Strawberry Fields
-by Yo-yo
Disclaimer:C chappie #1.
You Never Give Me Your Money:
"Do you ever get the feeling we're on 'The Gilmore Show'?"
My dream of Robert Carmine is cut short as the mattress dips with the presence of Lorelei's weight.
"What?" I struggle to reclaim the unconsciousness as she settles beside me (and a little on top of me) bringing me into consciousness.
"Well," she tucks her head next to mine, her fingers twirl in my hair. "…like 'The Truman Show?' Do you ever get the feeling that we're being watched? That our every move is being documented and all our spontaneous behavior is being reported to some scary man called Christof who is literally 'The Man in the Moon'?"
"Lemme go back to sleep," I plead, Robert's smile and gorgeous eyes still discernable beneath my eyelids.
"Maybe that's why we never get that one channel on cable. You know… the one that everyone says has got the two old lady's knitting. Maybe that's OUR channel and everyone's in on it. Don't cha think?" she pokes me.
"No," I roll over, burying my face beneath my pillow. "Believe me, Lore, your life is not that interesting."
"Huh," she pauses before pulling the pillow from over my head. "Because I just got woken up by a very perky man named Taylor at… oh six am to be informed that I have not been to the grocery store in two weeks-"
"Huh?" I squint, the sunlight seeping from my window shades make my eyes hurt. She moves over me and through my eyes I could see her disconcerted expression.
"Turns out the entire town has been worried about its two new residents. He said if it was about our current financial state-with the moving and all- he'd be glad to open a tab for us, as long as I consented to a credit check, of course. And then he proceeded to tell me how much he hoped we weren't loners because Star's Hallow was not the place for loners-"
"No kidding," I sigh, pushing hair from my face.
"He didn't leave until half an hour later, when I had to tell the tiniest white lie and inform him that it was time for you to wake up-"
"Good for you," I turn away from her and settle back into bed.
"So… wake up!"
"What!" I groan. "Its six thirty-three am… you said it was a lie!"
"Yea…" she sighed, placing her chin on my shoulder. "After dealing with a psychopath for half an hour, I don't got much sleep left in me, so you need to wake up. I'm bored."
"Lorelei!"
"You act as if I've got someone else to hang with?"
"What about your other daughter… remember, your favorite one?"
"Like my FAVORITE daughter would do, she ran off to tour with Stillwater-"
"Fictional band featured in 'Almost Famous'?"
"She's dating Billy Crudup," Lorelei nods.
"He left his pregnant girlfriend."
"It's become a trend in Hollywood," she shrugs. "Kevin Federline and Flavio Briatore can all add that to their resumes. It's now high fashion to have a bastard boyfriend…"
"And now your favorite daughter will be in with the in-crowd."
"Exactly!"
"Arg," I groan.
She won't leave me. She'll pester me in bed until I move. I can try to sit her out, wear her down with incessant conversation. I can try to lull her back to sleep, but I know the outcome. She will fall asleep in my bed, which is terribly uncomfortable considering this twin bed barely holds me and the plethora of pillows we've amassed over the years.
"Tomorrow I'm leaving you for Robert Carmine!" I stumble out of bed and make my way over to the bathroom, trying to avoid sunlight at all costs.
"Too bad he's all over Mia Thermopolis."
"She dropped him in two, remember!" I slam the bathroom door.
2.
I can barely make out two feet from my face and she insists upon walking to Luke's. My eyes still half shut from the sleep still tugging at my brain, I trudge along the shoveled pathways, wondering who in their right mind had awoken before six am to make sure the sidewalk is clear.
Probably this Taylor fellow.
Pristine does not give justice to the enchanted village that is Star's Hallow. Every time that I step from our porch I am reminded of those tiny villages they sell in Hallmark stores. I cannot help but see tiny little houses that you hook together and plug into the wall. The fake snow you place on the table twinkling beneath the little lights in each home. There's a post office, a figurine of a little boy walking his dog and a church with a steeple whose bell really rings inside. That little ceramic town is the one we now live in. One of those tiny little homes with the twinkling light is ours- along with the paved sidewalk.
The little boy walking his dog crosses the street before us and all I can think of is:
"'My Favorite Things' are playing / Again and again / But it's by Julie Andrews / And not by John Coltrane…/ This is Hell, this is Hell…" (1)
3.
"Wow, you guys are up early!" the first discernable sentence in the sea of conversation that was Luke's Diner that morning.
