CHAPTER 3
It wasn't like Tristin needed affirmation. True, he was surprised at Rory's reaction. All he was waiting for was a polite hello or a greeting that would condemn him to hell.
"She did not!" Tanh exclaimed, covering his mouth. He and Alex walked towards the lip locked couple. As soon as they got there, so did the posse Rory used to associate with what seems like a lifetime ago.
"Mary, if I knew this is the penance I get after all those years, I should've sought you out a long time ago," Tristin teased as soon as their lips parted.
As soon as she heard the forgotten nickname, Rory snapped back to reality, albeit fuzzy.
"Oh my God," Rory swore, trying to wipe the tingling feeling on her lips. She backed away, stumbling. She stared at the eyes that seemed to see through her before running away. What did she just do?
"Rory? Rory!" Paris called out after her. She stole a glance at Tristin before following Rory.
"Ace, if I knew that going on a blind date with you would get me to melt your ice princess image…" Logan Huntzberger sneered.
His voice still made her cringe. It's been a year and it still hurts to hear him say such spiteful words.
Tristin's eyes followed Rory and Paris who walked away like he was the plague. Uncanny, Tristin thought. It was the piano scene revisited, only six years later and in a club rather than a John Hughes-esque party.
"Man, if I knew your blind date was Rory Gilmore, I could've told you not to waste your time," Logan chuckled.
Tristin was getting short with the loudmouth blonde that he had to roll his eyes at him.
"What the heck are you talking about?" Tristin's bored tone bordered annoyance.
"Rory? She won't put out. You know, she's all tease. She dangles the candy but won't give you any sugar," Logan rattled off.
"Maybe you're just mistaking class over crass," Tristin defended his former classmate.
"You don't know her the way I do, buddy," Logan snorted.
Tristin didn't know what overcame him but before he could think twice, he landed a sucker punch on the pretty boy's face.
"Maybe I just do," Tristin said in a comeback.
Just like that, the fistfight erupted.
"I'm such an idiot!" Rory cried, locking herself in a stall. Nausea from the drinks and the mental image catching up with her was rising at the back of her throat.
"No you're not," the voice she knew too well chimed. "Okay, the long island ice teas made you and idiot but who isn't when they're drunk? At least you didn't come kissing me."
Rory reflected on what Paris stated. She sat on the covered toilet seat and then unlocked and opened the stall's door to look at Paris. "I knew I should've heeded mom's warning the first time she told me to stay away from those drinks."
"What did she do?" Paris asked to redirect Rory's attention away from her current paranoia.
"She called my dad on her bachelorette party," Rory confessed.
"When she was engaged to Mr. Medina?" Paris' eyes bugged out.
"Yeah. I think it's official that mom and I are off limits to any parties held by Jose Cuervo," Rory mumbled.
Tanh busting through the lavatory door interrupted the conversation.
"Quick, we have to jet out of here, pronto," Tanh panted.
Rory and Paris heeded the Asian's cryptic warning by bolting out of the restrooms immediately. They escaped through the side exit. Tanh guided Tristin out of the door by the wrist. Alex followed close by.
The group of five was about half a block away from the Alchemy when the lights and sounds of police cars filled the cold air.
"What did just happen there?" Paris inquired as they all took chopped, blocky steps on the snow-covered sidewalk.
"David here decided he can rearrange Logan's face," Tanh filled them in.
If there weren't enough jaw-dropping events left, Rory was astonished.
"Tell me you're lying and if it's true, say you caught it on tape," Paris threatened Tanh.
"Oh it happened. That's why the five-oh was called in," Alex defended Tanh.
"Talk about chaperoning," Tanh grumbled shooting daggers at Rory with his chinky eyes. "I thought I was the one that needed a little baby-sitting."
Rory returned Tanh's glare before talking to Tristin. "Not that I'm grateful but why did you, ah, punch Logan?" Rory asked. The frigid wind and the absence of her coat all of a sudden perked her up.
"I forgot to leave my chivalry card at home," he hissed. "You know, I love to continue on with this conversation but my hand is wickedly throbbing right now."
"Can it, Chewey. We're almost home," Paris hushed Tristin. "Nobody asked you to be Rocky in the dance club."
The march to the apartment was done in silence. Everyone tried to internalize what just happened. A smile spread on Rory's face. Tanh caught sight of it and started smiling, too. Before they got to the front door, everyone with the exception of Tristin was giggling with no apparent reason except for the individual mental pictures they individually conjured in their heads.
"That was a great sucker punch you landed on him," Alex chuckled.
"I wish I could've seen it," Paris confessed as she unlocked the door.
The quiet, warm apartment enveloped the group with open arms. Paris dropped her keys on the end table close to the entrance while the rest tapped the excess snow from their footwear before walking on the carpeted floor.
Tanh and Alex made themselves comfortable on the couch and turned the TV on. Paris marched into her room while Rory and Tristin were left standing, staring at each other.
Rory stared at Tristin's face for the first time since she kissed those soft pink lips she again focused on.
"Oh, you have a cut on your face!" Rory noticed, whispering before she grabbed him by the hand and led him to the kitchen.
"Take a seat," Rory ordered. She pulled out a bag of corn from the freezer and placed it on his swollen fist. She watched him flinch as the frozen bag tried to rid him of the throbbing pain.
Tristin did not speak the whole time. He watched her move efficiently in the small space, disappearing for a couple of seconds and reemerging with a box that he assumed was a first aid kit.
"Promise me you're going to sit still," Rory asked of Tristin.
"So, no 'hi', Mary?" Tristin teased.
"No, David," Rory mocked back.
"Touché!" Tristin chuckled. "Why does Tanh call me that?"
