DONT OWN IT
ETB4670: Trory all the way, don't doubt it for a second. I'm fed up with Logan!
The Simple Things
Daddy
Rory snuggled closer to Logan, craving his warmth. He shifted, but it wasn't the usual content shift; it was an uncomfortable shift.
He was suspicious, Rory was guilty. She knew nothing had happened, but there was a part of her dancing around the word date, even if it was followed by fake. There shouldn't be any dates going on without Logan.
He turned so he was facing the head resting shoulder. She averted her eyes, he stared intently at her; studying her. She could feel his eyes seeking out hers and it made her look even farther in the opposite direction. She looked further and further away until it hurt. She knew how obvious it was she was avoiding him and it made her come back until Logan's simple eyes greeted her. Eyes that didn't dare compete with Tristan's.
"How did father daughter bonding time go?" He asked getting straight to the point. Rory hadn't realized at the time how lame of an excuse she'd given; Logan knew her well enough to know she wanted a restraining order against her dad right now.
"Good." Rory said, she maintained eye contact making the lie sting twice as badly.
"Are you best friends now?"
"Yup." Rory answered, but in a voice with a bit of a sarcastic tone, trying to make it seem more realistic.
He scooted away from her trying to get a better view; it would be easier to seek out the lie. She sat up and readied herself, for his words, for her lies. "Your giving me one word answers." Rory didn't know how he did it, he always managed to maintain his temper around her until he knew the facts. Then all the saved up suspicions came pouring out in four letter words.
"I feel like I'm in an interrogation room!"
"Now you're changing the subject."
Rory pouted. She was loosing the battle. She was speechless.
"Ace, what's going on?" She couldn't squirm her way out of this. She was going to have to tell the truth; which would sound ten times worse since she'd lied to him.
"Well, this guy from Chilton was back in town. And we were just reminiscing about past times. And I lied, 'cause I didn't want you to get the wrong idea." It was a twisted version of the truth, but it was still based on a fact.
"That's all?"
"That's all." Logan seemed satisfied; he settled back onto the couch, "I'm not a jealous type Ace." And that was all. He had believed her.
"Could have fooled me." Rory replied with a smirk. But Logan just smirked back pulling her into a much-needed kiss.
-
Rory was deeply engrossed in her book. She read every word carefully, putting herself into the novel and creating her own state of being. It was habit, and something she needed. She needed to read as much as her mom needed a daily aspirin.
The phone rang, interrupting her. It sent her running back to reality. "Hello?" Paris had beaten her to the phone. Rory heard muttering on the other end and listened intensely, trying to seek out Logan's voice.
"There isn't any Mary here." Paris snapped, "I'm sick of these prank phone calls." Rory froze; it was clear who was on the other end of the line. Tristan.
Tristan.
Why did it have to be Tristan? Rory was done with Tristan.
"Paris it's for me give me the phone." Rory snatched the phone away from Paris. That's when something seemed to click to in Paris's mind. "Tristan Dugery." She muttered, "I need to get drunk." Rory watched as Paris left the room rubbing her temples.
"Hello?" Rory asked into the phone.
"Mary?"
"Rory."
"I need you." He said in a whining pleading voice.
"You're begging!" Rory couldn't help it; he'd sprung right into groveling and she wasn't sure if he'd ever done that.
"See," He was regaining his cool, Rory could tell just by the tone of his voice. "My dad wants you to come to a formal party this weekend and if you don't come he'll think we broke up."
"That doesn't affect me."
"It could, since of course Daddy Dearest knows a lot about the people of Yale. Since he is the headmasters (A/N: I don't know if they're called head masters or principals or the boss or what but I'm calling it a headmaster kay?) best friend."
"Tristan Dugery are you blackmailing me?" Rory asked, she couldn't help the growing smile on her face as the conversation progressed.
"Or you could call it helping you fail your next class."
Rory was defeated, she was 99 percent sure he wouldn't go through with what he was saying. She wasn't going to chance that one percent though, no way. If it meant one date with Tristan so be it. "What'm I getting out of this?"
"The social legend of Chilton's attention?" He sounded so sure of himself. So proud, Rory was sure that he had no doubt in his mind of his social standing.
"You should know by now that 'Mary' doesn't need any ones name to drop."
"Cash?"
"I live on the simple side of things."
"Braids and brains. You mean the good-girl side of things." He said contradicting her.
"Fine Tristan Dugery, and I'll do it out of the goodness of my heart." She was stooping to his level, casual dating. Faking dating, but she didn't care; there was this urge telling her to say yes
"Alright Mary!" He cheered, probably happy that he could please Daddy without having to say anything at all to him. All he had to do was display Rory like she was the newest playboy model and his Dad would adore him.
"Saturday at eight. I'll pick you up around 7:30."
Rory didn't wait for more, just hung up the phone in a futile means of escape.
-
Rory went for baggy this time, putting on a satiny drapey dress. It was purple and Rory had gotten it from her Grandmother as a birthday present, she never intended to wear it, but she never intended to go on a fake date with Tristan either.
It hugged her around the stomach, and flooded at the bottom in a curtain like way. The top consisted of a ruffled material that had just the right amount of exposure, nothing provocative.
