A/N: This story has become my Everest. I can't quit, but every step is more difficult than the last. I have many, many bits and pieces of writing just waiting to be organized into some semblance of a story line. The problem is getting it down on paper so that it makes sense to readers. Believe me, that is a lot harder than it sounds. It's not easy to get back in the saddle again.
I know that this chapter jumps around quite a bit, but there is a lot of time to cover in order to catch up to the story. I left off at the beginning of the pilot in the last chapter, and in order for my story to progress I have to get everyone on the same page. I know Rory's first day at Chilton was important, but the show covered that well. It's my job to cover the things the show glanced over. I think the best place to start is Rory's birthday party.
Special thanks to Robbinpoppins. Without her I'd just be babbling incoherently. She is my Tenzing Norgay.
"It no longer bothers me that I may be constantly searching for father figures..." --Alice Walker
11. Rory
Chilton. In her mind the word conjured up foreboding images of unbearable class loads, snobbish and obscenely wealthy classmates, and stiff, unbending rules and traditions. But it also sounded like the key to her life plan: Harvard. Then starting a career as a journalist. And not long after she landed her first real gig, she would break a big story by using her trademark attention to detail, research, and writing skills to present an intensely personal account of…whatever her story would be about. She'd know it when she saw it, and in her life she'd found that the details usually fell into place as long as the general plan was well thought out and she could follow through with it.
She had remained focused throughout her junior high years, never wavering from the dream of Harvard, and setting her immediate sights on Chilton when she found out about the school. She'd overheard her mom and her grandmother talking about it over dinner on Memorial Day of her seventh grade year. She didn't catch much, just that Chilton had a reputation as one of the best—and most expensive—prep schools in the country. Not just Connecticut, or even New England, but the country! So when she had a few hours of free time later that week she went to the library and researched the school. The internet was still new to her, so she split her time between browsing on the web and checking through what periodicals she could find. And sure enough, it seemed that the reputation Chilton enjoyed was well-earned. Right then she decided she needed to graduate from that school. If she could just find a way to breach the subject with her mom…
But it was no easy task to bring up the prestigous prep school. Rory knew her mom's radar would perk up as soon as she mentioned anything about Chilton, so if Rory couldn't find a way to convince her mom that she was the one who researched the school and decided she wanted to go then it was basically a lost cause. But once again, the details fell into place. Statewide testing was held just after Christmas Break that year; and when the scores were posted it provided the perfect segue to mention Chilton, why she wanted to go, and what it would take for her to be accepted. And miracle of miracles, her mom agreed with her as soon as she heard it would help with Harvard. Unfortunately, it was too late to do anything that year, but the next would be crucial.
They would have to hurry if they were going to be ready in time to seek admittance by her freshman year. Rory's grades were not a problem, but she needed some extra-curriculars, and she needed to take entrance exams and meet with someone in the guidance administration. Obviously, any sports were out of the question; so she talked to her English teacher and was able to join her newspaper group. Entrance exams and interviews were wedged into her weekend schedule, and her mom conducted mock interviews and even wrangled in Sookie and Luke to help out a couple of times. Granted, these "interviews" usually degenerated into gossip and laughter after about fifteen minutes—especially if it was just Lorelai and Sookie—but they eased her nervousness and uncertainty.
She confessed her trepidation about the whole undertaking to Luke while she sat at the counter of the diner about a week before the real interview, but he just grunted and shook his head. "You'll do fine," He told her, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm sure," She agreed, though she didn't believe it and her doubt rang through in the tone of her voice.
Luke stopped making coffee and turned to her. "Look, you want to know a secret?" He asked.
"Yes." She told him, instantly intrigued. Luke never shared secrets.
"I haven't run this diner or worked in a hardware store my whole life—I've had a few different jobs and worked for more than a few different kinds of people." He started out and she listened intently. "And no matter who they were, there were two things that I found always helped. You've got to give 'em a good handshake and you've got to look 'em in the eye. If you can do that then you're ninety percent of the way there—the other ten percent is just luck."
Rory smiled a little, "That's it?"
"Yup."
"Well…that doesn't seem too hard."
"Nah, easy as pie." Luke pulled the lid off the pie dish and cut her a slice.
"Pie?" Rory asked.
"Yeah. Your mom told me to save her a slice and I figured, you know, you'd want one too." Luke said.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." Luke held out his hand.
