Here's some more. It's been a good week for me and I'm hoping it will continue since I've already written chapter 11 and an working on 12. I just need the energy to edit.
Thanks to everyone still ready. I swear this story is Finn and Rory endgame. I just have a long way to getting there. The hardest earned loves are always the best and lasting ones.
Disclaimer: ASP the creator and a Goddess, at lest until the revival which I have major issues with.
Chapter 10 – *She'd Be California
She got the long blonde hair
Got the red sports car
And you know she's got the
Top laid back
She got the movie star smile
Got the sun kissed tan
Santa Barbara in summer
Yeah, she feels like thatHey, she's like a canyon drive
In a midnight sky
Those eyes are deep enough
To get lost
Her legs are palm tree tall
The way she walks
Like the heat on a runway
When the cameras go offShe's small town from the country
She ain't big time but she could be
The first few months at Stanford had been harder then Rory has imagined they would be, but they've also been liberating.
Now 6 month later she no longer feels like she's living in the shadow of her mother. Here, no one knows her history; no one looks at her last name and clarifies if her grandparents are Emily and Richard. She's made friends, good friends, and she's doing great academically. Her professors are challenging, and she's been writing for The Stanford Daily at school, most features and editorials, and working for The Mercury News as an editorial assistant in almost a full time capacity.
Mitchum set it up for her. HPG owns the papers and he's been more then happy to keep her on staff. It's June, and her friends are preparing to go home for the summer, Rory, however is not. She's doing so good at the paper that they asked her to stay as officially full time this summer and she's in the process of looking for her own apartment. She won't be going home this summer.
More and more her life has moved away from the east coast and the west coast has become more then a place to go to school, it's become home.
"Oh please tell me that you're not pinning away again for that small town of Stars whatever?" Lacey chimes in.
Lacey is Rory's roommate and on her first day she could never have imagined that they would be friends. Lacey is a cheerleader. Not just rah rah on the sidelines cheer, she's competitive cheer that is really nothing like what Rory imagined cheerleading was. She's a handworker and she's funny and smart. Lacey's boyfriend Adam is very different from her. He's all glasses and nerdy and smart and oddly interesting. Together they are like a perfectly oiled machine. They are great together and Rory feels very glad she's made friends with them.
"So, seriously my friend, he SERIOYSLY asked me if would set him up with you. I was like, Sonny, she is SERIOUSLY not going to go out with you. Give me a break." She's babbling as Rory looks up from her book.
"Um, no there is no way I'm going anywhere, alone with Sonny." She agrees.
"I know. That guy is totally delusional. Are you going to pack you stuff at all?" She motions to Rory's side of the room.
"I'm in denial. I refuse to believe that I only a week to finally find an apartment." She sets her book down.
"Why don't you call one of your many benefactors.. or should I say sugar daddies."
"I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. My Grandparent's pay for my tuition and you don't even want to know what my mom's had to agree to for that to happen."
"You said, Friday's dinners right. I hardly think that's torture."
"You've never met my mother and or my grandmother."
"I wasn't talking about them anyway. I was talking about the blonde older looking man, quite the DILF that shows up occasionally."
"Mitchum Huntzberger?"
"I don't know who he is, but since that's the first name that popped into your head I'll go with it."
"He's not my sugar daddy and he's definitely not a DILF. That's gross."
"Says you." She laughs
"Yes, says me. He's my friend Logan's fathers and he's this real big wig in the publishing world."
"I've already lost interest. Ok so, Sam is going to be here in a few minutes and we are going to meet Casey and Adam at The Treehouse. You wanna come?"
Rory lifts her head up quickly, "Sam? He's going to be there?"
"He asked if you were coming and I might have said of course you were before he agreed to come too."
Rory feels a bit nervous. There are butterflies in her stomach whenever Sam is around. He's more straight laced then her other friends, but he's got this sort of perpetually mussed up light brown hair, and these light brown eyes. He's sweet to her and makes sure he always brings a coffee to class for her.
She's tapped danced around liking him all semester. Part of her had hoped that one day she'd open her dorm room door and Finn would be standing there. She's aware it's just a fantasy. He's got his own life back at Yale, and the family business. So when she began to like spending time with Sam she'd held off. Kept herself always just out of reach. Bless his heart he's still hanging around.
