Set around season 2, Jess at this time is screwed up. Thanks for all the reviews. Really appreciate the feedback.
'I've been down and I'm wondering why these little black clouds keep walking around with me, with me'
Tristan stared motionlessly out the window of the run down car as it sped along the highway. He hadn't exchanged words with the stranger seated beside him since they got in. The silence was comforting and much needed after the most intensely confusing conversation he had with Paris. He needed time to penetrate her words. Try to make sense of them. Every now and then he wished that there was a working radio in the car so he could turn the volume up high and drown out the sound of their voices. The moment would pass as soon as it came. Usually due to the question in his head that desperately needed answering. Is she real? Sure, he'd been given the answers several times over by several different people, but he couldn't believe them.
He was suddenly very grateful of the fact that the dark haired guy hadn't tried to make pointless small talk with him. He glanced at the figure. He didn't seem the type to. Too dark, too absorbed in his own problems, he was sure he had his own problems, he could tell by the defying look his violent face.
Subtly Tristan looked around the car for anything remotely interesting. His eyes caught onto a tattered copy of Ernst Hemmingway's, 'The Old Man and The Sea.' He remembered reading it for English lit. Although Mariano didn't seem like the reading type, Tristan thought the book suited him in a way, it was the sort of book that had a message, from how he interpreted it the message was saying that life is hard, but worth fighting for in most cases. Who was he to judge, he didn't even know him. He turned back to the window.
'So who or what are you running from DuGrey?' Jess asked unexpectedly.
Tristan glanced at him slightly startled but hiding it well.
'What are you talking about?' he questioned, knowing exactly what he was asking.
'The whole 'screw the world' attitude. Come on, do you usually take on dodgy jobs offered by complete strangers and before you ask, yeah, this job is most definitely dodgy.' He commented a smirk on his face.
'Why were you in the Chilton parking lot after midnight?' Tristan asked hostility evident in his voice. The last thing he needed was to be interrogated by someone he just met.
'Jeez, you gonna answer all my questions with questions?' Jess asked his eyes on the road.
'Are you?'
Jess rolled his eyes. He didn't know why he asked, the guys reaction was inevitable. He only pried because he was bored and needed something to keep him from falling asleep at the wheel. The last thing he needed was the cops on his back. He glanced at the guy who was now staring intently out the window watching the world go by. His story was probably the same as the rest of his 'type,' rich, pressured and bored. Maybe something bigger on the side.
'There was a girl…' the blond started as if reading his thoughts.
'There always is' Jess interrupted. He smirked to himself; he should have known it would be something like that. He knew how that went, how the right girl could screw anyone up, hell he'd been there. Tristan continued somewhat reluctantly.
'…She was different; this girl was so unlike the rest, you know? She was smart and funny.' A distant ghost like smile flitted across his face but disappeared as soon as it came. He's got it bad, Jess thought, catching the smile.
'Please warn me if you're gonna break out into song or something so I can kick your ass out onto the streets beforehand' Jess commented trying to make light of the situation. Tristan laughed the car then drifted back into silence. He needed to get the guy stoned; it would take his mind off whatever's eating him up. He wondered what happened to the girl.
'You said was, past tense. What happened to her? You break her heart pretty boy?' He asked light heartedly. Tristan sniggered much to Jess' confusion.
'Nah, this is way more screwed up than that, she was never my girlfriend, in fact she apparently doesn't exist.' Jess shot him a weird look before turning back to the road.
'What do you mean she doesn't exist? God, I hope you're not one of those'
'That's what I'm being told' he said ignoring his last comment. 'I supposedly made her up because my life's so screwed up and I needed a distraction' he said smiling bitterly. Jess shot him another look.
'Man, that is wrong on so many levels' He had more problems than he credited him for.
'You're telling me.'
'If it's any consolation you don't seem that much of a nut job to me, my mother on the other hand…' he drifted off. Tristan raised an eyebrow. Jess knew many people couldn't picture him with parents; he came off as seeming detached.
'Thanks man, I needed that.' He said after a minute.
'Huh. No problem.' Jess said nodding slightly. 'But hey, don't take my word for you, I've know you for what, less than a couple of hours.'
'Speaking of, why the hell are we in New York?' Tristan said becoming increasingly aware. They had reached there not long ago and it was only now hitting him.
'All in good time.' He said. 'There's a okay pub around here, we've got time to kill, wanna get pissed.'
'Hell yeah.' Tristan said suddenly feeling better. Nodding Jess sped up a destination now in mind. Things were about to get interesting.
'Maybe tomorrow I'll find my way home. Maybe tomorrow I'll find my way home.'