Rory was a little confused at first, but then she took his hand and shook it.
Luke nodded his head, "Not bad. Don't be afraid to have a firm grip, and make sure you don't just use your fingers."
"Like this?" Rory adjusted a little.
"Good." Luke let go. "Just like that."
Thanks, Luke."
He grunted and said, "Let me know when your mom gets here."
While the written tests were fairly straightforward, the interview was much longer than she expected—almost an hour. But she shook hands and made eye contact when she was shown in, and the atmosphere of the room immediately brightened. Smiles replaced taciturn frowns, and the two counselors and assistant principal asked about more than just her school life. After everything was finished she was left feeling tired but satisfied. There was nothing more to do than wait for the results.
Alternate. It was the only word that mattered to her and right now she hated that word. Positively loathed it. She had been named as an alternate. All her work was for nothing—she wasn't going to Chilton her ninth grade year. Someone else—probably someone with a bigger bank account—would be instead. She ground her teeth and buried herself in school. She would have to take the exams again and repeat the interview at the end of her year if she wanted to be considered for next year.
Rory was on the waiting list. Though technically it was a step up from the alternate status she held last year, the result was the same: she would have to wait for an opening. But that would never…
Suddenly Sookie let the cat out of the bag, and she'd never been happier. She'd made it, and she was going—the new boy who showed an interest in her wasn't really going to throw her off track. He was just a boy. And her mom was right, especially after Rory calmed down and assessed the situation. She didn't want to throw her life away over some boy. She'd worked so hard to finally get into Chilton and she wasn't about to lose her focus now.
* * *
Sixteen! She was sixteen—old enough to drive a car and no longer the little fish in the pond, even if she was just starting Chilton and had yet to make any real friends. Today feels good, she decided with a smile as she and Lane walked into Luke's for breakfast. She jumped onto the counter and thought she would order pancakes today, with a side of bacon.
"Hey, wrong table." Luke told her.
"Since when is there a right table?" Rory wondered out loud, more than a little confused.
"Since the coffee cake I baked for you and the stupid balloons I blew up are at that table, over there."
Oh my God... she turned in her seat, dumbfounded. "You blew up balloons for me?"
"Yep."
I think that's a new record for Luke-emotions. "Oh, Luke you old softie."
"I count to three and it's gone." Luke growled out.
Still the same Luke I've always known. "Thank you." She said as she and Lane moved over to the table. Rory took a bite of the coffee cake and savored it a moment. I'm totally acing that Latin test today, She thought. But thinking of school reminded her of that ridiculous party her grandmother was putting on for her. God, how am I going to make it through that? She momentarily pulled out of her self-pity when the new boy—God, he has a name. It's Dean, she reminded herself—came in to get coffee and whispered 'happy birthday' to her. Then she realized the reason he probably got his coffee to go was because he needed to get to school, and she looked out the window in time to see her bus coming down the street.
"Man!" She yelled at herself for losing track of the time. "I've got to go Lane, I'll see you later." She picked up her backpack and looked to the counter. "Thanks for the cake Luke." She told him.
"Wait," He stopped her, and filled a to-go cup.
"Thanks."
"Your welcome, better hurry." He said.
* * *
That afternoon, she got off the bus and began to trudge home. She walked slowly, dragging her feet and not caring that she was wearing out the bottom of her shoes. She didn't want to go to that stupid party. Not that she didn't appreciate the thought, but her grandmother clearly didn't understand high school politics. Rory hadn't made any inroads with the Chilton crowd, and forcing them to come to her party wasn't going to help. Just as she was passing the door of the diner Luke came out carrying a take-out box.
"Rory, glad I caught you." He looked up and down the street quickly. "Um, here." He held out the box.
"What is this?" Rory scrunched her eyebrows.
"Your cake—well, what's left of it." Luke said.
"My cake? From this morning?"
"Yeah. I didn't know if you wanted to save any for later—if you don't want it I'll just throw it away. It's no big deal."
Throw away an awesome cake? "No, I want it—it was really good. Did you keep the balloons too?" She asked.
"They're in the storage room, why?"
Ah, Luke, you're just a big teddy bear. Rory stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. "Thanks, Luke" She told him.
"Uh, yeah. You're welcome." He said.
