A/N:This part is sort of off the topic of the story but it's fun, cute, and descriptive so I better get good reviews. It's Rory being alone and having a semi-monologue. The real story'll be back on track in the following chapters.
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Walking through the crisp and cool evening, Rory realized how much she's been missing. Lately she's been tied up with studying, school, Dean, the town, family, and life all together that she hasn't taken the time to appreciate the world around her that she walks upon everyday. There was a small garden behind the park that was very secluded. Rory went there to read constantly when she was little. Lorelai or even Lane don't even know about it. Once Lane had tried to follow her to see where she went all the time, but Rory heard the crinkling of the leaves behind her and caught her friend successfully, still not revealing the secret-garden. She hasn't visited that place in over a year and wanted to see if it had changed.
She walked excitedly through the park, into a small patch of woods that leaded to a stout metal-gate that was covered in green and brown vines. Rory smiled and touched the gate with her fingers feeling the cool metal, and pushing it open. Her eyes had a twinkle of excitement as the view became more clear. Memories piled up in a line trying to refresh her mind with sweet thoughts and things that she used to adore so much. The tiny circle of flowers that wilted in the autumn, but sprung again in spring. She never knew who first planted them, but always wanted to grow more herself. The vines that gradually grew higher than she remembered along the ancient fence. The four trees, small enough for her to climb up in, all spread out along the outline of the square garden. The leaves were just turning green and spritely she could tell which made her smile even brighter. The twigs and leaves crunched beneath her feet making her tingle with joy. One thing she remembered was the silence. There, of course, were distant noises, but for some reason she seemed to block it out once she walked past the gate. There weren't any birds or other annoying creatures. Mostly plantlife. Before her life sprung into action and adventure, this is what she had loved. The nature and simple things that life had to offer. Sitting down on the singular bench, Rory now realized that this garden was made for only one person to enjoy...and she had found it, and kept it as her own. There were probably other kids who come here, but not to enjoy it like she did, but maybe to run around and play child-games.
Rory pulled her book out of her coat pocket and began reading. After a while, she couldn't concentrate any longer. The words on the page weren't processing through her mind as it was wandering to different situations. Especially the large one she had on her hands recently. She thought intently to herself, "I love Dean. No regrets of that night cross my mind at all. It just sucks that it had to end up like it did. Why did this have to happen to me? Everything was going good until Jess came to town..I will never forgive him for what he did. It's unbelievable how you think you know someone until the truth finally comes out and you realize that you don't even know their real problems. In Jess' case, he has many problems. Problems that I don't want to be apart of or hear about. And Dean...Dean is wonderful. He is the only boyfriend i've had...and that fact scares me. I love him so much that I sometimes wonder if he's the only person i'll ever be with, but he makes me so happy. I sometimes want to be single and alone again, but I know that one saying will come creeping back into my heart; 'you never know what you have until it's gone.' I can't concentrate. I can't think straight. I need coffee."
Rory slowly rose from the white, vine covered bench and walked out of the small gate. Through the small patch of woods and into the park. Past the gazebo, across the street, and into---. No, wait. "I can't go in there. Jess is in there. I'll peek through the window first." Rory looked through the window and didn't see him around. He might be upstairs..or out. I'll just get some coffee to go. She stepped inside the diner, causing the bell above the door to ring, and walked straight up to the counter. Luke gave his version of a smile and looked up. "I'll have one coffee to go, please." she said quickly.
"Just one? You seem tense..sure you don't want two?"
"Why, Luke, i'm shocked. You're usually pestering me to not purchase even one cup of coffee, and now you're encouraging me to drink two cups of the 'dameon liquid' as you so patronizingly referred to it last week.
"Sorry, I don't know what it is, but you look like you need it."
"Is this your idea of small talk because i'm really not in the mood, Luke."
"I'll get your coffee."
"Thank you." Rory looked around cautiously and twiddled her fingers together. Luke put the coffee in front of her, and Rory replaced it with the money she owed, walking out the door with coffee in hand. Taking a sip, it slowly drizzled down her throat giving her a warm and fuzzy sensation nothing else could replace...well, except for that night--" Rory thought to herself and smiled replaying the events of Valentine's night until she bumped into someone, not noticing where she was going. She looked up to see Lane.
"Hey!"
"Hey, where have you been lately? You've been the invisable man for about a week now."
They started walking and talking toward the empty gazebo.
"I know, i'm sorry I havn't stopped by or called.."
