Chapter 3
They walked into the house and sat on the sofa. Jess turned slightly to look at Rory. She turned to look at him and said "what?" He smiled and said "You're the best Ror". He leant over and gave her a kiss on the head and a big hug.
Lorelai ran in from the kitchen and sat between them. She turned to look at them both and said "Don't leave mommy outta the hugs". They both smiled and lent into her.
Rory sat up and said "well, I'm going to bed...I want to start regulating my sleeping, school starts soon". Lorelai sat there in shock. "Sweetie, school is weeks away, don't you want to celebrate our victory of escaping the Gilmore house, we managed to use the front door, I used to have to climb down a tree".
Rory thought for a second, smiled then said "You're right, what can we do to celebrate?". Lorelai just smiled.
Hours Later
"Wow, look at all this mess" Rory said shocked. "Who would do such a thing?" Lorelai smiled. "Maybe Babette's gnome's snuck in and did it" Jess added.
After staring at the mess a little while longer, they tidied it all up. Later that night they all said goodnight to each other and went to bed.
Lorelai walked into Rory's room as she got ready for bed and asked how she was. "Mom, I miss Luke. I miss our food from the diner; I miss the Luke specials and the coffee. I just wish he was still alive. Nothing will be the same again". Lorelai felt the same; she knew nothing would be the same again.
"I know sweetie, but we will get through this, I promise. Luke would want us too. Were gonna be ok, me you and Jess, as long as we have each other, we'll be fine".
Rory nodded and leant her head on her mother's shoulder. "Hey mom, I wanted to ask you something" Lorelai asked what it was. "Well, now that Jess is here, will he still go to Stars Hollow High, or will he go to Chilton?" Lorelai sat up and looked at her daughter.
"Sweetie, Jess doesn't like school, it's going to be hard enough to get him to go let alone throw him into a school with people who treat you different if you don't drive a porche or have a credit card. Plus, even if he did ever say he wanted to go to Chilton, which I doubt he would, how would I pay for it, I couldn't even pay for you".
Rory let all of this process for a minute and replied "yeah, and I don't think Jess would ever wear a suit jacket and a plaid tie". Both giggled.
Lorelai kissed her daughter goodnight then went upstairs. She walked over to Jess's door.
"Knock knock, can I come in?" she said as she opened his door slightly. He shut his book and sat up. "Yeah, come on in" he replied.
She sat on his bed next to him. "So, how are you doing sweets" she asked. He shrugged and said "ok". She smiled slightly and said "oh don't go all monosyllables with me again, come on, you can talk to me".
He cracked a slight grin and said "I feel like a part of me is missing. Like I said before, growing up, I never had a dad I barely had a mother. Luke was my only true father figure and he was good at it. I know I wasn't easy to look after, I know I can be a pain I just feel like if I let my guard down for even a second I'll get hurt" he looked down and hung his head.
"I miss Luke so much; I wish I had a chance to thank him for everything he'd done for me. He helped me so much while I was raising Rory and beyond that. He was one of a kind" Lorelai said trying to lift his spirits.
He looked up at her and gave her a faint smile. She kissed his cheek then got up to leave. As she got to the door, she turned around and said to him "Hey Jess, if you had the chance to go to Chilton with Rory instead of Stars Hollow High, would you go?" He chuckled for a bit then said "No, never, all the snotty old teachers with their long beards and weird tactics of teaching. I hate school, Chilton is too...posh for a 'New Yorker' like me anyway" he nodded.
She nodded back and said "ok, lights out soon k" and with that she went to her room.
The next morning Rory was up first and she woke in a springy, bubbly mood. She skipped upstairs to her mother's room and jumped on her bed. "Mom, come on, get up, its eight thirty" Lorelai rolled over to face her daughter and said "wooow, someone's happy today". Rory nodded and said "I know, I'm in a good mood and in the mood to shop, so get up, I'm gonna go wake up Jess then we're all going shopping" Lorelai giggled at her daughters chirpiness.
