Author's note: I'm not sure that I can say that this is one of my finest chapters cause I pretty much think that it stunk, but I hope you'll still find it okay. And once again, thanks soooooo much for the reviews! You guys rock!

Special shout out to Smile1 for commenting on each and every chapter and not only that but also writing more than just a few words. Your opinion means a lot to me.

Setting: You guys know the drill......... see chapter 1.

Summary: A school newspaper. Two different opinions. A book. Mixed in with some confusion, misguidance and attraction. A perfect recipe for a good old fashioned fairy tale story, so to speak. (Trory)

Askepott

Chapter five

Monday morning, the following week, Chilton

For once Rory Gilmore was actually in a good mood when she entered the halls of Chilton on a Monday morning, or any morning for that matter. It wasn't that any special event had happened to make her feel like this, but here she was standing by her locker, with a smile on her face. As she was gathering her books for first period, a figure showed up beside her.

"So I see that you were expecting me?", Tristan's smooth voice echoed in Rory's ears.

Turning to face him, Rory gave a confused look. "What are you talking about?", she asked, no hint of irritation or nuisance evident in her voice whatsoever, which was probably a first when it came to addressing this particular person. However, Rory decided to not let anything or anyone ruin her 'vibrant aura', as Lorelai put it this morning.

"You were smiling, and still smiling, so that must mean that you were looking forward to seeing me.", Tristan replied quite coyly. "Miss me so much over the weekend, huh?", he asked.

Tristan didn't know what was going on with her today, but he was in fact having a semi-decent conversation with Rory. Something that wasn't very common when it came to the two of them. He had to make sure to thank what or who that made her glow in such a way, and make her be like this around him. As if they had been friends all along.

"Sorry to disappoint, but my good mood has nothing to do with you at all, Tristan.", she said, closing her locker and picking up her bag.

"Well, what prey tell has gotten into you then, Mary?", he tried again, using the infamous nickname that he was sure was going to get a rise out of her. Not seeing as much as a flinch on her sweet face, Tristan was once again astonished when she answered.

"I don't know.", she replied honestly. "I just woke up this morning and felt like singing 'What a wonderful world' from the top of my lungs!", she continued smiling. Rory was surprised that she was sharing this with anyone, let alone Tristan Dugray, but today she was as carefree as a newborn baby. Even seeing Paris approach them didn't affect her in any way. In fact she opted to greet her as well.

"Hey Paris! Do you have this week's edition of The Franklin?"

Giving her a surprised look, Paris handed her the paper and said; "Checking up on my work, Gilmore? Don't worry, I know how to do my job. Quite well, if I do say so myself."

"I'm sure you do.", Rory merely replied, as she mentally rolled her eyes.

"So, Paris, what's new in school? Found out what exactly is in those mystery meat balls they serve in the cafeteria?", Tristan asked humouredly.

"Contrary to what you might think, DuGray, The Franklin is a wide spread and certainly a high classed paper and not just a few pages with some petty information!", Paris spat back.

"Indeed it is, but I'm sure I can come up with something that will make it even more popular, especially among the guys.", Tristan said with a glint in his eyes. "May I suggest having a cover shoot featuring girls in swimsuits?"

Almost certain that it was definitely smoke coming out her ears, Paris eyed the blonde boy in front of her. "Not going to happen, at least not as long as I'm editor.", she said sternly. "Besides the paper is doing quite good, especially since this whole 'she said, he said' started.", she informed, taking a step back.

"Oh, yeah, that whole review battle thing going on. Do you know who they are?", Tristan asked, seeming quite interested and serious.

Rory leaned in against her locker as she listened intently to their conversation, worried of what Paris might say. Suddenly feeling a bit insecure, she started remembering back to those days when she sneakily dropped her review in the mailbox, thinking that no one saw her. Perhaps someone had, and now her cover was going to be blown. Waiting impatiently for Paris to answer, she held her breath.

"No, I don't.", the blonde haired girl answered. "And I don't know if I want to know either. I mean, maybe their secret identities are the reason why it's become so well-liked. The two of them have great chemistry."

