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Chapter 10- the rules of Stars Hollow's postoffice [revised]
Monday. Rory left the school building and headed for the bus station. Shortly after she dropped onto her usal seat. She looked out of the dingy window as the heavy engine started.
Rory sighed. This day had been one of the worst.
She had already had enough after her first locker run. Just a week ago she could never have imagined to miss Tristan's patented smirk greeting her before the first ring of the bell, making her roll her eyes before he even could open his mouth to say something. Something teasingly and stupid most times, Rory remembered chuckling.
It still seemed very surreal to her, that she had gladly agreed to a long-distance relationship with Tristan DuGrey, the guy who worn her nerves thin since the first day at Chilton.
And now he managed to occupy her mind from a distance. In a different way, but nevertheless.
She'd almost labeled herself as insane as she'd constantly waited for him to appear beside her today.
She couldn't even help the lump forming in her throat every time she heard someone asking for Tristan or mentioning his name, wondering where the well former king of Chilton had disappeared to?
She just missed him that damn much already. Rory's eyes filled with tears.
She missed him even more than she had hated him.
His insufferable self confidence, his enormous ego.
Their bantering , his stupid jokes. His cocky smirk.
She felt ridiculously much like Cat in '10 things I hate about you'.
I hate you so much it makes me sick, it even makes me rhyme...
God' she'd hated the way he always leaned against something like he just couldn't stand straight.
Like he always took chairs the wrong way round to sit on them his arms crossed on top of the back.
The way he ran his fingers through his messy blond hair had annoyed the crap out of her.
His voice. His eyes. His laughter. His smile.
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you,
not even close…
not even a little bit…
not even at all.
And most recently added to the list of things she just could't hate about him: his kisses.
The back door of the buss opened with a loud fizzling noise and Rory stood up. As she stepped down the few stairs, she saw someone sitting outside on the bench, who painted a surprised smile onto her face.
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"Jess! What are you doing here?"
Jess stood up.
He closed his book and stuffed it into the backpocket of his jeans. Then he raised a brown paper mug.
"Providing you with coffee." He said as he handed Rory her beloved drink.
"That's so sweet of you." She exclaimed happily sipping her coffee. Jess shrugged.
"I'd rather call it pure selfishness. I couldn't stand your Mom and Luke whispering sweet nothings anymore. So I decided to pick you up for lunch. How was Chilton?"
Rory winced.
"So, you said Mom's already at the diner?" She asked glancing around.
Jess raised an eyebrow. "Yeah she is… Tough day I guess…?"
"Horrible." Rory said giving Jess a 'please don't ask' look. Not that she wanted to keep him out of the loop, but she knew he'd understand that she didn't want to tell first him, then her mother and afterwards once again Lane…
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"She doesn't have a picture of him?"
"No she hasn't! What a shame, huh?"
"Oh yeah! I only saw him once on this Chilton Party…"
"Don't you think he's damn hot?"
"I most definitely do."
Lane lowered her voice.
"Dean is nothing in comparison to him..."
Lorelei nodded avidly.
"Have you seen his…?"
"Rory!" Lane exclaimed telling Lorelei with a look to shut up, because her daughter had just disappeared behind her.
"Hey Lane. My Mom's keeping you busy, huh?"
" I, …I have…I have a new CD for us to check out!" The Korean Girl muttered guiltily.
"Great. Come on in! What is it? "
"A really hot German rock band. Can you imagine the effort to get this disk? Mrs. Kim's eyes have been wide open lately..."
"I guess it was worth it if the band's only a quarter as hot as Tristan." Rory grinned making Lane blush by the fact that she had heared every single word of her and Lorelai's little chat about her new boyfriend.
"You can't blame me for envying you," Lane said excusingly.
Rory rolled her eyes laughing.
"Don't expect her to understand us, Lane. We're only like fans on sleazy seats while she has the V.I.P. ticket. V.I.P people never understand what's so great about seeing your star from a 30 meters distance " Lorelei explained babbling as she joined the two teenagers in the living room. In her right hand she carried the 3rd mug of coffee she had had this hour.