Just as Rory went to leave the room she spun around and said "do boys go shopping?"
Lorelai couldn't help but laugh and said "I think they do; as long as we don't make him go in any girly girl shops then I think we'll be ok. Hah, you know what this means, he can grab all the things off the top shelf and do all the carrying" Rory nodded and giggled with her mother.
She got to Jess's room and knocked on the door. "Jess its Rory, can I come in?" she heard him mumble something so she took that as a yes.
She jumped on his bed as she did Lorelai's. "Jess get up, were going shopping". He mumbled something again and rolled over showing his back to her. She repeated herself. "C'mon, get up, were going shopping" she said it a little louder this time.
Jess huffed then said "go away, I need to sleep". She sat with her mouth open, no one tells Rory Gilmore to go away when there is a day of shopping involved.
She stood up, pulled his cover off of him and began to jump on his bed. After doing this for a few minutes she stopped when he hadn't moved, not once.
She then stood over him and said "ok fine, stay in bed, but I hope you know if you don't get up within thirty seconds I will have a jug of water and there will be ice cubes in it this time".
He rolled over and huffed "Fine" he had been beaten. She smiled and skipped off again to go and make coffee.
She was in the kitchen cooking pop-tarts when Lorelai walked in. She went and got herself some coffee and began to look through the mail that Rory had put on the table.
A little while later Jess came down the stairs still looking half asleep. He walked into the kitchen and sat on a chair. He looked at Rory and said "coffee". She handed him a cup and watched as he downed it in one go.
"Wow, what time did you go to bed?" Rory asked him. "Aghh, about three AM, I wanted to finish the book I was reading".
Rory laughed at his shocking commitment and handed him a pop tart. Once they had all eaten, they got in the car and headed to Hartford. They had parked the car and were on their way up the shopping city when Lorelai's phone began to ring.
She told the kids to walk ahead as she held back to answer her phone. "Hello" she said. "Ahh good Lorelai" said a male voice. "Dad?" Lorelai questioned.
"Yes Lorelai it is your father. Your mother and I need to discuss something with you of some importance. Can you come to the house today?"
Lorelai huffed a little then said "well...no actually, can't we just talk about it on Friday when we come down".
Richard huffed too, "it's an important situation Lorelai, can you please come to the house today around four o'clock". Lorelai hesitated for a while but she knew unless she said yes, they would keep hassling her.
"Ok dad, I'll be there at four o'clock". Richard ended the phone call and Lorelai sighed at her days plans 'have fun with your kids...then step into hell'.
She caught up the teenagers and stopped them mid conversation. "Ok, so the phone call, it was Richard, he wants me to go to the house at four o'clock for a 'serious' talk". Rory frowned and said "serious talk, about what?" Lorelai shrugged showing that she didn't know.
Lorelai then decided that if they stayed at the shopping mall until three o'clock then they could all leave and go to the house together.
The teenagers agreed and enjoyed a day of messing about and shopping.
Lorelai pulled the jeep up into the driveway of the Gilmore house. All of them got out and headed to the door.
Rory rang the door bell and stepped back nudging her mother in front. A maid came to answer the door and welcomed them all in. She took their coats and escorted them into the living room where Emily sat on her usual chair and Richard stood behind her.
"Hi mom, hi dad, you wanted to see me about something, something that couldn't wait until Friday night". Richard nodded.
"Rory, Jess, we recently bought a new barbeque, its out on the patio, we don't know how to use it; could you go and see if you can start it up for us" Emily said surprisingly polite.
Rory nodded and grabbed Jess arm. Once they were outside Rory said "a new barbeque that needs to be fixed, huh, she wants us out of the way". Jess tapped Rory on the arm then pointed to something on the patio.
"Oh, she really does have a new barbeque" Rory said slightly embarrassed. Jess smiled and helped her unpack all of the various tools they needed to put it together.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Lorelai sat as patient as she could trying to figure out what it was her parents wanted.
