"So, now that business is done, you say you were in Stars Hollow for a
time?" My grandmother looked excited.
"Yeah, about a year and a half"
"How nice! I've been there once or twice. Do you know the Gilmores?"
My face must have dropped because she looked surprised at my reaction. I quickly tried to cover by responding, "Um.. yeah.. well I mean.. it is a very small town."
Not wanting to pressure me she let the topic drop.
--------------------------------------------------(next entry)-------------- -------------
Today was my first full day here. We actually got a lot accomplished. This morning we took Lily to a nearby private elementary school. It was an amazing place. Somehow it seemed to stress learning, making its students more advanced than other schools, and at the same time it was set up to allow them to still be kids. Next we went to the high school division of this school and had I had a meeting there. Even with my grades and past performance they allowed me the chance to prove myself. I had to take a couple of test that I thought were really easy and then I had an interview. The interview went amazing. We talked books, ideas and I got the chance to show them that I was taking things seriously now. Well, me and Lily both start school tomorrow.
The best part is my schedule. The first half of the year I will be finishing what I need to graduate high school and the second half I will be in college level courses. These credits should transfer to almost any college so if I do decide to go to college I won't be too far behind. The classes themselves are on a much higher level than those I took at Stars Hollow High or at the school I occasionally attended in New York. I'm somewhat excited about this fact because I will actually be challenged and therefore I will have the ambition to try.
After dinner, my grandfather had to get some work done and Lily was in her new room reading. I decided it would be a good time to try to learn more about my grandmother. I found her in the kitchen.
"Coffee?" she offered.
"Sure.. um I'll get it though," I really am trying to stay out of there way. I don't want them to suddenly realize that all this is too much and ask us to go.
"Don't be silly, have a seat. I absolutely love cooking. All the ladies around here think I'm absolutely insane for it. They just can't understand why I don't hire a cook. They all have them, even Emily Gilmore keeps getting them, even if they only last a few days." I could see her studying me as she said this. I realized then that she must have the same group of friends as Emily. So that's how she knew the Gilmores.
"Okay sweetie, spill it." She jolted me back to the conversation.
"What?" I said a little too naively. She knew something was up but how could I just open up about all of it to her? How could I open up to anyone?
She sighed. "Look Jess I know that there's a story here somewhere. I also know that you're not about to let anyone in on it. I will get you to open up eventually, at least a little bit. I'm going to take a guess that I may not want to mention you if Emily is around, which is more often than I would like. I want you to know that if and when you want to talk about it or anything else that you've been through, I'm going to be here to listen. I know you're having a hard time trusting people. I can't blame you for that after all that you've been through. But please believe me, I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. We're not going to give up on you."
I glanced away from her. I could tell that she meant it. Unfortunately her meaning it at that moment doesn't make it the truth. There had been plenty of sober moments when my mom had cried to me and promised she'd change, that we could be a family. She had really meant it those times as well, she just changed her mind an hour later when the liquor stores opened.
"Listen, I have a hard time talking about things, I mean real things. You ask me about a book or a band and I could talk with you about it for hours. It's just when it comes to real life.. I .. it's just.."
"It's too painful." She finished for me. I didn't have to tell her that she was right.
Suddenly she smiled at me. "Come here I want to show you something that your father never cared for but I have a feeling you're going to like.
I followed her down a narrow hallway and up some stairs. I could definitely get lost in this house. She led me down another hallway and then turned excitedly towards me. "Right in here."
We walked into a room that may as well have been a library. There were endless shelves of books lining the walls and many freestanding bookcases as well. There was also a huge bay window deep enough to sit in. The window had an amazing view. I walked up to the first bookshelf and pulled out a random book. I read the cover and almost smiled. "The Sun Also Rises" I read aloud. "Heh" My grandmother smiled as well. "Maybe it does," I said more to myself than anything.
"Yeah, about a year and a half"
"How nice! I've been there once or twice. Do you know the Gilmores?"
My face must have dropped because she looked surprised at my reaction. I quickly tried to cover by responding, "Um.. yeah.. well I mean.. it is a very small town."
Not wanting to pressure me she let the topic drop.
--------------------------------------------------(next entry)-------------- -------------
Today was my first full day here. We actually got a lot accomplished. This morning we took Lily to a nearby private elementary school. It was an amazing place. Somehow it seemed to stress learning, making its students more advanced than other schools, and at the same time it was set up to allow them to still be kids. Next we went to the high school division of this school and had I had a meeting there. Even with my grades and past performance they allowed me the chance to prove myself. I had to take a couple of test that I thought were really easy and then I had an interview. The interview went amazing. We talked books, ideas and I got the chance to show them that I was taking things seriously now. Well, me and Lily both start school tomorrow.
The best part is my schedule. The first half of the year I will be finishing what I need to graduate high school and the second half I will be in college level courses. These credits should transfer to almost any college so if I do decide to go to college I won't be too far behind. The classes themselves are on a much higher level than those I took at Stars Hollow High or at the school I occasionally attended in New York. I'm somewhat excited about this fact because I will actually be challenged and therefore I will have the ambition to try.
After dinner, my grandfather had to get some work done and Lily was in her new room reading. I decided it would be a good time to try to learn more about my grandmother. I found her in the kitchen.
"Coffee?" she offered.
"Sure.. um I'll get it though," I really am trying to stay out of there way. I don't want them to suddenly realize that all this is too much and ask us to go.
"Don't be silly, have a seat. I absolutely love cooking. All the ladies around here think I'm absolutely insane for it. They just can't understand why I don't hire a cook. They all have them, even Emily Gilmore keeps getting them, even if they only last a few days." I could see her studying me as she said this. I realized then that she must have the same group of friends as Emily. So that's how she knew the Gilmores.
"Okay sweetie, spill it." She jolted me back to the conversation.
"What?" I said a little too naively. She knew something was up but how could I just open up about all of it to her? How could I open up to anyone?
She sighed. "Look Jess I know that there's a story here somewhere. I also know that you're not about to let anyone in on it. I will get you to open up eventually, at least a little bit. I'm going to take a guess that I may not want to mention you if Emily is around, which is more often than I would like. I want you to know that if and when you want to talk about it or anything else that you've been through, I'm going to be here to listen. I know you're having a hard time trusting people. I can't blame you for that after all that you've been through. But please believe me, I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. We're not going to give up on you."
I glanced away from her. I could tell that she meant it. Unfortunately her meaning it at that moment doesn't make it the truth. There had been plenty of sober moments when my mom had cried to me and promised she'd change, that we could be a family. She had really meant it those times as well, she just changed her mind an hour later when the liquor stores opened.
"Listen, I have a hard time talking about things, I mean real things. You ask me about a book or a band and I could talk with you about it for hours. It's just when it comes to real life.. I .. it's just.."
"It's too painful." She finished for me. I didn't have to tell her that she was right.
Suddenly she smiled at me. "Come here I want to show you something that your father never cared for but I have a feeling you're going to like.
I followed her down a narrow hallway and up some stairs. I could definitely get lost in this house. She led me down another hallway and then turned excitedly towards me. "Right in here."
We walked into a room that may as well have been a library. There were endless shelves of books lining the walls and many freestanding bookcases as well. There was also a huge bay window deep enough to sit in. The window had an amazing view. I walked up to the first bookshelf and pulled out a random book. I read the cover and almost smiled. "The Sun Also Rises" I read aloud. "Heh" My grandmother smiled as well. "Maybe it does," I said more to myself than anything.
