8:45 PM, Saturday
Hospital "Is he okay?" Lorelai asked nervously. Dr. Brown nodded. She was felt a little better about the fact that Dr. Brown was a friend of Craig's. He would take good care of him. "He has a mild concussion and a broken arm. Some bruises. He's probably feeling pretty groggy right now." Lorelai sighed with relief. "Not too bad though?" "Yeah, he'll be okay in a couple of days. But his arm will probably be in a cast for about 5 weeks." "Oh, okay." Lorelai shifted her weight. Because the car had hit the tree on the left, Craig had gotten hurt pretty badly, but she had escaped unscathed. Lorelai felt incredibly guilty, thinking about breaking up with him when he was feeling so horrible. "You're his girlfriend?" She nodded, almost hesitantly. "Yeah." "Lorelai, right?" Dr. Brown asked, jotting something down on his clipboard. The doctor suddenly smiled at her. "He talks about you a lot." Lorelai smiled slightly, embarrassed. "He doesn't anything bad, does he?" Dr. Brown laughed. "Nah." The doctor became serious. "He's gonna need your help a lot in the next couple of weeks." "Oh," Lorelai managed to say, pushing any thought of a breakup out of her mind. "Good thing I'm here." She forced a smile. ********************* 10:34 AM, Monday
Craig and Lorelai's Apartment Craig groaned as Lorelai gently led him to the sofa. "Are you okay?" She asked softly. "Yeah," He said gruffly. Craig smiled up at her. "Thanks." Leaning towards her, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Just tired," He murmured and leaned his head back. "I'll go get something for you to eat, okay?" She whispered as he nodded sleepily. Before she was even in the kitchen, she could see that he was asleep. Sighing, she walked back to the sofa and watched him sleep. His arm was in a cast, which she had giddily decorated with magic marker and bumper stickers. Gently sitting next to him, Lorelai wondered why Craig hadn't already married. He was like the perfect guy: smart, cute, funny, and incredibly nice. Every girl's dream come true. Just not hers. Lorelai leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Luke. Taciturn, gruff, and not exactly a fashionista, but god, she.. loved him. She sighed and looked at the sleeping man next to her. Now, if only she could tell him. ********************* Early November
10:34 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment "What!?" Lorelai exclaimed, biting her lip. "Luke," Sookie repeated. "..is dating." Lorelai sighed dejectedly. "I guess it's only fair. I mean, it's not like I even told him… He doesn't know about.. You know." Sookie sighed. "I don't know, hon." "He just got in an accident. How am I supposed to tell him that all this time I haven't been in love with him and now, I am breaking up with him?" Lorelai leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. "Who is she?" She whispered. "Her name's Linda Jordan. She's a English teacher at some high school in Hartford. Not Chilton though." "Linda." "Yeah," Sookie replied. "But she's not as funny or sweet as you, babe." "Yay," Lorelai feigned enthusiasm. She sighed. "Thanks for the support, Sookie. You're a good friend." Sookie sighed, for Lorelai's situation was so muddled, so complicated, that she just couldn't help but feel terrible for her friend. She couldn't imagine not being able to be with the man she loved. After three years of marriage, life without Jackson, no matter how crazy he made her sometimes, was unimaginable. Maybe she shouldn't have told her friend; it probably only caused her more pain. "I'm sorry, Lorelai," Sookie said, biting her lip. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you." "No, no," Lorelai replied. "Thanks for telling me." She sighed again. "I guess he's really moving on." ********************* A Week Later
9:45 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment The phone was ringing when Lorelai walked into the apartment from work. She rushed over to pick it up to hear a familiar voice. "Mom?" "Rory!" "Hi, Mom," Rory replied, smiling. "How's everything?" "Good, good," Lorelai lied, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder. 'The man I love is now dating someone else. I'm living with someone I like, but don't love. I can't break up him right now. Oh, and the DAR woman is driving me crazy to point that I would rather sit in a corner and eat .. lettuce.' Balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder, she walked to the couch to drop off her bag and jacket, and then retreated to the kitchen for some food. With the holiday season starting, work was crazy and she had no time to eat. "How's school?" "Crazy, finals are coming up in a while," Rory replied, groaning. "MMMm," Lorelai muttered as she found the Chex mix and cheese doodles. She ripped open the bags and sat down at the table to eat. "Oops, I dropped a chex." "Oh," Rory said, confused. "Is that a form of expression?" "No, I really dropped a