Rory ran her fingers through her hair and put on a bit of gloss and mascara before slipping a novel into her handbag.
There was a knock on her dorm door. And Rory was thankful that Paris wasn't there to intervene.
"Your early." Rory said as soon as she opened the door, which revealed Tristan in a pink tuxedo. Rory raised her eyebrows, "Pretty in pink?"
"Daddy's men made it for me." Tristan stepped out of the doorway allowing Rory's exit.
"Everything revolves around your dad. Don't you ever do anything for yourself?" Rory stepped outside and began to walk down.
"I hook up with girls, and I'm not doing that for him. He hasn't lost it just yet."
"You sure know how to give vivid details." Rory screwed up her features in disgust.
They entered Tristan's car enclosed again by the walls and their past, trapped in a room of memories and things that should've been said.
They rode in silence, lost in their memories of each other.
They mingled.
Daddy was off with his employees and just saw them quick enough to confirm Rory's physical existence.
Rory suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, seeing Logan drinking in front of the bar. She had to leave. Now.
Rory grabbed Tristan's finger impatiently pulling him along after spotting Logan. "Where are we going?" He asked suggestively.
"Anywhere. Get me out." He put his hand on the small of her back leading her up the stairs. And through a hall full of wide-eyed portraits, the kind that watched you. Rory was being watched, and was convinced the Logan was amongst the pictures with his hands in his pockets watching with them. She didn't question where Tristan was taking her, just went anxious to get out of the view of others.
Tristan opened a door exposing a room much simpler than the others. With a few pictures of half naked girls on the walls, and some playboys strewn carelessly in the corner. The naked girls alone gave away whom the room belonged to.
"What're we doing in your room?" Rory asked, stepping away from him cautiously.
"It's the easiest way to escape. Daddy will believe we were up here, but not at the coffee shop. Tristan walked away, and began damaging through some papers on his desk, shortly after resurfacing with what looked like a door knobbie.
"What is that?"
"A don't disturb sign." Tristan said, like it was something he was used to.
"Did you still that from The Hilton or something?" Rory asked fully surprised, then seeing who close she was to his king sized bed, took a step away.
"Precisely Mary." He slipped it onto the doorknob and closed the door. Rory took another step away. But unexpectedly he didn't make a move toward her; he went straight for his lazy chair kicking his feet up.
Rory looked for something to do, getting the nosy gene from her mother she went straight for his mirror where various photos were tacked up. There was one of Paris from when she was a little girl, one of Summer, some of whom Rory assumed where his friends. A picture of a group of guys decked out in camo. Then in the bottom corner was a picture of Rory smiling for the camera, Rory didn't remember having it taken, but non the less there it was, stuck up right next to the PJ Harvey tickets, unused.
"You kept them?" Rory asked looking over at Tristan who was leaning back with his eyes closed.
"Yup." He muttered back not bothering to see what she was talking about.
"Why?"
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"Good thing my ancestors weren't cats."
He sighed. "As a remainder of what I can't have."
"Deep."
"Don't get used to it."
Rory took another look at the tickets with their crinkling edges, "Can I have one?" Rory asked.
"Why?" He asked opening his eyes and sitting up.
"As a reminder of what I've done wrong." Rory answered with a shrug.
"Really?" She'd fed his ego; he stood up and strut over to her before continuing. "Because history doesn't have to repeat itself." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders talking directly in her ear. Rory gasped slightly, she didn't like this but she loved it at the same time. She hated Tristan yet…
His touch made her happy.
"Don't get a big head. I missed PJ Harvey!" He didn't let go though; he lingered in the position for a second longer- a second to long -before resuming his place in his chair.
Her words hung over them in an ominous warning of just how much they could hurt each other.
"Let's continue fake dating. You can get me in touch with the simple side of life, and be able to brag about it to your kids. Also, I'd get the eye candy of your figure," He smirked "Plus, if you don't I'll tell Logan about our date."
"What?" Rory snapped, horrified. "You know Logan?"
"No, my parents doctors kid is his best friend. Word travels in the Dugery household."
"Like a miniature Stars Hollow?"
Tristan raised an eyebrow obviously unaware of the Stars Hollow Grape Vine, "Sure." He said shrugging off her question.
"Deal?"
Rory paused shifting uneasily from foot to foot, looking for something to rest her eyes on. "Fine." Defeated.
"Time to go." Rory said hopefully, checking her clock.
"Wait," Tristan walked over toward her. Leaning down so the top of his head was facing her. "Mess up my hair." Rory wanted to leave, no questions asked she ran her hands through his hair.
"Now yours."
"But I curled it especially for tonight!"
"Now we'll make the curls a little more natural looking." He didn't wait for her to bend down just ran his fingers through her hair and destroying the perfect part. "Take a picture, I'll post it on a porn sight." He continued handing her a camera.
"If I have to so do you! We can capture this for future generations and show your grandkids who messed up your hair." She didn't wait for the objection, just pulled his head over and squashed it up against her own. "Cheese!" She screeched.
The excitement to leaving was putting her on a natural high.