Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls belongs to ASP, I do own all the characters that
I made up. I am willing to lend them out if you want to use them. Just
email me first!!!
A/N: Hallo loves!!! Thank you for all your encouragement! It really means a lot to me and I luv to read the reviews!!! It seriously makes me giddy when I read them, and I get this big goofy grin on my face. I'm a dork I know, but please read and review to amuse me!!!
Thanks: To my lovely beta, GQSecondAct!!! She is amazing and is always so encouraging. I love you, babe!!! Check out her story O Citadel Of Love (it's on my favorites list) very classy story!
Chapter 4: Late Night Disaster
Lori sighed as she wiped down a table. This sucked. Not only did she have to work and live in Stars Hollow. She was working in the diner surrounded by food. It disgusted her. Watching all these people stuff their faces all day. Lori hated it, and she hated this job, and she hated the looks all the townspeople gave her. The disappointment shone in their eyes, and she wanted to scream. Grandpa Luke snapped her out of her thoughts.
"I think that table is clean," he told her.
She snapped back to reality and went to a new table. This whole arrangement sucked. Her only glimmer of hope was her plan for that night. Logan was probably filling the guys in on it now. Riley was supposed to pick her up at around midnight and take her back home to play for a gig B.R. found them. It was a big deal and meant a lot of exposure. Riley had a motorcycle, and he was going to park it on the outskirts of town so no one would hear him. Then, he'd drop her off at four in the morning like nothing happened. It was fool proof and it was the only think keeping her from screaming.
Finally, it was time for her lunch break. Lori ran towards the Gilmore House and got in her work out clothes to do a quick kickboxing routine. That was what she did instead of eating everyday. She just told her grandfather she wanted to fix a sandwich, but she really used the time to work out and get rid of any calories she may have absorbed by being around all that food. Then, she ran into the bathroom and made herself throw up before rinsing off in the shower. After brushing her teeth and putting her clothes back on, she was out the door and running back to work.
No one knew her little secret, not even Riley and he was her best friend. They always shared their secrets, but she couldn't tell him this. Luckily, they were rarely around each other during meals, so it was easy to hide from him. Whenever he asked about how much weight she was losing, she would make something up about being on a strict diet and exercise plan. He seemed to believe her, but she wondered if he did know on some level. Shaking the thoughts from her head she got back to work. Only ten more hours until she'd get to see her boys again. Girls couldn't be trusted.
--------
Luke saw Lori run into the diner completely out of breath. Her mood had not improved over the last few days; if anything, it had gotten worse. She dressed just as provocatively, and he was shocked to see a tattoo on her abdomen. This girl was just as bad as her father was, and he had no idea when it happened. Lori was always a sweet, happy girl who loved to sing and dance. Now, she was a reckless teenager who hated the world. Well, at least Stars Hollow. That made him depressed, and he got back to work. Just then, Nate entered the diner and walked over to Lori.
"Hey, Lori."
"Hi. Do you need something?" Lori snapped.
She didn't mean to. Lori liked Nate, but her stomach was growling and all she could smell was greasy french fries and burgers. She hadn't eaten anything without throwing it up in two days, and it was taking a toll on her. In New York, she could eat a little bit at least, but here Lorelai was feeding her junk food. Her head started to pound the day before and it hadn't stopped, yet. All she felt like doing was crawling under her blankets and sleeping until all the pain went away.
"Yes, actually I do," he snapped back while pulling her aside.
"What?"
"I heard you last night," Nate whispered.
Her breath caught in her throat when she remembered vomiting in the toilet before she went to bed. Nate was just like her mother, and she knew he'd tell Grandma Lorelai or Grandpa Luke. Then, they'd want to help her. She felt everything start to fall apart, but then she thought of a way out. Denial.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh don't play dumb with me, Lori. You're planning on going to New York tonight."
Lori inwardly jumped for joy after he said that. Then she stopped when she realized he would tell them that, too. She groaned and waited for what her uncle would tell her. Nate saw her visibly relax, and wondered what she thought he was going to say. What irked him the most was the fact that she relaxed. That meant whatever other secret she was hiding was worse than sneaking out with some guy to go to New York.
"Yeah, well what are you going to do about it?" she asked stepping closer to him and staring up at him with her intense blue eyes.
"I'm not telling Mom or Dad, if that's what you mean. But, I don't think you should do it. You will be caught."
"No, I won't. Because I have a plan." she told him with a smirk.
"A plan, huh. Fine. Whatever. But, just remember that I warned you."
