A/N: Hi! Thank you all SO much for your review, they're very motivating. I
survived my first day of classes as a freshman, but now I'm not sure how
often I will be able to update, but I'll try my best. :-D So here is the
next chapter, please R/R!
:-)
Chapter 16
**********
"Good enough show of emotion for you?"
Lana tried unsuccessfully to speak full sentences, or complete words for that matter. No matter what she tried to say, all that came out was small guttural noises of somewhat disbelief. For some reason her vocal cords were on hiatus.
"Wow. I finally found a way to render Lorelai Dugrey speechless. Maybe I should try it more often", Alex grinned, quite satisfied with the newfound knowledge that he could effect her this way.
She should have been mad at him. She wanted to be mad at him. She a right to be mad at him, but it wasn't possible. Finally she regained some composure.
"I...I...we...can't...do...this.", she said slowly not sure of her self. Even now she could only articulate one syllable words.
"We just did."
"But...but you're Alex."
"I'm aware of that."
"... and I'm Lana."
"Now that we have established who we are maybe we can speak in full sentences?"
"How can you be so calm and rational?"
"I'm nowhere near those things."
"Does this mean..."
"I would think so."
"So...what do we do now?"
"You tell me?"
That was the worst thing he could have said for her sanity. Suddenly everything was up to her, their whole sixteen years of friendship could be flushed down the toilet if she made the wrong decision. It was too much to handle in one foul swoop.
"I was afraid you would say that.", she sighed and slumped down onto the bridge.
"You don't have to say anything right now, I understand.", he replied, his heart in his throat. His confidence was starting to wear a little thin. He didn't want to hurt her or completely ruin what they had. Actions always have consequences, he just hoped these weren't bad consequences.
"I have to go.", she said abruptly.
"I figured.", he sighed sounding rather defeated.
"Tomorrow, we'll talk tomorrow.", she clenched her eyes shut as she walked away. She couldn't bring herself to see the look on his face.
"Bye Lorelai." She smiled slightly.
"Goodbye Alexander."
There was a faint, barely audible tapping sound coming from downstairs, and figuring it was just the wind Jess found it easy to ignore. A few minutes later the sound changed. Before it was small and hesitant, as if not trying to disturb anyone, but now it sounded like boulders being thrown against the window. That was something not even Jess could ignore. A bit disgruntled, he walked down the stairs to see what was happening.
"Alex?", he raised his eyebrow clearly wonder what in God's name this kid was doing there. Jess looked him over, as if passing some kind of judgment on him, and gestured for him to come in. Still remained silent.
"Finally did it, huh?", Jess spoke as Alex took a seat at the counter.
"Yeah.", he replied shortly, with a sad smile. By now his self confidence was completely depleted and he couldn't be sure he had done the right thing.
"Didn't go very well?", he said, taking on a paternal sort of attitude toward the kid. After knowing since he was no higher than his knee, it was to be expected.
"I wouldn't say that."
"Than what would you say?"
"I'd say it's completely up in the air, and I may have just screwed up the longest friendship I've ever had."
"Even I know that isn't true.", Jess said, trying to give him the smallest bought of confidence without being overly sentimental.
"Who the hell am I kidding? I know Lana and she's probably flipping out right now."
"Most likely."
"You're a big help, you know that.", he replied wryly.
"You just dropped a bomb on her, she is probably still in shock."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"Hey Lor.", her husband greeted as she walked into the house after an exhausting day work.
"Lukey.", Lorelai beamed. Luke rolled his eyes at his nickname, truthfully, it was much better than the other names she had come up with over the years, or at least less embarrassing.
"I talked to Lana today."
"Really? Why did she call?"
"She didn't. She came here, or still is here, I don't know. She said she's staying with us tonight."
"Where is she now?", Lorelai questioned becoming very concerned.
"I don't know she...", he was cut off by the sound of the door opening.
"That girl has impeccable timing.", Luke muttered under his breath.
Lorelai jumped up as Lana entered. She seemed to be in a state of shock, for an unknown reason.
"Lana?", she called, trying to shake her out of her trance.
"Huh?" Lana was still in her own little world, reality seemed millions of miles away.
"Are you okay?"
"Me? Yeah everything's fine. Actually better than fine.", she smiled in reassurance.
"If you say so.", she replied skeptically.
"Did Gramps over there not tell you I was coming?", Lana joked.
"About two seconds before my zombie of a granddaughter came through the door."
"Grandma, I'm fine, really."
