31 - Her Own Worst Enemy

"We'll 'ave another round of shots over 'ere please," a more than slightly inebriated Lexie Keaton ordered, waving the nearest waiter over to their table. "And keep them coming!"

"Wow, we've only been at this for two hours and the maid-of-honor is already completely sloshed," a grinning Sarah noted as she leaned towards Rory on her stool. "This is going to be a fun night!"

"Hmm," frowned the journalist, not really in the partying mood at the moment. Something just didn't feel right about tonight. Ever since leaving the townhouse for their first stop (which happened to be the Comet Club) shortly after Marty's group had gone and Andy came downstairs along with Lexie, she'd noticed a tension between the two best friends that was distracting her to no end. Despite plastering a bright smile on her lips while more or less keeping pace with the others in their drinking, Andy was clearly bothered by something. Lexie on the other hand seemed to be hitting the sauce harder than anyone else in their party, her hazel-green gaze sometimes drifting towards the brooding bride-to-be with obvious concern. And something else as well, but the reporter couldn't quite figure it out. Rory continued to study the pair for a moment until noticing Sarah frowning at her. "What?"

"I know that you don't really feel comfortable being here, Gilly," she answered in a lowered tone, so no one else could overhear. "But you've got to cut it out with the whole brooding beaten rival thing you got going on because you're being a real downer, dude."

"First off, don't call me 'dude'," Rory whispered back in annoyance. "Second, I was not brooding. I was observing. Third, I am not being a downer. So qui-"

"Hey, what are you two whispering 'bout over there?" Lexie cut in, her speech slurred. "Don't you know there's a party goin' on over here?" The band manager swung her arm over to the stage without waiting for answer. "Hey, why isn't there a dancer on the stage yet? We came to see some dancers!"

"That would be because we're still at the Comet Club, Lex," one of her and Andy's four college friends supplied with a laugh. The girl who'd spoken was an attractive red-head by the name of Helena, if memory served Rory correct. She had only just met the group of women two hours prior though, so Rory could be mistaken on that.

"Oh, right," the band manager returned sheepishly.

"Okay, no more for you," declared another of the out-of-town girls, whose name Rory couldn't recall at the moment. She took the drink away from a now pouting Lexie. "This is for your own good, Lex. Otherwise we'll be scrapping your plastered ass off the floor before we even get to the strip club. So cut it out with the pout."

"Fine, whatever," Lexie relented with a grumble. The maid-of-honor then glanced across the table at her best friend. "Your tiara in coming loose."

"Thanks," Andy said dryly, rolling her eyes before fixing the tiara without another word.

"Okay, what is going on with you two tonight?" Helena cut in, telling Rory that she wasn't the only one who had noticed the tension between Andy and Lexie all evening.

"Nothing," the two best friends answered at the same time.

"Yeah, that's a load of horseshit. Now one of you spill it," a short blonde with similar features as Andy stated, pointing a finger between them. "Spill it, or else I start punching tits."

Both Rory and Sarah looked at each other in shock at that, neither knowing if the girl was serious in her unusual threat.

The short blonde looked at the band manager cooly. "Lex?"

"This isn't my fault, Kat," a suddenly distraught Lexie cried, hazel eyes gleaming with hurt. "She's the one freezing me out! All I did was cancel the Conan gig until after the wed-"

"You know damn well that's not what Ah'm upset 'bout!" Andy interupted, her quiet brooding now sparking into full-blown anger. "Ungh! You can be so freakin' dense sometimes!"

With that the blonde bride-to-be rose from her stool and attempted to stalk off, only to have the shorter blonde grab her by the wrist. "Then what is it about?"

"None of your damn business, Katelyn," sneered Andy before easily twisting out of her grip, then heading up the stairs onto the second floor.

"Okay, maybe I spoke too soon when I said this would be fun," stated Sarah, sharing a worried glance with Rory.

"I'll go check on her," volunteered Rory just as the crowd's murmuring settled down and the music began playing again. The reporter arrived atop the second floor and weaved through the few people there, stopping to inquire a slim man if he had seen Andy. He gestured in the direction of the balcony where the journalist had inadvertantly revealed her feelings for Marty to Tristan on New Year's Eve. She took a deep breath then gently pushed the door open to step outside.

