It was finally Saturday morning. Lorelai shot out of bed to shower and get ready for the exciting day. After finally settling on a pair of non-baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt (for optimal comfort and mobility, she told herself), she sat on Rory's bed to wake her up.
"Hey, want to eat some Wheaties with Mommy this morning?" Lorelai asked.
Rory groaned and pulled the covers over her head. "You are a mean, cruel woman," Rory whined.
"You won't think of me that way when I have the trophy on the kitchen table, will you? Up, up, come on now," Lorelai insisted.
Rory sat up, attempting to focus. "You woke me up in the middle of a Christiane Amanpour dream!" she whined, forcing herself to get out of bed and follow Lorelai to the kitchen.
"Sorry, sweets, eat up. You need your energy," Lorelai said, pouring her daughter a bowl of cereal.
Rory rubbed her eyes. "You were serious about the Wheaties?" Rory asked in disbelief.
Lorelai shrugged. "Apparently all the champions use 'em. Either that's just common knowledge or it said so on the box, which I disposed of. I can't remember what it said. Anyway, let's eat."
Rory took one bite of the Wheaties and made a face. Lorelai stared at her from across the table, returning the look. "Plan B. I get dressed, you check in to the tournament, and we hit Luke's for a Breakfast of Champions," Rory proposed through a yawn.
"You got yourself a deal," Lorelai said, emptying the bowls into the disposal.
"I'll be out in a minute," Rory called sleepily.
When Rory was dressed and ready, the girls made their way to the tournament. As she entered the Stars Hollow High gymnasium, Lorelai confidently began to stretch, checking out her competition at the same time. Andrew, Bootsy, Gypsy, Morey, Babette, Kirk, Pete, and Al were all huddled around the sheet that contained the mat assignments.
"Go check which mat I'm on, sweets?" Lorelai asked Rory, who obliged immediately. As Rory checked the mat number, Lorelai spotted Sookie in the bleachers with a pink and glittery sign reading 'GO LORELAI!' Touched, Lorelai walked up to the bleachers, putting her leg next to Sookie and stretching it out. "Hey, Sook. Pretty sign!"
Sookie giggled. "You haven't seen my T-shirt yet!" she squealed. She took off her sweater to reveal a picture of Lorelai with a crown on it. The back read "Lorelai Gilmore: Twister Queen 1999".
Lorelai was stunned. She put her hands over her heart, conveying the feeling that she was touched as she sat down next to Sookie. "I have fans! This is so cool! Now I know how the Bangles feel when they're about to perform!"
"Ah, you should see Rory's. I think it says 'Twisted Sister' or something... so, you nervous?" Sookie asked.
Lorelai shook her head. "It's destiny. You can't be nervous about destiny!"
Rory emerged from the herd of contestants checking out their mat numbers. "You're at mat number 4, you're facing off against Andrew," she informed her mother as she rubbed her shoulders.
"Ah, yes, an even number. Even numbers are lucky. And Andrew is way too short for this game." Lorelai grinned.
Rory continued to massage her mother's shoulders. "You ready to fight, Rocky?"
Lorelai tilted her head back to get a look at her daughter. "Yo! Adrian!" she teased.
"She's ready," Rory insisted.
Sookie gasped. "No, no she's not. Has she had a Luke's coffee yet today?"
Rory's eyes grew wide. "Come on! Coffee, breakfast, NOW!" she said, grabbing Lorelai by the arm and pulling her out of the gymnasium.
Lorelai struggled to keep up. "Ro-ry…" Lorelai whined. "Can't you just get a 'to go' cup for me? I'm stretching!"
"This will test your endurance," Rory insisted.
Lorelai sighed as she tried to keep up with her daughter. They burst into the diner, making Luke jump.
"Luuuke!" Rory called. "Mom needs coffee. Stat."
Luke shook his head. "You make it sound like a health emergency, using the medical terminology like 'stat'."
"Yeah, well it's going to be a health emergency if you don't get her a to go cup, a Doughnut, and a giant thermos full of refills, pronto!" Rory insisted.
Lorelai grabbed her right arm and pulled it across her body, attempting to loosen up some more. "She wants this more than I do," she added.
