**Part 8**
"I'm sorry" Rory found Tristan in Madeline's piano room a little bit later.
"About what?"
"About you and Summer" Rory said softly
"I don't want to talk about Summer"
"Ok." Rory thought fast, "How'd you do on that biology test?
"What?"
"The test. It was hard wasn't it?"
"Yeah it was hard" Tristan answered not really paying attention.
"I got a B plus"
"What are you doing?"
"Talking about the test" Rory feigned ignorance
"Why?"
"Because you said you didn't want to talk about Summer"
"I don't" He bit out
"Ok," Rory's heartbeat sped up a little, "so I moved to biology. Sorry did you want to talk about Spanish?"
"You just loved it, didn't you?"
"Loved what?"
"Seeing me get nailed like that. Must have been a great moment"
"Not really" Rory stammered
"Please" Tristan snapped snidely, "You loved it, she loved it, everybody loved it"
"I did not love it" Rory empathized honestly
"I really liked her too"
Rory hadn't expected that answer, Tristan admitting something like that... Truth be told, it made her feel a little less special, but she didn't stop to think why that was. She answered what she thought he would want to hear,
"Yeah I know"
"So where's your boyfriend tonight?"
"He's..." Rory took a deep breath, "not my boyfriend anymore"
"Why not?"
"He didn't want to be"
"Idiot…" Tristan said simply in that nonchalant way of his, it made Rory want to smile
"So's Summer"
Tristan nodded
"You think you'll get back together?" Tristan asked.
"He was pretty set in his decision" Rory confided heavy hearted.
"When did it happen?"
"Yesterday"
"Wow" Tristan could not think of something comforting to say.
"It was our three month anniversary" Rory admitted.
"That sucks" His vocabulary failed him still.
"Yeah it does suck. Do you think you guys will?"
"No, no" Tristan thought back to the embarrassment that damned girl had just put him through, "No, no, no, no, no"
"So no?"
"No. Hey, I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time for a while"
"Oh that's ok" Rory dismissed automatically
"It is?"
"Well no, but you're sad"
"Yeah well. I am sorry" He looked at Rory's profile thinking of the dare she did not follow through with.
"I accept your apology"
"Oh man," he felt hot again, "it's a great party huh?"
"Yeah not bad. It gave me a chance to catch up on my reading" Rory held up her book. Tristan wanted to chuckle,
"You are very odd, you know that?"
"Thank you" Rory thought of the dare she had refused earlier, it didn't seem so daunting now.
"You're welcome," Tristan nodded turning to her. Rory was close to him; he could feel her heat like he could feel the anticipation in his chest but he did not lean in to kiss her until he felt her lean in first. The kiss was hers to initiate, the paperback in his pocket told him so. Her lips were soft, the kiss dream-like, a kiss that wasn't awkward or impulsive… that is until she pulled away with tears in her eyes,
"I'm sorry, what did I do? Did I bite your lip or something?"
"No it's not you." The kiss felt entirely too not wrong, "It's just - I have to go"
Tristan looked on as Rory fled.
"We have to go" Rory found Lane.
"Rory are you ok?" Lane turned to Henry, "I have to go."
"Well wait," Henry called out to Lane, "can I get your number?"
"Last name's Kim and we're the only ones in Stars Hollow!" Kim replied excitedly then grabbed Rory's arm tightly, "I can't believe I just gave my number to a potential Korean doctor..."
**End of Part 8**
A/N - Bit of a tease huh? Hey... she fulfilled her end of the dare! So what if she is emotionally confused? She's allowed! She's a teenage girl!