Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, but I do own Vanessa Gilmore and her BFFs Angie and Ginger. They are made-up by me, so they're mine. And Justin too. (You'll see.) Oh yes, you all know Zach and Lane, so Angie is their kid. She just stays in Stars' Hollow when her parents aren't on tour. And because I am stupid, I forget the name of their band, so I'll just call them "Zach and Lane" until I actually remember.

OK, and please don't hate me for what's going to happen next! (hides under computer chair)

Chapter 5

We Used To Be Friends

Vanessa parked the car, getting out and helping Amanda out of her car seat. Ginger got out and looked around. "It's such a quaint little town. Why do you rat on it so much?"

Amanda looked over at Ginger and said, "Wait 'till you meet scary Taylor."

Ginger looked at Vanessa and raised an eyebrow. Vanessa agreed, "It's true. Ginger, if you have fun arguing with Miss Hart, wait till you meet Taylor!"

"VANESSA!" broke the conversation. Vanessa, Amanda, and Ginger all whirled around, seeing that a very excited Angie was sprinting towards them, her dirty blonde hair whipping behind her. She stopped, looked at Ginger, turned to Vanessa, and asked, "Who's that?"

Ginger put on a broad smile and replied, "I'm Ginger. I'm Vanessa's friend from Chilton."

"Oh yeah! I've heard of you! Well, whenever I actually get a chance to see Vanessa. She's just like her sister, Rory, always study, study, study!" Angie excitedly giggled. "I'm Angie. Has Vanessa mentioned me?"

Ginger, who had never heard of Angie until this moment, nodded and said, "Yeah! You're the one who loves Jude Law?"

Angie's excitement turned down as she corrected her, "N-no, I'm seeing a guy named Jude. I like Orlando Bloom." Angie turned and gave Vanessa a deadly look.

Ginger decided to save her friend by saying, "Oh, that's right. Silly me. I mix stuff up. I'm such a blonde."

"Angie's parents are Zach and Lane!" Vanessa quickly added. Well, it was true.

Ginger gasped and clutched her heart. "What! Lucky! You look like Zach too."

Angie was about to open her mouth when Taylor interrupted them. "VANESSA!" he hollered.

Ginger turned towards the cranky old man and asked, "Vanessa, who's that?"

Amanda clung to Ginger's leg. "That's Taylor. Nessa says he's a scary old bat."

Taylor marched over and croaked, "Vanessa Gilmore, Angela Barnes, and... whoever your redhead friend is, you're not allowed to loiter here. This is the main road; poor Amanda could get run over."

"Taylor. We're giving my friend Ginger here the grand tour. No big deal," Vanessa responded, taking Amanda's hand and crossing the street.

Ginger looked back at Taylor, then hissed, "That's Taylor? Eww... he IS scary!"

Vanessa replied, "Yeah, that's him on a good day. You should see our town meetings. My mom and I act up to get him to end it early."

"Doesn't the rest of the town get mad?" Ginger asked.

"Nope," Vanessa responded. "In fact, they encourage it. Sometimes, we bring popcorn."

"How about that?" Ginger thought aloud.

"Hey, guys, I'm starving. Let's go to my dad's diner. He makes the best food."

The girls raced across the street to the little diner on the corner simply named "Luke's."

Vanessa stuck her head in the door, seeing if it was busy. There were a few customers, but not enough that Vanessa, Amanda, Ginger, and Angie would cause a distraction.

"Dad?" Vanessa called out, stepping into the diner. Ginger and Angie followed carefully, as if Anthony Perkins was going to come out dressed like a grandmother and stab them.

Vanessa sat down at a table and the others followed. Ginger looked around in amazement and asked in awe, "This is your dad's diner?"

"Yup. It used to be my grandpa's hardware store, then my dad made it into a diner," Vanessa informed her.

Kirk spoke up, "I've been here for so long that I can't even remember what it was before it."

"Kirk, if you had been listening to Vanessa's history lesson, you would have heard that it used to be a hardware store," Angie told him.

"Ginger, this is Kirk, the town nut," Vanessa introduced.

"Hey, just because your mom and Rory call me that doesn't mean EVERYONE has to!" Kirk cried out. "Whatever happened to teenage daughters rebelling against their mothers and older sisters?"

"Rebelling against Lorelai Gilmore-Danes would consist of me during into Emily Gilmore. Believe me, there is only one Emily Gilmore in the world and I plan to keep it that way!" Vanessa replied. She banged her hands on the table and grumbled, "Where is that father of mine? Screw this." Vanessa stood up and walked behind the counter. "What do you guys want to drink?"

Since this happened often, Angie replied, "Water."

Amanda piped up, "Chocolate milk."

Ginger obviously had no idea what was going on, so she questioned, "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting our drinks until my dad comes out and lets us order," Vanessa explained. "Now what do you want to drink?"

"Um... Coke?" Ginger replied.

"OK, one water, one brown cow, one coke, and one coffee for me. Coming right up!" Vanessa exclaimed, hurrying to the back counter. She took two soda cups, one little kids cup, and a big bold blue coffee cup. She took a bottle of water and poured it into one of the glasses. As she was getting her coffee, a teenage boy with dark brown curly hair and gorgeous hazel eyes spotted her and demanded, "What are you doing?"

Luke came out and told the boy, "Don't worry. That's my daughter, Vanessa. She and my wife are the only people gutsy enough to come back here. They're allowed, OK?"

"Oh, OK," the guy responded.

Luke turned to his daughter and informed her, "Vanessa, this is Justin. He just started working here."

Vanessa put on a smile and stated, "Hey there, sailor." She looked at him closely. He looked awfully familiar.

