By Stew Pid
Rating: Should be okay
Disclaimer: I only own the Stew Pid stuff
A/N: The biggest THANKS in the world to my readers and reviews. Much love!
(Lorelai and Rory at the video store.)
Rory: I can't believe the summer is almost over and next week it's back to Chilton.
Lorelai: I know. We haven't nearly done as much damage as we did last summer.
Rory: Are you going to be off on Monday?
Lorelai: No, honey, I don't think so. Labor Day weekend is a busy one at the Inn. I'm sorry.
Rory: No, it's okay. I have to start preparing for school anyway. Paris and I have to get together to put the final touches on the Franklin article…
Lorelai: Because God forbid the first article isn't ready a month before the first issue.
Rory: Exactly. And I need to buy pens, pencils, miscellaneous supplies…
Lorelai: Don't worry about it. We'll steal them from Grandpa.
Rory: Okay. One less thing to worry about. But I need new bus books. I think I have enough lunch books, but bus books, not at all.
Lorelai: Well how do you know that some of your lunch books aren't really bus books?
Rory: They would have told me.
Lorelai: Not if they really wanted to be lunch books. It's so much better to be a lunch book than a bus book.
Rory: Being a bus book is more physically demanding, that's true.
Lorelai: Not to mention the benefits of being a lunch book. Getting all that nice food that occasionally drops from the side of your mouth or your chin and falls on the page…
Rory: I have never dropped food on a book.
Lorelai: Hearing the juicy gossip from the girls next to you…
Rory: The stuff inside the books tends to be more interesting.
Lorelai: To you, but the books know that stuff inside and out. They want to hear new stories. Dirty stories…
Rory: In dissipated vernacular.
Lorelai: Precisely.
Rory: Okay. Well I'm going to have to grill my lunch books when I get home, make sure there are no bus books hiding in the mix.
Lorelai: Good idea. (picking up a video) This one right here is a classic. Let's get it.
Rory: Okay, but how do we know it's a classic and not just some mediocre film disguised as a classic?
Lorelai: Hmm.
(Luke's. Lorelai and Rory enter.)
Lorelai: Luke. Just the person we wanted to see.
Luke: I wonder how you knew to find me here.
Lorelai: Well, Rory suggested it. (to Rory) I wonder how you did know?
Rory: Elementary, my dear Watson. The name of the man for whom you were searching is Luke. In my research I found that this gentlemen named Luke lives and works in Stars Hollow. Of all the buildings in Stars Hollow, only one has his name on it, and every day that we have come to this building we have found the man named Luke to be here. So by the process of deduction I concluded that the one named Luke must be in the building marked by the same name in which he has always been seen.
Lorelai: Outstanding, Holmes! How do you do it?
Rory: Okay now, Watson, if you didn't here a word I just said, you need to see a doctor.
Lorelai: I am a doctor.
Rory: Another type of doctor.
Luke: Are you two going to order something?
Lorelai: Actually, we wanted to invite you to our movie night. See, I was thinking that you got to see what a movie night is with me, but you have yet to see the Dynamic Duo in action.
Rory: First we're Holmes and Watson, now we're Batman and Robin. I want to be Batman. At least he wears pants.
Lorelai: But he wears his underwear over his pants. That just means he was too chicken to go out in just his underwear so he put pants under them. Or it could mean he has horrible legs.
Rory: He could just be modest.
Luke: Hey, Thelma and Louise, are you going to order something?
Lorelai: Um, coffee, I guess, and pie.
Luke: What kind?
Lorelai: Whichever. So are you coming?
Luke: I think I'll have to take a rain check. (He leaves to get their order.)
Rory: I think Luke is in a bad mood.
Lorelai: Ya think, Sherlock.
Rory: I wonder what's wrong?
Lorelai: I don't know. Let me ask him. (She gets up and walks down the counter to where Luke is.) Hey.
Luke: Hey…Look, your coffee's coming. It's not ready yet.
Lorelai: I can wait. So, how're you doing?
Luke: All right, and yourself?
Lorelai: Great. I'm great.
Luke: Good. I'm glad.
Lorelai: Me too. So, uh, anything interesting happen today?
Luke: Things cease to interest me.
Lorelai: Right. So anything new happen today?
Luke: Well, it is a new day.
Lorelai: It was. By now, I've gotten used to it. Look, I'm running out of sneaky questions to ask you to try to pry out what's wrong so why don't you just tell me.
