King of Fools part 4 When the Lights Go Out. By Lexy
Disclaimer: Don't own them, just trying to pay homage in my own special way. They belong to those other people.
AN. Thanks to all that have read and reviewed. I feel very loved. Sorry it took so long to get the next part out. There was a big mess, involving ferrets and cheese, I really don't want to talk about it, sigh. I feel that these scenes are very uncreative, so feel free to throw tomatoes at the plot contrivances. Sorry about the knee content, it is less than I would have like, but it will get there
Rory promised herself she wouldn't cry.
She had been crying all week, in the bathroom between classes, on the phone with Lane, eating pizza with Lorelai, every since Dean had dropped the horrible news. She had barely made it through the first week of school without giving into the overwhelming feeling that her life was about to end. She knew that that was silly, her brain told her that high school relationships barely ever lasted after graduation, let alone a long distance relationship, but her heart told her that life without Dean was going to be miserable. Sighing Rory tried to steer her thoughts to less traumatic places. Chilton, who had thought that would ever seem less than traumatic? School had been going well when she was focused enough to pay attention. Paris had been more civil to her, even nice. Rory highly suspected that this was due more in part to Paris's new found distraction of see what she and Nathan could get away with between classes then with an actual shift in Paris's feelings for her. Who knew Paris had a wild child pent-up under that prep school uniform? Her life at Chilton was almost peaceful, especially now that Tristan had stopped teasing her.
Tristan… He remained an enigma. He still hadn't spoken to her since classes had begun. He still was at the top of his game, the string of girls following him was even longer than last year, but he seemed different, disinterested. He spent a large amount of time plugged into a Walkman. His "friends" didn't seem to notice, he still played the game with them. But not Rory, not even a word for her. Sighing again, Rory concentrated on her irritation with Tristan. It was easier than thinking about Dean.
Juggling her school bag, a couple of grocery bags and a stack of tapes Rory opened the front door with her left pinky. Running to keep everything in her hands, Rory quickly made her way to the kitchen table. Tapes falling out of her arms, they clattered onto the table, knocking off a large envelope. Dropping the grocery bags on the floor, Rory reached over to pick up the envelope. A piece of Hello Kitty stationary had fallen close by. Picking up the note, Rory immediately recognized her mother's handwriting.
Hey Sweetie,
So this came in the mail today and it kind of fell open (well it fell open after meeting with a steaming iron, but I couldn't help it. It was all sitting there, with its stamp and saying "Open Me". I had an Alice moment.) I hope you don't mind. I am working a little late but will be home in time for movie fun. All I can say (or would that be write?) is thank goodness for the Vineyard, rescuing us from another "Friday". I could kiss it, if it wasn't a landmass-type-thingy.
Luv,
Mom
The familiar Harvard emblem stared up at Rory from the envelope. She shook out the contents, perusing the form letter and the brochure with smiling students in front of ivy covered walls. Most of it she had seen before but a small card caught her attention. It advertised a prospective freshman weekend where students could visit and stay with "Prospective Freshman Mentors". Grabbing quickly for a pen from her bag Rory flipped the card over only to find her mother's handwriting gazing back at her. Laughing Rory went in search for stamps.
The stamps proved to be much easier to find than the phone when it rang a few minutes later. On the fifth ring Rory managed to pull it out from where it was cleverly wedged in between the couch cushions.
"Hello?"
"Five rings, I think that is a new Gilmore record."
"DEAN!!!"
"No it is your other boyfriend."
"Darn you Bob, I told you not to call, Dean will get suspicious."
"I will be more discrete next time. You still want me to come over early?"
"Of course, more time to torment you."
"When you put it that way…."
"Kidding, tonight will be a torment Dean free zone."
"Are you sure you can get your mom to agree with that? She still talks about gluing antlers on my head and making me run for target practice."
"She promises she would use blanks. I will see what I can do."
"Running now, breaks over."
"Tell Taylor he is a slave driver and you should get paid to talk to me."
"You tell him, I will run the other way."
"Later?"
"Later."
Rory sighed as she hung up. She sighed again when she realized how much she had been sighing lately. She and Dean had been effectively skirting around what would happen when he left, but that would not last for long. Her stomach sank, hoping that the topic would remain undiscussed tonight. Looking around the living room another sigh came unbidden to Rory's lips. She set off cleaning up the clutter.
The smell of popcorn greeted Lorelai as she entered the house. Laughing voices drew her into the living room. Lane and Henry lay on a mass of pillows on the floor while Paris leaned against a strange guy that she assumed was Nathan on the couch.
"Sorry to interrupt this night of couples bonding but have you seen a girl about this high, usually has a nose in a book, sometimes accompanied by a large boy with goofy floppy hair? And why is Kenneth Branagh frozen in place on my TV screen?"
"Dead Again and Kitchen," replied Nathan, his fingers absently drawing circles on Paris's knee.
"Thank you o one to whom I have not been properly introduced. I shall go collect my daughter and we can remedy that situation."
Lorelai headed towards the kitchen with four sets of amused eyes following her. Hushed angry voices cautioned Lorelai as she approached, slowing to a stop just outside the doorway.
"---I really don't want to talk about this right now."
"Rory, we have to talk about it sooner or later, I leave in less than a week."
"But does it have to be tonight!?!?!"
"Now is as good as time as any Rory. What are we going to do about us after I move?"
"I told you not to ask me that."
"Why not, don't you love me anymore?"
"No… it is not that, we have a living room full of people and I just wanted to have a happy fun night, and you have to go talking about leaving. I didn't want to cry tonight. I just wanted to imagine that you weren't moving and that I wasn't losing you."
"You don't have to lose me Rory."
"Dean, be realistic. Chicago. Hartford. Distance does not a happy couple make."
"But we could make it work Rory. I love you."
"I love you too, you idiot. But we have to face reality."
"Reality is what we make it. Unless there is some other reason you don't want to stay together. Someone else…"
"Sometimes I think males have the soul ownership of the dumb chromosome. No Dean, there is no one else. It is just that we are in high school and I don't think it is rational to expect this relationship to be able to handle the distance."
"I don't care about rational. I love you Rory. And if you loved me you would want stay together."
"That is unfair and low. Enough, I don't need this tonight. This conversation is finished and if you don't like it you can leave. "
Rory came running past Lorelai, tears streaming down her pretty face. She darted up the stairs.
"RORY, WAIT!" Dean called, his voice drawing the attention of the people in the living room, who proceeded to flood into the hall.
Rory reached the top stair and turned back, perched and crying.
"Go home Dean. You have ruined my night and I don't feel like talking anymore."
Dean's shoulders slumped. "Yes Rory, I will go." He turned away.
"Dean. Wait."
Rory took a step and missed the next stair. The world seemed to slow down as Rory felt herself falling forward. The floor rushed up to meet her and everything went black.