Leaves
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to ASP and all those companies. I've spent all my money on Christmas presents anyway. Just for fun.
Pairing: R/T
Feedback: Please. Just so I don't disappear under a rock.
Author's Note: Again, thanks to Rianna, for betaing this story. I'm so glad I didn't post the first draft of this. You would be too.
This takes place after "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore." Rory broke up with Dean shortly after that, and agreed to those next six balls. Nothing after that episode happened, I think.
**********
Rory and Lane were walking to Luke's, their breath making white clouds in the frigid air.
"So you get all Lorelai's coffee today?"
"No, I'm going to wait for a day when she wakes up before noon."
"Good plan. Hers was too."
"It was?"
"Yeah. You're afraid of so many things Rory. This is a start."
"I am not afraid of so many things."
"You are too." Lane cut Rory off before she could deny it again. "I'm not saying you're a coward, I'm just saying you try way too hard to not be afraid."
"You're upset that I'm losing the battle of who could care less?"
"That's not what I mean at all, and stop trying to change the subject just because it scares you." Lane sighed, and shook her head. "You work so hard, just to keep the status quo. It's like you're Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville."
"Oh, it is not like that."
"It is too. You're working towards an impossible ideal, towards something that isn't an ideal at all. I have to wonder, the things you do, whether you do them because you really want to, or because you're afraid to do anything else."
"Afraid of what?"
"Hmm. I don't know, afraid of your mother's rejection if she thinks you're going to make the same mistakes she made? Afraid your grandmother will start treating you like she does your mother? Afraid that Michael Myers will come and get you if you step out of line? You tell me."
"I'm not afraid. I just think that if I do the things my mom did, they'll have the same consequences. That's not fear, that's reality."
"I'm not talking about sex, Rory. Although you are, and maybe that's telling us something. God, I hope that's telling us something, my vicarious life has been boring lately. It's just that sometimes, it seems that you're frozen, paralyzed, and I wonder what you miss out on because of that." She sighed again. "I don't know what I'm talking about. Let me read a couple more Jane's and I'll get back to you on it."
"Okay, I'm not going to buy those for you anymore."
****************************************************************
The week that was left of Christmas break flew by, and Rory's head was still spinning at the end of her first week back at Chilton. The teachers had piled the homework on to punish the students for taking time off, having seemingly forgotten about the masses of homework they had assigned for the break. It was times like these Rory wished she wasn't such a good student. What was the point in spending five hours on an essay if the teacher wasn't going to grade it?
By last period on Friday, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed until Easter, and at that night's dinner, it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. Her mother and grandmother were bickering about something, and Rory's coffee kicked in halfway through the argument.
"..but that's beside the point, Lorelai. The point is, Rory cannot go without an escort. He's a very nice boy, we've known the family for years, and-"
"You know just what defects are lurking beneath the surface of his gene pool. I get it, mom. But Rory'll be traumatized enough without having to make nice to some stuck-up stranger all night. I mean the kids who go to these things - sorry sweetie - are not the sort of people-"
"You want Rory associating with. Isn't that lovely? I cannot be trusted to look after my own granddaughter. I'm forcing Rory into unsuitable company. I'm glad you value my judgement so highly, Lorelai. Perhaps for the next ball, I'll ask the Andersons' boy to be Rory's escort; he was just thrown out of rehab, you know. He's very charming though, I'm sure you'll like him. And I don't think you could call him stuck-up, with all the time he's spent-"
"Mom, Rory-"
"No, Lorelai, I yield to your superior judgement, I'll arrange that for the next ball. But I'm afraid Rory will just have to put up with a boy who is beneath her until then. Really, Lorelai, these children are Rory's peers! Tristan goes to-"
"Tristan?"
"Yes, Rory. He goes to Chilton with you; I believe you have several classes together. You see, Lorelai, he is not a total stranger."
"No, we just wish he was. Rory's not going anywhere with Tristan, mom. I'm putting my foot down. Foot on the floor, see? Well, no, you couldn't see me uncross my legs there, because I did it under the table, but Rory is not going with Tristan. Do you know Tristan, mom? He's this bratty little kid with a sense of entitlement bigger than Julia Roberts' teeth, who.. gah! He's just a snotty little brat!"
Emily's voice rose. "Lorelai, this is unacceptable! The DuGreys are our friends, and I will not have you speak of their son in this fashion! Richard, tell her."
"Hmm? Yes, dear, I'm sure whatever you think is right."
"Oh! Lorelai, Rory will attend that ball with-"
"You know what mom, why don't we just ask her?"
Two pairs of angry eyes swung around to Rory, each expecting her agreement. She glanced to her grandfather for guidance, but he was struggling with an oyster, and didn't look up. "Well, um, what does Tristan think about this?"
"He'll be delighted, dear, he-"
"He doesn't know? You can't force him to come with me."
"Oh, I'm sure he's been told by now. And he will be delighted, Rory, because I talked to him about you at my New Year's Eve party, and he agreed that you were a lovely girl. You need have no worries there."
"Um, then, okay, I guess." Rory picked nervously at her oyster, avoiding her mother's shocked gaze.
"Wonderful. I'll have him telephone you in the next few days. Now we need to discuss Rory's party, Lorelai."
"Oh, mom, haven't I suffered enough for this lifetime?"
