Authors Note: I didn't notice that I didn't upload the third chapter! Sorry for the confusion but I fixed it. Before y'all read chapter 5 I suggest reading the new chapter 3 which moves the last chapter I updated to 4. Sorry for the confusion! And I hope you guys like it!
Chapter 1: Friday Night Dinner
I lifted my head feeling queasy. I knew I shouldn't have had that last piece of pizza last night. Mom and I usually could handle it but I knew it was too late for that much pizza. I ran into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. Maybe it wasn't the pizza. I was looking kind of pale, and there was a nasty bug going around.
"Mom! Mom! Do we have anything for an upset stomach?!" I shouted.
"I told you not to eat that last slice last night honey, but yooooou didn't listen!" Mom shouted barreling around the corner with a bottle of peptol bismol.
"I think I caught that flu from Sooki." I said taking a gulp of the florescent pink liquid.
"Maybe you should stay home. I mean that rotting stodgy rat hole will still be there on Monday. And I think I can get us out of Friday night dinner." Mom said with a smile. I knew she would use any excuse to get out of Friday night dinner. And this was the perfect excuse. The excuse would not work if I went to school.
"Mom, I have an algebra test today. And I can't fall behind. Harvard doesn't have any tolerance for people that let a flu set them back."
"Whose child are you?" My mother said with a smile. I grabbed my backpack and headed to the bus stop. I looked around for Dean but he was nowhere to be seen. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and jumped.
"Lookin' for that boyfriend of yours? You know you could do better." A familiar voice said from behind me.
"Jess you scared me!" I exclaimed. Part of me was happy to see him. "And I'll have you know, dean is a perfect boyfriend."
"Yeah, the bag boy is a perfect boyfriend." Jess rolled his eyes and stomped off. How annoying. My bus pulled up and I got on. The bus ride wasn't helping me feel any less queasy. I pulled out my book and read for the duration of the ride. The man ahead of me was eating a breakfast sandwich. The smell of the bacon was not at all helping me keep from vomiting. The bus pulled up in front of the school. And there stood Paris. Yay. I got off the bus and rolled my eyes in wait for the thrilling thing Paris would bestow upon me.
"You look pale. Bag boy get you pregnant or something." Paris said in a flat tone.
"Paris! Not that it's any of your business, but there is a flu going around in stars hollow." I retorted.
"Yeah, yeah, stay away from me then. I'm not losing out on school because of you."
"What do you want Paris, you are obviously here, at the bus stop for a reason. What is it?" I sighed.
"Our English project. I decided we are now going to add another century on because I'm not challenged enough." Paris fallowed behind me and continued talking. I was just not in the mood for this today. It was bad enough I had to get through the algebra test without throwing up. But I chose not to listen to Paris. I walked into the algebra class room and sat in my assigned seat. I was there a bit early but I just wanted to get the test over with. I knew I should have stayed home when mom went over to take care of Sooki last week.
"Rory, Rory, just when are you going to go out with me?" Tristan slid onto my desk.
"Go away Tristan!" I practically shouted.
"Geez Mary, it's all in good fun." Tristan rolled his eyes and skulked off.
"I'm not in the mood for you today!" I called after him.
As the day progressed I felt worse, and worse. Finally I arrived home in time to change before my mom came barreling in, in her wonderfully bubbly manner. I went into the kitchen and got a glass of water.
"There you are. Today was crazy a band of bikers stopped by the in for lunch and Michelle went crazy. It was hard to keep composure." My mother giggled. "Are you okay? You look really pale."
"I still don't feel well." I said as I got up and ran to the bathroom. Mom came in and held my hair back. I emptied the contents of my stomach and suddenly I felt one-hundred times better. I stood up and looked in the mirror before grabbing my toothbrush to get the disgusting taste out of my mouth.
"I feel a little better now. Tired but better. How long was Sooki sick for?" I asked.
"A week. Are you sure you're okay to go to Friday night dinner?" She answered.
"Yeah I'm alright. Let's just get this over with." When we arrived at grandma, and grandpa's house the maid greeted us at the door. We entered the foyer and immediately heard Grandma and Grandpa fighting over going to the black and white ball. This was a first. They were usually downstairs and ready before we arrived. Something was wrong. I turned to mom who had been glowing with excitement.
"What is going on?" I asked.
"I dunno, I think George and Martha are joining us for dinner."Mom smiled. They walked about halfway down the stairs and stopped.
"I didn't know that my every conversation needed to be reported to you! I stand corrected!"Grandpa shouted.
"I have been the co-chair of the starlight foundation for the last eight years!" Grandma retorted.
"I know this, Emily."
"And the black and white ball is the main fundraising event of the season!" Grandma sounded panicked now.
"It's one year!"