There were people everywhere, sitting at tables discussing whatever people discuss at 7am while cradling cups of coffee and munching on morning pastries.
I had never seen so many people in here in the two weeks since we'd moved in.
"It's loud in here Luke. Why is it so loud? And why are there so many people, are you giving out free cocaine?"
"No, these are the people of the town who can function without drugs," he says as we settle into the only vacant table in the whole diner. "This is the usual morning crowd."
"Morning crowd… huh," Lorelei raises a brow. "Well I've never seen these people before. Where did these people come from? I've seen Star's Hallow and it cannot hold your 'morning crowd'."
"Freaks!"
I lay my head on the cool plane of the table. With my ear pressed against the hard plastic the sounds of ceramic mugs scraping as Luke set them before Lorelei and I were magnified. I can hear him pour the liquid into her vessel and before he is done I can hear Lorelei sipping.
I can hear him begin to pour in my mug and I groan.
"No coffee."
"Whoa, what's wrong with her? Is she sick?"
"Oh nothing," Lorelei takes another sip. "She's just cranky, you know… sibling rivalry…"
I do not raise my head, but I could see in my mind's eye the look on Luke's face as he nods in disconcerted comprehension.
"I'll be back." I hear him say before I feel his footsteps vibrating in my ear from the surface of the table.
"Are you still mad at me baby?"
"You are aware that you had me up until 2am watching Saved! and The Princess Diaries because you needed a Mandy Moore fix, right? You do remember me begging you for sleep after Michael told off his sister because at that point that was the end of his good hair, and I was tired. But no, you made me stay up with you 'til the end when her stupid foot popped and Michael had that atrocious slicked back hair! It's your fault I'm sleep deprived!"
"I'm sorry," she sips her coffee. "How about-"
"Wow, you guys are up early," Jess pushes a vacant chair to our table and sits on it backwards. He tips more coffee into my mug before I can protest.
"You too," Lorelei is smiling as I lift my head. "I didn't think James Dean got up until the sun goes down."
Jess rolls his eyes and pours coffee into her mug, "If James Dean wants the Indian in Gypsy's shop he's got to come up with the payment for the guys he's hiring to help him lift it."
"An Indian!" she gasps setting aside her mug to lean closer.
I cannot understand their technical jargon as they go into specifics so I finally begin to take sips from my cup. After five minutes of me recognizing the following words: engine, black paint and chrome, Lorelei grins:
"I hope you'll take me for a spin!"
To which the entire diner halts.
"Lorelei," I sent her a muffled groan. Her eyes grew wide as she begins to comprehend the stillness in the room.
"I meant spinning on the wheels of his bike," she scowls, "not 'spinning'… ewww! He's my daughter's age!"
"Oh my god!" I bury my face in my arms.
My mom's status in Star's Hallow has risen from eccentric to pedophile.
"You guys are gross," she says before turning back to us and making one more sigh of relief. "We're not that interesting!"
She pries my arms apart from the nest they've formed to cradle my head where I pretend to not know her as Jess chuckles beside us.
"Boy I hope that isn't on the show, I don't want our viewers to think we're those type of people. That would really bring down our ratings."
"Lorelei, if this really were 'The Gilmore Show' I suspect our viewers would already know that you're an idiot and that was just a slip up." I look up.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"How you've been sitting here for ten minutes and yet I see no pancakes in front of me."
"Slave driver," he stands up from his chair and scowls at me.
"Don't forget the eggs and hash browns," Lorelei calls after him. "I love the service here."
"So what are we going to do with all this extra time?"
"I was thinking-"
"Hey, Lorelei, I found some of your mail in my mailbox, I thought I'd hand it over this morning, but I'd never suspected that I'd see you so early. It's at my house. I'll drop it off at your house later today. Gosh it's cold outside." She shivers for effect.
"Thanks Miss Pattie."
"Have you guys been served?" Luke shuffles back over, after Miss Pattie has departed. The coffee mug still surgically attached to his hand.
"By Jess, and not in the dirty way," she adds scowling at the other patrons.
"Okay," his words are slow and confused. "I'm getting back to work."
"Seven am must mean business? We haven't had a free moment to talk since we got here."
"I know, why are people so-"
"So I was thinking we'd check out some book stores in the area, meet your Mom for lunch and then check out the new music store in Hartford."
"No way James Dean," she shakes her head. "Today is mother-daughter day for Natalie Wood and me. We have so errands we need to run, some grocery shopping we need to do and-"
"Oh," he sighs, leaning back in his seat, "I get why you're awake so early on a Saturday morning!"
