Chapter 18- Boys, Bears, Pie and Poetry

"Presenting, the Dragonfly." Lorelai cut the giant red tape, and a Hartford journalist snapped a picture. The huge crowd that had gathered to watch the unveiling began to clap. "Now, there are cookies here in the lobby and if you'd like to stay tonight, you may check in with Michel at the front desk."

Rory and Luke approached Lorelai as the crowd dispersed.

"The place looks wonderful." Rory said smiling.

"It really does, it looks beautiful." Luke replied putting his arm around her.

"It's more than I imagined it would be." She sighed.

"It's yours." He added.

"I know." She smiled. "Where's Jess?"

"He's being very dodger-ish tonight. Said he had something to do. Couldn't come, he did say to congratulate you though." Rory answered.

"Well, I'll get right on the thank you card. What do you think? Should I send candy along too? What's he like? Chocolate or maybe gummy bears?"

"Gummy bears, definitely. Ooh, and get the kind with the tropical fruits, not just the normal flavors."

"Well, of course you have to have the tropical flavors, I mean come on."

"Non-tropical gummy bears are nearly sacrilegious."

"Long live, pineapple bear!" The two giggled. "I can't believe I just had a debate about the pros and cons of non-tropical gummy bear flavors."

"Believe it sister." Rory retorted.

"I heard it and I still don't believe it." Luke remarked sarcastically.

"I should probably go do some work." Lorelai sighed.

"Bye, Mom."

"Bye Lorelai."

"You have gummy bears?" Rory asked turning to Luke.

"No." Luke replied.

"You have ice cream?"

"Yep"

"Good, you get the ice cream. I'll get the gummy bears, and I'll meet you at the diner."

"What's in it for me?"

"You're dating my mother, you owe me. Plus I work for you. Call it a bonus."

"All right" He replied. They headed off in opposite directions.

Rory came back to the diner with bags of gummy bears. She made a gummy bear ice cream sundae and even persuaded Luke to have a bite. It was a bonding moment. Soon Jess came back, and she and Jess started to talk. Luke went upstairs to bed and left them alone.

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"Now, who can explain to the class the point that this poem is making?"

Rory raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Gilmore." The professor called.

"The grain of rice represents the author, who feels he is insignificant and useless in the fight to save the world from eminent danger. In this case, since it was written in the late sixties, he was most likely talking about the Vietnam War."

"That is a correct assumption, now in this passage here---" The professor continued.

"Can I copy your notes sometime?" A voice behind her asked. She turned around.

"It's all up here." She pointed to her head.

"Well then---" He started, but the professor interrupted.

"Miss Gilmore, are you planning on talking or joining the rest of the class in the discussion. This is not social hour."

"I'm sorry, we were discussing the poem."

"Fine, now as I was saying." He continued.

The guy behind bent down and her placed a note on her desk. She opened it. It read:

To be continued?

As soon as the lecture was over she gathered up her books and slung her bag over her shoulder making her way to the door. The note guy jogged up behind her.

"Hey wait up." He called. "So as I was saying, maybe I could pick your brain sometime?"

"I don't know. My brain is really empty right now. That explanation was probably all I had left to say."

"I'm sure some exploration would prove otherwise. I'm Noah, by the way." He smiled.

"I'm Rory Gil---"

"Gilmore, yeah I know."

"Well, I see introductions are not necessary." She replied.

"So what do you say? A cup of coffee and a little poetry talk?"

"I'm sure you're very nice, but I have a boyfriend."

"Oh, I guess I'm too late." He replied.

"Yeah, just a little."

"So where are you going?"

"I have a free period."

"What a coincidence, so do I."

"You just don't take no for an answer, do you?"

"Come on; just get a little coffee with me. No pressure, okay?"

"Fine, let's go."

"Great!" He smiled and they walked on.

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Over at Stars Hollow High, Jess was having a much different school related experience.

"The square root of pi, divided by 4, subtracting 25 and then adding the radius of the circle, will give you the answer." The teacher droned on.

Jess sat in the back of the classroom staring at the brick wall. It was more interesting than the class. That was for sure. He understood it the first time, but the second time it was just boring. Not that it wasn't boring before, but it was much more boring the second time.

"Mr. Mariano? Can you enlighten the class as to the answer to number 45?"

"Ah, it's 1,254 feet," He replied semi-sarcastically.

"Thank you." He hadn't seemed to notice Jess's tone.

The bell rang. 'Thank god.' He thought. It was the last class of the day, before Thanksgiving. That meant a break from the boredom. He left the classroom, entered the diner minutes later, threw his books upstairs and came back down.

"How was school?" Luke asked.

"Boring, very boring."

"That means it's too easy then, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then you'll graduate this year."

"If lightning doesn't strike me."

"I don't see that happening to you."

"Good."

"The good news is if it did your hair would still be intact." Lorelai added, entering the diner.

"Funny." He replied.

"I thought so."

"What do you want?" Jess asked.

"I want to invite you and Luke to dinner, at The Dragonfly tomorrow. Sookie is cooking up a special thanksgiving feast."

"We'll be there." Luke replied.

