Chapter 2
A/N: Guys, I misspelled Stanford like ¾ of the time last chapter, I thank you all for not coming at me with pitchforks. Anyway, still don't own GG, thanks for reading!
It had been a long 3 hours that they spent at the Pub that night, as Colin and Finn had decided to drink a little more than excessively, Rory decided to taper her drinking after the first few rounds. She didn't notice that Logan had followed suit until it was time to get the boys home and she realized she didn't have to fight 3 of them tonight, just the two. As he got done throwing Finn down into the drunk man's bed, Logan walked in his own room to find Rory laying on his bed playing with a string coming out of his comforter.
"Aceeee," Logan started, drawing out the last syllable. "Something's going on in that head of yours." Rory looked up and tried to give him a half smile as he climbed into bed next to her. She had already slipped on some sweatpants she kept there in case of long nights. As he went to set the alarm for only a few hours from now, making sure Rory would get home before her grandma came to look for her, he heard her finally start talking.
"Logan, what did I do wrong?" Her voice was almost mute, she knew instinctively that if she spoke any louder she might break.
As he turned to find her staring down at the piece of string she was sliding through her fingers he couldn't help but let out an almost laugh. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean, what did I do wrong, overall?" She tried pleading at him with her eyes, begging him to not make her tell him. However, the late hour and the exhaustion of the night's events had caused Logan to be a little bit slow to the uptake.
"Hey," he nudged her shoulder, "Rory, you are brilliant and amazing and one of the smartest people I've ever met. You're the only person I know at your age or older for the most part who can charm a room full of D.A.R. ladies, while also keeping up with their men's shop talk, and also throw a kick ass sub party. You're witty and funny, and insightful, you're beautiful and captivating, you're everything. You are your grandparent's pride and joy. Why would you ever think you've ever did anything wrong at all?" And then, as his words played back to him he realized just as she spoke again.
"But I'm not their pride and joy…" She tapered off at the end, she rarely let her guard down around anyone, Colin and Finn had seen it a few times. Her grandmother saw it once and quickly brushed it away, but sometimes, in a big event in her life, she would confide to Logan about them.
"I don't know why they're not here again. I don't know why you only see them on some of the day's where the banks aren't open. I don't get how they have missed all of this. The only thing I can think of is that they were so scared at 16, I mean far be it from me to defend them, but they were 16 when they had you. You're 18 and could you imagine being a mom right now?" Suddenly her face went from broken to furious.
"I couldn't imagine being a mom right now, because frankly I don't know what one looks like! I may not be able to imagine what it would be like, but you know what I really can't imagine? How they looked at me, how they held me, and then decided I wasn't enough! How they decided that France, or Spain, or god damn China was better than at least trying with me! God Logan, I got those acceptance letters and all I wanted to do was tell you, but I knew college was a touchy subject, I couldn't tell Colin and Finn because they would have blabbed to you. I told Emily and Richard and the only thing they said was 'Well of course, you're a Gilmore!' as if I didn't work night and day for those grades. As if I didn't almost break trying to be perfect for them, trying to fix what she broke years before.
Lord knows I couldn't go to Chilton and brag to Paris, especially not after I heard her talk about how her barely there parents were at least happy for her! And it's not like I've spoken to Tristan since the end of junior year." At this he cringed but she was so wrapped up in her diatribe and at that point was pacing with her back turned towards him. He had caused that break up, he knew it, she knew it, the only difference was she was nice enough to not say anything.
"No, I had no one and it's because they decided to make themselves non-players in my life. In their daughter's life. Although, I guess I should say their oldest daughter's life. Because guess what? I got a postcard from Joan Crawford herself, I have a 2-year-old sister Logan. A SISTER THAT SHE TOLD ME NOTHING ABOUT!" And with the one final scream she fell to the ground after pacing during her outburst.
