*And it begins -
oh, this is before the dance marathon, obviously - Rory's still with Dean. And I'm ignoring Dave for the moment. Oh well.
~~~~~~~
Rory sat on the couch staring at the floor, a book in her lap. Dean had just left, angry but childlike, questioning but missing the point. She turned back to her book, tapping her pen in the air. She hurled the pen across the room suddenly; stared, and - sighing - went to retrieve it.
Lorelai dropped her keys on the table and sauntered over to the couch as Rory settled back down.
"I thought Dean was stopping by?"
"Yeah, Well."
"What does *that* mean? Something wrong, hun? Deany run off and join the circus?"
"Oh, Mom" Rory drawled theatrically, "no matter how much clown makeup i put on, I just couldn't compete with his love of the trapeze."
"Oh don't worry, kid, I'll parade you around on an elephant wearing sequins."
"Ooh, and bright pink feathers in my hair?"
"Purple's in right now. All the rage in circus fashion. Everything okay in Dean land? No makeout session today?"
"Mom!" She sighed. "I don't know."
"Having second thoughts about making things work?"
"No! I mean, I love Dean. I just need to concentrate on making things right."
"Rory, are you sure this is what you want? Don't think about Jess, or Dean's feelings - do *you* want to be with him?"
"I don't know anymore."
"Does he make you happy? When I broke up with Max, I realized that - i stopped feeling an instant rush of happiness when i saw him. Not that a relationship could ever be all happiness and perfection, but ... I think it's important that you still sometimes smile when you see the guy, without thinking or being able to stop yourself. With Max - He was nice, he was kind, but - All it was was an appreciation of the good things about him. Mental appreciation. How do you feel with Dean?
"I feel like I should love him."
"Oh, honey, you need to think about whether you really want this. Do you smile when you see him?"
"No, I guess I ... prepare myself. And then smile. Does that count?"
"No, it's gotta be instant! Before you can stop yourself! The kind of smile that feels goofy and embarassing."
"Do you still have that with Dad?"
"No, whenever i see Chris now i cringe in apprehension, wondering what will happen."
"I bet you smile when you see Luke though ..." Rory teased, grinning.
Lorelai gaped at her. "Wha- ... What?"
She sat there, eyes wide and mouth suddenly silenced, frozen in place.
"I meant the coffee! Mom, RELAX, I just meant the - Oh my god."
Lorelai still sat there, chewing now on her lower lip and staring wideeyed at her daughter.
"It was a joke, mom - because he's the key to coffee. I didn't mean Luke. Did you think I did? Do you? Smile, I mean - You like Luke, don't you?"
"No! I was just surprised. That you'd think -" She looked at Rory, flustered, "I mean, No. That's crazy. Luke's my friend. And i do love his coffee." She shook her head as if to clear out unwanted confusion, and stood up.
"Think about Dean, though. It's not fair to be with him if your heart's not in it. Want some ice cream?"
"No, Im fine" Rory replied, distracted as she glanced down at her book, thinking about Dean, Luke, Lorelais look of pure terror. The Industrial Revolution and English Literature. Joy. She sighed, and started reading.
Lorelai sat in the kitchen, crosslegged on a chair, staring at the refridgerator.
"Rory!"
"What?"
She paused.
"I do - "
"Admit to liking Celene Dion? I always knew your heart would go on."
"Smile whenever I see Luke."
"And not because of his coffee."
"No." Her eyes were so wide they seemed never to blink. Rory stood in the doorway, an amused little smile sneaking across her face.
"Aw, you've got a crush on Luke. Diner Man Luke. Does this mean you'll be nice to him?"
Lorelai looked at her now, flabbergasted-silent.
"Mom, do you love him?"
"Oh, God, Rory, I don't know. Let's forget about it, okay?"
"Why?"
"It's not worth it. I'll just forget about it completely."
"Healthy."
"Since when am I not nice to Luke?"
"Mom, you spend half your time thinking up new ways to annoy him."
"Oh, he loves it."
"I'm gonna go study. Wanna order some pizza? Or ... maybe you'd rather see loverboy and pick us up some burgers?" Rory wiggled her eyebrows while Lorelai pouted. "I might have to tell Luke you called him loverboy."
"Did I say I was talking about Luke? He's the first one you think of when you hear the word loverboy? Why mother, I don't think this is appropriate for my young ears. And you know he'd ask for the context of the loverboy statement."
"Fine. I'll go get some burgers."
"And tell him you want his flannel bedecked body?"
"No. I'm going to pretend this conversation never happened."
"Good."
"Thanks for your support."
Lane sat on the floor next to Rory, talking.