chex. I can't find.. it," Lorelai said, her head under the table. "How far could it go? I just dropped it." "Uhh." "Darn, oh well." Lorelai came up from under the table. "Tell me, anything exciting at school?" "Finals craze basically. No room at the library, blood-shot students, immense amounts of reading materials," Rory babbled. "Ahh, so Rory times a thousand," Lorelai replied, crunching in between. Rory laughed. "Basically." "Ah!" "What?" Rory asked, concerned by her mom's sudden outburst. "I dropped a cheese doodle." Rory groaned. "Moommm." "Oh, never mind, here it is," Lorelai replied as she gingerly picked the cheese doodle off her lap and ate it. "Well," Rory replied. "At least it wasn't like the chex failure." "True," Lorelai replied. "Guess what?" "What?" "Guess." "Um, you wore your pink sneakers?" "Actually, yes, but it's something much cooler," Lorelai replied. "Uh oh," Rory replied. "Someone complimented your shoes, didn't they? I always knew New Yorkers were weird." "Honey, we're from Star's Hollow." "Oh right, sorry," Rory replied, shaking her head. "What am I thinking? All the crazies live in Star's Hollow." "Okay, I'll just tell you," Lorelai said munching on more cheese doodles. "The parental units are going to London for Thanksgiving!" "No," Rory gasped. "Wow, you got lucky!" "Yes." Lorelai sighed blissfully. "Thanksgiving without Mr. And Mrs. Party Pooper! Joy to the world!" "How?" "Well," Lorelai said. "It seems that Lorelai #1 invited them. But.. on the other hand, Craig's family is coming." Rory gasped again. "The in-laws." "Uh, not yet, hon. I forgave him for inviting them without asking me first, but only have bopping him on the head with a breadstick and making him sit through a Mary Kate and Ashley marathon." Rory gasped. "Stop that!" Rory giggled. "Okay." Lorelai heard a muffled sound in the background. "Oh, I have to go, Mom." "Okay," Lorelai said. "So I'll see you in two weeks?" "Yeah! Talk to you later!" "Bye!" ********************* 9:59 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment Lorelai sighed as she put the phone back on the receiver. This was just a big mess. She was going to be introduced to Craig's parents. Everyday, she saw this amazing guy, who loved her more than anything and wondered how she was going to tell him that she wasn't the one for him. Or rather, he wasn't the one for her. Guilt was her best friend these days. Lorelai looked up as she heard the front door open. "Hey," Craig exclaimed, smiling. "Hi," She replied. "Your arm okay?" "Yeah," He said, nodding. "I get a little ache now and then, but it's no problem when I'm just in the office." "That's good," She replied, smiling slightly. He went into the bedroom to change. "Hey," Craig suddenly spoke up as he reentered the living room. "Lorelai, I wanted to talk to you." "It's fine that your parents are coming," Lorelai said, munching on cheese doodles. "Well, okay, we need to talk about that too," Craig said. "But I wanted to talk about.. you." "Me?" Lorelai raised a brow. "Why?" "Well," Craig said, shifting his weight. "You seem kinda down these days." "Me?" Lorelai asked. "I feel.. Fine. I mean, work is hectic and all, but I'm alright." "I dunno," Craig said smiling gently. "Remember when we first started dating? I mean, you were always really hyper and everything.. Not that I don't love the calm, quieter Lorelai, just I was worried because it seems like you're not really yourself these days." "Oh," Lorleai replied. She forced a smile. 'Should I tell him?' Craig sat down on the couch next to her and put his good arm around her shoulders. "So you're okay?" He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah." Craig leaned his head on her shoulder and they looked out into the Manhattan skyline. He nuzzled her neck, softly kissing her collarbone. Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut. 'I just can't.. I can't…' ********************* 11:53 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment She was unusually quiet these days. Craig looked at Lorelai sleeping next to him. She was sleeping in the fetal position, her face away from his. Was this what an established relationship was like? Did women change after they were together in a relationship for a long time? He didn't really know; he was usually the love 'em and leave 'em type, as his sister liked to say. Before Lorelai, his longest relationship had been about a one month. And how well he remembered that one month. In high school, it had been fun dating a lot of girls. It was flattering, how the girls chased him. He had been pretty cocky in high school. And when he hit college, he had gone with the same cocky attitude, expecting to have girls jump him like they did in high school. They didn't. College girls were different. Being the obnoxious, immature boy he had been then, he decided he'd wait until the girls pursued him. And then he met her. Carla. "Are you gonna eat that?"