Sobs racked her whole body as Logan crawled to the edge of the bed, stopping just short of where she had landed on his floor. A sister, they didn't even tell her for 2 years that she was a big sister, the girl who wished for a small semblance of a normal family and they couldn't even give her that respect.
"Ror, I don't know what to tell you. I wish I had some amazing words that I could tell you that would make this all go away, make it all stop hurting but I can't think of anything. Because frankly, the only thing I want to do is call the jet, track them down and kick their ass. Show them what they're missing out on, but I can't, because then I'm sure you'll kick my ass." He tried to meet her halfway with some humor, but nothing was getting through.
"They take her to the zoo Logan, and to the Eifel Tower," she stopped as another round of tears fell. "They take her to these sights that yes I've seen before, but never on my dad's shoulders like the picture she sent me, never with my mom braiding my hair and holding my hand as we crossed the street. They gave her that. What does she have that I don't? I just want to know where I went wrong. You know, I told her in an email about where I got in." A small, humorless laugh escaped, and Logan immediately felt this was going to turn out awful. "She told me it must be nice to use nepotism in my favor and to call her when I'm ready to see what the real world is like."
His head dropped to his mattress as he felt the anger bubble up inside him. Logan used nepotism, lord knows Finn had to use his name to get into Yale, but she had made it on her own merits. She had done this for herself and fuck anyone who tried to take that away from her.
"I watched you slave away for months," Rory tried to interrupt, tried to tell him it was pointless, but he continued. "I watched you from a distance half the time because you were barely talking to any of us, especially when it came time for any kind of finals. I remember at the Gilmore Christmas party I had to shut down so many rumors about you having an eating disorder because you looked so sick and so exhausted—"
"Is that why you were constantly handing me apple tarts?"
"Yes, now can I finish my story?" With a slight nod from her, he continued. "You worked harder than anyone I've ever seen in a way that terrifies me and I admire it as well because god the intensity that you worked at was unparallel. You have never once used your name for pull, even though you could—"
"Hmm, actually I used my pull for a Birkin bag." It was the closest thing he had seen to a smile since he had walked back into his room, so he gave her a small smile back and continued.
"One more interruption and you take the couch. As I was saying, please don't ever feel like you owe anyone any explanations. You did this on your own. Not Emily and Richard, not the boys and I, and especially not Lorelei and Christopher." With that he got off the bed and held her as close to him as possible, trying to feel if she was going to start sobbing again. When 10 minutes of silence passed he realized that she had fallen asleep on him and without realizing it, he had fallen asleep too.
RLRL
It wasn't until the next morning, when his alarm clock was blaring, and Rory had smacked him in the face trying to stop the alarm clock did he realize they had fallen asleep in a supremely uncomfortable position.
"Ow, why does my neck hurt so bad?"
"Because we fell asleep on the floor, well technically, you fell asleep on me, then I passed out, then we both eventually fell. Over all just a terrible idea."
"Why did I fall—oh, that's right. Sorry about that outburst." Rory stared at her feet, shame from her moment of vulnerability flooding her.
"Don't worry about it. It's what friends are for right?" He tried to squash the sick feeling he had at that word, and if he would have been able to see Rory's face he would have seen the barely there flash of disgust that shrouded her face before she pulled herself together and gathered her things to leave.
"I should probably, you know." She said, gesturing towards the door.
"Oh, right, well Frank is waiting outside, don't fall asleep in the limo, at least try to make it to the pool house couch this time. I'm begging you."
"I will make you proud Huntzberger." And as she closed the door he was already on the phone making sure she had a surprise ready for when she woke up from her power nap. Speaking of a power nap, he thought as he climbed into bed.
RLRL
As Rory awoke after a 4-hour nap, nearly doubling what she had actually slept back at Logan's dorm she walked out to find a spread of her favorite breakfast foods, a box on the counter, and a note. "I don't know about you, but my whole body is sore, call this number and in 20 minutes you'll have the rest of your surprise. P.S. Don't worry about the bag, I used my name for the pull this time. "
As she opened it up she saw a beautiful baby blue purse that had matched the pink one she bought herself as a congratulation after receiving her acceptance letters. As she admired the handiwork she made the phone call to the number on the card. Within the hour she was oiled up, relaxed and thanking Logan profusely in her head.
