Rating: Teen, for implied sexual situations including rape and situations involving the tragic disorders of anorexia nervosa and bulimia
Summary: There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it. AU Trory.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story and any characters not recognized. All else is the property of Amy Sherman-Palladino. The quote in the summary is by George Bernard Shaw. "Who Knows" belongs to Avril Lavigne.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for your reviews. Rory's hugging Logan… what's Tristin going to do?
Chapter 7: Who Knows
Rory turned when she heard a car start. She released herself from Logan's grip and ran over to the car, and was greeted by Tristin.
"Tristin!" Rory yelled.
Tristin looked up at Rory. He turned his car off and, after taking a deep breath, grabbed the rose and got out of the car.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I was going to call you later."
"To tell me about your new boyfriend?" he questioned. "Too late, I already know."
"I heard you were hanging out with Duncan and Bowman," she stated. "Is it true?"
"It might be," he replied. "Why do you care?"
Rory grabbed the pocket of Tristin's sweatshirt. "You know I do."
Tristin willed himself not to touch Rory. "That's surprising. You didn't call me, yet you know about Duncan and Bowman."
Rory rolled her eyes and held tightly to his pocket. "Tristin, stay with us. I'm going to watch Lane's band rehearse. We can talk after."
Tristin held up the rose. "This is for you. I have some things I need to do. I'll see you around."
Rory took the rose and watched him walk away. She saw him get out his cell phone and start talking to someone -- presumably Duncan or Bowman.
Lane walked over to Rory. "Tristin?"
Rory shrugged. "The one and only."
"Well, there is a very attractive blond boy over with us, too. He happens to be interested, so you better act fast," Lane said.
Rory looked at Lane. "Is he really? Or am I a conquest?"
"Jess would hurt him if you were a conquest," Lane replied. "Apparently Luke told him to keep an eye on you and to castrate anyone who seems to be a threat to your well-being."
Rory smiled. "Lane, can you and I talk before your band thing?"
"Sure," Lane responded. "What about?"
"Why I'm here," Rory said.
Lane turned around to the group of guys on the sidewalk. "Guys! Give us thirty minutes!"
Rory saw Jess nod and maneuver the guys over to the gazebo. "Thanks."
"No problem," Lane said. "Let's go talk on the bench."
"Madeline and Louise were nowhere to be found. Neither was Paris," Rory said as she and Lane sat across from each other on the bench. "Tristin went to look for Paris. I went to search for Madeline and Louise. I started with the bedrooms because, well, I was looking for Mads and Louise."
Lane smiled. "Ah, those type of girls."
Rory nodded. "Yeah. Caleb was in the first bedroom. He and I were kind of friends, so I decided to talk to him. He was drunk, though. I don't know, I guess I was too innocent to realize that he would do something."
Lane rested her hand on Rory's. "You don't have to finish."
Rory shook her head. "I do, though. He raped me. I didn't tell anyone about it. I stopped eating. I was punishing myself for being so stupid, but in the end I was hurting myself even more. After Tristin found out, he took me to Madeline's house. I ate, but I made myself throw up. When my mom came home, she asked me what I wanted to do."
"You wanted to live with Luke," Lane stated.
"Yeah," Rory replied. "I couldn't deal with Chilton. I didn't want looks of sympathy from people I didn't even know. I've been here for three weeks."
"And you just started school?" Lane asked.
"I've gained three pounds since I came here," Rory said. "Twenty-seven more to go."
Lane smiled at the frail girl sitting across from her. "My mom's never let me go to a party, so I guess I don't really know how to talk about this kind of stuff. She's kind of very religious."
"But you're hair's blue," Rory noted.
"Yeah, in exchange for a bible study group," Lane responded. "I told her I'd go to the group if she let me put blue in my hair."
"Ah," Rory stated. "I see."
Lane stood up. "So, band practice. Are you in?"
Rory shrugged. "Sure."
"Good, because I have a feeling that you might be asked out on a date," Lane said.
"Oh, really?" Rory asked as she stood up.
Lane put her arm around Rory. "Yup. Now, come on."
Paris, now worried about Tristin, sat on her front porch steps as she saw him drive in.
"Hey," he greeted as he got out.
"Tristin, what's wrong?" she asked. "You call me all fucked over and now you're calm. What happened?"
Tristin shrugged. "Rory's got herself a new boy toy."
"How do you know this?" Paris inquired. "You went and saw her."
"Did you know?" Tristin questioned.
Paris shook her head. "No. She said she was going to call you tonight, but not to tell you."
"I saw her," Tristin said. "She was hugging some guy. Blond, probably just like me."
"We all know how she is with guys like you," Paris stated.
"She wound up kissing me," Tristin replied. "I thought something would happen."
Paris shrugged. "We're sixteen, Tristin. You can't expect us to all fall in love at age twelve."
"I know," Tristin said. "I just… I want to be with Rory. She's it for me."
"She'll be back," Paris said. "I know it."
Tristin sighed. "I hope you're right."