Luke: Nothing's wrong.
Lorelai: Oh, so you were just doing your impression of Oscar Madison over there. I get it. Just to satisfy my own uninterested curiosity, can we just go through whatever did happen today, even though I know nothing happened and nothing's wrong? We can just swap stories about our days. I'll go first. Today I went to the Inn. We had to call a plumber because someone checked out without notifying us that there was a leak and the whole floor got flooded. That was a mess, but everything got settled rather quickly. Rory and Lane dropped by the inn later and we had lunch together, though it was kind of late, so I don't know if you call it lunch. Dunch? Linner? Whatever. I came home. Rory and I had Egg Fu Yong and chicken in garlic sauce. We went to the video store, picked out more movies than we'll ever be able to watch in the time span allowed, and now we're hear, and I'm talking to you, and you're going to tell me about your day.
Luke: Okay. I got up. Opened up here. Jess came down, worked for 15 minutes and left. Nothing unusual. People came in. I cooked and served. Got the mail. Electric bill, water bill, letter from Rachel. I paid the bills. Cooked and served some more so that I can pay the next bills. Pretty much did that for the rest of the day, and now I'm here pouring you your coffee, (gives her the coffee) which you will accept with your pie (gives her the pie) and then you will leave to catch up on those videos. (fake smile)
Lorelai: Sounds like a good day to me. What did Rachel have to say?
Luke: Oh, it was a short note, just letting me know she's getting married, didn't know if she should send me an invitation, but figured I wouldn't come anyway, she's happy with the guy, et cetera.
Lorelai: Ouch. You okay?
Luke: I'm great. Hey, I'm happy for her. That is, if it works. What are the chances that a marriage really will work, though? The increase in the divorce rates is nothing when you think about all those unhappy marriages where the couple is just staying together so they don't have to argue over who gets to keep the car. But I mean, if that's what she wants, hey, I'm happy for her.
Lorelai: Oh the joy is emanating all over the place. Luke, it's okay not to be okay with this. You cared for her a lot. It can't be easy to find out she's marrying somebody else.
Luke: No, it is easy. I didn't want to marry her. I'm not a marrying guy. I'm glad she found some guy she could club and drag to the altar, or to club her and drag her to the altar, however they arranged it.
Lorelai: Well, when you put it that way…
Luke: Lorelai, I'm fine. It's been a busy day. I just want it to end already so I can call it a night and get some sleep.
Lorelai: Okay. Sleep. But tomorrow morning when you wake up and you still feel bummed, it's okay. The girl you cared about, I'd even venture to say "loved" but don't bite my head off, is now going to be off limits. She's never going to walk into the diner with some story of how she suddenly found herself on a plane to Hartford. It hurts. And it's okay.
Luke: I'm fine. Tomorrow I'm going to wake up to the same thing I do every day.
Lorelai: Try to take over the world?
Luke: Good night, Lorelai.
Lorelai: Good night. (Walks over to Rory and gives her a coffee and piece of pie.)
Rory: Bye, Luke.
(Outside)
Rory: So what's with him?
Lorelai: Rachel's getting married.
Rory: Oh. Wow. That sucks.
Lorelai: Yeah. He'll be okay when he admits that it does.
Rory: Ah. I see. King of Denial (A/N: This doesn't work written out because the key is in the homophonic pun, but whatever. You get it)
Lorelai: That's Luke.
Rory: So it looks like it's just you and me for movie night.
Lorelai: As it normally is.
Rory: It's better this way.
Lorelai: Yeah. Three's a crowd.
Rory: I kind of got used to the crowd idea, though.
Lorelai: Yeah. And we got crowd movies.
Rory: That we did.
Lorelai: So what should we do?
Rory: Invite a crowd?
Lorelai: Hmm. Who should we invite? Is Lane free?
Rory: Look at the time.
Lorelai: That's right.
Rory: Sookie?
Lorelai: You think we can pull her away from Jackson?
Rory: Or we could pull Jackson along with her.
Lorelai: That's really a crowd.
Rory: Which was our objective.
Lorelai: So Sookie and Jackson it is.
(As they're walking, they see Dean and Cathy talking and laughing. Rory looks in bewildered shock.)
Lorelai: Rory, don't jump to conclusions. They're probably hanging out as friends.
Rory: Yeah. I know. I'm sure that's what it is. Even if it isn't, it doesn't matter. It's been almost two weeks now. I'm okay. (her eyes well up with tears.) Let's go. (She walks up ahead.)