"This guy is perfect! Amazing! Beautiful! And he has the most perfect taste in music, except for a little Avril Lavigne fiasco which I'm sure he'll recover from. A simple momentary lack in judgment. He has green streaks in his hair, which fall so perfectly in his face everytime i see him - oh god - i wanted to brush them out of his face - what is it with me and hair?"
"Hair is a very important attribute."
"Dean has nice hair. I bet it's smooooth."
"Very."
"What's Jess's hair like?"
"Lane!" Rory exclaimed, surprised. "Why would I know that?"
"I dont know, I just thought since you've been spending so much time with him -"
"No. Jess and I are just friends. I'm with Dean."
"Why do you always feel the need to prove that? We all know you're with Dean, Rory. It doesnt need to be stated."
"I'm sorry. I'm just a bit testy when it comes to Dean recently."
"Trouble in paradise?"
"I guess. Ooh! That reminds me. You'll never believe this."
"What?" Lane leaned forward, rocking with her legs bent in.
"Lorelai admitted to having a crush on Luke!"
"No! What happened? What's she going to do about it? Is she in love? Oh, wow."
"I was joking with her, right, about how happy she must when she sees Luke, because of his coffee, you know?" Lane nods. "But she thought I meant Luke, Just Luke, no coffee. And she went completely silent, froze - I dont think she was capable of movement for a whole minute, which is a lot for Lorelai. And then a little later she admitted I was right and that she had a crush on him." Rory grinned.
"Are you okay with this?"
"Yeah, I think so. It's not like it's unexpected. I just hope she doesnt do something stupid until she's absolutely sure how she feels about him. Because she'd be miserable without his friendship, and so would I. He's like, the closest thing to a father I've ever had, I guess."
"Wow. What does she want to do?"
"Forget about it."
"Yeah. You think he likes her too?"
"Probably. I wish you could see the look on her face. I've never seen mom so shocked and horrified before."
"Oh, wow."
"You've got to keep this to yourself though."
"Of course. You think she'll do anything stupid?"
"Naw. She'll be too embarassed."
"Where is she now?"
"Luke's."
"Uh oh."
"Just to get food," Rory added quickly.
"Lorelai is incapable of going to Luke's to just get food."
"True. But she'll be fine. Mom's a genius at denial when it comes to Luke."
oh, this is before the dance marathon, obviously - Rory's still with Dean. And I'm ignoring Dave for the moment. Oh well.
~~~~~~~
Rory sat on the couch staring at the floor, a book in her lap. Dean had just left, angry but childlike, questioning but missing the point. She turned back to her book, tapping her pen in the air. She hurled the pen across the room suddenly; stared, and - sighing - went to retrieve it.
Lorelai dropped her keys on the table and sauntered over to the couch as Rory settled back down.
"I thought Dean was stopping by?"
"Yeah, Well."
"What does *that* mean? Something wrong, hun? Deany run off and join the circus?"
"Oh, Mom" Rory drawled theatrically, "no matter how much clown makeup i put on, I just couldn't compete with his love of the trapeze."
"Oh don't worry, kid, I'll parade you around on an elephant wearing sequins."
"Ooh, and bright pink feathers in my hair?"
"Purple's in right now. All the rage in circus fashion. Everything okay in Dean land? No makeout session today?"
"Mom!" She sighed. "I don't know."
"Having second thoughts about making things work?"
"No! I mean, I love Dean. I just need to concentrate on making things right."
"Rory, are you sure this is what you want? Don't think about Jess, or Dean's feelings - do *you* want to be with him?"
"I don't know anymore."
"Does he make you happy? When I broke up with Max, I realized that - i stopped feeling an instant rush of happiness when i saw him. Not that a relationship could ever be all happiness and perfection, but ... I think it's important that you still sometimes smile when you see the guy, without thinking or being able to stop yourself. With Max - He was nice, he was kind, but - All it was was an appreciation of the good things about him. Mental appreciation. How do you feel with Dean?
"I feel like I should love him."
"Oh, honey, you need to think about whether you really want this. Do you smile when you see him?"
"No, I guess I ... prepare myself. And then smile. Does that count?"
"No, it's gotta be instant! Before you can stop yourself! The kind of smile that feels goofy and embarassing."
"Do you still have that with Dad?"
"No, whenever i see Chris now i cringe in apprehension, wondering what will happen."
"I bet you smile when you see Luke though ..." Rory teased, grinning.
Lorelai gaped at her. "Wha- ... What?"
She sat there, eyes wide and mouth suddenly silenced, frozen in place.
