AN: Yes! I finally have found a time to type. Between Christmas, and my Internet being down, my dad deciding to stay up late and sleep downstairs where our computer is, and we are trying to find me a car, my life has been hectic. And sometime I am going to my grandparent's house this week, but that could actually end up a very good place to type. I am so sorry it has been so long, but here is the next chapter and I know it isn't very good, and it is short, but I will try to update quicker.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 10

Poor, Poor Me

Monday Rory walked into school over her hangover.

"Hey girlie!" Steph spotted Rory first.

"Hey guys," She opened her locker, by which they were standing, and began exchanging and rearranging her book.

"So your hangover gone, love," Finn asked.

"Thank god, yes. Luke decided that on Saturday at 6 am would be a good time to fix our roof."

They all laughed at her pain, but then again so did Rory. "Who's Luke?" Colin asked.

"Luke owns Luke's the diner. We dine there daily, usually more than once. He makes the best coffee ever, and mom is dating him."

"At least you are over it now," Logan said," Or else you might fail your English test." Logan and the other smiled all well knowing there was no English test; they just wanted to freak her out.

"There is! I didn't know that," Rory became flustered.

They group began to laugh unable to contain their laughter.

Rory got it and put on a mean face, "That were so not funny Huntzberger!" She slapped his arm.

"Ow, well it was still so worth it to see your face. You are so easy to rile up," Logan laughed.

"I should have had my phone out for a picture, would have been a good keepsake, love," Finn grinned.

"I hate you, I hate all of you," Rory stalked off.

"Think she is really mad?" Colin asked.

"Nah, just a façade," Steph said.

"Nice word, Steph is it you word of the day? Find a word in the dictionary every morning and then try to use it in the day?" Colin mocked.

"Ha, no, shut up Colin just because I don't go overboard in using big words, doesn't mean I'm stupid," Steph said in a huff.

"Hey calm down, love, I get the same thing all the time, people think that I'm dumb too. And true, I have probably killed a few thousand brain cells, doesn't mean a thing," Finn consoled her.

"I'm using Rory's line, I hate you, I hate all of you," Steph walked off in the same direction as Rory.

"I didn't even say anything," Logan said.

"You were smiling at her stupidity," Colin said.

"That wasn't there," Finn cut in.

"Whatever, lets go to class," Colin walked away and Logan and Finn followed.

--------

Later that day Rory was working on her article when Logan walked in. He sat down in his chair and rolled over to Rory, "Thank you," He whispered in her ear, breaking her concentration.

She finished her sentence and turned to him, "For what?"

"You know," He continued quietly. And she did, think back to the party, and the game of I never.

"Maybe," she smiled, and Logan knew she did.

"And," Logan said normally, "I wanted to know if you could help me with my article, tonight."

"You haven't turned that article yet! Paris gave it to you like two weeks ago!"

"No, I have, that and another, I'm on my third. Proud of me?"

"Yes, very proud," She patted him on the head.

"So, will you help me?"

"Tonight, let me call my mom," Rory got out her phone and called. "Mom?" she asked after her mom picked up, "What's up for tonight?"

"Um, the sky, the stars, the moon..."

"What are we doing, anything?"

"I don't think so why?"

"Logan wants help on an article."

"The on that Paris gave him two weeks ago?"

"Nope, a new one."

"Wow, his second article."

"Third he tells me."

"Call the media. Did you pat him on the head?"

"Yep."

"Is this a date?"

"Out of left field mom, and no."

"I prefer right field, actually."

"You've never played softball or baseball."

"Neither have you."

"So"

"Whatever, have fun. Call me if it's late, wait, where will you be at?"

"Where will we be at, Logan?" Rory asked turning to him.

"Where ever you want, Ace, your house, the library, please don't say my house."

"Can we come home, mom?"

"Yeah, I think that I will go out with Luke then tonight, but call me, unless it is past ten, then you will be interrupting my fun."

"Oh, well look at the time, bye mom, love you."

"Bye kid, love you too."

Rory hung up and turned to Logan again. "So, follow me home?"

"I'll be in the black Porsche behind you."

They made their way to the parking lot and then to Rory's house. Logan stepped out of his car and looked at the yellow two story in front of him. "Homey."

"Yes, come on in before Babette sees your pretty head, she'll come and hug you and call you honey or gorgeous and pinch you butt multiple times."

Logan hurried inside. Lorelai was still there, but on her way out.

"Hey kids, have fun tonight, but keep it PG under my roof please," Rory blushed at her mom, "Rory don't forget to call me, but not past ten remember. I don't know if I'll be home, but I doubt it. And there is a twenty under the Rabbi for dinner, if you want to order in. And I'm out. Bye sweets love you," Lorelai kissed her daughter's cheek and left.

"See mom, love you too," Rory said to her mother's back as she exited the door. Rory looked at Logan, "Envious?"

"Huh?" Logan snapped back to reality.

"You're turning green, envious?"

"No...yes, you and your mom say I love you before one of you leave and when you hang up the phone. I can't remember the last call from my father that ended like that. Or the last time my mother left and said I love you before slamming the door."

