A/n: I don't own Best of You by Foo Fighters. Sorry I haven't been upating, my life's been crazy.

A/N 2: Okay, if you haven't read in a while, I'll summarize. Rory has a twin named Blake and a 13 year old brother named Shane. Lorelia and Chris are married and the twins started Chilton their sophomore year due to their grandparents' request. Rory was with Dean, butshe broke up with him because he was drunk and being a jerk to her. She and Tristan were together, but hismother hatedher parents and wanted them to break up. Tristan wouldn't so he was sent to military school. He was Rory's first. And after Tristan left, a new guy named Adam came to Chilton and is friends with the little 'group'. He likes Rory and asked her about Tristan, but she didn't want to talk about him, and when Adam bad-mouthed him, Rory defended him. She still doesn't know why Tristan went to military school, but he broke up with her before he left. They're still sophomores.

The group is: Rory, Blake, Jess, Lane, Paris, Louise, Madeline, Henry, my invention of Baker, and Tristan. But when Adam came he started hanging out with them.

--------------------------------

Are you gone and onto someone new?

I needed somewhere to hang my head

Without your noose

You gave me something that I didn't have

But had no use

I was too weak to give in

Too strong to lose

Rory grabbed her Lit book from her locker, rolling her neck to relieve the tension in it. She glanced to her right and jumped to see Adam right next to her, leaning against the locker by hers. She took a deep breath, resting her palm on her chest, "Jesus, Adam. Make a noise or something next time."

He grinned, "Hey Rory."

She closed her locker, "Hey."

Rory started to make her way down the hall and Adam followed, taking her bag and slinging it across his own shoulder. Since their fight last month, he'd apologized and she just told him not to mention it. Now, they never said anything about Tristan to each other and Adam was the perfect gentleman, most of the time.

"So Rory." he said, looking forward.

She glanced over at him, "Yeah?"

"The Valentines dance is on Saturday."

"Yeah, I know." they walked into their class and sat down in the front.

"You going?" he set her bag next to her chair.

She pulled out a pen and notebook without looking at him, "Wasn't planning on it."

"Hmm." he pulled out his own things for the class, "Well I think you should."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"How very thoughtful of you."

"I think so." he opened his notebook to a blank page before looking at her, "You know what else I think?"

She looked over at him, "What's that?"

"I think you should go with me." he said, smiling lightly.

Rory was silent, her blinking eyes the only part of her that was moving. "What?"

His smile faltered, "Go. Even if it's just as friends, you need to get out."

She shook her head, "I don't want to get out."

"Rory." he said, trying to reason.

"Adam."she said back.

"Come on. One night."

She looked down, "I-"

"Rory, come on." The bell rang signaling class to start and she opened her mouth, but closed it again. Adam gave her a meaningful look and she closed her eyes as the teacher stood up. "Rory."

She looked over at him, "Okay. I'll go."

He leaned back in his chair, smiling, "I'll pick you up at seven."

Rory sat at the lunch table, looking through her notebook when Paris slid in next to her, "Hey."

She didn't look up, "Hey."

Paris looked at her friend, her eyebrows drawing together, "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

She shook her head, "You look kind of..." she trailed off, "I'm not sure. Weird."

"Gee, thanks."

Paris laughed, "No, I mean, just kind of confused."

Rory turned to face her, "Are you and Jess going to the dance?"

"Yeah..." she said slowly, tilting her head, "why?"

"Today Adam asked me to go with him," Paris's eyes widened, "And I kind of accepted."

Her jaw dropped, "You did?"

Rory looked down, "Is that bad?"

"No." she assured her quickly, "No. There's nothing wrong with that."

Madeline, Baker, and Blake made their way in and sat at the table as well. Rory looked up to see her brother watching her, concerned, "You okay, Ror?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." she stood up, "But I have to finish my history homework, so I'm gonna go to the library." they all gave their goodbyes and she left.

Baker looked around at the other three at the table, "Is it just me or has she been acting really weird lately?"

Madeline was still watching the door her friend had exited from, "It's not just you."

Paris glanced at Blake, who was still looking at the door as well. He looked over at her and sighed, shaking his head. She stood as Louise, Adam, and Henry entered and made their way to the table. She glanced at the dark haired boy and shook her head, walking from the room. Adam looked around the table, "What was that all about?"

