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. "Low" belongs to Kelly Clarkson.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for your reviews. How was that for a surprise ending? Anyone got a knife? Because this plot is about to get thicker. In the last chapter, I said Rory was staying at Paris's, then at her mom's. Pretend she said at Paris's the whole time, no mention of Lorelai. A little explanation of how Rory's been since being raped is in here. Hope you like chapter 10!
Chapter 10: Low
"Will you be okay here without me?" Logan asked after they'd danced.
Rory shook her head. "No. I think I'm going to stay awhile longer. I may stay with Paris tonight. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Logan smiled at her, and her heart melted. He gave Rory a quick kiss and walked away from her. Rory smiled at his retreating form. Her thoughts were stolen from her, however, as Paris grabbed her arm and dragged her to another room.
"Paris, it's attached, and… ow!" Rory exclaimed.
Paris stared Rory down. "Were you born without a heart?"
"Excuse me?" Rory asked as she rubbed her elbow.
"Tristin DuGrey had the look of a kicked puppy! And you gave it to him!" Paris screamed.
"I'm standing right in front of you," Rory stated calmly. "I think I can hear you."
"Then Rory, you need to fix this," Paris said. "Go talk to him. Tell him that whatever moment you two had was one of your insanity things and you didn't mean it."
Rory looked at Paris seriously. "Paris, I think we should talk."
"What did you do?" Paris asked.
"I sort of… um," Rory searched for the right words to use. "I may have kissed Tristin."
Paris's eyes widened at Rory's confession. "You did what!"
Rory shrugged. "I don't know if I regret it, either."
"You and Tristin kissed," Paris stated. "And you have a boyfriend, but you don't think you regret kissing the guy who's not your boyfriend. Did I get all that?"
"Did you leave out the part where I feel like a whore?" Rory asked.
Paris sighed. "Gilmore, you're not a whore. A little misguided, maybe, but not a whore. Never."
Rory sat down in a chair. "Ever since Caleb… you know, I've never felt right. I've felt like maybe I was just kidding myself and I was never innocent. Like I didn't lose my innocence the night I was raped."
"Don't ever say that," Paris said. "You are and always have been a good person. Your innocence was stolen from you. You didn't ask Caleb to do what he did."
A tear slid down Rory's cheek. "It's all so messed up. I wish things had never changed. Maybe then Tristin and I…"
Paris smiled at Rory. "Maybe you two would be dating now?"
Rory nodded. "Yeah. Maybe."
"You should talk to him," Paris said.
Rory shrugged. "I wouldn't know what to say."
"It'll come to you," Paris replied. "Like walking."
Rory smiled. "I'll see you in a bit."
"You're staying with me tonight, right?" Paris asked.
"Yeah," Rory responded.
Paris smiled at her friend as she walked off. She knew Rory would do what her heart told her to. She wouldn't do anything she'd regret.
Rory sat down on the balcony beside Tristin. "The stars are beautiful."
Tristin looked at Rory, then looked back at the sky. "What are you doing here? Weren't you busy with Logan earlier?"
"Tristin," Rory groaned. "It's not that simple."
Tristin looked at Rory again, his eyes cold. "Why can't it be? You and I kissed earlier. And I don't regret it. I thought you would feel the same."
They were silent. Rory took in her surroundings: the night air, the crescent moon, and the twinkling stars above.
"I don't," she said.
Tristin looked at her once again. "You don't."
Rory shook her head. "I don't."
"Are you still with him?" Tristin asked.
Rory nodded. "Yes."
"Then Rory, until you break up with him, I don't want to talk to you," Tristin said. "It hurts too much to talk to you and know I can't have you."
Tristin got up and walked away from her. Rory watched him walk away and felt the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Tristin?" Paris asked when she saw Tristin come downstairs.
Tristin ignored her questioning glance andwalked by her. Paris shook her head, then realized where Rory had gone.
She ran upstairs to the balcony and saw Rory crying. "Rory?"
Rory looked over to Paris. "He said until Logan and I break up, he won't talk to me."
Paris sighed and sat down beside her friend. Paris hugged Rory as she began to cry more.
"He was my best friend," Rory said. "The only one I could talk to."
Paris smiled sadly. "He'll realize that he's being a dumb ass."
Rory still cried. "Tristin's not stupid, Paris. He has a reason for what he's doing. It's my fault. Maybe I should have just stayed in Stars Hollow."
Paris brought Rory's eyes to hers. "And graduate the valedictorian of Stars Hollow High? Rory, are you insane?"