She glances at herself in the mirror. The California weather has put a different color in her cheeks, she likes this version on herself. "I am kind of hungry."
"Fantastic, Mon Amie! Change that drab to fab and lets get on the good foot."
Rory laughs at her pajama pants she's wearing midday. Maybe it won't kill her to pull on some shorts and tank top. It is almost 90 degrees today.
Walking home later that night, Sam's arm around her neck as the foursome heads back from dinner. It feels good. He feels good. Lacey makes sure that she and Adam make themselves scares.
"I'm glad you came tonight, Rory." Sam says, "I'm also glad you're letting me put my arm around you." He teases.
"Me too, on both of those fronts."
"You seem happier tonight. More relaxed."
"I think I'm just realizing that this is actually my life now."
"You like this new life?" he asks as he sits down across from where she's sitting.
"I do."
"Is there a chance that this new life, you know, might include me?"
"I didn't realize you wanted to be included in my life?"
"Rory Gilmore, for a smart girl you can really be dumb sometimes. Why do you think I keep putting myself in your line of fire? You amaze me girl. You're beyond beautiful, but that's not what drew me in. The first day of class when Reigler thought he was going to put the new girl in her place in comp and this quiet new girl just sat there while he blew smoke at the class for five minutes, and then proceeded to dismantle his arguments point by point and then smiled quietly and took a sip of her coffee. I've been here for three years and that man has never been silenced. I was immediately intrigued. And suddenly I'm hearing about you jumping off some scaffolding, and working at the Yale Daily news and living in this strange little television show type small town that you say you come from. You're quite the conundrum, and you are complicated, you are far from simple and I'm just, happier when I'm around you. So, yes if you think you could like me too, I'd like the chance to see if we fit. I'd like a chance to get to know you and you're life."
Rory is floored. She never expected something like this from him. He's had quite the reputation. Nothing bad, but definitely not the guy that settles down, but he also doesn't seem to play with anyone's feelings. She knows several of his, exes if you want to call them that, and they have nothing but good things to say about him. He's a sweet guy and in this moment, having listened to him pour his heart out she's sad that she's kept him at a distance.
"You know, you surprise me, Sam. "
"I'm not sure how to take that." He runs his hands through his shaggy hair. "I mean I now it's me so it's always good, but.." he teases.
She reaches across and takes his hands, "It good Sam. I'm just sorry that I've been so afraid all this time."
"Afraid, of me?" He pulls back.
"Yes, and no. No of you, like you, you, but just there being a you."
"Last relationship didn't end so well?" he correctly guesses
"No, it ended very amicably, but it ended, and if I'm totally honest with you, I didn't really want it to end."
"So, you've be been, what, hoping you guys would get back together?"
"I'd like to say no, but I think maybe part of me has been hoping he'd call."
"Did he?"
"No, but then neither then did I."
"You still hoping he'll call?" he questions. He really like this girl, she's smart, and funny and he loves just talking to her, but he fears in this moment, now that he's laid his heart on the line, that he won't even have a chance.
She takes his hand, "No. In fact, I actually seem to find myself wanting to call you when things happen. Is that ok?"
"I'd love that."
"Then that's what I'll do. If you keep putting yourself in the line of fire then I guess I need to pull out my shot gun."
"I'd kind of prefer firearms not be a part of our relationship."
"You made the reference." She teases. As he laughs, she leans in and kisses him. He is caught off guard but leans in and kisses her back, running his hand through her hair. She smells like sunscreen and daisies.
"I KNEW IT!" The both hear from the side as Lacey bounds into the kitchenette from the previously closed door. "Now Mr. Moneybags is no longer top dog. Tell him Lolita is off the market."
Rory tosses a pillow at her, "Shut up you hussy."
"I'm just saying. Maybe now Sam will help you find a place to live this summer."
"You're staying here?" Sam was born and bred in Northern California. Salinas to be exact and he loves it here. Maybe not the hi-tech areas like Silicon Valley, but he basically spends all his time in Monterey and the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Suddenly he so excited to get to show Rory all those things.
"Yep. If I can find an apartment, the paper has offered me the summer job."
"Someone say they were looking for an apartment?" a voice chimes in through the open dorm window. "Cause I'm actually working out for the next year and I MIGHT have an extra room."
