Chapter Three

Once the door was locked behind her she slumped to the floor her back pressing hard against it. She pulled her knees up flush with her chest and buried her head on top of them. Not going to cry... not going to cry she kept repeating to herself but wasn't surprised when her vision began to cloud and she felt moisture pouring from her eyes onto her knees. She sat there for about ten minutes crying until she suddenly felt a very different emotion, anger. Why in the hell am I crying? He made my life hell for a year! Why do I care what happens to him! She immediately stopped crying and stood up. She walked back over to her desk and began studying again, absorbing herself in calculus.

xxxxxx

Lorelai came downstairs about ten minutes after Rory had barricaded herself in her room. She stood outside of Rory's door and listened to her daughter sob. She felt her heart breaking every time Rory gasped for air only to have it followed directly by another gut wrenching cry. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as well until she heard Rory stop. She slowly walked over the Rory's door and knocked. "Ror?"

Rory sighed. "What?"

"I know you're upset about something, and you don't have to tell me what, but can I please come in for a minute."

Rory sighed and unlocked the door. "I guess so."

Lorelai walked in and put Rory's biology book down on Rory's desk. "Everything ok?"

Rory wiped residual tears from her eyes. "No."

Lorelai nodded and sat down on her bed. "You want to talk about it?"

Rory shook her head quickly in the negative.

"OK. Ok. I said you didn't have to tell me and you don't. Just tell me one thing."

"What?"

"Are you in any danger or trouble?"

"Of course not." Rory said surprised that Lorelai thought she was in trouble.

Lorelai let out a relieved breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. "Good. Now I know you said you had to study but I think you should come out and eat some dinner with me."

Rory nodded. "Just give me one more hour and we'll go to Luke's."

"Sure." Lorelai said standing up and walking towards the door. She stopped before exiting and turned back around to face Rory. "Hey kiddo?"

"Yeah?" Rory said not even looking up from her books

"If you decide that you want to talk about it..."

"I know... You're here for me... It'll help to talk about it... blah blah blah... now go or I won't get my homework done and I won't go to dinner with you."

Lorelai smiled slightly and walked out the room.

xxxxxx

Luke looked up as he heard the diner door open and smiled as a much happier Lorelai entered with Rory tailing in behind her. His smile faded as soon as he saw the look on Rory's face. He watched Rory sit down at a table while Lorelai walked over to talk to him. "Hey, what's with her? She doesn't look like Rory?" Luke asked concerned

Lorelai nodded. "I'm not sure what's up with her. She's depressed about something." she said accepting the coffee Luke was offering

"So, figure it out." Luke said as if it were obvious

"And how do you suppose I go about doing that?"

"Play the Mom card. She's the kid you're the adult. She has to tell you." Luke said

Lorelai laughed and walked away. Half way back to her table she turned around. "Two burgers, fries and pie..." she said before looking back at Rory and then adding, "lots of pie."

Luke nodded and went back behind the counter. He looked up and saw the diner doors open and groaned inwardly as he saw Dean enter.

Dean walked over to Rory and Lorelai. "Hey I thought you were studying and couldn't take a break!" he said accusingly

Rory sighed before loudly letting her head bang against the table. Concern and confusion flooded Lorelai's eyes. "Hun!"

"I can't take this anymore." Rory snapped

"Excuse me?" Dean snapped back at her

Rory looked at him for a long second. "You are constantly accusing me of things!" Rory yelled gaining everyone's attention

"No I'm not. Rory what are you talking about?" Dean asked confused

"Rory what's going with you and Jess? Rory are you really studying or avoiding me? Rory do you really love me! Get off of it. Sometimes I want a break from your constant possessiveness. Forgive me if for one day I'd rather not hang out and watch you play baseball or basketball or watch you stock shelves! Forgive me if for one day all I want is to be left alone!" she yelled

"Hun..." Lorelai started when Dean looked too stunned to say anything

"NO! Don't... it's not just him! It's you too. I was studying, which is what I need to do to get into Harvard and you won't let me study. You want to pester me about what's wrong and why I'm all mopey and then since you think you've found the key to it you want to pester me about him!"

"Him who?" Dean asked

"Rory honey why don't we go..." Lorelai pleaded not wanting Dean to know anything about Tristin

"No... you wanted me out of my room and away from my books and now you want me to go back. You can't have it both ways!" she yelled at Lorelai who was looking helplessly at Luke

"HIM WHO?" Dean said again this time loudly

"Dean..." Lorelai started

"HIM WHO!" Dean yelled this time

"TRISTAN!" Rory screamed, "Tristan, we're talking about Tristan."

Dean's face fell and then suddenly became flooded with anger. "The accountant? Why are you arguing about him. What's going on!" Dean snapped loudly

Luke finally taking control of his diner decided that the best option was to close the diner. "Ok people show's over. Everyone out!" he said trying to help Lorelai

"Rory..."

"It's none of your business Dean!" Rory snapped

Dean shook his head. "I think you're wrong. You're my girlfriend and I would very much like for you to tell me what's going on! I mean are you cheating on me with him!"

"That's it Dean, jump to the conclusion that means you get to accuse me of something. No I'm not cheating on you. When would I have time to cheat on you? You monopolize all my time." she accused

"The play. You kicked me out of rehearsal. How am I supposed to know what happened when I was forced to leave! How am I supposed to know what happens at Chilton!" he accused

"He left too! You attacked him, I defended you and then he left angry with me because I defended you, even though he had done nothing wrong. You however, were watching me and him like we were about to have sex or something. As for Chilton... nothing happens at Chilton! We don't even talk to each other. I've barely said two words to him since we started dating again." Rory yelled, "We weren't even friends." she added trying desperately not to cry.

"Then what in the hell is the big deal! Why argue with Lorelai about him? Why this mood you've been in all day and last night!"

Rory looked at both Dean who was beyond angry and Lorelai who was more than confused, then looked back at Luke who looked miserable. "I have to get out of here. I'm sorry Luke you can reopen the diner now." she said before stomping out of the diner and then uncharacteristically for a Gilmore running down the street to get away from all of their prying eyes.

AN: I'm sorry it was so long before the update… I know exactly where I want the story to go… just no clue how I'm going to get it there… and I'm also so sorry for the shortness of this chapter… Please read and review…