"No, it's okay. I've been at Korean Bible studies double time as usual, plus my mother has decided to start me on a sunday school tutoring session with these kids."
"Sorry."
"Thanks...so what's new?"
They sat down on the bench in the gazebo. "Well actually...I have something that I probably should tell you."
"You look upset...is it something bad?"
"Well the one part's good..well I don't know if you'll find it good, but the other part is the opposite of good."
"...which would be bad."
"Yes."
"Okay, spill."
"Okay, the other night--Valentine's Day and Dean's birthday--Dean and I...uh, well--"
"Well, what?!"
"I don't know how to say this without sounding completely spastic."
"Did you and Dean break up again?!"
"No! No, nothing like that!"
"Oh, good. Then what? Please tell me, I don't care how it sounds as long as I hear it."
"Okay. Dean and I...slept together."
Lane's eyes widened, "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I know."
"That wasn't the bad part was it?"
"No, that was definately the good part." she smiled.
Lane smiled back, "Then what's the bad part?"
Rory told Lane the whole story about Jess and the photos leaving Lane completely disturbed.
"I feel like i'm an extra in 90210 or some badly written soap opera. That's horrible--why would he do that?"
"I don't know. I think he gets pleasure out of seeing other people suffer."
"So are you going to tell Lorelai?"
"I am. When I get home...if I can get myself to actually say it this time."
"Okay, well I have to get home myself..so good luck."
"Thanks, i'll need every bit I can get."
Lane smiled and walked in the direction toward her house. Rory sat by herself for a few minutes, staring blindly into her empty coffee cup, she didn't notice someone sitting next to her. She turned her head and gave a weak smile, and simply rested her head on his shoulder.
"What can I do to help?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know you're still upset, I am too, but not as much as you are...so what can I do to help the situation?"
"Can you just stay here with me for a little longer?"
Dean didn't reply, but just brought her closer to him and let her relax.
"Did you tell your mom yet?" he asked.
"No. I tried but I just couldn't get myself to say it. Maybe I can write her a letter."
"I think verbal is the better way to go."
"What would I do without you?" she said sleepily.
"Live your life normally as the beautiful person you are."
Rory closed her eyes and sqeezed his arm as a 'thank you' gesture.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
"Very."
"Reason?"
"Rough day at school I guess."
"Want to stay here, or go back to your house?"
"Back home I suppose."
"Okay."
They both got up and made their way back to Rory's house.
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Walking through the crisp and cool evening, Rory realized how much she's been missing. Lately she's been tied up with studying, school, Dean, the town, family, and life all together that she hasn't taken the time to appreciate the world around her that she walks upon everyday. There was a small garden behind the park that was very secluded. Rory went there to read constantly when she was little. Lorelai or even Lane don't even know about it. Once Lane had tried to follow her to see where she went all the time, but Rory heard the crinkling of the leaves behind her and caught her friend successfully, still not revealing the secret-garden. She hasn't visited that place in over a year and wanted to see if it had changed.
She walked excitedly through the park, into a small patch of woods that leaded to a stout metal-gate that was covered in green and brown vines. Rory smiled and touched the gate with her fingers feeling the cool metal, and pushing it open. Her eyes had a twinkle of excitement as the view became more clear. Memories piled up in a line trying to refresh her mind with sweet thoughts and things that she used to adore so much. The tiny circle of flowers that wilted in the autumn, but sprung again in spring. She never knew who first planted them, but always wanted to grow more herself. The vines that gradually grew higher than she remembered along the ancient fence. The four trees, small enough for her to climb up in, all spread out along the outline of the square garden. The leaves were just turning green and spritely she could tell which made her smile even brighter. The twigs and leaves crunched beneath her feet making her tingle with joy. One thing she remembered was the silence. There, of course, were distant noises, but for some reason she seemed to block it out once she walked past the gate. There weren't any birds or other annoying creatures. Mostly plantlife. Before her life sprung into action and adventure, this is what she had loved. The nature and simple things that life had to offer. Sitting down on the singular bench, Rory now realized that this garden was made for only one person to enjoy...and she had found it, and kept it as her own. There were probably other kids who come here, but not to enjoy it like she did, but maybe to run around and play child-games.
