In another life
Chapter 1: "People don't call them classics for nothing, right?"
Rating: K/T
Disclaimer: Zero, nothing, nada.
AN: Yes, this is another one of those AU, "what if" stories… I have read enough of them myself, but as I was trying to write something this was what my brain came up with. Anyways, I tried to keep it simple by just adding some small changes to the actual plotline. It is not heavy on drama, and I don't intend on adding any more in the chapters to come. I personally don't think I qualify to write any heavy angst or drama, considering this being my second posted fic and first "longer" story ever written.
The idea to write this came to me after hearing Katy Perry's song "The one that got away". (I'll admit it I listen to Miss Perry and actually get lit-inspiration… Sue me.)
Now back to the story. The timing is set around prom and graduation back in season 3. It starts off in the episode Keg!Max! (You'll probably recognize some of the actual dialogue taken from the show) And I know the twisting and twirling of this particular episode is a Lit-fanfiction writers favorite, but I get it now. It is probably the most unsatisfying ending I have ever seen of a relationship on TV, ever! One that every lit fan cries over and wants to change, hence this story being my take on how things should have/ could have ended and blah blah.)
Moving on. Sorry if the characters seem OOC, I just wanted to write a story were R/J acted more their age, where graduating college demands a minimal attendance record, where Jess actually manages to open up (at least to some degree) and where Rory is less stressed out by graduation so that other "things" get prioritized… Everything on the show prior to the episode 3x19 has happened and further on, some things will be altered, while some things will remain the same. Whatever is relevant to the story will be mentioned ;)
Please remember that English is not my first language, it's not even my third. So for all the grammar mistakes I once again blame my high school English teacher, so any complaints can go directly to him. (Hmh, should I maybe post his home address or something?) And finally sorry if there is a lot of dialogue, it was just how I pictured this story in my head.
The lyrics:
Katy Perry – "The one that got away".
"In another life I would be your girl, we'd keep all our promises, it be us against the world…
… In another life I would make you stay, so I don't have to say that you were the one that got away…"
Ch. 1: "People don't call them classics for nothing, right?"
Walking out of the garage Rory turns to jess. "I like that you're getting to know Dave a little."
"Yeah, he's a cool guy." Jess shrugs casually.
"Good. It's going to make the four of us going to prom together even more fun."
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot about the prom."
"No, you were trying to forget about the prom."
"I agreed to go and I am a man of my word."
"How's that arm I twisted?"
"I got the feeling back in it."
"It's just if there was one more dance I wanna go to in my whole life, it'd be the Stars Hollow High prom, with Lane. That's a big part of it."
"I'm getting the tickets this week."
"And I'll pay, okay?"
"Not a chance."
"It means a tux, you know. I know it's geeky."
"Tuxes are also James Bond. That's not geeky."
"You're kind."
"And going to stash a change of clothes in the limo." They kiss, as Jess leave while Rory goes back into the house.
CUT TO RORY'S BEDROOM
Rory enters her bedroom not aware of the tiny figure leaning over the window.
Lane jumps back from the window cluthing her drumstick to her chest.
"Jeez! Rory… You have been watching Matt Damon doing his thing way too much."
"Huh?" Rory says confused.
"You know the sneaking up on people, silently just waiting to shoot their heads off?" She waits for Rory's response…
"Hello!? Jason Bourne!? Ultimate spy hottie dealing with memory loss and all that secret agent stuff?"
Rory finally catching up. "Oh, yea. That guy…"
"Wow, jess must be one hell of a kisser if one smooch makes Rory Gilmore lose HER memory." Lane chuckles.
"What? Why?"
"Oh come on Mrs. Bourne, I accidentally, underlining the word accidentally caught a sneak peek of a little Rory-Jess one on one time… and as weird as it was catching this glimpse from a window it was adorable." Lane grins.
"Oh." Rory blushes, before quickly retorting. "Well, I guess If im Jason Bourne, than that makes you Jim Carrey in "cable guy"? "You know, because of the STALKING." Rory laughs.