Luke shook his head. "Impossible. You've been talking about this since you heard it existed. You were the first person on the sign up sheet. You wrote your name in bright pink Sharpie. You shanghaied me into being the spinner for you and Rory, and blackmailed me into playing against you for a practice run. Obviously you want this. You want it so bad, it's pathetic."
Lorelai jogged in place. "Pathetic? You want your baseball team to win, is that pathetic?"
"Not pathetic, completely and totally different from a stupid town function," Luke insisted, pouring Lorelai a cup of coffee.
"Thanks for the coffee, Luke," Lorelai said.
"You're welcome," Luke replied. "And good luck… you know… don't hurt yourself."
Lorelai giggled. "Go team!" she said, taking a sip of coffee and walking out the door. She turned behind her to see if Rory was following her. "Coming, sweets?" Lorelai asked.
Rory nodded. "You go ahead. I'm getting your refills and your doughnut," Rory insisted.
Lorelai went on her way, but Rory stayed behind for a moment. She took a seat at the stool, pulling out a poster from its rubber band. "Luke. Now I know you're usually not one to go to town stuff, and I know you hate the stupid contests, and festivals, and you don't cheer… but Mom really, really wants this. Maybe later, if there's no one at the diner, you could… you know, hang out in the area I have reserved for her fan club? You don't have to do anything special, I won't even make you wear a T-shirt. Just sit in the area, holding the sign. It'd mean a lot to her."
Luke shrugged. "I don't know, we'll see," he said, taking the poster and placing it behind the counter.
"Better than nothing. Thanks, Luke," Rory said, grabbing the coffee and the doughnuts.
Rory returned to find Lorelai taking off her shoes. "Ah, now they'll be dropping like flies," Rory teased, handing Lorelai her doughnut and her coffee.
Lorelai feigned offense. "And to think I was so nice to you all these years," she said, shaking her head.
Rory smiled. "How much longer until we start?"
Lorelai checked her watch. She only had to wait five more minutes. Five minutes to begin the journey to her destiny. Her moment of glory. She was about to become the champion of Stars Hollow's first annual Twister Tournament.
She was determined to be the winner of something. Anything, in fact. She had hoped for a win at the Dance Marathon that year, only to be stopped by a leg cramp. Kirk was once again the winner, surprise, surprise, and she was ready to find her outlet for success… and it was almost starting her in the face.
"Five minutes," Lorelai said confidently.
"Anyone who has not yet done their pre-Twister warm ups, please see Miss Patty in her studio for a five-minute stretch sequence, then report to your Twister mats immediately," Taylor ordered through his megaphone.
Lorelai took one look at Rory. "I am so going to take everyone down," she said, cackling.
Rory, however, was not as enthusiastic. "Uh, Mom? I hate to bring this up, but you really aren't flexible. Do we remember the yoga incident?"
"Rory! Way to shake Mommy's confidence in her big moment!" Lorelai protested.
"Had to point out the obvious," Rory defended. "You'll do fine. We know you'll beat Andrew. I think Morey's your biggest competition. Long legs, long arms…"
Lorelai held up her hand. "Sweetie, I know you're a big shot incoming Freshman at Stars Hollow High, but keep in mind that as observant and astute as you are, your loyalties are to the woman who gave you life."
"Sorry," Rory apologized. "Would you like a pep talk instead?"
Lorelai grinned as she interlocked her fingers and raised her arms above her head. "Sure!"
Rory paused for a moment. "Well, this is what you've been training for, Gilmore! This is it. See that golden Twister spinny wheel? That is the ultimate prize! Now you… put that left hand on blue, and that right foot on yellow, and you twist like a pretzel! Just do me one favor. Whatever you do… don't fall."
Lorelai took the pep talk in for a moment. "We need to attempt to watch more sports movies," she finally said.
"Twisters, take your places, two to a mat, please!" Taylor bellowed through the megaphone.
Rory smiled. "I would say break a leg, but you might take me literally," she teased.
"I disown you as of this moment. I'll feed you to the wolves when we get home," Lorelai said over her shoulder as she took her position at the end of the Twister mat.
When Lorelai saw Andrew staring at her from across the mat, she knew the first round victory was hers.