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to ASP and all those companies. I've spent all my money on Christmas presents anyway. Just for fun.
Pairing: R/T
Feedback: Please. Just so I don't disappear under a rock.
Author's Note: Again, thanks to Rianna, for betaing this story. I'm so glad I didn't post the first draft of this. You would be too.
This takes place after "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore." Rory broke up with Dean shortly after that, and agreed to those next six balls. Nothing after that episode happened, I think.
**********
Rory and Lane were walking to Luke's, their breath making white clouds in the frigid air.
"So you get all Lorelai's coffee today?"
"No, I'm going to wait for a day when she wakes up before noon."
"Good plan. Hers was too."
"It was?"
"Yeah. You're afraid of so many things Rory. This is a start."
"I am not afraid of so many things."
"You are too." Lane cut Rory off before she could deny it again. "I'm not saying you're a coward, I'm just saying you try way too hard to not be afraid."
"You're upset that I'm losing the battle of who could care less?"
"That's not what I mean at all, and stop trying to change the subject just because it scares you." Lane sighed, and shook her head. "You work so hard, just to keep the status quo. It's like you're Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville."
"Oh, it is not like that."
"It is too. You're working towards an impossible ideal, towards something that isn't an ideal at all. I have to wonder, the things you do, whether you do them because you really want to, or because you're afraid to do anything else."
"Afraid of what?"
"Hmm. I don't know, afraid of your mother's rejection if she thinks you're going to make the same mistakes she made? Afraid your grandmother will start treating you like she does your mother? Afraid that Michael Myers will come and get you if you step out of line? You tell me."
"I'm not afraid. I just think that if I do the things my mom did, they'll have the same consequences. That's not fear, that's reality."
"I'm not talking about sex, Rory. Although you are, and maybe that's telling us something. God, I hope that's telling us something, my vicarious life has been boring lately. It's just that sometimes, it seems that you're frozen, paralyzed, and I wonder what you miss out on because of that." She sighed again. "I don't know what I'm talking about. Let me read a couple more Jane's and I'll get back to you on it."
"Okay, I'm not going to buy those for you anymore."
****************************************************************
The week that was left of Christmas break flew by, and Rory's head was still spinning at the end of her first week back at Chilton. The teachers had piled the homework on to punish the students for taking time off, having seemingly forgotten about the masses of homework they had assigned for the break. It was times like these Rory wished she wasn't such a good student. What was the point in spending five hours on an essay if the teacher wasn't going to grade it?
By last period on Friday, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed until Easter, and at that night's dinner, it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. Her mother and grandmother were bickering about something, and Rory's coffee kicked in halfway through the argument.
"..but that's beside the point, Lorelai. The point is, Rory cannot go without an escort. He's a very nice boy, we've known the family for years, and-"
"You know just what defects are lurking beneath the surface of his gene pool. I get it, mom. But Rory'll be traumatized enough without having to make nice to some stuck-up stranger all night. I mean the kids who go to these things - sorry sweetie - are not the sort of people-"
"You want Rory associating with. Isn't that lovely? I cannot be trusted to look after my own granddaughter. I'm forcing Rory into unsuitable company. I'm glad you value my judgement so highly, Lorelai. Perhaps for the next ball, I'll ask the Andersons' boy to be Rory's escort; he was just thrown out of rehab, you know. He's very charming though, I'm sure you'll like him. And I don't think you could call him stuck-up, with all the time he's spent-"
"Mom, Rory-"
"No, Lorelai, I yield to your superior judgement, I'll arrange that for the next ball. But I'm afraid Rory will just have to put up with a boy who is beneath her until then. Really, Lorelai, these children are Rory's peers! Tristan goes to-"
"Tristan?"
"Yes, Rory. He goes to Chilton with you; I believe you have several classes together. You see, Lorelai, he is not a total stranger."
"No, we just wish he was. Rory's not going anywhere with Tristan, mom. I'm putting my foot down. Foot on the floor, see? Well, no, you couldn't see me uncross my legs there, because I did it under the table, but Rory is not going with Tristan. Do you know Tristan, mom? He's this bratty little kid with a sense of entitlement bigger than Julia Roberts' teeth, who.. gah! He's just a snotty little brat!"
Emily's voice rose. "Lorelai, this is unacceptable! The DuGreys are our friends, and I will not have you speak of their son in this fashion! Richard, tell her."
"Hmm? Yes, dear, I'm sure whatever you think is right."
"Oh! Lorelai, Rory will attend that ball with-"
"You know what mom, why don't we just ask her?"
Two pairs of angry eyes swung around to Rory, each expecting her agreement. She glanced to her grandfather for guidance, but he was struggling with an oyster, and didn't look up. "Well, um, what does Tristan think about this?"
"He'll be delighted, dear, he-"
"He doesn't know? You can't force him to come with me."
"Oh, I'm sure he's been told by now. And he will be delighted, Rory, because I talked to him about you at my New Year's Eve party, and he agreed that you were a lovely girl. You need have no worries there."
"Um, then, okay, I guess." Rory picked nervously at her oyster, avoiding her mother's shocked gaze.
"Wonderful. I'll have him telephone you in the next few days. Now we need to discuss Rory's party, Lorelai."
"Oh, mom, haven't I suffered enough for this lifetime?"