"Haha, laugh all you want. As I said, it was totally by accident!"
After a beat Lane lights up. "Even if I did once tell you that I live my life vicariously through you!" "Wow. I am Jim Carrey in Cable guy!" She pouts. "Oh and, cheap reference by the way. Couldn't I at least be Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, now that's talking about a real crazy stalker?"
Rory and lane both laughs and falls onto Rory's bed.
"Now moving onto serious matters here. I am guessing from the looks of it that jess agreed to go to the stars hollow high prom?" "And I guess it didn't take more convincing than the usual Rory-Gilmore-pout. Or?"
"Ok, ok. Ill admit it" "You were right. I honestly thought he would put up more of a fight. Maybe he just mellowed a bit, or maybe some of my so called "dedicated school spirit" – (Putting up air-qoutes with her fingers.) - rubbed off on him"
Suddenly remembering who she was talking about Rory shakes her head quickly. "Scratch that, its JESS we are talking about. I'm sure he just reasoned and saw that it was just one harmless night of fun?
"Hah. Im sure you have rubbed off enough on him anyways." Lane winks.
"Lane!"
"Sorry. You know I only have a few weeks left of this *Pointing at herself and Rory*, where I can be this crude and outspoken, you know before I get shipped off to Alabama's finest ChristianCollege for girls" Lane looks down.
"Hey, you don't know that yet. Didn't't you say Mama Kim hadn't decided on the details concerning which school or what you were gonna do after high school?"
"Yes, but knowing her she has probably already sent in my admission letter perfected with a picture of me attending Sunday school from when I was 7! Making me look like the perfect ACC student to match their perfectly-wholesome-Christian image. Lanes eyes get bigger.
"Not knowing that I was only seven and that my mom lured me into going to church every Sunday with the promise of a bowl of fruit loops and 30 min of "saved by the bell" afterwards. There were no other motives behind my good-girl attendance other than the simplistic intentions of wanting to get high on sugar and watching mind numbing entertainment just so I could escape Mama Kims crazy routines of tofu snacks and korean facts-of life TV documentaries like every other night! You see that, and I see that, but ACC doesn't get to know that!" Lane takes a deep breath.
"Woah there. And the ramble is back on." "Rory says suddenly feeling out of breath herself by just watching her friend pouring out her concerns flavored with both amusing and slightly overdramatic takes on her childhood.
"Sorry. You are right. Nothing has been confirmed. And I am guessing it is also too early to start planning my call to whatever teen-hot line out there specializing in helping the youth dealing with forceful-parents and their vicious college plans…"
"Yes, hold that call. And go back to thinking about other things. Like the prom…"
"Yes, back on topic." Lane breathes in. "Jess, you, me and Dave. It's gonna be so much fun!"
"Yea. I think so too"
"And who knows, it might be the night, right?" Lane almost whispers out of habit.
Rory once again lost. "What night? Lane, you are losing me again…"
"Wait. Are you telling me you haven't thought about IT happening on prom night? I mean I know it is a cliché and all, but the thought must have crossed your mind at some point… right? Lane asks searching for confirmation, seeing as she would rather not be the only one partly freaking out over the age old "tradition". "After all, American media just about floods our brains with the image of prom night being THE one night were teen-lovers, actually become you know lovers!"
Rory suddenly aware of Lanes rambling point looks down. "Oh."
"Wow. You actually hadn't thought about it, had you?" Lane looks apologetically at Rory.
"Honestly? No. With school and everything, that part of the prom "experience" hadn't crossed my mind… Should it have?" Rory asks suddenly self- conscious, looking at lane for answers.
"I don't know. And please don't freak out. I'm sure I'm just being the crazy-unoriginal-cliché-following-high-school-brat, with zero experience in said department might I add. So I wouldn't recommend you taking my words any seriously and please don't let me be the one creating drama out of nothing…"
"It's ok. And you do make a valid point about prom night - being the night of all nights and all that, I mean… Oh jeez that sounded like a Grease song. Eww."
