Disclaimer: Again, Gilmore Girls, not created by me, Tristan, Rory, Chilton, all are the WB's invention
The next day, during English class, Ms Wyrnell gave them the period to get a start on the project. Tristan walked over and pushed a desk next to Tara's and sat down. Inside, he faltered for just a second upon seeing the look on her face. It didn't look like she was ready to talk to him for a full hour, much less for nearly a month.
"Wow, don't over do the enthusiasm now." Tristan said drolly. "Could you at least try not to look as if you're being tortured?"
"Let's get working." Tara ignored his remark and barely looked at him. At the end of class, the two hadn't made much leeway as Tristan was constantly trying to make casual conversation instead of working.
"You know what? How about we just spilt up the work and at the end of two weeks just combine everything we've gotten done?" Tara suggested in frustration.
"No, that will not do!" Ms. Wyrnell exclaimed, looking up from her desk. "The point of this assignment is to incorporate a joint alliance. So work together, or fail!"
"I tried, my partner's just being difficult and refuses to work," Tara muttered under her breath, shooting Tristan a look. Ms Wyrnell turned to face him with an unpleased stare.
"That isn't true." He smiled. "All I was trying to do was get to know my partner a bit before working, to establish a comfortable setting and to get us off on friendly terms. I figured this partnership project would flow much smoother if we trusted and knew each other a bit, instead of being strangers."
"That's a load-" Tara exclaimed.
"No, that sounds quite reasonable, Mr Dugrey. I have to commend you for thinking ahead. It's wonderful that you are taking an interest in your partner on a level beyond simply academics." Ms Wyrnell all but beamed. Tara looked as if she was going to protest but the teacher continued, "This is a highly critical part of this project. Getting to know each other is essential. Yes, I believe you two should meet up after school on occasion and just get to know each other before embarking on this assignment. In fact, I think I'll make it a part of your grade, seeing as though Ms. Elden seems to be so reluctant."
Tara blinked in amazement. "What exactly do you mean by get together, Ms Wyrnell?"
"Oh, you know, spend some time with Mr Dugrey on the weekend, perhaps. Mr. Dugrey, would you mind introducing her to a few of your friends? She is new, after all, and I think it would be highly beneficial." Answered Ms Wyrnell thoughtfully. "Perhaps she could tag along at some of your social functions."
"Of course, it would be my pleasure." Tristan flashed another winning smile.
"Excellent." She smiled back. "You see, Ms Elden, he's kind enough to let you into his life and world and he seems quite all right with letting you share in his circle. Please don't make this difficult for him. I don't want Tristan to tell me that you're not cooperating."
Tara nodded and mumbled, "Of course." The two left the classroom and Tristan had to fight to keep a straight face until Ms Wyrnell was out of view. Once they were out of her hearing, Tristan burst out laughing. Tara's face was filled with anger.
"I can't believe you!" she hissed.
"Well Tara, I'm sure we'll have a great time together." He grinned. She just glared at him silently before she fumingly headed towards her next class.
When the lunch bell rang, Tristan spotted Tara in the halls and strode up to her. "Hey," he smiled. "So, I was thinking, and I think that now would be the perfect moment to introduce you to my friends. Want to eat lunch with me?"
"I'd rather eat my paper bag." Tara replied.
"Come on now, I happen to know that you haven't exactly been making new friends at lunch hour. You and Gilmore are just sitting there alone, both of you listening to music and reading." Tristan raised his eyebrows. "You know, it's really uncanny how similar you two appear to be until you actually open your mouth."
"What do you mean by that?" Tara stuck out her jaw. "Rory's really nice!"
"I know." Tristan agreed.
"Are you saying I'm bitchy, then?" she crossed her arms.
"I'm just saying you two are identical as well as polar opposites. From what I can see, you have similar interests but very different personalities." Tristan shrugged.
"You're saying I'm bitchy," Tara repeated.
"You're less of, a, well, Rory's a bit less hostile," Tristan said.
"She doesn't seem to like you all that much either, from what I've heard." Tara said. "I know that she wasn't exactly receptive to your advances on her in your freshman year. Yes, word travels fast. Even to me, the bitchy loner."
"Hey-" Tristan held up his hands. "I didn't call you that. And, okay, you're right, me and Rory had a thing a few years back."
"In other words, you behaved like a horny five-year-old and she shot you down." Tara answered. "Do you have a thing for girls who don't want to go out with you?"
