~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know I'd fight for you
But how can I find someone who isn't even there
I've had the best of you
Now I want the rest of you
I don't care if that's not fair
'Cause I want it all or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory sat across the room from Tristan, trying to figure out what Summer's problem was. She was flirting with Tristan as if no one else was there. Didn't she know he had a girlfriend? "And-" Paris stopped talking, "Rory? Are you listening?"
"Um, yeah, sure Paris." she said distractedly. They were working in groups of five on class work and the teacher had chosen groups.
Paris rolled her eyes and whispered so only Rory could hear, "They're partners, he's not cheating on you. He isn't an idiot."
Rory was still distracted by the girl throwing herself at her boyfriend. "What?" she turned her head slowly to look at her friend.
"Rory. School. Focus."
"Right, yeah, what are we doing?"
Paris laughed and handed her a sheet of paper. "So, is Tristan coming over to dinner tonight?"
"Yeah, my parents want to dine with him now that we're dating. Not that they've ever met him before or anything" she said sarcastically.
"That will be worth watching."
"Why?"
"Tristan and your parents, having a meal together-priceless."
"Ha ha ha. Very funny."
"Are you worried?"
"No. Should I be?"
Paris shrugged, "Probably not. Jess met my parents and they loved him."
"Really?"
"Yes. Don't worry. Your parents like Tristan anyway."
HAYDAEN'S, NIGHT
The doorbell rang and Rory ran down the stairs, buckling her shoe, "I got it!" she called up the stairs. She stopped in front of the door, straightening her knee length black dress, the one her mother had worn to the country club dinner. Rory opened the door slowly, expecting Tristan, but she was surprised to see Emily and Richard Gilmore, "Grandma?"
"Hello Rory, darling." she kissed her granddaughter's cheeks. Her grandfather walked inside after his wife and hugged Rory as well.
She looked at them, "W-what are you doing here?"
"Your mother invited us. Unusual, but nice. What's the occasion?"
"You guys can sit down, I'll be right back." Ror ran up the stairs to her parent's room, "Mom!" she yelled, throwing the door open.
"Yes sweetie?" Lorelai asked.
"You invited your parents?"
"And your dad's parents." she said as the doorbell rang again.
"What?! Dad!"
"It was her, not me."
"Mom!"
"What? They want to meet him too."
"Mom!"
"Rory!"
"I can't believe you did this."
"Sorry."
"No you're not."
"You're right."
"Mom, it's bad enough YOU two want to have dinner with him when you already know him, but the grandparents?"
"Oh honey, they deserve to meet your boy toy too."
"Mom, do you even like Tristan?"
"Of course I do. Well, not so much now that he's your boyfriend, but I like him okay."
"You don't trust him."
"I have no reason to."
"But you also have no reason not to."
"Um hun, he's your boyfriend. That's reason enough for me."
"Dad, help me out here."
"This is between you two." he said, putting on his tie in the mirror.
Lorelai walked over and took the clip-on out of Chris's hands, handing him a real tie, "Honey, it's not that I don't trust Tristan, it's that I used to be fifteen too, and I know what happens when your parents like and trust your boyfriend."
"But mom, you and dad are married, you had another kid, you guys don't have affairs. Something went right." Rory said, waving her hands around wildly.
"Rory, do you know how rare it is for a teenage mother to marry the baby's father?"
"No. Besides, I'm not a teenage mother."
"I can see that, trust me, if you were then you wouldn't be buying size three and four pants."
"I can't get this!" Chris said in frustration, pulling the tie off his neck. Lorelai walked over to him and started to tie it easily.
"Sweets, I promise, I will try to like Tristan."
"You already know him and you already like him!"
"He wasn't your boyfriend when I met him."
"But mom."
"But Rory." she said mockingly, gliding her daughter to the door, "Now, go make conversation with your grandparents."
"But-"
"No buts."
"But-"
"Go, talk." Lorelai shut the door.
