AN: Hi everyone, thanks again for all the reviews! In this part... Jess
gets a role... he and Rory are good friends (just friends).. it's probably
not totally in character, but... he's there. Also, I just read what I have
so far in one go and realised that *oops! my bad* there are some continuity
issues... I was also gonna rant about the fact that channel 9 is cutting
Gilmore girls for a month in the middle/end of the season, BUT I'll spare
you and get on with the story!
The Games People Play
6. Communication Issues
The morning after.... At Luke's Diner...
"So, you and Lorelai huh?" Jess said to Luke when he came downstairs to work.
"Me and Lorelai nothing. We were just playing a game," Luke insisted.
"Is that what you kids call it these days?"
"Jess, would you please keep your mouth shut about this?" "Okay, but who would even care?" Jess asked, "wait, I take that back, this whole crazy town would care. But don't worry, I'm not gonna go spread the news."
"Thank you. Now get to work," Luke ordered grumpily.
"So have you slept with her yet?" Jess asked as he wiped tables.
"That is none of your damn business!"
"Sorry, guess I cramped your style last night huh? Well are you in love with her?"
"Jess!" Luke threatened.
Jess held his hands up in defence, "I was just making conversation."
"Well don't!" Luke was trying not to think about Lorelai, unsure what last night meant. He didn't need Jess reminding him.
"Fine." They both went back to work in silence
At the Gilmore house...
Lorelai ran into Rory's room as soon as she woke up. "Rory!" she shook her daughter awake.
"Mom?" Rory mumbled, "what time is it?"
"Time to wake up."
"Why?"
"Cos I want to talk to you," Lorelai replied, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.
"This couldn't have waited? What's up?" asked Rory.
"Well," Lorelai confessed, "I did something bad last night."
"Ooh, really?" Rory sat up, suddenly awake and interested, "me too," she admitted, "what did you do?"
Lorelai was dying to tell someone, "I kissed Luke."
"And I kissed Tristan!" Rory blurted out immediately.
"Really kissed."
"Really kissed," Rory confirmed.
"AH!"
"Tell all!" Rory demanded.
"I need coffee first," Lorelai said.
"Okay, will it be too weird if we go to Luke's?"
"No, I want to go, it should be interesting."
"Great. Go get dressed!" Rory shooed Lorelai out of her room.
"Coffee please!" Rory called out as she and Lorelai sat down at the counter.
"No coffee today," Jess told them.
"What?" Rory cried.
"You can't!" Lorelai protested.
"No coffee?"
"No way!"
"Why not?" Rory demanded.
"Because someone broke the coffeepot last night," Luke said once the Gilmore barrage was over.
Lorelai gasped, "who would do a thing like that?!"
"I can't imagine," Luke said through gritted teeth and shot her a scolding look.
"Mom, you didn't?" Rory exclaimed in horror.
"It wasn't me!" Lorelai protested, turning to Luke, "it was your leg that knocked it!"
"Do I want to know the story?" Rory leaned over the counter to whisper to Jess as her mom and Luke continued to argue.
Jess shook his head and raised his eyebrows suggestively, "I think you can get a pretty good idea."
"Eew!"
"Hey I'm the one who walked in on them here."
"On the counter?" Rory jumped back and looked at it suspiciously, "eew."
"Come on Rory, we're going home," Lorelai said suddenly.
"Without food?"
"It's not the same without coffee. We'll have to wait until Luke has a new coffeepot." "What if I never replace it?" Luke challenged.
"Well then we'll have no reason to come here everyday! And neither will most of your other customers!"
Seeing as how she actually made a sensible argument for once, Luke gave in; "I'll have one by tomorrow afternoon."
"Great! See you then!" Lorelai waved and Rory looked hopelessly at Jess as her mother dragged her home.
"Gee mom, you and Luke didn't have to hold off on the lovey dovey stuff on my account," Rory said when they were sitting in their kitchen making their own coffee.
"Well last night obviously didn't mean anything," Lorelai scowled.
"It was you and Luke, of course it meant something, you're just too stubborn to admit it."
