Shoot the Breeze: Chapter Two
Luke's Diner: Morning: Day After Jess's Tutoring Session
Lorelai sat at the table sipping coffee, while watching her nervous daughter pace back in forth in front of her. They were alone in the Diner, with the only exception being an older man and his wife reading the newspaper.
"I can do this. I can do this, I can do this." She paused while looking at her mother. "I changed my mind, I can't do this." sighed Rory as she plopped down onto the chair next to Lorelai.
Lorelai just watched her, remembering her first time breaking up with a boy. She had sent him a note in the middle of math class that simply said 'I've decided to become a cloistered nun, therefore making it impossible for me to see you anymore. Sorry. Your highly religious Ex-Girlfriend, Lorelai Gilmore.' He had run out of the room crying and everyone called him Craig Cry-del from that day after.
"You can do this Rory; breaking up is easy. Believe me, I do it all the time. I'm a master at it." Lorelai interjected proudly. Rory just looked at her oddly.
"Do you think I should write out what I'm going to say before I say it? That way I'm prepared." She continued.
"Yeah, and then I can stand in front of you with a teleprompter. It'll be like the news except I'm not a fat, hairy camera man and your not a dumb blonde with breasts that could poke someone's eyes out." Lorelai replied, smiling.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I like to be prepared. I need to be prepared."
"Okay, I've got one. I've used it many a time. It's witty and original." She didn't finish and Rory just looked at her expectantly. "What?"
"Tell me! Dean could be here any second." She replied anxiously.
"Okay…are you sure your ready for this one?" She was teasing her now, Rory knew it.
"Yes, I'm sure I can handle it…"
"Just simply say 'It's not you-" She stopped for affect and Rory just rolled her eyes. "-it's that new guy I've been seeing' or another classic 'Let's just be friends. After all, friendship is just another phase of a relationship that we only give to people who suck.' I used that last one on your Dad when we broke up the first time. You should have seen the look on his face." She rambled.
"Your not helping!" Rory hissed as she got up from the table and began pacing again.
"Hey, I gave it my best shot. It's not my fault you care about people's feelings, didn't get it from me." Lorelai said as she shook her head in mock forlorn.
"I'm not good with this. I can't do relationships. I can do AP Chemistry, but relationships? No. Of all the genes you and Dad could give me I had to inherit your incapability to keep a good relationship."
"It's not my fault I bore easily! Besides, I've had plenty of good relationships." Replied Lorelai in fake defense.
"Name one."
"There was…his name, it was…um…" She searched her head for any relationship she had been in that hadn't ended without heart break. She drew a blank.
"That's what I thought." Rory replied triumphantly. There had to be at least one. Then she thought of it. Keith, possibly the only good relationship she had ever had.
"No wait! In second grade there was this kid named Keith and he gave me his tuna sandwich in lunch when I forgot my money." She answered proudly.
"Mom, you hate tuna."
"Yeah, but I used it to throw at the teacher's head and knock of his toupee. Then Keith told everyone he did it and had to clean the chalk boards. It was the sweetest thing a guy ever did for me." She explained dreamily.
"How romantic." Interrupted Luke as he set there scrambled eggs in front of them.
"Isn't it?" asked Rory sarcastically. But Lorelai wasn't listening, she just looked at Rory and motioned towards the window where a certain floppy-haired bagboy was crossing the street and heading towards the diner.
"Oh my God, he's going to come in! What do I do? Do I kiss him hello? Do I even say hello? Do I smile? I can't do this. Mom, help." She was freaking out now, and loosing her nerve.
"Oh no, don't you even think about it. I am not breaking up with Dean for you. This is one thing that Mommy will take no part in." said Lorelai, noticing the hopeful look in Rory's eyes. "Besides I think he'd notice if you suddenly disappeared."
"Who'd notice?" It was Jess. He saw them looking at Dean and smirked. Jess had watched her pace around all morning. Something was going on and he had a feeling that it was about last night. He hadn't known why it happened, all he knew was that he wanted to kiss her so he'd tried and then Luke. He could almost taste it. What would have happened if he had never interrupted? Would she have kissed him back? He knew she had wanted to kiss him. But there was someone in the way.
"I wouldn't worry about Dean, I don't think he notices much of anything." He was still smirking at her as he said this and she tried not to blush. This was too much.
"Mom, I'm gonna go, now. I'll see all of you later. Bye Jess, Luke." She shot Lorelai a pleading look on her way out and met Dean outside the Diner's entrance.
"Hey Rory, I saw you guys in the Diner, I was just coming to see you…" He noticed the guilty look on her face and his smile dropped. "What's wrong?"
"Why don't we sit down?" She asked uneasily and he hesitantly followed her to a bench. Something in her tone made him want to just walk away and come back later.
"What's going on?" It was a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. He had known her long enough to see when something was wrong with her.
"I'm going to college at the end of next year." She stated. He just looked at her, even more confused then before. "I'm not ready yet Dean."
