Pairing: Literati
Rating: PGDisclaimer: I am, in NO WAY, affiliated with Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, or any of the other big names. I am just a big fan of the Gilmore Girls, Milo Ventimiglia, and Chad Michael Murray. :)
Spoilers: Possible spoilers from Season 3.
Distribution: Please e-mail me first at rgilmore03hotmail.com -Thank you very much.
Author's Note: Thank you all for being so patient. You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me! Please take a minute to review after reading. Thanks! I've had the majority of this chapter written for a long time, but it wasn't really ready to upload.
Author's Note: SI: Part II. This chapter takes place the summer before Rory starts Yale, specifically the end of June. (In this story, Lorelai and Rory will be going to Europe from mid-July to late August. The next chapter will focus on the preparation for the trip, and then the story will resume after their return.)
After doing some research, I've decided that in SI, Lane will be attending Atlantic Union College, a Seventh Day Adventist College located in Lancaster, Massachusetts. The Gilmore Girls transcript (3.21: Here Comes the Son) mentions Lane attending a Seventh Day Adventist College, but does not mention which one. Atlantic Union is the closest school I could find to Lane, but if someone has information they would like to share, that would be wonderful. For the purposes of this story, let's pretend that Atlantic Union either a) has a branch in Hartford or b) is located in Hartford. ;)
-- They may have specifically mentioned which Seventh Day Adventist College Lane will be attending, but I didn't catch it if they did.
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(Open to LUKE'S DINER where LORELAI and RORY are sitting at a table by the window.)
LORELAI: Isn't it exciting?
RORY: Very.
LORELAI: [raises her coffee mug dramatically] Good Riddance to Chilton.
RORY: Here, here.
LORELAI: Makes you want to scream it out the windows, and stop every passerby and tell them, "Hey, I just graduated from high school."
RORY: No.
LORELAI: No?
RORY: I don't want to be the "I lowered my cholesterol" guy.
LORELAI: Oh, right. Rates high on the annoyance scale.
RORY: But excellent mocking material.
LORELAI: Very. Bad cereal, though.
RORY: Cereal without sugar?
LORELAI: Without chocolate?
RORY: It should be illegal.
LORELAI: We should celebrate.
RORY: The banishment of Cheerios from supermarket shelves everywhere?LORELAI: Your high school graduation, silly.
RORY: We already did. I graduated 2 weeks ago.
LORELAI: I know that. Today is your 2-week anniversary of being a high school graduate. This calls for a movie night. Who's going to pick up The Graduate?
RORY: Mom, we've seen that movie twice since I graduated. Three times if you count the time the power went out halfway through.
LORELAI: You graduated. You had to have known we were going to watch that movie.
RORY: Yeah, once.
LORELAI: Once, she says.
RORY: What's Luke doing?
(Cut to LUKE who is opening the storage room and peering in. He shakes his head, disappointed, and starts opening cabinets.)
LORELAI: Looking for something?
RORY: [to LORELAI] Apparently.
LORELAI: [to RORY] Maybe a secret coffee stash?
LUKE: I can't find him!
LORELAI: Nemo?
RORY: Try the sink.
LUKE: Huh? Jess! I can't find Jess.
LORELAI: Uh-huh, and you thought he was hiding in the cabinets?
LUKE: Yeah, well.
LORELAI: Something wrong?
LUKE: I'm just sick of this. I would at least appreciate a note, a phone call, a Post-It tacked somewhere to let me know where he is.
LORELAI: Has he been gone since last night?
LUKE: No, just this morning, but still, it wouldn't kill him to let me know, right?
LORELAI: He's probably just moping around somewhere.
RORY: [to LORELAI] Mom.
LORELAI: Well?
LUKE: You're probably right.
LORELAI: Yes, I know.
RORY: No need to be so modest.
LORELAI: If I find him on my way to work, I'll tell him you're looking for him.
LUKE: Thanks.
LORELAI: Anytime. [to RORY] And you will pick up The Graduate?
RORY: [sighs] Yes, I will. And plenty of junk food.
LORELAI: That's a given. See you later, sweetie.
RORY: Bye.
(Cut to JESS who is wandering aimlessly on a street, his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking at store windows. He doesn't notice RORY walk up behind him, and is startled a bit when she speaks.)
RORY: Hey.
JESS: [turns around, smiling] Hey.
RORY: The search parties are out.
JESS: For…
RORY: This guy…he kind of looks like you.
JESS: Huh. Really.
RORY: Luke has been looking for you all morning.
JESS: Did he look outside?
RORY: Probably…I don't know.
JESS: There isn't a whole lot of square footage to cover, you know.
RORY: Yes, I know.
JESS: Although, I almost did get lost over there on Peach and Plum.
