Chapter 8: Always More Than a Conquest:
Two days after Christmas, Tristan phoned Rory to ask her if she wanted to go see a movie with him… on a date. She said yes, even though it would be her first date since the break up.
"Mom!" Rory cried out in crisis-mode.
"What?" Lorelai called back.
"I need help! Can you come up here?" Rory pleaded.
"Coming!" Lorelai replied hurrying to Rory's room.
It was the night of Tristan and Rory's movie night and Rory was completely drawing a blank on what to wear. It was like the first time she had movie night with Dean. Rory had recently come to realize that she liked Tristan, which is why she had said yes to the date. Now, however, she was freaking out about clothes, and the one to help her find something would be Lorelai.
"What do you need help with, hun?" Lorelai asked once she'd entered the room.
"Finding clothes. Tristan will be here soon," Rory answered, running around like a headless chicken.
"You're worried about what you're going to wear on a date with a guy you never liked?" Lorelai asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes! I'm a girl!" Rory replied.
"But it's Tristan. ET, Spawn of Satan, Bible Boy. Why are you so worried about what you're going to wear?" Lorelai asked. Even with her logic, this was not registering in Lorelai's head.
"Because I think I like him," Rory muttered.
"What was that?" Lorelai questioned.
"I think I like him…" Rory said slowly.
"When did you figure this out?" Lorelai asked surprised.
"The other day. I think I always have, but things were different before. Plus, he's really nice now," Rory replied.
"So now you think you like him," Lorelai repeated.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure if he really likes me back," Rory said.
"He definitely likes you back, Hun. A person can tell by the way he looks at you. And he wouldn't have asked you out on a date if he didn't. He would've asked you out just as friends. You are friends right?" Lorelai asked, "That's always the best way to start out a relationship."
"Yes. We're friends," Rory replied.
Later that night, Rory and Tristan were at the theater waiting in line to get tickets to a movie. It was a one-movie theatre but the line for the movie was seriously long. That made it seem like a popular movie and it was one they were both interested in seeing. Finally, their turn in the ticket line-up came.
"Two tickets for Just Me," Tristan requested.
"That'll be $10.40," The clerk said.
The movie Just Me was an old classic movie about a guy and a girl who meet and realize they can't be just alone forever; especially once the guy asks the girl out and she discovers the best time ever. Rory and Tristan got the tickets, and then went to the concession. The popcorn and other snacks added up to $33.50 and Tristan faked being broke.
"Ha! That would take a lot more than movie concessions, Tristan," Rory scoffed.
"Yeah it would," Tristan smirked, "So when are you headed home?"
"Two days before school starts again, you?" Rory asked.
"One day before break is done," Tristan replied.
'I have to tell Tristan before I have to go back, and that's in 10 days. I don't want to wait until the last minute though,' Rory thought, 'It's now or never.'
"Tristan, there's something I have to tell you. And since I leave in 10 days it should be soon; preferably now," Rory said suddenly.
"What did you have to say?" Tristan asked wondering what she would have to tell him that was so important.
"I realized the other day I like you," Rory said quickly, "As in the 'more than friends' way."
"Really? I like you too… in the 'more than friends' way," Tristan admitted, "I have for a while. I liked you that way since Chilton, and I know you think I didn't, but I did."
"Tristan, did you just like me in the beginning as just a conquest?" Rory asked dreading the answer.
"No! You were always more than a conquest," Tristan reassured her, much to her relief.
This is not the last beat'd version of a chapter I have to put up today.