowed him. "Don't believe a word he says."
"There you are!" Another female voice came out from the group's periphery. "My, my, and the hits keep on coming."
"Louise! What a surprise!" Rory exclaimed, hugging the blonde before her.
"It is! I thought you were going to be in your Podunk town," Louise said.
"Not tonight. I had a date to keep," Rory responded.
"And what a fine date he his," Louise said, eyeing Tristin from head to toe.
"You know I am immune to your charms," Tristin chuckled as he gave Louise a hug a kiss on the cheek.
"But I will eventually break you down," Louise threatened. "So what's going on between you two?"
"Absolutely nothing," Rory claimed.
"I didn't know making out in the closet is considered 'absolutely nothing'," Madeline squealed.
"Mary, you were making out with the King in the closet? My, my, it's a small world after all," Louise quipped. "If nothing's between you two, can I sneak in a couple of make out sessions with Tristin?"
"Absolutely not," Tristin objected. "I am a kept man," he responded as he went behind Rory and wrapped his arms around her waist. Rory just about passed out when his hands grazed her belly.
Rory started sweating. "You are delusional," she said to Tristin, wondering why he made such a claim. "So, where are you guys staying? Have you seen Paris?" Rory asked to hide her initial stiffness. She secretly loved the way Tristin held her. She wished she could just snuggle up to him and rest on his chest. She could feel his lips on the back of her head.
"Oh yeah. We dragged Paris out of your room. Can you believe her? She didn't even know there was a party going on," Madeline chuckled. "She should be around somewhere. Wasn't she with you?" she asked Louise.
"Yeah, until I found this yummy specimen of manhood and I had to follow him around. Paris went looking for something to drink," Louise said offhandedly.
"There you are! I've been looking all around for you guys!" Graham said in relief, handing Tristin a beer and Rory some Ginger ale.
"Hello there," Louise said, strutting toward Graham and jutting her chest out. "I've been admiring you the whole evening."
Rory got the hint that the 'yummy specimen' she was referring to was none other than Graham.
"Uh, hi," Graham said, blushing. He gave a quizzical glance at Rory and Tristin.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Tristin shook his head. "Madeline, Louise, I would like to introduce you to my cousin, Graham. Graham, these are more of my former high school classmates: Madeline and Louise."
"Shut up. He's your cousin?" Louise responded in disbelief. "The apples from your tree look ravishing," Louise implied; the sexual undertones stressing 'ravishing'.
"The small world is getting smaller," Madeline smirked.
"Ah, nice meeting you. Tris, can I borrow Rory for a while?" he asked timidly.
Tristin didn't want to let go of Rory but he reluctantly allowed her to slip away from him. "Yeah. Just bring her back in one piece."
"I don't think she'd function as well if she were hacked up into pieces," Graham responded. He took Rory by the hand and pulled her to a quieter side of the room.
"Where were you? I was sick and worried!" he chided.
"You didn't have to. You knew I was with Tristin," Rory answered like a child being scolded.
"Knowing your history with my cousin, I wouldn't know whether to start a search party or just leave you guys alone," he huffed. He preferred to think of the first suggestion rather than the second when she was involved.
"I'm fine, okay?" Rory said as she looked at where the other three convened.
"Have you eaten?' he asked.
"Graham, you are not the father of this child. Give it a rest," she demanded.
"I may not be but someone has to look out for you," he said with a hint of disappointment.
"I can look out for myself," she muttered.
"Have you told him yet?" he asked.
"Not that it's a concern of yours, but no, I haven't told him yet," she informed him.
"Are you going to?" he asked again.
"Eventually. If I don't, he'll find out sooner than later," she stated the obvious.
"I am so afraid that something would happen to you," he said in a tone of concern.
"I'll be fine, Graham. You'll see," she said as she hugged him for comfort.
"Promise?" he returned her embrace.
"Promise," she uttered back.
"You have to promise me that you would keep away that stalker chick friend of yours," he threatened.
"Don't mind Louise. Her bark is louder than her bite. She's a real sweetheart if you get to know her. Madeline's a sweetie, too. And she barks and bites less. There's nothing to worry about," Rory diffused his fear.
"Hey, I was hoping to see you here," a drunken Paris wobbled toward them.
"Hi, Paris. What's up?" Rory asked.
"The ceiling," she responded. "Jello shots are cool but they're not filling up my tummy. Let's go get some pizza."
Graham and Rory laughed. Paris just gave them a perplexed look. The sound of their amusement caught the attention of the other three. Tristin had the Betty and Veronica look-alikes draped on each arm. "What's going on here?" he asked.
"Tristin! So nice to see you again," Paris yelled out as she gave him an inebriated hug. "You know, you need to give some major loving to this girl," she pointed out Rory. "She's too uptight. Get her laid or something."
"Okay, Paris, thank you for the editorial," Rory blushed as she silenced her roommate.
"Rory, give me a hug," Paris coaxed her.
"Do we get a repeat of some girl-on-girl tongue action?" Louise implied.
"What?" Graham said in surprise.
"Long story. Let's go get pizza," Rory nipped the question in the bud.
The two girls switched male partners and clung on to Graham as they ushered Paris out of the frat house. Rory grabbed Tristin's arm.
"So, what were you going to tell me in the closet before we got rudely interrupted?" he asked her.
Feigning ignorance, she said, "I forgot what I was going to tell you."
"Maybe it's not that important?' he asked again.
'If you only knew,' she said to herself. "Maybe. Now let's get something to eat."
Off they went in search of food. That night, the six of them ended up camping in Rory and Paris' suite until the wee hours of the morning.