Chapter 2

"So you decided, bus or me? Now if I were you I would definitely choose me." It was the end of last period when Tristan approached her about a ride home. Rory contemplated while Tristan groaned out loud. "That exam we had in fifth was hard. Now Mary this is easy." When she still hadn't decided he sighed. "I'll throw in a jumbo sized cup of coffee from Starbucks."

"Do they even have jumbo sizes?"

"Not the point."

"Tristan don't you know anything about making empty promises. I mean what if I had my sight set on this non-existent jumbo sized cup of coffee you're offering only to find they only serve large. Now how would you feel then?"

"I would feel that I would buy you two large cups of coffee to make up for it." He paused for a moment. "I'm pretty sure jumbo sizes exist, now come on." He pushed her along before she could protest leading her to his car.

"Dugrey, you leaving?" A tall dark haired boy Rory recognised as one of the guys Tristan sometimes hung out with stopped them. He glanced fleetingly at Rory.

"Yeah, why something happening?"

"Yeah, that something's called practice or did you forget. Although I wouldn't blame you." He smiled at Rory his gaze lingering a little longer than safe making her blush.

"What are you talking about? Coach canceled practice today." Tristan was aware he sounded harsh but the interaction only a second ago didn't go unnoticed. He knew he had no right to get too pissed since they weren't together but Dave knew better. Tristan would have a word with him later.

"Well plans change so suit up. I'll tell coach you're on your way." With that the dark haired boy walked off down the hall.

"Sorry Mare I thought practice was canceled." Tristan looked a little dejected and he felt it. He was looking forward to the drive with Rory. She was stubborn and the opportunity to drive her home wasn't one she handed out every day. "Hey, why don't you watch for a little bit and then I can take you home. Practice usually lasts 45 minutes most days and I did promise you coffee. Now I'd definitely feel bad if you made me go back on my word." He gave her one of those drop dead smiles of his, anything to sway her. Tristan chuckled suddenly.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry but now you have no choice." He knew the big man up there loved him. "Your bus just left without you." Rory groaned. She could always wait for the next one but that would be another hour and last time the bus was a little late so it could be an hour and a half. Well if football practice was only 45 minutes it wouldn't be too bad. What was 45 minutes when she was in the company of a good book?

"Okay you've finally convinced me. So, 45 minutes?" She couldn't help but smile. He looked very pleased with himself at that moment.

"I'll meet you out there. I gotta gear up."

Rory watched Tristan walk off towards the gym to change and made her way out onto the football field. It was a rather nice day, a complete change from earlier this morning. She had never watched Tristan practice before. Come to think of it she had never been to a game before, not that that was strange. She didn't understand football and the whole concept of boys bashing into each other to get to a ball was a little baffling.

She sat midway down the bleachers having a good view of the field. She took out her latest read enjoying the slight breeze on her face. She didn't know what to expect at these things but she didn't expect the horde of people watching them practice, the horde consisting of 98 female Chiltonites with more than a few sporting the #2 on their cheeks in blue paint. She was pretty sure even before Tristan jogged onto the field to screams and whistles that he was the owner of that jersey number. She watched with curiosity the way these girls lost all self-control or tact whenever he was anywhere close by. She noticed he chatted to a few making the encounter probably the highlight of their day. Rory only rolled her eyes before continuing her attention on her book.

Tristan looked up only to find her reading. He had hoped that maybe she would take the time to watch the practice, well watch him practice if he was honest but the knew Rory didn't care for sports and didn't care for him, well not in the way he wanted her to anyway. He drew out a long deep breath then glanced upwards once again. Nope, still reading. Frustrated, he decided to turn his attentions on the adoring blond only a few feet away from him, Cassie or was it Jenny? Whatever her name was at least she was interested, Tristan giving her a full fledged smirk before walking over for a little one on one.

God he was an absolute flirt. He'd been chatting up a blond wearing one of the shortest skirts Rory had ever seen. Is this what happened during these practices? She was almost relieved when she heard the whistle blow calling players into a huddle. Well she was here to watch him practice, well not necessarily him practice but she was waiting for him to finish practice so he could take her home. Yes that sounded much better. If only that pesky blond would stop the squealing she could get back to her reading. It was driving her insane. Rory had come to the conclusion that that girl had the loudest and most annoying voice in the world. How was one supposed to concentrate?