With that he spun on his heel and stalked out of the diner. Lori turned around and saw her grandfather looking at her.
"What was that all about?" he asked her.
"Nothing," she spat back at him and walked over to take someone's order.
--------
Later that night, Luke brought food home from the diner and Lori almost wanted to cry when she saw it. Even though she knew she'd get rid of it, she still felt guilty about eating it. But, she could watch Grandpa Luke's eyes on her as she ate. He was suspicious of her. Probably even more so because she always went home for lunch where no one could watch her. That and the fact that she'd lost another pound and a half since being in Stars Hollow. She still saw a fat slob in the mirror, though, and living here too long would not make her feel any better about herself.
After dinner, her grandparents settled in front of the TV with a movie and Nate went out with some of his friends, so she decided it would be safe to get rid of dinner. Slowly entering the bathroom, she leaned over the toilet and tied her waist length hair back into a ponytail. Sticking her finger as far down her throat as she could, she started to gag. What she didn't know was Luke was coming down the hallway at that moment to see if she wanted to watch the movie with them. That's when he heard it. The sound of retching coming from the bathroom. That's when everything added up.
He flashed back to when she wouldn't touch her food the first few days. Then, how she all of a sudden started eating, but would mysteriously disappear shortly after meals. Not only that, but how she always ate lunch at home instead of at the diner. Her mood had also gotten worse over the week, and she was getting skinnier. Lori had an eating disorder. There was no other way to tag what was going on. Luke knew he couldn't just confront her, but he wasn't sure if he should tell Lorelai. Sighing, he returned to the living room and didn't pay attention to the rest of the movie.
--------
Midnight finally arrived and Lori was dressed and ready to go. She was busy reading 'Hamlet,' because she was going through a Shakespeare phase. Just when she was reaching Ophelia's death, she heard a light tapping at her window. Grinning, she put her book aside and opened it up to reveal Riley. She greeted him with a quick peck on the lips and he helped her climb out of the window and drop silently to the ground. Hiding in the shadows, they made their way to the 'Welcome To Stars Hollow' sign.
"You ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's rock," she replied with a grin.
They both mounted the bike and Lori wrapped her arms around Riley's waist. He smiled at the feel of her body pressed against his. Even though they were "just friends" he always had a crush on Lori. He wanted to beat Josh until he screamed in pain, and then he would beat him some more. Josh ruined Lori's spirit, even before they broke up. She didn't think he knew the awful things he used to say to her, but Riley heard him. The demeaning words made her self-esteem go down. He didn't want to interfere in her relationship, but he always hated that guy. Riley didn't have a chance to talk to Lori about the breakup because her parents grounded her and then sent her to nowheresville, USA. (A/N: I took that from Everwood).
Finally they arrived in New York and Lori hopped off the bike. Logan and B.R. ran to the street to meet her and Riley just as she took her helmet off. Her long brown hair fell down and she turned to face her friends.
"My other two boys!" she exclaimed and gave them both kisses and hugs.
After they all greeted each other, they went into the club to set up for their gig. What they didn't know was the other band that was going to play wasn't just any band. It was Lori's Aunt Lane's band. Living in sweet ignorance, Lori began to get ready for their performance. She knew they were opening for a very popular band, but she didn't know who they were. All she wanted was to play her best. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her mind off the hammering in her head. It still hadn't gone away, and she was having trouble paying attention. Everything faded away, though, when she heard a male voice announce them.
"Alright everyone! Put your hands together for 'Where For Art Thou!'"
They came to the mike and she began to play the chords she had been trained to play, and Riley started to sing. Lane watched in confusion as their band played. She remembered Rory telling her that Lori was spending the rest of the summer in Stars Hollow. Being the concerned aunt she was, she picked up her cell phone and called Rory and Jess.
--------
Rory and Jess were sound asleep at two in the morning when a ringing disturbed Rory's sleep. Jess was somehow sleeping through it, so she rolled over and picked the phone off of its cradle.
"Hello," she greeted, sleepily.
"Hey Ror, it's Lane."
"Hi Lane! What's going on?" she asked.
"Well," Lane said. "I'm about to play at this new club downtown, and Lori's band is playing."
"Oh, did they get a guitar replacement?" Rory asked, knowing how much it would upset Lori if they did.
"Not exactly. Lori's playing with them," Lane told her, now knowing she wasn't supposed to be there.
"What are you talking about. Lori's in Stars Hollow," Rory explained, suddenly wide awake.
