Did I ever tell you that everything

I know about breaking hearts

I learned from you, it's true

Well, I've never done it

With the style and grace you have

But I've made lots of plans

Based on these mistakes

-"There's No 'I' In Team", Taking Back Sunday

Rory sighed, swinging on the abandoned playground of the country club. She hadn't come out here in ages, and it felt good to get away from everyone. The November chill made bumps rise on her skin, and she shivered. "You're gonna get sick and die." Tristan said, coming up behind her and pushing her lightly in the swing.

She jumped at his voice, surprised. "I am not."

He laughed lightly, "Rory, you're outside at ten o'clock at night, in November, with a sleeveless dress on."

She grinned, even though he couldn't see her face. "Well, if I die them you're comin' down with me."

"Am I?"

"Oh yeah, I already planned the funeral and everything."

"Good to know I'll be taken care of."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Extremely." he took off his jacket and slipped it onto her, "Do I get any last wishes?" he asked,
pushing her again.

"Sure, why not? What do you want?"

"You really have to ask?"

"No. But I did anyway."

"Well, Mary," he said the childhood nickname playfully, "I want a bed."

"Strange last wish, but if it's what you want-"

"I'm not done."

"Oh, continue."

"I want a bed," he grinned, holding her waist to stop the swinging, and he whispered into her hear "with you laying in it, covered in sweat and-"

"Screaming you name." she whispered back, turning to face him so that their lips were only inches apart, "Tristan," she moaned, "Tristan." before laughing and turning around, pumping her legs to restart the swing.

He smirked, pushing her, "You're such a tease."

Her eyes narrowed, "Am not."

"Yes you are. Always coming closer, only to pull back. You've been doing it all week." he said,
grabbing the chains of her swing, stopping her.

She turned to him, "So? How does that make me a tease?"

"You act like you're interested, and then you pull away, acting like you never wanted anything."

"I don't-"

"Yeah, I know, I know, you don't do it on purpose." he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Tristan..." she said quietly.

"Hmm?" he began pushing her again.

"Why did we ever stop being friends?"

"What?"

"All of us. Me, you, Austin, Steven, London, Desiree. Everybody. What happened to us? We were so close until last year."

He shrugged, "We got older. Hormones and egos got in the way."

Rory looked down, "What ever happened between you and Summer?"

She felt him stiffen, "Didn't she ever tell you?"

"She doesn't like to talk about it. I've just always wondered."

He stopped her swing and she turned to face him. He looked down at her, "What did she say happened?"

Rory's eyes widened and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights, "Why?"

"Because, I know for a fact that she lied to most people about what happened at that party."

Rory looked away, because she knew from his eyes that he wasn't lying, and that Summer most likely hadn't been truthful with any of them, "What do you think she said?"

"I heard her telling people that I said she was too much of a good girl and I preferred someone who would be on call 24/7." he said, looking down at her even though she wouldn't look at him. "Isn't that what she said?"

Rory stared forward, that was what Summer had said, but who did she owe her loyalty to, her best friend or Tristan? She shrugged, "Not exactly."

"So tell me what she said."

"Just that you weren't what everyone made you out to be. She said...." Rory trailed off, thinking for a moment before turning her head to find that he was much closer than he'd been a few minutes ago. Her breath caught in her throat, "...Yeah." she looked back down, "That is what she said."

Tristan nodded, looking into the trees outside of the fenced in playground, and Rory could see the muscles in his jaw clench. "I figured."

"So if that's not what really happened, then what did?"

He shook his head, still staring at the woods, "It doesn't matter now."

"It matters to me." she said quietly.

He looked down at her slowly, "Why does it matter to you all of a sudden? You never cared before."

"I never knew she hurt you too."

He shrugged, "She didn't. I can't get hurt, remember?" he sent her his million dollar grin that could light up an entire room and she just frowned, knowing that it was fake.

"Tristan...."

"Rory......" he mocked.

She sighed, "Fine, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I don't."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Wonderful."

"Great."

Rory could feel her temper rising, "Glad to hear it."

Tristan's anger was matching hers, "Glad to say it."

"I swear you're such a child sometimes."

"Yeah, well you're not exactly the most mature person in the world."

"Whatever." she rolled her eyes.

"Good comeback."

"Shut up."

"Even better."

"I swear I hate you sometimes."

"I'm glad. That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah." he snarled, both falling into a thick silence, buzzing with electricity. Neither knew how long they sat there, but both realized that the atmosphere slowly changed from electric to tense to comfortable to intimate.