Lorelai: (quietly) And there goes the Queen of Denial.
(Gilmore Residence. Rory comes out of her room. Lorelai is getting the junk food ready.)
Rory: So did you call Sookie and Jackson?
Lorelai: No. I thought maybe this should be a you and me night.
Rory: This isn't because of Dean and Cathy, is it?
Lorelai: No. (Rory gives her doubting look.) Okay, well, maybe.
Rory: I'm fine. Call them. (She gets the phone and gives it to Lorelai. Lorelai takes it and dials.)
Jackson: Hello.
Lorelai: Hey, Jackson. How are you?
Jackson: Okay. How's it going?
Lorelai: Okay. So listen, are you and Sookie doing anything right now that I don't want to hear about?
Jackson: No. Unfortunately. Why?
Lorelai: Well, Rory and I are having a movie night and we wanted to know if you two wanted to join us.
Jackson: Okay. We'll be right over.
Lorelai: Great. (hangs up. To Rory.) They're coming over.
Rory: Good. I'm going for a walk, okay?
Lorelai: You make me call them, and then you leave?
Rory: I'll be back before they get here.
Lorelai: Once they get here I don't need you.
Rory: I love you too, mom. I'll be right back.
(Kim residence. Rory picks up pebbles and throws them at Lane's window.)
Lane: What the—Rory? What are you doing here?
Rory: Can you come down? I need to speak to you.
Lane: Be right there.
(Lanes comes down.)
Lane: No tree climbing this time?
Rory: I wasn't in a tree climbing mood. (Looks at the scratches the pebbles left on Lane's window.) More like a vandalism kind of mood.
Lane: Don't worry about it. So what's up?
Rory: I saw Dean and Cathy today, and I'm not sure if they were just hanging out as friends or if he was going out with her. I mean, if he's going out with her, it's okay. I mean, we broke up. But I would like to know. Do you know anything about it?
Lane: Sorry no. But I'll get right on it.
Rory: Thanks. I'm sorry again about the window.
Lane: Don't worry about it. I was this short of breaking it a couple of weeks ago. So I better go before my mom finds out I'm missing. You sure you're okay?
Rory: Yeah. I'm fine. So I'll see you tomorrow.
Lane: And I'll have some information for you, hopefully.
Rory: Okay. Good night.
Lane: Good night.
(Lane goes back inside and Rory looks around. She sighs, looks down, and meanders through the streets.
In her walking she sees someone by the bridge swimming in the lake. She walks over.)
Rory: How's the water?
Jess: Good. You coming in?
Rory: No, no, thank you. (Jess leans his back against the bridge and lifts himself up to sit on it. Rory sits too.) So is this what you do late at night?
Jess: Sometimes.
Rory: And you normally swim with all your clothes on?
Jess: Well I take off all footwear.
Rory: Ah. I never took you for a modest sort of fellow.
Jess: Modesty has nothing to do with it.
Rory: Return to past memories?
Jess: No. Though I did learn this from that experience. It's more liberating to swim with your clothes on.
Rory: How so?
Jess: Well, everyone else swims without most of their clothes on.
Rory: So it's yet another act of rebellion.
Jess: Rebellion is liberating.
Rory: (defensively) Rules can be liberating as well.
Jess: I suppose so. So what brings you out and about at this time? Shouldn't you and your mom be in the middle of some film fest?
Rory: We're waiting for Sookie and Jackson, so I decided to take a walk. Hey, you want to come?
Jess: Walk?
Rory: Yes. To my house, for the film festival.
Jess: Nah. You, your mom, Sookie, Jackson. I'd be the fifth wheel.
Rory: No you wouldn't. We were looking to form a crowd. Come on. It'll be fun.
Jess: I'll take a rain check.
Rory: We only give them out to one person per household and we already gave one to Luke.
Jess: Fine. Then I'll just flat out decline and never go to your house for a film festival.
Rory: You can have a rain check. (Jess smirks.) So you don't even bring a towel? You just sit here all wet?
Jess: This is the best part.
Rory: What?
Jess: Sitting here, air-drying, thinking.
Rory: About what?
Jess: I'm not really a sitting on a bridge over a lake, sharing my thoughts with someone kind of guy.
Rory: Just a sitting on a bridge over a lake, thinking kind of guy.
Jess: Right.
Rory: So what you're saying is you're really not a sharing kind of guy?
Jess: If you want to put it that way.