She realized he was holding her very gently, as if he was afraid he'd break her; and it made her feel safe and special to think he was so careful with her. She felt that he was a little thrown off by her sudden display of emotion, and realized she hadn't seen him hug anyone since her mom had forced him into a hug that New Year's night so long ago. Sadness nicked at their happy moment because she was sure that had been the last time someone had been there for him. The moment turned bittersweet as she disentangled herself and took the box from his hands. "Bye, Luke."
"Bye," He said.
When she got home her mother was waiting in the living room. "Hey honey, we've got to get moving if we're not going to be late."
"Alright." Rory set the box on the kitchen table and changed in her room. When she came out she found Lorelai staring at the cake.
"I didn't know Sookie made you a cake. When did you get this?" She asked.
"Actually, I got it from Luke. He made it for me this morning and held onto it until I came home from school." Rory explained in a happy voice.
"Luke made this for you?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of cake is it?"
"Coffee." Rory smiled.
"Coffee." Lorelai repeated, letting it sink in. "I bet it's really good, isn't it?"
"Well, Luke is a really good cook." Rory said. Lorelai just stared at her. "Alright, you can have a little piece."
"Yea," Lorelai threw her hands up.
"But we'll have to wait until we get back from Grandma's."
"Why?" Lorelai pouted.
"Because we've wasted five minutes talking about cake, and we really will be late if we don't leave now."
Lorelai glanced at the clock on the stove. "Crap! Get in the car. Let's go!" They hurried out the door and jumped into the jeep.
* * *
She hadn't meant to lose her temper with her grandma, but the rude kids from her school and the high-class atmosphere made her uncomfortable and short-tempered. She exploded on her grandma because she was the easiest target, and because she really didn't like that she had invited all those kids from school without asking. And when they made it back to Stars Hollow that night, all the progress that had been made over the last week in the relationship between her mom and her grandma had been ruined. The pudding, the less-than-disastrous birthday gift shopping, the hope that things were finally beginning to get better was all gone. They went straight home from Hartford because they were both tired and just wanted to watch a movie. Lorelai started coffee and Rory let her eyes wander over the movie collection.
She heard her mom call out from the kitchen. "I'm having a piece of your cake!"
"Cut me a piece, too." Rory said.
A moment later Lorelai came into the living room with two plates, a cup of coffee balanced on each one. "So what did you pick?"
"I don't know—I kind of want a comedy." Rory said.
"Well, let's see. Since you picked the category, I'll pick the movie. Close your eyes." Lorelai told her.
Rory went to the couch and picked up her plate of cake, careful not to peek at what her mother was picking. "Mmm, this cake is so good."
"Stop teasing me, I haven't even had a bite yet." Lorelai closed the DVD player and sat on the couch with her cake and coffee. She took a small bite and closed her eyes. "Man, this is good. I'm so asking for this when my birthday rolls around."
"Why not just ask Luke to make it when you go to the diner tomorrow?"
"Because he'll probably tell me that it's unhealthy and then I'll have to listen to him rant for ten minutes about the benefits of fruits and vegetables while waiting for my breakfast. If I ask on my birthday then he can't say no."
"Ah."
"Exactly," Lorelai smiled and pushed play on the remote controller.
"What are we watching?" Rory asked as the FBI warning came on the screen.
"It's a surprise." Lorelai said as she took another bite.
* * *
The party at her house was going strong, but she wished her grandparents would have been able to come. She blew out the candles and began cutting up the cake. Sookie had outdone herself again this year. She couldn't even begin to describe the flavor of the cake: swirls of vanilla and chocolate, icing so sweet it caused a headache, a stunning—if not a little creepy—portrait of her face on the cake. It was really something else.
Then her grandparents showed up and she couldn't have been more surprised if they had jumped from behind the couch and yelled 'happy birthday!' at the top of their lungs. In the total confusion of the party she heard her mom yelling something about ice, and then Luke's voice carried into the room. She was glad he showed up. The cake was passed around and everyone was telling stories when she saw her mom and grandma go into the kitchen. They were in there for a few seconds when she heard her mom and her grandmother talking in low voices, and wondered what they could possibly be arguing about. Then Rory heard her grandma mention Luke and knew exactly what was going on. She hasn't been here ten minutes and she's already picked up on the vibe between Mom and Luke.