Tristan started to smile slightly, looking at Rory who grinned. "I'm better, you?"

"Oh yeah." Tristan nodded.

She started swinging again, "So," she knew this was a bad idea but you could blame it on her breeding, or you could blame it thick-headedness, but she'd never asked a question and not had it answered. "What did happen?"

"You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm serious."

"Rory, if you really want to know what happened, then go ask Summer, but tell her not to fucking lie to you this time." he said, walking away.

Rory swore under her breath, she couldn't have just left it alone, could she? She jumped off of the swing and ran after him, "Tristan, wait!" he ignored her and continued to walk towards the country club. "Tristan," she caught up with him and grabbed his arm, "I'm not asking her, I'm asking you."

He spun on his heel, "You want to know what happened, Rory? You want to know what happened between Summer and I that night?" he practically yelled.

"Yes. Yes, I want to know what happened. I want to know what made the two of you decide you had the right to rip apart some of the best friendships I've had in my entire fucking life. I want to know why you hurt her!"

Tristan laughed bitterly, "I hurt her? I hurt the bitch with a heart of steel-"

"Stop it!" she yelled, maybe Summer had lied, but she was still one of Rory's best friends.

"That's a good one." Tristan said, turning to walk away.

"Well if I'm so wrong then set me straight, Tristan. Tell me the truth. What the fuck happened"
she screamed.

Tristan turned on his heel, visibly fuming, "She left me! That's the great shining truth behind all the lies. We were in one of the bedrooms. We'd fucking had sex before, but for some reason when I took off her shirt she pulled away and ran. Summer fucking walked out on me!" he yelled, it was obvious he wasn't hurt from losing Summer particularly, but he was hurt that he'd been walked out on.

"What?" she said in disbelief, "But we all thought-"

"You think I'd lie about that? If you don't believe me then go ask your fucking friend." he turned to walk away, but she grabbed his arm, spinning him around.

"No, no, I believe you."

He looked surprised, his wind whipped cheeks turning redder by the minute, "What?"

"I believe you over Summer."

"You do?" he asked, shocked.

She laughed lightly, "Yes. And don't gape, it makes you very unattractive."

Tristan closed his mouth and shook his head. "Um, okay..."

Rory shivered lightly, "Yeah, so can we just go inside now, please, because I'm suddenly very cold."

"Oh yeah, sorry, come on." he took her hand and led her inside.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Rory leaned against the wall of the country club, closing her eyes. Summer had lied to her? Someone leaned against the wall beside her, and she opened her eyes. Speak of the devil. "Hey"
Summer said, smiling lightly, although Rory knew it was fake.

"Hey, Summer." Rory said, looking at her hands, "What ever happened between you and Tristan that night?"

"What?"

"When you broke up. What happened?"

"I told you, he walk away because I wasn't loose enough for him." she said, not looking at her friend.

Rory looked up, "No, I mean what REALLY happened, not what you lied and told us."

Summer looked taken aback, "What are you talking about-"

"Tristan told me. You lied to all of us, Summer. You walked away from him, but you turned it around to make all of us mad at HIM, because you didn't want to take the fall. You didn't want to be seen as the bad guy." Rory could feel her temper rising. "So you lied and told all of us one story before Tristan had the chance to even react."

"I didn't-"

"And you turned us against Tristan, so of course all the guys will stand by him, tearing us apart and ruining all the friendships we'd had our entire lives-"

She shook her head, searching for something to say, "No, Rory, damn it, I fucked up, okay, yes, I know it, alright? I know I shouldn't have run, but I did, and I can't do anything about it, okay? So before Tristan went around bad mouthing me, I fucked him over alright? I only did what I had to!"

"Bullshit Summer. You did not have to do that. You lied to all of us. God damn it, I never told you that everything I ever learned about trailing guys along was something I picked up from you. And yeah, I can't do it as well as you, but you got the best, didn't you? That's why you want me to do this, isn't it? You're mad that he didn't come crawling back, so you want me to show him what he missed out on with you and come back, that's it, isn't it?"

"No! Rory, I would never-"

She cut her off, "How can I believe you? You lied about everything else." Rory said, waking away from Summer, leaving her with a shocked expression and her eyes filling with tears.

A/N: So so so sorry about the lack of updates on everything! But I was just stuck on this story, but I promise that me next update won't take as long!