A/N: You may notice a little bit of familiar dialogue in this part. I put it there on purpose because it's just so Trory. :)

Chapter Five

"So you and Tristan are pretty close these days," Paris commented as she approached Rory at her locker.

"Nice to see you too, Paris," Rory said patiently, knowing she Paris wasn't just making passing conversation.

Paris still hadn't forgiven her over the date thing, and that had been almost a month ago. Rory suspected it was because she and Tristan had been getting so close lately. They had formed a sort of weird friendship, that Rory didn't really understand herself. But it was nice having someone to talk to in school.

Even after the weird fighting after their kiss, things had just gone back to usual. Since the night they drove out to that field, they'd been getting even closer and Rory had come to find that she really liked having Tristan in her life. He was the same cocky and annoying boy, but he had been opening up to her more and more. She hadn't realized how wrong she had been about him before.

"I just find it funny that you would be dating Tristan after repeatedly telling me how much you couldn't stand him."

"I'm not dating him."

"Right," Paris said, obviously not believing her.

"Believe whatever you want, Paris, but Tristan and I are just friends. The kind of friends I was hoping you and I could be. I told you I'm sorry about setting you up with him. I was just trying to help. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"Yeah, well, I don't. I just think it's hypocritical that you would set me up with him when you know he wants you. And you obviously want him too."

Rory rolled her eyes, wondering what she needed to do to get through to her. "I. Do. Not. Want. Tristan," she said, slowly this time.

"Jeez, Ror. You don't have to announce it to the world," Tristan said, coming up behind her. "I do have a reputation to protect."

Rory jumped a little, feeling bad for saying what she had for some reason. She hadn't meant for Tristan to hear. But why did she feel bad? She didn't want Tristan, right? At least that was what she had convinced herself ever since their last kiss.

Noticing the way Rory was looking at Tristan, Paris just rolled her eyes. "Whatever you want to believe," she muttered, before walking off.

"What was all that about?" Tristan asked.

"Nothing," Rory said, closing her locker. "Just Paris being Paris."

"Okay." Tristan turned to Rory. "Guess what these are?"

Rory looked at what he was holding in his hand and frowned. "Tickets to the Valentine's Day dance?"

"Yep."

"You're going?" she asked. She didn't know why she asked, because Tristan always went to things like these, with a different girl each time. But the idea suddenly made her nauseous.

"No," he said. "We're going."

"I can't go to the dance with you, Tristan."

"Reason?"

"It would seem like a date," she said.

"Well, it would seem like a date because it would be a date."

"I can't date you Tristan."

"Well I give you permission," he smirked and she just rolled her eyes. "Okay, look, it doesn't have to be a date. Just two friends going together."

"To a Valentine's Dance?"

She didn't seem convinced. Why the hell did he want to go with her? They had decided that they were just friends and things had been going really well. This would just confuse things again and she hated feeling confused about him.

"So?"

"You don't go to that dance with a friend."

"Well who else are you going to go with? Dean?" Tristan shot back, losing his temper a little. Why did she make everything so difficult?

Rory glared at him. "See you later," she said, before walking off.

******

She didn't see him later though. She didn't see him for three whole days in fact. Well, she saw him, but he was avoiding her for some reason. She didn't think she had really done anything to earn his avoidance. She had just told him the truth. She couldn't date him. It would just be so wrong.

But she couldn't help wondering why exactly it would be so bad. Would it be that bad to go with him? They could just go as friends. They didn't have to be more. She could do platonic.

No, it was too weird. She didn't feel ready to go with Tristan. He was already making her confused lately. With the kissing and the weird feelings he was creating. She had only just started to come to terms with the fact that Dean was no longer part of her life. She couldn't let someone else in, only to have him leave her.

Why did Tristan ask her of all people? He could have asked any girl in the entire school. They would definitely say yes, and they wouldn't just want to be friends.

Why did that thought not provide her with any comfort? She didn't want Tristan to go with anyone else. If she was totally honest, she really liked having him around. She liked being with him.

No, she couldn't…she couldn't have fallen for Tristan DuGrey of all people. He was not her type at all. She was having a mental break down. Surely that was the reason for her insane behavior.

It was just like him to confuse her like this.

"Rory?" Lorelai knocked on the door of her room, breaking her thoughts.

"Yeah," she called back and Lorelai stepped into the room. Rory was sitting at her desk trying to study, but her thoughts kept going to the annoying blonde guy.

"Hey, you okay?" Lorelai asked,

"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been acting kinda spacey lately."

"I'm fine," Rory assured her.

"Okay. Well Grandma just called to say we can have dinner on Saturday since it's your Chilton Valentine's Day dance on Friday. How come I didn't know you were going?"

"Probably because I'm not. You told her, right?"