"Yeah well he can make a move," Lorelai insisted.
Rory just sighed, "you're hopeless."
"What about you and Tristan?" Lorelai asked.
"I don't know what's going on there," Rory admitted, looking a little deflated, "hey, you know what we need?"
Lorelai met her daughter's eyes, "girl's day!"
"I'll call Lane."
"Not if I call Sookie first," Lorelai grabbed the phone.
"Tell her to bring icecream!"
Two hours later, Rory, Lorelai, Lane and Sookie had polished off two tubs of icecream.
Lane had confessed to Rory that she and Henry told Tristan where she was at the party.
"Are you glad we did?" Lane asked, "Cos if you're mad I blame Henry completely."
"Well I'm not UNhappy," Rory said slowly.
"Yes! I knew it!" Lane said happily, "you and Tristan. We can double date!" "Woah, slow down there, we're not exactly a couple yet."
"That won't be the case by tomorrow afternoon," Lane said confidently.
"Please no more interfering, okay Lane?"
"Yeah okay, but someone had to push you two in the right direction. So was it good? The kiss?"
Rory ducked her head, "yeah, it was amazing," she admitted.
Lorelai wasn't being quite so forthcoming with Sookie. She'd admitted to kissing Luke but was now trying to avoid Sookie's interrogation.
"It was no big deal," Lorelai insisted, "nothing's changed between us."
Sookie looked hurt, "why won't you open up to me?"
"Because it doesn't mean anything! It was just a little kiss!" Lorelai was feeling confused and a little hurt that Luke hadn't even mentioned their kiss, she didn't want the whole town gossiping.
"Just one little kiss?"
"Not exactly," Lorelai signed, "look, Sookie, I'm not trying to keep anything from you, as soon as I sort it out myself you'll be the first to know," she promised.
"Fine, I better be going now anyway."
"Okay, I'll see you a work tomorrow?"
"Sure," Sookie smiled to let Lorelai know she wasn't mad.
The next day....
Lorelai automatically went to the diner before work, forgetting about the lack of coffee and acting as though things were perfectly normal between her and Luke.
"That's it, we are going shopping right now!" she declared to Luke.
Despite his protests, Lorelai pushed him out the door and into her car whilst calling Michel at the Inn to say she'd be late.
"Yep, Michel, it's Lorelai, just letting you know I'll be in late this morning," she said, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder while starting the engine.
"This is not news, you are always late. You are wasting my time, goodbye." Michel hung up.
"Hmph!" Lorelai called right back.
"What do you want?" Michel asked, "you told me you would be late, I acknowledged, the conversation ended."
"But I didn't like your response."
"I do not care."
"Lorelai would you watch the road!" Luke interrupted. The car beside them honked.
"Where are you, a circus?" Michel asked, "and is that the diner man I hear with you."
"No it's BoBo the clown. Let me talk to Sookie, Michel, I need to check the menu for lunch." Lorelai wanted to make sure everything was okay between Sookie and her.
"You do not need to check the menu, this is a personal call. You are wasting my time," Michel said.
"Michel don't hang up again!" Lorelai yelled.
"Lorelai would you drop the phone?" Luke said, "you're not even wearing your seatbelt."
"Would you do it for me Luke? I'm trying to concentrate on the road,"
Lorelai let the phone fall to her lap before she heard Sookie pick it up at the other end, "hello? Lorelai?"
"Good job," Luke muttered, leaning over to put on her seatbelt "Lift up your arm," he directed.
"Ah, Luke that tickles!" Lorelai wriggled in her seat.
"Stay still!"
"Don't be so rough!" she complained.
"Lorelai, what's going on!!" Sookie called, jumping up and down in the kitchen at the Inn.
"What are you doing?" Michel asked.
"Where did Lorelai say she was?" Sookie asked him, "I can hear them but they can't hear me."
"Ooh, let me listen," Michel grabbed the phone.
"It won't go in properly!" Luke couldn't get the belt to connect with the clip.
"You're doing it wrong!" Lorelai told him.
