"Something's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong, Mom, go away," Rory mumbled.
"Rory. You've been studying for two hours. This is your last final. You can take a break to talk to me."
"I'm fine!" Rory protested, snapping her answer.
"Again, I say something's wrong." Lorelai said, sitting down on the coffee table facing Rory.
"You're sitting on my notes."
"Tell me what's wrong."
Rory sighed. "That's just it. I don't know if anything's wrong."
"Interesting dilemma."
"It's like….last week Dean broke both our dates, and I totally get that. But I…"
"You what?"
"I didn't really care? I mean, I cared, but I wasn't really disappointed."
"Hmmmm…" Lorelai mused.
"What hmmm?" Rory asked, setting down her binder.
"You've been kind of unhappy with him for a while, haven't you?"
Rory shrugged. "I don't know."
Lorelai looked at her watch and said "You should probably get to bed. You have to be well rested for your test as well as well read."
Rory nodded. "I'll just re read this one part and then I will."
They hugged goodnight, and Lorelai went upstairs.
Rory read the last bit, then looked at the bracelet on her wrist.
She went to bed.
"Rory!" Dean smiled as Rory emerged from the bus doors the next afternoon.
"Hi, Dean," Rory smiled in surprise. He hadn't met her off the bus in awhile.
"How'd your last final go?"
"Okay. I think I did pretty well. Now we just have the last few days of 'preparation' for next year."
Dean nodded, and they walked to the diner.
"Do you want to get something to eat?" Dean asked her.
"Coffee." Rory commanded, and they laughed.
They sat down at a table when they entered, and Rory waved at Jess.
"What was that?" Dean asked.
"Ummm…a wave?"
"I really don't like him."
"Yes, Dean, but he's a friend of mine, so please don't make a big deal."
Dean snorted, which Rory found kind of unattractive.
Luke came over, asking what they wanted.
"Coffee."
"Addict."
"Yes."
He poured her a cup, grumbling, and Dean asked for a burger.
The two sat in silence for a minute, then Dean said, "Sorry about last weekend."
Rory replied, "I know you were busy, I'm busy too. But the summer's coming up and we'll have more free time."
"Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."
Rory looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"Rory, I'm going back to Chicago for the summer."
Rory sat in silence, his words sinking in until a tiny ball of relief formed in her gut. "You won't be here all summer?"
"No, I'm sorry Rory." He said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss that just didn't have any spark.
"Well, then I guess we shoud just break up then," Rory said, a little voice in her head saying she was relieved.
"RORY! How could you say that?" Dean asked, outraged. "That's not what I wanted! We could just have a long-distance relationship, then we will be together next year!"
"Dean, I'm not saying we won't talk," Rory explained, shocked at how bad this felt. "It's just, you'll be there and I'll be here. We'll be friends for the summer, and then when you come back, maybe…."
Dean stayed silent. Then he opened his mouth and said, "If that's what you want."
Rory nodded, saying "I will miss you though, Dean." And she would. A little.
Unbeknownst to them, Jess was listening from the counter.
Luke walked by him, and paused, asking "What are you so happy about?"
The mystery guy drove past a sign that said "Welcome To Connecticut."
"We're here," He laughed, taking a sip of his beer.
"Nothing's wrong, Mom, go away," Rory mumbled.
"Rory. You've been studying for two hours. This is your last final. You can take a break to talk to me."
"I'm fine!" Rory protested, snapping her answer.
"Again, I say something's wrong." Lorelai said, sitting down on the coffee table facing Rory.
"You're sitting on my notes."
"Tell me what's wrong."
Rory sighed. "That's just it. I don't know if anything's wrong."
"Interesting dilemma."
"It's like….last week Dean broke both our dates, and I totally get that. But I…"
"You what?"
"I didn't really care? I mean, I cared, but I wasn't really disappointed."
"Hmmmm…" Lorelai mused.
"What hmmm?" Rory asked, setting down her binder.
"You've been kind of unhappy with him for a while, haven't you?"
Rory shrugged. "I don't know."
Lorelai looked at her watch and said "You should probably get to bed. You have to be well rested for your test as well as well read."
Rory nodded. "I'll just re read this one part and then I will."
They hugged goodnight, and Lorelai went upstairs.
Rory read the last bit, then looked at the bracelet on her wrist.
She went to bed.
"Rory!" Dean smiled as Rory emerged from the bus doors the next afternoon.
"Hi, Dean," Rory smiled in surprise. He hadn't met her off the bus in awhile.
"How'd your last final go?"
"Okay. I think I did pretty well. Now we just have the last few days of 'preparation' for next year."
Dean nodded, and they walked to the diner.
"Do you want to get something to eat?" Dean asked her.
"Coffee." Rory commanded, and they laughed.
They sat down at a table when they entered, and Rory waved at Jess.
"What was that?" Dean asked.
"Ummm…a wave?"
"I really don't like him."
"Yes, Dean, but he's a friend of mine, so please don't make a big deal."
Dean snorted, which Rory found kind of unattractive.
Luke came over, asking what they wanted.
"Coffee."
"Addict."
"Yes."
He poured her a cup, grumbling, and Dean asked for a burger.
The two sat in silence for a minute, then Dean said, "Sorry about last weekend."
Rory replied, "I know you were busy, I'm busy too. But the summer's coming up and we'll have more free time."
"Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."
Rory looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"Rory, I'm going back to Chicago for the summer."
Rory sat in silence, his words sinking in until a tiny ball of relief formed in her gut. "You won't be here all summer?"
"No, I'm sorry Rory." He said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss that just didn't have any spark.
"Well, then I guess we shoud just break up then," Rory said, a little voice in her head saying she was relieved.
"RORY! How could you say that?" Dean asked, outraged. "That's not what I wanted! We could just have a long-distance relationship, then we will be together next year!"
"Dean, I'm not saying we won't talk," Rory explained, shocked at how bad this felt. "It's just, you'll be there and I'll be here. We'll be friends for the summer, and then when you come back, maybe…."
Dean stayed silent. Then he opened his mouth and said, "If that's what you want."
Rory nodded, saying "I will miss you though, Dean." And she would. A little.
Unbeknownst to them, Jess was listening from the counter.
Luke walked by him, and paused, asking "What are you so happy about?"
The mystery guy drove past a sign that said "Welcome To Connecticut."
"We're here," He laughed, taking a sip of his beer.