"I'm totally looking for an apartment." Lacey says, almost purring at the guy in the window. She can't stop herself, yeah she loves Adam but this guy is HAWTT! Yes with two T's. That's how good looking he is."
"Logan?" Rory exclaims. "Oh my God, Logan! Get in here." She points him towards the front door and open it and runs out to him as he rounds the corner.
"Whose Logan?" Adam asks as he joins them from the bedroom.
"That's what I'd like to know." Sam says softly.
"Me too." Lacey says again.
"I'll let this one pass cause you clearly have lost your mine momentarily." Adam teases her.
"Hey, we aren't married I can still look and I may still look after we get married too."
"I plan on still looking." He teases her.
"What are you doing here?" Rory says at she hugs Logan tightly.
"Looking for you." He hugs her probably too tightly but he can't help himself.
"Me?" she pulls him inside. "Everyone this Logan. Logan this is Adam, and Lacey and Sam, my boyfriend." She smiles.
Sam beams, "Nice to meet you man."
"Nice to meet you all too." Logan says and shakes hands with the guy.
"I can't believe you're here?!" She says again, her arm around Logan's arm. She pulls him farther into the dorm and sets him down. She sits next to him and hugs him again briefly. It feels a little like being back home with him here.
"I said I was looking for you, didn't I?"
"Yes, but why and how?" she can't stop smiling.
"My dad. I graduated, and first string he pulled was to send me to Silicon Valley to work at the HPG offices here for a year before probably sending me to London. He mentioned you were staying here for the summer and working and so my first means of business upon landing was to come find my friend."
"I can't believe you're here."
"In the flesh." He teases
"Did I hear that you were still looking for a place to live?"
"She is." Lacey chips in. "The dorm won't let us stay all summer unfortunately."
"Well I wasn't kidding about the room. I'm renting a house in San Jose. There's more then enough room if you want to stay with me?"
"Really?" Rory asks surprised. "Congratulations on graduation too. I am so proud of you."
"Yes, really. I'd love to have my friend with me."
"I mean, I'd love to but I guess I need to know what the rent is?"
"Rory, the company rents the house, you just need to move in."
"OMG Rory that's totally perfect. When can she move in? Cause I don't leave till Sunday night so I could totally help you move and so can Adam and duh Sam too, now that you two are finally official." Lacey again takes control of the conversation.
"Lacey.." Rory says.
"I'm sorry, but come on, Mr. Hotpants over here is offering you a place to live RENT FREE, and you get to work at your dream job and save all the money you make and then come to school in fall and buy me all the Starbucks I want with all the money you'll have saved. It's perfect. Right? Adam says it's perfect, right. Wait, Don't answer that, you'll just agree with me, so yeah Adam thinks it's perfect, I think it's perfect and you getting to stay here close to Sam means he agrees with me and really Logan over there is the one offering the place so I think it's safe to say he's on board."
Logan has to laugh. She's so much like Paris, no wonder she and Rory are friends, but she's not harsh like the other girl. She's fun and all smiles and he can tell she bring a lightness to Rory that compliments her well.
"She's right, I'm definitely on board." He agrees.
"The I guess I better get packing." She finally relents.
Logan checks his watch, "It's late, and I've got a conference call with china in a couple of hours, so I've got to head to the house and get myself settled. I'll leave you to pack, and You," he nods towards Lacey, "to get it all organized and push this one here when she's distracted by packing her book."
Lacey laughs, "You do know her well don't you."
He stands and Rory stands too. She so easily falls against his chest as she hugs him. "It really is so good to see you again, Logan."
"Right there with ya, Ace." He says. "Call me when you need the keys and when you need my help to move and I'll be here, ok." She agrees and he turns towards her friends, "It's been a pleasure meeting you all, and if any of you are still around this summer you're more then welcome at our home."
He walks towards the door, and once again gives her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead. "You look happy, Ace." He says and motions towards her dorm room and then briefly towards Sam.
"It's new." She says concerning the latter.
"Call me, anytime."
She closes the door, feeling excited and relaxed. Her best friend is here and she gets to spend the whole summer with him.
Suddenly she feels Sam behind her, "Is that the Ex?"
She can hear the fear in his voice.
"Man that guy is like soooooo hot ok. Like seriously hot. Are all the guys back in small town snow globe land that hot?"