Rory: So you're telling me to mind my own business.
Jess: Well I wouldn't put it that way, but…
Rory: Okay. But if you ever wanted to share something with me, I just want you to know that you could. I mean, we're friends.
Jess: Who told you we were friends?
Rory: I…well…just…Okay, so we're not friends, then.
Jess: I didn't say that either.
Rory: So what are we?
Jess: You tell me.
Rory: I asked first.
Jess: We're friends.
Rory: Right.
Jess: So what about you?
Rory: What?
Jess: You're the sharing person. What made you want to go for a walk?
Rory: I don't have to share anything with you if you're not going to share anything with me.
Jess: I didn't say you had to.
Rory: Okay. So I won't.
Jess: Fine.
Rory: We'll just be friends who don't share.
Jess: Sounds good to me.
Rory: Well, we can still share books.
Jess: And CDs.
Rory: But that's it.
Jess: Just interesting merchandise.
Rory: Right.
Jess: Sounds good.
Rory: I think Dean and Cathy are going out.
Jess: Ah.
Rory: Though I'm not sure. I mean, I saw them together. They seemed pretty happy, but they could've just been hanging out as friends.
Jess: Does it matter?
Rory: What?
Jess: I mean, it's not like there's a rule about it, like how long you have to wait to swim after eating, or how long you have to wait to dance after your husband dies, or how long you have to stay in the house after your father dies.
Rory: There's a rule about that?
Jess: In Lorca's House of Bernarda Alba. Eight years.
Rory: Wow. I never read that one.
Jess: I'll lend it to you.
Rory: Thanks…and no it doesn't matter. I mean, I don't care either way. I just want to know.
Jess: Why don't you ask him?
Rory: Because then he'll think I care.
Jess: Which you don't.
Rory: No…and it would just be awkward.
Jess: Why?
Rory: Ex-girlfriend asking ex-boyfriend about new girlfriend. You don't see how that could be awkward?
Jess: Ah, yes, I see it now. So if he is going out with this girl…
Rory: I don't care. I mean there's not rule about it.
Jess: No, there isn't.
Rory: But it's not about a rule. How do you just throw out a year's relationship in a week and a half?
Jess: So a rule should be instituted?
Rory: I don't know.
Jess: No, I agree. Rules are liberating. No dating again until the amount of time the previous relationship lasted has elapsed.
Rory: You're trying to show me how foolish I'm behaving.
Jess: No. If you were behaving foolishly I'd pretty much tell you you're cracked.
Rory: Okay. So your turn.
Jess: My turn to what?
Rory: I shared something. Now you share something. (Jess reaches for his bookbag and pulls out a CD.)
Jess: Interesting merchandise?
Rory: (takes the CD) Fine. You sure you don't want to come over?
Jess: I haven't changed my mind yet.
Rory: Well, if you do, you know how to get there. (She gets up and leaves.)
(Gilmore Residence. Rory comes in.)
Lorelai: You're late. We started without you.
Rory: Hi Sookie! Hi Jackson! Sorry I'm late.
Sookie: Don't worry about it. You didn't miss much.
Lorelai: Sookie, what did I tell you?
Sookie: Oh that's right. You missed a lot. We were having so much fun and you missed it all.
Rory: I'm sorry, mom.
Lorelai: Jackson?
Jackson: Sookie even made a…
Lorelai: Ahh.
Jackson: Sookie made seven delicious cakes and we ate them all.
Rory: Drats. Mom, I said I'm sorry.
Lorelai: How sorry?
Rory: So sorry. (Lorelai is unmoved) So, so very sorry. (still unmoved) So sorry that I'll make coffee for everyone.
Lorelai: Okay. You're forgiven. Now get to it, sister. (Rory goes to the kitchen. Lorelai soon follows.)
Lorelai: So I have forgiven you, but just out of curiosity, why were you late? Where did you go?
Rory: I went to see Lane.
Lorelai: I know her mom didn't let you in.
Rory: No, Lane had to sneak out.
Lorelai: And why did you make her do that?
Rory: I wanted to see if she knew about Dean and Cathy?
Lorelai: Ah. Did she?
Rory: No, but she said she'd find out.
Lorelai: So you really do care.
Rory: No I don't. I just wanted to know. Not knowing is always bad. Once I know, either way, I'll be fine.
Lorelai: Okay.
(Next day. Rory and Lorelai go at Luke's.)
Rory: Luke, you missed one heck of a night.