"No she's not. She's singing right now. I do have to say that she has a beautiful voice," Lane told her, trying to lighten the mood.
Rory sighed, "Give us the address. I'll call my Mom."
Lane told her and the two of them hung up. Waking Jess up wasn't very hard; he asked her if everything was okay with the baby. She put his fears to rest and explained what was going on. Jess shook his head after Rory told him, and he told Rory to stay there since she was pregnant. It wasn't healthy for her to be around cigarette smoke, which was why he gave up smoking sixteen years ago. He got into the car and drove to the nightclub to get Lori. The ride over there felt like deja vu.
--------
Back in Stars Hollow, Luke, Lorelai, and Nate were sound asleep when the phone rang. Lorelai rolled over and put her pillow over her head. Luke was awake, too, and since Lorelai wasn't making any move to answer the phone he had to pick it up.
"Hello."
"Luke," Rory sighed. "Can I talk to Mom?"
"Yeah, is everything okay with the baby?" he asked.
Rory had to smile at how much Jess was like Luke. Jess always denied it, but in instances like these she really saw how alike they really were. Both of them were protective over the ones they loved. She quickly said everything was okay, but she wanted to talk to her mother. Luke forced Lorelai to get up and handed her the phone.
"Whoever the hell is calling at this God awful hour should die," she said.
"I love you, too, Mommy."
"Oh, my baby. What's going on?"
"Well, it seems Lori is in New York," Rory told her.
"What?!" Lorelai shouted. "She can't be in New Y... how do you know?"
"Lane called. She saw her playing at a club with her band. I'm thinking they had something to do with this."
Lorelai sighed, "I'm really sorry, hon."
"Me, too. I think it's time to confront Lori. Can you come to New York?"
"Sure, babe. Don't worry about a thing. We'll be there as soon as we can."
They hung up and Lorelai turned to Luke. The look in her eyes made him know he had to tell her about Lori's "other problem." It was time everything became out in the open and so Lori could get some help. It made him sad to think about what could have made Lori think she needed to get so desperate about losing weight. Sighing, he got out of bed and started to put his clothes on. This was going to be a long night.
A/N: Well, I'm proud of myself!!! I wrote for two straight hours, then ate dinner and then got right back to writing. I did procrastinate at the beginning, but then I just sat down and wrote it!!! Yay! Please review me!!!
A/N: Hallo loves!!! Thank you for all your encouragement! It really means a lot to me and I luv to read the reviews!!! It seriously makes me giddy when I read them, and I get this big goofy grin on my face. I'm a dork I know, but please read and review to amuse me!!!
Thanks: To my lovely beta, GQSecondAct!!! She is amazing and is always so encouraging. I love you, babe!!! Check out her story O Citadel Of Love (it's on my favorites list) very classy story!
Chapter 4: Late Night Disaster
Lori sighed as she wiped down a table. This sucked. Not only did she have to work and live in Stars Hollow. She was working in the diner surrounded by food. It disgusted her. Watching all these people stuff their faces all day. Lori hated it, and she hated this job, and she hated the looks all the townspeople gave her. The disappointment shone in their eyes, and she wanted to scream. Grandpa Luke snapped her out of her thoughts.
"I think that table is clean," he told her.
She snapped back to reality and went to a new table. This whole arrangement sucked. Her only glimmer of hope was her plan for that night. Logan was probably filling the guys in on it now. Riley was supposed to pick her up at around midnight and take her back home to play for a gig B.R. found them. It was a big deal and meant a lot of exposure. Riley had a motorcycle, and he was going to park it on the outskirts of town so no one would hear him. Then, he'd drop her off at four in the morning like nothing happened. It was fool proof and it was the only think keeping her from screaming.
Finally, it was time for her lunch break. Lori ran towards the Gilmore House and got in her work out clothes to do a quick kickboxing routine. That was what she did instead of eating everyday. She just told her grandfather she wanted to fix a sandwich, but she really used the time to work out and get rid of any calories she may have absorbed by being around all that food. Then, she ran into the bathroom and made herself throw up before rinsing off in the shower. After brushing her teeth and putting her clothes back on, she was out the door and running back to work.
No one knew her little secret, not even Riley and he was her best friend. They always shared their secrets, but she couldn't tell him this. Luckily, they were rarely around each other during meals, so it was easy to hide from him. Whenever he asked about how much weight she was losing, she would make something up about being on a strict diet and exercise plan. He seemed to believe her, but she wondered if he did know on some level. Shaking the thoughts from her head she got back to work. Only ten more hours until she'd get to see her boys again. Girls couldn't be trusted.