"In this entire school, I can confidently say that Rory and you are the only two girls who haven't gone out with me and don't want to." Tristan smirked.
"And you couldn't have her so now you've settled on me," she stated.
"No! That's totally not it. I couldn't have her, realized we weren't meant for each other anyways, moved on with my life, and then I met you." Tristan amended.
"That's great, I'm going to go over and be my usual bitchy loner-ish self and listen to music and read." Tara said, moving past him.
"Hey, remember what Ms. Wyrnell said. Don't be difficult now." Tristan reminded her. "I'd hate for you to lose marks."
"Argh! I hate you, I hope you're aware of that," Tara exclaimed. Tristan laughed as Tara very reluctantly entered the cafeteria, looking as if she was very close to breaking something.
"I normally sit over there." He informed her, pointing the table in the centre of the cafeteria.
"I'm aware." She sighed. "Every school's got a popular table. And there it is." Tara shuddered. "Are you actually going to con me into sitting with those shallow back-stabbing would-be models?"
"Hey, hey, you're being a touch prejudiced here, not all popular people are like that!" Tristan corrected her.
"The ones here are." She answered. "I've seen the way they act."
"You've been here a week." He said.
"Whatever. But it's not my fault if all your friends hate you for forcing me to sit with them." She said.
"I'm not forcing you to do anything, and I'm sure they'll be charmed by your sparkling personality just as much as I am." Tristan grinned. She rolled her eyes and after getting hold of her food tray, she advanced to his table. Ignoring the bemused expressions of the other inhabitants of the table, Tara plopped down and started eating.
"What do you think you're doing?" A preppy-sounding girl demanded. Tara vaguely recognized her from one of her classes. …Lacey?
"Hmmm. I'm in the cafeteria, with a plate full of food, and my fork is partway to my mouth. Perhaps you're not familiar with this act, and from the looks of you, I wouldn't be surprised, but it's called eating." Tara retorted. She was really not making an attempt to be liked…
A second passed and then the girl realized what Tara was insinuating and glared, "God, why don't you go lurk somewhere else, you're not welcome here."
"I can sit wherever I want, though I would be more than happy to lurk elsewhere if I had any choice. I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here!" replied Tara.
"Don't act as if this is some huge favour you're granting us, why don't you crawl into a cave or something, I mean bears are like the only things who can stand to be around you." Girl #2 snarled.
"Burn." Tara mocked offence. "And try telling that to your other half." Tara indicated the girl's boy toy that was sitting beside girl #2, his arm snaked around her waist. "He wasted no time in trying to "get with" me. It must've been a record, it only took my being here for an hour before he pounced." Girl 2 looked about ready to attack.
"Okay, getting heavy now-" The guy they had been discussing interjected with a flush.
"Terry would never-" Girl 2 pouted. "Go away! Maybe you haven't heard, but this is an invitation-only table."
Tristan was finally making his way over; he had been busily flirting with the young lunch lady.
"News flash, I got an invitation." Tara said.
"From who? Your imaginary fairy godmother?"
"From your king and leader, the horn master himself and the guy who you've been checking out for the past few minutes." Tara answered oh-so-sweetly, jabbing a finger backwards to indicate Tristan.
"Like Tristan would ever-" they snorted.
"Actually, yeah guys, I invited her over," Tristan said.
"Invited, blackmailed, same thing, right?" Tara muttered, digging into her lunch.
"What!" a brunette girl blurted.
"Yeah, I'd like you all to meet Tara, she's new." Tristan smiled. "Tara, this is Leslie (eh, close enough…), Terry, Madeline, Chris, and Mark." It was clear from the expressions on the guys' faces that they had jumped to the conclusion that Tara was Tristan's new fling.
"Why her?" Madeline spat.
"Hmmm. You never invited your other girlfriends to sit with you," Chris smirked.
Tara visibly stiffened. "Girlfriend? In his dreams." She snorted. "I'm doing a project with him and he's doing everything in his power to make this experience as hellish as possible."
"Oh," Madeline said, voice filled with dawning comprehension. "I see. You've found yourself a second Rory. Wish this one was a bit nicer."
"I'm sitting right here, so stop talking as if I'm not," Tara snapped.
"She's not a second Rory," Tristan said, sounding mildly annoyed.
"Can't believe she agreed to go out with you," Mark grinned, looking at her, "You looked like you might just have punched me when I asked you."
