A/N: This chapter is long, long, long overdue. I hate that I would leave you guys hanging like that, but I just updated another story, on another name, and well, I kinda got in sidetracked to that. I'm so sorry, but in favor, I have vowed to make this chapter longer. I'll see you at the end!

Disclaimer: (Fill in the blank, 'cause you know exactly what goes here)

Summary: God, if you don't know the summary by now, you clearly have not read the other chapters, so therefore, you shouldn't be on this one, so you wouldn't have read this, so... yeah.

Takes Place: I don't know, in the future, I guess.

Chapter 15. Distance

Rory woke up to her head on Tristan's shoulder. She sat up quickly. "Sorry," she mumbled.

He smiled genuinely, "No problem." Then he looked back out the window.

Rory opened her mouth, "Tristan..."

He turned his head and her sad eyes reflected his. He pleaded with them. "What?" he asked softly.

She took a deep breath, and then looked down at her lap. "Nothing."

Tristan turned back.

A perfect moment shattered.

---- Later ----

The exited the bus and another teacher gathered all the seniors and told them what cabins they would be in. The girl cabins were on the east side, the boys on the west. The meeting/eating/bathroom area was in the middle.

Each adult was assigned one room with 3 kids. Rory looked down at her list.

Sophia, Phoebe, and Christy.

She had gotten a good list. Everyone, she knew. So, she went strait for her cabin: 18B.

Rory walked in and found there were two sets of bunk beds. Since she was there first, she got to pick one of her liking. She picked the bunk that was farthest away from the door, and she laid her stuff down on the bottom bed.

She inhaled, then exhaled. She closed her eyes. Tears swam up to the surface. And Rory quickly wiped them away when the door opened again. All the others walked in.

They greeted her: "Hey, Miss Gilmore." It was Mrs. Gilmore. She was married. No. Then it would be Mrs. DuGrey. She shook her head and looked up to them and smiled. "Hey girls."

The claimed their beds: Sophia on top of Rory's bed, Phoebe on top of Christy.

"Hey, guess what, Miss Gilmore?" Sophia asked, feet dangling to the side of Rory.

"What?"

"After you left, they announced that tomorrow, we are going to do a nature walk. Can they think of anything more boring to do?"

"No," she replied shortly. She didn't feel like talking.

"We are supposed to be at dinner in 10 minutes, Miss Gilmore," Christy stated.

"Well, you guys just go, I'll be down in a second."

They left her, with their good-byes, of course.

Rory rolled into a little ball on her new bed. A few tears seeped down her porcelain cheek, but she soon wiped them away, stood up, and adjusted her clothing. This was her. And she couldn't change anything about it.

--- whistle ---

She was sitting across the table from him, yet she couldn't bring her eyes to meet his. But she did feel his eyes on her. They have been on her all night. It was like he could see right through her. But he couldn't, of course. Then he would really have to look. And she knew that he wouldn't want to do that.

If he had ever, they wouldn't be on the breaking up point.

So, she didn't talk, ate her dinner, consisting of a hamburger and french-fries, and got the hell out of there, before she broke down right then.

What the hell was wrong with her? God, she couldn't be around him more than a minute, without feeling this gnawing inside. Empty, hollow.

A/N: Sorry guys... that's it. I've got to tell you, that there will only be... no more than 5 more chapters. Sadly, I needed to tell you that. So I've got to go. See you later!

Paige