"I hope you can't see from there!"
"I can feel it!"
"What's going on?" Sookie demanded, trying to pull the phone off Michel.
"It sounds like she and BoBo are breaking numerous road laws."
"BoBo?"
"Okay, I am bored now," Michel hung up the phone.
"Michel!" Sookie complained and tried to call Lorelai back but only got an engaged signal.
Luke and Lorelai finally arrived safely at the store (I don't know what the store's called, I would head to Megamart, but I don't know what the equivalent is over there).
"What do you mean I can't by another coffeepot?" Luke demanded.
"I mean, the company doesn't produce them like that. The pot and the machine come as a set," the young clerk explained slowly.
"Yeah I got that the first time, but did you get me? I don't need a new machine, only the pot is broken!"
"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing I can do. Maybe you could try another coffeepot."
"I can't try use another pot it doesn't fit the machine!" Luke yelled.
Lorelai thought he was about to hit the clerk, so she placed a soothing hand on his arm, "calm down Coffeepot Nazi."
"This is why I hate shopping," he complained to her.
"Let me try." Lorelai stepped forward and smiled flirtatiously at the clerk, "are you sure there's nothing you can do?" she asked breathily, "pretty please."
The clerk flushed and looked nervously between Lorelai, who was batting her eyelashes at him and Luke, who was scowling with his arms crossed over his strong chest.
"I'll be right back," the clerk squeaked and ran off.
"Please," Luke scoffed in disgust, "there's no way he fell for that!"
"Well your bad cop routine wasn't working! Sometimes you gotta smile sweetly and show a bit of leg."
"Is that how you get everything you want?"
"Don't be angry at me Luke, I was trying to help. Why are you excessively hostile today?"
"I'm not excessively hostile, I'm just the same amount of hostile as usual."
Before Lorelai could argue, the clerk returned and agreed to sell them the coffeepot off the display machine.
"Thank you," she told the clerk gratefully.
"Yeah, now we can both get back to work," Luke said.
"Well you can get back to work and I can have some coffee!" Lorelai said happily, hugging the pot as she skipped out to the car. Luke sighed, her acting normally was irritating him even more than usual today.
Rory was standing at her locker between classes when she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind, "guess who?"
"Tristan!" she spun around.
"The one and only, babe," he nuzzled her neck.
Rory pulled away nervously. Were they suddenly a couple and no one had told her?
"So how are you?" she asked.
"I'm fine." He didn't elaborate, but just stood smiling at her.
Rory wanted to talk about what happened to figure out what it meant so she got straight to the point, "so about that kiss...."
"You want to pretend it never happened right?" Tristan jumped to the wrong conclusion and took a step back.
"No" Rory protested, but Tristan didn't stop to let her talk.
"That it didn't mean anything? Well you can't do that this time. You kiss me once, maybe we can write it off, but twice? Admit it, you want me bad!" he finished smugly
Rory couldn't believe his attitude, "that wasn't what I was going to say at all!"
"So you were finally going to ask me out?"
"No! I mean, not no.." Tristan had Rory all flustered.
"What do you mean then?"
"I don't know!"
"Well I do. You like me! Figure it out soon!"
"Give me a chance!" Rory asked for some time.
"Fine, I'll meet you after school," Tristan declared.
"You could have a least asked nicely."
"Fine, Rory would you like to meet me after school please?" Tristan asked, rolling his eyes.
"Don't make any assumptions, I already have plans. See ya." Rory said coldly and walked off, disappointed at the way he'd treated her.
"Tristan DuGrey is impossible!" Rory stormed in to Luke's after school.
Wordlessly, Jess handed her a cup of coffee. She took a couple of sips before continuing, "what an egotistical jerk! I mean, who does he think he is?" Rory gulped down the rest of her coffee and Jess gave her a refill as she continued to rant, "he's so self-assured, and... I can't even find the words, he makes me so mad. I can't believe I ever.. urgh!" she shuddered.
Jess shrugged, "so your rich Romeo turned out to be a jerk, you want me to talk some sense into him?"
