So This is Life
AN: Hey everyone! This is the sequel to This is Life. I hope you all enjoy this part as much as you enjoyed the last one. I just wanted to let you know that the rating will be M; just to be safe. Well go read and please let me know what you thought! Thank you.
Chapter 1
He continued to take small steps on the black top as he took in his surroundings. Not much had changed in the past three months; the court was still black, there were still two baskets, the river was still there…but there was one difference. Him.
It was November and he was walking the streets of Tree Hill.
He should be in military school running a couple of miles, doing a few hundred push-up and sit-ups, playing with guns, and whatever else young men do in military school.
But instead of him working his ass off with the drill sergeants, he was strolling around the River Court gathering up the courage to face the real reason he was back in Tree Hill; Rory Gilmore.
FLASHBACK
Tristan slowly walked back into the bedroom he shared with his roommate; defeated. He slumped onto his bed and sighed as he rested his elbows on his knees with his face in his hands.
Seeing that things hadn't gone the way his roommate wanted, again, Jake decided to see what excuse was used this time.
"What happened this time?"
Tristan removed his hands from his face and answered a question that was asked more than once.
"She was shopping with Brooke."
"Believable," Jake reasoned.
"No," Tristan said frustrated as he stood up, "It's not. She's fuckin' avoiding me and I don't know why—I didn't do anything."
"You kissed her; you took her and you kissed her…you kissed the crap out of her," Jake explained.
"So?" Tristan asked not fully understanding, "Shouldn't she be taking my calls or at least be calling me back? I'm sure Lorelai has told her I've called – Hell I think she's standing right there by her as she's talking to me!"
"She's probably scared--"
"Why?"
"The way you described Rory to me, she seemed as is she would get scared--"
"But why?"
"Because when you kissed her, she must have felt something--"
"But--"
"Would you stop interrupting me!" Jake finally snapped.
"Sorry," Tristan sheepishly said as he sat back down on his bed.
"As I was saying," Jake continued as Tristan rolled his eyes, "You scared her…" Jake saw that Tristan was going to say something so he shot him a warningly look.
"Rory sounds like the type of girl that needs stability and when you kissed her, it shook things up for her."
"But that wasn't the first time we kissed."
"Yeah, but the first time was a "dare" so she could have easily put it aside and not worry about it."
Tristan sighed, "I just need her to talk to me."
"Go see her."
"And have her slam the door in my face? I'll pass."
"Go somewhere where there are no doors," Jake said trying to lighten up the mood.
"This sucks man."
"This is life," Jake sadly told him.
"I don't know what to do," Tristan said running a hand through his blonde messy hair.
"I don't know what you want to do, but what I do know is that you have to go see her," Jake told him in a serious tone.
After a moment of silence, Tristan spoke, "I know."
END FLASHBACK
His first thought was to go to her house, but what if she really did slam the door in his face.
Even though Jake was kidding, to be safe, he would take his advice and stay away from any doors.
He thought about going home to see his mom, but decide against it. He'd probably punk out and never accomplish his task at hand. So instead he continued to pace around the court like an idiot until he figures out what he was going to do.
She picked up the phone, looked at it, and placed it back on the receiver.
She's been doing this for the past fifteen minutes.
Occasionally she would look up and see a certain number on the refrigerator that was taunting her.
Even though that piece of paper was no longer needed because she had memorized the number on it, she enjoyed looking at it knowing that is she dialed those numbers in that exact order; she would be connected with Tristan.
Thinking of the blonde- haired boy caused a smile to spread across her face, but it quickly disappeared as soon as she look at the phone and remembered all the times that he called and she refused to speak with him.
She regrets it.
FLASHBACK
"Call him back."
"I can't."
"Yes you can."
"No, I can't."
"It's easy – Let me explain," the older Gilmore said to her younger one. "You hold the phone like this," she demonstrated as she spoke, "You turn it on and you press all the numbers on this small, white, piece of paper. After you do that you bring the phone to your ear and you wait for the ringing to stop and his voice to come through from the other end."
"I'm not stupid mom," Rory said with a roll of her eyes.
"You will be if you don't call him back--"
"Gee, thanks mom," Rory deadpanned.
"You know I don't mean it like that – You just need to talk to him, especially after what happened before he left…"
"I know mom, but--" the rest of what she was going to say was cut off by the ringing of the phone.
"Speaking of the Devil," Lorelai said after checking the caller ID, "Answer it," she said shoving the cordless towards her daughter.
"No," Rory panicked as she pushedit back, "you answer it…please."
"Rory--"
"Mom, please," Rory pleaded.
"I can't keep doing this – my heart breaks for him each time I hear him defeated," Lorelai said before answering the phone. "Hello?"
"HeyLorelai its Tristan," came his voice.
"Tristan… hi. How's hell?"
"Its hell," he softly chuckled. "How's Rory?" he said with hesitation.
"She's good…she's not---"
"Home," he finished for her.
"Yeah…" Lorelai sadly said; she hated lying.
"Just tell her I called and that I – I… just tell her I called."
"Will do, kid."
"Thanks Lore, bye," Tristan said, sounding hopeless.
"Bye," she said before hanging up and looking at her daughter. "I'm going to go take a shower," she stood and made her way upstairs.
"Okay," Rory quietly said to no one but herself as guilt filled her; again.
END FLASHBACK
She slammed the phone back down; frustrated. Why couldn't she just dial the stupid number and call him?
She wanted to; she really did, but was scared.
The kiss before he left was amazing and she felt so much, but she didn't know what to say if she does go through with calling him: 'hey it's Rory, yeah sorry I haven't called you back in the past three months?'
She took a deep breath and reached for the phone once again. As she was reaching for it, it rang; startling her a bit. Looking at the caller ID, she decided not to answer it.
The last time she saw this person was the last time she saw Tristan.
Dean.
FLASHBACK
"I don't want you."
"You don't mean that--"
"I don't want you!" she repeated louder.
"What, you want that blonde prick?!" he says matching her tone, "I just saw you kissing him."
She remains silent.
"Unbelievable!" he spat.
"Unbelievable?!" she incredibly, "You have got to be kidding me!" she furiously said. "What's really unbelievable is the fact that you're here! How dare you come to me after what you did?!"
"I was drunk--"
"Bullshit."
"Rory please--"
"Leave me alone Dean."
"I love you!" he hopelessly attempted to get her back.
"You wish – and you'd stay away from me is you knew what was good for you," she threatened.
She turned around and headed back into her house, as he slumped back into his truck.
END FLASHBACK
She put the ringing phone back down and headed for the front door into the cool November night to clear her head.
He stood with his hands in his pockets facing the calm river. He took a deep breath and decided it was now or never to talk to her.
Tristan turned around and took a step forward, but immediately stopped when he realized that he wasn't alone.
Mary.
Her shocked expression mirrored his as they both stood a few feet away from each other staring at one another.
The silence had to be broken.
He swallowed his pride and cleared his throat, "Hey."
"Hi," she softly replied.
AN: Please oh please REVIEW!!!