RORY: As do many other people.
JESS: Why's he looking for me?
RORY: He just is.
JESS: [nods]
RORY: Were you doing some shopping?
JESS: [looking at the closest store window] Oh yeah, I just ran out of porcelain unicorns.
RORY: Just an insider tip, between you and me…the shop on Main has a larger stock.
JESS: [smirks] Good to know.
RORY: So…
JESS: So?
RORY: Anything exciting happen lately?
JESS: Nope.
RORY: Nothing worth mentioning?
JESS: Not that I can think of.
RORY: If you insist.
JESS: What about you? What's on the agenda for today?
RORY: I'm going to my grandparents' house today to pick up some travel books. I honestly think they're more excited about our trip to Europe than Mom and I.
JESS: I don't think that's possible.
RORY: [laughs] Oh, it just might be.
JESS: I should let you go then.
RORY: I should let you go. You need to go to Luke's.
JESS: Yes ma'am.
RORY: [laughs]
(Scene fades out. Cut to EMILY who is fixing a flower arrangement on a coffee table. The doorbell rings, and she rushes to answer it. She opens the door and greets her granddaughter.)
EMILY: Rory! It's so nice to see you.
RORY: It's nice to see you too, Grandma.
EMILY: You'll stay for lunch, won't you?
RORY: Of course.
EMILY: Good. How's your mother doing?
RORY: She's great.
EMILY: Wonderful. Your grandfather should be down shortly. He's on the phone with one of his clients.
(EMILY and RORY walk to the living room, where they sit down on the couch. EMILY motions her head to a cardboard box on the floor.)
EMILY: I packed the travel guides for you. Your grandfather will help you take it out to the car.
(RORY walks over to the box, lifting a flap and peering inside.)
RORY: Wow…thanks, Grandma!
EMILY: Oh, you're most welcome. Now, most of those travel guides are several years old, so I stopped by Barnes & Noble and picked out some newer ones as well.
RORY: Thank you…you didn't have to do that.
EMILY: Nonsense. Dated travel guides can only help you so much. And that little trip to the bookstore was good for me as well.
RORY: Well, I'm glad.
EMILY: The salesgirl was so helpful! And the store was darling; there were armchairs and a café!
RORY: Oh, I know. I could just spend hours there.
EMILY: Really. [pauses, then adds] I would love to take you there one day – if you're not busy, that is.
RORY: [smiles] That would be great!
(Cut to THE INDEPENDENCE INN, where Lorelai, Michel, Sookie and Jackson are at the front desk, staring at amazement at the scene in front of them. Three men dressed as Elvis Presley are seated in the lobby.)
LORELAI: Only in Stars Hollow.
SOOKIE: Could it be him?
MICHEL: Which one?
SOOKIE: I don't know. One of them could be him.
LORELAI: That may be, except…
SOOKIE: I mean, the one on the far left does bear a striking resemblance to -
LORELAI: I'm not disagreeing, but…
JACKSON: I wonder if they're hungry.
MICHEL: Please.
LORELAI: In my opinion, they all bear a striking resemblance to Elvis, but take a look at their t-shirts.
SOOKIE: [reading] Hartford's 6th Annual Elvis Look-Alike Convention.
LORELAI: I think it's safe to say that Leftie over there is not Elvis.
JACKSON: I wonder if they've already got their fruit trays ordered. They must have had fruit trays at their convention. Wait – has the convention already happened?
MICHEL: I wonder why they chose to stay in this crazy town.
SOOKIE: He could be pretending to be an impersonator. Wait. [giggles] Does that make sense?
MICHEL: [dryly] Not at all.
LORELAI: Ah! The middle one is dancing! I have got to page Rory. [She grabs her cell phone off the desk, and starts dialing the number.] I wish we had one of those camera phones. Darn.
MICHEL: No sense in wasting technology on such hideous human beings.
SOOKIE: Jackson, where are you going?
JACKSON: I'm going to show Elvis here…all three of them…what Stars Hollow fruit tastes like. [heads towards the kitchen]
LORELAI: [sets her phone down on the counter]
SOOKIE: You didn't talk to Rory?
LORELAI: No, uh, I forgot that she's not home.
SOOKIE: Oh.
LORELAI: She's at her grandparents.
SOOKIE: Oh. Well, that's good, right?
LORELAI: Of course.
SOOKIE: Spending time with the grandparents…[looking at her friend's expression] Are you okay with that?
LORELAI: I'm totally okay with that. I just…I wish my parents and I also had that special bond, that's all.
SOOKIE: I know, sweetie. You will - eventually.
LORELAI: [nodding slowly] Thanks.
SOOKIE: Anytime.