"Okay, then why are you here?" Lana was reluctant to tell her the truth, but without Emma or her mother there, she was the next best thing.
"I had to meet someone here, and since dad was out and coincidentally so was mom, I decided just to stay here.", Lana insinuated. Making sure to emphasize that her mother and father had, incidentally, picked the same night to go out.
"Who did you have to meet.", Lorelai questioned, ignoring what she already knew about Rory and Tristan, and silently hoping it wasn't Alex's cousin.
"Alex.", she accidentally let a wide smile slip out. Her grandmother picked it up before she had time to hide it.
"Luke.", Lorelai gestured with her eyes for him to leave.
"Got it.", he retreated up stairs.
"I knew it. Haha I knew it. I thought there had to be a reason for your 'night of the living dead' impression.", Lorelai said, absolutely giddy with the knowledge that she was right, for once. Lana grimaced.
"Grandma...I...this shouldn't have happened. We shouldn't have kissed. Alex is my best friend.", Lana unloaded.
"Luke was mine.", she smiled knowingly.
"It's...it's...", Lana stuttered, that had been happening a lot lately. She didn't like being an open book to anyone, even her grandmother.
"It's called denial, hun, and I think you should move on to acceptance.", Lorelai interrupted.
"This could mess up everything. You know, he left it up to me? Yup now I have to make the decision that could ruin our friendship."
"Or it could make it better."
"Oh believe me I know, I just need time. Time to think.", Lana sunk into the couch and pulled a blanket over her head. It seemed easier just to hide from it all.
"Do you regret it?", Lorelai smiled, after a minute.
"What?" Lana jerked the blanket off her head and stared at the elder women hovering above her.
"You heard me. Do you regret what happened?"
Lana hadn't thought about that one. Now it occurred to her that it was the most important question to asked herself. Did she wish it never happened, or did she wish it happened sooner?
"No.", she sheepishly responded, as if it were a crime to utter it.
* It was only a matter of time before they figured it out. * Lorelai's smiled spread into a grin, a relieved one at that.
"Well then that's all there is to it." Lana closed her eyes and hid under the blanket again.
"Lana it's not a crime, you have nothing to be ashamed of.", the elder women encouraged mirthfully.
"I should have seen this coming. Everyone heard the warning signs loud and clear except me. Me! The one person who needed to hear them the most.", Lana rattled on, still under the blanket's cover.
"You're freaking out."
"You would freak out if this happened to you."
"Been there, done that, and believe me you are taking this much better than I did."
"Right."
"You should get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a hard day."
"You're telling me." With that she trudged off to her mother's old room, which was always hers when she visited. At that time the phone decided to ring.
Lorelai: Hullo.
Emily: Lorelai, this is you're mother.
Lorelai: Isn't it late for you?
Emily: I don't have a bed time Lorelai, I am a grown women.
Lorelai: Okay what is it I can help you with?
Emily: Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
Lorelai: Really? Huh.
Emily: Dinner will be at my house at six. I just wanted to find out how many people there will be.
Lorelai: Are you sure you're up to it?
Emily: I am perfectly capable, Lorelai, and will you please tell me how many people to expect for Thanksgiving.
Lorelai: All right, let's see there's me, Luke, Rory, Lana...and Alex, I think we will be seeing a lot of him. That's it I guess.
Emily: Wonderful. Goodbye Lorelai.
Lorelai: Bye...Mom.
"That was...fun.", Rory laugh as her and Tristan walked up to the path to her apartment building.
"Fun? Yeah, you would say that wouldn't you?"
"Well we got free desert out of it, didn't we?", she smiled innocently.
"It wasn't my birthday."
"But you looked cute in the hat.", she laughed.
"Of course I did.", Tristan smirked.
"And isn't he little Mr. Modesty.", she joked, while rolling her eyes at his inflated ego.
"So I've been told."
"I better go, I can see Miss Patty staring at us.", she indicated the rotund women spying from across the street.
"You want to give her something to stare at?", he insinuated.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Tris. You wouldn't want to give the old women a heart attack would you? Bye.", she replied innocently and walked into her apartment.
"Bye.", he waved, very much defeated.
When she got in the house she found her machine blinking once again. With a sigh she pushed play, expecting another load of messages for Lana.
"You have the most boring message in the world. Anyway, I have some very interesting you need to know concerning you're daughter. Oh and you're Grandmother, God knows how she keeps going, invited all of us to Thanksgiving dinner. Call me when you get back from you're 'date'. Ugh. If not see ya tomorrow."