"That was evil. Inviting both sets of grandparents to the first dinner. Evil mother." Chris said, still looking in the mirror.
"Oh, but it will be so funny." she turned, smiling devilishly. Chris rolled his eyes and looked back in the mirror, the corners of his mouth turned slightly upward.
DOWNSTAIRS
The doorbell rang and Blake jumped up, excusing himself from the elders and telling his sister he'd be right back, their parents were still in the kitchen, talking to the cook. "Be nice!" Rory called as he disappeared into the foyer.
"I'm always nice!" he called back. He threw the door open, smiling broadly, "Dugrey, how nice of you to visit!"
Tristan rolled his eyes, "Hey Hayden." Blake laughed. "What's so funny?"
"You're dating my sister now, you're free game to take cheap shots at."
"You've taken cheap shots at me since I met you."
"Yes, but you will recieve no mercy now."
"I feel loved."
"As you should." they walked into the sitting room. Blake had been sharing the love seat with Rory, but he now sat in a recliner, letting Tristan sit with her. She smiled up at Tristan as he sat down after shaking hands with her grandfathers and kissing her grandmother's hands.
"Hey." he gave her a small kiss, since her grandparents were in the room.
Rory smiled, "Hey."
The doorbell rang for a fourth time and Blake stood up, "It's Madeline, I'll get it." After he left, they heard the door open and the couple walked in.
"Hey Rory, Tristan."
"Hey Maddy." the two said in unison. Lorelai and Chris walked in, Lorelai sat with her parents and Chris sat on the couch with his. The adults fell into a conversation about work while the teenagers slipped away. They walked out to the porch, walking over to Shane and his girlfriend, who'd escaped five minuets earlier.
"I don't see why mom invited their parents." Blake said.
Rory sighed, "Because they're fifty or something, they have no lives so mom thinks it's funny when they interrupt ours." she laid her head on Tristan's chest, closing her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her waist loosely and kissed the top of her head.
Blake and Madeline were in a similar position, but her eyes were open. "Do they usually want to meet your boyfriends or girlfriends?"
"Sometimes. They never liked Dean-"
"Join the club."
"Shut up. I don't like him either, but-" Rory was cut of when the doorbell rang again. She jumped slightly and they heard Lorelai call through the open back door.
"Can you guys go get that?" Rory pushed herself off of Tristan.
"I'll be right back."
"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Madeline asked.
"No. I'll just be a second." she went down the stairs and around the house, to the front door. The air was cool against her bare arms, reminding her that it was fall. Dead grass crunched under her feet as she walked through the dark. Wind blew her hair over her milky shoulders, causing her arms to fall to her side, letting the air every inch of exposed skin. When Rory reached the front, her stomach dropped. "Dean."
He turned upon hearing her say his name, "Rory." Dean paused, looking her over.
She wrapped her arms around her, feeling uncomfortable. "What do you want?"
"I had to come see you."
"Okay, you see me, now you can leave, bye." she turned to walk away.
"Rory, wait." she stopped and turned.
"What do you want?"
"I have to talk to you."
"I thought I told you I never wanted to talk to you or look at you again."
"Rory, I was drunk! I made a mistake!"
"Yeah, a pretty big mistake."
"I didn't know what I was doing, that girl came up to me and I didn't even think."
"No, you didn't. Dean, if you're asking me to forgive you, then I'm sorry, but I can't."
He looked down, defeated, "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
"I don't know."
"Well, maybe, in a few months, we could try again."
"I don't think so."
"Why?"
"Dean, I have a boyfriend."
"What?!"
"Did you really think I'd let the hurt heal and then take you back? Dean, I don't forgive easily, and after what you did, I'm not sure I can ever forgive you."
"Who is it? Tristan. I bet it's Tristan."
"Yeah, well, you bet right, but that doesn't change anything." "I knew it! I knew you broke up with me for him! I knew it!"