The first three looked at each other, Madeline and Baker shrugged, and Blake shook his head. There were only four other people that would know what had just been wrong with Rory, only four other people that could read her the way he could. Jess and Lane were in Stars Hollow, Paris was no longer in the cafeteria, and Tristan was in North Carolina. If any of them had been there, he could have glanced at them, silent communication would have passed, and he wouldn't feel like none of their friends knew his sister. Because they did. Louise, Madeline, Baker, and Henry loved Rory to death, he knew that. But they just didn't know her the way Paris or Tristan did. He looked over at Adam, who was in awe of Rory. It made him sick to his stomach. He liked the guy and all, it was just, to Blake, Rory and Tristan were still...well, Rory and Tristan. Adam didn't fit there. Paris pulled her phone out of her bag and push number three on speed dial as she made her way out of the building. She leaned against the stone side of the building as someone on the other line picked up. "Hello?"

"Tristan?"

He sounded surprised, but happy, "Paris?"

She sighed, "Hey."

"Hey." someone on the other line said something to Tristan and she heard his mumble something to them.

"Aww, have you made friends, Tristan?"

"Are you saying that you didn't think I would?" he asked, mocking hurt.

"Of course not." she smiled, looking over the grounds of Chilton, "So, how are you holding up?"

Tristan snorted, "Would the phrase, 'stricter than Charleston, more OCD than Mrs. Giddens, and more work than Coach Higgins's gym class' mean anything to you?"

Paris's eyes widened, "How are you holding up?"

He laughed, "It's okay once you get the hang of it."

She smiled, "So, who all have you talked to since you left?"

"Everybody." he was silent for a moment, "Except for Rory."

Paris inhaled slowly. Damnit, "Oh."

"I mean, Lane even called me a few weeks ago to see how I was doing. But I haven't heard anything from Rory-" he was quiet, "-and I can't call her."

Paris swallowed the lump in her throat, "Actually, she was part of the reason I called."

"Oh?" she heard him say something muffled to someone on the other line and a few male voices replied. Then there was the sound of a chair scraping the linoleum floor and the sounds of the cafeteria faded from his background, "Is she okay?"

"In what sense?"

"Paris." he said slowly, and she knew that mean not to beat around the bush.

She sighed, "Tristan, did anyone ever mention Adam to you?"

He was silent for a moment, "A few people mentioned him. Why?"

"What did they say about him?" she asked, placing the bottom of her shoe flat against the stone wall.

"Nothing really. Blake just said that there was a new guy."

Paris exhaled slowly, "That's all anyone's told you?"

"Should they have told me more?"

"Yeah."

Tristan was silent for a beat, "What do you mean?"

"Are you sitting down?" she asked.

"Paris." his tone of voice told her that he didn't think she was being very funny.

She took a deep breath, "Okay, he's pretty much in our little group now. He sits with us at lunch,
sits with us in class and hangs out with us on the weekends." she paused, waiting for him to say something.

"So pretty much he replaced me?" Tristan asked, his voice sounding tired.

Paris's eyes widened in horror, "No!" she said quickly. "Tristan, how can you even say that? Without you there would be no group. If you hadn't befriended Blake and Rory then none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be friends with them. And the rest of us have known you forever. How can you even say that?"

"Well if he isn't replacing me then what is it?"

"It's just a new guy that came to our school. He's pretty cool and we decided to make nice. That's all."she stopped, waiting for Tristan to say something, but he didn't, so she went on,
"Look, Tristan," she rested her forehead in her palm, "after I tell you this, you're really going to feel like he replaced you, but he didn't. I swear to god he didn't Tristan. You have to believe me." she was quiet, waiting for him to reply.

When it became clear that she wasn't going to go on until he said something, Tristan looked down at his shoes, "Okay?" he said uncertainly, but it was obviously enough for Paris, considering she started talking again.

"He only moved here a little over a month ago, but since then he's been chasing Rory. She usually ignored him, but he's persistent." she stopped, closing her eyes, "Tristan, he asked her to the Valentine's dance. She's going with him." she fell silent, waiting until the boy on the other line said something. He didn't. "Tristan?" she said quietly.

"She's not my girlfriend anymore." there was no emotion in his voice.

"Oh no. Don't you dare do this, Tristan Dugrey. Don't pull this society card on me."

"What the hell do you want me to say Paris? I can't go up and kick his ass or anything. I can't stop it. What do you want me to do?"

