Chapter 11: Back to School:
The next day, Rory got up early so that she could have breakfast with her mom and dad at Luke's before heading out to look at a bookstore in Hartford. She planned on meeting Tristan for lunch and going car shopping with her grandparents after that.
"Coffee, need coffee," Lorelai was saying when she entered the kitchen.
"Lor, you always need coffee and you are pregnant. Coffee isn't good for the baby," Christopher said.
"I drank coffee all the time when I was pregnant with Rory and she turned out fine," Lorelai pointed out.
"Yes and she's just as addicted to coffee as you are," Christopher argued back.
"Coffee is the best. You can't diss coffee. You live in a house where coffee is worshipped, Dad," Rory said.
"I know that, but the only way your mom is having coffee this morning is if it's decaf, and we all know how much Lorelai hates decaf coffee," Christopher stated as an ultimatum.
"I guess for the next nine months I'll have to live with decaf…but that means you two can't drink the real stuff around me. If you have coffee and I'm around, it has to be decaf as well. If I have to suffer you have to suffer," Lorelai negotiated.
'Good luck with that, dad. I only have to live with it when I'm home,' Rory thought smiling smugly.
"So what are you doing today?" Lorelai asked her daughter.
"Eating breakfast with you, going book shopping, and then meeting Tristan for lunch before going to grandma and grandpa's to go car shopping," Rory replied, "Then heading for Harvard as soon as possible when I get back. If I don't have a car by then, I'll take the bus up."
"We have a doctor's appointment this morning after breakfast, but we could drive up with you and then we could all have dinner," Christopher suggested.
"Sure, Dad, that sounds good," Rory said.
"Let's go get breakfast," Lorelai said, "Baby and I are hungry."
"Off to Luke's we go," Rory said after she came back from getting dressed.
During the walk to Luke's, the three Hayden's mostly talked about Harvard, but also about the baby.
"Do you think you'll want to know what the baby is?" Rory asked.
"I will but your dad might not. He likes to be surprised," Lorelai replied.
"Just because I did with you, she thinks it'll always be like that. The only reason I didn't want to know with you was because I knew if you were a girl telling my parents would be a bad thing. My father always said that I was supposed to have a boy to carry on the Hayden name," Christopher said, "When you were born and the doctor announced you were a girl, my dad was livid. Especially after they found out that your mom said no to marrying me."
"Do you think they will care if this one is a boy or a girl?" Rory asked.
"If they do, then it's their problem. We're really just happy if the baby is born healthy," Lorelai said, "Although, I'd really like another girl and I'd like to know before he or she is born. That way all baby shower gifts and the nursery can be gender specific. Plus, pink is a very pretty color to decorate with."
"Only you, Mom," Rory said with a shake of her head as they entered Luke's.
"Yep, with me, everything has to be specific," Lorelai said.
They sat down and as they waited to order, they continued their conversation about Harvard.
"What are you taking next semester?" Christopher asked.
"I haven't decided on anything besides English Lit, only because it's a full year course," Rory replied, "I'll figure that out when I get back."
"What can I get you?" Luke asked finally coming up to their table. "The usual, with lots of coffee. Rory has to go car shopping with my parents' today…so give her caffeinated coffee. Chris and I will have decaf, unfortunately, since you know I'm pregnant and he has to suffer along with me. This is about the only thing I don't like about being pregnant. I mean if it were up to me, there would be nothing wrong with drinking coffee all day with or without Baby," Lorelai ranted.
"Okay," Luke said going back to the kitchen to get the order in.
"So what are you and Tristan doing before you go car shopping?" Christopher asked.
"I think just eating lunch. He has to go back to his parents for dinner before he heads back to Princeton tonight," Rory replied, "And I have to meet Grandpa and Grandma at 1."
"Car shopping with them should be interesting," Lorelai said, "They never took me, but I never needed them to take me car shopping."
"Do you think they ever would've taken you car shopping?" Rory asked.
"Probably not, especially after I didn't pass my test the first time," Lorelai smiled, remembering their reactions.
"You didn't pass the first time because you didn't study," Christopher said.
"And whose fault was that?" Lorelai asked.
"Okay if you two are going to bicker like little kids, I'll get my breakfast to go and leave," Rory jokingly threatened.
"Now why would you do that? Leave me with your hungry, pregnant mother," Christopher said.
