Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"I think the clothes are done," Tristan spoke for the first time in over ten minutes.
Rory's head snapped to meet his face and nodded quickly. "I'll go and get them," she replied softly, pushing back her chair, she leaped up and jogged to the laundry room.
Tristan watched her go and let out a breath he'd been holding. He let his now tense shoulder's slouch a bit and he closed his eyes as he rested his head on the kitchen table. He had never been so uncomfortable in his entire life. The air was thick with awkward and apprehensive silence… but he didn't dare break it.
Rory emerged seconds later, his uniform in her arms. She handed them over to Tristan timidly before sitting back down.
"Thanks, I'm going to go and change," he mumbled.
Rory nodded and kept her eyes on her folded hands that lay before her. She heard the door close and she exhaled loudly.
This day certainly has been eventful, she silently mused. Rory couldn't bring it to herself to recall the day's events one more time and pushed it from her mind. Instead, her thoughts floated to the person currently occupying her bathroom. Her soft features hardened… she didn't really know what to think of Tristan DuGrey anymore. He confused her like nothing else in the world and that fact alone frustrated her to her bones.
She blinked hard, several times as her eyelids suddenly began to feel heavy. She knew she was going to get sick, but Rory hardly gave it a second thought. Her immune system worked rapidly and the sickness would be gone in a matter of days.
She looked up at the door opening and watched Tristan slowly walk out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. His school trousers were horribly wrinkled, his dress shirt was not tucked in and his tie was loosely wrapped around his neck. He made his way to the kitchen table, smiling uneasily at her as he put on his blazer.
"Well – thanks," he said, handing her Jess' clothes.
Rory stood and accepted the clothes. She hugged them close to her as she mumbled an almost inaudible no problem.
The two were now standing across from each other with the kitchen table the only thing in their way.
"I should get going…"
"Yeah," she agreed almost too quickly.
Tristan sighed and soon found himself laughing awkwardly. "Is this as weird for you as is it for me?"
Rory blushed, following him to the front door. "A little."
Tristan stopped abruptly and turned around to face the brunette. Rory yelped in shock as she stepped back a few feet.
"Why do you think that is?"
She gave a tiny shrug, Jess' clothes still clutched firmly in front of her chest. "I wish I knew," she replied truthfully.
"I think I know…" he trailed off.
"Oh yeah? Please enlighten me," Rory retorted, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
"It's sexual tension."
"Well I see who's back to their normal self," she glared at him.
"Oh come on, you have to admit it's better then all that silence we had to endure."
Rory quirked an eyebrow, "I honestly can't answer that."
Tristan responded by raising his own eyebrow, "You mean to tell me that your idea of fun is to sit in an uncomfortable chair in complete and utter silence?"
"Hey! My chairs aren't uncomfortable."
"Stop avoiding the question."
"Okay, I'll admit that having to deal with your cocky and ego-infested self is way better then what we just had to endure," she shuddered, recalling the memory. It was so quiet in the kitchen that she had been a little nervous that she was breathing too loudly.
"So you admit that I'm right and that you're wrong?"
Rory turned a slight pink, "Cut it out Tristan," she growled.
"Why do you always avoid my questions?"
"Because your questions are stupid."
"Or perhaps because my stupid questions are always right?" he offered, opening the front door.
Rory bit back a chuckle and opened her mouth to retort. A slight tapping interrupted her train of thoughts and she looked up. Her mouth shut swiftly and securely, her lips then forming into a thin, white line.
"Mom!" she squeaked, glancing at Lorelai fearfully.
Lorelai stood in front of the now opened door; tapping one of her high-heeled feet against the wooden doorway, her mouth was hanging open. She willed her heart to beat at its regular pace but failed miserably. She could now feel the hammering of her heart through her sky-blue cardigan. She closed her mouth and surveyed the scene in front of her. Lorelai inhaled slowly, taking in his dishevelled appearance and the guilty look on his face. Rory stood behind him, her arms shaking as she stared at Lorelai nervously.
"Who are you?" she asked in spite of the fact that she was fully aware of the teenager's identity.
Taking one last look at Rory, Tristan faced her mother and extended his right hand. "Tristan DuGrey… it's a pleasure to meet you."
