Chapter 16. Alliteration
She walked into the school's bathroom, holding her foundation and powder in her hand. From this morning, he had left a bruise. Damn him.
Rory applied the makeup. She didn't think it had gotten this bad, until Tristan pointed it out to her earlier. She reprimanded herself for not stopping it before. She hated herself.
As she pressed her finger and smoothed the concealer by her eye, tears began to form. They fell.
"Hey," a person held her from behind, "don't cry."
She smiled. "You're not supposed to be in here. They have one for boys too."
"Oh, but I've always been fond of this particular bathroom," he smirked.
"And why's that?" she asked as she turned in his arms, facing him.
"Well, nobody really comes in here… there's a lot you can do in a neglected bathroom…" he winked.
"…Really? Like what?" she said, already knowing the answer.
He smiled mischievously. She returned the smirk. He led her into the empty stall.
She smiled at the memory as she entered the diner. That had been a few months ago. She still, to this day, could not believe they had sex on school grounds and didn't get caught.
She ran into a familiar figure. "Coffee?" she asked him.
"Rory, it's going to give you a heart attack one day. You might as well stop now, while you aren't as addicted as Lorelai."
"When I end up in a hospital, then you can blame her. But right now…" she said as he went behind the counter and she sat on the stool in front.
He handed her the mug and poured the liquid into it.
"Hey!" she protested. "I only have one cup a meal. That's hardly any, Jess."
He bowed his head to think. "You're right."
"Hah! I am, aren't I?"
"Now, now, don't gloat."
She just smiled and when she couldn't control it anymore, she giggled.
"You're still doing it!"
The bell above the door rang and Jess's eyes strayed. "Tristan, don't ask for coffee."
"Why would I do that?" he asked as he sat by Rory. "It tears apart your insides."
Jess pointed an accusing finger at Rory. "See?"
Rory just continued sipping the coffee mug in her hands and shrugged her shoulders.
Jess started, "I'm reading this really confusing book. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls…?"
Rory's brows furrowed to answer to his unasked question.
"I've read it," Tristan said.
"Did you get it?" Jess asked.
"A little the first time. But I had to reread it, to fully acknowledge it. The first part is really annoying. Walls just go over her life. It's boring. But once you get past that. It's really good."
"Really?" Rory asked.
"…Yeah."
It's been this way for the last month. Jess and Tristan became instant friends when the met at the diner one day. Rory could just say to Ron, which she has, that Tristan is friends with Jess. It was foolproof.
"I guess I'll have to read it after you," she said to Jess.
"I'll lend it to you, if you promise to return it."
"When have I done anything but?" she put on an innocent smile.
Tristan laughed.
"It's true!" Jess persuaded. "She still has my copy of The Metamorphosis of Ovid! I want it back," he told Rory.
She still had her smile plastered to her face. Jess started to clean up around the diner.
"Well, it's at home. I'm not finished with it…"
"You've had forever!"
"That's silly – you haven't known me for forever." She smiled innocently.
"You're going to kill me."
"It'll be the best day of my life, believe me, baby."
"Alliteration?"
"I try my best."
"I can see."
"Um…" Tristan politely drew the diner boy's attention to him.
"What?" he asked.
"A burger please. And I think your two's bickering is worrying the customers."
"We do it all the time," Rory stated.
"It scares them all the time," he bluntly put out.
"Oh, please."
"Asking for mercy already, mi Vida?"
"Mi Vida?" Jess asked. He knew that was Spanish for 'my love.' Yes, he actually attended some classes here and there.
Tristan and Rory exchanged glances. "You know Tristan; this is another annoying name for me."
"You don't like it?" Tristan asked her, clearly playing.
"Well, it doesn't really spread what our relationship is really about…" she stated.
"And what is it, exactly?"
"Well," she started, "there's you… and then there's me."
"Excellent mind you got there, Gilmore."
"It's full of ways to shut you down, Tristan."
"As if you could ever…"
"Oh, I think I could without a doubt."
He touched his heart in mock hurt. "You wound me, Mary."
"Deal with it."
"That's all you've got to say?"
"Well, there's that, and then there's 'get the hell out of my town if you're going to call me that name'…?"
"I'll take the first, thank you."
"See, I know you more than you think."
"Kinky."
Rory rolled her eyes.
"Well, how do I know you don't stalk me secretly and look at me right after I took a shower?"
"In your dreams, DuGrey."
"Well, in my dreams, you're in the shower with me," he said it like it was the obvious thing in the world.
They heard Jess shout, "Whose is this? Look in front of you. If there's nothing there and should be, this is probably yours."
Rory giggled at how Jess chose to tackle that trouble.
The bell above the door jingled again. Rory casually looked over and immediately stood and walked over to who just walked in.
"Ron…! I didn't know you were coming up today."
"I just wanted to see you." He tried to be the perfect boyfriend in front of the town. "Since it's Saturday, we wouldn't see each other at school."
Rory internally screamed. She hated seeing him. She was having the best time with her two favorite guys, and here he has to go and ruin it.
"Come sit down, eat." She tried to make him happy.
"I though we'd go to your house. I haven't been inside for a while."
"But… I just got food. I want to eat it."
She looked at him, and when he gave her the approval, she went back to her seat at the counter.
"Where's your 'food'?"
Rory panicked. Tristan saw and helped her out.
"Sorry for taking this, Ror," he gave her his cheese burger, "I couldn't resist the fries."
"No one wants you hare, ass wipe," Ron told Tristan.
Tristan stood, ready to fight. As did Ron.
But before they got to each other, Rory stepped in front of Ron. "Hey! How about we go to my house, like you wanted…?"
He exhaled, his jaw clenched. "What about your food?"
"Oh, I'm not hungry, after all… go figure," she smiled in hope.
"Fine, let's go."
Once they left, Tristan sat back down. He knew what they were going to do back at her house.
"Hey, you can have your food back," Jess informed him.
"Thanks," he moved the plate back in front of him and started nibbling on a fry.
"Why'd you do it?" he casually asked.
"Do what?"
"Give her your plate like that."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want her to be caught in a lie."
Jess exhaled and smiled. He knew Tristan liked her. He chuckled a little and went back to work.
A/N: So, that's their lives now… hope you liked it. I took no time writing it, it just kind of got down freely. Am I loosing the sense of… darkness in this story? I feel that I am. Tell me what you think. I have not read The Glass Castle as I had mentioned in this chapter. I'm sorry if I said anything that wasn't true about the book. I was just making conversation. The next chapter will not come as fast as this one, seeing how I started this one when I was in the middle of the last chapter. I hope you liked this. Review please.
Paige