"I meant the coffee! Mom, RELAX, I just meant the - Oh my god."
Lorelai still sat there, chewing now on her lower lip and staring wideeyed at her daughter.
"It was a joke, mom - because he's the key to coffee. I didn't mean Luke. Did you think I did? Do you? Smile, I mean - You like Luke, don't you?"
"No! I was just surprised. That you'd think -" She looked at Rory, flustered, "I mean, No. That's crazy. Luke's my friend. And i do love his coffee." She shook her head as if to clear out unwanted confusion, and stood up.
"Think about Dean, though. It's not fair to be with him if your heart's not in it. Want some ice cream?"
"No, Im fine" Rory replied, distracted as she glanced down at her book, thinking about Dean, Luke, Lorelais look of pure terror. The Industrial Revolution and English Literature. Joy. She sighed, and started reading.
Lorelai sat in the kitchen, crosslegged on a chair, staring at the refridgerator.
"Rory!"
"What?"
She paused.
"I do - "
"Admit to liking Celene Dion? I always knew your heart would go on."
"Smile whenever I see Luke."
"And not because of his coffee."
"No." Her eyes were so wide they seemed never to blink. Rory stood in the doorway, an amused little smile sneaking across her face.
"Aw, you've got a crush on Luke. Diner Man Luke. Does this mean you'll be nice to him?"
Lorelai looked at her now, flabbergasted-silent.
"Mom, do you love him?"
"Oh, God, Rory, I don't know. Let's forget about it, okay?"
"Why?"
"It's not worth it. I'll just forget about it completely."
"Healthy."
"Since when am I not nice to Luke?"
"Mom, you spend half your time thinking up new ways to annoy him."
"Oh, he loves it."
"I'm gonna go study. Wanna order some pizza? Or ... maybe you'd rather see loverboy and pick us up some burgers?" Rory wiggled her eyebrows while Lorelai pouted. "I might have to tell Luke you called him loverboy."
"Did I say I was talking about Luke? He's the first one you think of when you hear the word loverboy? Why mother, I don't think this is appropriate for my young ears. And you know he'd ask for the context of the loverboy statement."
"Fine. I'll go get some burgers."
"And tell him you want his flannel bedecked body?"
"No. I'm going to pretend this conversation never happened."
"Good."
"Thanks for your support."
Lane sat on the floor next to Rory, talking.
"This guy is perfect! Amazing! Beautiful! And he has the most perfect taste in music, except for a little Avril Lavigne fiasco which I'm sure he'll recover from. A simple momentary lack in judgment. He has green streaks in his hair, which fall so perfectly in his face everytime i see him - oh god - i wanted to brush them out of his face - what is it with me and hair?"
"Hair is a very important attribute."
"Dean has nice hair. I bet it's smooooth."
"Very."
"What's Jess's hair like?"
"Lane!" Rory exclaimed, surprised. "Why would I know that?"
"I dont know, I just thought since you've been spending so much time with him -"
"No. Jess and I are just friends. I'm with Dean."
"Why do you always feel the need to prove that? We all know you're with Dean, Rory. It doesnt need to be stated."
"I'm sorry. I'm just a bit testy when it comes to Dean recently."
"Trouble in paradise?"
"I guess. Ooh! That reminds me. You'll never believe this."
"What?" Lane leaned forward, rocking with her legs bent in.
"Lorelai admitted to having a crush on Luke!"
"No! What happened? What's she going to do about it? Is she in love? Oh, wow."
"I was joking with her, right, about how happy she must when she sees Luke, because of his coffee, you know?" Lane nods. "But she thought I meant Luke, Just Luke, no coffee. And she went completely silent, froze - I dont think she was capable of movement for a whole minute, which is a lot for Lorelai. And then a little later she admitted I was right and that she had a crush on him." Rory grinned.
"Are you okay with this?"
"Yeah, I think so. It's not like it's unexpected. I just hope she doesnt do something stupid until she's absolutely sure how she feels about him. Because she'd be miserable without his friendship, and so would I. He's like, the closest thing to a father I've ever had, I guess."
"Wow. What does she want to do?"
"Forget about it."
"Yeah. You think he likes her too?"
"Probably. I wish you could see the look on her face. I've never seen mom so shocked and horrified before."
"Oh, wow."
"You've got to keep this to yourself though."
"Of course. You think she'll do anything stupid?"
"Naw. She'll be too embarassed."
"Where is she now?"
"Luke's."
"Uh oh."
"Just to get food," Rory added quickly.
"Lorelai is incapable of going to Luke's to just get food."
"True. But she'll be fine. Mom's a genius at denial when it comes to Luke."