INT. LUKE'S DINER- A SHORT WHILE LATER
LUKE is working in the diner, which is very busy. People are sitting everywhere and talking loudly. LUKE runs out from the kitchen with three plates of food and a rag over his shoulder.
LUKE: Eggs and bacon?
CUSTOMER: Over here.
LUKE (putting the plate in front of the CUSTOMER): Burger and fries?
MS. PATTY: Over here sugar.
LUKE crosses the diner to MS. PATTY'S table. She is sitting with BABETTE.
LUKE: (holding up a salad) I suppose this is yours, Babette.
BABETTE: Of course it's mine! Now you get back to work, you're working for two now! Oh, how nice it must be to be engaged. I remember being in love…
LUKE shakes his head and starts to walk away.
BABETTE (CON'T): (in a hushed voice) Oh, Patty, you'll never guess who I saw the other day!
LUKE jerks his head to the side to hear their conversation.
MS. PATTY: You'll never guess who I saw!
BABETTE: You saw her too?
MS. PATTY: Her? I was going to say I saw Jess-
LUKE: (interrupting, refilling their coffee cups) Hey, coffee's on the house today. So Patty, how are those dancers doing?
MS. PATTY: They're fine, Luke. Say, was I seeing things or did I see that little nephew of yours-
LUKE: I don't know what you're talking about.
BABETTE: So that explains why I saw little Rory Gilmore running into her house crying her eyes out this morning. I'll tell ya Luke, one of these days…
MS. PATTY: This is unbelievable! So it WAS Rory and Jess that I saw gallivanting around town last night. And at such a late hour! That girl has lost all her senses.
BABETTE: What are you doing letting Rory go gallivanting around town with that nephew of yours? I'll tell you Luke, he's trouble all right, I sensed it the day I met him…
LUKE: Enough! Okay, I don't know what you guys saw, but Rory and Jess were not gallivanting around town last night. Rory doesn't live here anymore. And I'd appreciate it if you'd quiet these rumors down, because Lorelai is going to walk in here any minute, and if she hears you talking…
LORELAI walks in.
LORELAI: If I hear who talking? Hi Ms. Patty, hi Babette.
BABETTE: Lorelai, doll, I'm so sorry!
LORELAI looks at LUKE.
LUKE: Babette! (to LORELAI) Don't listen to them. You need coffee?
LORELAI: Do I ever! Make it two, oh and a donut, I'm gonna drop it off at the house for Rory before I head to the inn.
LUKE: (handing her the coffees and donut) She'll like that.
LORELAI: Thanks hun. (She kisses him)
BABETTE: Lor, sit down.
LUKE: Run!
LORELAI: (looking back at LUKE and forward at BABETTE) Uh, uh, don't know what to do…
MS. PATTY: Lorelai, is it true?
LORELAI: Is what true?
BABETTE: That Rory and Jess were gallivanting around town together!
LORELAI looks at LUKE.
LUKE: I warned you.
CUT TO:
INT. LORELAI'S HOUSE- A SHORT WHILE LATER
LORELAI walks in the front door holding a coffee and donut bag. She is dressed for work.
LORELAI: (yelling) Honey, I'm home!
LORELAI waits for a response. There is no answer. She looks around the house.
LORELAI (CON'T): Rory…you home? Or, here, you don't live here anymore so it's not exactly home, but-
LORELAI opens the door to RORY'S room. RORY is sitting on the floor leaning against her bed, holding the phone in her hand. Tears stream down her face. She looks up quickly as she hears the door opening. She wipes her eyes with her hand.
RORY: (sniffling) I didn't want you to see me like this.
LORELAI comes in and sits down on the bed next to where RORY is sitting on the floor. She reaches into the donut bag and pulls out some napkins. RORY lifts herself up onto the bed with LORELAI, takes the napkins and smiles through tears.
RORY: (wiping her eyes) I'm sorry Mom.
LORELAI: Aw. Shh. It's okay. Here, have a donut.
RORY: (sniffles) Thanks.
RORY takes the donut bag. LORELAI puts the coffee down on RORY'S nightstand.
LORELAI: So, you trying to call…
RORY: He's not answering.
LORELAI: Well he's on a business trip, right…maybe he's in a business meeting.
RORY: Not him.
LORELAI: (surprised) Oh. Jess?
RORY nods.
LORELAI (CON'T): Maybe he doesn't have service on the train.
RORY: Maybe he doesn't wanna talk to me.
LORELAI: (soothingly) Don't say that…
RORY: I told him no strings attached. This is him not attaching any strings. He shouldn't talk to me, he shouldn't answer his phone. He should block my number and never talk to me again.
LORELAI: (stroking her hair) You wanna tell me more about what happened?
RORY: Don't you have to be at work?
LORELAI: Michel went in early this morning, everything's under control.
RORY: Are you sure?
LORELAI: I'm sure.
RORY: I'm weak, I'm so stupid, I thought I could handle this.
LORELAI: Has anything happened between you and Jess lately that I don't know about?