"What he said." Jess agreed.

"Since that's out of the way, now I want pie." Lorelai added.

"Pie?" Jess asked.

"Yes, you know? The slice shaped things, with the fruity delicious filling."

"I know what they are." He replied.

"I'm way ahead of you." Luke replied handing her a small plate with a slice on it.

She looked surprised and inspected the pie. "You even guessed that I wanted pumpkin. Ooh, you know what I just realized?"

"What?" Luke asked. Jess had left now; he was off serving someone else.

"Pumpkin is not a fruit."

"That's true."

"Thanks for the pie." She smiled.

"You're welcome."

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"So you drove cross country to get your boyfriend back?" He repeated.

"Yep, took a few days." She sipped her coffee.

"I am sorry I came too late."

"Yeah, we've been through a lot. We're pretty good now though."

"Glad to hear it."

"Well, I better go. I've got to go and see my family for Thanksgiving. But if you ever want to talk again, I'm in Harlow Hall."

"Do happen to know Paris Gellar?"

"Well, yes. We've been arch enemies/ friends for several years. We went to the same high school."

"It's a small world, huh?"

"Yes, why did you ask if I knew her?"

"Well, I've talked to her before. She seems a little intimidating, but smart. When you said you lived there I remembered her talking about it."

"Yeah, you should talk to her again. She needs friends." Rory thought about suggesting that he ask her out, but she wasn't sure about the situation between Paris and Jamie.

"I will. I'll see you round."

"Bye." She smiled. He was nice. Reminded her of Tristan sort of, accept nicer and smarter. On second thought, other than his blonde hair and blue eyes he wasn't much like Tristan at all.

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Lorelai tapped the side of her glass with her fork, and the room quieted.

"I'd like to make a toast to family, friends and food, especially the food part."

They raised their glasses to the toast. Sookie, Lorelai, Jackson, Luke, Rory, and Jess, were all seated at the table.

"This is a wonderful dinner, Sookie." Rory replied.

"I especially like the turkey." Lorelai added.

"You guys, it's no big deal."

"No it is a big deal. Look! Cranberries, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie, salad, and about 25 other things that I either don't recognize or am too far away from to see."

"Really, it's not a big deal." Sookie insisted.

"It's great of you to do, hon. Eat up, you've got two to think about." Lorelai handed her the potatoes.

The whole bunch enjoyed dinner and they all left, very full.

"You wanna take a walk?" Jess asked.

"Sure." Rory replied. "See you later, mom."

"Bye, Rory. Don't be home too late." Lorelai replied.

She turned back to Jess and they started to walk.

* Let's take a walk

A walk down memory lane

Past the signs of the times

That lit our little way *

"This isn't our first Thanksgiving together, is it?" She asked.

"Nope, we had one right here a year ago. As I recall, Luke and I were your main event."

She smiled. "You were." They walked a bit more, coming up close to the diner, which was now pitch black inside. "You obviously didn't have us go on a walk, to remind me of that, did you?" She asked. They stopped in front of the picture window at Luke's.

"No." He replied being cryptic.

"Well, why did we come out here?"

"Do you remember last Thanksgiving?"

"Yes, we had four dinners; you were our main event and I---" She paused. "Oh." She understood now.

"Right here, is where we kissed that night. Actually, you kissed me."

"Our first kiss right out in public." She replied.

"Yeah, and Dean saw it all."

"He did?"

"Yeah, and he was a real jerk about it. Flaunting it, that is."

"You didn't get into a fight though?"

"No, I didn't want to stir things up with you when we'd been doing well. I did want to hurt him though. He was looming."

"Thankfully that's behind us." She replied.

"Tonight just reminded me of that moment"

"That's why you brought me here. Jess, that's so sweet."

"If you say so" He replied.

"Would a reenactment be in order?" She asked smiling.

"I think that might be fun." He leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. His body heat felt good, because she was cold. "We're good, right?" He asked.

"We're very good." She smiled as she pressed her lips to his.

*

And decide what it is

That made it all this way

And decide who it is

That might make it O.K.

*

"Happy Thanksgiving, Rory." He said as the kiss ended. "It's nice to have you here, actually here."

"It's nice to be here. Guys were starting to hit on me at Yale."

"Didn't I tell you that would happen?" He asked.

"Yeah, I told them I had a boyfriend though. We just talked. It was cool."

"You turned down some rich, educated prep boy for me?"

"Of course, he'd never live up to my standards. Anyway, didn't I say I would?"

"I guess."

*

The sun bears down on the man

With a girl on his arm

She's a victim of charm

She thinks, Sinatra the man

Think of him as you walk

*

"So how's school?" She asked.

"Boring"

"You're just too smart." She replied.

"I know. I tell Luke that all the time, he's always worrying about me graduating." He replied. "So are you coming home for Christmas?"

"Of course, why you have something up your sleeve for that too?" She smiled.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess so." She replied.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked her home.

A/N: Hey! Lyrics are "Walk Down Memory Lane" by Sparks. Not hugely progressive but I'm leading up to progressive. The Dragonfly is open. That's progress. I think I'm losing my touch though; I have had too much sleep.