Rory has to laugh and is glad that Lacey has broken the momentary tension, "No." she says softly to her new boyfriend. "And no, Lacey they are not. Though I'm thinking maybe you might like Kirk. You know you're boyfriend is right there, right?" she teases.
"I think he's pretty damn good looking too." Adam adds as he pours himself a cherry coke from the fridge.
"He's my best friend, and Lacey, Mitchum is his father."
"Moneybags is HIS father. My god those are good jeans."
Rory laughs and leans up to kiss Sam. She can't help but think what a good summer it's going to be. "So, who wants to help me pack?"
Adam declines since he still has one exam left tomorrow and Sam has to go to work pretty early so he too excuses himself though they both agree to actually move her, and so it's left to her and Lacey to actually pack up the room she should have already started packing.
She's like a red, red wine
Like a righteous wave
She's a day at the beach in Corona
Del Mar
She's never been out there
Felt the bright spot light
But she could have her own star
On that dreamer's boulevardI've driven down that coastline
And I've stood there under that
Big sign
A knock on the door wakes Rory up from a sound sleep. It's 1:00 in the afternoon. She and Lacey stayed up most of the last two nights packing both of their rooms to be ready to move her stuff today and Lacey's stuff into storage until next semester and then her bags to take home.
Having stayed up all night she finally filled her friend in on all the sordid details of her life thus far. She's been holding back the stories about the guys in her life, but last night the blonde got the full, no holds barred stories of Dean, Jess, Dean, Logan, and Finn.
"For a girl that seems so anti dating and anti guy, a girl that I ALMOST thought was a lesbian, you certainly do have a um rich history with guys."
Rory laughs as it will be something she will always remember. "A rich history with guys" to say the est. She pulls herself out of bed to finds Logan, ready to move her stuff holding in his hand a very hot, very large coffee. "Oh come in sweetheart." She coos.
"I'm sweetheart now? "Logan smirks
"I meant the coffee, but you can come in too."
"You're looking a little rough there, Ace." He teases.
"Hey, I had to do this when I had all this help."
"Well I'm ready to get this show on the road. I've got a truck outside just waiting on you?"
"A truck? We were just planning on using all of our cars."
"So, your Prius, and whatever else small cars your friends have, you were going to try and shove it in there and make what, 100 trips? I mean your books alone are going to take two trips in each car." He teases.
"Huntzberger, stop making sense." She sets her coffee down and goes into her room and pulls on some shorts and pull her hair up into a ponytail.
"Thank you thought." She says when she reenters the room. "Lacey and Adam will be here in a few and Sam should be here any second."
Logan is lost in looking at her, "You know this California sun seems to agree with you."
She looks at Logan still in longer pants and shirt that is going to be WAY too hot for the day. "Logan we are going to be in the 90's today. You are overdressed."
"What just because you are suddenly wearing shorts and tank tops, which look amazing on you by the way, means that I'm overdressed?"
3 hours later she tosses Logan a t-shirt that she's grabbed from his room. He is sweating through his shirt.
"THANK YOU!" He says and goes into his bathroom to change.
"He's not ready for this weather. " Sam laughs. He kisses her on the cheek and she laughs too.
They have finished unloading all her stuff at Logan's house. Of course it's a HPG owned property. It's has 6 bedrooms, an office, a library and a HUGE kitchen. The back yard has a pool and spa and built in BBQ. She's so excited.
Sam stand with his back pressed up against her, his arm around her waist. She leans back against him. "That pool like amazing."
"It does. We should totally BBQ this weekend."
"Did you just say totally? OMG you really have moved to the west coast. We've lost you forever haven't' we." Logan teases as he walks back in.
Lacey is having trouble keeping her eyes in her head, Rory notices. Logan has emerges in a pair of jeans and a wife beater and she can tell even from here that he smells amazing. She makes eye contact with Lacey who blushes in embarrassment and mouths "sorry." Rory shakes her head.
It's always like this with him. Girls just love Logan.
"Is it always this hot?" Logan asks. "If it is, I may ask to transfer to London."
"Be glad you're not in southern California. They get temps over the 100 mark. We are fairly lucky up here." Sam says.
"I'll have to remember that." Logan says as he tosses a light beer at each of them.