RORY: No, I haven't seen him in over a year. I didn't think I would care so much. I didn't think I'd be crying my eyes out when he left. I've never cried over him before.
LORELAI: Well…maybe that's why you're crying so much now. Maybe this is four years of all those tears you wanted to cry that built up inside you, like Chernobyl.
RORY: (wiping her eyes with the napkin) I'm a wreck, I don't know why I'm crying over him. He's not even my boyfriend. I should be crying thinking about Logan and how I'm going to lose him if he ever finds out.
LORELAI: Well, you know when you cheated on Dean, you ended up going out with Jess. You wanted to be with him. Maybe your body is trying to tell you something. Maybe you're not weak or stupid. Maybe you're crying because you want to be with Jess.
RORY: He lives in California! How can I date someone who lives in California? Why am I even thinking about this? I'm with Logan, I love Logan, there's nothing to think about. I can't be with Jess, I don't even like Jess.
LORELAI: Then why did you sleep with him?
RORY: I don't know, it was stupid, like stealing that yacht. What was I thinking?
LORELAI: (looks for the words) You slipped up, you had a bad day.
RORY: A bad day? I committed a felony! That's gonna be on my record for at least five years. (has a realization) I'll never work for CNN.
RORY sighs and lays her head down on LORELAI'S lap. LORELAI strokes her hair.
LORELAI: Are you gonna tell Logan?
RORY: I don't know.
LORELAI: Do you plan on seeing Jess again?
RORY: I don't know.
LORELAI: Do you want to be friends with him?
RORY: I don't know.
LORELAI: So how was it?
RORY: Huh?
LORELAI: Well I'm running out of questions here.
RORY: How was what?
LORELAI: How was it?
RORY: Mom!
LORELAI: Well if you don't like him, then it must have been some pretty good sex for you to stay in bed crying all day.
RORY: Well, it wasn't.
LORELAI: That bad, huh.
RORY: (mutters) It wasn't that bad.
LORELAI: Ah ha!
RORY: I can't believe we're talking about this.
LORELAI: Was he better than Logan?
RORY: Not exactly my basis for trying to figure out which one to be with.
LORELAI: (surprised) Oh…so you're considering…
RORY: No. I mean, what's there to consider?
LORELAI: Being with someone who steals things from your grandmother and gets you arrested, or being with someone who tells you he loves you and cooks for you and travels 3000 miles to be with you.
RORY: (sits up) I can't believe what I'm hearing! You hate Logan SO MUCH that you would rather see me with Jess than with him.
LORELAI: Hey, I'm just pointing out the facts, I didn't give an opinion here.
RORY: Well, what about these facts- Jess crashed my car, Jess got me into a car accident, I fractured my wrist because of him. (holding up her arm) Remember casty?
LORELAI: That was a long time ago.
RORY: Jess left me. Not just me, he left the whole town. And he didn't even say goodbye. He just ran off to have his Holden Caulfield adventure because he was too cool for Stars Hollow. He didn't graduate. And he's rude to everyone. He's a total jerk and you hate him. Remember? You hate him you've always hated him…
LORELAI: I don't hate Jess.
RORY: (ignoring her) He didn't take me to prom and he made you get into fights with Luke and me get into fights with you and he upset the whole town, I mean, no one likes him. They had a town meeting once about what a problem he was- you should remember, you were there.
LORELAI: I remember. I also remember a nervous seventeen year old boy who had more issues than TV Guide and hated everything except books and a girl named Rory. You were his world.
RORY: Were. Past tense. We dated in high school. (pauses) Wow.
LORELAI: What's wrong?
RORY: I can't believe we haven't dated since high school.
LORELAI: Time flies when you join the DAR.
RORY: I'm so sorry Mom.
LORELAI: It's okay. You were brainwashed.
RORY: Not just for that, for dropping out of Yale, for moving in with Grandma and Grandpa, for stealing the yacht. I've been awful. I can't believe I didn't give you my phone number! You of all people. You're my best friend. You've been my best friend for twenty-one years. I want everything to be back to normal, the way it was.
LORELAI: Sweetie, I want that too.
They hug.
LORELAI (CON'T): (hesitantly) So, you're gonna go back to Yale?
RORY: Eventually. I need some time to think about what I wanna do with my life. I can't think in that pool house, I need to be here.
LORELAI: Not the answer I wanted, but I'll take it.
RORY: So I can move back in?
LORELAI: You can pack your bags tonight if you want.
RORY: How do I tell Grandma and Grandpa?
LORELAI: Ah, leave Stalin and Schnicklefritz to me. You have enough on your mind.
RORY: This means Friday night dinners will be reinstated.
LORELAI: Stop! Stop now! Don't say those words!
RORY: It's true.
LORELAI: When do you wanna go pack your things?
RORY: Not now…I think I need to just rest today.
LORELAI: I understand.
LORELAI kisses RORY'S forehead.
LORELAI (CON'T): It's good to have you back, kid.