Craig looked up from his book to see a tall, willowy blonde standing in front of him. "Excuse me?" He asked. She smiled.
"The chips. Because, if you don't want it, I'm collecting food for the homeless shelter," She said brightly. She was wearing a tank top that read "Homeless Coalition of the University of California".
"Oh," Craig replied and put down his book. "Okay, you can take it." 'A goody-goody,' He thought, appreciating the view as she leaned over to pick up the bag of chips. "So, what's your name?"
She frowned as he blatantly checked out her chest. She raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"Ohhh," He said, smiling cockily. "And I would." He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling.
"Well," She said frowning. "That's just too bad, because I don't date uncouth and cocky guys like you." Having said her part, the girl picked up the bag and stalked away. Shocked, Craig sat with his mouth open.
'Smooth move, Einstein,' He thought, silently berating himself. 'The least you could do is apologize.' "Hey!" Craig called out and jumped up from the bench where he sat. "Hey!"
She ignored him and kept walking across the green. Craig jogged to keep up with her. "What?" She snapped, her eyes flashing.
"I.. Uh..," Craig stuttered, suddenly noticing that her eyes were a deep green, with little flecks of gold. Her golden hair looked soft and shined in the bright sunlight. "I'm sorry."
She sighed. "Thanks for the chips." Craig nodded uncomfortably and started to walk back to the bench where he had left his book.
"Hey!"
He turned around to see her looking at him. "Do you wanna come help?" She managed a small smile.
"Yeah," Craig heard himself saying. "I'd like that." And so they had met; he had almost instantly fallen in love with Carla. Generous, smart as a whip, beautiful, brave.. Carla always stood up for what she believed in. She had never been afraid to hold back her feelings about anything. She was also the one who made him change. Before her, he had been the cocky playboy, dating multitudes of girls. But after he met her, he changed, letting the kinder, softer Craig shine through. For one month, he found himself constantly pining after her independent soul. He loved her like he had never loved anyone before. "Hey, Brian?" Craig knocked on the door. No response. He cocked his head, trying to remember if his roommate had already left for the holidays. He shrugged and dug around his pocket for his key. "Bingo!" He exclaimed, smiling, as he found the key in his back pocket. Craig opened the door and saw his roommate…
"Carla?" He croaked. "What are you doing?"
Carla gave him a sheepish look. "Craig…I thought you left for home…" She struggled to button her blouse. "I .. um..,"
Carla started. She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Shit. Okay, Brian and I have kinda been... we're together.. now." His sheepish roommate avoided his eyes and struggled to put his shirt on.
"But," Craig stuttered. "I thought.."
"Look, Craig," Carla said, smiling. "You're a nice guy, but.. sometimes.. you're too.. clingy."
The words stung and he closed his eyes. Craig thought the room was spinning, but when he opened his eyes everything around him was still. "Okay," He managed to say. "I gotta go." He stiffly walked out of the room. Craig opened his eyes, pushing away the past and looking at the woman he was with now. In the end, Carla changed him again, back to the man he had been. Before Lorelai, he had dated lots of women, pushing them away, at the smallest flaw or the tiniest disagreement. In some cases, he even found himself looking for a flaw so he could break up with the woman. But with Lorelai, it just seemed like falling into place. They loved the same things, they always had fun; together, they were just.. perfect. Craig slung his good arm around her shoulder and cuddled up to her before falling asleep. He had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. ********************* 1:23 AM, Tuesday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment She suddenly found herself back at that night….
"I missed you," She whispered to him, rain dripping down her face. He was silent, his eyes dark. "Luke?" She asked in a plaintive voice. "Please say something..."