"And get stuck going to hell on Valentine's Day? No way," Lorelai said. "Why aren't you going to the dance?"

"I don't do dances."

"Yes, you do."

"The last one I went to, my boyfriend got into a fight with a guy and we ended up falling asleep in a barn. Which, if I remember rightly, didn't go over too well with my mother."

Lorelai grinned. "So, Tristan asked you?"

"What?" Rory was so flustered by Lorelai's random question it just confirmed her suspicions.

"Well if he hadn't you would have just said you don't have a date and then I would have told you Valentine's is stupid anyway and we should just veg out at home. But you didn't, so I'm assuming he asked you."

"That was so sneaky," Rory pouted. "And why would you just assume Tristan would ask me? We're just friends."

"Rory, my poor sweet girl. You and Tristan were never, are not, and will never be just friends. And these past couple of weeks haven't changed that."

"What do you mean?"

"Tristan likes you. He always has."

"No," Rory said simply. She refused to believe Tristan really liked her. If Tristan liked her it meant that everything they had done in the past few weeks wasn't real. It was all building up to something that Rory wasn't sure she was ready for.

"What do you mean no? That's not an answer."

"I don't like him."

"Okay," Lorelai agreed too quickly.

"No, really, I don't," Rory stressed. She didn't like Tristan. She didn't like Tristan. If she kept saying it maybe she would believe it and all this insaneness would just go away.

"I said okay."

"But you don't believe me," Rory whined.

"No, I don't," Lorelai agreed with a grin.

"You're so annoying."

"Hey, take that back," Lorelai insisted. It was quite funny seeing Rory this confused about a boy. Rory refused to believe what Lorelai knew was the truth. Tristan had managed to get through all of her beliefs about him and show her how much he cared about her.

"Tell me you believe me. I don't like Tristan."

"I really do not believe you."

"Mom!"

"What? You believe you don't like him, and that should be enough, right? Don't worry about tomorrow. We'll just stay home and watch movies and eat lots of junk food all night."

"Sounds good to me."

"But if you wanted to, I would be willing to go to Luke's and amuse myself while you went to the dance with Tristan."

"Bye Mom."

"It was just a suggestion."

******

Friday came all too soon, and Rory had to avoid the couples all around her. It made her miss being a couple. Although she had tried not to think about Dean much lately she missed being part of an 'us'. And she was sure Valentine's Day was just a stupid ploy created to make all the single people feel bad.

She approached her locker to change her books and opened it. She was surprised at the burst of red that suddenly invaded her eyesight. Her locker was filled with red roses, streamers, a balloon, a box of chocolates and a card with Mary written on it in what she instantly recognized as Tristan's handwriting.

But in the middle of it all was a cup of coffee, which is she quickly picked up.

"Mmm coffee."

"You know, I put that in there as a last resort," Tristan said as he approached her from behind.

"Well it's a good thing you did. The roses and chocolates, not so impressive, but this, you definitely get brownie points for," she told him as she took a long sip of the drink.

Tristan came to stand beside her, leaning against the row of lockers as he looked at her.

"I'll have to remember that," he said.

"Yep, you will," she said offhandedly.

Inside though she was really impressed. She wasn't one to fall for a bunch of flowers, but Tristan had obviously gone to a lot of trouble. And it was really really sweet. However much she tried to tell herself that she didn't like him, she knew she was lying.

"So, what was this in aid of?" Rory asked him.

"To embarrass you in front of everyone of course," he said simply, and she just noticed people looking over at her, but she didn't care much.

"I'm not embarrassed."

"Well I was hoping you would forgive me for being presumptuous and buying the tickets for the dance without asking you, and then getting mad when you said no."

"And?"

"And I was hoping you would change your mind and come with me anyway."

"You really want to go?" Rory asked him again.

"Well not really. But it could be fun if we go together."

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Well it's a stupid Chilton dance and we can stand in the corner and mock people," Tristan said, not understanding the question.

"No. Why are you asking me? Why not someone else?"

"Oh." Tristan wasn't expecting that question. And he couldn't believe she hadn't figured it out already. Was she purposely being oblivious? "Because I've sworn off girls, remember?"

"Yeah, but…this is you, Tristan. I didn't really expect it to last. Don't you have a reputation to protect or something?"

"I don't really care. And hey, I can last at not going after girls. I proved that to you."

"Yeah, I'm surprised."

"I think it was you laughing at me. It bruised my ego. You know how I like to prove myself."

"So, you're abstaining to prove a point?"

"Well, when you say it like that it sounds stupid."

"You don't have to, you know." Rory said, feeling bad that Tristan had changed just because she had laughed. "I get it. You can date or sleep with whoever you want now."

"Why are you pushing me away?" Tristan asked defensively.