Lorelai: You sure did. We had Sookie and Jackson over and we got Jackson on such a sugar high that the drummer in him woke up again.
Luke: It was bad enough seeing it the first time, thank you very much. (he turns to another table.) Lady, you're getting ketchup all over the place. Use a napkin.
Lorelai: I see Oscar has left the building and Felix has come in.
Luke: What can I get you?
Rory: I'll have fried eggs sunnyside on toast.
Lorelai: That's new.
Rory: I saw it on the cooking network.
Lorelai: Didn't I warn you about the dangers of television?
Rory: No. You pretty much just joined me in front of it.
Lorelai: I think I'll have that too.
Luke: Okay.
Lorelai: I wonder how long we're going to have to deal with Grumpy.
Rory: I feel bad for the poor guy.
Lorelai: That's because you can sympathize.
Rory: I'm totally fine about Dean and Cathy, if there is a Dean and Cathy.
Lorelai: Yeah, Luke's fine about Rachel too.
Rory: But I mean it.
Lorelai: Luke means it too.
Rory: This conversation is going nowhere.
Lorelai: I'm getting somewhere.
Rory: Where?
Lorelai: I'm getting to you, aren't I?
Rory: No. I'm ignoring you right now.
Lorelai: Rory and Luke, sitting in a tree, S-U-L-K-I-N-G…
Rory: I must be going deaf because I can't hear a thing.
Lorelai: One thinks Dean's in love, the other heard marriage and he's seeing Rachel with a baby carriage
Rory: I'm going to my buddy Luke over there.
Lorelai: S-U-L-K-I-N-G
(Rory walks over to Luke)
Rory: You grab her, I'll gag her
Luke: Deal. So what's up?
Rory: Nothing much.
Luke: You think Dean's in love?
Rory: You have good ears.
Luke: Unfortunately. And your mom has a big mouth.
Rory: Yeah. Well, I saw him yesterday with a female friend of his. I don't know if they're going out.
Luke: Sorry to hear that.
Rory: I'm okay. I'm sorry about Rachel.
Luke: I'm fine.
Rory: So why do they call it a sunnyside egg?
Luke: Just when I start to wonder if you're really her daughter…
(Independence Inn.)
Michel: I'm sorry. We're all booked for Monday…No, there is no more room…There are no beds available…The floor is not an option…It is a cold floor, a wooden floor, with splinters sticking out…No, our guests do not get hurt because they don't sleep on the floor…Nobody falls here…We have a rule against bare feet…There is another Inn not far away that has available rooms. Should I give you the number? It's 555-4312…You're welcome. Buh-bye.
Lorelai: What Inn is that?
Michel: There is no other Inn. I made up the number.
Lorelai: Good thinking. (the phone rings again) That's probably them again.
Michel: You pick up. I'm taking a break.
Lorelai: (On the phone) Independence Inn. How can I help you?
Rory: Hey mom.
Lorelai: Rory, thank God. What are you doing?
Rory: Not much. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be meeting Lane to go school shopping.
Lorelai: Okay. Will she be wielding any information?
Rory: Maybe.
Lorelai: Okay. Wear good shoes. Great shoes.
Rory: Why?
Lorelai: Because then, no matter what she tells you, you can just think, I'm wearing great shoes.
Rory: Good point. I'll see you later.
Lorelai: Okay. Bye. (She hangs up. The phone rings again.)
Lorelai: Independence Inn. How can I help you?…Who did you say you spoke to?…A French man?…We have no French men here, ma'am…I'm sure of it. Now how can I help you?…I'm sorry. We're all booked for Monday. Thank you for trying us, though. Bye. (She quickly hangs up.)
(Rory waits for Lane who is approaching.)
Rory: Hey.
Lane: Hey.
Rory: How are you?
Lane: Okay. How are you?
Rory: I'm fine.
Lane: You sure?
Rory: I shouldn't be?
Lane: No. You can be.
Rory: Okay.
Lane: So here's what I found out.
Rory: Thank you.
Lane: Nothing official yet.
Rory: Yet?
Lane: Well, there's nothing official now, but it looks like there's something brewing.
Rory: Brewing?
Lane: Maybe. Possibly.
Rory: No, it's okay. Just don't use that word. Never use coffee-associated words when delivering bad news. Not that it's bad news. In fact, I didn't mean to say bad news, I meant to say…
Lane: Rory, it's okay.
Rory: How do you like my shoes?