"I missed you too," Luke said. He grabbed her and hugged her to him. She was startled by his sudden move and her arms hung weakly by her side. But she slowly recovered from the initial shock and brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. It felt so right to be held by him. She put her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"A lot," He whispered into her hair.
She pulled away and looked at him. "Luke, I..," She started. Suddenly his lips were on hers.
Luke's lips were surprising soft, gently brushing against hers. "Luke," She breathed. His hands were running up and down the side of her body, touching her hair and the small of her back. His right hand was on the back of her head, tangled in her wet hair. His left found its way to her hand, and entwined with hers.
Suddenly, they were pulled apart.
"I don't think so," A woman said haughtily as she pulled Luke away. "Luke is mine now."
"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked. "Yours?" 'Linda,' She thought, realizing who the woman was. "Luke?" Lorelai looked to Luke. The woman glared at her and started to stalk away. Shrugging, Luke timidly followed after the woman.
"Luke!" She cried out. She tried to follow him, but her feet seemed to be planted right where they were. "LUKE!" "Lorelai," Craig said, gently shaking her. Lorelai flayed her arms. "Luke!" "What?" Craig said, surprised. 'Did she just say Luke?' "Lorelai?" Suddenly, her eyes opened and she looked up to see Craig staring down at her. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Yeah," Lorelai replied, breathing heavily. "Did you just scream Luke?" "Uh," Lorelai said, squinting in the darkness at Craig. "Um, no. I said Duke, because.. I was having a dream about .. The Duke.. Of…" Craig stared at her. "Huh?" "Did I say Duke? I meant puke," Lorelai stuttered. "I had a dream that .." She tried to think. "That I was at this frat party and this guy was about to .. throw up and I was like 'Puke!'" "Oh," Craig said, giving her a weird look. "I think I need more sleep," Lorelai said, smiling crookedly. "G'night." "Okay," Craig replied, confused. She had said Luke. He was sure of it. ******************* Wow, I have writer's block.. So please excuse the horrible chapter. Argh, I hate it when I have writer's block… all this crap comes out. Now i feel like I'm overdoing the angst.. it's really bothering me.. but I can't seem to write anything BUT angst.. x( Oh, and thanks for reading.. -Ggirl
Hospital "Is he okay?" Lorelai asked nervously. Dr. Brown nodded. She was felt a little better about the fact that Dr. Brown was a friend of Craig's. He would take good care of him. "He has a mild concussion and a broken arm. Some bruises. He's probably feeling pretty groggy right now." Lorelai sighed with relief. "Not too bad though?" "Yeah, he'll be okay in a couple of days. But his arm will probably be in a cast for about 5 weeks." "Oh, okay." Lorelai shifted her weight. Because the car had hit the tree on the left, Craig had gotten hurt pretty badly, but she had escaped unscathed. Lorelai felt incredibly guilty, thinking about breaking up with him when he was feeling so horrible. "You're his girlfriend?" She nodded, almost hesitantly. "Yeah." "Lorelai, right?" Dr. Brown asked, jotting something down on his clipboard. The doctor suddenly smiled at her. "He talks about you a lot." Lorelai smiled slightly, embarrassed. "He doesn't anything bad, does he?" Dr. Brown laughed. "Nah." The doctor became serious. "He's gonna need your help a lot in the next couple of weeks." "Oh," Lorelai managed to say, pushing any thought of a breakup out of her mind. "Good thing I'm here." She forced a smile. ********************* 10:34 AM, Monday
Craig and Lorelai's Apartment Craig groaned as Lorelai gently led him to the sofa. "Are you okay?" She asked softly. "Yeah," He said gruffly. Craig smiled up at her. "Thanks." Leaning towards her, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Just tired," He murmured and leaned his head back. "I'll go get something for you to eat, okay?" She whispered as he nodded sleepily. Before she was even in the kitchen, she could see that he was asleep. Sighing, she walked back to the sofa and watched him sleep. His arm was in a cast, which she had giddily decorated with magic marker and bumper stickers. Gently sitting next to him, Lorelai wondered why Craig hadn't already married. He was like the perfect guy: smart, cute, funny, and incredibly nice. Every girl's dream come true. Just not hers. Lorelai leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Luke. Taciturn, gruff, and not exactly a fashionista, but god, she.. loved him. She sighed and looked at the sleeping man next to her. Now, if only she could tell him. ********************* Early November