Rory rolled her eyes, "No. I broke up with you because you were drunk and said you wanted an 'open' relationship and you had some random girl on your lap. I want commitment. Not that."
"You want commitment? You want someone who won't cheat on you? Is that why you're dating the school player? The one with a new whore every week? That one?"
"Better than you."
"Rory, when he sees that you won't sleep with him, he'll dump you."
"How can you say that? You don't even know him."
"Do you really know him?"
"Yes, I do. And he's never cheated on a girl."
"He just drops them all together."
"Better than what you did."
"I've told you, I didn't know what I was doing!"
"Your problem, not mine."
Tristan opened the door, "Mary, dinner's rea-" he stopped upon seeing Dean standing with his girlfriend. He closed the door and stood completely still, looking between a pissed Dean and an annoyed Rory.
"Mary? How long have you been calling her that? What the hell does Mary mean?" Dean yelled.
Tristan didn't answer his question but asked in a civil voice, "What the hell are you doing here Dean?"
"I'm here to get Rory back."
Tristan laughed, "Sorry, but that's not going to happen."
"Why don't you let her speak for herself?" Dean took a step closer to his ex-girlfriend, "What do you say Rory?"
Tristan could see that Rory was getting more and more upset, so he stepped between them, "I told you, you're not getting her back, she's my girlfriend now, so why don't you just go home?"
Dean came closer to him, "Are you trying to piss me off, preppy?"
"No, I'm trying to get you to stop stalking my girlfriend after she said she doesn't want to see you, dumb ass."
"She was my girlfriend first."
"Yeah, and she's mine now. So fuck off."
"Look, pretty boy, you don't live here, this is my town."
"And Rory is my girlfriend, so I'll tell you one more time, get the hell away. She doesn't want you here, she doesn't want you back."
"Are you trying to fight me?"
Tristan laughed, "You're an idiot, you know that? I could kill you."
"Prove it."
"I don't want to fight you."
"Are you scared?"
"No, I just don't want Rory to see me beat the shit out of her ex-boyfriend."
"Well then maybe she'd like to see me beat the shit out of her current boyfriend."
"You really want to fight me?" Tristan asked, amusement apparent in his voice.
Dean took a step closer to him, "Yeah, I want to crush your preppy skull, and-"
"I'd like to see you try."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, because you couldn't even get near me."
"What you think that just because you're rich that means you're stronger than me?"
"No, money has nothing to do with it. The fact is, I'm smarter."
Hate covered Dean's face, "Or I could just beat the hell out of you and take Rory back."
"If you touch Rory, I will put you through so much pain, you'll wish you were dead."
"You don't know her like I do."
"I know she doesn't deserve a drunk jack ass that cheats on her."
"Said the player."
"Yeah, a player who's never cheated on a girl in my life."
"Well, there's a first for everything." his gaze fell on Rory, who was a few feet behind the blonde. "And there's a whore already in line."
Tristan took at step towards Dean and said in a dangerously quiet voice, "Care to repeat that?" Even though Tristan was three inches shorter than Dean, he almost seemed to cower under the hate radiating off of Tristan.
"You heard me." he said, the high note in his voice giving away his terror.
"Come on bag boy, grow some balls and say it again, I'm not sure if I heard right."
Dean slowly composed himself and said in a calmer voice, "I said, there's a whore in line right behind you."
Tristan nodded and punched Dean squarely in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards, "Shit!" he said loudly, holding his mouth. The door opened and Blake flew out, having seen Dean a few seconds earlier. He didn't want their parents or grandparents to see Dean and Tristan fighting. He grabbed Dean's arms and held them behind his back as the taller boy lunged at Tristan who stood, shaking his head.
"I'm telling you, say anything like that about Rory again, and I will personally make you bleed." he turned to follow his girlfriend to the back yard.
Blake threw Dean onto the front lawn. "Get away from my house, ass hole."