"Because when you two bicker like little kids it's annoying and a little embarrassing," Rory teased, "Besides, as soon as we're done with breakfast, I'm jumping on the bus."
"You're looking at books in Hartford?" Lorelai asked.
"Yes, because Stars Hollow won't have what I am looking for," Rory explained.
"What are you looking for?" Christopher asked.
"Some late Christmas presents for people at school," Rory replied.
"Why didn't you get them before Christmas?" Lorelai asked.
"Because Alicia didn't know what she wanted and Paris said not to get her anything, but I am anyway because no one else really gives her anything. Plus, I know there's a book she really wanted," Rory replied.
Just as they were leaving Luke's after breakfast, Tristan showed up.
"Okay I know we were meeting at 12, but my parents want me home for lunch, so I thought we could hang out until then," Tristan said apologetically.
"Sure, but I'm going to be looking at books, so it may not be so fun for you," Rory warned him.
"Hey, if it involves spending time with you, I'll take what I get," Tristan said.
"We'll see how you feel after three hours of book shopping," Rory said.
"I can take it," Tristan said.
"Trust her, Tristan. No one can possibly last for three hours of shopping for books with Rory. It's scientifically proven," Lorelai warned him.
"Like I said before, it doesn't matter to me as long as we get to spend some time together before going back to school," Tristan said.
"That's the positive way of thinking about it. Try keeping that attitude once the second hour of shopping has passed," Lorelai joked, "You guys should hit the road though…the more time you spend here the less time you have together to be all cute and couple-like."
With that, Tristan and Rory left the diner and drove to Hartford in his car, so Rory could go to the bookstore. On the way there they talked about how they were going to manage being two states away. They decided they would talk as often as possible on the phone and email everyday. Then there was the odd weekend they would be able to see each other and in March they were both going to Hawaii for spring break.
"It's still going to be hard," Rory said dejectedly.
"Yeah it will, but we can make it work, Ror," Tristan reassured her.
"So what's so important that you had to be home for lunch today?" Rory asked.
"Oh nothing. It's just another chance for my dad to try to persuade me to transfer to Yale. He does it every time I come home for awhile…if he even happens to be there," Tristan said.
"Oh," Rory said not knowing how to answer to that.
"I like Princeton and transferring to Yale would be going along with my father and I know that wouldn't make me happy, so I'm just staying with Princeton," Tristan said.
"Sure," Rory said.
The two of them had two hours together before Tristan had to be back home for lunch, which also meant the grilling he was going to get from his father about returning to Princeton. One thing he hadn't told Rory was that when he'd decided to forgo attending Yale, his father had basically cut him off. If it hadn't been for his grandfather he wouldn't have any money at all. His grandfather, although retired, ultimately had the power over Tristan's money flow and bank accounts, which is why he had any in the first place.
"So call me when you get to school," Tristan said sadly before he left.
"Okay," Rory said.
Later that afternoon, Rory and her parents headed to Boston so she could be back at school. She spent an hour packing up after coming back from car shopping with her grandparents. Unfortunately, she hadn't actually found a car. She drove to Boston in the same car as her parents and the stopped off at her dorm before going out for dinner. After dinner Lorelai and Christopher helped Rory unpack her stuff and then headed back to Stars Hollow. As soon as they were out the door, Rory took her cell, went for a walk to get some coffee and called Tristan. She would have called him earlier, but Paris was in the room and didn't know about Tristan.
"Hello?" Tristan asked.
"Hey," Rory said, "I'm here."
"Good. So did you find a car?" Tristan asked.
"Not yet…My grandparents are coming up in two weeks and we're going to go car shopping in Boston. Maybe I'll find a car then," Rory replied.
"Maybe. So I was thinking that I'd come up in a week to see you," Tristan said.
"You should. A week from now would be great," Rory said already getting excited.
"I will. Until then, we have phone calls and emails," Tristan said, "I should go. My roommate just got back and he wants to hang out."
"Okay…I should go too. Paris is probably freaking out," Rory said.
"I still can't believe you are roommates with Paris. I never would've imagined that," Tristan remarked.
"Before senior year, I never would've thought I'd be roommates with Paris either," Rory said smiling, "Bye, Tris."
"Bye, Mary," Tristan said.
They both hung up and Rory headed back to the room. She knew Paris wanted to talk and classes started up again the next day anyway.
Beta is so much beter than the original.