Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, Gilmore Girls, or the title of this chapter, which is a song by the Killers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Addison quickly stepped inside the front door, tiptoeing past her mother in the living room. Unfortunately, her mother was sharp in her hearing.

"Addison, darling, come in here."

Addison skulked into the room, dropping her backpack at the door.

"Sit down, dear. How was the first day of school?"

"Just peachy."

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated. Did you make any friends?"

"After the first day of school? Are you insane?"

"I was just asking. Who did you sit with at lunch?"

"A few people."

"Names, please."

"Lorelai Gilmore, Christopher Hayden, Maeve White, Karen McGregor, Andrew Swenson, and Sarah Reid," Addison recited dutifully.

"McGregor? Any relation to Peter McGregor?"

"I couldn't tell you, but she did say her father had heard of Dad."

"Mhm. He's a great lawyer, Peter is. He did that one case back in '79."

"Great."

"And Miss Gilmore…relation to Emily Gilmore?"

"Yeah."

"We've been so graciously invited to a party at her house in two weeks. Mrs. Gilmore said the entire junior class and their parents are invited."

"And we're going?"

"Of course."

"But, but…"

"You sat with these people at lunch, Addison. What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing, it's just…why do we have to go?"

"Because we've been invited. We have to make social contacts. All of us."

"You make social contacts at work, Mom. You're a lawyer. That's your job. To make social contacts. Dad goes to work too, and I go to school. See? We're all making social contacts."

"Addison, we're going to this party. All three of us. I don't really care if you don't want to. You can hang out with Lorelai and the others."

"'Hang out?'"

"You can talk to Lorelai. Emily described her as a charming girl, with a bit of a headstrong personality."

"I can't go."

"You're going. You'll thank me for it one day."

Addison rolled her eyes.

"What about your classes, are they good?"

"Yes."

"We're paying 9,000 a year for this education. Please tell me more than 'good'. Which classes do you like the most?"

"Band," Addison mumbled. "But Chemistry is good too."

"That's good. Are you going to join the marching band?"

"I haven't decided."

"You should."

"Mom, I have a lot of homework and I have to practice clarinet."

"Fine, dinner's at seven."

Addison nodded and started up the stairs. She opened the door to her room and pulled out her Chemistry book. She opened to chapter one.

There are five types of Chemistry. Each involves different matter and skills to study it. Inorganic, the first type, deals with the non-living. Organic involves the living, and usually carbon.

Addison looked up from the page. She didn't want to do this. She didn't really care about Chemistry right now. She didn't want to practice clarinet either. She flopped down onto her bed and pulled out a magazine. Maybe reading about the lives of the glamorous would make her feel better about her own.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm home!" Lorelai sang out.

Emily pounced in front of the door. "Lorelai. How was school?"

"Boring."

"I had a chat with Leslie Montgomery today."

"Who's that?"

"Addison Montgomery is a new junior."

"Oh, Addison. Yeah, she sat with us at lunch today."

"I'm glad to see you're opening your arms to the new students."

Lorelai smiled. "Anything for the new students."

"What's Addison like?"

"Quiet. Red hair, tall, braces."

"Well, I'm sure she's just a lovely girl. She comes from wonderful parents."

"Okay. I'm going to start my homework. Chris's taking me out tonight."

"On a school night?"

"Relax, Mother, it's just dinner. We'll be back by nine. Ten at the latest."

"Lorelai, I'm not sure I want you out that late."

"Ten is not late. And what if I promise to be home by 9:30? I wouldn't even be asleep by 9:30 even if I were to stay home."

Emily pursed her lips. "Fine. Your father will be disappointed you didn't come to dinner after your first day of junior year."

"He'll live."

"When is Christopher picking you up?"

"Six-thirty."

"It's going to take you three hours to eat dinner?"

"Yes." A big fat lie.

Emily sighed. "Okay."

Two hours later, Lorelai bounded down the stairs wearing short shorts and a tight shirt. Emily shook her head. "I refuse to let you out of the house with you looking like a hussy."