(Cut to LUKE'S, where RORY is seated at the counter, drinking coffee, while JESS is organizing order forms. RORY has just returned from her grandparents' house. LUKE stops by to refill RORY's mug.)
LUKE: Here you go.
RORY: Thanks. [stares at LUKE intently] Wow.
LUKE: Not you too.
(LUKE is not wearing his trademark baseball cap, resulting in many of the customers to stare at him in shock.)
RORY: I'm not saying a word.
LUKE: I was trying a new look. I got the memo. The baseball cap is going back on.
(LUKE turns towards the kitchen. RORY smiles to herself, and watches JESS, who is very much concentrating on the order forms. She clears her throat, looks around the diner and decides to just start talking to him.)
RORY: I just noticed that you only have one calendar in the diner.
JESS: [looks up, smiling] Very observant. Huh. I always thought one was plenty.
RORY: Oh, it is. Gets the job done.
JESS: Tells you what day it is.
RORY: More than one calendar would look quite odd.
JESS: Of course, this multi calendar deal could work. Cheaper than wallpaper, right?
RORY: Beats preprocessed food assembled in New Jersey.
JESS: Blue Highways.
RORY: [smiles] Yup.
[RORY takes a sip of her coffee, and thinks of something, which causes her to laugh.]
JESS: Care to share?
RORY: You just rhymed!
JESS: It's the last time.
RORY: It's just funny how we can reference Blue Highways – a short story that your Average Joe hasn't even heard of.
JESS: Those crazy people.
RORY: Oh, I agree.
JESS: Who likes the name Joe anyway?
RORY: [mock offended] Me!
JESS: You have bad taste.
RORY: Oh, I do?
JESS: Yup.
RORY: I like the name Jess.
JESS: [pause, then smirks] Ah, well. Who doesn't?
RORY: [laughs]
JESS: [under his breath] Never mind. I can name ten people, at the very least.
RORY: What?
JESS: Nothing.
RORY: I heard you.
JESS: I see you.
RORY: And it's not true.
JESS: Yeah, well.
RORY: It's not. Haven't we had this discussion before?
JESS: Ah, a feeling of deja vu.
RORY: We have.
JESS: We have?
RORY: In the car. When we were going for ice cream.
JESS: [nods slowly] Going dorm shopping?
RORY: Don't try to change the subject.
JESS: It's best to pick a theme. Makes the shopping easier.
RORY: Have you been watching Trading Spaces?
JESS: Did you start yet, or is it too early?
RORY: [sighs, and gives up] Paris has already bought everything. I'll probably wait until August.
JESS: Procrastinators always score a sale.
RORY: That may be true, although the selection won't be so hot.
JESS: Ah, yes. Nothing screams "Procrastinator" like mismatched plaid and orange bedding.
RORY: Orange, huh?
JESS: Plaid and striped is so cliché.
RORY: I happen to like clichés.
JESS: [grins] You also happen to like the name "Joe". Your opinion doesn't matter.
RORY: [rolls eyes] Right, I forgot. So…
JESS: So?
RORY: Anything interesting happen recently?
JESS: Life.
RORY: Want to narrow that down a bit?
JESS: [smirks] Not really.
RORY: See, the correct answer to that question is, "Of course, Rory! I would love to narrow that down for you."
JESS: [laughs] I'm guessing Luke has already told you…
RORY: [nods eagerly] He did, and I'm really proud of you!
JESS: [smiles genuinely] You are, huh?
RORY: Of course. I was going to mention it earlier, but I was just waiting for you to bring it up.
JESS: I could tell. [pauses] I can now say I'm part of the Class of '04.
RORY: [smiles] Yes, you can.
JESS: Good year. It's going to be different, you know.
RORY: Good.
JESS: I'll actually attend class this year.
RORY: That's a start…I believe you, Jess.
JESS: It'll be weird.
RORY: [laughs] Attending class?
JESS: [laughs] No. [pauses] Us. You'll be off in the "real world", and I'll still be in high school.
RORY: It doesn't have to be weird.
JESS: I know.
RORY: I'm so proud of you, Jess.
JESS: You said that already.
RORY: Well, I'm saying it again.
JESS: Thanks. [pauses] So how are the post-graduation festivities coming along?
RORY: It's been nonstop partying at our house for two weeks. We're watching The Graduate tonight.
JESS: Again?
RORY: According to my mother, watching it three times does not serve justice to the film.
JESS: [laughs]
(JESS and RORY continue talking, and the scene fades out)
(Cut to THE KIM HOUSE, where LANE and MRS. KIM are seated in the living room, having a discussion.)
LANE: I just don't understand.
MAMA KIM: Understand what, Lane?
LANE: I'm going to college to study.
