Tristan

"It's not because of N'sync, is it?" I said, trying to keep my tone light-hearted, while masking the hurt that I felt.

"Well, if you listened to the Backstreet Boys then maybe I'd break up with Dean."

"You wanna take a break?" I didn't really feel like studying anymore.

"Tristan, we've been only studying for a few minutes."

"Come on, Mare. We'll get coffee…"

"Fine…but no more breaks after this one."

"As you wish."

Rory

"So what do you wanna be when you grow up?" I asked him.

We were sitting in a little café near Tristan's house. I was drinking coffee and he was eating a slice of chocolate cake.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll start up my own business. Become a CEO for some company. That's what my dad wants."

"What do you want?"

"It's kinda embarrassing."

"C'mon, tell me."

"Promise not to laugh."

"Cross my heart, and hope to die."

"A rock star."

I grinned.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm not. I could totally see you rocking it out on stage. The girls would go wild. You'd probably get the Sexiest guy of the year award."

"So…you think I'm sexy?"

I felt my cheeks reddened.

"What do you want be when you grow up?" He asked. I smiled, glad that he dropped the last subject,

"Overseas correspondent."

"Little Mary, out in the big, scary world."

"I could do it."

"I know you can. Here, have some cake." He said, pushing his plate toward me.

"It does look good." I said and I grabbed his fork and took a bite.

"Tristan!" I heard a female voice say. I looked up and I saw this pretty redhead. I've seen her in school a few times but I didn't really know her."

"Karen…" he replied.

"And who is this?" she said, motioning to me.

"I'm Rory." I said,

"Are you two dating?" she asked, with a "he's-too-good-for-you" expression on her face.

Before I could open my mouth, Tristan already responded for me.

"No, we're just friends."

"Oh, well I got to go. There's this huge sale at the mall. Bye Tristan" She said and kissed him on the cheek.

Tristan

I don't really like Karen. Don't get me wrong, she's pretty but that's all she is. It's just the same routine with every girl. She flirts with you and bats her eyelashes, you ask her out and while on the date she starts talking about clothes, gossip or how daddy is buying her a new car. Then pretty soon, she'll start dragging you along on shopping trips. It just gets old. With Rory, it never gets old. But she's with Dean and she doesn't want me. So I guess we'll just be friends. It's so easy to say, so hard to do.

Rory

I got this sick feeling in my stomach. Maybe it's the cake. No, it's not the cake, Rory, you're jealous. I'm not jealous. So what if that girl Karen is pretty, who cares if Tristan said we're just friends, it doesn't matter that she kissed him on the cheek. Okay…so maybe I am jealous. It's just that girls like Karen make me feel normal. Not normal in a good way but normal in a bad way. What could Tristan possibly see in me, when he could have a girl like her? Wait…where are these thoughts coming from…you're with Dean, remember? Right, that's what I keep reminding myself.

- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - -

"Who explored Vinland?" We were having a test on World History tomorrow; Tristan and I had just reviewed the chapter.

"Leif Ericson"

"When?"

"1000 AD"

"When did Columbus reach the new world?"

"1942"

"Be more specific"

"Uhhh…October 12?"

"Yeah. Good job. You're really picking up this information fast."

"What can I say, I was born a genius."

"Seriously Tristan, if you apply yourself, you could probably be…just as smart as I am."

"Mary, I'm shocked, I didn't know you had a big ego."

"Maybe a part of you is rubbing off on me." I smirked.

"Stop it…it's getting creepy."

"Hey, what if our personalities switched? You're getting smarter and I'm getting a bigger head. Who searched for the seven cities of Gold?"

"umm..Hudson?"

"Wrong…Coronado…I guess your not getting smarter after all."

"No fair! That page was torn off in my book."

"Yeah, right and I'm the tooth fairy."

"You're the tooth fairy? That's great 'cause I lost my tooth when I was five, I put it under my pillow but it was still there the next day. I never got any money. So… I guess you owe me then?" he said, leaning in.

He cupped my face with his hands and he gently brushed his lips with mine. The kiss deepened and with a soft moan I slid my hands up his chest and my fingers slid into his tousled blonde hair. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.

Tristan

This "just friends" idea. Not working.

Rory

Dean who?