"Rory, I need to talk to you," Tristan said when he spotted her standing in the English room talking about the Franklin with Paris.

"I'm busy right now, Tristan," she replied immediately still looking down at the papers in her hands.

"This is important," he insisted.

Paris glanced up from the layout on the desk to cast a suspicious look between the two of them.

Rory shot him a warning glance from the corner of her eye. He wasn't supposed to do this. They were supposed to be anything in the public's eye.

"Look bible boy, I don't have time for any inane banter right now," Rory said coldly.

Tristan swallowed slowly, he was really tiring of this act.

He grabbed Rory's arm and hustled her outside of the room, leaving a wide eyed Paris in their wake.

"Tristan! What the hell are you doing?" She whispered while glaring daggers at him.

Tristan sighed angrily and said, "I told myself I wouldn't be the first to cave. But I'm sick of this not talking to each other in public bit…I would like to be able to talk to you Rory."

She sighed exasperatedly, "Tristan, we can't let people catch on."

He ran a hand through his hair frustrated and said louder than she would have liked, "why not?"

"because."

"But why? What would be so bad about it? I mean, Rory, I don't think you get it. I really like you. I would like to be more than what I am to you."

Rory shook her head mutely.

"Stop it, Tristan. You don't mean what you're saying."

Tristan grabbed her and pulled her close so that they were practically nose to nose. His eyes stared down at her with a gaze so fierce she felt a pounding in her heart and head.

"I mean it Rory. You know I mean it."

Rory replied weakly, "you'll get bored. There will be another girl…"

"There is no other girl, Rory."

She steeled herself against his gaze and replied, "well find one then," before walking back into the classroom.

Tristan didn't return to this room that day. However, Rory found him waiting for her by her locker at the end of the day. Waiting with a petite brunette by his side.

"Rory," he greeted her civilly as if this morning hadn't happened, "I'd like you to meet Cassidy. She's a sophomore, just transferred in."

"Oh."

The girl smiled genuinely at Rory, seemingly happy to meet her.

"Hi, it's really nice to meet you. Tristan has said some great things about you."

"oh really?" Rory replied archly.

Cassidy's smile faltered a little and she replied, "well…just the few things he's told me have been really great. He said you guys are really good friends."

"Yeah, we are right Rory?" Tristan cut in with a hint of irony in his tone.

"Yeah," she replied without a trace of humor in her voice.

Tristan continued smiling down peacefully at her and then continued, "yeah I ran into Cassidy while I was actually leaving school. She was having car trouble."

"Yeah, Tristan was really nice and gave me a lift. And helped me explain why I was so late. I was considering changing my whole mind about coming here…I mean imagine showing up late on the first day."

"Rory once showed up late to her English exam," Tristan added conversationally.

"Oh, that's awful." Cassidy wrinkled her brow sympathetically.

Rory felt like she was going to wretch with all these niceties being passed around.

"Yeah and then I got kicked out of class for screaming at this asshole. Not the best day."

"Yeah, I remember that. Poor guy," Tristan said jovially.

Rory met his eyes for a brief second and then replied airily, "he had it coming. You know Cassidy," turning to the girl, "you should really watch out for the guys around here. They can be real bastards."

The girl laughed uncomfortably at Rory's serious tone and then replied, "yeah, Tristan was telling me to watch out for them-"

"how ironic," Rory shrilled.

"Not really," Tristan replied evenly.

Cassidy looked between them a bit confused and then said, "well, I should go to catch the bus."

"I'll drive you home," Tristan replied automatically still looking into Rory's eyes.

"Oh you don't have to do that," Cassidy replied quickly.

"I insist," Tristan said with a gentlemanly air.

"Yeah, and he doesn't take no for an answer," Rory sniped earning another confused look from Cassidy.

"Why don't you start walking out and I'll meet you by the front," Tristan told Cassidy easily, "I have to get some notes from someone."

"okay, well it was nice meeting you Rory," the girl said politely.

Rory responded with a quick jerk of her head and nothing more.

"That wasn't very polite, Mary" Tristan goaded.

"Well, Tristan I figure you'll fuck her and then be done with her…I'll probably never see her again so excuse me if I don't pull out the welcome wagon."

"she's not like that," Tristan replied knowingly.

Rory rolled her eyes and snapped, "please you've known her for what? An hour. How would you know?"

Tristan leaned in and said challengingly, "sometimes you just get a feeling about people. She reminds me of you before you turned into such a bitch."

Rory felt like she had just been slapped but she quickly submerged her reaction.

"Go to hell Tristan."

"Now now Rory. You told me to find another girl."

She jabbed him hard in the shoulder with her finger and said furiously, "that's right. So don't for one second think you are going to make me jealous with your new bimbo."

Tristan rocked back on his heels and said reproachfully, "she's not a bimbo, Rory. She's nice. She was happy to meet you. I think you'd see that if you were acting so insanely catty about this. I think you'd like her."

Rory snorted, "spare me the genuine crap…I know what you look for in girls. A smiley personality and a nice body."

"So what do I see in you?"

"You jerk…" she sputtered.

Tristan shrugged and said quietly, "this is how you wanted it remember? You wouldn't let us progress."

"so what… this is how we act as friends?'

"Rory…you wouldn't let us be friends. You wouldn't let me be anything to you but a faceless body in a closet."

"like you were so opposed," she spat out.

Tristan shrugged again, this time laden with resignation, "what can I say. I took what I could get from you. I just wish you would've let me spend some time with you that didn't involve sucking face."

Rory felt herself sliding quickly into a place she had sworn she wouldn't go. She was not going to let him watch her fall. She straightened herself and said nastily, "whatever, she's waiting for you by your car and why the hell are you carrying around Anna Kareninaanyway?" she asked just noticing the heavy text in his hand, "last time I checked you were failing English."

Tristan smiled at her slowly, " it's Cassidy's. She brought it to read on the bus. Bye Rory, have a nice afternoon."

-

"Well of course you're bothered. I mean within a short afternoon he already met someone," Lane said sympathetically after listening to Rory rant for an hour or so.

"But it's not just that," Rory said tugging at the cuffs of her blazer, "it's…I don't know. I mean I knew he could get girls like that, he always has. And I'm the one who told him to find someone else…but something about this girl just really…ugh"

"Could it be," Lane started delicately, "that she's not like the others?"

Rory gave her a confused look.

"I mean, just from what you described her as. Well, she doesn't sound really snobby like summer-"

"She wasn't…she was nice," Rory said.

"Or trampy like all the others…and you mentioned Anna Karenina, which means she's smart. So maybe…she reminds you a little of you?"

Rory sighed, "I don't know Lane. I just met the girl."

"But did you like her?"

Rory sent out another confused look.

"Okay well besides her being with Tristan which automatically would get her your dislike ..what was your gut feeling about the girl?"

Rory answered hesitantly, "she seemed…nice. Really nice."

"Well, maybe you are afraid she'll really mean something to him…"

Lane stopped herself there but Rory could her unfinished thought hanging in the air.

Perhaps Cassidy would mean something to Tristan…just like Rory used to.