"I thought Luke was your star?" Rory teased her Mom and flunged beside her onto the sofa.
"Of course he is! But I wonder if he'd mind if I wore a 'I love Tristan' T-Shirt..."
"Mom…awkward."
"What? Luke didn't mind the one with the Armani model, so why not Tristan? There's not much of a difference."
"Mom, disgustingly awkward."
"Don't act as if you don't see it, Missy."
Rory raised her hands in defense.
"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect my best friend and my mom to start drawling by the thought of him. Anyway, put the CD in Lane, I wanna listen to some music."
"Yep! I'm so excited. You'll love the Beatsteaks! Especially 'Hello Joe' and 'Hand in Hand' do rock!"
Lane doted and Rory was glad for the change of topic.
Wednesday.
"Will you stop staring out the window, Mom?" Rory asked annoyedly. Lorelai shook her head.
"Nope, then I couldn't see that Kirk's coming up the streeet!" Lorelei shouted and immediately jumped up to storm outside. Rory followed her, her heartbeat quickening. Tristan had promised to write her as soon as possible, so today there had to be a letter for her in the mail!
Just before Kirk arrived the two reached the letterbox.
"Good morning Lorelai. Good morning, Rory." Kirk greeted formly.
"Morning." Came a short response.
"Anything for us today?" Rory asked before Kirk even had a chance to open his postbag.
"Perhaps a letter for Rory?" Lorelai posted the second question, her curiousity matching Rory's excitement.
"Mhm…."Kirk murmered while going through his bag.
"Shall we help you search?" Patience had never been Lorelai's stronges suit.
"No, thank you, Lorelai."
Kirk slowly took out a huge pack of letters to read the adresses.
"Why aren't they sorted? Don't tell me you do this at each house." Lorelai bellyached after watching Kirk for a minute as he went throught the pile of letters.
"As a matter of fact, Lorelai, I do."
"Have you already looked at these ones?" Rory asked reaching for another stack of letters in Kirk's bag.
She shouldn't have done so. Kirk immediately began to scream.
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE POSTMAN'S BAG!"
Then he snatched his bag away so fast that a load of letters landed on the ground together with the pile he had held in his hands.
"NO! LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" Kirk yelled hysterically.
"I'm sorry." Rory apologized and immediately stooped to help him recollect the letters, but when she was about to touch the first, Kirk shouted the next rule of the Stars Hollow postoffice.
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH LETTERS THAT ARE NOT YOURS!"
Rory winced and quickly pulled her hand back.
"I just wanted to help you, …"
"NO!"
"OK, I'm so sorry, Kirk." Rory said and took a step back.
Beside her Lorelai clapped her hands in excitement.
"There it is! I can see it! It has our adress on it, " she exclaimed.
She wanted to pick it up for Rory, but Kirk reported stood into her way.
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DELIVER YOU YOUR MAIL YOURSELF!"
"OK, OK…But could you hand this letter to me before you pick up the rest, please?" Rory asked stepping impatiently from foot to foot.
Kirk nodded. He bended down, took the letter Rory had pointed on and eyed it closely.
"No, I actually can't."
"WHAT? But Kirk, there's my adress on it! It's for me!"
"I'm sorry Rory, I can't give it to you, and neither to you, 's your adress, that's right- but it's not for either Lorelai Gilmore. It's for Mary Gilmore."
Rory couldn't believe it. She franticly tramped onto ground. Why couldn't Tristan just use her real name for once...
"Kirk, it's OK. Mary is Rory's nickname." Lorelai explained.
"And how can I be sure of this?" Kirk asked flippantly. Lorelai sighed losing the remaining crumbs of her patience.
"Because I'm Rory's mother and I say it is so. Now give Rory the letter or I'll write a complaint to Taylor!"
Kirk winced.
"Why? I'm simply following all the rules!"
"I'll do it anyway!"
"But…"
"You don't want to test her…" Rory warned noticing Kirk's sudden fear.
He backed down and handed Rory the letter, before he collected the remaining ones off the ground and hurried down the road to Babette's.
"There you go." Lorelei declared proudly.
"Don't you think that was mean? After all he's Kirk…"
"He'll cope."