Tristan was rounding the corner of the house when he heard Dean call to him, "Hey preppy! I will get her back, count on it!" Tristan ignored him and kept walking. Dean turned to face Blake, "That warning goes for you too. Tell Jess." he stood up and ran from the yard while Blake just stared at his back in surprise.
Tristan walked around to the back to find Rory, who'd run away when Dean called her a whore. He found her curled up into a ball on the trampoline. He crawled on beside her, lifting her head from the small hands that held it. "Hey, you know what he said wasn't true."
"Wasn't it?" she asked, tears causing her makeup to run, "Tristan, I didn't even like Dean after I met you. I mean, there was a week between you. I waited almost a month to let Dean kiss me. We made out before we even started dating. I've never felt comfortable with Dean's arm around my waist, but with you, it's just normal. I never made out with Dean. Never. But with you," she looked down, "We weren't even dating, Tristan." she looked back up at him, "Don't lie and tell me that making out with a guy who ISN'T your boyfriend doesn't make you a whore."
Tristan shook his head, "Rory, it's not the same. It's not like we made out at a party or anything. We knew each other and we knew how we felt. You lost interest in Dean because he's completely wrong for you. I'm not. We fit Rory. We shouldn't, you had a boyfriend, I was a player. You were pure and innocent, not jaded at all, I was raised in society, I wore a mask and was raised to never show my true feelings. You loved life and wanted to live it. I was dying inside and forgetting who I was. You saved me. You weren't supposed to. We weren't supposed to fit. But we did. We do." he said softly.
Rory looked at him, tears running from her eyes. She bit her lip, "He was wrong?"
"He was dead wrong. He's jealous and bitter that he lost you. He thinks that if he's not happy then you shouldn't be either. He never deserved you. You're too good for him."
She looked away, "Well he's better off now. He has girls who can give him what he wants."
Tristan felt a pang of jealousy, "He really hurt you, didn't he?"
"Yeah." she whispered, barely audible, "I mean, it's not that I really LOVED him or anything, but I did have feelings for him. I didn't love him, but there was something there. And he broke my trust completely." Rory looked up and saw the hurt in Tristan's eyes, "But it's not like I feel anything for him anymore. I was just hurt when he did it."
Tristan sighed and looked down at his hands, "I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't bother me that you had feelings like this for him. I understand he hurt you," he looked back up at her, "Rory, you know I'd do anything for you. But please, just tell me how I can make you forget about him." his voice cracked with emotion at the thought of not having all her heart.
INSIDE
Blake and Madeline were leaning against the door frame, staring out at the couple on the trampoline. Madeline laid her head on Blake's chest, they'd told the others that Dean had come by and they agreed to reschedule the dinner. Only Rory and Tristan knew exactly what had been said, but by the reaction, all knew it was bad.
Madeline sighed, "Is she over Dean?"
"God, I hope so. He was a jack ass that never deserved her in the first place. I mean look at them. Tristan's only known her for what? A month? Dean never treated her this well."
"He worships her." Madeline said, smiling at her friends. "She's like a goddess to him. I hope she knows that." Blake nodded. But he wasn't sure she knew. Sometimes Rory was completely oblivious to other's feelings towards her.
OUTSIDE, TRAMPOLINE
"I'm over Dean, but I'm still hurt." she whispered, surprised that he'd asked that question.
"How can I help you forget what he did?"
"Don't hurt me."
"I would never hurt you, Rory."
"You can't promise that."
"Why not. I would never hurt you."
"You would never mean to hurt me. No one can swear they won't."
Tristan tilted his head, thinking over what she'd said, he grabbed her hands gently, "If it's in my power, I will never hurt you."