10:34 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment "What!?" Lorelai exclaimed, biting her lip. "Luke," Sookie repeated. "..is dating." Lorelai sighed dejectedly. "I guess it's only fair. I mean, it's not like I even told him… He doesn't know about.. You know." Sookie sighed. "I don't know, hon." "He just got in an accident. How am I supposed to tell him that all this time I haven't been in love with him and now, I am breaking up with him?" Lorelai leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. "Who is she?" She whispered. "Her name's Linda Jordan. She's a English teacher at some high school in Hartford. Not Chilton though." "Linda." "Yeah," Sookie replied. "But she's not as funny or sweet as you, babe." "Yay," Lorelai feigned enthusiasm. She sighed. "Thanks for the support, Sookie. You're a good friend." Sookie sighed, for Lorelai's situation was so muddled, so complicated, that she just couldn't help but feel terrible for her friend. She couldn't imagine not being able to be with the man she loved. After three years of marriage, life without Jackson, no matter how crazy he made her sometimes, was unimaginable. Maybe she shouldn't have told her friend; it probably only caused her more pain. "I'm sorry, Lorelai," Sookie said, biting her lip. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you." "No, no," Lorelai replied. "Thanks for telling me." She sighed again. "I guess he's really moving on." ********************* A Week Later
9:45 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment The phone was ringing when Lorelai walked into the apartment from work. She rushed over to pick it up to hear a familiar voice. "Mom?" "Rory!" "Hi, Mom," Rory replied, smiling. "How's everything?" "Good, good," Lorelai lied, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder. 'The man I love is now dating someone else. I'm living with someone I like, but don't love. I can't break up him right now. Oh, and the DAR woman is driving me crazy to point that I would rather sit in a corner and eat .. lettuce.' Balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder, she walked to the couch to drop off her bag and jacket, and then retreated to the kitchen for some food. With the holiday season starting, work was crazy and she had no time to eat. "How's school?" "Crazy, finals are coming up in a while," Rory replied, groaning. "MMMm," Lorelai muttered as she found the Chex mix and cheese doodles. She ripped open the bags and sat down at the table to eat. "Oops, I dropped a chex." "Oh," Rory said, confused. "Is that a form of expression?" "No, I really dropped a chex. I can't find.. it," Lorelai said, her head under the table. "How far could it go? I just dropped it." "Uhh." "Darn, oh well." Lorelai came up from under the table. "Tell me, anything exciting at school?" "Finals craze basically. No room at the library, blood-shot students, immense amounts of reading materials," Rory babbled. "Ahh, so Rory times a thousand," Lorelai replied, crunching in between. Rory laughed. "Basically." "Ah!" "What?" Rory asked, concerned by her mom's sudden outburst. "I dropped a cheese doodle." Rory groaned. "Moommm." "Oh, never mind, here it is," Lorelai replied as she gingerly picked the cheese doodle off her lap and ate it. "Well," Rory replied. "At least it wasn't like the chex failure." "True," Lorelai replied. "Guess what?" "What?" "Guess." "Um, you wore your pink sneakers?" "Actually, yes, but it's something much cooler," Lorelai replied. "Uh oh," Rory replied. "Someone complimented your shoes, didn't they? I always knew New Yorkers were weird." "Honey, we're from Star's Hollow." "Oh right, sorry," Rory replied, shaking her head. "What am I thinking? All the crazies live in Star's Hollow." "Okay, I'll just tell you," Lorelai said munching on more cheese doodles. "The parental units are going to London for Thanksgiving!" "No," Rory gasped. "Wow, you got lucky!" "Yes." Lorelai sighed blissfully. "Thanksgiving without Mr. And Mrs. Party Pooper! Joy to the world!" "How?" "Well," Lorelai said. "It seems that Lorelai #1 invited them. But.. on the other hand, Craig's family is coming." Rory gasped again. "The in-laws." "Uh, not yet, hon. I forgave him for inviting them without asking me first, but only have bopping him on the head with a breadstick and making him sit through a Mary Kate and Ashley marathon." Rory gasped. "Stop that!" Rory giggled. "Okay." Lorelai heard a muffled sound in the background. "Oh, I have to go, Mom." "Okay," Lorelai said. "So I'll see you in two weeks?" "Yeah! Talk