a/n I forgot to put up the essential what you need to know list before the last chapter and incedently you needed it… lol I wonder why?

You need to know:

The time frame is different: Dean came to school the week after the party

Dean dumped Rory when she couldn't answer I love you too

Okay so I think that's all you need to know before you get on with the story… Except you also need to know that I do not own gilmore girls lol!

"RORY!"

At the sound of that voice, Rory snapped back to her old self and she realized all the things that she should have done. Rory pulled back and she saw Tristan, who was just as flustered by the kiss as she was. Tristan started to smile. It was not his usual smirk, but a genuine smile. And immediately Rory was redrawn into a world occupied only by Tristan.

Rory started to smile, a radiant smile that engulfed her entire face. Rory's eyes shown lke the stars that had shined so brightly over Madeline's party not even 4 days before.

"Rory!"

Once again, Rory was pulled back to her old self. And ths time, Rory pulled back away from Tristan and turned to face the harsh voice that was her boyfriend, Dean. Ex-boyfriend, Rory had to remind herself. At this discouraging thought, Rory started to tear up. But instead of allowing herself to become a blubbering mass in front of Tristan and Dean (and the ever growing crowd of students gathered to watch the trio) she decided to discover the reason her ex-boyfriend was even here in the first place.

"Dean, what are you doing here, in Hartford, at Chilton?" Rory had long given up on any semblance of outward calmness and tears were now steadily streaming down her face.

"Well I was planning on telling you that you had to tell me that you loved me of your own accord, and I would wait for you." "Rory, I was going to say I loved you and wanted to be with you" "But it looks like you had other plans" he insinuated

That was all Rory needed to hear to successfully be put over the edge. She went from bereaved to downright seething in an instant.

"It looks like I had other plans! IT LOOKS LIKE I HAD OTHER PLANS! Newsflash Dean… YOU DUMPED ME! YOU dumped ME! So guess what? It doesn't matter whether or not I have other plans! Because you have no say in what I do, or what plans I make, or even who I make those plans with! Dean, you gave up that right when you dumped me because I wouldn't say I loved you too! and with that Rory stormed out. She stormed past the awe-struck Paris, the smirking Madeline and Louise, and the fuming Dean, but not before she planted a kiss on Tristan's lips and whispered "You can take that as a yes."

You could hear a pin drop as Paris fainted and promptly hit the floor with a "Thud"

TBC!

Thanks for reading…. and next up…. school has changed for Tristan and Rory's normal daily routine, Rory has an encounter with Dean, and Rory spills all to Lorelai!