"I didn't agree to go out with him!" Tara groaned. She allowed a small smile to slip through as she added, "But you're right. I probably would have hit you if you had attempted to get your hand up my shirt like…what's-his-name over there."
"Somehow, I don't doubt that," Tristan laughed. The next few minutes consisted of Tara consuming her lunch as quickly as she possibly could while still maintaining decency. The moment she finished she turned to Tristan.
"All right, I had lunch with you, and now I'm done so let's never do this again," she muttered. "Not that this wasn't a pleasure, everyone." Tara briefly glanced at the other members of the table.
Tristan caught hold of her elbow as she started to stand up. "Not so fast, Tara. You barely got to know everyone-"
"Oh yes, I'm sure we'd all love to delve even further into her twisted, bitchy psyche." Leslie remarked.
"Seriously, Tris, don't force yourself on her," Mark smirked. "I didn't think you were sinking that low."
"Hey, she can leave anytime," Tristan grinned.
"At the expense of a quarter of my term mark." Tara sighed, giving Tristan a look of utter loathing.
"So, tell me a bit about yourself," Tristan said cheerfully.
"I care enough about my grades to bear through you," Tara answered, her voice holding a very prominent bite to it. "I can and will kick your ass if you do anything perverted, I don't get blinded by looks alone, and once I have my opinion of something, it rarely changes."
Tristan held his hands but chuckled, "Come on, I was thinking more along the lines of hobbies, interests, background…"
"That information would have to be given if we were friends or beginning to be which isn't ever going to happen no matter how much you black mail me." Tara said stubbornly.
"Are you ever going to show even a hint of kindness? This can hardly be called civility." Tristan said. He draped an arm carelessly around her and cocked his head to the side. "How can I get you to loosen up?" He leaned closer to her.
Tara pushed his arm away and ducked away from his approaching lips. "Not by doing this." Her lips curled into a line of disgust and she stood up, brushing off his attempt to stop her. "I'm done with this."
"Ms Wyrnell-" Tristan started.
"Dude, don't." Mark stopped him.
Tara strode off without another backwards glance, leaving Tristan to give his friend a less-than-happy look.
"Listen, no means no, haven't you learned that from Rory?" Mark muttered, backing down instantly upon seeing the look on Tristan's face.
"No never means no with him," Madeline smirked. "I honestly don't remember a time when you weren't able to sway a girl. Even Rory kissed you back that one time."
"Yeah, I'm sure Tristan will win her over in no time," Chris nodded.
"She's so frigid, though!" Leslie inputted with distaste. "What happened to the sweet bimbos? Or at least you could find someone slightly nicer; Rory was polite. I can't see why you'd find this Elden girl worth your time."
"She's fairly hot, but definitely not the hottest here," Terry agreed. "Many others to choose from. Many hotter, more cooperative girls here."
The others discussed this for the rest of lunch hour; not really interpreting that Tristan was remaining silent. Tristan was feeling inwardly frustrated and lonely. They wouldn't understand this. He hadn't expected them to. They couldn't see that she was the only girl who didn't know him from his pre-military days, the only girl who refused to accept the fact that he was a pretty face and worthy of adoration. She would make him delve deeper. She would make him prove himself to her, show her other dimensions. Other girls couldn't care less, they didn't want to know him or see past his cocky, attractive exterior, as long as the latter was there. Tristan didn't just want to pursue her because she wasn't interested, he desperately needed someone to understand that he wasn't just a pretty boy; he desperately needed to gain the acceptance of someone other than the Chiltonites. Besides, somehow Tristan believed that the persistent unbreakable coldness she gave off wasn't the only thing to her. He had seen the way she softened, ever so subtly, when she thought no one was around. Tara's harshness would be very difficult to overcome but if he did manage to ultimately overcome it, it would be that much more worthwhile. Her acceptance and tolerance, and perhaps more than simply that, would be that much more creditable since she seemed to despise him currently. This was really derisory, Tristan Dugrey needing validation. But it was true. All the validation in his life seemed false, fake, he never had to earn it. And now he was determined to with Tara. Tristan found himself realizing that he'd much rather banter with Tara, being insulted and rejected, then with these 'friends' being praised and worshipped. His friends had known him for many years and yet they didn't know him. Through his entire time at military school, none of them had tried to contact him, yet the moment he returned they were at his side as if nothing had happened, as if they hadn't abandoned him. His life was so much like a show it was actually laughable.