Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gilmore Girls characters. Just the plot. And all of it is non-profitable. No suing required.
A/N: Thanks heaps to all my reviewers, you guys keep me writing with your encouragement. I realise that my story is a whole lot more serious-drama than a normal episode of Gilmore Girls, especially with the particular characters I'm focusing on, that's just the way I write I guess :) I can't help it, I always see the more serious sides of relationships! But thanks for staying with me!
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Dave watched as Lane and Mrs. Kim stood at the front of their house, waiting. He checked his watch, quarter to six, he was fifteen minutes early. He was glad that Mrs. Kim bought the whole charade of the choir and band thing. He knew that all contact with Lane would be severed, after last week, if it wasn't for their weekly band practices.
He looked at her as he did the polite and expected thing and got out of his car and walked up to them. Her hair tied back up in her usual braids, her face lit up with a smile. A smile he hadn't seen for a whole week, and hadn't expected to see in a while. He could see that it was a little strained, though, probably trying to keep up pretences that everything was fine in front of her mother.
"Hi Dave." she said cheerfully enough. He saw Mrs. Kim watching the exchange between them.
"Hey, Lane." he replied, equally pleasantly.
He then directed his greetings to the shrewd Korean lady.
"Hello, Mrs. Kim. How are you today?"
"I'm fine, David. I hope you have a good practice today. Please make sure you bring Lane home by eight thirty sharp. And remember, no junk food! Now hurry, time is wasting." She ushered them away with a wave of her hand, and watched as they got into the car, waved goodbye and drove away.
"So how've you been Lane?" Dave ventured after they'd been driving in silence for a mile or so.
"Oh great. Just great, I mean its summer break, what's not to be happy about?" Lane replied, realising that that might not have been the best choice of words when Dave did not reply.
Dave pulled over, to Lane's surprise. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Lane dared to ask, "Dave? We're going to be late. Aren't the other guys expecting us?"
"No they're not, Lane. Not until later." Dave said looking at her directly in the eyes. "I told them we'd only practice for an hour instead of two today."
"Oh, okay," Lane replied a little nervously, licking her lips, "So why'd you pick me up for practice so early then?"
"I don't know Lane," Dave sighed exasperatedly, hitting his palms against the steering wheel in a gesture of frustration, "Maybe it's because this was the only way I could get you to look at me, much less say two words to me."
"Dave-"
"No, I don't want excuses. I know its hard breaking up. And I also want you to know that I did not break up with you, so much as I broke you up with me. Don't you understand Lane? I care about you that much that I don't want to cause you any trouble with your Mom."
"I can handle it Dave, I already told you. I don't need looking after in that department. It's my life. I'm a big girl, I can deal with it." Lane said, her voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Yeah, I know you can, Lane." Dave said, trying to keep the tremble in his voice at bay, "But I don't know if I could. I don't know if I could handle losing you totally if your Mom really did find out about us. I don't know if I can handle caring for you so much you even if I knew that eventually nothing could really happen between us."
There was silence for a few minutes, Dave's words hanging in the air.
"Do you want me to quit the band?" Lane asked finally, not looking at him.
"No. The guys love you, I-" He almost said it. "I, well I don't really want to see you go either. You're the best thing that's happened to us. And it wouldn't be fair for my feelings to get in the way of what you want to do."
"Well, I guess that's settled. What about friendship? Is there any hope of that?"
"I really don't know Lane. Last week I was so ready to believe that I could remain just friends with you, but its just too hard to discard what feelings we had."
"Dave, if it makes it easier for you, we don't have to do the typical friendship thing. Well, I mean, yeah we can still be friends, but we don't have to be the type that hangs out, besides at band practice, I mean. It would be easier for me too. That's manageable, right?
Dave smiled. "Yeah, I guess. The pretences of Bible studies and having to report back to your Mom about what we learned were getting a little...difficult."
"Yeah." They both giggled at the memory of them struggling to provide Mrs. Kim with a decent explanation of what new discovery they'd made about some Bible verse or other.
They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, not knowing what else to say.
"Well, we'd better get going or we'll be late." Dave said finally.
"Late? For what?" Lane asked confused.
"Band practice, of course!"
"Hey!"
"I told you the band came first. Did you really think I would cut down on practice hours?"
Lane stuck her tongue out at him.
Dave grinned back at her mischievously as they sped off once again.