to you later!" "Bye!" ********************* 9:59 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment Lorelai sighed as she put the phone back on the receiver. This was just a big mess. She was going to be introduced to Craig's parents. Everyday, she saw this amazing guy, who loved her more than anything and wondered how she was going to tell him that she wasn't the one for him. Or rather, he wasn't the one for her. Guilt was her best friend these days. Lorelai looked up as she heard the front door open. "Hey," Craig exclaimed, smiling. "Hi," She replied. "Your arm okay?" "Yeah," He said, nodding. "I get a little ache now and then, but it's no problem when I'm just in the office." "That's good," She replied, smiling slightly. He went into the bedroom to change. "Hey," Craig suddenly spoke up as he reentered the living room. "Lorelai, I wanted to talk to you." "It's fine that your parents are coming," Lorelai said, munching on cheese doodles. "Well, okay, we need to talk about that too," Craig said. "But I wanted to talk about.. you." "Me?" Lorelai raised a brow. "Why?" "Well," Craig said, shifting his weight. "You seem kinda down these days." "Me?" Lorelai asked. "I feel.. Fine. I mean, work is hectic and all, but I'm alright." "I dunno," Craig said smiling gently. "Remember when we first started dating? I mean, you were always really hyper and everything.. Not that I don't love the calm, quieter Lorelai, just I was worried because it seems like you're not really yourself these days." "Oh," Lorleai replied. She forced a smile. 'Should I tell him?' Craig sat down on the couch next to her and put his good arm around her shoulders. "So you're okay?" He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah." Craig leaned his head on her shoulder and they looked out into the Manhattan skyline. He nuzzled her neck, softly kissing her collarbone. Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut. 'I just can't.. I can't…' ********************* 11:53 PM, Monday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment She was unusually quiet these days. Craig looked at Lorelai sleeping next to him. She was sleeping in the fetal position, her face away from his. Was this what an established relationship was like? Did women change after they were together in a relationship for a long time? He didn't really know; he was usually the love 'em and leave 'em type, as his sister liked to say. Before Lorelai, his longest relationship had been about a one month. And how well he remembered that one month. In high school, it had been fun dating a lot of girls. It was flattering, how the girls chased him. He had been pretty cocky in high school. And when he hit college, he had gone with the same cocky attitude, expecting to have girls jump him like they did in high school. They didn't. College girls were different. Being the obnoxious, immature boy he had been then, he decided he'd wait until the girls pursued him. And then he met her. Carla. "Are you gonna eat that?"
Craig looked up from his book to see a tall, willowy blonde standing in front of him. "Excuse me?" He asked. She smiled.
"The chips. Because, if you don't want it, I'm collecting food for the homeless shelter," She said brightly. She was wearing a tank top that read "Homeless Coalition of the University of California".
"Oh," Craig replied and put down his book. "Okay, you can take it." 'A goody-goody,' He thought, appreciating the view as she leaned over to pick up the bag of chips. "So, what's your name?"
She frowned as he blatantly checked out her chest. She raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"Ohhh," He said, smiling cockily. "And I would." He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling.
"Well," She said frowning. "That's just too bad, because I don't date uncouth and cocky guys like you." Having said her part, the girl picked up the bag and stalked away. Shocked, Craig sat with his mouth open.
'Smooth move, Einstein,' He thought, silently berating himself. 'The least you could do is apologize.' "Hey!" Craig called out and jumped up from the bench where he sat. "Hey!"
She ignored him and kept walking across the green. Craig jogged to keep up with her. "What?" She snapped, her eyes flashing.
"I.. Uh..," Craig stuttered, suddenly noticing that her eyes were a deep green, with little flecks of gold. Her golden hair looked soft and shined in the bright sunlight. "I'm sorry."
She sighed. "Thanks for the chips." Craig nodded uncomfortably and started to walk back to the bench where he had left his book.
"Hey!"
He turned around to see her looking at him. "Do you wanna come help?" She managed a small smile.
