Disclaimer: I own nothing. Gilmore Girls belongs to AS-P. The title of this story is from "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. The title of this chapter comes from that song as well.
Rating: T - because Jess can't seem to keep his mouth clean, Finn likes getting laid waaaaay too much and because Rory finally likes to do something other than read.
It's the summer before senior year. She's up for a summer of boys and fun. He's ready to hit the sand and see the girls. Nothing could go wrong.
Chapter 2: Life's Been Way Off Line
The boy seemed to be absolutely bored. The girl sitting next to him didn't seem to mind. All seemed to be well.
But man, was she dumb.
"Tris," she whined. "Pay attention to me."
"I am," he replied, taking a swig of his beer and turning his attention back to the ditzy redhead sitting with him.
What was her name, anyway? Mitzy? CeCe?
"Emma!" someone shouted; the girl turned.
That was her name.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"We're leaving!" the other person yelled.
Emma turned to him. "See you later?"
He almost laughed. Almost.
"Yeah," he replied. "Later."
She ran off. Thank. God.
"DuGrey!" he heard.
He thanked the gods above for making it a male voice. "Yeah?"
"Where have you been?" his male companion asked. "Oh, God. Not…"
"Emma," he finished.
"Tristin, seriously."
"Logan, seriously," he mockingly responded. "She's got a great pair of legs."
"So did Penny," Logan countered.
Tristin DuGrey studied his friend Logan Huntzberger. He'd changed since he'd met him three years ago.
"So," Tristin said, changing the subject. "To what do I owe this conversation? Setting me up?"
Logan shook his head. "No, actually. I just wanted to let you know that Louise and her friends are coming for a visit."
Louise.
The reason for Logan's change, Tristin thought.
"Her friends are coming this time?" Tristin asked. "Including the infamous Gilmore-Hayden girl?"
Logan nodded. "Yeah. Apparently Rory and her friends Finn and Jess just escaped jail time and they're coming to celebrate. For the whole summer."
"The whole summer, huh?" Tristin asked. "Sounds good. Maybe I'll…"
"Don't even think about getting involved with that one, DuGrey," Logan warned. "She's bad news. Worse news than you. What about Emma, anyway?"
"Emma's good for the moment," Tristin replied as he stood up and began walking away.
Logan stood up and followed his friend. "Tristin, come on. You can't just live your life bouncing from one girl to another."
Tristin looked at Logan. "And why not? It's been working out fine. It worked out fine for you until you got roped in by that Hartford socialite."
"We, my friend are also part of that society," Logan stated matter-of-factly. "And Louise changed me. She showed me what it's like to --"
"Be in love?" Tristin finished. "Sure she did."
"She did," Logan said. "I love her."
"Maybe that whole love thing works for you and Louise," Tristin said. "But I just don't see myself as the long-term relationship type."
"Lane and Dave, too," Logan stated.
"Excuse me?" Tristin asked.
"Lane and Dave are two of Louise's other friends," Logan explained. "They've been together since they were freshmen."
"Well, I'm not that kind of guy," Tristin said.
"You could be," Logan offered.
Tristin chuckled. "Or I could not be."
Logan sighed. "There is absolutely no getting through to you. Where are we going?"
"I, my friend, am going back to school," Tristin said. "Lights out is in twenty."
Logan nodded. "Yeah, that's right. We should go back. I have to call Louise anyway."
Tristin rolled his eyes. "You are a lost cause."
Logan smiled. "Yeah, but she's worth it"
"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden!"
Rory sighed. "Why did mom choose my name again?"
Christopher glared at his daughter. "I would be careful with the comments tonight."
Rory set her purse down on the coffee table next to her and took off her coat. She knew better than to say anything negative about her mother in front of the Gilmore's. And the Hayden's, too.
She picked up her purse and followed her father into the living room. "Sure."
"What were you thinking?" Emily Gilmore asked. "Stealing a taxi cab in broad daylight is so juvenile."
"Young lady," Straub Hayden said. "Have a seat, your grandmothers, grandfather and I would like to have a talk with you."
Rory gritted her teeth and sat on the couch. "Yes, sir."
"Now," Richard Gilmore began. "You and your little escapades with the foreigner and the hoodlum are done."
Rory fought back the urge to roll her eyes. She looked to her father who eyed her cautiously. There was no getting out of tonight's dinner.
"You will not disgrace this family," Straub said. "Your grandmother won't take it."
Rory looked to Francine, who had been silent up to this point. She looked to her father again, who still said nothing.
Rory sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I'm a disgrace to this family?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily questioned.
Rory stood up, growing angrier by the second. "It's supposed to mean that this family has plenty of black sheep, Emily."
Richard, shocked stood. "You will not talk to your grandmother like that."
Rory scoffed. "I can, and I will. I'm so sick of hearing how much of a disgrace I am to this family. Why don't you five walk in my shoes for a change? Why don't you try being the heir to the famous Gilmore-Hayden fortune?"
"We have, Rory," Christopher said. "I have. I know what it's like."
Rory shook her head. "No, you don't. You have no idea what it's like. You're too busy talking about how I'm such a disgrace to this family. Here's a newsflash: getting knocked up at sixteen is an even bigger disgrace."
"How dare you speak of your mother that way?" Richard questioned. "You owe your father an apology."
"For what?" Rory asked. "Admitting that my mother was a whore?"
"You will not speak of your mother like that!" Emily exclaimed.
Rory rolled her eyes and started walking away. "I can, and I will."
"Rory, where are you going?" Christopher asked.
"Out," she responded as she grabbed her coat and left.
The second she was out of the house, the tears began to fall. She slumped onto the porch and began sobbing. She didn't want to say those things. She didn't think her mother was a whore.
She didn't notice the Jaguar pass by, and then pull into the driveway in front of her. Jess quietly got out of his car and sat next to Rory.
"Rory?" Jess asked cautiously.
Rory looked up. "Jess, I'm…"
She fell into Jess. He held her tightly as she cried, and he knew what had transpired. He remembered the various occasions he'd come here only to see Rory on the front porch crying because she'd said something about her mother.He was the only one who had ever seen her like this.
"I'm here, Rory," he whispered. "It's okay, I promise."
And she cried, not believing him when he told her it would be okay.
Because she knew that her mother hated her. She just knew it.
Because she hated herself.