Rory shrugged as she dried her tears. "I have no idea. Maybe it was stupid of me to believe that I could come back and everything would be like it was."
"Maybe you weren't," Paris responded. "Maybe all you and Tristin need right now is a little bit of space."
Rory nodded. "Yeah."
"Want to go to my house?" Paris asked.
"Yeah," Rory said again. "Let's go."
Paris put her arm around Rory as they walked down the stairs. Paris glared at Tristin as Rory put her head down to avoid eye contact with him. Tristin shrugged and took a drink out of his cup of 'punch.'
Rory sighed as she laid back on the floor of Paris's living room. "What a night."
"You're telling me," Paris responded as she laid down beside Rory. "You and Tristin. Madeline and Jason. Louise and Jason. Madeline and Matt. Louise and Oliver. Madeline and Oliver. Louise and Matt."
Rory laughed. "Goodness. I guess they were busy tonight."
"Seems like it," Paris replied. "So, you're going back to Stars Hollow in the morning?"
Rory nodded. "Yeah. I may not be in school on Monday. I need to get my head straight before I go back."
"Does this head straightening time involve Logan?" Paris asked.
Rory shrugged. "It may. I'm not sure. I may need time make a --"
"Pro/con list?" Paris asked.
Rory smiled at her friend. "Yeah."
"You and those lists, Rory," Paris said. "You and I both know that list won't tell you anything."
"It might," Rory replied.
"Don't skip school to make a list," Paris said. "Make a list during your free period."
Rory folded her arms over her chest. "Okay."
Paris yawned. "Night, Rory."
"Night," Rory said, turning over on her side.
Logan smiled as he looked up at the night sky. It was gorgeous night. He saw Jess sitting on the curb outside of Luke's and walked over to him.
"Hey," Jess greeted.
Logan sat down next to Jess. "Hey."
"How was your night?" Jess asked.
"She was dancing with Tristin when I walked in there," Logan said. "But she told me that he was her friend and she was dancing with him because she missed him. Then we danced."
"She danced with him because she missed him," Jess stated, lighting his cigarette.
Logan noted the sarcasm in Jess's statement. "Yeah."
"She could have hugged him, you know," Jess said. "And then just stuck with him at the party. They didn't have to dance."
Logan shrugged. "We all know how Rory is."
"She told me she loved Tristin," Jess stated. "Right before you two hooked up. Which was why I was surprised when you two hooked up, if she loved Tristin."
Logan looked at his friend. "You don't think…"
"How did she get to the party?" Jess asked.
"I didn't ask her," Logan replied. "I assumed Paris took her."
"Did you see Paris near Rory?" Jess inquired.
Logan shook his head. "No. She may have been in the bathroom."
"What else did you hear at the party?" Jess questioned.
"I heard some guy telling another that Rory was all over Tristin," Logan responded.
Jess looked at his friend. "What did they look like when you saw them?"
"Like a couple," Logan said. "But Rory saw me and --"
"Walked away from Tristin. Then she went after you," Jess stated. "And told you that she was dancing with Tristin because she missed him."
"Yeah," Logan stated softly, looking away. "What does that mean?"
Jess shrugged and took a drag of his cigarette. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is with Rory there will always be a Tristin. She talked about him even after you two got together."
"How do you know all this stuff?" Logan asked.
"I live with her," Jess responded. "But now I need to go in or Luke's going to send outthe search dogs."
"I think I'll go to Lane's," Logan said.
"Out with Dave," Jess replied. "Want to come in? Luke doesn't mind you. You can sleep in Rory's bed and dream about when she comes back tomorrow."
Logan smirked. "I think I'll just go home. I'll see you in the morning."
Jess nodded. "Yeah, you will."
Tristin stood outside Paris's house and looked up at the window he knew was Paris's room. He knew Rory wouldn't be in there, and was probably in the living room. He sighed as he made his way to the living room window. He didn't want to go home just yet. He wanted to talk to Rory.
Tristin softly tapped on the window. He saw Rory wake up. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. Tristin motioned to the door and Rory nodded. She quietly got up and tip-toed over to the door.
Tristin smiled softly as Rory walked outside. "Hey."
Rory smiled at him. "Hey."
Tomorrow, Rory would go back to Stars Hollow. She didn't know what she would do, but she couldn't lose Tristin. That was why she took his hand as he led her out to Paris's back yard.
That was why Logan woke up at midnight and couldn't get back to sleep.