Justin nodded and put out a hand. Vanessa shook it, then turned to her father and said, "Dad, I want you to meet Ginger."

Ginger heard her name and hurried over. Vanessa introduced, "Dad, Justin, this is Ginger, my best friend from Chilton."

Luke reached his hand across the counter and said, "Nice to finally meet the infamous Ginger."

Ginger replied, "Why, thank you. I've heard so much about your diner and your wife's inn that when my mum suggested we visit, I told her that we should stay at the Dragonfly. It really is a quaint little inn."

Angie, feeling a little left out, quickly announced, "Well, I better take a rain check on that water. JUDE is waiting for me at the park."

Vanessa pouted, "Aw, you can't stay longer?"

Angie hurriedly responded, "No, can't. I'm kinda late as it is. Nice to meet you, Ginger. So... yeah. See ya later." With that said, she hurried out the door and walked down the street almost angrily.

Ginger whispered, "I feel bad. Was it something I said or did?"

Vanessa shook her head. "I just think she feels left out because you're in town. Don't worry, she'll get over it sooner or later."

Ginger nodded as Lorelai entered. She hurried up to Justin, who was cleaning out a glass, banged on the counter with her fist, and yelled, "Coffee, coffee, coffee!"

Justin stared at her with wide eyes. "Hey, lady, we don't serve nuts here."

Vanessa leaned over and whispered, "Here's where it gets exciting!"

Luke came out and snapped, "JUSTIN! That's my wife!"

"What!" the young boy asked.

"That's Lorelai! That's my wife!" Luke hollered.

Justin looked back between Luke and Lorelai, who was standing there grinning like a goofball. He said nervously, "Oh! H-hey Lorelai! Yeah, I was just t-testing you."

Vanessa leaned back in her chair and advised, "Don't lie, kid. Lorelai can smell fear."

Lorelai turned to her daughter and demanded, "Hey, rocker girls are mean."

"Ginger, you, unfortunately, know my mother," Vanessa replied.

Lorelai beamed at Ginger. "Hey, Ginger. How are ya, kid?"

"Hey Lorelai. I'm good," Ginger responded. "So are you on a break from the inn?"

"Yes I am. Michel is covering for me." Lorelai sat down across from her granddaughter. "I just hope it's still there when I get back. When I left, he was moping around and snapping at random objects."

"Do you think he's PMSing or do you think he's going emo?" Vanessa questioned.

"Well, when you're PMSing, you tend to be a little emo," Lorelai responded. "I know you do."

"Hey, Gramma," Amanda said in her happy little five-year-old voice. She picked up the placemat that she had been coloring on and showed her grandma the picture she drew. "Look, it's my mommy and my daddy and Aunt Nessie and you and Grampa."

"Oh my gosh! Amanda, this is going right on the fridge when we get home, right next to Vanessa's first C at Chilton," Lorelai announced.

"Aw, hey now," Vanessa started. "That's not cool."

"Well, cool moms can be mean, just like their rocker daughters," Lorelai shot back teasingly.

Justin hurried over, pulling out a pencil from behind his ear, and asked, "What can I get you ladies?"

Ginger started, "Um, I'll have scrambled eggs."

Amanda squeaked, "Toast, please."

Lorelai ordered, "I'll have French toast, and my lovely daughter Vanessa will have the Justin special."

Vanessa's eyes grew wide as she kicked her mother across the table. Lorelai looked at her daughter and responded, "Hey now!"

Vanessa's cell phone started going off to the tone of "Walk Like An Egyptian." Saved by the Bangles ringtone.

"It's Rory," Vanessa told them. She looked up at Justin and ordered, "English muffin, please." Hurrying out quickly outside, Vanessa opened her cell phone and answered, "Hello?"

A shaky voice came on. "H-Hello?"

Solicitously, Vanessa asked, "Rory? Sweetie, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"L-Logan."

"What? What did he do?" Vanessa asked, sitting on the edge of the sidewalk.

Rory took a wobbly deep breath and started, "W-Well, I took your advice, but I made an appointment with the doctor." Rory paused, then started again. "I am 100 percent pregnant. I've been that way for about a month, apparently."

"Well, Ror, that's great!"

Rory sobbed and even over the phone, Vanessa could tell she was shaking her head. "That's not it. I got home and went to crawl into bed and..." Rory started crying again.

Vanessa put two and two together. She demanded to know, "Rory, where are you?"

"I'm at Mom's house."

"OK, we're coming right over."

"Ness... it would be better if you just came alone. Please."

Vanessa left Luke's so suddenly that it was all a blur. Ginger headed back with Lorelai to the inn. She told them both not to worry and she briefly told her mother what happened. Vanessa took Amanda, but Vanessa asked Babette if she could watch Amanda for a while.

"Sure, suga. What's the occasion?" Babette questioned.

"I'll tell you later," Vanessa promised. Hurrying into the house, she called out, "Rory! Rory!"

"In here," Rory whimpered. Vanessa hurried to where Rory's old room was. There was Rory, curled up in bed, mascara running down her cheeks.

"Oh, sweetie," Vanessa whispered, sitting in bed with her older sister. She hugged Rory.

"I don't know why he'd do this now! We've been married for ten years!" Rory wailed, resting her head on her sister's shoulder.

"He's a jerk for doing that to you. You can do better, you could do SO much better!" Vanessa comforted, stroking her sister's hair.

"I know, but I don't want to do better! I want Logan!" Rory whined.

Vanessa sighed. "You know what? Let's go rent movies and we'll buy so much chocolate it'll make old man Milton Hershey will turn in his grave!"

Rory sniffled. Then she replied, "That would be nice. Thanks."