AN: It's summer break before my senior year college. I'm going to try updating my stories and maybe even trying to finish them before I join the real world.

The next couple of weeks passed quickly for both groups of friends, with exams and Spring break fast approaching, school work and secret society plans were overwhelming for both the Elis and the Harvard goers.

The Society Mixer and Competitions were events that took place once every three years, and it just happened to land on the group's Junior year of college. The mixer was the first time that societies from all across the country, of several Ivy League schools, would meet. It was a way for everyone to size up their competition but at the same time publicly induct new members, but most of all socialize and network among themselves.

This was all in preparation of the Society Competitions, the biggest gathering of Secret Ivy League Societies, in which even international societies took place in. In this event all the organizations would compete for each other. There wasn't a tangible prize, because Lord knows that these wealthy people could already afford anything they needed. Instead, the winner had three years worth of bragging rights, and the next representatives of their organization got to pick the locations of the Mixer and Competition.

Yale had won the last competition, so it was in the hands of Logan Huntzberger, Event Planner of the LDB, to choose the locations.

"I don't even want anything to do with this shit," Logan said over a mug of cold beer as he sat with Finn and Colin at the Pub. Ever since his break down with his group of friends, he hadn't brought any girls back to his dorm, nor had he hit on anyone new, but he wasn't exactly healed. He just focused more on pointless activities like drinking, gambling, and betting on everything. The guys didn't try to bring up Rory to him, and when Stephanie did he would just change the subject.

"Oh god forbid the mighty Logan Huntzberger has to choose two venues for a secret society event," Colin remarked sarcastically sipping on his own brew. "Just flip a coin or something."

"Or let me pick mate!" Finn suggested.

"Finn it's not your job to pick the place, it was your job to find info on the other teams," Logan replied, "Which by the way you haven't mentioned anything about yet, especially about Harvard's organization, they're our biggest competition."

Finn just smiled in response, in fact, he had done plenty of research and knew several things about each and every Secret Society that would be taking part in the festivities, especially about the Illuminati. He knew very well that Rory and Tristan were the Vice President and President of the said organization, but he was Finn, and there was no way he was going to release that information, it was his little secret. "Don't worry mate, I have it under control."

Colin eyed him suspiciously but let it go, after all Finn always seemed suspicious. "Maybe he has a point," Colin suggested surprising both Finn and Logan.

"I mean we all have pretty high positions in the LDB," Colin said in a whisper, "And if you just make a decision that's half assed then everyone's going to be blaming us on a crappy mixer and competition location. No offense to you Logan, but you haven't been the pinnacle of fun lately, and I mean it's not like I'm going to pick a place filled with happiness and good times."

Logan looked offended while Finn nodded enthusiastically, agreeing whole heartedly. "Mate, I know fun!" Finn bragged with a huge smile. "Let me do this! You won't regret it!"

Logan looked between his two friends, Colin giving him a look that read 'what else could we do?' and Finn with his breath held in anticipation.

"Fine," Logan grumbled.

And that is how every member of each organization received an invitation in the form of an email stating:

TheTriAnnual Society Mixer is set to take place on Spring Break,
Hosted by the Life and Death Brigade
In Agnesbanks, Sydney, Australia!
On the Simm Estate (directions attached)

Feel the thunder from down under!

Rory smiled as she read the invitation, she too had done the research on the other Brigades and knew that her friends and… others were a part of the Life and Death Brigade, and the invitation practically screamed Finn.

Two arms wrapped around her from behind, kissing the top of her head as she sat at the counter with her lap top. She knew from the scent it wasn't Tristan. "What you so happy about?" the voice asked her curiously looking at her screen.

"Finn chose the location for the Mixer," Rory laughed, "Of course he would choose the mother land," Rory replied turning to straddle the chair and face her friend. "What brings you up here?" she asked kissing his cheek with a smile.

"Missed you," Austin replied with a cheeky grin. Rory smiled back. She did have to admit that she hadn't spent nearly as much time with Matt and Austin ever since she and Tristan got together. She bit her lip, in fact she didn't remember ever telling either one of them that she and Tristan were official now and she knew for a fact that Tristan had not or she would have heard some kind of teasing by now.

"I missed you too," Rory replied, maneuvering herself out of the tall chair to hug Austin around his waist. He rested his head on top of hers. "Feel like going for a drive?" he asked. She smiled into his neck. They used to do this back over the summers he and Matt would come home from Zuberg, the two of them would just drive around when they had nothing to do, letting the road take them where they wanted, just talking about nothing.

"Absolutely," Rory replied grabbing her coat.

We drive tonight,
and you are by my side.
We're talking about our lives,
like we've known each other forever.

This time the road had led them to the Harbor, parked and just watching the waves crashing against the docks and the stars twinkling, it had turned night while they drove.

The time flies by,
with the sound of your voice.
It's close to paradise,
with the end surely near.

They had talked about everything; classes had been brought up, their old friends, their new ones, the situation with Aiden, and even the break up with Logan. Now they sat in a comfortable silence with their seats reclined, Rory's hand in Austin's as they looked at the stars through his opened sun roof.

And If I could only stop the car
and hold onto you,
and never let go...
I'll never let go.

"I've missed this so much," Rory whispered. "Just spending time with you like the old days. Do you remember them?"

Austin laughed, "Rory I couldn't forget those nights with you even if I tried. They're what got me through Zuberg."

As we round the corner to your house
you turned to me and said,
"I'll be going through withdrawal of you
for this one night we have spent."

