DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Gilmore Girls or the song "What's Up Lonely?" by Kelly Clarkson. I am simply borrowing them for a while.

Yes, it's another update! I really am trying to get this done before I have to go back to school. Yet again, I have to thank the reviewers! I am so glad you guys are enjoying this story and all your comments mean a lot to me!

Rory made it through the rest of the school day without talking to Tristan again. She saw him in her classes, but she didn't so much as glance at him and he did the same to her. Sitting on the bus on the way back to Stars Hollow, she attempted to read. After reading the same line about ten times, she decided it was a lost cause and closed the book. The bus finally came to a stop and she made her way off and towards Luke's. On her way, she passed Doose's, where she saw Dean kissing a blonde girl. Well, he sure moved on quickly, she thought. Maybe that girl will do him the pleasure of saying "I love you." It still angered her to think that Dean broke up with her because she wasn't ready to say those words. It's not that easy for everyone; especially when the only man in your life is your father, who walks in and out as he pleases. She walked past the couple quickly, trying her best to go unnoticed. If they did notice her, they certainly didn't care enough to stop.

Sitting at the counter, she said, "Luke, coffee please?"

"Rory, you really should-" Luke started, but stopped when he saw the look on Rory's face. "Sure thing." He poured her a mug and placed a doughnut in front of her.

Rory gave him a slight smile and said, "Thanks."

"You okay?"

Rory silently nodded her head and Luke took the hint and left her alone. After drowning her first cup, she asked Luke for another, and he didn't protest. That's what she loved about Luke; he could always tell when the Gilmores were in need of coffee without a lecture. A few minutes later, Lorelai walked in and sat next to Rory. "Hey kid, how was school?"

"Fine." Rory said as normally as possible.

"Oh hun, did Paris give you a hard time about Friday? I'm sorry." Lorelai patted her hand and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry about it mom, Paris was Paris. It was just a long day and I'm tired."

Lorelai smiled and excitedly said, "Well then, I have the perfect cure for a bad day! Let's get some food to go and watch re-runs of Saved by the Bell. I know how much you love that show!"

"Haha mom, very funny. But if you don't mind, I think I'll just do my homework and go to bed."

Lorelai gave her a concerned look, but knew not to push it. "Okay sweets. Why don't you head home and I'll catch up with you later with the food."

"Okay. Don't forget the coffee." Rory stood up, gathered her things and headed home, deciding to take the long route that didn't involve passing Doose's.

Rory made it home and finished all of her calculus homework before Lorelai got home. They ate their food in front on the TV and Rory excused herself to her room. After finishing the rest of her homework, she went to bed early.

Rory woke up the next morning and realized that she was running late. Not having enough time to get some coffee, she made it to the bus just in time, but in a terrible mood. After getting off the bus, she headed straight for her locker, which unfortunately was not free of people this morning. There stood Paris with her hands full of paper and a face full of anger.

"Why, good morning to you too, Paris." Rory said, and motioned for her to move out of her way.

Paris stood firm in front of Rory's locker and said, "Did you forget something this morning? Like, say, the Franklin meeting?"

Recognition grew on Rory's face and under her breath, she said, "Shit."

Paris smiled at this and said, "Well, congratulations Gilmore. You do know a bad word or two."

"Look Paris, I'm sorry I missed the meeting. I've been having a rough couple of days. Can't you just fill me in on what I missed and leave me alone?"

Paris pretended to think for a minute and said, "Hmm, I don't think so. But thanks for asking." She then turned on her heel and left. Rory just shook her head and went about getting things out of her locker.

Rory was currently sitting in first period, the class that she has come to dread. Tristan entered and took his regular seat, but paid no attention to her. Rory couldn't decide if she was relieved or angered by Tristan's new behavior towards her. Deciding it wasn't worth thinking about, she focused her attention on the teacher. This, however, was more difficult than usual. All of the last few days' events had really taken a toll on her. She rested her head on her hand, and dozed off somewhere between functions and differential equations.

Tristan was sitting behind Rory, twirling his pencil in boredom. This class was even more unbearable now that he had decided to not bug Rory. Even though he wasn't bugging her, he was still stealing a glance at her every now and then. That was when he noticed that her hand wasn't furiously scribbling down notes, but under her asleep head. After a moment of silent debate, he tapped her on the shoulder. She woke up in a start and looked around the room. Finally re-gaining her composure, she returned to taking notes. The bell rang and Rory laid her head down on her desk, sighing. She had missed almost all of the day's notes. As students began filing out of the room, Tristan stood and whispered in her ear, "Restless night Mary?"

Rory slowly raised her head and glared at him. "Oh, so you are talking to me? Just great. I don't suppose you took any notes?"

Tristan smirked at her and said, "Even if I did, you didn't say please." He laughed to himself and exited the classroom. Once in the hallway, he started silently berating himself. He couldn't even make it through one period without talking to her. He chose to blame it on the fact that she seemed so out of it. That was definitely not the Rory we all know and love.

During study period, Rory once again found herself in the library, but this time at a desk. She had begged Madeline for her notes and was taking the time to copy them. "Glad to see you got those notes after all. I would hate to see you fall behind Mary."

Rory looked up from her notebook and said, "You know, I miss that whole half a day when you weren't talking to me. It was really peaceful."

"As I said before Mary, old habits die hard. I just can't resist myself."

Rory couldn't help her self and smiled. She hated to admit it, but she was glad that Tristan wasn't freezing her out anymore. "What do I have to do to get you to stop calling me Mary?"

Tristan wagged his eyebrows and suggestively and Rory quickly said, "Wait! Forget I said that!"

"Now how could I forget something like that?" Tristan leaned back in his chair and laughed at her uneasiness under his gaze.

Rory went back to her notes in hopes that he would get bored and leave. When she looked up and saw his lazy smirk staring at her, she stood and walked to the back of the library. Hoping against hope that he wouldn't follow her, she resumed her earlier task.

Once she finished, she grabbed her assignment notebook to check on this week's assignments. Something fell out, and when she went to grab it, her heart fell. It was an old picture of her and Dean from the winter dance. She had kept it there when they were still dating and must have forgotten to add it to the box. The memory of Dean kissing another girl came to her mind and tears welled up in her eyes. She angrily wiped at her eyes and crumpled the picture up and threw it. "Why does it still hurt? Why does it feel like everything is going so wrong?" She asked to herself.

The bell rang signaling the end of second period, and she wiped her eyes dry and made her way to her next class. Just as the bell rang, Tristan walked in. On his way to his seat in the back of the class, he dropped the crumpled picture on Rory's desk and whispered, "He's not worth it."

I was going to continue, but I decided now would be a good place to stop. Good? Bad? Please, please let me know and review! Thanks!