"No, I don't want you to fight him! I just want him to know that the whole world, and especially me, doesn't revolve around him."
"You could just - duh - ignore him," Jess suggested.
"Give him the silent treatment for a while? That would only encourage him."
"No, I mean really ignore him. For good. Dump him, is another way to put it!" Jess stopped when he saw the look on her face. He sighed, "but you're not gonna do that because you really like him."
Rory nodded sadly, "I really do. Why him?"
"Beats me," Jess answered Rory's rhetorical question unhelpfully.
"But he can be sweet. Sometimes, deep down. Really," she insisted
Jess just looked doubtful and left Rory slumped over her coffee as he served another customer.
"I have an idea!" Rory lifted her head suddenly and called Jess back over.
"You know how you offered to beat Tristan up for me?" she said.
"I did not technically offer to beat Tristan up."
"Well, anyway, would you do something else for me?"
"Anything."
"Good, meet me after school tomorrow."
"That means I'll have to cut last period."
"And spoil your perfect attendance record?"
"Yeah, okay, so what's going on? Do I get a clue?"
"Hmm, I guess you could say my mom gave me the idea"
"Inspired by your crazy mother? That's it, I'm out."
"Jess...."
"Rory, I'll be there."
"Great, where is my crazy mother by the way? Does she know coffee's back on?" Rory asked.
"She should," Jess replied, "she went shopping with Luke for the pot."
"Ah.... Hey what do you think about those two?"
"I don't think about them. Like Luke said, none of my damn business. Wouldn't want to turn into one of you nutty Stars Hollowites."
"I'm not a nutty Stars Hollowite!" Rory protested, "not that there's anything wrong with that," she added quickly, "I love this town."
"Well maybe you're not completely psycho yet," Jess conceded, "but you're certainly in training."
"Is there some course I missed out on?"
"Nah, I think once you're exposed for a certain time you become one of them. Then there's no escape."
Rory sighed at his dramatics, "as much as I'd love to finish this stimulating discussion, I have to get home and start my homework. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya," Jess replied.
"So what's for dinner?" Lorelai asked Rory when she got home that night.
"Luke's?" Rory suggested.
"Nah, I think he's sick of me for the day, any Chinese takeout left?" Lorelai rummaged through the fridge and found some leftovers to warm up for them.
"You look down honey, Tristan got you buggin?" Lorelai said to Rory as they ate.
"Mom, do not use the work 'buggin'"
"Would you feel better if Destiny's Child hadn't used it in a song?"
"No," Rory snapped.
"Hmm, okay, well I wasn't having a great day either, then I went to a Booster's meeting this afternoon and I have some news that might cheer you up."
"Boosters meeting? Not interested, yet alone cheery yet."
"Wait for it, guess what their latest fundraising idea is?"
"A mud-wrestling competition?" Rory suggested.
"No, but I'll have to remember to bring that up at the next meeting. It's something I'm excited about," Lorelai hinted.
"A coffee-drinking-a-thon then."
"Nope, but we should totally try it!"
"Okay, I give in," Rory said.
"It's a ball!"
"A ball?"
"Yeah, as in everyone getting all prettied up and dancing."
"Well it's a good thing you can dance then," Rory wasn't sure why her mom was so excited.
"You too," Lorelai prompted.
"Me too?"
"Yep, an invitation is extended to the entire Chilton community. We're letting the kiddies in."
"That's great, I may be busy washing my hair that night though."
"Aw, it'll be fun!" Lorelai insisted.
"Which part?" Rory asked, "the ridiculously poofy dress? The dancing with my invisible partner? Why are you so into this?"
Lorelai shrugged, "I don't exactly have much of a choice so I might as well make sure it turns out well."
"I don't think they're gonna let you play AC/DC."
Lorelai looked momentarily disappointed, "still excited and you will be too." "Whatever you say, mom."
TBC....
