Chapter 9:
"TJ, really. It's Jess. Not Read. I really don't appreciate you calling me that," Jess said, his temper reaching astronomical heights.
"But you've always got your nose in your books, it's only fittin' to call you that," TJ explained. At that, Jess stood up to scream at him, but Rory, who was sitting at a table near by in the diner, stood up next to him.
"Hey, Jess? Aren't you going to be late to school if you don't get going soon?" Rory said pointedly.
"Yes, yes, that's right," Jess said. This wasn't true, Jess wouldn't have to leave the diner for another 40 minutes to make it to school. "Bye TJ, bye Rory," he said, giving her a grateful smile and all but running out the door.
Rory and Logan were on their way to their lockers when they heard screaming from the end of the hall. Peering around the corner, they saw Colin and Stephanie arguing, and decided to stay back and let things play out.
"Colin! You didn't call! And then you get mad at me, because I didn't just stay around on a Saturday night waiting for you!"
"Steph, I get that, but I said I was sorry like ten times for not calling! And actually, you know what? I did call! It was just an hour later!"
"Ugh!!! An hour! An hour, Colin! And that hurts, because I thought you cared!"
"God, Steph, of course I care! I love you!"
"Fine! I love you too!" She shouted back. Then they both froze.
After about thirty seconds of silence, Stephanie was pressed against the locker and the two were French-kissing.
Logan and Rory just smiled at each other and rolled their eyes.
Lorelai sighed deeply. Luke was very happy today. Last night was his date with Nicole. When Rory had gotten home from Logan's house, the two discussed the possibility that she might have feelings for Luke. She groaned in frustration. She couldn't be with Luke! Luke had Nicole.
"Hey, Mom," Rory said, walking into the diner and plopping herself down on one of the chairs.
"Hey, sweets. How was school?" Lorelai asked her.
"Amazing! Colin and Steph finally made up! And they said 'I love you!'" she said, very excitedly.
"Who?" Jess said, coming up to their table.
"Col and Steph," she said, grinning like mad.
"So they made up? Finally," Jess said. "I was getting tired of you talking about that,"
"Hey," Rory said, hitting him playfully on the arm.
"Rory! Good news!" Lane said when Rory answered the phone.
"What?" Rory said into her cell.
"I have spent a full three hours with Dave and Zach, and I can confidently say that I have no feelings for Dave. Zach and I are still together, and everything's fine. Last night, me and Zach went out to dinner and he told me he loved me, and I said it back, and now I feel like I'm seriously floating," She gushed. Then her tone turned serious. "But remember, don't say anything to mama Kim. She doesn't even know I'm dating Zach."
"Wow! Today is just getting better and better! Colin and Stephanie made up and now you've worked things out with Zach and Dave!" Rory said, excited that everything had fallen together. "And of course I won't say anything to your mom. What do you take me for? Some kind of an idiot?"
"I can feel it," Lorelai said ominously. "Tonight, something bad is going to happen."
"Mom, I swear. Ring the doorbell," Rory said, rolling her eyes.
"They're your grandparents!" Lorelai said.
"Ugh, not this again," Rory said, sighing and ringing the doorbell.
"Rory, Lorelai!" Emily said. "Come on in!"
Lorelai grumbled incoherently as she stepped into the room.
"What was that?" Emily asked, pointedly staring at her daughter.
"Nothing, Mom. Nothing," Lorelai said, smiling a little too sweetly.
Drinks were served, and the usual pleasantries ensued. But this would not be as successful and smooth as their last week's dinner. As they sat down for dinner, Emily broached the subject that had obviously been on her mind since they had arrived.
"So, Lorelai, Rory. Any new men in your lives?" she said.
Uh, oh. Rory thought. How did she know?
"No, Mom, still single. Thanks for asking. Wow, these potatoes are great!" Lorelai said, trying to save her daughter. Her attempts were futile. Emily plowed right on as if Lorelai had never spoken.
"Rory? What about you?" she said, her tone sugary sweet and full of superior knowledge.
"Um… well, actually, Grandma, Grandpa, I have some news…" Rory started, slightly nervous. "I broke up with Dean, and now I'm dating Logan. You remember him, right?"
"Well, actually Rory, I already knew. I was talking to Shira Huntzberger this morning and she mentioned something," Emily said. Rory noticed that her grandfather had been strangely quiet. She glanced over at him and saw that he was grinning like mad. Rory realized- a bit angrily- that it was because he had never liked Dean. But then, she thought of what Dean had done to her, and she knew it wasn't her grandfather she was mad at.
"Rory?" she was brought out of her thoughts by her grandmother. "So, will you go?"
"Huh? I'm sorry Grandma; I missed what it was that you said."
"I said," Emily began, a little frustrated, "That the Huntzbergers would like to have you over for dinner tomorrow night so they can meet you, and I am supposed pass on the invitation."
"Oh, well…. Umm… sure, I mean, if Logan isn't doing anything," Rory said stammering. She had met the Huntzbergers several times before, but the meetings had been brief and cold. She had gotten the impression that they didn't like her, and she knew that they wouldn't like her now that she was dating their precious son.
But with Logan at her side, she knew she could face it.
He came over early Saturday morning, planning on spending the whole day together and then going over to the dreaded dinner together. They were currently sitting in Luke's diner. Rory was undecided about what to order. For the first time since she was a very little kid, she actually picked up the menu and looked through it. Jess walked over and stared at her like she had three heads.
"What?" Rory said, a bit defensively. "I'm just finishing up deciding.
"Let me help," Jess said sarcastically. "Cheese burger with onion rings and coffee?" he said.
"Wow, how did you do that?" Rory said, amazed.
"Oh, come on. You come in here every once in a while and you can't decide what to eat. Then I always suggest Cheese burger and onion rings, and you always say it sounds great," Jess said, rolling his eyes. Rory was his best friend, but he would never get used to her unusual quirks.
Pulling up in front of the huge mansion that is the Huntzberger home, Logan leaned forward and kissed Rory lightly.
"I'm just saying sorry in advance, Ace, because my parents can be brutal," he said.
"Hey, I can handle it, don't worry. I've met them before, remember?" Rory answered, smiling and kissing him deeper.
"Mmm," Logan mumbled against her lips. Then he reluctantly pulled away. "As much as I don't want to stop, I'm just picturing one of my parents walking out here and seeing this, and that would not be good, trust me."
Rory sighed. "Ok, let's get this over with," she said.
"Our only saving grace is that Honor is coming too, and she's bringing Josh," Logan said as he walked around the car and opened Rory's door for her.
"Yes! I haven't seen Honor in forever!" Rory said excitedly. She really enjoyed spending time with the bubbly blonde that was Logan's sister.
"She doesn't know we're together yet, but she'll be excited," Logan said, rolling his eyes. "She's always teasing me about having a crush on you. It got a bit annoying, actually." Logan rang the doorbell.
"But she was right, wasn't she?" Rory said cockily.
"Yup. She was definitely right," he said, leaning down and kissing her softly.
At that moment the door was opened by Honor Huntzberger.
"Oh my God!" she shouted. "Finally!" she shouted, startling the two of them apart. "Hey, guys, I'm thrilled, and Rory, I want all the girlie details later, but right now, it's time for us all to enter through Hell's gates. You two are late, and the parents are pissed."
With that, they all walked in the front door, and it closed, somewhat ominously, behind them.