"Lorelai, we called you over to discuss a matter with you that we think needs to be discussed" Richard started. Lorelai nodded trying to follow.
"The Gilmore name is a strong name; there are generations of successful Gilmore's. Now, due to your current...choices, the Gilmore name has been threatened".
Lorelai huffed and looked down at her hands. Richard continued "now that you have taken in that young man, you will need help". Lorelai looked up and questioned them. "Help, what help, were fine".
Emily then began "Lorelai, you are going to need support; you are going to need financial help". Lorelai stood up. She looked at her mother and father and said "we don't need anything, were fine".
Emily looked up at Richard. He looked at Lorelai and said "don't be ridiculous, you can't live off of your little wage and feed three people. You defiantly can't afford to send that boy to Chilton"
Again Lorelai said "I have a good job, I practically run the place now, I do not get a little wage I get a good wage and I can support us. Also, Jess isn't going to Chilton, he goes to Stars Hollow High and that's where he's staying"
Richard scoffed. "Lorelai, like I said, the Gilmore name has been threatened. If you want to make sure that the name stays on top and respected, then you will allow your mother and I to pay for Jess's tuition fee for Chilton".
Lorelai shook her head. "No, he is not going to Chilton, besides since when did you start caring about what he does, you don't even call him by his name" she said angrily.
Emily stood up from her chair. "Lorelai, you created this problem and now were helping you fix it. If you don't send that boy to a decent school, your daughters reputation will be ruined as will yours as will your fathers and mine. Send him to Chilton Lorelai"
With that, Emily walked off. Richard just stood there staring at Lorelai.
Rory and Jess had nearly finished putting the barbeque together when their mother appeared in the doorway.
"Come on kids, were going home, we need to talk about something" she said. Rory looked at her mother and said "is everything ok?" Lorelai just sighed and said "I'll tell you everything when we get home ok".
Rory nodded and followed her mother, Jess following Rory.
After a quiet ride back, they arrived at the house and went inside. Lorelai told the kids to take their coats off and to sit in the living room.
Lorelai went into the kitchen and got a glass of water. She walked into the living room to see both teens sitting there looking at her with worried faces.
She went and sat on the table in front of them. "Ok, so, the grandparents were moaning that my recent 'actions' have threatened the Gilmore name. Then they started going on about money things but the point is, they have told me that the only way to make things right, is for Jess to go to Chilton"
Jess shook his head and said "no way, I'm not going there". Lorelai nodded and said "I know you don't want to, but, they have already begun paying the tuition fees. They said that if you don't go to Chilton it will affect Rory and me and them".
Jess was getting angrier by the second, who were they too tell him what he had to do.
"Mom, did you say no to them?" Rory asked. Lorelai nodded. Lorelai looked at Rory and said "I fought as much as I could but I knew from the start it was a losing battle. The thing is, people will talk about this situation. It will affect us".
Jess still shook his head. "I'm not going there. There not my grandparents; I make fun of people that go to schools like that. Rory is different though, she isn't snobby; and so what if people talk about it, it will be forgotten in a few weeks" he said believing that it would.
Lorelai looked at him and said "sweetie, in their world, nothing is forgotten in a few weeks, they will become outcasts in there snobby friends eye's. Could you maybe just give it a try, for me, and if you really hate it, you can go back to Stars Hollow High".
Jess looked really under pressure; however Rory had developed a sudden bounce. "What are you doing?" Jess asked her.
"If you say yes, then you get to go to school with me, ill finally have someone to talk to that I like and that likes me back" she smiled the biggest smile he had ever seen and it warmed his heart to see her like this. Again, he had been beaten.
"Fine" he mumbled. Rory screamed with excitement and jumped on him. Lorelai smiled slightly, she was happy that they would both be going to the same school, but she knew that this isn't what Jess wanted.
To be continued...
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