Sorry, have to leave it there for now. Not a lot happened in this chap hey? I'll try and add more action next time. Everybody review and yell at me to fix everything between L/L and T/R Don't panic, they will end up together. I just don't really think it's realistic that everyone just suddenly declares their love for each other. Hehe, I know fanfic aint supposed to be realistic, but I find it boring once people actually get together. The process is so much more interesting! Stay tuned.
The Games People Play
6. Communication Issues
The morning after.... At Luke's Diner...
"So, you and Lorelai huh?" Jess said to Luke when he came downstairs to work.
"Me and Lorelai nothing. We were just playing a game," Luke insisted.
"Is that what you kids call it these days?"
"Jess, would you please keep your mouth shut about this?" "Okay, but who would even care?" Jess asked, "wait, I take that back, this whole crazy town would care. But don't worry, I'm not gonna go spread the news."
"Thank you. Now get to work," Luke ordered grumpily.
"So have you slept with her yet?" Jess asked as he wiped tables.
"That is none of your damn business!"
"Sorry, guess I cramped your style last night huh? Well are you in love with her?"
"Jess!" Luke threatened.
Jess held his hands up in defence, "I was just making conversation."
"Well don't!" Luke was trying not to think about Lorelai, unsure what last night meant. He didn't need Jess reminding him.
"Fine." They both went back to work in silence
At the Gilmore house...
Lorelai ran into Rory's room as soon as she woke up. "Rory!" she shook her daughter awake.
"Mom?" Rory mumbled, "what time is it?"
"Time to wake up."
"Why?"
"Cos I want to talk to you," Lorelai replied, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.
"This couldn't have waited? What's up?" asked Rory.
"Well," Lorelai confessed, "I did something bad last night."
"Ooh, really?" Rory sat up, suddenly awake and interested, "me too," she admitted, "what did you do?"
Lorelai was dying to tell someone, "I kissed Luke."
"And I kissed Tristan!" Rory blurted out immediately.
"Really kissed."
"Really kissed," Rory confirmed.
"AH!"
"Tell all!" Rory demanded.
"I need coffee first," Lorelai said.
"Okay, will it be too weird if we go to Luke's?"
"No, I want to go, it should be interesting."
"Great. Go get dressed!" Rory shooed Lorelai out of her room.
"Coffee please!" Rory called out as she and Lorelai sat down at the counter.
"No coffee today," Jess told them.
"What?" Rory cried.
"You can't!" Lorelai protested.
"No coffee?"
"No way!"
"Why not?" Rory demanded.
"Because someone broke the coffeepot last night," Luke said once the Gilmore barrage was over.
Lorelai gasped, "who would do a thing like that?!"
"I can't imagine," Luke said through gritted teeth and shot her a scolding look.
"Mom, you didn't?" Rory exclaimed in horror.
"It wasn't me!" Lorelai protested, turning to Luke, "it was your leg that knocked it!"
"Do I want to know the story?" Rory leaned over the counter to whisper to Jess as her mom and Luke continued to argue.
Jess shook his head and raised his eyebrows suggestively, "I think you can get a pretty good idea."
"Eew!"
"Hey I'm the one who walked in on them here."
"On the counter?" Rory jumped back and looked at it suspiciously, "eew."
"Come on Rory, we're going home," Lorelai said suddenly.
"Without food?"
"It's not the same without coffee. We'll have to wait until Luke has a new coffeepot." "What if I never replace it?" Luke challenged.
"Well then we'll have no reason to come here everyday! And neither will most of your other customers!"
Seeing as how she actually made a sensible argument for once, Luke gave in; "I'll have one by tomorrow afternoon."
"Great! See you then!" Lorelai waved and Rory looked hopelessly at Jess as her mother dragged her home.
"Gee mom, you and Luke didn't have to hold off on the lovey dovey stuff on my account," Rory said when they were sitting in their kitchen making their own coffee.
"Well last night obviously didn't mean anything," Lorelai scowled.
"It was you and Luke, of course it meant something, you're just too stubborn to admit it."
"Yeah well he can make a move," Lorelai insisted.
Rory just sighed, "you're hopeless."
"What about you and Tristan?" Lorelai asked.