Okay she was getting more than annoyed now. He asks her to come to football practice and not once has he looked up to find her. Well he does have to keep an eye out for this thing called a ball says the strange inner voice in her head. Yes he does but it wouldn't explain how he's made the effort to make eye contact with annoying pesky blond, chat to her, and still keep an eye on said ball. Rory made a disgruntled sound. What did she care what Tristan did on his own time. Well if she had to be exact his own time had become hers since he was the reason she was sitting here on this cold, hard bench when she could otherwise be sitting on the bus reading quietly. Instead her ears had been accosted by Ms. Pesky once again screaming for Tristan like she was at some rock concert and she was his overexposed groupie. She took deep calming breaths finding the paragraph she had been reading over and over. Why was she so worked up? Well, she had a right to be didn't she?"

She looked up just in time to see Tristan throw the ball almost clear across the field, well to Rory it looked clear across the field, landing in the hands of the dark haired boy they had come across earlier. Fist pumps all round and ever loudening screams from Tristan's groupies were heard. Rory knew nothing about football but even she had to admit that was a pretty impressive throw. A person would have to have a really good arm, well a strong arm for that kind of thing. She found herself absentmindedly eyeing not only his good arm and the way it flexed but his well toned shoulders and the way his gear accentuated his broad chest. Tristan threw the ball again exposing what appeared to Rory a well-defined set of abs. Rory swallowed, hard, her throat extremely parched making her cough. The day was getting warmer by the minute she thought. The chill of early morning and the heat of the afternoon seemed to be wreaking havoc on her body today. She needed water or else she knew she'd end up in a coughing fit. That had happened to her once before and boy she didn't want to go through that again. People had thought she was having some kind of epileptic fit. Her mother had even insisted on taking her to the hospital. No, not the way to go especially with all these people around. She had to find water and fast, and the only one within distance was down on the field but that was for the players. Well desperate times were now and she only needed a cup or two. Rory made her way down the bleachers and onto the field.

"It's Rory right?" It was that dark haired guy again. Well he seemed friendly enough. Maybe he wouldn't mind slipping her a little bit of water if she was nice enough to him. She smiled although her throat was starting to tickle again, a telltale sign.

"Yeat, that's me." She didn't have time for endless chit chat. "Would you be so kind and give me a glass of water. I'm about to start coughing here my throat is so dry and believe me nobody wants to see that."

"Yeah sure, no problem." The boy also known as Dave quickly got Rory a cup of water which she gulped down in seconds flat. "Does that help?"

"Oh God does it ever. Thank you." Rory flashed him a brilliant smile and was so grateful she touched his arm lightly to show her appreciation. It was an innocent gesture on her part but to Tristan it looked far from it. He wasn't impressed as he took his eye off the wide receiver, overthrowing the ball and missing his target altogether. He had been watching Rory as she made her way down from the bleachers onto the field, the way she had talked to Dave, the ass bringing her back some water and smiling down at her, the way she smiled back at him, and the way she touched his arm. He'd been too busy earlier to have that chat with Dave about the hallway incident and now it had escalated to this. Maybe God didn't love him so much after all. He called for time the other players continuing without him.

"I think you're wanted on the field over there, Dave." The dark haired boy frowned a little, enjoying the attention from the pretty brunette but he knew Tristan's tone and looking up he was more than aware of Tristan's look. He managed to give Rory a tight smile before briskly heading back onto the field.

"So Mare, didn't think you were into football. Actually I'm pretty sure sports of any kind was taboo so why the sudden interest? I mean coming down to get a closer look would appear to me you were actually interested in the game or maybe it's not the game that interests you." Tristan couldn't help it. He was jealous and annoyed with Dave and with himself for being jealous of Dave. Who did Dave think he was anyway?

She could feel the edge in Tristan's voice. She didn't know why he was getting upset all of a sudden. She just wanted water, no she needed water, and to get to the water she needed to get to Dave first. He had pretty much saved her life, well okay overly dramatic, but saved her from a coughing fit which would have led to major embarrassment on her part. She could see it now, an ambulance and paramedics called in as she coughed hysterically just because her throat was in dire need of water.

"Tristan, what's all this about?" She peered at him closer noticing how his whole body seemed to be on edge, his eyes dark with anger she thought or was it something else?

"So Dave over there, what did he have to say that was so interesting? I mean correct me if I'm wrong but the last time I talked to him he wasn't that interesting." Tristan couldn't stop himself from spitting Dave's name out. It was like a bad taste that wouldn't go away. The mental picture of Rory touching Dave's arm almost intimately kept replaying in his head.

