By Stew Pid
Rating: Should be okay.
Disclaimer: I only own the Stew Pid stuff.
A/N: The author's note is that I'm relieving you of an author's note this time. =)
Rory was visiting Lane in New York and after an entire day out they settled down in Lane's room listening to the newest additions to her music collection, which had grown considerably during her time in New York.
"I don't know how I'll ever get all these CDs back to Stars Hollow."
"Five U-Haul trucks should do it. And another one for the rest of your stuff."
"What would I do without you?"
"Make more music together with Tom and never get back to Stars Hollow?"
They giggled in a refreshing return to high school imbecility.
"So what's the update back home?"
"Well, not much since the last time we spoke, uh, three days ago. I really haven't spent that much time there yet. I stopped by for a couple of weeks as soon as finals were over and then I stopped to see Paris in Massachusetts on my way here."
"That friendship is one I will never understand."
"I don't quite understand it either. Though she's really calmed down after she won."
"Won?"
"She went to Harvard and I didn't."
"That's ridiculous."
"No. That's Paris."
"So, any new romances?"
Rory blushed. "No. Nothing like that."
"Don't tell me you're still wallowing over Nick."
"Heck no. Nick was a jerk. I think my only attraction to him was that he shared the name of a Fitzgerald character. But after a while he even got annoying with that."
"You created that monster, though. You should never have let on that you were able to connect the name of Nick Carraway with The Great Gatsby. Most people don't remember the narrator's name and so he probably never thought to brag about it before."
"I plead guilty to all charges."
"Is it Dean?"
"Is what Dean?"
"The reason you haven't been able to enter into a serious relationship with any guy since high school."
"No. Dean and I are just good friends now. He's getting married and I'm happy for him. I just have bigger things to focus on. This is my last year at Yale. I have to start planning again for the rest of my life."
"You've been hanging around Paris too much."
"Well, actually, Paris and Brad are quite serious. They're like an old married couple, except Paris is Archie Bunker and Brad is Edith. It's funny."
"It's weird, isn't it? First you think the biggest decision on the rest fo your life is what high school you go to, then what college, then what to do after college, and then for some, who or when or whether to marry. It never ends does it?"
"Well, it'd have to end when you die, right?"
"That's so morbid. You have definitely been hanging too much around Paris."
Lane's roomate entered with a guest, and the tension in the room was immediately felt. Rory Gilmore always had an amazing capacity for tolerance, but if there was one person she could not stand, it was Lane's roommate Amanda. Amanda was another Paris, only lacking in the better qualities.
"Well, Lane. I better go."
"Why don't you wait for Tom to get here. He'll drive you."
"No. That's okay. I'll take a cab."
Rory quickly gathered her stuff, nodded to Amanda and her guest, and did not even wait for Amanda's withering stare before she hugged Lane and was out the door.
Second thoughts are always wiser and had she waited for them to come to her head, she would have taken up Lane's offer for Tom to drive her. She was still afraid of New York City at night. She waited at the corner for a string of traffic to arrive, holding out her hand to hail a cab. Cars sped by down the street and into the distance, leaving Rory in their apathetic dust.
"Should you be standing here all alone? I hear this is a pretty dangerous corner."