"I don't know what's going on there," Rory admitted, looking a little deflated, "hey, you know what we need?"
Lorelai met her daughter's eyes, "girl's day!"
"I'll call Lane."
"Not if I call Sookie first," Lorelai grabbed the phone.
"Tell her to bring icecream!"
Two hours later, Rory, Lorelai, Lane and Sookie had polished off two tubs of icecream.
Lane had confessed to Rory that she and Henry told Tristan where she was at the party.
"Are you glad we did?" Lane asked, "Cos if you're mad I blame Henry completely."
"Well I'm not UNhappy," Rory said slowly.
"Yes! I knew it!" Lane said happily, "you and Tristan. We can double date!" "Woah, slow down there, we're not exactly a couple yet."
"That won't be the case by tomorrow afternoon," Lane said confidently.
"Please no more interfering, okay Lane?"
"Yeah okay, but someone had to push you two in the right direction. So was it good? The kiss?"
Rory ducked her head, "yeah, it was amazing," she admitted.
Lorelai wasn't being quite so forthcoming with Sookie. She'd admitted to kissing Luke but was now trying to avoid Sookie's interrogation.
"It was no big deal," Lorelai insisted, "nothing's changed between us."
Sookie looked hurt, "why won't you open up to me?"
"Because it doesn't mean anything! It was just a little kiss!" Lorelai was feeling confused and a little hurt that Luke hadn't even mentioned their kiss, she didn't want the whole town gossiping.
"Just one little kiss?"
"Not exactly," Lorelai signed, "look, Sookie, I'm not trying to keep anything from you, as soon as I sort it out myself you'll be the first to know," she promised.
"Fine, I better be going now anyway."
"Okay, I'll see you a work tomorrow?"
"Sure," Sookie smiled to let Lorelai know she wasn't mad.
The next day....
Lorelai automatically went to the diner before work, forgetting about the lack of coffee and acting as though things were perfectly normal between her and Luke.
"That's it, we are going shopping right now!" she declared to Luke.
Despite his protests, Lorelai pushed him out the door and into her car whilst calling Michel at the Inn to say she'd be late.
"Yep, Michel, it's Lorelai, just letting you know I'll be in late this morning," she said, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder while starting the engine.
"This is not news, you are always late. You are wasting my time, goodbye." Michel hung up.
"Hmph!" Lorelai called right back.
"What do you want?" Michel asked, "you told me you would be late, I acknowledged, the conversation ended."
"But I didn't like your response."
"I do not care."
"Lorelai would you watch the road!" Luke interrupted. The car beside them honked.
"Where are you, a circus?" Michel asked, "and is that the diner man I hear with you."
"No it's BoBo the clown. Let me talk to Sookie, Michel, I need to check the menu for lunch." Lorelai wanted to make sure everything was okay between Sookie and her.
"You do not need to check the menu, this is a personal call. You are wasting my time," Michel said.
"Michel don't hang up again!" Lorelai yelled.
"Lorelai would you drop the phone?" Luke said, "you're not even wearing your seatbelt."
"Would you do it for me Luke? I'm trying to concentrate on the road,"
Lorelai let the phone fall to her lap before she heard Sookie pick it up at the other end, "hello? Lorelai?"
"Good job," Luke muttered, leaning over to put on her seatbelt "Lift up your arm," he directed.
"Ah, Luke that tickles!" Lorelai wriggled in her seat.
"Stay still!"
"Don't be so rough!" she complained.
"Lorelai, what's going on!!" Sookie called, jumping up and down in the kitchen at the Inn.
"What are you doing?" Michel asked.
"Where did Lorelai say she was?" Sookie asked him, "I can hear them but they can't hear me."
"Ooh, let me listen," Michel grabbed the phone.
"It won't go in properly!" Luke couldn't get the belt to connect with the clip.
"You're doing it wrong!" Lorelai told him.
"I hope you can't see from there!"
"I can feel it!"
"What's going on?" Sookie demanded, trying to pull the phone off Michel.
"It sounds like she and BoBo are breaking numerous road laws."
"BoBo?"