"What's this I'm hearin' about you not comin' to mah wedding?" Andy pratically shouted into her cellphone, completely ignorant of Rory's presence. "You can not NOT be there! After everything we've been through, I think I deserve an explana-" The blonde gasped in surprise for a moment, her voice taking on a raspier quality. "If that were really the case, if you really care 'bout me like you claim to, you wouldn't 'ave waited 'til now to tell m-" She stopped again to take catch her breath, then growled out. "You know what? Fine, you want to be an asshole about this, then I don't want you here! You can go to hell, Tristan Micah Dugray! You can go straight to fuckin' hell!"

Micah? Tristan's middle name is Micah? Rory found herself wondering in surprise until the sound of plastic shattering against concrete caused her to flinch. It dawned on Rory that she was on the other end of overhearing a conversation this time. Uncertain of what to do next though, Rory decided to wing it and laid her hand on Andy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The musician turned her gaze on the reporter, those usually friendly emerald eyes glaring coldly back. "Do I look okay to you?"

"Alright, stupid question," admitted Rory while pulling her hand away. "Sorry."

The other woman's expression softened. "No, I'm sorry." She let out a ragged sigh. "It's just...I can't believe that Tris isn't coming. I mean, for the longest time in freshman year I had no one but Lexie, then we met up at a party and became friends. Close friends, actually." She paused to sniffle, then continued. "We didn't start dating until halfway through sophomore year and we were together 'til graduation." Rory watched the blonde wipe a tear from her cheek. "Even after we broke up, we stayed in touch. I was beside him when his grandpa Janlan died a month after grad. And when I broke my leg falling off stage during a gig two months later, he and Lex took turns taking care of me."

Tristan means a lot to her, doesn't he? You know, this may be an opportunity for you to get what you want, Rory, whispered a voice in Rory's mind, a voice that sounded suspiciously like her grandmother, Emily Gilmore. You really shouldn't let it go to waste.

What happened to being Marty's friend? A real friend wouldn't do that, kiddo, her mother's voice chimed in opposition. A real friend wouldn't sabotage their friend's wedding thirty-six hours before the ceremony!

Be quiet and let me think, you two! Rory snapped internally, her concern on the fact that maybe she really was losing her sanity now growing more and more. Even when they're just voices in my head, they argue like crazy!

"What if he's right though? What if I am making a mistake? Am I rushing into this wedding?" Andy cried, her green eyes wide in panic. "Oh, God! I'm rushin' inta this, aren't I?"

I can do this, the journalist thought before stepping in front of her unknowing victorious rival, her hands grasping the now doubting bride-to-be by the elbows to keep her in place. "Now listen here and you listen good, Andrea," she gently ordered, her use of the blonde's proper name receiving the desired affect of grabbing Andy's undivided attention. "Tristan is wrong. You are not rushing in. You are not making some huge mistake. And come this Sunday morning, you will be getting married to one of the most incredible guys I know." The most incredible guy, actually, Rory added mentally. "And if Tristan doesn't realize that, then screw him. Don't let that selfish ass ruin what is supposed to be the happiest weekend of your life, okay?" The blonde opened her mouth to protest, only to have Rory cut her off. "Okay?"

"Okay, I won't," the now much calmer Andy promised, then smiled softly at the brunette. "You know, you really are a good friend, Rory. I can see why Marty thinks so highly of you."

"Well, I try my best," she said with a shrug, all the while hoping that the non-chalant response would hide the hurt her new friend had caused with that compliment.

"Is it safe for me to come out here?" Lexie asked cautiously from the doorway leading inside.

"Yeah, come here," the musician nodded, gesturing for her best friend to join them.

"I'm going to head inside now," Rory stated, intent to leave the bride-to-be alone with her maid-of-honor on the balcony.

"So, how'd it go? Are Lexie and Andy making up? Because everybody's ready to head over to the strip club and we're just waiting on them now," Sarah informed, the brunette meeting Rory halfway on the stairs.

"Yeah, I think they are. They just need a minute," Rory sighed.

The other girl gave her a concerned frown. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter," the reporter lied before continuing down the stairs past her unconvinced looking friend. "Come on, let's go grab our coats."

You did a good thing back there, kiddo, said Lorelai in her mind. I'm proud of you.

Thanks, but if I did such a good thing, Mom, a completely miserable Rory wondered, barely containing her emotions at that moment. Why do I feel like someone just died?

Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to review.