"And the co-chair cannot miss the main fundraising event."
"Why? Wont the chair be there?"Grandpa scoffed. Mom and I watched in awe.
"Is this a joke to you?" Grandma looked appalled.
"Emily! I have too many things to take care of at work, I don't have time for frivolous parties!"
Grandma leaned toward him "Frivolous parties?! Friv-"She cut herself off with a growl and stomped up the stairs.
"Well where are you going?" Asked Grandpa. "Oh! Come back here." He followed her up the stairs. I turned to mom.
"Wow, this is bad." I said.
"I know I wish we had popcorn." She replied with a smile.
"Mom!" I scolded.
"Shh! In coming." Mom didn't take her eyes off the stairs for a second.
"The Hartford Zoological foundation silent auction, the Mark Twain house restoration fund luncheon, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Literacy Auction." Grandma was reading from cards.
"I can read those myself you know." Grandpa interjected.
"This is the fourth even you've taken upon yourself to turn down on our behalf. And I am on the board of all of those foundations, now how do you think that makes me look!?" Grandma demanded.
"Like your husband is busy, and had a great deal of responsibility!" Grandpa hissed.
"Well I have responsibilities too!"
"I understand, that your social engagements are important to you"
"They are not just social engagements!" Grandma rolled her eyes and threw her head back.
"Anything at which you serve tea is a social engagement."
"That's it! I'm gonna get a tape recorder so you can hear how pompous and condescending you sound!" Grandma started up the stairs again.
"Wha… uh… Emily!"
"No! I wouldn't want you to take my word for it I might be Delirious, from all that tea I've been drinking!"
"Oh stop this!" The disappeared out of sight. I turned back to mom.
"Maybe we should leave." I said.
"Are you kidding? We've got dinner theatre here." She all but chuckled.
"But Grandma and Grandpa are obviously in a fight."
"Yeah"
"They probably wouldn't want us to see." I said.
"Hey, we stumbled in here completely innocently. We came for dinner as usual, per their request. We had no idea we were walking into the lion king without the puppet heads." Mom was full of smart remarks and anecdotes as per usual. Grandma and Grandpa started to ascend down the stairs again, Grandma with a tape recorder in hand.
"Get that thing out of my face!" Grandpa snarled.
"Just say the tea thing again!" Grandma exclaimed.
"You are behaving like a child."
"Turn around when you talk, would you? I'm not sure how good this microphone is."
Grandpa turned toward us, finally noticing we were standing there. "Oh." He said looking surprised.
"What?" Grandma Growled. Mom began to clap and I could feel one of her snide remarks coming on.
"Brava! Encore! I'm sorry does Terrance McNally know about you two? Get me the phone!" They just stood there looking embarrassed.
We moved into the sitting room for cocktail hour, which was completely silent. No one said a word. We then moved into the dining room. We were having stuffed mushrooms to start, with a baked salmon entre, and chocolate soufflés for dessert. The maid walked in with the stuffed mushrooms and my stomach turned. Suddenly an overwhelming scent of bleach engulfed me. I knew I had to eat what was in front of me, or it would illicit some rather unwanted questions.
"Does anyone else smell that?" I asked hoping that I wasn't the only one smelling the bleach.
"Smell what dear?" Grandma asked looking confused.
"Bleach. I smell bleach, really strong bleach." I said.
"Gurta was doing laundry earlier. She probably spilled some. Gurta!" Grandma yelled.
"Mom your maids name is Liesl." Mom chimed in.
"Then why is she answering to Gurta? Nervous little thing. Is there no decent help for hire these days?"
I reluctantly ate the mushrooms and sat in wait for the salmon. As soon as I took a bite of the salmon my stomach flipped.
"Excuse me." I excused myself to run to the bathroom. I leaned over the toilet and once again emptied the contents of my stomach. I used the toothbrush Grandma had for me and slowly made my way back to the dining room.
"Lorelei, is she pregnant?" I heard Grandma hiss.
"No mom, Rory is a good kid. She caught the flu from Sooki." Mom retorted.
"I told you I didn't trust that boy. After the two of them spending the night together! I knew it! I just knew it!" Grandma yelled.
"Mom! She isn't pregnant. She is sick. There is a flu going around Stars Hollow." I could hear the anger in my mom's voice.
"Then why didn't you keep her home?" Grandpa chimed in.
"She thought she was feeling better after she got sick. Clearly she was wrong." My mom got up and walked right passed me and out the door. I went into the dining room to say goodnight to Grandpa.
"I guess we're leaving. Goodnight Grandpa. Grandma." With that I walked out to my mother's jeep.
"God, my mother drives me crazy. You get the flu and suddenly you're pregnant. I hope you never get a cut. They'll assume you cut off a limb." Mom said.
"Let's just go home." I responded.