"Okay, I am bored now," Michel hung up the phone.
"Michel!" Sookie complained and tried to call Lorelai back but only got an engaged signal.
Luke and Lorelai finally arrived safely at the store (I don't know what the store's called, I would head to Megamart, but I don't know what the equivalent is over there).
"What do you mean I can't by another coffeepot?" Luke demanded.
"I mean, the company doesn't produce them like that. The pot and the machine come as a set," the young clerk explained slowly.
"Yeah I got that the first time, but did you get me? I don't need a new machine, only the pot is broken!"
"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing I can do. Maybe you could try another coffeepot."
"I can't try use another pot it doesn't fit the machine!" Luke yelled.
Lorelai thought he was about to hit the clerk, so she placed a soothing hand on his arm, "calm down Coffeepot Nazi."
"This is why I hate shopping," he complained to her.
"Let me try." Lorelai stepped forward and smiled flirtatiously at the clerk, "are you sure there's nothing you can do?" she asked breathily, "pretty please."
The clerk flushed and looked nervously between Lorelai, who was batting her eyelashes at him and Luke, who was scowling with his arms crossed over his strong chest.
"I'll be right back," the clerk squeaked and ran off.
"Please," Luke scoffed in disgust, "there's no way he fell for that!"
"Well your bad cop routine wasn't working! Sometimes you gotta smile sweetly and show a bit of leg."
"Is that how you get everything you want?"
"Don't be angry at me Luke, I was trying to help. Why are you excessively hostile today?"
"I'm not excessively hostile, I'm just the same amount of hostile as usual."
Before Lorelai could argue, the clerk returned and agreed to sell them the coffeepot off the display machine.
"Thank you," she told the clerk gratefully.
"Yeah, now we can both get back to work," Luke said.
"Well you can get back to work and I can have some coffee!" Lorelai said happily, hugging the pot as she skipped out to the car. Luke sighed, her acting normally was irritating him even more than usual today.
Rory was standing at her locker between classes when she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind, "guess who?"
"Tristan!" she spun around.
"The one and only, babe," he nuzzled her neck.
Rory pulled away nervously. Were they suddenly a couple and no one had told her?
"So how are you?" she asked.
"I'm fine." He didn't elaborate, but just stood smiling at her.
Rory wanted to talk about what happened to figure out what it meant so she got straight to the point, "so about that kiss...."
"You want to pretend it never happened right?" Tristan jumped to the wrong conclusion and took a step back.
"No" Rory protested, but Tristan didn't stop to let her talk.
"That it didn't mean anything? Well you can't do that this time. You kiss me once, maybe we can write it off, but twice? Admit it, you want me bad!" he finished smugly
Rory couldn't believe his attitude, "that wasn't what I was going to say at all!"
"So you were finally going to ask me out?"
"No! I mean, not no.." Tristan had Rory all flustered.
"What do you mean then?"
"I don't know!"
"Well I do. You like me! Figure it out soon!"
"Give me a chance!" Rory asked for some time.
"Fine, I'll meet you after school," Tristan declared.
"You could have a least asked nicely."
"Fine, Rory would you like to meet me after school please?" Tristan asked, rolling his eyes.
"Don't make any assumptions, I already have plans. See ya." Rory said coldly and walked off, disappointed at the way he'd treated her.
"Tristan DuGrey is impossible!" Rory stormed in to Luke's after school.
Wordlessly, Jess handed her a cup of coffee. She took a couple of sips before continuing, "what an egotistical jerk! I mean, who does he think he is?" Rory gulped down the rest of her coffee and Jess gave her a refill as she continued to rant, "he's so self-assured, and... I can't even find the words, he makes me so mad. I can't believe I ever.. urgh!" she shuddered.
Jess shrugged, "so your rich Romeo turned out to be a jerk, you want me to talk some sense into him?"
"No, I don't want you to fight him! I just want him to know that the whole world, and especially me, doesn't revolve around him."
"You could just - duh - ignore him," Jess suggested.
"Give him the silent treatment for a while? That would only encourage him."
