Rory ran, Chilton issue flats clicking down the hallway, carrying her away from this place. She had to get out of here; away from the cold, empty hearts and turned up noses.

She didn't care that people were looking at her as she sped down the hallway and out the massive doors. Down the steps, through the parking lot, across the field, into the trees. Collapsing underneath a weeping willow, Rory cried.

She didn't know how long she had been there, didn't know where she was. But she didn't care.

"Kind of ironic, isn't it?"

Rory jumped at the sound of the voice. Picking herself up off of the ground, she turned toward the source.

"Tristan."

"Don't sound so happy to see me, Mary." He stepped out of his place in the shadows, approaching Rory.

She turned away from him, sitting on one of the larger roots. She didn't want him there. He was who she had been running from. His kind.

But obviously he didn't get the meaning of the gesture. Or didn't care. He sat down next to her.

"Why are you here?" she said, not even turning to look at him.

Tristan bit his lip. Turning to look at Rory's tearstained face, he replied. "Why are you here?"

Rory was about to snap back at Tristan when she realized what he meant. Hastily wiping away the remainder of her tears, she turned to study him.

Tristan's eyes were red and puffy. His hair was a mess, blazer crooked, jaw trembling. He stared off into the distance, not wanting to meet Rory's gaze.

She reached up, fixing his collar. "Ironic. You mean that out of all the trees around here, I threw myself underneath a weeping willow?" She spoke slowly, cautiously, treading lightly around her enemy.

"I was thinking more about the fact that two people, so seemingly strong, are now crying below this huge tree. All of them are hard and unaffected on the outside, when in reality…" Tristan trailed off. His voice was raspy, on the brink of tears. Rory felt compassion welling up inside of her, and before she knew it she had pulled him into a hug.

That was the breaking point for Tristan. He let his tears flow freely, arms wrapped around this girl. This girl he barely knew, who hated him, and yet still found it in her heart to console him.

By just holding him in her arms for that short time, Rory had done more for Tristan than anyone else in his life. And for that he wept.

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