She gave him a teary half smile, "I know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are times it seems to me
I'm sharing you with memories
I feel it in my heart
But I don't show it, show it
And then there's times you look at me
As though I'm all that you can see
Those times I don't believe it's right
I know it, know it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know I'd fight for you
But how can I find someone who isn't even there
I've had the best of you
Now I want the rest of you
I don't care if that's not fair
'Cause I want it all or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory sat across the room from Tristan, trying to figure out what Summer's problem was. She was flirting with Tristan as if no one else was there. Didn't she know he had a girlfriend? "And-" Paris stopped talking, "Rory? Are you listening?"
"Um, yeah, sure Paris." she said distractedly. They were working in groups of five on class work and the teacher had chosen groups.
Paris rolled her eyes and whispered so only Rory could hear, "They're partners, he's not cheating on you. He isn't an idiot."
Rory was still distracted by the girl throwing herself at her boyfriend. "What?" she turned her head slowly to look at her friend.
"Rory. School. Focus."
"Right, yeah, what are we doing?"
Paris laughed and handed her a sheet of paper. "So, is Tristan coming over to dinner tonight?"
"Yeah, my parents want to dine with him now that we're dating. Not that they've ever met him before or anything" she said sarcastically.
"That will be worth watching."
"Why?"
"Tristan and your parents, having a meal together-priceless."
"Ha ha ha. Very funny."
"Are you worried?"
"No. Should I be?"
Paris shrugged, "Probably not. Jess met my parents and they loved him."
"Really?"
"Yes. Don't worry. Your parents like Tristan anyway."
HAYDAEN'S, NIGHT
The doorbell rang and Rory ran down the stairs, buckling her shoe, "I got it!" she called up the stairs. She stopped in front of the door, straightening her knee length black dress, the one her mother had worn to the country club dinner. Rory opened the door slowly, expecting Tristan, but she was surprised to see Emily and Richard Gilmore, "Grandma?"
"Hello Rory, darling." she kissed her granddaughter's cheeks. Her grandfather walked inside after his wife and hugged Rory as well.
She looked at them, "W-what are you doing here?"
"Your mother invited us. Unusual, but nice. What's the occasion?"
"You guys can sit down, I'll be right back." Ror ran up the stairs to her parent's room, "Mom!" she yelled, throwing the door open.
"Yes sweetie?" Lorelai asked.
"You invited your parents?"
"And your dad's parents." she said as the doorbell rang again.
"What?! Dad!"
"It was her, not me."
"Mom!"
"What? They want to meet him too."
"Mom!"
"Rory!"
"I can't believe you did this."
"Sorry."
"No you're not."
"You're right."
"Mom, it's bad enough YOU two want to have dinner with him when you already know him, but the grandparents?"
"Oh honey, they deserve to meet your boy toy too."
"Mom, do you even like Tristan?"
"Of course I do. Well, not so much now that he's your boyfriend, but I like him okay."
"You don't trust him."
"I have no reason to."
"But you also have no reason not to."
"Um hun, he's your boyfriend. That's reason enough for me."
"Dad, help me out here."
"This is between you two." he said, putting on his tie in the mirror.
Lorelai walked over and took the clip-on out of Chris's hands, handing him a real tie, "Honey, it's not that I don't trust Tristan, it's that I used to be fifteen too, and I know what happens when your parents like and trust your boyfriend."
"But mom, you and dad are married, you had another kid, you guys don't have affairs. Something went right." Rory said, waving her hands around wildly.
"Rory, do you know how rare it is for a teenage mother to marry the baby's father?"
"No. Besides, I'm not a teenage mother."
"I can see that, trust me, if you were then you wouldn't be buying size three and four pants."
"I can't get this!" Chris said in frustration, pulling the tie off his neck. Lorelai walked over to him and started to tie it easily.
"Sweets, I promise, I will try to like Tristan."
"You already know him and you already like him!"
"He wasn't your boyfriend when I met him."
"But mom."
"But Rory." she said mockingly, gliding her daughter to the door, "Now, go make conversation with your grandparents."
"But-"
"No buts."
"But-"
"Go, talk." Lorelai shut the door.