She looked down, "I just thought you might want to know-"

"No. I mean, I'm glad you told me. I just...this is...ironic." he said the last part quietly.

"What?" Paris's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

He laughed lightly, but it was humorless, "I never told you why I was sent here, did I?"

"No." she said slowly.

Tristan shook his head, "If I wasn't so fucking mad at myself, then this just might be kind of funny-"

She cut him off, "Tristan, what the hell are you talking about?"

But he ignored her, "-I mean seriously, what the hell is this? A fucking teen movie?-"

"Tristan, stop!"

"-I can't believe I seriously got shipped off to military school for this shit-"

"Tristan!" she yelled, and that time she got his attention.

"She's the reason I'm here!" he screamed at her, and she stood still, her eyes wide.

"What?" she whispered, not quite sure that she'd heard right.

He groaned, clutching his hair in between his fingers, "I got shipped off to this god forsaken hell hole because of Miss Lorelai Leigh Hayden. It's because of her that I'm in North fucking Carolina."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, confused by his babbling.

He stopped and inhaled deeply, "My parents hate her."

"I know."

"They wanted me to break up with her."

Paris's eyes widened as recognition dawned on her, "Tristan, you didn't." she shook her head, he didn't get shipped down the east coast just because he wouldn't break up with Rory, surely he wouldn't give up everything he knew just because of that? He couldn't even be with her when they were that far apart. Well, at least it explained why he couldn't tell Rory why he was leaving.

"I love her."

"I know."

He looked down at his hand and his voice was shaky, "Paris, I can't be there and not be with her. I can't be around her everyday and not be able to touch her."

She bit her lip, "I know."

He was quiet for a beat, and his voice hardened, "You know what? I don't fucking care. She can go. It's not like I can stop her anyway-"

"Tristan." she said quietly, cutting him off.

He was silent for a moment, "I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"No, I really am." he looked up towards the sky, "I have to be."

She closed her eyes, "I'm really sorry."

He shrugged, "Thanks for calling."

"Yeah." they were silent for a moment, "Tristan?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you ever tell Rory why you left? She's really confused."

"What good would it have done if I told her why I was leaving?"

Paris looked down, "I don't know. She's just- she thinks she did something to make you want to break up with her. She doesn't know why you broke up with her. In her mind you two could have made it work."

Tristan shook his head, "Paris, do you know what I would give to have made it work? I wish it would have worked out. I really do. But there's nothing I can do about it."

There was a shrill ringing throughout the campus, and Paris looked around as students fled the grounds, "That's the bell. I have to go."

Tristan shoved his free hand into his pocket, "Thanks."

She smiled lightly, "I figured you'd want to know."

"Bye Paris."

"Bye Tristan." she closed her phone and slid it into her bag.

"Hey."

She turned and saw Rory standing next to her, "Oh hey."

Her friend tilted her head as Paris just stood still, "You ready to go to class?"

"Oh!" she shook her head, "Yeah. Let's go."

SATURDAY, DANCE

Rory leaned against the wall, drumming her fingers on her cup of punch as Adam and Baker talked. Louise was dancing with Henry and Lane was talking to Jess and Paris on the other side of the room. A slow song came over the speakers and Adam touched her arm, "You want to dance"
She pushed off of the wall, "Sure." she set her cup down and they passed Louise on her way back over to Baker. Adam led her to the middle of the dance floor and rested his right hand on her hip, taking her right hand in his left. She rested her left hand on his shoulder and looked around the room as they moved slowly back and forth to the music. She looked back up at him and realized that he was watching her. She cocked her head back, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay." she said slowly, looking around again.

"Are you having fun?" Adam asked, spinning her out and then back in.

She slid her hand back onto his shoulder, "You know, I really am." and she was. It was nice to just be around her friends.

He nodded, thinking, "Rory?"

She looked up at him, "Yeah?"

"I like you." he said, looking straight at her.

Her eyes widened, "What?"

"I like you." he repeated.

She shook her head, "You don't even really know me."

"I've known you for a month. I 've been hanging out with you for a month. I'm not saying that I'm in love with you or anything, I just want a date." he said, shrugged nonchalantly, although she could feel his palm sweating. And maybe that was what made her think about it. The fact that he was nervous, but still trying not to show it.

But then she thought about it and looked down shaking her head, "Adam, you're a great friend. I mean, you make me laugh, I love talking to you, and you always try to cheer me up when I'm upset." she looked up at him and saw that he was smiling charmingly, "But I'm not sure if I'm ready to be with someone." his face fell.