Rory smiled and turned to face on of her best friends and noticed something in his eyes that was so familiar it shocked her; while Rory was pretty naïve and oblivious to things, she knew that look. "Austin…" she said in a pained voice. "Me and Tristan are together," she said in barely a whisper.

Austin's grip loosened ever so slightly on her hand and it reinforced Rory's hunch. "That's great Rory," Austin said softly, refusing to look at her. "I'm so happy that you've found someone who makes you happy," he lied.

And, I want to speak these words
but I guess I'll just bite my tongue,
and accept 'someday, somehow'
as the words that we'll hang from.

And I... I don't want to speak these words.
Cause I, I don't want to make things any worse.

He let go of her hand and put his seat back into the upright position, forcing Rory to do the same. "Austin you don't have to lie to me," Rory said covering his hand with her own.

Austin finally turned to look at her, seemingly searching her eyes for something. "He's a lucky guy," he said with a sad smile, before shifting the car into gear. That was the last thing said for the rest of the car ride.

Why does tonight have to end?
Why don't we hit restart, and pause it at our favorite parts.
We'll skip the goodbyes.
If I had it my way, I'd turn the car around
and runaway, just you and I.

Rory stepped back into her apartment with a sigh, leaning against the closed door tiredly. She had said goodbye to Austin with a kiss on the cheek and a hug, feeling almost as if this was their last goodbye. She knew it wasn't though; the two of them had gone through too much together for that to be it. She knew she just had to give time to heal… just like she had needed with Logan. Nevertheless, she had never wanted to hurt him, and it hurt her to know she did.

"That you Rory?" Tristan asked coming from his room to find Rory staring into space.

"Hey," she said smiling sadly at him as he approached her.

"Where were you?" he asked worried about her expression.

"I went for a drive with Austin," Rory replied looking down at her hands. "Oh," Tristan replied blankly.

They didn't need to say anything to each other to know what had happened, instead Tristan just pulled Rory into his arms and kissed her deeply. "He'll find someone he cares about as much as I care about you Ror," Tristan said, his forehead leaning against her.

"I hope so," Rory whispered.

"You okay man?" Matt asked coming into their living room to find Austin staring into space with an empty expression in his eyes.

"She's going out with Tristan," Austin said quietly, as if not wanting to startle himself.

"Oh wow that's gr…." Matt started off excitedly before trailing off realizing it was the reason for Austin's sadness, "I'm sorry, man…."

Austin couldn't help but laugh at that, Matt was such an idiot sometimes. "Nice cover."

"Heh," Matt said embarrassed. "Did you tell her?"

"I didn't have to… she just knew," Austin said shrugging.

"Don't let this ruin things Austin, you know that Tristan's feelings we just as serious, if not more serious that yours. You had your shot with her, maybe you should just find someone else," Matt said as nicely as he could put it. Austin's head shot up with a glare.

"Look don't try and fight me okay?" Matt said holding his hands up in innocence. "Because we both know who'll win." Austin raised an eye brow at him. "you," Matt replied uneasily.

"Damn straight," Austin responded.

"But come on," Matt reasoned. "We're going to Australia for the mixer. There'll be plenty of girls there… you know used to going down under," Matt said wiggling his eyebrows.

Austin punched him in the arm but laughed… Matt had a point.

"So what's going to happen at the Mixer exactly?" Lexy asked Stephanie as they stood in line for the coffee cart.

"Well, we usually like to get the ceremonies out of the way to leave lots of room for the fun stuff. So we'll probably do the opening ceremony, followed by induction of new members which involves you and all the other 'borrowed' inductees, and then housing assignments," Stephanie explained quietly.

"Housing assignments? What are we like dorming?" Lexy asked getting disgusted at the idea. Even though she wasn't from society, she had gotten used to all the special treatment that she received from being friends with Logan, Colin, Finn, and Steph.

Stephanie laughed. "No nothing like that. Each year, the lead members of the team get assigned to share a house with the lead members of another team, the rest of the members are put into hotels farther from the activities, they have to take shuttles to and from the Estate."

Lexy frowned, "So I have make friends with people in the hotel?" Lexy was fiercely independent, and didn't like socializing.

Stephanie laughed, "No you're our inductee turned hostage so you get stay with us."

"Thank God," Lexy sighed in relief. "So what team are we going to be sharing a house with?"

"You're not supposed to know all of this," Stephanie laughed. "The guys are gonna kill me when they realize you know exactly what's going on." Lexy shrugged.

"According to Finn we're staying with the group that's our biggest competition," Stephanie said in reply anyways being interrupted by ordering her coffee.

"Can't wait," Marissa's voice said from behind them, apparent she was listening in on the conversation the whole time, "Roomies," she added with a wink before walking away with her cup of coffee.

"Oh just peachy," Lexy replied.

"It's bad enough she gets a leadership position cause of her last name, I totally forgot that meant she would be staying with us too," Stephanie whined.

"Don't worry, maybe something shiny from the other team will distract her," Lexy reasoned. "Who are they anyways."

"It's some organization called Illuminati," Stephanie replied with a shrug, "I was hoping they were from Harvard, but Finn told me they were from Princeton."

Lexy nodded, "How do you know she's in one of the teams?" she asked referring to Rory.

"I don't… but if she were in one, she would be in Harvard's… considering she goes there," Stephanie reasoned. "But then again, I don't see her being into that stuff."

She had no idea how wrong she was. Didn't she know by now to never trust an Aussie with a trick up his sleeve?