"That was evil. Inviting both sets of grandparents to the first dinner. Evil mother." Chris said, still looking in the mirror.
"Oh, but it will be so funny." she turned, smiling devilishly. Chris rolled his eyes and looked back in the mirror, the corners of his mouth turned slightly upward.
DOWNSTAIRS
The doorbell rang and Blake jumped up, excusing himself from the elders and telling his sister he'd be right back, their parents were still in the kitchen, talking to the cook. "Be nice!" Rory called as he disappeared into the foyer.
"I'm always nice!" he called back. He threw the door open, smiling broadly, "Dugrey, how nice of you to visit!"
Tristan rolled his eyes, "Hey Hayden." Blake laughed. "What's so funny?"
"You're dating my sister now, you're free game to take cheap shots at."
"You've taken cheap shots at me since I met you."
"Yes, but you will recieve no mercy now."
"I feel loved."
"As you should." they walked into the sitting room. Blake had been sharing the love seat with Rory, but he now sat in a recliner, letting Tristan sit with her. She smiled up at Tristan as he sat down after shaking hands with her grandfathers and kissing her grandmother's hands.
"Hey." he gave her a small kiss, since her grandparents were in the room.
Rory smiled, "Hey."
The doorbell rang for a fourth time and Blake stood up, "It's Madeline, I'll get it." After he left, they heard the door open and the couple walked in.
"Hey Rory, Tristan."
"Hey Maddy." the two said in unison. Lorelai and Chris walked in, Lorelai sat with her parents and Chris sat on the couch with his. The adults fell into a conversation about work while the teenagers slipped away. They walked out to the porch, walking over to Shane and his girlfriend, who'd escaped five minuets earlier.
"I don't see why mom invited their parents." Blake said.
Rory sighed, "Because they're fifty or something, they have no lives so mom thinks it's funny when they interrupt ours." she laid her head on Tristan's chest, closing her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her waist loosely and kissed the top of her head.
Blake and Madeline were in a similar position, but her eyes were open. "Do they usually want to meet your boyfriends or girlfriends?"
"Sometimes. They never liked Dean-"
"Join the club."
"Shut up. I don't like him either, but-" Rory was cut of when the doorbell rang again. She jumped slightly and they heard Lorelai call through the open back door.
"Can you guys go get that?" Rory pushed herself off of Tristan.
"I'll be right back."
"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Madeline asked.
"No. I'll just be a second." she went down the stairs and around the house, to the front door. The air was cool against her bare arms, reminding her that it was fall. Dead grass crunched under her feet as she walked through the dark. Wind blew her hair over her milky shoulders, causing her arms to fall to her side, letting the air every inch of exposed skin. When Rory reached the front, her stomach dropped. "Dean."
He turned upon hearing her say his name, "Rory." Dean paused, looking her over.
She wrapped her arms around her, feeling uncomfortable. "What do you want?"
"I had to come see you."
"Okay, you see me, now you can leave, bye." she turned to walk away.
"Rory, wait." she stopped and turned.
"What do you want?"
"I have to talk to you."
"I thought I told you I never wanted to talk to you or look at you again."
"Rory, I was drunk! I made a mistake!"
"Yeah, a pretty big mistake."
"I didn't know what I was doing, that girl came up to me and I didn't even think."
"No, you didn't. Dean, if you're asking me to forgive you, then I'm sorry, but I can't."
He looked down, defeated, "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
"I don't know."
"Well, maybe, in a few months, we could try again."
"I don't think so."
"Why?"
"Dean, I have a boyfriend."
"What?!"
"Did you really think I'd let the hurt heal and then take you back? Dean, I don't forgive easily, and after what you did, I'm not sure I can ever forgive you."
"Who is it? Tristan. I bet it's Tristan."
"Yeah, well, you bet right, but that doesn't change anything." "I knew it! I knew you broke up with me for him! I knew it!"