He shook his head, "Rory, I'm not asking you to marry me. Just dinner and a movie." she looked down, and before she could say anything he spoke again, "Come on. No pressure." he smiled,
"Besides, like you said, I make you laugh, so even if I make a complete ass of myself, you'll still have had a good time."

She sighed, looking up with a small smile, "Alright. You've got yourself a date." he grinned and opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off, "One date, and we'll see how it goes."

He nodded, a huge smile on his face, "I can work with that."

She smiled as well, pushing back the lump in her throat, "Good."

AFTER THE DANCE, GELLAR'S

Rory sat on Paris's bed, watching her friend walk around the room in search of her brush, "This new maid is driving me crazy. She moves everything! My brush was on the freaking vanity and she moved it to God knows where." the blonde mumbled, getting down on her stomach and pushing the bed skirt out of the way so that she could look under the bed.

Rory tilted her head to the side, "Why would it be under the bed?"

"It's the only damn place I haven't looked." she growled, and Rory laid back, smiling and shaking her head, "Dear God, I swear she's insane." Paris said as she stood up, the brush in her hand. Rory laughed, her head falling back. "Shut up." she snapped as she sat at the vanity,
shaking her head

Rory was still grinning, "Did you have fun at the dance?"

"Yeah, actually. It was a lot of fun." she looked up at her friend in the mirror, "What about you? How was it with Adam?"

She nodded, "It was fun." she looked down at her hands, "He asked me out on a date."

Paris swirled around to stare at her, "He did? What did you say?"

"Well at first I said no and then he kind of convinced me."

"So you said yes?"

Rory bit her lip, "Kind of."

Paris exhaled slowly, "You're going on a date with him?"

"Yeah." she said quietly, looking down.

Paris closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead, "Wow."

"Yeah." they sat in silence for a moment, Rory looking down at her hands, "Paris?"

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip, "Uh, there's something I need to tell you."

Her friend sat on the bed beside her, obviously worried, "Is something wrong?"

Rory looked over at her before standing up, "No. I'm fine...it's just..." she trailed off, glancing around the room, and her gaze fell on a picture of her, Tristan, Jess, and Paris. She closed her eyes, "Louise is the only one who knows, and that's just because she was with me when I got it..." she fell silent, looking down.

"Rory?" Paris said quietly, walking over to her, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, "No."

"What happened?"

Rory inhaled deeply, "There's something that I never told you."

"What's that?"

"Um, right now Blake and Louise are the only ones who know-"

Paris interrupted her, Know what?"

Rory blinked, looking up at her friend, "I had sex with Tristan." she said quietly.

Paris was still for a moment, but then her eyes widened, "You what? When did this happen?"

She bit her lip, shaking her head, "The first time was after the party you guys threw for our birthday."

"The first time? How many times did it happen?" she asked, obviously still shocked.

"Not a lot. Three or four times."

"Wow." she whispered, blinking slowly, "I didn't see that one coming."

"You didn't?"

"I had no idea. How do Louise and Blake know?"

She sat on the bed, "Louise went to the doctor with me-"

Paris cut her off, "The doctor? You're on the pill?" she sat next to her.

"Yeah." she looked down, "I mean, I knew he was going to be my first, so I figured better safe than sorry."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me. That was over a month ago."

"Yeah, I know. We didn't tell anyone."

"How does Blake know?"

Rory shrugged, "One morning he came into my room and said something about it."

Paris nodded, digesting the information, "That's so weird to me."

"Why?"

"It's just, I didn't think you two were going to sleep together-I mean, I thought you might, just not for a while."

Rory nodded, leaning back on the bed, "I just wanted you to know."

"Lane doesn't know?"

"I haven't told her yet."

Paris laid down as well. That had to have just made it harder for Rory when Tristan moved away. They sat in silence for a while, until Paris asked quietly, "When will you be okay?"

Rory didn't tear her gaze from the ceiling, "I don't know. Soon, I hope."

Paris nodded, staring up as well. "I do too." and they sat in a comfortable silence, her radio the only sound in the room apart from their breathing.

Has someone taken your faith?

It's real, the pain you feel

The life, the love

You die to heal

The broken hearts

You trust, you must confess

Is someone getting the best

The best, the best

The best of you?