Disclaimer: I own nothing, besides my wish that they bring Tristan back to the show.

Reviews much appreciated!

"Where is that stupid history textbook?" Rory muttered to know one in particular as she balanced her mug of coffee in one hand while concentrating on locating the blasphemous book. "AHA!" she thought silently as she found the textbook lodged beneath some gym clothes, she drops it into her backpack. Turning around she sees Tristan and quickly makes her way over to him. Last night she had a 'Rory pep-talk' and decided life at Chilton was better off with Tristan as her sort-of friend opposed to having no one at all, and that she never hated him at all. Really she came to the realization that she may have been a tad hasty in throwing the L-word around with Dean and what she really wanted was to continue her relationship with him as-is and that she also didn't hate Tristan. Maybe the two could be friends, and maybe if the gods truly loved her even Dean and Tristan could get along. "Hey Tristan"

"Hey!---" he replied spinning around to see his greeter; only to spin back once he sees Rory staring back at him.

"Tristan? Umm…so..I was wondering" she began to ramble. "Tristan, will you at least look at me so it doesn't look like I'm talking to a wall. I mean everyone knows I don't have many friends, and if rumors start that I'm talking to walls, well then you know that those are just going to get around. And can you imagine Paris, wouldn't she love that. Tristan, you there?" she pleaded as she watched him fill his bag with various books and paper.

"You see Rory, that's where we're different. Unlike you, I don't lie and pretend I'm all sweet and kind. So why should we talk Rory, I mean we aren't friends, lab partners. Me and you, have no obligations towards one another; besides who in the right mind tries and talks to someone they hate?" he spat out obviously frustrated by her previous rambling.

He tries to turn away when Rory murmurs "I don't hate you" trying to give herself time to allow his words to sink in.

"Funny. I'm amazed at how easily lying seems to come to you, Rory. I'm going to make this easy, okay? We are NOT pals, friends, buddies, therefore we have no need to talk." he replied coldly while stalking off towards their English class. Silently Rory followed stinging from the way he spat out her name, never before had she wished 'Mary' had escaped from his lips instead of the poison that 'Rory' seem to be associated with when he said it.

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"At any rate class, before we disperse into our insolate time daydreaming while I try and drill literature into you I want to assign a group project due three weeks from today. My thoughts are that in pairs, wait let me rephrase, in assigned pairs each group is going to be given a Shakespeare passage that I want to be analyzed into initial and deeper meanings. Also, I want you to really work with you're passages; modernize it in some kind of creative way you see fit. I mean skits, re-writes, poems, pictures, anything you want that's imaginative people. I not only want you're usually exemplary writing skills on display here. Now, Paris Geller will be with Jeffrey Kuris, Brad Stuarts and Margie Peters, Madeline Lynn and Louise Grant, Austin Green and Joanne Freeman, Tristan Dugrey and Rory Gilmore…" Mr. Medina rattled off. Glancing over at Tristan Rory watched as his head dropped slightly at hearing their names together, while tensing up slightly. "Okay guys, get into your pairs and get on it."

Seeing that Tristan was making no effort in moving towards her, Rory slowly made her way across the class. "Hey".

"I'll do the outline for tomorrow, you can edit to depending on what you want to do. Then we can split the work in half. There's no need to do everything together."

"Tristan, be reasonable. What if our halves don't end up fitting together?"

"We always fit." He muttered.

"Please Tristan, it's important we do well. I think it'd be best if we just worked on the project together." Rory begged pretending she hadn't heard his last comment. "Please, I need this." Looking up he looks straight into her eyes and instantly regrets looking up at all because he knows that he doesn't have the will to ever say no to those damned blue orbs.

"Fine, lets just get to work and get this done."

"Okay" she meekly squeaked sitting in the desk next to him.

"We should just read it ourselves and get familiar with the passage. From there we can figure things out." Tristan stated more than questioned as he flipped open 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' and contented himself with reading until the end of class.