Rory rolled her eyes, "No. I broke up with you because you were drunk and said you wanted an 'open' relationship and you had some random girl on your lap. I want commitment. Not that."
"You want commitment? You want someone who won't cheat on you? Is that why you're dating the school player? The one with a new whore every week? That one?"
"Better than you."
"Rory, when he sees that you won't sleep with him, he'll dump you."
"How can you say that? You don't even know him."
"Do you really know him?"
"Yes, I do. And he's never cheated on a girl."
"He just drops them all together."
"Better than what you did."
"I've told you, I didn't know what I was doing!"
"Your problem, not mine."
Tristan opened the door, "Mary, dinner's rea-" he stopped upon seeing Dean standing with his girlfriend. He closed the door and stood completely still, looking between a pissed Dean and an annoyed Rory.
"Mary? How long have you been calling her that? What the hell does Mary mean?" Dean yelled.
Tristan didn't answer his question but asked in a civil voice, "What the hell are you doing here Dean?"
"I'm here to get Rory back."
Tristan laughed, "Sorry, but that's not going to happen."
"Why don't you let her speak for herself?" Dean took a step closer to his ex-girlfriend, "What do you say Rory?"
Tristan could see that Rory was getting more and more upset, so he stepped between them, "I told you, you're not getting her back, she's my girlfriend now, so why don't you just go home?"
Dean came closer to him, "Are you trying to piss me off, preppy?"
"No, I'm trying to get you to stop stalking my girlfriend after she said she doesn't want to see you, dumb ass."
"She was my girlfriend first."
"Yeah, and she's mine now. So fuck off."
"Look, pretty boy, you don't live here, this is my town."
"And Rory is my girlfriend, so I'll tell you one more time, get the hell away. She doesn't want you here, she doesn't want you back."
"Are you trying to fight me?"
Tristan laughed, "You're an idiot, you know that? I could kill you."
"Prove it."
"I don't want to fight you."
"Are you scared?"
"No, I just don't want Rory to see me beat the shit out of her ex-boyfriend."
"Well then maybe she'd like to see me beat the shit out of her current boyfriend."
"You really want to fight me?" Tristan asked, amusement apparent in his voice.
Dean took a step closer to him, "Yeah, I want to crush your preppy skull, and-"
"I'd like to see you try."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, because you couldn't even get near me."
"What you think that just because you're rich that means you're stronger than me?"
"No, money has nothing to do with it. The fact is, I'm smarter."
Hate covered Dean's face, "Or I could just beat the hell out of you and take Rory back."
"If you touch Rory, I will put you through so much pain, you'll wish you were dead."
"You don't know her like I do."
"I know she doesn't deserve a drunk jack ass that cheats on her."
"Said the player."
"Yeah, a player who's never cheated on a girl in my life."
"Well, there's a first for everything." his gaze fell on Rory, who was a few feet behind the blonde. "And there's a whore already in line."
Tristan took at step towards Dean and said in a dangerously quiet voice, "Care to repeat that?" Even though Tristan was three inches shorter than Dean, he almost seemed to cower under the hate radiating off of Tristan.
"You heard me." he said, the high note in his voice giving away his terror.
"Come on bag boy, grow some balls and say it again, I'm not sure if I heard right."
Dean slowly composed himself and said in a calmer voice, "I said, there's a whore in line right behind you."
Tristan nodded and punched Dean squarely in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards, "Shit!" he said loudly, holding his mouth. The door opened and Blake flew out, having seen Dean a few seconds earlier. He didn't want their parents or grandparents to see Dean and Tristan fighting. He grabbed Dean's arms and held them behind his back as the taller boy lunged at Tristan who stood, shaking his head.
"I'm telling you, say anything like that about Rory again, and I will personally make you bleed." he turned to follow his girlfriend to the back yard.
Blake threw Dean onto the front lawn. "Get away from my house, ass hole."