"Ready for what?" He was clueless to what she was talking about and he definitely didn't like where this was going.
"I'm not ready to go to college. I'm from a small town, and I've only had one boyfriend, and I've had no time to experience anything. I haven't had the chance to make any mistakes." She explained carefully.
"So in other words..?"
"I think we should take a break." She watched his face fall. To her surprise, he didn't look angry only concerned.
"A break?" The words echoed in his head. Rory was breaking up with him.
"I'm not saying it will be forever, though. I just need a chance to experience new things, go on dates. I need a chance to fail and succeed on my own. And I can't do it with you."
"So I'm just some expendable guy that you can break up with because your 'too busy' but when you free up some of your precious time you might consider getting back with me?" He voice was rising and he was desperately trying to keep the anger and hurt from surfacing.
"No, it's just…were growing apart. Every time we see each other, it's like forced conversation and meaningless small talk. Were different people then we were two years ago. Don't you see it?"
"No Rory, I don't see it. I'm in love with you, I know your in love with me. We belong together…" His voice cracked at his last words. His anger was slowly being replaced with sadness.
"Dean, I can't make you understand this. It's just something I need to do."
"We were doing fine." He said quietly. Rory just looked at him sadly. He suddenly wanted to leave. "But, I guess I'm wrong."
"We can still be friends right?" She asked hopefully.
"I don't know." Is all he could say as he quickly got up and walked off. Rory stared after him, she felt a mixture of sadness and relief take over her. She had done it, all on her own. She hadn't even planned out the words ahead of time and she had done it. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction overtake her as she walked back into the Diner to meet her mom once again. Lorelai was at the counter 'talking' with Luke when Rory sat down next to her on the stool.
"Oh my God, you chickened out," said Lorelai as she looked Rory over.
"No, it just went a lot better then I thought it would," she replied.
"So what do you want to do now?" Lorelai asked expectantly.
"I thought I'd go read for a little bit, you can set up the couch for Dad. And then of coarse, I have to come here and help Jess study again…"
"This is the one and only time I will let you get away with not wallowing. In fact, as soon as you get home tonight the wallowing begins, Chris or no Chris" Said Lorelai matter-of-factly.
"Consider me warned." stated Rory as she took her last sip of coffee and left the dinner.
The Bridge: Late Afternoon
Rory sat at the bridge reading. It was the best way to take her mind off things, getting yourself lost in a book. She was so engrossed in the story that she didn't notice Jess as he walked up next to her.
"Much Ado About Nothing?" He asked, referring to the book in her hand. Upon hearing his voice she nearly fell into the lake, but quickly regained her composure.
"I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow then a man swear he loves me." She quoted, her eyes fixed on the water in front of her.
"Why so cheery?" He inquired sarcastically.
"Bad day."
"So you decided to read Shakespeare?" He asked while lifting an eyebrow. "Aren't you a glutton for punishment."
"Hey, it's a good book. I think Beatrice is my hero." Jess just looked at her oddly.
"She winds up marrying Benedick, how smart can she be?"
"True, but she doesn't conform. Like in Taming of the Shrew Katharine completely changes character. Beatrice never does. In fact, she uses her hold on Benedick to get what she wants. I find that inspiring." She deadpans.
"Didn't know you were such an activist." He replied as he sat down.
"Yeah well guy's suck." She looked at him for a second, realizing, she was in fact, talking to a guy. "No offense." She saved quickly.
"None taken." Was his simple reply. He knew something was going on with her but he didn't want to press the issue. Besides, this was Stars Hollow, if anything big had happened he would know by the end of the day.
"So, read any good books lately?" She asked with a smile.
"Nothing really, I read Of Mice and Men again."
"Steinbeck?" She asked incredulously. "I read that when I was twelve. It was okay, but I still can't believe George shot Lennie."
"He was going to die anyway." He pointed out.
"Yeah, but Lennie trusted George and then George used that trust so he could shoot him. That's heartless."
"No, that's life. Lennie killed Curley's wife, as annoying as she was, it was still wrong. And I'm sure Curley could have found a much more painful way to kill him. Lennie should consider himself lucky." Rory contemplated this for a second and Jess watched her curiously.
"Curley's wife was not annoying." Jess couldn't help but smile. This was her way of admitting defeat.
"She was bitter because she married the wrong guy so she just ran around trying to seduce everyone. She even tried to seduce Lennie. How low can you get?" He played along.
"She was lonely." Rory began. "She didn't have anyone, and because she was forced to marry Curley she lost her dream of becoming an actress. Not one guy in the whole book even called her by her first name. She was known as 'Curley's wife' until the day she died."
"You're cracked."
"You know I'm right." She replied happily.
"I didn't say that." He insisted. Rory just looked at him and then quickly glanced back at the water. There it was again, that tingly feeling.
"I've got to go." She said suddenly, while lifting herself of the bridge. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah…" He replied as he watched her hurried form leave the bridge. He just couldn't figure this girl out.
To Be Continued...