"Mom! I'm gonna be late!" Rory Gilmore yelled up the iron stairs. She anxiously checked her watch. At that moment, a tousle-haired Lorelai appeared from their apartment, slid down the banister, and landed at her 8-year old daughter's feet. Rory gave her an impatient look.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Wardrobe malfunction. Lets go." Her brown hair was messily put up into a ponytail and her blue business suit was crumpled. There were circles under her eyes and Rory guessed she hadn't slept well.

"It's okay, mom. Go get a brush." Lorelai pecked her daughter on the cheek and hurried up the stairs once again. Two minutes later, they jumped into the old red chevy parked outside.

"Don't worry, we'll make it." Oh man. Rory knew what that meant. Her mom had that determined gleam in her eyes. Lorelai pressed the gas and soon, they were zooming down the streets of Stars Hollow on their way to Stars Hollow Elementary.

The car's brakes screeched to a halt in front of the brick building. Hundreds of kids were making their way to their classrooms. Rory smiled.

"Wow, you're good mom."

"That's what they tell me." They burst out laughing.

"Do you...he...have any idea what we're...he...laughing so hard about?" Lorelai managed to say.

"No...he...clue." Once they both had regained their composure, Rory got out of the car and swung her backpack onto her shoulders.

"Lator gator!" Lorelai called after her daughter. Rory turned around.

"In a while crocodile!"

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Lorelai walked into Luke's Diner, slouched onto the nearest chair, and laid her head on the table. It had been another long night and already that empty, achy feeling was starting at her temples.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai groggily looked up into the concerned face of Luke. His usual unshaven beard and baseball cap were a comforting sight.

"Luke, must have coffee." Lorelai grunted before plopping her head back down on the wood table with a thunk. That didn't make her head feel any better.

"On second thought, bring some Advil too will ya?" Luke sat down in the chair opposite Lorelai.

"Lorelai, I see you in here every day and you're always like this." Lorelai's mind suddenly flashed back to the first time she'd met Luke. It was hard to believe that there had ever been a time when she hadn't known him. He was just...Luke, her friend with the diner on the corner. She remembered that she had just dropped off Rory at the local daycare center and was heading to work when she was suddenly hit was a major energy dive. She spotted the big sign that said, "Luke's Diner" and walked into the crowded place. That was when she first saw the dude in plaid. He was young, just starting in the restaurant business. She sat down at the counter and asked him for a cup of coffee.

"It'll be a second. There's other people in line." He said without looking up from his ordering pad. Lorelai gave him her aren't-I-adorable-show-some-pity-I'm-having-withdrawls look she tended to give people from time to time. He looked at her and froze. Lorelai raised one eyebrow.

"Hello? Are you okay?" He shook his head and cleared his throat.

"I'm Luke." He put out his hand to shake hers. She did.

"Hey Luke, come back down to earth, there's people waitin' on ya." Lorelai's friend, Mrs. Patty, complained loudly.

"Lorelai here. You better get back to work or else they'll eat you for lunch." Luke grinned, tore his eyes away for her, and went back to taking orders. Lorelai frowned.

"But wait! I need coffee!" He laughed and told her to wait her turn.

"What's your birthday?"

"What?"

"Date of birth. What is it?"

"Uh, November 5th. Now, will you please leave me alone?" Lorelai tore out a horoscope from a newspaper, scribbled something on it with a pen, and handed it to him. On top of the printed horoscope, she had written in untidy handwriting:

You will meet an annoying woman today and you will give her coffee.

He had just finished with Mrs. Patty.

"Coming right up."

"Lorelai?" Lorelai snapped back to the present. Luke was still there.

"W-what?" She said. Luke half-sighed, half-snorted.

"That's it, you need to get more sleep." Lorelai forced a smile and lifted her head.

"I'm fine. I get plenty of sleep. You know me, I'm like the energizer bunny. I'm just not a real morning person."

"Yeah, sure you're not."

"Luke, leave me alone." She immediately regretted saying this. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."

"It's okay. I'll get your coffee."

"Advil too please?"

"Coming right up."

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"Hey Lane!" Rory called to her best friend.

"Yo. What's up?"

"I found out they're holding a spelling bee." She said excitedly. Rory Gilmore was somewhat of a geek. She had really stupid hobbies like being intelligent and reading. These alone were enough to label her as "different" from the rest of her classmates.

"Cool. Are you gonna do it?"

"Yeah, I think so..." Rory's voice trailed off. Lane knew what was going on inside her head.

"You're scared to be in front of the whole school." Rory sighed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, I've known you forever and day. I'd be surprised if we weren't carried to our cribs by the same stork." Rory laughed. She could just imagine it, although she didn't exactly believe in the STS (Stork Transport System).

"Hey, you know the indestructible black box? Have you ever wondered why they don't just make the whole plane out of it?" Lane pondered.

"One of life's unanswerable questions. Like, how long does it take to get to the center of a tootsie-pop? The world may never know." And, in this way, they linked arms and monkey-danced their way to class.

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Lorelai, in a much better mood now that she was under the influence of caffeine, strolled in the inn and greeted Michel at the front desk.

"I need a raise." He replied in his drawling French accent.

"So, how was your day?"

"The insufferable, idiotic people I have to talk to..."

"I'm fine, thanks. A bit bummed that the world's about to end...but what can ya do?"

"...my strength was never in verbal communication..."

"Michel, get a grip. There are 20 other people who work here remember?"

"That's true. What's your point?"

"My point is that there are 20 other people who work here that'll go insane by the end of the week from your complaining."

"So, do you have any plans for the weekend?"

"Don't play the small-talk move with me buster." She wiggled her finger at him and walked into the kitchen. She was met with a series of high-pitched squeals. A round woman with pigtails appeared and shook Lorelai's hand vigorously.

"Hi, you must be Lorelai. I'm so excited to meet you." Lorelai grinned.

"Oh hi, you must be our new chef. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"I'm Sookie, could you do me a huge favor?" She said with a worried expression on her face.

"Of course."

"You see I'm so nervous, it being my first day, and I'm worried that this cake I made isn't quite right and that the boss won't like it and I'll get fired...and I'm rambling. Will you try some and tell me if its horrible?"

"Cake? You couldn't get me to not try some." Sookie handed her a sample. Lorelai thought it was the most fabulous thing she had ever tasted (except for coffee that is).

"Are you kidding?" She asked sarcastically. "That is amazing!"

"Really?"

"You make Emeril look English."

"Oooooh I'm so glad! Hey, do you want to go out for lunch?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome. Except I doubt we'll find any food better than yours around here."