"Eh, I'll see her in the morning.", she shrugged off her mother's call and the bombarding questions that would come from her returning it.
:-)
Chapter 16
**********
"Good enough show of emotion for you?"
Lana tried unsuccessfully to speak full sentences, or complete words for that matter. No matter what she tried to say, all that came out was small guttural noises of somewhat disbelief. For some reason her vocal cords were on hiatus.
"Wow. I finally found a way to render Lorelai Dugrey speechless. Maybe I should try it more often", Alex grinned, quite satisfied with the newfound knowledge that he could effect her this way.
She should have been mad at him. She wanted to be mad at him. She a right to be mad at him, but it wasn't possible. Finally she regained some composure.
"I...I...we...can't...do...this.", she said slowly not sure of her self. Even now she could only articulate one syllable words.
"We just did."
"But...but you're Alex."
"I'm aware of that."
"... and I'm Lana."
"Now that we have established who we are maybe we can speak in full sentences?"
"How can you be so calm and rational?"
"I'm nowhere near those things."
"Does this mean..."
"I would think so."
"So...what do we do now?"
"You tell me?"
That was the worst thing he could have said for her sanity. Suddenly everything was up to her, their whole sixteen years of friendship could be flushed down the toilet if she made the wrong decision. It was too much to handle in one foul swoop.
"I was afraid you would say that.", she sighed and slumped down onto the bridge.
"You don't have to say anything right now, I understand.", he replied, his heart in his throat. His confidence was starting to wear a little thin. He didn't want to hurt her or completely ruin what they had. Actions always have consequences, he just hoped these weren't bad consequences.
"I have to go.", she said abruptly.
"I figured.", he sighed sounding rather defeated.
"Tomorrow, we'll talk tomorrow.", she clenched her eyes shut as she walked away. She couldn't bring herself to see the look on his face.
"Bye Lorelai." She smiled slightly.
"Goodbye Alexander."
There was a faint, barely audible tapping sound coming from downstairs, and figuring it was just the wind Jess found it easy to ignore. A few minutes later the sound changed. Before it was small and hesitant, as if not trying to disturb anyone, but now it sounded like boulders being thrown against the window. That was something not even Jess could ignore. A bit disgruntled, he walked down the stairs to see what was happening.
"Alex?", he raised his eyebrow clearly wonder what in God's name this kid was doing there. Jess looked him over, as if passing some kind of judgment on him, and gestured for him to come in. Still remained silent.
"Finally did it, huh?", Jess spoke as Alex took a seat at the counter.
"Yeah.", he replied shortly, with a sad smile. By now his self confidence was completely depleted and he couldn't be sure he had done the right thing.
"Didn't go very well?", he said, taking on a paternal sort of attitude toward the kid. After knowing since he was no higher than his knee, it was to be expected.
"I wouldn't say that."
"Than what would you say?"
"I'd say it's completely up in the air, and I may have just screwed up the longest friendship I've ever had."
"Even I know that isn't true.", Jess said, trying to give him the smallest bought of confidence without being overly sentimental.
"Who the hell am I kidding? I know Lana and she's probably flipping out right now."
"Most likely."
"You're a big help, you know that.", he replied wryly.
"You just dropped a bomb on her, she is probably still in shock."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"Hey Lor.", her husband greeted as she walked into the house after an exhausting day work.
"Lukey.", Lorelai beamed. Luke rolled his eyes at his nickname, truthfully, it was much better than the other names she had come up with over the years, or at least less embarrassing.
"I talked to Lana today."
"Really? Why did she call?"
"She didn't. She came here, or still is here, I don't know. She said she's staying with us tonight."
"Where is she now?", Lorelai questioned becoming very concerned.
"I don't know she...", he was cut off by the sound of the door opening.
"That girl has impeccable timing.", Luke muttered under his breath.
Lorelai jumped up as Lana entered. She seemed to be in a state of shock, for an unknown reason.
"Lana?", she called, trying to shake her out of her trance.
"Huh?" Lana was still in her own little world, reality seemed millions of miles away.
"Are you okay?"
"Me? Yeah everything's fine. Actually better than fine.", she smiled in reassurance.
"If you say so.", she replied skeptically.
"Did Gramps over there not tell you I was coming?", Lana joked.
"About two seconds before my zombie of a granddaughter came through the door."
"Grandma, I'm fine, really."
"Okay, then why are you here?" Lana was reluctant to tell her the truth, but without Emma or her mother there, she was the next best thing.
