The next day Rory was at her locker, getting out her books and dreading when Tristan would come up to her. She'd ignored him since fourth period yesterday and hadn't talked to him when he called last night. She saw him walking towards her on the right, but turning left she saw someone walk in the door. Doing a double take, she saw Garrett. Clad in Whitland uniform. A wide smile spread across her face, despite the pit in her stomach. "Garrett!" his head snapped up and he smiled.
"Rory." She ran up and hugged him tightly.
"Hey, why didn't you tell me you were starting here?"
"I didn't know until two days ago."
"Well I'm glad you're here. We never see you. Oh, Katie will be glad you're here too." He smirked.
"Ror, all girls will be happy now that the love doctor is here!"
She laughed, "There's Katie, go talk to her, she'll scream."
"K, later Rory."
She turned and walked to her locker, hearing Katie squeal right on time. Rory smirked to herself, but it fell as Tristan leaned on the locker next to hers.
"Hey."
"Hey." she didn't look at him, just stared forward at the opened locker door.
"Mary." he touched her arm gently.
Her head snapped up, "W-what? Oh, hi Tristan." Devin, Tray, Josh, Kaleb, and Garrett had been walking over, but stopped, seeing the tension between the two.
"Rory, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
"What do you mean, why wouldn't I be fine?"
"Ror, you haven't talked to me, or even noted my existence since fourth period yesterday. Something's bothering you, so what is it?"
"Nothing Tristan, I'm fine."
"Well then why won't you talk to me?"
"I'm talking to you right now."
"You know what I mean."
"No Tristan, obviously I don't!"
"Rory, please tell me what's wrong, you haven't been yourself lately!"
"Tristan, I'm fine! God, I swear! I don't need you to fix everything!" She turned and walked away, leaving him standing there.
"What the hell did I do?" he called to her down the corridor while the tardy bell rang and the halls cleared, she ignored him and kept walking. His friends all came to him and watched Rory's back as she walked away from her boyfriend. He shook his head and looked at them, silently asking if they knew what was wrong with her. They all shrugged. Zack walked up and leaned on the locker behind Tristan.
"What did you say to her, Dugrey?"
Tristan turned to face one of the people he hated more than anything, and it clicked, Zack, he'd been talking to Rory in fourth period, he had to have said something to her. He grabbed Zack by the collar and slammed him into the locker. "The real question is, what did you say?" The other five closed in around them like a shield.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Tristan slammed him into the locker again, "What did you say to her Jackson?"
"Nothing."
Tristan looked at the ground and laughed bitterly, "Jackson, I'm going to ask you this one more time, what the hell did you say to my girlfriend?"
"And if I don't tell you?"
"Look Jackson, I can't stand you on a good day, and right now, I'm really pissed, so I am not in the mood for your smart ass attitude, okay?"
"Well, your highness, why don't you go ask your girlfriend what I said?"
"I will, but it would be easier to get it out of you first."
"And if I don't tell you?"
"Then the five guys standing around us will destroy you while I go after Rory. Now, if you have an answer that won't piss me off too much, they might not kill you, so, what did you tell her?"
"Nothing everyone doesn't know."
"And what is that?"
"The truth."
"You know Jackson, I'm getting really tired of this guessing game," he slammed the boy into the locker again, "What did you say to her?!"
"I told that little whore the truth she needs to know to date your ass." Devin and Kaleb jerked forward, it took the other three boys just to hold them back. Garrett grabbed Devin's arms and pinned them to his back, Josh did the same to Kaleb, and Tray put a hand on each of their chests, trying to push them back.
Tristan nodded and slammed him once again, harder than anytime before, "SHIT! I have a spine in there, you know!"
"And you're lucky it isn't broken after what you just said. Now, I'll ask ONE more time. What the hell did you say to her?"
"The truth, I already said that!"
"The truth about what!?" he screamed.
Zack smirked, "Michelle."
Tristan froze, his eyes wide, the other five looked at each other nervously, "Come again?"
"I told your girlfriend about Michelle Paris."
Tristan slammed him into the locker harder than before, "SHIT!" he yelled, watching Zack crumple into a ball. Tristan put his forehead in his hands.
Zack looked up, laughing coldly, his nose bleeding, "You better go find her, she's really hurt right now."