Lorelai ignored his offer and kept her arms glued firmly to her sides. "Now what are you doing in my house?"
"I – um… just dropped Rory home, ma'am."
"Don't call me ma'am."
"All right, Lorelai," Tristan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Don't call me Lorelai either," she practically hissed, letting her emotions get the best of her.
Tristan swallowed painfully and his eyes widened, "Then what should I call you?"
She shrugged and glanced at Rory, whose head was down. "I don't know, why don't'cha figure that one out for yourself."
"Uh –" he cursed himself for his stupidity and his lack of comebacks. He hated to admit it, but Lorelai scared him.
"Have you figured one out yet?"
"No."
"Oh, what a shame," she retorted, "Do you want to know a few names that I've come up for you?"
"No thank you. I prefer Tristan."
Lorelai raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because I have this whole list of names that I miraculously managed to memorize despite the fact that I've just met you."
"Tristan, I think you should leave now," Rory finally spoke, standing in between her mother and the blonde.
Tristan nodded, nobody had to tell him twice. He walked past both Gilmore's to his car. "It was nice meeting you," he sighed, before entering his car.
Lorelai and Rory watched him leave before glancing at one another. Lorelai's face was stony while her daughter's remained apprehensive.
Lorelai was first to break the silence. She silently slipped past Rory, entering the house. "You better be prepared for a whole night of explaining. And I want the truth Rory."
-
Tristan drove slowly, millions of thoughts swimming in his mind. He squeezed the steering wheel tightly and his jaw clenched and unclenched. When he opened the front door to reveal an angry Lorelai, he knew that Rory was in trouble. He desperately wanted to stay… the main reason being that he wanted to be there to help Rory explain to her mom, support her through what was going to be a horrible time. He ignored the relentless honking from the car behind him and continued to drive the turtle-like speed, his face displacing a wide variety of emotions.
He wasn't stupid… he knew that Rory had hidden a lot of things from her mother. In fact, after that night, he almost expected her to lie about it. And that's why he wasn't surprised to see the look on Lorelai's face as she studied the two. Her face had remained emotionless but her eyes displayed pain and sorrow… as if she had just been stabbed in the back.
He swallowed the impending lump in his throat and hardened the pressure on the gas pedal, his speed dramatically increasing.
What the hell is going on with you? He asked himself, violently imbedding the question in his mind. He had never been so perplexed in his entire life. In all of his eighteen years, Tristan had been in control of his life in every possible way. When a problem surfaced, he knew just how to fix it. He had also mastered hiding his emotions and preventing himself from feeling a certain feeling.
With Rory Gilmore, all of that floated away. She was his main problem and he didn't know how to fix it… or whether or not he even wanted to. Tristan knew all of the emotions she made him feel but he could not hide them… no matter how hard he tried, the ones who knew him best would always be able to tell. With Rory Gilmore, he was like an open book… waiting to be read, laughed at and stomped on.
Blindly, he reached for a CD and placed it in the CD player. The song played loudly and filled his ears, but to him, it sounded like unnecessary noise. He could not comprehend the music, the singer, let alone the lyrics.
He pulled up to the DuGrey manor and drove the length of the long driveway slowly. He squinted his eyes, catching hold of a familiar vehicle. Impulsively, Tristan pressed the brake pedal. The car came to a halt and Tristan stared at the back of the car, his stomach queasy. Putting the car on park, he made no attempts to move. Instead, Tristan just sat in the front seat of his vehicle, his eyes fixated on the rear of the car in front of him.
The car could only mean one thing. His father was back early from his business trip.
A string of incoherent words were muttered under his breath as he rested his forehead against the steering wheel. He shut his eyes, dreading the inevitable meeting with his father.
His breathing was laboured but he could not hear due to the loud music. With his eyes firmly shut, he drowned himself in the music… knowing that, along with Rory Gilmore, he too would have a lot of explaining to do… but for him, there would be far more dire consequences.
--
AN: Hello! How are you all today? I do hope all of you are fine and well.
Here is chapter nine… I think it's painfully obvious that both Rory and Tristan are on the same boat. Whether it be their feelings for each other or their family situations… they both are experiencing the same thing.
And I cannot begin to thank you guys for your reviews! You guys are just awesome and I thank you very, very much!