Rory's mind was doing back flips. What could have happened just now to get Tristan in this state? He was definitely angry about something and he kept repeating Dave's name and the way he said it. Was this about Dave? It couldn't be about Dave, could it? Could he be jealous of Dave? Well this was a little hypocritical. Here he was jealous of Dave for saving her life of all things and only 25 minutes ago he was throwing himself at Ms. Pesky blond with the shortest of short skirts. How dare he get upset with her?

"Are you upset with me because I talked to Dave?" Rory snorted. She couldn't get past the hypocrisy. "You know at least Dave is wearing proper attire unlike some people." She was angry now and flashes of long blond hair and squealing in the background only added fuel to the fire.

"What are you on about? Dave and I are wearing the same thing. All of us are. That's what we practice in and that's what we play in."

"I'm not talking about you, you idiot. I'm talking about Ms. Pesky blond over there wearing that spare piece of material, the one you were so engrossed in before." Both were so absorbed with the other to notice the audience they had now attracted looking on in anticipation.

Tristan took a step closer, very confused. What was this girl talking about? What pesky blond in a skirt? She was talking about him engrossed in this girl when all he was ever engrossed with was her and she was too busy trying to catch Dave's eye to notice.

"What blond in a skirt? And engrossed? Who says engrossed?"

"I say the word engrossed and I will continue to say the word engrossed if I want to." Rory's voice had risen a couple of pitches in her heated state. She too had inched closer.

"I don't know why you're so angry with Dave and if you are insinuating that there is anything remotely going on between us you are very wrong although why you care or what your problem is I don't know since you were so engrossed and I repeat engrossed earlier."

"You really have no idea do you?" Tristan shook his head in disbelief. "I'm on that field working my ass off to impress you and you can't even take your nose out of that goddamn book of yours to give me a second glance and when I do look up you're over there chatting up Dave." He turned away from her pacing back and forth. Any restraint Tristan had left flew out the window at that point. He was fuming. Rory was convinced he would walk off any minute now and leave her standing there. Boy was she wrong. He turned to face her once again, his jaw set, fixed determination on his face. "You want to know what else, what my problem is? My problem is I seem to care too much what you think and I can't seem to get you out of my head even though I know I'm wasting my time." Tristan ran a frustrated hand through his already scruffy hair rubbing the back of his neck which was to say the least very tense.

Rory stood in front of him completely gobsmacked. Her heart was in palpitations. Her hands were trembling and goosebumps were breaking out on her arms while her mind was reeling. He cared about her. He was trying to impress her. He couldn't stop thinking about her and not Ms. Pesky blond. Her. She suddenly felt like she was floating and she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face or the butterflies wreaking havoc in her stomach.

"What in God's name is so funny?" Tristan's head had started to throb. Here he had professed his feelings and looking around he noticed he had done so in front of close to 30 people. He groaned. Public humiliation. Life was grand for the King of Chilton.

He was thinking of how this day had started out so promising. He had spent most of it talking to Rory. He had asked to drive Rory home. Rory had agreed for him to take her home. Rory was kissing him. Hold on, Rory was kissing him. Her soft pliant mouth was indeed doing wonders to his and it was exactly the way he'd dreamed her lips would feel like. She tasted sweet and minty reminding him of choc-mint ice-cream. He decided right then that choc-mint was his favorite flavor. Pressing ever so firmly into him their bodies molded like pieces of a puzzle that had finally come together. Tristan Dugrey was in heaven. He didn't hesitate a second longer wrapping her up and lifting her clear off the ground. This kiss escalated within seconds, whistles and catcalls heard all round not that either of them cared. Well maybe Rory would have if she wasn't so engrossed with a certain blond.

They pulled apart just enough to breathe his forehead resting gently against hers, his hands cradling her face. "So, Ms. Pesky blond, huh." He couldn't stop the smirk on his face even if he tried, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Jealous much, Mary."

"You know just for that you better pray they have jumbo sizes." Tristan chuckled bringing her closer still. Rory was looking up at him her blue eyes sparkling. He felt himself falling further. Finally he had gotten what he wanted. She was his. Just the way he always pictured it.

THE END

AN - Well there it is my first every Trory. Just an idea that popped in my head. Hope you guys enjoy!!