"You shut the fuck up!" Devin's brotherly protection was in overdrive. The only reason he wasn't beating the shit out of Zack Jackson was because two people were holding him back.
"You're scared to talk to her, scared that she'll dump your ass because now she knows what you did to your ex-girlfriend. Face it Dugrey, I won this one."
Tristan walked to his friends, "I have to find her. I don't care what you do to him," he eyed Zack, "Just make sure it hurts." and he ran out the front door, searching for Rory.
Devin and Kaleb were released. The two walked over to Zack and helped him up. Kaleb brushed the dirt off his shoulder and the boys on either side of the terrified Zack gave him fake smiles. Devin put a hand on his shoulder, "You know Jackson, I should forgive you for calling my baby sister that. I should also forgive you for doing that to her and my best friend." relief washed over the boy's scared face, that is until Devin's fist flew to his face. There was a sickening 'crunch' and he crumpled again, "Too bad I don't."
OUTSIDE
He ran outside and spotted her immediately. She was walking slowly, halfway across the parking lot. "Rory!" he called, she turned and, realizing who it was, walked faster. "Rory! No! I need to talk to you!" After hearing him say that, she went into a full sprint, causing him to run after her as fast as he could. Tristan was faster than her, so after a little while, he caught up to her. Tristan grabbed her wrist and held her there.
"Let me go!"
"Rory, no."
"Tristan, I know the story, okay! I don't want to feel like an even bigger idiot for falling for you, just let me go so I can be humiliated in peace!"
"What?"
"You're dating me because I look like your ex-girlfriend. I know okay."
He dropped her hand, "Zack told you that."
"Why does it matter who told me?" she turned to walk away.
"It matters that Zack told you, he likes you and he said it so that you'd break up with me."
She turned back around, "I'm listening."
"Fine, but Rory?"
"What?"
"Don't hate me for not telling you before."
"The question is, why didn't you?"
"I didn't think Michelle was that big of a deal."
"Fine, I won't hate you, whatever."
"Fine. Michelle Paris is one of my ex-girlfriends. It's true that you two do look a little similar. Brown hair, but different shades. She had brown eyes, not blue. And you two act completely different. After a few months she agreed to be my girlfriend. I didn't play her, I actually did care. We were the 'Golden Couple'. And we were happy for a few months, four, I think. People said we were 'in love'. But we hit a brick wall in the relationship so we broke up. She moved away a few weeks later."
She looked Tristan over, studying him, "That's it?"
"That's it."
"Did you sleep with her?"
"No, not her."
"What was the brick wall?'
"Let's just say there was a subject we didn't see eye to eye on."
"Did you really love her?'
"No."
"But you said you did?"
"No, she said she loved me, but I couldn't say it back. I wouldn't have meant it. That was what we didn't agree on. When I didn't say I love you back, she got mad and slept with one of my friends. We were at a party and she was drunk when she said it. Everyone knew she lost her virginity there, but it wasn't to me, like ever one thinks. They're just guessing it was me, they're not sure. And no, she wasn't pregnant. Her father was transferred to Atlanta."
"So then, what every one in this school thinks they know is really a lie?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you ever fix the rumor?"
"What good would it have done? People will believe what they want to and we can't change their opinion, no matter what we say."
Rory tilted her head, "Why did you come after me?"
"I had to."
"Why?"
"I had to know what was wrong with you. I mean Rory, you have to understand, this whole boyfriend thing is new to me. I'm not the perfect boyfriend. I've never cared about a girl like I care about you, and I don't want to loose you like other people our age do. Honestly, what I feel for you scares me. I've felt lust before, trust me, I have. But never this. What I feel for you is completely unreal and new."
"And what do you feel?"
He leaned forward, so did she. Inches from her mouth he whispered, "I'm not sure, but I think I'm falling in love."
She stopped, she'd thought he was going to say that and she had prepared herself, but hearing it was a different story. Rory looked up at him, "What?"
"I'm falling in love with you."
He leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet and gentle kiss. After only a few moments he broke away and whispered, "I love you, Loreai Leigh Hayden."
She took his lips in hers and kissed him slowly, wrapping hr arms around his neck and pulling him closer as his arms found her hips. She broke away for breath, staying in his embrace. After a second, she leaned back in and right before their lips met she whispered, "I love you too, Tristan Janlen Dugrey."