Finally letting out the breath she was holding, Rory was relieved that her alias was still under wraps. "Or maybe that they simply have great taste in books and seemingly great opinions to boot.", she interjected. She got a weird look from Tristan and Paris, as if wondering if she knew something they didn't, which made her make that comment. Shrugging it off, Paris merely continued. "Either way, I don't care. People tune in every week to read their latest retort to one another, and I couldn't be happier."

Snatching the paper from Rory's hands, Tristan started looking through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "'male chauvinist neanderthal', huh?", Tristan read, quoting from the paper. "That's pretty rough!", he commented. The sly smile appearing in Rory's face went unnoticed to the two people standing with her when Tristan proceeded with his remarks. "This person is clearly suffering from some sort of mental illness to come up with such a line. And not to mention its pseudonym, 'Oompa loompa'. I mean, come on!"

"What's wrong with that?", Rory asked defensively. "It's better than 'Anonymous'. That's so not original!", she retorted.

"Everything's better than 'Oompa loompa'! Does this person have some weird obsession over Gene Wilder movies, or what?", Tristan spat back.

Looking back and forth between the two, Paris decided to put an end to this verbal sparring before someone walked off with a missing body part. Why she even cared was beyond her, but she did have her humanitarian moments. "Okay, guys, as much as I'd like to stand here and listen to the two of you bicker I'd rather go to class and learn something." Hearing the first bell of the day, she wisely advised. "And I suggest you do the same for the sake of higher learning." And with that she walked off, leaving Tristan and Rory by themselves.

As a part of his study hall class, Tristan was at the library later that afternoon, trying his hardest to study chemistry. However, the scene from that morning when he was standing with Rory and Paris and him reading the review written by 'Oompa loompa' kept replaying in his head. For whatever reasons, he didn't quite know. And not to mention, the way Rory acted towards him before Paris showed up. That must have been the biggest twist in his whole existence ever since Rory Gilmore came into his life. What it was about this girl that fascinated him so much he wasn't sure of, but what he did know was that she was like this big enigma.

With most girls Tristan could already see their personality a mile away, what with their luscious hair flowing down their back, Louie Vuitton bags and Gucci sunglasses. However, that wasn't the case with Rory. They had gone to the same school for a year and a half now and he didn't know anything about her except for her living in Stars Hollow and being an avid book reader and coffee lover. Other than that, the rest of Rory still remained a mystery.

Giving up the task to study, he decided to wander the shelves instead, reminding himself that he still hadn't found a book for lit class. Before getting up from his desk, he grabbed The Franklin and proceeded on walking aimlessly between the stacks of books. The cutting review once again came into sight as he read it yet again. Whoever this person was, he or she wrote some really heavy words that cut into Tristan's mind. He didn't even know who had written this, but he could feel a rise build up inside him as the biting words sunk in.

Since the first edition of The Franklin came out in the fall and Paris had introduced a book, he immediately saw that as an opportunity for him to voice out his literary opinion. No one really knew that Tristan DuGray was capable and willing to read a book in his spare time, but that was what he'd usually do. Of course he didn't have much time for that in between parties in the weekend and going out on dates, but somehow he'd manage to squeeze in a few minutes of reading everyday. So when some person sent in a nameless review, only being signed by 'Oompa loompa', he got an idea and wrote a sharp come back, not really intending it to seem as such. He was just expressing his opinion, and he couldn't help it that it was the exact opposite of what this person had written. And it somehow kind of snow balled from there.

A loud ring, which sounded a lot like the fire alarm, suddenly broke the quiet solitude of the library, as well as Tristan's thoughts, and a voice could be heard from the intercom. "Students and faculty! Please vacate the premises! There's a fire in the building! Go to the courtyard now!"

Frantically looking around, Tristan saw that the librarian was gathering up the students and ushering them out. Quickly fetching his bag, he headed towards the exit, but something on the floor caught his attention. It was a red book, along with a piece of paper. Picking it up he noticed the somewhat odd title of the book and the hand writing on the inside. 'L.L.G.', it said, with pencil written letters. Beneath it was an old worn out stamp, and the only thing he could make of it was the words 'Library' and 'Connecticut'. Putting the book and the paper in his bag, he hastily joined the rest of his fellow schoolmates as they all exited the building. He'd have to figure out who these things belonged to later.