Lorelai bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. "A…hussy?"

"Yes, Lorelai, you know what I mean. Change into something appropriate."

"What if I put on a sweater?" Lorelai grabbed a dark blue sweater off the chair and slipped it on.

Emily sighed. "Fine, fine."

The doorbell rang and Lorelai sprang to the door. "Chris!"

"Lorelai! Mrs. Gilmore," he said, nodding to Emily. "Did you see I came to the door this time?"

"Yes, Christopher, I saw."

"My mother says hello."

"Give her my greetings back."

"I will."

They turned out the door.

"Home by 9:30, remember Lorelai."

"I wouldn't forget, mother."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Chris, you have to understand. I just can't have my first time in the back of your car. It's supposed to be special and romantic. It's supposed to be in a bed, for God's sakes." Her voice softened. "But I do want it to be with you. And I want it to be soon."

"I don't want to pressure you, at all. I want it to be right. I don't want you to feel like I forced you into it. So Lor, are you sure you'd be ready?"

"I'm ready to do it. Really ready. We just need a bed."

"And it's not like either of our parents will be willing to provide us with a bed to have sex in."

"But what about when they're gone?"

"While my father is gone often, my mother doesn't leave except in spring when my parents go to Europe. Your parents?"

"We'll have to see. I don't know when they're gone." Lorelai looked at the glowing numbers on the dashboard. "It's 9:15. We'd better get going."

The both slipped out of the backseat straightening their clothes. They rode home in relative silence with a bit of mindless chatter. They pulled up to the driveway and Lorelai pressed a kiss on Chris's lips and jumped out of the car. "I guess I'll see you in English tomorrow, then?"

He nodded. "I'll see you then."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Addison sighed as she stood in front of the mirror. She wore only her bra and underwear, and was trying to 'be comfortable' in her own skin. That was what the magazine article had told her a few months ago. She looked critically over her stomach and her hair and braces and vowed to never eat anything unhealthy again and start exercising…soon. Temporarily satisfied, she slipped into her pajamas and pulled out her Chemistry book. At least she could read the chapter. She hadn't been much in the mood to do homework and had consequently done the bare minimum to get by. She had opened up the clarinet case but hadn't been inspired to play it.

She sat in the large bedroom with everything she could imagine and felt the tears creep around her eyes. She hated this new school. She couldn't do it. She didn't want to. There was nothing redeeming about the town, the school, anything. She pushed the pillows around her head and settled upon the fact that she would just have to survive. She would love it eventually, yes. But these first few weeks would be worse than imaginable, weeks she wouldn't ever want to relive. She wasn't an outgoing person, and it took her a while to become 'school friends' with anyone, and then even longer to become actual friends.

"Knock knock." Her broad-shouldered father smiled as he stepped in.

"You're home."

"Of course I am." He laughed. "I wouldn't miss hearing all the gossip about the goings-on at Rutherford."

Addison smiled. "Well, it kind of sucks right now. I just have decided I don't like moving."

He ran his fingers through his hair, a red that rivaled Addison's. "You know I wish we didn't have to move. But your mother," he said, lowering his voice, "she needed a better place to work. And you know how she gets. Besides, maybe you'll get a boyfriend here."

Addison flushed a deep red. "I don't think that will happen."

"And why not?"

"Because of my hair. And my braces. And I'm just…not a dating girl. Yet"

"Addie, don't put yourself down like that. You're very pretty. I managed to snag your mother with my hair. And the braces come off next year. Everyone wants red hair."

"Yeah, right."

"Did you meet anyone nice?"

"Yeah, I did."

"That's wonderful. Are the classes hard?"

"Not any harder than last year's were."

"And band?"

"It's good. I think I'll be second chair again."

"That's great! You've got so much talent."

"And since colleges care about some extracurricular, I'll join the science club."

He smiled, kissing Addison on the top of her head. "That's my girl. I have to go now, and you should sleep."

"Yeah. I love you."

"I love you too, Addie. Good luck on the second day of school."

"Thanks."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: That's all for now.