"You poor, poor thing," Rory wrapped her arms around him. Logan welcomed the hug, and wrapped his arms around her tiny figure.

"Poor, Poor me," Logan repeated.

They stood there for a few seconds before the doorbell rang.

"Oh my gosh, my mom forgot her key. She can get it from the turtle," Rory untangled herself from Logan.

"That's mean," Logan said.

"That's my mom," The doorbell rang again.

"Persistent."

"She'll get hungry in a 30 seconds and leave to find Luke."

"What if it isn't your mom?"

"Then it is Babette wondering about your Porsche. She knows about the turtle too, or will jimmy the back door open, the lock is broken." Again to doorbell rang.

"And if it isn't Babette?"

"Then I don't want to talk to them, and I don't know who it is. Oh it might be Kirk, he is Stars Hollow's pride and joy of crazy. He is a total weirdo."

"Rory," came a voice through the door.

Rory sighed, "Now I really don't want to answer the door."

"Who is it?"

"My ex-boyfriend. One downside to living in a small town."

"I'll take note. I can take off my shirt and pretend to just be waking up," Logan offered.

"Ha, as funny as that might be, you might come away with a black eye, and we can't have that."

"He's violent?" Logan asked surprised.

"Nope, only when it comes to other guys around me," Rory said uncomfortably.

"Can I get a name before I drop it?"

"Dean."

They heard him walk off the porch. "Does he know about the turtle?"

"Nope, I don't think so...Oh shit! He does know about jimmying open the back door."

"You want me to hide," Logan found this situation very odd.

"Yes and call Steph to call here, please," Rory was pushing him in the closet.

"Why?"

"Just do it." Rory closed the door and jumped on the couch as she heard the backdoor open. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

"Rory," Dean came into the living room.

Rory pretended to wake up, "Go away."

"You didn't answer the door I thought something was up. There is a Porsche in front of your house."

"Coffee, go away, coffee," The phone rang, "Stupid phone, stupid people, it's Monday." Rory picked up the phone, "I hate you."

"Rory what's up, Logan called saying to call you."

"Steph slow down, and calm down, I can't understand you."

"What you are confusing me, wait is someone else there?"

"Yes, continue."

"Are you wanting that person to leave?'

"Yeah."

"I'm your excuse, great, I'm a sucky actress, wait I am right? If I am say something about Colin, and if I'm not talk about Finn."

"What exactly did Colin do?"

"Ok so what would get this person to leave?"

"I don't know, I need time to think."

"Wait where is Logan, why can't he help. Where ever he is he'll be there in ten minutes flat."

"Ok, first of all Steph, you have to get out of the closet."

"He's in the closet?"

"Yes, you do, and we are not playing the yes no game, where I say yes and you say no and we go back and forth for an hour."

"Ok, now tell the person I'm coming and they need to leave."

"As much fun as it would for you to come over here Steph, I don't see any rhyme or reason to it. You have to talk to him."

"Oh yeah why am I coming? Oh game plan, that is why."

"See that is an excellent idea, now run with it."

"What, ok you are on your own, I'm lost in this web of lies."

"Don't stall by coming over here, you just need to get it over with. Putting it off will not help, other than make it more awkward."

"Please, please, please, let me come over!"

"I guess you can come over. But is still hate the idea."

"Yay, you can be Colin and I will be myself of course. I can pretend to figure out to say in the pretend conversation that will never happen."

"Shouldn't be too hard to be him. Arrogant, stiff, little studious, what the hell did Finn just do? It's your turn to watch him, ok if we are really going to do this, I need a shot, and I little bit of a womanizer. Hey, this is looking a lot more fun."

"Nice."

"I thought so, I'll see you in?"

"Twenty, do you really want me to come?"

"Nah, I'll get the food. Ok see you in a bit and remember make up we are making you pretty. So if all goes wrong, you still are gorgeous."

"Absolutely, so go make that person leave and I'll see you tomorrow, this was so much fun. Bye."

"Bye Steph," Rory hung up the phone and turned to Dean, "You need to go, I have serious girl talk ahead of me, bye." Rory pushed him out the door. She then went and let Logan out of the closet, "I'm so sorry, thank you for going along with it."

"You are quite the actress, Ace."

"We need to fix that lock."

"Now that you have exes you do, back when you were still innocent there was no need," Logan joked.

"I would like to take a shot at you about you never being innocent. The last time you were innocent was when my mom liked something my grandmother did."

"I was an innocent newborn in the hospital."

"Ok, I'll give you that. Now to work on your article, what is it about?"

"Comparing small town life to the big city life. I'm guessing I'll be making a pro/con list, and I am not mocking the pro/con list."

"So I was the perfect person to help you, and yes there will be a pro/con list."

"No one more perfect."

So the perks of living in a small town are..."

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AN: And finished. I combined two chapters to make this one because it was originally very short. So I hope you like it and I will try to update very soon, and in the next few days. It should be easier now without Christmas. Please review and thank you for reading.