He didn't understand Rory. They had been getting closer lately, and after that kiss in his room and everything that had been growing between them lately he thought she would feel something for him too.

"I'm not."

"What are you so afraid of, Rory? That we'll go, and maybe have a good time? That you'll realize what's right in front of you?"

"What? I'm not afraid of anything," she said, not understanding what he was trying to say.

"Prove it."

"By going to this dance with you?"

"Yes."

"Fine," she said.

"What? Fine, as in yes? Just like that."

Rory laughed. "Yes. I was going to agree eventually anyway. I just wanted to make you sweat."

"You're evil, you know that?"

"Yep." She smiled at him sweetly before turning and walking off to class.

When she was safely out of his vision, she stopped, realizing that she had just agreed to go out with Tristan. She had forgotten to tell him they were just going as friends. Or maybe she didn't really want to go as friends. Maybe she was tired of running from this thing, whatever it was.

******

"What are you doing?" Lorelai asked her daughter. Rory was rummaging through Lorelai's closet, making a mess as she threw outfits out of her way.

"Looking for something to wear," Rory's mumbled voice came from inside the closet.

"What's wrong with your clothes?"

"Nothing," Rory said, looking at her mother and trying to act casual. "I just felt like a change."

"To sit at home and watch movies?" Lorelai asked knowing there was more to it.

"Yeah," Rory agreed. "Except, well, I kind of, might have agreed to go to the dance with Tristan."

Lorelai grinned. "So, you finally gave in, huh? I have to give the Evil One some props if he managed to convince you."

"I did not give in," Rory lied. "It's not a date."

"Does Tristan know that?"

"Well, no. It is sort of a date. But it's not so much. I don't know. It's stupid. I hate Valentine's Day. It is not a night to have first dates with ex-evil-boy-turned-friend."

"I've never seen you this flustered over a guy. I'm impressed. You really are my daughter."

Rory glared at her mother. "I have been flustered over Dean before."

"No, not really. You were all smiley over Dean. Right now you look a little scared."

"I am scared!" Rory admitted.

She didn't understand this. This strange nauseating feeling at the pit of her stomach. She had never experienced this before. And Tristan was her friend. Or sort of was her friend. She was not supposed to feel like this about him.

"You like him. You really like him." Lorelai grinned.

"Maybe. A little," Rory admitted. "I don't know."

"How can you not know? He's hot, Rory."

"Mom! Gross. Please do not do that."

"Hey, I'm young and hip. It's allowed."

"You're also my mother. So it's not allowed. At all."

Lorelai just stuck her tongue out at her daughter. "Let me have a look," she said, looking for something for Rory to wear.

"Nothing too fancy," Rory warned. "I don't want him to think I went to a lot of effort."

"But you are going to a lot of effort."

"Yes, but I don't want him to know that."

"Okay, let's get you ready."

******

Rory stepped out of her room a few hours later and was greeted by Lane and Lorelai looking extremely pleased with themselves.

"Oh my, she's all grown up," Lorelai said jokingly.

"You look great, Rory," Lane told her.

"You sure?" Rory asked.

She had borrowed a red dress from Lorelai that ended just above the knee. The straps came and tied around her neck, and the dress fit her very nicely.

"Yes!" Lane said, encouragingly. "I wish I could see the look on his face when he picks you up, but I better get going before mamma comes after me. I said I was coming to pick up a book." She stepped forward and gave Rory a quick hug. "Have fun. You deserve it."

"Thanks. I will."

"I'll be here first thing tomorrow morning for a full report," Lane added as she left through the back door.

Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "You know, I'm a little worried about sending you out with this boy. He just seems like trouble."

"Probably because he is," Rory said, not even trying to ease her mother's worry.

"That's not really helping, Ror. Just make sure you're home by curfew. I'll be less likely to believe the 'we fell asleep in a barn' story with this one."

"We did just fall asleep," Rory protested. "And anyway I'll be home. Tristan and I are just friends."

"Yeah, for now. I know these boys. Your Dad was this boy. And look how that turned out."

"Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean. Just be careful."

The door bell rang before Rory could answer her mother. She got up to answer it, but Lorelai tried to stop her.

"You can't answer the door."

"Yes, I can. Because you're going upstairs. You are not giving him the third degree on what isn't even a date."

"It's Valentine's Day, Rory. You're going on a date. And I want to give him the speech!" Lorelai whined.

"No. No speech. Please?" Rory begged, and Lorelai sighed.

"Fine, I'm going upstairs, but he's going to get the speech eventually."

Rory laughed as she watched her Mom go upstairs. She took a deep breath, reminded herself this wasn't really a date and then opened the door.

"Hi, Rory."

Rory's mouth dropped in surprise.

"Dean?"