"Taylor Doose?"
"Taylor Doose." He grins. "He doesn't this to everyone. I'm amazed everyone doesn't leave that man is a tyrant."
"Hey, I just realized something," I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, still wondering about Lorelei's Natalie Wood comment. "It couldn't be Christof, it has to be Taylor Doose."
"Yea!" she grins, slapping my hand in a high-5. "Oh wait, that's totally creepy! But you're right, that's smart."
"I try." I place a piece of bacon in my mouth and smirk.
4.
When I was four years old I lost Lorelei in the grocery store. I knew where I was going. I was familiar with the grocery store layout and could maneuver through the aisles as though I recognized them like the back of my hand. Lorelei on the other hand was lost once we advanced past the sugar and snacks.
I remember the sheer terror of it all. Not tall enough to see above the displays, and not knowing a soul in this city, I didn't know if she could find me. This was before there were cameras everywhere, so all this place had to keep its precious merchandise secure were those cloudy mirrors that distorted their patrons and really faired bad in situations such as this where people were constantly bustling in and out of the building and a random child could just be grabbing the eggs her mum asked for.
I was in the produce aisle and I knew she would never find me there. I contorted and sought my way through the sea of legs belonging to women and men who were not my mother. I couldn't remember which aisle I'd last seen her. I couldn't remember if she had asked me to get peanut butter or Nutella. At the time all my neurons could process was that my mother was lost and I needed to find her. Through the sea of brand names and store brought goods, through the aisles of kids and parents, through the towers of clothing detergent and Brillo pads, I finally found her standing in the cereal aisle.
I'd never seen her look like this before.
The food cart sat beside her, full of things a normal mother would never call groceries. She was facing me. She wasn't crying. She was still, eyes wide, tears brimming and shining in their ducts, but not falling. There was a frown on her face. I didn't know what to call the expression that contorted her face, but as clear as I could recognize it on her face; I could feel it seeping out of my heart, my bones and out of my body.
A box of cereal lay next to her. She had dropped it when she realized she was lost.
Lore and I standing in the middle of the cereal aisle at some non-descript grocery store staring at one another in a mixture of relief and terror is a far cry from our current positions.
"Mom, I'm sooooo hungry!" I moan grabbing my stomach for extra effect.
"Well that's why we came to Doose's Grocery Store for quality goods at a great price that will keep our family from starving."
"Apples?"
"And oranges!"
Picture this:
Lorelei and I are standing in the back aisle of Doose's. We are nothing more than two feet apart screaming at the top of our lungs at one another. Our over exaggerated dialogue and constant name dropping meant to convince the residents of Star's Hallow of our pseudo healthy lifestyle.
"Pop Tarts."
"And peas! And look, they're on sale!" she exclaims, thrusting two frozen packages into my hands.
I lean closer to whisper, "What the hell are we going to do with these?"
"Stick them in the freezer in preparation for Brad Pitt's visit and my inevitable fall that will keep him in our living room nursing me back to health."
"Oh," I frown and nod, throwing the frozen vegetables in our basket. "Is he here yet?"
Never choosing to miss up a comical moment, she looks around as though someone might be snooping and the proceeds to jump in place in order to view over the partitions.
"No," she frowns, two minutes later.
"Let's go then, we've already been here for half an hour."
"Yea," she groans, looking down at our four baskets of groceries. "I wish he could have seen us though. We did good… we even got vegetables this time."
"Sorry hun," I pat her shoulders and pick up two baskets.
"Taylor Doose sure keeps up a beautiful establishment!" she belts for good measure and we proceed to the check-out.
We lay our items on the belt when Lorelei began to hop in place as something good caught her attention.
"What?" I ask noticing after laying down a box of frozen pizza.
"You pay, I'll be right back!"
"What!"
"I'll be right back." She threw the money on the belt and bolts out of the store as though Brad had just sauntered past the Fixodent display.
I give a little groan as I resume my task of putting all our crap on the belt.
"Hey, you're new, aren't you?"
"Huh?" I look up to find this giant boy grinning at me.
When I say giant, I don't mean GIANT. He was normal size, I guess, he was just really tall, looming might be a good word for it. He leans down a bit, making his stature less intimidating. He is cute: dark hair and equally dark eyes that glint a little as he grins at me.