But surprisingly, Emily seemed to be content with a few probing questions and comments, and things were civil—even downright cheerful—for the evening. Later, when she needed ice for her soda, she found Luke standing in the kitchen and staring in the direction of the door to her room. "Hey," She smiled.
"Rory, good." Luke said. "Hey, can you just, uh, follow me outside for a minute?"
"Yeah," Rory was a little confused. "What do you need?"
"What? Oh, nothing. It's, well, you'll see." Luke went out the kitchen door and Rory followed him. When he got to his truck he opened the door and pulled out one of the balloons that had been tied to her birthday chair at the diner. "Happy birthday," He said, holding out the balloon.
"Thanks." Rory took the balloon and noticed an envelope and a steel hex-nut hanging off the end of the short string. When she opened the card she found a gift card to Barnes and Noble inside. "Oh, Luke…" she looked up at him.
"Well, I just figured that you have a lot of books that you're required to read; so you should be able to pick a few that you want to read, too.
Rory's eyes traveled to the hex-nut tied to the end of the string. "What's this for?"
"Oh, that's just to keep the balloon from flying away." Luke said. "I know, I probably was supposed to use jewelry or something flashy to do that, but the only thing I would've been able to give you would have come from a Cracker Jack box."
"That's okay." Rory smiled. "I like it—it's original." She said. She gave him a quick hug. "Thanks so much."
"You're welcome."
"I'm glad you came."
"Good." Luke smiled a little. "Let's get back inside before your mom starts wondering where you are."
Back inside, Rory set her present on the desk in her room before rejoining the party. Her grandfather was still reading through the magazine she had given him. She saw Luke talking to her mom and grandma about something, a mild pout on Lorelai's face and one of satisfaction on Emily's. Get out while you can, Luke. She urged silently. Then she caught her grandfather and Luke standing in the corner and talking for a few moments before they headed outside. I wonder what they could possibly be talking about…probably sports or business.
* * *
The party went well, and she was glad her grandparents came and that they seemed to have a good time. Sookie helped her mom in the kitchen and Luke had taken out the trash and cleaned up a little before he went back to his apartment. Rory was taking out one last small bag when she noticed movement in the darkness.
"Hey," Dean came out of the shadows.
"Dean, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I heard there was a party." He smiled.
"That was hours ago—it's over now."
"Yeah, I figured." He laughed a little. "But I wanted to give you something."
"Why didn't you at least show up to the party?"
"Honestly?"
"Yeah."
"I was a little scared of your mom. And that guy who runs the diner."
"Luke?" Why would you be scared of Luke?
"Yeah, Luke." Dean shook his head. "He just looks like someone I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley."
"You don't have to be scared of Luke." Rory laughed at the thought of Luke threatening anyone.
"What if your mom sends him after me?"
Rory thought again. "Okay, you might want to be a little scared of Luke."
"That's why I waited until now to give you this. After you said we needed to keep this low-profile for a few days all I could think of was your mom finding out and then being capped off by Luke as I was heading to school."
"I didn't mean to freak you out."
"No, it's fine. I just wanted to give you this." He held out his hand.
"You didn't have to get me anything…"
Her clandestine meeting with Dean only lasted a few minutes, but she loved it. He was handsome and liked her and she could see that he was trying hard to make her like him. And she did. She liked the idea of someone being head-over-heels for her. She opened the door quietly and took off the bracelet before her mom could see it. She stuck it in her pocket and helped Sookie bring the last of the dishes into the kitchen.
"Hey, baby." Lorelai smiled brightly. "What do you think of this year?"
"Pretty good." Rory answered. "Let me just put a few things in my room." She opened her door and put the bracelet in her desk drawer for the moment.
Lorelai came in and looked at the balloon floating next to Rory's new iBook. "Where'd this come from?" She asked.
"Luke."
"Really? What did he get you?"
"A gift card to the bookstore."
"And a…nut-thingy." Lorelai pointed to the hex-nut and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.
"Yeah, and that thing."
"Is it some kind of handyman joke?"
"No, he just needed to keep the balloon from floating away."
"Ah, I was beginning to hope it must be a handyman thing." Lorelai smiled. "Cause if we could get two days a year out of him then I could really make some home improvements."
"You take advantage of him as it is, mom."
"I know, but a girl can dream."
Rory laughed and shook her head. "I'm going to start moving things into my room now."
"Okay, I'll help."
It's been so long I wonder if anyone's even out there anymore...