A/N: Aww, a sweet ending, *tear* I mean ending for this chapter, of course. My story isn't over. Not even close. Muah ha ha. Review my little darlings, and I'll give you coffee!
"Rory." She ran up and hugged him tightly.
"Hey, why didn't you tell me you were starting here?"
"I didn't know until two days ago."
"Well I'm glad you're here. We never see you. Oh, Katie will be glad you're here too." He smirked.
"Ror, all girls will be happy now that the love doctor is here!"
She laughed, "There's Katie, go talk to her, she'll scream."
"K, later Rory."
She turned and walked to her locker, hearing Katie squeal right on time. Rory smirked to herself, but it fell as Tristan leaned on the locker next to hers.
"Hey."
"Hey." she didn't look at him, just stared forward at the opened locker door.
"Mary." he touched her arm gently.
Her head snapped up, "W-what? Oh, hi Tristan." Devin, Tray, Josh, Kaleb, and Garrett had been walking over, but stopped, seeing the tension between the two.
"Rory, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
"What do you mean, why wouldn't I be fine?"
"Ror, you haven't talked to me, or even noted my existence since fourth period yesterday. Something's bothering you, so what is it?"
"Nothing Tristan, I'm fine."
"Well then why won't you talk to me?"
"I'm talking to you right now."
"You know what I mean."
"No Tristan, obviously I don't!"
"Rory, please tell me what's wrong, you haven't been yourself lately!"
"Tristan, I'm fine! God, I swear! I don't need you to fix everything!" She turned and walked away, leaving him standing there.
"What the hell did I do?" he called to her down the corridor while the tardy bell rang and the halls cleared, she ignored him and kept walking. His friends all came to him and watched Rory's back as she walked away from her boyfriend. He shook his head and looked at them, silently asking if they knew what was wrong with her. They all shrugged. Zack walked up and leaned on the locker behind Tristan.
"What did you say to her, Dugrey?"
Tristan turned to face one of the people he hated more than anything, and it clicked, Zack, he'd been talking to Rory in fourth period, he had to have said something to her. He grabbed Zack by the collar and slammed him into the locker. "The real question is, what did you say?" The other five closed in around them like a shield.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Tristan slammed him into the locker again, "What did you say to her Jackson?"
"Nothing."
Tristan looked at the ground and laughed bitterly, "Jackson, I'm going to ask you this one more time, what the hell did you say to my girlfriend?"
"And if I don't tell you?"
"Look Jackson, I can't stand you on a good day, and right now, I'm really pissed, so I am not in the mood for your smart ass attitude, okay?"
"Well, your highness, why don't you go ask your girlfriend what I said?"
"I will, but it would be easier to get it out of you first."
"And if I don't tell you?"
"Then the five guys standing around us will destroy you while I go after Rory. Now, if you have an answer that won't piss me off too much, they might not kill you, so, what did you tell her?"
"Nothing everyone doesn't know."
"And what is that?"
"The truth."
"You know Jackson, I'm getting really tired of this guessing game," he slammed the boy into the locker again, "What did you say to her?!"
"I told that little whore the truth she needs to know to date your ass." Devin and Kaleb jerked forward, it took the other three boys just to hold them back. Garrett grabbed Devin's arms and pinned them to his back, Josh did the same to Kaleb, and Tray put a hand on each of their chests, trying to push them back.
Tristan nodded and slammed him once again, harder than anytime before, "SHIT! I have a spine in there, you know!"
"And you're lucky it isn't broken after what you just said. Now, I'll ask ONE more time. What the hell did you say to her?"
"The truth, I already said that!"
"The truth about what!?" he screamed.
Zack smirked, "Michelle."
Tristan froze, his eyes wide, the other five looked at each other nervously, "Come again?"
"I told your girlfriend about Michelle Paris."
Tristan slammed him into the locker harder than before, "SHIT!" he yelled, watching Zack crumple into a ball. Tristan put his forehead in his hands.
Zack looked up, laughing coldly, his nose bleeding, "You better go find her, she's really hurt right now."
"You shut the fuck up!" Devin's brotherly protection was in overdrive. The only reason he wasn't beating the shit out of Zack Jackson was because two people were holding him back.
"You're scared to talk to her, scared that she'll dump your ass because now she knows what you did to your ex-girlfriend. Face it Dugrey, I won this one."