MAMA KIM: Oh, no. I've seen what college students do nowadays, away from home. LANE: [worriedly] You have?
MAMA KIM: They showed a segment last night on 20/20.
LANE: But Mama, I'm not going to do anything bad. I'm going to study.
MAMA KIM: Okay. You can study at Atlantic Union. And it's only 30 minutes away, so you can live at home.
LANE: [shaking her head] This isn't fair.
MAMA KIM: It's too late to do anything about it, Lane. It's almost July.
LANE: I know.
MAMA KIM: Atlantic Union is an excellent school, and all the girls there are very goal-oriented.
LANE: Great.
MAMA KIM: Good. [checks watch] Can you please pick up some okra at the market? We're having company for dinner.
LANE: Sure.
(Cut to LUKE'S, where LORELAI and RORY are sitting at a table, finishing up dinner and eating. JESS is serving customers, and occasionally CAESAR comes in from the back to hand him dishes.)
LORELAI: The strangest thing happened today.
RORY: I'm all ears.
LORELAI: I was flipping through the channels, and you will never guess what was playing on MTV.
RORY: Something useful?
LORELAI: Let's not get dramatic.
RORY: Right. So what was playing?
LORELAI: A music video.
RORY: No.
LORELAI: Yes! And according to our trusty TV Guide, there was a whole two-hour block of music videos.
RORY: Wow. A music video on MTV.
LORELAI: My thoughts exactly. And it wasn't MTV2. I double-checked.
RORY: Now that they've started playing music videos, I wonder if they'll start playing good music videos.
LORELAI: Again, let's not get dramatic. Hey, do you see Luke anywhere?
RORY: [looks around the diner] No, I saw him earlier though.
LORELAI: Oh, right. Wow. He really wasn't wearing a baseball cap, huh?
RORY: He really wasn't.
LORELAI: Weird. So, how was your day?
RORY: Good. I found Jess, went to Grandma's to pick up the travel books, stayed there for lunch, picked up The Graduate and had coffee at Luke's.
LORELAI: Whoa.
RORY: Not necessarily in that order.
LORELAI: Got it. So basically, you had a pretty eventful day, unlike me.
RORY: Pretty much.
LORELAI: How is Grandma doing?
RORY: She was good. She filled me in on all the DAR gossip.
LORELAI: Nice. Good stuff, that DAR gossip. What about your grandpa?
RORY: He tried to get me to play golf with him.
LORELAI: Tried, huh?
RORY: Yes. And failed miserably. I quit after the sixth hole.
LORELAI: You made it to the sixth hole?
RORY: Surprisingly, yes.
LORELAI: You're more athletic than we thought. Wow, that's the second time you went golfing with him.
RORY: Just call me Tiger.
LORELAI: And you got the books?
RORY: Yes. You never told me there were so many!
LORELAI: I forgot.
RORY: I brought a whole box home.
LORELAI: Good. They're very useful.
RORY: Jam-packed with information.
LORELAI: Huh? Oh yeah, that too. They used to make excellent doorstops.
RORY: What?
LORELAI: And paperweights. That Hartford wind is cold.
RORY: You're crazy.
(LORELAI remembers something, and waves her hands frantically in the air.)
LORELAI: Ah! I totally forgot to tell you about the Elvis triplets.
RORY: What?
LORELAI: Well…
(Scene fades out)
(Cut to THE GILMORE HOUSE, where LORELAI and RORY are seated in the living room, having just finished watching The Graduate.)
LORELAI: Now that is one great movie.
RORY: [yawns] I agree, but I think we should let someone else rent it next time.
LORELAI: Or, the video store could just invest in another copy.
RORY: What for? We're the only ones who ever rent it!
LORELAI: [smiles triumphantly] Ha! Says the girl who claims, "we should let someone else rent it".
RORY: Oh, you know what I meant. [pauses] Don't we have The Graduate on DVD?
LORELAI: Uh, yeah. Your dad gave it to me.
RORY: Where is it?
LORELAI: [now flipping through the TV Guide] I gave it to Sookie the week she had the flu, and told her she didn't have to bother returning it.
RORY: Oh. Have you talked to him?
LORELAI: [looks up] Who?
RORY: Dad.
LORELAI: [turns a page] Uh, no. Hey, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is on tonight.
RORY: Huh. You should talk to him.
LORELAI: Darn. We don't get Showtime.
RORY: He said he wanted to talk to you.
LORELAI: We should change our cable service.
RORY: How come everyone's being so evasive today?
LORELAI: I'm sorry, honey.
RORY: He really did say that.
LORELAI: I'm sure he did. It's just that…
RORY: You should call him.
LORELAI: [hesitantly] Okay.
RORY: Okay?
LORELAI: [wearily] Okay.
(Scene fades out)