Things were back to normal, for a little while.
A/N: Thanks heaps to all my reviewers, you guys keep me writing with your encouragement. I realise that my story is a whole lot more serious-drama than a normal episode of Gilmore Girls, especially with the particular characters I'm focusing on, that's just the way I write I guess :) I can't help it, I always see the more serious sides of relationships! But thanks for staying with me!
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Dave watched as Lane and Mrs. Kim stood at the front of their house, waiting. He checked his watch, quarter to six, he was fifteen minutes early. He was glad that Mrs. Kim bought the whole charade of the choir and band thing. He knew that all contact with Lane would be severed, after last week, if it wasn't for their weekly band practices.
He looked at her as he did the polite and expected thing and got out of his car and walked up to them. Her hair tied back up in her usual braids, her face lit up with a smile. A smile he hadn't seen for a whole week, and hadn't expected to see in a while. He could see that it was a little strained, though, probably trying to keep up pretences that everything was fine in front of her mother.
"Hi Dave." she said cheerfully enough. He saw Mrs. Kim watching the exchange between them.
"Hey, Lane." he replied, equally pleasantly.
He then directed his greetings to the shrewd Korean lady.
"Hello, Mrs. Kim. How are you today?"
"I'm fine, David. I hope you have a good practice today. Please make sure you bring Lane home by eight thirty sharp. And remember, no junk food! Now hurry, time is wasting." She ushered them away with a wave of her hand, and watched as they got into the car, waved goodbye and drove away.
"So how've you been Lane?" Dave ventured after they'd been driving in silence for a mile or so.
"Oh great. Just great, I mean its summer break, what's not to be happy about?" Lane replied, realising that that might not have been the best choice of words when Dave did not reply.
Dave pulled over, to Lane's surprise. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Lane dared to ask, "Dave? We're going to be late. Aren't the other guys expecting us?"
"No they're not, Lane. Not until later." Dave said looking at her directly in the eyes. "I told them we'd only practice for an hour instead of two today."
"Oh, okay," Lane replied a little nervously, licking her lips, "So why'd you pick me up for practice so early then?"
"I don't know Lane," Dave sighed exasperatedly, hitting his palms against the steering wheel in a gesture of frustration, "Maybe it's because this was the only way I could get you to look at me, much less say two words to me."
"Dave-"
"No, I don't want excuses. I know its hard breaking up. And I also want you to know that I did not break up with you, so much as I broke you up with me. Don't you understand Lane? I care about you that much that I don't want to cause you any trouble with your Mom."
"I can handle it Dave, I already told you. I don't need looking after in that department. It's my life. I'm a big girl, I can deal with it." Lane said, her voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Yeah, I know you can, Lane." Dave said, trying to keep the tremble in his voice at bay, "But I don't know if I could. I don't know if I could handle losing you totally if your Mom really did find out about us. I don't know if I can handle caring for you so much you even if I knew that eventually nothing could really happen between us."
There was silence for a few minutes, Dave's words hanging in the air.
"Do you want me to quit the band?" Lane asked finally, not looking at him.
"No. The guys love you, I-" He almost said it. "I, well I don't really want to see you go either. You're the best thing that's happened to us. And it wouldn't be fair for my feelings to get in the way of what you want to do."
"Well, I guess that's settled. What about friendship? Is there any hope of that?"
"I really don't know Lane. Last week I was so ready to believe that I could remain just friends with you, but its just too hard to discard what feelings we had."
"Dave, if it makes it easier for you, we don't have to do the typical friendship thing. Well, I mean, yeah we can still be friends, but we don't have to be the type that hangs out, besides at band practice, I mean. It would be easier for me too. That's manageable, right?
Dave smiled. "Yeah, I guess. The pretences of Bible studies and having to report back to your Mom about what we learned were getting a little...difficult."
"Yeah." They both giggled at the memory of them struggling to provide Mrs. Kim with a decent explanation of what new discovery they'd made about some Bible verse or other.
They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, not knowing what else to say.
"Well, we'd better get going or we'll be late." Dave said finally.
"Late? For what?" Lane asked confused.
"Band practice, of course!"
"Hey!"
"I told you the band came first. Did you really think I would cut down on practice hours?"
Lane stuck her tongue out at him.
Dave grinned back at her mischievously as they sped off once again.
Things were back to normal, for a little while.