"Guinness, Ace?" he smiles.
"YES!" she says and takes the special beer he has given her.
"You never drink beer." Sam mentions.
"Only Guinness when it comes to beer right, Ace."
"Ok, so I have to ask, what's all this Ace talk? Huh? Like your aces or no that's you're deuces, or, no, I don't know. Spill." Lacey says as she sits on the floor.
Logan wants to laughs, this girl crack his up. There's a house full of furniture and she's sitting on the floor.
"This one thought she'd gotten a hot tip on a story and stalked me."
"I did no such thing, and I was right."
"You followed my friend to the car, wrote down the license plate, and then researched my father and then followed me around campus in hopes that I would lead you right to the body."
"Ok, so I did that but Stephanie, " she stops for second having said a name she's avoided thinking about before continuing, "she was in a ball gown and a gorilla mask, and you were involved and you did lead me to the smoking gun and I got the byline, so I did do some ace reporting if I do say so myself."
"So that's where it comes from."
"I called her ace as a joke and it's just stuck."
"I like it, Ace." Sam adds. He take as sip of her beer and hand it back, kind of grossed out at the taste and goes back to his light beer. He only did it to prove a point to the guy that now lives with his girl friend.
"Not your cup of tea?" Logan asks as he notices the guy wince at the taste.
"I'm not much of a drinker anyway." He turns to Rory and take the last sip of his beer, "I've got to get going. I've got to pick up my sister from daycare."
"Of course." His sister is only 5. His mom and dad got a LATE start on siblings. Her names Alyssa and she's adorable.
"Call me later?" she asks as she leans up to kiss him.
"Of course. Later Ace." She smirks.
Logan may or may not have thought about knocking him out right then and there.
He shakes Logan's hand and Lacey and Adam also excuse themselves to let Rory unpack and spend some time alone together before she leaves for home.
As Rory closes the door she notices Logan watching her as he leans against the wet bar in the kitchen.
"What?"
"You're different."
"Like eat the paste different?"
"Just, different. More confident. More grown up."
She blushes slightly and sets her empty bottle down on the counter, "How is he?" she asks quietly.
"He's good. Graduated, working for his father, you know the dynastic plan for all of us. Except for you, Ace." He says sweetly.
She can't look at him. She's afraid of the emotions asking about Finn brings up so instead she grabs another Guinness out of the fridge, "I've got a lot to unpack. I'll see you in a bit."
She excuses herself to her new bedroom and turn on some music to distract her while she unpacks.
Back in the kitchen Logan thinks about what a different person she is now. He didn't want to say it before, not to her, not out loud, but she's so different. It's not something he can really put his finger on, not something he can even describe other to say she's' not her mother's daughter anymore, she's her own person.
It's an amazing transformation. This year has been all about transformation. He and Finn, becoming closer then ever as they veered away from Colin and Robert who were drinking more and more, and they focus on the last few months at Yale and the real world that their families has laid out before them. While Finn still loved the business Logan was only happy that his father had given him the option of California instead of London. He's going to assume it's because Mitchum knows she's here, but he's choosing not to go there.
Finn would never forgive him. IN fact he's pretty sure that his choice of California made Finn happier then it did him, because now there was a reason to visit and maybe run into her, if he was lucky. Logan's not so sure how her living with him will go over, but if all works out as it should maybe she and Finn will find their way back to each other and he can go back to being her boyfriend's best friend, instead of the guy hating every single second he has to watch the California Kid put his arm around her.
Maybe, if Logan is lucky she'll be with someone worthier of her again, and he can go back to pinning in silence and everything can go back to normal. Maybe if Logan's lucky, if he's lucky, which so far, he hasn't been.
Hey, Hollywood never looked this
Good
Bright as the big screen burns
Hey, I bet drivin' down Sunset
They're lookin' for a face like hers
Yeah, I've been all around
This world
And she'd be California
If California was a girlI'd chase that wild sunset
I'd be gone on my way,
Way out west
Yeah, I've been all around
This townHey, Hollywood never looked this good
Bright as the big screen
Hey, I bet drivin' down Sunset
Lookin' for a face like hers
Yeah, she'd be California
If California was a girl
Now she'd be California
If California was a girl
Hey California
*Lyrics are She'd Be California by Rascal Flatts