Lane: They're great.
Rory: I thought so.
Lane: So do you have your list?
Rory: Yes. Do you have yours?
Lane: Yes.
Rory: So let's go.
(Later. Rory and Lane are buying supplies.)
Lane: You're not going to buy notebooks?
Rory: No. I have to wait for classes to start. Some teachers are very particular about the notebooks you use for their class. Are you planning on getting high?
Lane: What?
Rory: That's a lot of white-out.
Lane: I use a lot and I lose a lot.
Rory: I see.
Lane: So, do you want to catch a movie tonight?
Rory: When have I ever turned down the movies?
Lane: When you have to do some Chilton thing.
Rory: Which I don't because school hasn't started yet.
Lane: When you had a date with Dean.
Rory: Which I don't because we broke up.
Lane: You didn't want to see 40 Days.
Rory: That was a particular movie. We did see Ice Age instead.
Lane: Okay. So we're seeing a movie.
Rory: Which one?
Lane: How about the one with Ben Affleck.
Rory: Oh, not another Ben Affleck movie.
(Independence Inn.)
Lorelai: (on the phone.) Yeah, we book fast for Labor Day weekend. I'm sorry. But if you're planning on stopping around again for Thanksgiving, give us a call. I'll be sure to hold a place for you…Okay. Take care. Bye.
(hangs up. The phone rings again.)
Lorelai: Aahh. Word gets around for everything else and no one has spread the fact that we're booked. (She picks up the phone.) Independence Inn. How can I help you?
Paris: I'm outside your house right now and Rory isn't home.
Lorelai: Yeah, sometimes I unlock her room and let her go outside for the oxygen and vitamin D. I don't think she was expecting you. Did you make plans to meet?
Paris: We didn't actually make plans but being that classes start next week she should have expected that I'd be dropping by to take care of our unfinished business.
Lorelai: She should have. What was she thinking leaving the house the week before classes start? I don't know what gets into her sometimes.
Paris: Do you know where she was going?
Lorelai: She was going shopping for school supplies. If you walk around town I'm sure you'll find her. Stars Hollow isn't that big.
Paris: Okay. Well I guess I've gotten all the information I can out of you. Thank you. Bye.
Lorelai: I can actually tell you the weight of the human head. The most popular coffee producing country. The name of the last five or six presidents we've had, but don't ask me about any of the ones before.
Paris: I'm hanging up now.
Lorelai: Bye Paris.
(Lane and Rory are leaving the store.)
Rory: Can you believe the deal I got on these cool pens?
Lane: And I finally got an electric pencil sharpener. I always wondered what happens when you stick a crayon in here.
Rory: You might get away with crayons. Don't stick a pen in there, though.
Paris: There you are! I've been looking all over for you.
Rory: Paris, what are you doing here?
Paris: Are you aware that classes start again next week?
Rory: Which is why we're buying school supplies.
Paris: And that the first Franklin meeting is the Friday of the first week?
Rory: I'm well aware of that too.
Paris: And you don't think that we should be finishing off this article already?
Rory: Paris, we still have time for that.
Paris: There's no time like the present.
Rory: I already have plans.
Paris: Fine. I obviously came here for nothing. I should have known better than to think that I wasn't the only one who cared about the Franklin.
Rory: You're not the only one who cares about the Franklin. Everyone who writes for the Franklin cares about the Franklin. I promise you we'll work on it before classes start.
Paris: Fine. Give me a call or something. (she turns to leave.)
Rory: Paris, wait. (she turns again.) This is my best friend, Lane. Lane, this is my friend Paris.
Lane: Hi. I've heard a lot about you.
Paris: What has she said about me?
Lane: Uh, um, that you go to Chilton.
Paris: That's a lot?
Lane: Considering that she doesn't talk about many other Chilton people, yeah.
Rory: So, uh, Paris, you want to come with us to the movies?
Paris: Is this a pity invite?
Rory: No. But I mean, you're here already. I'm guessing since you were planning on obsessing about the Franklin article originally that you don't have to be back in Hartford soon, so there's really nothing holding you back from joining us. You don't mind, right Lane?
Lane: Not at all.
Paris: You don't think three's a crowd?
Rory: No, it is. But we like crowds. We've often fantasized about forming our own posse, but we didn't have enough people for it. So you wanna go?
Paris: Okay.
(Later. Lorelai goes to Luke's)
Luke: If you sing that song again, I'm throwing you out.