Tristan walked to his friends, "I have to find her. I don't care what you do to him," he eyed Zack, "Just make sure it hurts." and he ran out the front door, searching for Rory.
Devin and Kaleb were released. The two walked over to Zack and helped him up. Kaleb brushed the dirt off his shoulder and the boys on either side of the terrified Zack gave him fake smiles. Devin put a hand on his shoulder, "You know Jackson, I should forgive you for calling my baby sister that. I should also forgive you for doing that to her and my best friend." relief washed over the boy's scared face, that is until Devin's fist flew to his face. There was a sickening 'crunch' and he crumpled again, "Too bad I don't."
OUTSIDE
He ran outside and spotted her immediately. She was walking slowly, halfway across the parking lot. "Rory!" he called, she turned and, realizing who it was, walked faster. "Rory! No! I need to talk to you!" After hearing him say that, she went into a full sprint, causing him to run after her as fast as he could. Tristan was faster than her, so after a little while, he caught up to her. Tristan grabbed her wrist and held her there.
"Let me go!"
"Rory, no."
"Tristan, I know the story, okay! I don't want to feel like an even bigger idiot for falling for you, just let me go so I can be humiliated in peace!"
"What?"
"You're dating me because I look like your ex-girlfriend. I know okay."
He dropped her hand, "Zack told you that."
"Why does it matter who told me?" she turned to walk away.
"It matters that Zack told you, he likes you and he said it so that you'd break up with me."
She turned back around, "I'm listening."
"Fine, but Rory?"
"What?"
"Don't hate me for not telling you before."
"The question is, why didn't you?"
"I didn't think Michelle was that big of a deal."
"Fine, I won't hate you, whatever."
"Fine. Michelle Paris is one of my ex-girlfriends. It's true that you two do look a little similar. Brown hair, but different shades. She had brown eyes, not blue. And you two act completely different. After a few months she agreed to be my girlfriend. I didn't play her, I actually did care. We were the 'Golden Couple'. And we were happy for a few months, four, I think. People said we were 'in love'. But we hit a brick wall in the relationship so we broke up. She moved away a few weeks later."
She looked Tristan over, studying him, "That's it?"
"That's it."
"Did you sleep with her?"
"No, not her."
"What was the brick wall?'
"Let's just say there was a subject we didn't see eye to eye on."
"Did you really love her?'
"No."
"But you said you did?"
"No, she said she loved me, but I couldn't say it back. I wouldn't have meant it. That was what we didn't agree on. When I didn't say I love you back, she got mad and slept with one of my friends. We were at a party and she was drunk when she said it. Everyone knew she lost her virginity there, but it wasn't to me, like ever one thinks. They're just guessing it was me, they're not sure. And no, she wasn't pregnant. Her father was transferred to Atlanta."
"So then, what every one in this school thinks they know is really a lie?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you ever fix the rumor?"
"What good would it have done? People will believe what they want to and we can't change their opinion, no matter what we say."
Rory tilted her head, "Why did you come after me?"
"I had to."
"Why?"
"I had to know what was wrong with you. I mean Rory, you have to understand, this whole boyfriend thing is new to me. I'm not the perfect boyfriend. I've never cared about a girl like I care about you, and I don't want to loose you like other people our age do. Honestly, what I feel for you scares me. I've felt lust before, trust me, I have. But never this. What I feel for you is completely unreal and new."
"And what do you feel?"
He leaned forward, so did she. Inches from her mouth he whispered, "I'm not sure, but I think I'm falling in love."
She stopped, she'd thought he was going to say that and she had prepared herself, but hearing it was a different story. Rory looked up at him, "What?"
"I'm falling in love with you."
He leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet and gentle kiss. After only a few moments he broke away and whispered, "I love you, Loreai Leigh Hayden."
She took his lips in hers and kissed him slowly, wrapping hr arms around his neck and pulling him closer as his arms found her hips. She broke away for breath, staying in his embrace. After a second, she leaned back in and right before their lips met she whispered, "I love you too, Tristan Janlen Dugrey."
A/N: Aww, a sweet ending, *tear* I mean ending for this chapter, of course. My story isn't over. Not even close. Muah ha ha. Review my little darlings, and I'll give you coffee!