--------
Luke saw Lori run into the diner completely out of breath. Her mood had not improved over the last few days; if anything, it had gotten worse. She dressed just as provocatively, and he was shocked to see a tattoo on her abdomen. This girl was just as bad as her father was, and he had no idea when it happened. Lori was always a sweet, happy girl who loved to sing and dance. Now, she was a reckless teenager who hated the world. Well, at least Stars Hollow. That made him depressed, and he got back to work. Just then, Nate entered the diner and walked over to Lori.
"Hey, Lori."
"Hi. Do you need something?" Lori snapped.
She didn't mean to. Lori liked Nate, but her stomach was growling and all she could smell was greasy french fries and burgers. She hadn't eaten anything without throwing it up in two days, and it was taking a toll on her. In New York, she could eat a little bit at least, but here Lorelai was feeding her junk food. Her head started to pound the day before and it hadn't stopped, yet. All she felt like doing was crawling under her blankets and sleeping until all the pain went away.
"Yes, actually I do," he snapped back while pulling her aside.
"What?"
"I heard you last night," Nate whispered.
Her breath caught in her throat when she remembered vomiting in the toilet before she went to bed. Nate was just like her mother, and she knew he'd tell Grandma Lorelai or Grandpa Luke. Then, they'd want to help her. She felt everything start to fall apart, but then she thought of a way out. Denial.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh don't play dumb with me, Lori. You're planning on going to New York tonight."
Lori inwardly jumped for joy after he said that. Then she stopped when she realized he would tell them that, too. She groaned and waited for what her uncle would tell her. Nate saw her visibly relax, and wondered what she thought he was going to say. What irked him the most was the fact that she relaxed. That meant whatever other secret she was hiding was worse than sneaking out with some guy to go to New York.
"Yeah, well what are you going to do about it?" she asked stepping closer to him and staring up at him with her intense blue eyes.
"I'm not telling Mom or Dad, if that's what you mean. But, I don't think you should do it. You will be caught."
"No, I won't. Because I have a plan." she told him with a smirk.
"A plan, huh. Fine. Whatever. But, just remember that I warned you."
With that he spun on his heel and stalked out of the diner. Lori turned around and saw her grandfather looking at her.
"What was that all about?" he asked her.
"Nothing," she spat back at him and walked over to take someone's order.
--------
Later that night, Luke brought food home from the diner and Lori almost wanted to cry when she saw it. Even though she knew she'd get rid of it, she still felt guilty about eating it. But, she could watch Grandpa Luke's eyes on her as she ate. He was suspicious of her. Probably even more so because she always went home for lunch where no one could watch her. That and the fact that she'd lost another pound and a half since being in Stars Hollow. She still saw a fat slob in the mirror, though, and living here too long would not make her feel any better about herself.
After dinner, her grandparents settled in front of the TV with a movie and Nate went out with some of his friends, so she decided it would be safe to get rid of dinner. Slowly entering the bathroom, she leaned over the toilet and tied her waist length hair back into a ponytail. Sticking her finger as far down her throat as she could, she started to gag. What she didn't know was Luke was coming down the hallway at that moment to see if she wanted to watch the movie with them. That's when he heard it. The sound of retching coming from the bathroom. That's when everything added up.
He flashed back to when she wouldn't touch her food the first few days. Then, how she all of a sudden started eating, but would mysteriously disappear shortly after meals. Not only that, but how she always ate lunch at home instead of at the diner. Her mood had also gotten worse over the week, and she was getting skinnier. Lori had an eating disorder. There was no other way to tag what was going on. Luke knew he couldn't just confront her, but he wasn't sure if he should tell Lorelai. Sighing, he returned to the living room and didn't pay attention to the rest of the movie.
--------
Midnight finally arrived and Lori was dressed and ready to go. She was busy reading 'Hamlet,' because she was going through a Shakespeare phase. Just when she was reaching Ophelia's death, she heard a light tapping at her window. Grinning, she put her book aside and opened it up to reveal Riley. She greeted him with a quick peck on the lips and he helped her climb out of the window and drop silently to the ground. Hiding in the shadows, they made their way to the 'Welcome To Stars Hollow' sign.
"You ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's rock," she replied with a grin.