Rory pulled her book out of her coat pocket and began reading. After a while, she couldn't concentrate any longer. The words on the page weren't processing through her mind as it was wandering to different situations. Especially the large one she had on her hands recently. She thought intently to herself, "I love Dean. No regrets of that night cross my mind at all. It just sucks that it had to end up like it did. Why did this have to happen to me? Everything was going good until Jess came to town..I will never forgive him for what he did. It's unbelievable how you think you know someone until the truth finally comes out and you realize that you don't even know their real problems. In Jess' case, he has many problems. Problems that I don't want to be apart of or hear about. And Dean...Dean is wonderful. He is the only boyfriend i've had...and that fact scares me. I love him so much that I sometimes wonder if he's the only person i'll ever be with, but he makes me so happy. I sometimes want to be single and alone again, but I know that one saying will come creeping back into my heart; 'you never know what you have until it's gone.' I can't concentrate. I can't think straight. I need coffee."
Rory slowly rose from the white, vine covered bench and walked out of the small gate. Through the small patch of woods and into the park. Past the gazebo, across the street, and into---. No, wait. "I can't go in there. Jess is in there. I'll peek through the window first." Rory looked through the window and didn't see him around. He might be upstairs..or out. I'll just get some coffee to go. She stepped inside the diner, causing the bell above the door to ring, and walked straight up to the counter. Luke gave his version of a smile and looked up. "I'll have one coffee to go, please." she said quickly.
"Just one? You seem tense..sure you don't want two?"
"Why, Luke, i'm shocked. You're usually pestering me to not purchase even one cup of coffee, and now you're encouraging me to drink two cups of the 'dameon liquid' as you so patronizingly referred to it last week.
"Sorry, I don't know what it is, but you look like you need it."
"Is this your idea of small talk because i'm really not in the mood, Luke."
"I'll get your coffee."
"Thank you." Rory looked around cautiously and twiddled her fingers together. Luke put the coffee in front of her, and Rory replaced it with the money she owed, walking out the door with coffee in hand. Taking a sip, it slowly drizzled down her throat giving her a warm and fuzzy sensation nothing else could replace...well, except for that night--" Rory thought to herself and smiled replaying the events of Valentine's night until she bumped into someone, not noticing where she was going. She looked up to see Lane.
"Hey!"
"Hey, where have you been lately? You've been the invisable man for about a week now."
They started walking and talking toward the empty gazebo.
"I know, i'm sorry I havn't stopped by or called.."
"No, it's okay. I've been at Korean Bible studies double time as usual, plus my mother has decided to start me on a sunday school tutoring session with these kids."
"Sorry."
"Thanks...so what's new?"
They sat down on the bench in the gazebo. "Well actually...I have something that I probably should tell you."
"You look upset...is it something bad?"
"Well the one part's good..well I don't know if you'll find it good, but the other part is the opposite of good."
"...which would be bad."
"Yes."
"Okay, spill."
"Okay, the other night--Valentine's Day and Dean's birthday--Dean and I...uh, well--"
"Well, what?!"
"I don't know how to say this without sounding completely spastic."
"Did you and Dean break up again?!"
"No! No, nothing like that!"
"Oh, good. Then what? Please tell me, I don't care how it sounds as long as I hear it."
"Okay. Dean and I...slept together."
Lane's eyes widened, "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I know."
"That wasn't the bad part was it?"
"No, that was definately the good part." she smiled.
Lane smiled back, "Then what's the bad part?"
Rory told Lane the whole story about Jess and the photos leaving Lane completely disturbed.
"I feel like i'm an extra in 90210 or some badly written soap opera. That's horrible--why would he do that?"
"I don't know. I think he gets pleasure out of seeing other people suffer."
"So are you going to tell Lorelai?"
"I am. When I get home...if I can get myself to actually say it this time."
"Okay, well I have to get home myself..so good luck."
"Thanks, i'll need every bit I can get."
Lane smiled and walked in the direction toward her house. Rory sat by herself for a few minutes, staring blindly into her empty coffee cup, she didn't notice someone sitting next to her. She turned her head and gave a weak smile, and simply rested her head on his shoulder.
"What can I do to help?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know you're still upset, I am too, but not as much as you are...so what can I do to help the situation?"
"Can you just stay here with me for a little longer?"
Dean didn't reply, but just brought her closer to him and let her relax.
"Did you tell your mom yet?" he asked.
"No. I tried but I just couldn't get myself to say it. Maybe I can write her a letter."
"I think verbal is the better way to go."
"What would I do without you?" she said sleepily.
"Live your life normally as the beautiful person you are."
Rory closed her eyes and sqeezed his arm as a 'thank you' gesture.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
"Very."
"Reason?"
"Rough day at school I guess."
"Want to stay here, or go back to your house?"
"Back home I suppose."
"Okay."
They both got up and made their way back to Rory's house.
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