Lane chuckles. "Well American proms do have that certain clichéd grease thing about them. Not that there's anything wrong with clichés…I mean people don't call them classics for nothing, right?"
Rory nods. "Hmh, I guess."
"But Just to get things straight here, are you actually suggesting taking the next step with Jess, and preferably doing that on the most classic and "classy" nights of them all?" Rory asks partly intrigued by the idea and partly freaking out by the same and suddenly very possible thought.
"Don't mock! And who me? I am not suggesting anything, I am merely stating the obvious about prom and what millions of high school seniors all over the country might or might not be thinking about. Not meaning you have to follow the trend or anything…
"And now that I know that you are one of those few rare seventeen year olds who haven't shared this train of thought, you can forget my non-important ramblings on American prom "traditions" and so on. Ok?" Suddenly feeling like she was the freak for obsessing over some stupid girly idea, she knew she shouldn't have stuck around the cafeteria when those cheerleaders at her school started talking about the same things last week. She was Lane after all, prom and high school should be beneath her, she should be visioning doing it at some "Woodstock" eventwith The Strokes playing in the background. Ok, maybe not exactly like that, but, yeah. Prom night? Jeez.
Stopping in both of their own thoughts for a moment. Rory is the first one to speak up. "Lane?"
"Yeah, uh what?" Lane nods.
"What if I said, I haven't been too busy to think about it..."
Mildly shocked but at the same time amused Lane quips. "Oh. Ok. So you have thought about it? Of course you have. You have a pulse after all."
"I just... I have been busy with school and everything, but the thought has been on my mind. And I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? You do know I am not my mother right? So any m-rated fantasies before marriage unfortunately doesn't make the list of Lanes kim's acts of Immoral conduct…"
"Not about that. I… I kinda told my mom about this a few weeks ago… So, I'm sorry for telling you after her…"
"Oh… Well the important thing is that you are telling me now. And that you ready take matters into your own hands…. Immediately regretting her phrasing, Lane tries to recover. " Like, not in your hands - hands…but…oh man. You know what I mean."
Rory laughs. "Yea, yea I get it. And I'll think about it, so thanks for the advice… if I can call it that." Rory smirks.
Lane throws a pillow at Rory. "Hey, shut up! You should appreciate your novice friend's awesome advice on the matter thus giving you and James Dean the perfect WHEN and WHERE, so that all you two have to figure out is HOW." Lane winks and bounces of the bed.
"Gotta go! Mama Kim is expecting me any time, so wish me luck and let's hope there are no new college brochures to look at over tea today!"
"Good luck, and uh… thanks for the talk." Rory looks down.
"No biggie. See you later."
Lane leaves Rory's house with a big grin, feeling pretty content after actually making Rory think about certain things. Things Lane would have thought Rory already did think about. She did just want Rory to be happy, and things with her and Jess seemed to be pretty good, so taking the next step would only natural. Even if that meant her being the one to "do it" last. Not that she ever thought she would be the first. And who knows? If things with Dave ever become serious…maybe…
Lane walks the familiar steps up the stairs to their boutique/home in deep thought, when the sudden sight of Mama Kim ironing something looking like a nuns-uniform stirs and abruptly breaks any thought concerning prom, prom night or even Dave. Lane cringes and enters the Kim household.
After Lanes bouncing farewell. Rory lays flat on her stomach. Lane was right. Prom night as clichéd as it might be, was the perfect night to take the next step with jess. With her leaving to Europe with her mom right after graduation, finding another time for said event would be hard to come across. And Rory was getting more and more wrapped up in vivid thoughts about her and jess doing more than just kissing. Assuming Jess also was on the same page, Rory wanted to make prom something more for Jess than just a lame excuse to dress up as James Bond. Smiling to herself, she hid her head with a pillow and decided on telling jess at Kyle's party later this week.
To be continued...
AN: Please review and be honest. I'm still new at this, so all feedback is highly appreciated.