It Was All For Nothing

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Fluffy. No, really, I don't own any of it. Not one thing. I envy those who do. And Tristan isn't back yet, which is a clear indicator of whether or not I own it. And if he does come back, it's pure coincidence. I still won't own it. However, you won't even need to wonder until he's back.

A/N: Well… it's that time again. I love you all. Here's another chapter, all for you. Nice and fluffy, just the way I like it. And I hope nobody's thinking I'm rushing this. I have a definite plan (I think), but all my ideas stem from the fact that they're friends. So, I need them to BE friends quickly. Okey dokey. Please don't flame, and on with the story.

Chapter Three: Her Towel, His Five AM

After the first Friday of the school year, Paris and Rory wanted nothing more than to watch movies and sleep for a week. Other people, however, had other plans.

"I'm bored. Let's all go to a movie, my treat." Tristan walked into the girls' apartment without knocking. He froze at the sight of Paris stretched on the couch in her pajamas and Rory standing behind her. The thing was, Rory had just taken a shower, so she was just wearing a towel. Luckily, it covered everything, but it was still short.

"Out. OUT!" Rory screamed and ran into another room. Paris jumped up and pushed an unresisting Tristan out of the apartment, slamming the door in his now bright red face. He stood there, embarrassed, for about five minutes, and then the door opened again.

"Have you ever heard of knocking, Bible-boy?" A now fully dressed Rory was blushing slightly. "There is a reason you knock. It's to inform whoever you're going to go barging in on that you are going to barge in on them!" Her eyes were practically flashing with anger, and somewhere in the back of Tristan's mind, he decided that she was beautiful when she was angry. He had to bite his tongue to stop from saying it.

Instead, he ventured a bribe. "Can I make it up with coffee?"

Rory's angry glare dropped to a smile. "Of course. Let me get my coat."

As she ran off happily, Paris leaned against the door frame. "You really know how to manipulate, don't you, DuGrey?"

"Yup. You know it." Tristan grinned cockily and Paris winced.

"I've known you since we were little. I can tell that you've been in love with Rory since the minute she showed up at the dance with another guy. It's that sort of attitude that will make her dislike you again. You should count yourself lucky that she hasn't killed you yet. Aaron's not the only one she told about 'E.T' and if you don't watch yourself, he won't be the last. Oh, hey, Rory, you guys have fun!"

Rory paused on her way down the hallway (without Tristan, she'd left him standing in the doorway). "You aren't coming?"

"Nope. Too tired."

"Oh. Ok." Rory continued towards the stairs, forcing Tristan to run after her.

"Hey, hold up, Mary."

They walked in silence to the coffee shop. After ordering coffee, Rory spoke up. "So, what now?"

Tristan pretended to ponder. "Well, what about a movie? My treat, like I was suggesting earlier?" When he saw she was hesitating, he smiled. "I'll even buy you copious amounts of popcorn, soda, and candy."

"Sure. Why not?" Rory grinned. The two of them walked off towards the movie theater, chatting amiably.

"So, how was military school? I mean, I know I asked you about this earlier, but I don't really think you answered the question."

"Well, let's see. I had to get up at five in the morning, I had to essentially spent three quarters of the day in gym, the rest of it was intensive studying… that's about it."

Rory grimaced. "You mean there's such a time as five am? I thought that was a myth."

Tristan laughed. "I take it you aren't an early riser, then?"

"You guessed right, oh Spawn of Satan."

"Oh, hey, I've been meaning to ask. Why do you call me Bible boy? Spawn of Satan and Evil Tristan I can understand, but Bible boy?"

"You call me Mary. Biblical insults, therefore you get dubbed Bible boy. Makes perfect sense." She looked at Tristan like he should have figured this out already.

"Ah. I see."

"Why did you start calling me Mary again?" Rory asked the question she'd been wanting to ask for a while. It confused her, this nice, helpful Tristan. He'd called her Rory once or twice, then started calling her Mary in a different tone.

"Hmm." Tristan thought about it. "Well, I heard you say you wouldn't be able to get used to me not calling you that, so partially it was me being obliging, but part of it was that it was my nickname for you. It felt weird to call you Rory. To me, your name is Mary Gilmore."

Rory looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"What?"

"You managed to convince your brain that my name was Mary?"

"That's not what I meant! You nickname your coffee maker, I nickname the girl I…" Tristan clapped a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from saying 'love'. Rory looked at him curiously.

"The girl you what?"

"The girl I… am trying to get." He knew the minute he said it that it was not the right thing to say. In fact, it was really, really, REALLY the wrong thing.

"Oh, so that's it? I was a stupid conquest? Well, you know, I think I'll pass on the movie. Thanks for the offer, though." Rory turned angrily and stepped to the curb to hail a cab. Tristan grabbed her arm.

"That's not what I meant at all. Mar, come on!" She flinched at the use of the nickname and climbed inside the cab that had just pulled up, shaking off his arm as she went.

Rory could not believe what had just happened. He'd been nice for the last couple of weeks, called her Mary in a nice way, helped them get unpacked in their apartment, bought them coffee. He'd also avoided making fun of Dean. Just when she'd thought he'd changed, he came back with this. It was so typically ET.

She paid the cab driver and raced back up to her apartment. She ran right past a startled Paris and flung herself on her bed. She didn't cry, but she was still hurt. No girl likes to be told that they were pursued for some reason other than because the guy actually liked them.

Paris, seeing this, immediately picked up the phone to call Tristan's cell.

"Hello?" Tristan's voice sounded depressed, but Paris didn't notice.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Paris hissed in a harsh whisper. She didn't want Rory to know she was calling Tristan.

"I was an idiot."

"What happened?"

"I made some comment about nicknaming her because she was the girl I loved. But I stopped myself before I said loved and she asked me what I had been going to say and my old self came back. I said that I'd nicknamed the girl I was trying to get."

Paris smacked herself hard in the forehead. It was so like Tristan to revert to his evil self when he had nothing to say. "Well, you'll just have to fix it, won't you?"

"Got any ideas?"

"Well, here's some…"

A/N: Well, you'll have to find out next chapter what he's going to do. Have fun reading. Email me if you want to beta. Gratias.

-Den