Tristan was rounding the corner of the house when he heard Dean call to him, "Hey preppy! I will get her back, count on it!" Tristan ignored him and kept walking. Dean turned to face Blake, "That warning goes for you too. Tell Jess." he stood up and ran from the yard while Blake just stared at his back in surprise.
Tristan walked around to the back to find Rory, who'd run away when Dean called her a whore. He found her curled up into a ball on the trampoline. He crawled on beside her, lifting her head from the small hands that held it. "Hey, you know what he said wasn't true."
"Wasn't it?" she asked, tears causing her makeup to run, "Tristan, I didn't even like Dean after I met you. I mean, there was a week between you. I waited almost a month to let Dean kiss me. We made out before we even started dating. I've never felt comfortable with Dean's arm around my waist, but with you, it's just normal. I never made out with Dean. Never. But with you," she looked down, "We weren't even dating, Tristan." she looked back up at him, "Don't lie and tell me that making out with a guy who ISN'T your boyfriend doesn't make you a whore."
Tristan shook his head, "Rory, it's not the same. It's not like we made out at a party or anything. We knew each other and we knew how we felt. You lost interest in Dean because he's completely wrong for you. I'm not. We fit Rory. We shouldn't, you had a boyfriend, I was a player. You were pure and innocent, not jaded at all, I was raised in society, I wore a mask and was raised to never show my true feelings. You loved life and wanted to live it. I was dying inside and forgetting who I was. You saved me. You weren't supposed to. We weren't supposed to fit. But we did. We do." he said softly.
Rory looked at him, tears running from her eyes. She bit her lip, "He was wrong?"
"He was dead wrong. He's jealous and bitter that he lost you. He thinks that if he's not happy then you shouldn't be either. He never deserved you. You're too good for him."
She looked away, "Well he's better off now. He has girls who can give him what he wants."
Tristan felt a pang of jealousy, "He really hurt you, didn't he?"
"Yeah." she whispered, barely audible, "I mean, it's not that I really LOVED him or anything, but I did have feelings for him. I didn't love him, but there was something there. And he broke my trust completely." Rory looked up and saw the hurt in Tristan's eyes, "But it's not like I feel anything for him anymore. I was just hurt when he did it."
Tristan sighed and looked down at his hands, "I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't bother me that you had feelings like this for him. I understand he hurt you," he looked back up at her, "Rory, you know I'd do anything for you. But please, just tell me how I can make you forget about him." his voice cracked with emotion at the thought of not having all her heart.
INSIDE
Blake and Madeline were leaning against the door frame, staring out at the couple on the trampoline. Madeline laid her head on Blake's chest, they'd told the others that Dean had come by and they agreed to reschedule the dinner. Only Rory and Tristan knew exactly what had been said, but by the reaction, all knew it was bad.
Madeline sighed, "Is she over Dean?"
"God, I hope so. He was a jack ass that never deserved her in the first place. I mean look at them. Tristan's only known her for what? A month? Dean never treated her this well."
"He worships her." Madeline said, smiling at her friends. "She's like a goddess to him. I hope she knows that." Blake nodded. But he wasn't sure she knew. Sometimes Rory was completely oblivious to other's feelings towards her.
OUTSIDE, TRAMPOLINE
"I'm over Dean, but I'm still hurt." she whispered, surprised that he'd asked that question.
"How can I help you forget what he did?"
"Don't hurt me."
"I would never hurt you, Rory."
"You can't promise that."
"Why not. I would never hurt you."
"You would never mean to hurt me. No one can swear they won't."
Tristan tilted his head, thinking over what she'd said, he grabbed her hands gently, "If it's in my power, I will never hurt you."
She gave him a teary half smile, "I know."
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There are times it seems to me
I'm sharing you with memories
I feel it in my heart
But I don't show it, show it
And then there's times you look at me
As though I'm all that you can see
Those times I don't believe it's right
I know it, know it
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