"Yeah," Craig heard himself saying. "I'd like that." And so they had met; he had almost instantly fallen in love with Carla. Generous, smart as a whip, beautiful, brave.. Carla always stood up for what she believed in. She had never been afraid to hold back her feelings about anything. She was also the one who made him change. Before her, he had been the cocky playboy, dating multitudes of girls. But after he met her, he changed, letting the kinder, softer Craig shine through. For one month, he found himself constantly pining after her independent soul. He loved her like he had never loved anyone before. "Hey, Brian?" Craig knocked on the door. No response. He cocked his head, trying to remember if his roommate had already left for the holidays. He shrugged and dug around his pocket for his key. "Bingo!" He exclaimed, smiling, as he found the key in his back pocket. Craig opened the door and saw his roommate…
"Carla?" He croaked. "What are you doing?"
Carla gave him a sheepish look. "Craig…I thought you left for home…" She struggled to button her blouse. "I .. um..,"
Carla started. She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Shit. Okay, Brian and I have kinda been... we're together.. now." His sheepish roommate avoided his eyes and struggled to put his shirt on.
"But," Craig stuttered. "I thought.."
"Look, Craig," Carla said, smiling. "You're a nice guy, but.. sometimes.. you're too.. clingy."
The words stung and he closed his eyes. Craig thought the room was spinning, but when he opened his eyes everything around him was still. "Okay," He managed to say. "I gotta go." He stiffly walked out of the room. Craig opened his eyes, pushing away the past and looking at the woman he was with now. In the end, Carla changed him again, back to the man he had been. Before Lorelai, he had dated lots of women, pushing them away, at the smallest flaw or the tiniest disagreement. In some cases, he even found himself looking for a flaw so he could break up with the woman. But with Lorelai, it just seemed like falling into place. They loved the same things, they always had fun; together, they were just.. perfect. Craig slung his good arm around her shoulder and cuddled up to her before falling asleep. He had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. ********************* 1:23 AM, Tuesday
Craig's and Lorelai's apartment She suddenly found herself back at that night….
"I missed you," She whispered to him, rain dripping down her face. He was silent, his eyes dark. "Luke?" She asked in a plaintive voice. "Please say something..."
"I missed you too," Luke said. He grabbed her and hugged her to him. She was startled by his sudden move and her arms hung weakly by her side. But she slowly recovered from the initial shock and brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. It felt so right to be held by him. She put her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"A lot," He whispered into her hair.
She pulled away and looked at him. "Luke, I..," She started. Suddenly his lips were on hers.
Luke's lips were surprising soft, gently brushing against hers. "Luke," She breathed. His hands were running up and down the side of her body, touching her hair and the small of her back. His right hand was on the back of her head, tangled in her wet hair. His left found its way to her hand, and entwined with hers.
Suddenly, they were pulled apart.
"I don't think so," A woman said haughtily as she pulled Luke away. "Luke is mine now."
"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked. "Yours?" 'Linda,' She thought, realizing who the woman was. "Luke?" Lorelai looked to Luke. The woman glared at her and started to stalk away. Shrugging, Luke timidly followed after the woman.
"Luke!" She cried out. She tried to follow him, but her feet seemed to be planted right where they were. "LUKE!" "Lorelai," Craig said, gently shaking her. Lorelai flayed her arms. "Luke!" "What?" Craig said, surprised. 'Did she just say Luke?' "Lorelai?" Suddenly, her eyes opened and she looked up to see Craig staring down at her. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Yeah," Lorelai replied, breathing heavily. "Did you just scream Luke?" "Uh," Lorelai said, squinting in the darkness at Craig. "Um, no. I said Duke, because.. I was having a dream about .. The Duke.. Of…" Craig stared at her. "Huh?" "Did I say Duke? I meant puke," Lorelai stuttered. "I had a dream that .." She tried to think. "That I was at this frat party and this guy was about to .. throw up and I was like 'Puke!'" "Oh," Craig said, giving her a weird look. "I think I need more sleep," Lorelai said, smiling crookedly. "G'night." "Okay," Craig replied, confused. She had said Luke. He was sure of it. ******************* Wow, I have writer's block.. So please excuse the horrible chapter. Argh, I hate it when I have writer's block… all this crap comes out. Now i feel like I'm overdoing the angst.. it's really bothering me.. but I can't seem to write anything BUT angst.. x( Oh, and thanks for reading.. -Ggirl