"I had to meet someone here, and since dad was out and coincidentally so was mom, I decided just to stay here.", Lana insinuated. Making sure to emphasize that her mother and father had, incidentally, picked the same night to go out.
"Who did you have to meet.", Lorelai questioned, ignoring what she already knew about Rory and Tristan, and silently hoping it wasn't Alex's cousin.
"Alex.", she accidentally let a wide smile slip out. Her grandmother picked it up before she had time to hide it.
"Luke.", Lorelai gestured with her eyes for him to leave.
"Got it.", he retreated up stairs.
"I knew it. Haha I knew it. I thought there had to be a reason for your 'night of the living dead' impression.", Lorelai said, absolutely giddy with the knowledge that she was right, for once. Lana grimaced.
"Grandma...I...this shouldn't have happened. We shouldn't have kissed. Alex is my best friend.", Lana unloaded.
"Luke was mine.", she smiled knowingly.
"It's...it's...", Lana stuttered, that had been happening a lot lately. She didn't like being an open book to anyone, even her grandmother.
"It's called denial, hun, and I think you should move on to acceptance.", Lorelai interrupted.
"This could mess up everything. You know, he left it up to me? Yup now I have to make the decision that could ruin our friendship."
"Or it could make it better."
"Oh believe me I know, I just need time. Time to think.", Lana sunk into the couch and pulled a blanket over her head. It seemed easier just to hide from it all.
"Do you regret it?", Lorelai smiled, after a minute.
"What?" Lana jerked the blanket off her head and stared at the elder women hovering above her.
"You heard me. Do you regret what happened?"
Lana hadn't thought about that one. Now it occurred to her that it was the most important question to asked herself. Did she wish it never happened, or did she wish it happened sooner?
"No.", she sheepishly responded, as if it were a crime to utter it.
* It was only a matter of time before they figured it out. * Lorelai's smiled spread into a grin, a relieved one at that.
"Well then that's all there is to it." Lana closed her eyes and hid under the blanket again.
"Lana it's not a crime, you have nothing to be ashamed of.", the elder women encouraged mirthfully.
"I should have seen this coming. Everyone heard the warning signs loud and clear except me. Me! The one person who needed to hear them the most.", Lana rattled on, still under the blanket's cover.
"You're freaking out."
"You would freak out if this happened to you."
"Been there, done that, and believe me you are taking this much better than I did."
"Right."
"You should get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a hard day."
"You're telling me." With that she trudged off to her mother's old room, which was always hers when she visited. At that time the phone decided to ring.
Lorelai: Hullo.
Emily: Lorelai, this is you're mother.
Lorelai: Isn't it late for you?
Emily: I don't have a bed time Lorelai, I am a grown women.
Lorelai: Okay what is it I can help you with?
Emily: Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
Lorelai: Really? Huh.
Emily: Dinner will be at my house at six. I just wanted to find out how many people there will be.
Lorelai: Are you sure you're up to it?
Emily: I am perfectly capable, Lorelai, and will you please tell me how many people to expect for Thanksgiving.
Lorelai: All right, let's see there's me, Luke, Rory, Lana...and Alex, I think we will be seeing a lot of him. That's it I guess.
Emily: Wonderful. Goodbye Lorelai.
Lorelai: Bye...Mom.
"That was...fun.", Rory laugh as her and Tristan walked up to the path to her apartment building.
"Fun? Yeah, you would say that wouldn't you?"
"Well we got free desert out of it, didn't we?", she smiled innocently.
"It wasn't my birthday."
"But you looked cute in the hat.", she laughed.
"Of course I did.", Tristan smirked.
"And isn't he little Mr. Modesty.", she joked, while rolling her eyes at his inflated ego.
"So I've been told."
"I better go, I can see Miss Patty staring at us.", she indicated the rotund women spying from across the street.
"You want to give her something to stare at?", he insinuated.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Tris. You wouldn't want to give the old women a heart attack would you? Bye.", she replied innocently and walked into her apartment.
"Bye.", he waved, very much defeated.
When she got in the house she found her machine blinking once again. With a sigh she pushed play, expecting another load of messages for Lana.
"You have the most boring message in the world. Anyway, I have some very interesting you need to know concerning you're daughter. Oh and you're Grandmother, God knows how she keeps going, invited all of us to Thanksgiving dinner. Call me when you get back from you're 'date'. Ugh. If not see ya tomorrow."
"Eh, I'll see her in the morning.", she shrugged off her mother's call and the bombarding questions that would come from her returning it.