They both mounted the bike and Lori wrapped her arms around Riley's waist. He smiled at the feel of her body pressed against his. Even though they were "just friends" he always had a crush on Lori. He wanted to beat Josh until he screamed in pain, and then he would beat him some more. Josh ruined Lori's spirit, even before they broke up. She didn't think he knew the awful things he used to say to her, but Riley heard him. The demeaning words made her self-esteem go down. He didn't want to interfere in her relationship, but he always hated that guy. Riley didn't have a chance to talk to Lori about the breakup because her parents grounded her and then sent her to nowheresville, USA. (A/N: I took that from Everwood).
Finally they arrived in New York and Lori hopped off the bike. Logan and B.R. ran to the street to meet her and Riley just as she took her helmet off. Her long brown hair fell down and she turned to face her friends.
"My other two boys!" she exclaimed and gave them both kisses and hugs.
After they all greeted each other, they went into the club to set up for their gig. What they didn't know was the other band that was going to play wasn't just any band. It was Lori's Aunt Lane's band. Living in sweet ignorance, Lori began to get ready for their performance. She knew they were opening for a very popular band, but she didn't know who they were. All she wanted was to play her best. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her mind off the hammering in her head. It still hadn't gone away, and she was having trouble paying attention. Everything faded away, though, when she heard a male voice announce them.
"Alright everyone! Put your hands together for 'Where For Art Thou!'"
They came to the mike and she began to play the chords she had been trained to play, and Riley started to sing. Lane watched in confusion as their band played. She remembered Rory telling her that Lori was spending the rest of the summer in Stars Hollow. Being the concerned aunt she was, she picked up her cell phone and called Rory and Jess.
--------
Rory and Jess were sound asleep at two in the morning when a ringing disturbed Rory's sleep. Jess was somehow sleeping through it, so she rolled over and picked the phone off of its cradle.
"Hello," she greeted, sleepily.
"Hey Ror, it's Lane."
"Hi Lane! What's going on?" she asked.
"Well," Lane said. "I'm about to play at this new club downtown, and Lori's band is playing."
"Oh, did they get a guitar replacement?" Rory asked, knowing how much it would upset Lori if they did.
"Not exactly. Lori's playing with them," Lane told her, now knowing she wasn't supposed to be there.
"What are you talking about. Lori's in Stars Hollow," Rory explained, suddenly wide awake.
"No she's not. She's singing right now. I do have to say that she has a beautiful voice," Lane told her, trying to lighten the mood.
Rory sighed, "Give us the address. I'll call my Mom."
Lane told her and the two of them hung up. Waking Jess up wasn't very hard; he asked her if everything was okay with the baby. She put his fears to rest and explained what was going on. Jess shook his head after Rory told him, and he told Rory to stay there since she was pregnant. It wasn't healthy for her to be around cigarette smoke, which was why he gave up smoking sixteen years ago. He got into the car and drove to the nightclub to get Lori. The ride over there felt like deja vu.
--------
Back in Stars Hollow, Luke, Lorelai, and Nate were sound asleep when the phone rang. Lorelai rolled over and put her pillow over her head. Luke was awake, too, and since Lorelai wasn't making any move to answer the phone he had to pick it up.
"Hello."
"Luke," Rory sighed. "Can I talk to Mom?"
"Yeah, is everything okay with the baby?" he asked.
Rory had to smile at how much Jess was like Luke. Jess always denied it, but in instances like these she really saw how alike they really were. Both of them were protective over the ones they loved. She quickly said everything was okay, but she wanted to talk to her mother. Luke forced Lorelai to get up and handed her the phone.
"Whoever the hell is calling at this God awful hour should die," she said.
"I love you, too, Mommy."
"Oh, my baby. What's going on?"
"Well, it seems Lori is in New York," Rory told her.
"What?!" Lorelai shouted. "She can't be in New Y... how do you know?"
"Lane called. She saw her playing at a club with her band. I'm thinking they had something to do with this."
Lorelai sighed, "I'm really sorry, hon."
"Me, too. I think it's time to confront Lori. Can you come to New York?"
"Sure, babe. Don't worry about a thing. We'll be there as soon as we can."
They hung up and Lorelai turned to Luke. The look in her eyes made him know he had to tell her about Lori's "other problem." It was time everything became out in the open and so Lori could get some help. It made him sad to think about what could have made Lori think she needed to get so desperate about losing weight. Sighing, he got out of bed and started to put his clothes on. This was going to be a long night.
A/N: Well, I'm proud of myself!!! I wrote for two straight hours, then ate dinner and then got right back to writing. I did procrastinate at the beginning, but then I just sat down and wrote it!!! Yay! Please review me!!!