"Same reason you still call me Mary," Rory responded. "You know, I am not the same sweet, innocent girl you've always pictured me. Besides, get into a gay man's brain. You're smart enough to deduce why he calls you David."
Tristin pursed his lips, studying Rory from head to toe.
"So we've grown up," he pointed out the obvious.
"Thus not appropriate to have the nickname," Rory replied.
Taking his index finger to his lips Tristin proposed, "Alright. If you could promise me that Tanh stops calling me 'David', I'll drop the 'Mary' moniker."
"You've got yourself a deal," Rory beamed a smile at him.
Tristin was glad that he had made peace with Rory without acting like a child in front of her. Quietly, he watched her. As soon as he witnessed Rory take out a bottle of alcohol, cotton balls and butterfly band-aids, he squirmed on the dining room chair.
"You don't have to, Rory," he muttered, showing distain for the kit. "I'll be fine."
"Don't be a sissy," Rory scolded.
"Rory," he whined as the girl in front of him stole the air in his lungs.
"Hold still," she whispered as she sat on his lap, straddling him precariously.
Ever so slowly, Rory tipped the alcohol laden cotton swab on the cut Tristin got right over his cheekbone. He winced and Rory hissed in sympathy.
"I'm sorry. I know it stings," she said.
He stared at the vein that pulsated on the base of her neck. He got intoxicated with the scent of her perfume mixed with a scent that he knew was only hers. It didn't help that her touch was doing a number to his system. He can't. He can't break down this quickly after he had perfected putting up a wall around his heart not so long ago.
"I never got to say 'thank you'," Rory tried to alleviate the tense moment.
Tristin was surprised that he found his voice. "For what?"
"For giving Logan a knuckle sandwich," Rory chuckled. "I was contented ignoring him."
"I think I am aware of that cold shoulder routine," Tristin said. God, she smells so good. Even the lingering scent of long island iced tea on her lips made him crave her all over again. 'No, Tristin, no!' he said to himself.
"What's his problem anyway?" Tristin asked.
Rory dropped her arms while she stared away. She unconsciously scooted in closer towards Tristin's hips, close enough for him to feel the heat emanating from the apex of her thighs.
"He and I dated but nothing came out of it," she sadly said.
"Too much pressure?" Tristin hinted.
She focused right back on his deep blue eyes. "Something like that."
Rory turned around and picked up a tube of Neosporin and applied it over the cut. "I just got out of a bad relationship and Logan was a very accessible rebound boyfriend."
"Oh," Tristin mumbled.
"I think he thought I would be an easy lay or something but when I wouldn't get in the sack with him…"
"He became an ass about it," Tristin finished for her.
A lopsided smile appeared on the plane of her face. "He wouldn't drop the subject. Plus, I was starting to fall for another guy."
"Harsh!" Tristin said, shifting Rory's weight on his thighs.
"Well," Rory let out. "The fact that my guy best friend isn't really part of the cool crowd, I think, really was the topper."
"Are you referring to Tanh?" Tristin almost choked out.
"Blasphemy!" Rory said, slapping his arm playfully. "Nah. I was referring to Marty."
"What kind of name is Marty?" Tristin joked.
"The kind that put up with my crappy life for far too long," Rory confessed as she finished putting the butterfly band-aid over the nicked skin.
"Oh my God, I'm sorry," Tanh's voice broke the moment. The very compromising position Tanh witnessed was enough for him to close his eyes playfully. He witnessed his good friend, Rory; straddle one of the best-looking men Tanh had come across in a long time. If that wasn't enough, he was tickled pink that his David had his hands holding her in place, embracing the heart shaped bottom even Tanh was envious of.
The couple caught red-handed looked at Tanh.
"Come on, Tanh. You know there isn't anything going on," Rory cajoled him, getting off of Tristin's lap.
"Uh-huh, and I am not a fairy princess," Tanh responded, rolling his eyes at her as he walked towards the refrigerator and retrieved a few cans of soda.
Rory tossed the used first aid products in the trash bin before giving Tanh a kiss on the cheek. "You are the fairest of them all, Tanh."
"You're a doll," Tanh responded, kissing her back. "So, how does a Depp movie sound?"
"Fab," Rory said. "We'll be there in a few."
"Better, or we'll start without you. Paris is driving Alex crazy and I am tempted to just leave to avoid the Spanish inquisition," Tanh moaned.
"I promise," Rory chuckled.
"You coming?" Tanh directed his question to Tristin.
Tristin looked at Rory like he was asking a silent invitation from her.
"Go ahead. I'll be there in a moment," Rory said.
Tristin got up from the chair hesitantly before following Tanh out of the room. He deposited the bag of corn back in the freezer. "Thanks."
As soon as Rory was sure that Tristin wasn't anywhere around the immediate vicinity, she closed her eyes and knocked her forehead on the freezer door.
Most of the alcohol in her system had worn off and she was trembling. She appreciated the act of valor Tristin displayed but she knew that was just the start of her problems. Logan will continue to harass her and she isn't any closer to confessing to Marty the more-than-friends affection she's been feeling for him since her big argument with Logan over him.
And the eyes. Rory wasn't expecting to stare in those saucer blue eyes. The last time she stared at them this intently was when he said goodbye. They didn't part as enemies but she knew that they were in silent agreement to remain civil to each other. She was happy knowing their paths would have never crossed again.
Maybe she was more confused than ever. Maybe it was the alcohol still talking. Rory exhaled noisily and tucked the questions in the back of her head. Regaining her composure, she pulled out two drinks from the refrigerator and headed to the living room where the coffee table had been shoved up against the wall and four bodies laid on the carpet in various state or rest.
Silently, Rory offered Tristin a drink, which he took graciously. Paris scooted a bit to give Rory her own space on the floor. As soon as Rory made herself comfortable, the opening credits to the flick rolled on the hi-definition TV.