I must admit I am a little disconcerted, a complete stranger talking to me. But then I realize this is Star's Hallow and I had to learn to get used to it.
"Gilmore? That's your name right?"
"Yea," I nod. "I mean, no. Gilmore is the last name."
"I guessed," he grins as he places more of our items in plastic bags. "So, can I get a hint on the first name?"
"Sorry," I duck my head and scratch my forehead to hide my blush. I am such an idiot. I am so bad at talking to boys.
"Rory," I proffer him my hand and then regretted it. I feel like an idiot. Who under the age of 35 shakes hands these days? But he grabs it before I have the sense to take it back and pumps it a few times with that firm grip everyone's always emphasizing. "I mean, not really. Rory is a boy's name. My name is really Lorelei, but everyone just calls me Rory."
"Nice to meet you Lorelei Rory Gilmore." He finally let's go of my hand.
"Rory's not my middle name." I said.
Smooth Rory, really damn smooth, like freaking gravel. I am soooo lame.
"Well, my name is Dean Forrester."
"Yea, me and my mom were just buying groceries." I nod.
Dean.
That was a good name. You don't meet too many Dean's anymore. The name Dean makes me think of good things. I guess it could be because Dean is also the name of a dairy company in the Midwest that makes REALLY good ice cream. But I like to think it's because he's got a good name and if he's related to the milk guys, it couldn't hurt.
"I heard." He nods and lets out a small chuckle. "That's some damn good advertising. Did Taylor pay you for that?"
"No, that was our own work." I let out a small laugh.
"I'm guessing Taylor paid you a visit?"
"How did you know that?"
"My family just moved in as well, and well, Taylor woke up the house at 6am to tell us that our business would be greatly appreciated and our first purchase would be 2 off."
"You got a discount? And 2 one at that! We only got the 6am wake up." I smile.
He leans closer to me, and I can't help but look into his brown eyes. They're small, but gorgeous. There's a twinkle and a smile on his lips and I know my brain is mush.
"I'll give you three percent off." He whispers near my ear and my whole body blushes.
I am quiet as he resumes ringing up our items and I cannot look at him as I begin to grab the bags and leave. It isn't until I hear my name from his lips again that I turn around.
"Hey, you never gave me your money."
And that was the icing on the cake. I am the biggest loser in the whole world. Not only did I stammer like an idiot when he talked to me, I tried to steal groceries?
I need help.
"Sorry," I try to smile again, but it only comes out as a slight frown. "How much do I owe?"
"138.64."
I place the money Lorelei gave me on the belt and push my way out of the store, as best I could with eight bags hanging from my arms.
Standing on the other side of the door is Lorelei with two ice cream cones in her hand.
"Where were you?"
I am irritated now. I just made a complete idiot out of myself in front of a boy and she's getting ice cream.
"Getting ice cream." She grins shoving one of the cones in my face.
"Well my hands are full. And why are you buying ice cream anyways? We just bought some. You couldn't wait until we walked the whole three blocks to our place to eat the ice cream we'd just purchased? And now you're making me carry all these bags and you haven't even offered to help me out."
"Whoa, I'm sorry Six. What's your problem?"
"My problem is I was woken up at 6:30 am after no sleep and you leave me hanging in the grocery store while you buy ice cream when three minutes before we picked up a gallon's worth."
"This stuff is better, it was off a truck!"
"Urgh! I could have been abducted. You run out of the building at the sign of an ice cream truck and someone could have stolen me!"
"No one wants you Rory, you're too damn smart and Michael Jackson doesn't like girls." She frowns. "What is this really about?"
"I just made a total ass of myself!"
I look away and drop half of the bags.
I don't want to explain this. I just want to go home and finish off the gallon of ice cream that we've just paid for.
"How?"
"Never mind." I sigh taking the cone that's still being thrust in my face and trudging through the snow, back towards our house.
"Hey, wait up!" I hear two minutes later, as she catches me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.
She doesn't say anything at first.
But finally after a few moments she bushes back my hair, places a kiss on my cheek and whispers in my ear:
"He's cute."
TBC…
A/N:Sorry this took so long. I'm like the worst writer ever… making my reader's wait so long. Well. I'm sorry. If you're still interested, which I hope you are. Read and review. Please review, I feel I deserve whatever scathing remarks you have for me. I'll talk to you later. Bye
W/ luv,
yo-yo
(1) Elvis Costello- 'This is Hell'… it's on the Gilmore Girl's soundtrack if you want it.