RLRL
After her massage that was the closet thing to heaven she had experienced, she decided another round of sleep was in order. Last night had been great, until she opened her purse to see that post card sitting there mocking her, she hadn't expected to break down in front of Logan. They were each other's best friend, their recharge post, their venting corner, they were each other's everything for the most part. But they had lost so much footing when she had originally brought up California to him last year. And then, after their fight she had started dating Tristan. Originally to get back at him, and also because Tristan was a fine guy. Easy on the eyes, Gilmore approved, funny, only mildly condescending. Oh yeah Rory, everything you want in a potential soul mate. She thought bitterly.
The break-up was amicable. They both knew that they weren't right for each other, and that was fine. They had some great moments of making out, but the spark wasn't as alive as it should have been. She wished, however, that she hadn't started dating him. Because, even if the break up was amicable, the aftermath was decidedly less so.
The moment that her and Logan began talking again her junior year he had made it abundantly clear that he was none to happy about the pairing. Colin and Finn had taken his side and if Rory wanted to hang out with them, it was her and her alone. After she cancelled plans with Tristan one to many times they finally sat down and realized that she wasn't willing to give up the time with her friends, and he had girls that were more than willing. So, she headed to Finn's house that night, solo, but on the warpath. As she stormed into Finn's room all 3 boys looked at her like she had grown 3 heads.
FLASHBACK
"You!" She screamed, pointing at Logan. "You couldn't get over your issues with Tristan even a little bit for me?! I mean seriously Logan, he did nothing to you. So, what, he's kind of a jerk sometimes? News flash, you're not exactly a delight every day of the week!"
Logan seethed while the other two boys watched on. "You think he didn't do anything to me? Are you blind? And what, did you have another fight with him? Who cares, you'll be fine by tomorrow and everyone can watch you two parade down the halls while he has his hands in places that are not school acceptable, by the way."
A bark of laughter came out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Oh, I'm sorry that we can't all be choir boys like you Logan. But fine, if Tristan is so evil, if he is so bad, tell me why!"
"I'm not going to do that Rory." His voice had gotten quiet again, he couldn't fight with her again. He knew he shouldn't have pushed the Tristan issue, but he couldn't continue to watch them all day at school and then at home too.
"Why? Jealous that he actually settled down, that he has someone? Sorry that we can't all be fast and loose with our 'time'."
"Yeah, sure, that's what I'm jealous of." He added an eyeroll for good measure.
"Okay fine, if it's not that, then what are you jealous of? Come on Logan, you've had no problem spouting your mouth off before." Rory kept needling, trying to figure out why he was acting like this.
"Rory, come on, I don't think-." Colin had tried to stop this, he knew exactly what Logan was jealous of, but Rory couldn't know.
"No Colin, Come on tell me."
"I told you, I'm not getting into this. You're with him, you'll be happy and fine tomorrow, and all will be okay. I'm not doing this with you tonight."
"We won't be together tomorrow. We broke up."
They had spent that night wallowing, while Finn reenacted Casablanca and Rory was almost positive she heard Bogart himself rolling over in his grave. The next day at school all the boys went to confront Tristan, only to see him with a girl pressed against her locker with his tongue down her throat. No one saw Logan move so fast, but before anyone knew it, Logan's fist connected with Tristan's jaw, after he had pulled him off the girl. Logan told Tristan that if he had even a small bit of intelligence left in him, he would stay the hell away from Rory. And from then on, they were nothing more than 2 ships passing in the night.
As those thoughts floated around in her head, she remembered what Logan had said the night of the breakup. "Yeah, sure, that's what I'm jealous of." And those were the last words that echoed in her head before she fell asleep.