Lorelai: I wasn't even thinking about it. I don't even remember it. How did it go? I forget. Something with S-U-L…do you remember the rest?
Luke: Nice try. Where's Rory?
Lorelai: That tree's getting pretty lonely, huh? She went to the movies with her friends.
Luke: What are you having?
Lorelai: I'll get your special.
Luke: Okay.
Lorelai: So, how are you doing?
Luke: I'm great. Never felt better.
Lorelai: I think I know what's wrong with you?
Luke: And you're just going to ignore the fact that I just told you I'm great.
Lorelai: Yes, I'm going to ignore the fact that you just lied. Luke, you have to face how you're feeling. Otherwise, this thing is just going to eat you up inside.
Luke: You don't care that all that junk you eat is going to eat you up inside.
Lorelai: But you don't cease to tell me about it. So I'm going to tell you about what's eating you.
Luke: Because you know.
Lorelai: I think I do.
Luke: All right. This should be funny. Go ahead.
Lorelai: You said Rachel was restless. She kept coming in and out of your life. Now you hear she's getting married, which means she's going to settle down and be stationary and it bugs you that she couldn't settle down with you.
Luke: That's not it.
Lorelai: It's not? Then what is it?
Luke: The last time she came here, I think she was ready to settle down, but I wasn't ready for her to settle down.
Lorelai: The whole milk thing, I remember. Oh, so you think that had you been ready, she would have been marrying you instead and now you're kicking yourself because you obsessed about the milk.
Luke: Do you really want to know what it is or do you just enjoy telling me what you think it is?
Lorelai: Sorry.
Luke: The thing is…welll, see… she told me something before she left…
Lorelai: Okay, now are you going to tell me what it is or do you just enjoy keeping me in suspense?
Luke: It's nothing. She just told me that I shouldn't wait too long and getting her letter makes me realize how long it's been, how long I've waited.
Lorelai: Waited to do what?
Luke: To…to…to get a bigger bed.
Lorelai: I told you that bed was trouble.
Luke: I knew you were going to say that.
(Movie Theater.)
Lane: So what do we want to watch?
Paris: How about the new Ben Affleck one.
Rory: Not this again. Although you know, maybe we should see that.
Lane: I thought you didn't want to see it.
Rory: I don't. But I also don't want to run into a certain someone and I know this someone would not go to a chick flick.
Lane: Right. So Affleck it is.
(In the theater. Rory, Lane, and Paris are moving down the row juggling their snacks. They settle down into their seats.)
Paris: I hate how they tell you the show's at 8:00 when it really doesn't start until 8:30 so that they can torture you with a half hour of stupid previews.
Lane: I know. It's not like you're not going to see the commercials on television months later. What's the point in hearing about movies that aren't coming out until next summer?
Rory: It's how they get people to go to the movies. See, then when you go to the movies you get this secret knowledge, this special glimpse into the future that you wouldn't get if you didn't go to the movies.
Paris: Hey, isn't that Mr. Wonderful over there. Boy does he move fast.
(Lane shakes her head at Paris, as Rory sees Dean with Cathy.)
Lane: Rory, it doesn't mean anything. They're just at the movies together. They've done it before.
Rory: I know. I'm fine. Really. (She sinks lower into her chair, trying to hide.)
(Later. The movie finishes. Rory, Lane, and Paris rush outside and get away from the theater.)
Paris: Well, I have to get back home.
Rory: I'll call you tomorrow.
Lane: It was nice meeting you, Paris.
Paris: Likewise.
Rory: We should do this again. (Paris looks shocked, then smiles and nods and turns to leave.)
Lane: Are you going to be okay?
Rory: Yeah. You have to get home.
Lane: Yeah. I'm sorry.
Rory: It's okay. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow.
Lane: Okay.
(Rory walks to Luke's. From outside she sees Lorelai and Luke talking and laughing. She decides not to go in and instead walks, ending up once again at the bridge. She looks at the water for a moment, then takes off her great shoes and jumps in.
After swimming, she grabs onto the bridge and starts to pull herself up and notices a pair of feet. She looks up.)
Rory: Jess. You scared me.
Jess: I've been known to have that effect on people.
Rory: What are you doing here?
Jess: Hey, this is my territory. I should be asking you that question.
Rory: That's right. I'm sorry.
Jess: That's all right. I wanted to see you.
Rory: Why? (Jess sits down next to Rory)
Jess: I felt like sharing.
The End.