"No, I mean really ignore him. For good. Dump him, is another way to put it!" Jess stopped when he saw the look on her face. He sighed, "but you're not gonna do that because you really like him."
Rory nodded sadly, "I really do. Why him?"
"Beats me," Jess answered Rory's rhetorical question unhelpfully.
"But he can be sweet. Sometimes, deep down. Really," she insisted
Jess just looked doubtful and left Rory slumped over her coffee as he served another customer.
"I have an idea!" Rory lifted her head suddenly and called Jess back over.
"You know how you offered to beat Tristan up for me?" she said.
"I did not technically offer to beat Tristan up."
"Well, anyway, would you do something else for me?"
"Anything."
"Good, meet me after school tomorrow."
"That means I'll have to cut last period."
"And spoil your perfect attendance record?"
"Yeah, okay, so what's going on? Do I get a clue?"
"Hmm, I guess you could say my mom gave me the idea"
"Inspired by your crazy mother? That's it, I'm out."
"Jess...."
"Rory, I'll be there."
"Great, where is my crazy mother by the way? Does she know coffee's back on?" Rory asked.
"She should," Jess replied, "she went shopping with Luke for the pot."
"Ah.... Hey what do you think about those two?"
"I don't think about them. Like Luke said, none of my damn business. Wouldn't want to turn into one of you nutty Stars Hollowites."
"I'm not a nutty Stars Hollowite!" Rory protested, "not that there's anything wrong with that," she added quickly, "I love this town."
"Well maybe you're not completely psycho yet," Jess conceded, "but you're certainly in training."
"Is there some course I missed out on?"
"Nah, I think once you're exposed for a certain time you become one of them. Then there's no escape."
Rory sighed at his dramatics, "as much as I'd love to finish this stimulating discussion, I have to get home and start my homework. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya," Jess replied.
"So what's for dinner?" Lorelai asked Rory when she got home that night.
"Luke's?" Rory suggested.
"Nah, I think he's sick of me for the day, any Chinese takeout left?" Lorelai rummaged through the fridge and found some leftovers to warm up for them.
"You look down honey, Tristan got you buggin?" Lorelai said to Rory as they ate.
"Mom, do not use the work 'buggin'"
"Would you feel better if Destiny's Child hadn't used it in a song?"
"No," Rory snapped.
"Hmm, okay, well I wasn't having a great day either, then I went to a Booster's meeting this afternoon and I have some news that might cheer you up."
"Boosters meeting? Not interested, yet alone cheery yet."
"Wait for it, guess what their latest fundraising idea is?"
"A mud-wrestling competition?" Rory suggested.
"No, but I'll have to remember to bring that up at the next meeting. It's something I'm excited about," Lorelai hinted.
"A coffee-drinking-a-thon then."
"Nope, but we should totally try it!"
"Okay, I give in," Rory said.
"It's a ball!"
"A ball?"
"Yeah, as in everyone getting all prettied up and dancing."
"Well it's a good thing you can dance then," Rory wasn't sure why her mom was so excited.
"You too," Lorelai prompted.
"Me too?"
"Yep, an invitation is extended to the entire Chilton community. We're letting the kiddies in."
"That's great, I may be busy washing my hair that night though."
"Aw, it'll be fun!" Lorelai insisted.
"Which part?" Rory asked, "the ridiculously poofy dress? The dancing with my invisible partner? Why are you so into this?"
Lorelai shrugged, "I don't exactly have much of a choice so I might as well make sure it turns out well."
"I don't think they're gonna let you play AC/DC."
Lorelai looked momentarily disappointed, "still excited and you will be too." "Whatever you say, mom."
TBC....
Sorry, have to leave it there for now. Not a lot happened in this chap hey? I'll try and add more action next time. Everybody review and yell at me to fix everything between L/L and T/R Don't panic, they will end up together. I just don't really think it's realistic that everyone just suddenly declares their love for each other. Hehe, I know fanfic aint supposed to be realistic, but I find it boring once people actually get together. The process is so much more interesting! Stay tuned.
