Rory was putting her books into her locker when she felt two hands slide around her small waist.
"Hey," Tristan growled into her ear.
Rory felt her heart beat a bit faster as she turned around and sidestepped his embrace casting a quick glance down the busy Chilton hallway.
Tristan's eyes darkened and he said cuttingly, "you know Mary I never took you for a tease. Having second thoughts?"
Her eyes narrowed at his mean remark and she reminded herself for what seemed like the millionth time that morning that this was not to be a relationship. This was physical and she could not, under any circumstances, let Tristan think she wanted more.
"Actually no," she said coolly, "I just have a reputation to protect, you know."
Tristan moved closer to her, throwing all notions of personal space to the wind.
"I think I could improve your reputation Mary. Gimme ten minutes and you'll be the talk of the school."
Rory rolled her eyes at this and lifted her book bag to her shoulders, "yeah and have Paris start despising me again? I don't think so, this fling isn't worth that." Rory ignored the way Tristan's eyes reacted to her flippant attitude.
She lowered her voice as she saw the holy trio of Paris, Madeline, and Louise approaching and whispered, "so next time find somewhere more private alright? This can't get around the school."
Tristan replied stiffly, "anyway you like it Mary"
"Likes what?" Madeline's bubbly voice interrupted.
Rory felt a trill of panic in her heart, would Tristan spill?
Tristan ignored Madeline's comment and instead gave her a lingering glance that was sure to make any girl forget what they had been talking about.
"Madeline, Louise, Paris you girls are looking spectacular today."
"You're not so bad yourself," Louise replied in her throaty voice.
Tristan gave Rory a sidelong glance before throwing his arm around the lusty blonde and saying, "lets talk a walk."
Louise's eyes widened with pleasure at the sudden attention and said, "sure."
"Whoa, what was that about?" Madeline said watching the pair stroll down the hallway.
Pissing me off, thought Rory cattily. Not that it worked, if Tristan thought he was going to make her jealous he would just have to work a little harder.
Rory had to remind herself of that a little later when Louise strolled into their third period class a little disheveled but obviously pleased with herself.
Like a cat who ate the canary, Rory thought meanly.
As Rory left that class she saw Tristan leaning at her locker farther down the hallway, watching her watch him.
She began to make her way down there when she heard a voice from behind her calling, "Rory."
She turned to see Henry, her best friend Lane's longtime crush and almost boyfriend.
"Hey Henry," she said warmly.
"Hey, I was wondering how Lane is?"
"She's great but you should ask her yourself,"
The boy grimaced and said, "I think about it but then I break out into cold sweat when I imagine her mother answering the phone."
Rory laughed and replied, "well yeah Mrs. Kim is pretty terrifying."
"well I had a question for you," Henry began leaning a little closer as if he was afraid Mrs. Kim would pop out and hear his queries about her daughter, "I made Lane a mix cd…"
"Oh Henry, Lane will love that."
"Well that's what I'm hoping but I was wondering if you could take a glance over the songs I chose…you know how lane is about music and I could totally see her reading into it if she wasn't pleased with the selection."
Rory laughed again at his concerns, although they were probably true.
"Sure, I'd be happy to."
"Okay thanks," Henry said enthusiastically and handed her the cd case.
"Okay bye," Rory said turning back down the hallway but then turning back when Henry caught her arm again.
"Um, tell Lane I said hi okay?" He asked looking adorably shy.
Rory promised she would and felt really happy for her best friend to have a guy like that who was obviously crazy about her. She looked back at her locker and noted the only guy currently in her life obviously didn't have the time to wait for her.
Rory decided to forgo the cafeteria that day, she didn't really feel like hearing Louise dish out juicy details about her morning or watch Tristan surrounded by his doting court, so instead she made her way to the library.
Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled her into an empty storage room. Rory wasn't the least surprised when, after her eyes had adjusted to the dark lighting, she looked up into the cool blue eyes of Tristan Dugrey.
"Come here often," she joked, giggling with nerves. Tristan didn't respond and Rory bit down on her lip to make herself stop giggling. She hated that she did that when she was nervous.
"Who was that guy?"
Her eyes widened with surprise, "What guy?"
"The one you were flirting with in the hallway," Tristan replied bitterly.
"Henry? oh no…" and then Rory stopped herself, remembering that she wasn't under any obligation to explain herself to Tristan and plus it couldn't hurt for him to think she had other prospects, "why do you ask?"
Tristan jerked at his tie impatiently, "why do you think I ask Rory?" he said mocking her formal tone.
"Well honestly I'm not sure, I wasn't aware that I was under the obligation to report any interaction with the male species I had…would you care to explain about Louise this morning?"
Tristan had the decency to look a little sheepish and then he started, "about Louise-
"Tristan you don't have to explain anything to me," Rory said quickly hoping to spare herself any details.
Tristan responded to her curt tone and snapped back, "fine."
Rory sighed at the way they couldn't seem to be together for a few minutes without fighting and she said quietly, "okay I guess I'm going to go."
She started to turn when she heard Tristan's low voice in the dark, "Rory wait."
She turned back to him and said jokingly, "So I'm Rory now, huh? I was just getting used to Mary"
Tristan smirked at her wickedly and said, "don't get too used to it now that you're with me."
"Tristan," she said exasperatedly and lightly smacked his chest. Her hand rested there for a second's pause before she removed it and placed it back by her side.
The energy between the two was palpable and yet neither were making a move.
Rory forced herself to look up at Tristan and noticed he was smirking at her discomfort.
That bastard, she thought and decided to throw him off guard.
Without a second's notice she captured his mouth in a kiss and Rory could feel his surprise at her making the first move. However he quickly snapped to it and Rory felt like somehow the power balance had just shifted in his favor: the janitor's closet, making out in the dark…this was so far in his territory that Rory was close to asking for a map.
The kiss had started out hesitantly but it was fast becoming more and more involved.
Tristan lightly bit her bottom lip causing Rory to gasp a little, allowing more access for his tongue. Rory felt like her knees were going to give out, she had never been kissed like this before. Tristan broke off contact suddenly and Rory felt her body react with swift disappointment at the lose of touch. Tristan smirked down at her, obviously accustomed to this reaction from girls. He began lightly trailing kisses down her neck slowing pausing at where her skin met her blazer's collar. A quick second of adept button undoing and the coat was shrugged to the floor. Tristan made use of this easier access by slowly suckling at the junction of her neck and collar bone.
Rory gasped. He loved hearing her reactions, it turned him on like nothing could.
"Tristan what are you doing?" She said timidly.
He smirked into her skin before replying, "leaving my signature."
Satisfied that she would have something to remember this by tomorrow he raised his end up again and crushed her lips with her own. Rory's hands flew from the buttons on his shirt to sweeping down his back before tangling themselves in his hair. She had always had the urge to run her fingers through his choppy blond locks and finally had the chance.
The bell rang, startling both of the teens. Tristan let go of her slowly and rested against the door of the closet. Rory attempted to smooth down her shirt and grabbed her blazer from the floor.
Tristan watched her struggle to make her hair lie flat with amusement. He had never looked at her so genuinely happy before she noted.
A contemplative silence lay between them and before she thought about it she broke it with, "do you want to leave first or me?"
"what?"
"we can't leave together Tristan."
"C'mon Rory," he said and took her hand in his slowly tracing circles in her palm, "would it be so bad if people saw us together?"
Rory tried to ignore the feeling she got when he touched her and answered evenly, "yes."
Tristan dropped her hands and let out a short breathe of frustration. "Fine," he said before swiftly exiting the closet leaving Rory in the dark.