As soon as the bell rang, Lorelai bolted from her seat. Chris chased after the young girl.

"Hey, wait!"

Lorelai turned around. "If you're looking for a thank you kiss… or a date… or any other type of ridiculous prize for your act of bravery, you can forget it." Lorelai returned to walking down the hallway.

Chris ran after her again. "I don't want any of those." He called. "Could you please just slow down?"

Lorelai stopped. She looked him square in the eyes. "I don't need you to stick up for me."

"I was just trying to help. He was being a real jerk."

"All the guys in this school are real jerks." Lorelai replied.

Chris shook his head. "You're right, they are."

"I have to go home now."

Chris stepped in front of her. "I'm sorry if I made things worse."

"You didn't." Lorelai replied. "It's been a very bad day. I just want to go home and forget about everyone in this school." Lorelai paused. "Thank you for getting that guy off my back."

"No problem." Chris said as he stepped out of her way. "By the way, I'm Chris."

Lorelai nodded her head. "Okay. Bye Chris."

Lorelai hurried home. She went directly to her bedroom and shut the door. She didn't want to speak to anyone, or see anyone. She just wanted to be alone for a while, and try to figure out what was going on. Adjusting to high school is bad enough as it is, but throw a girl who's been to private schools her whole life and just found out she was adopted into the mix and it's a guaranteed heartbreak.

Lorelai was laying on her bed when she heard the front door open. Joan must be home. She would never go to Joan with her problem, but she would secretly hope that Joan would come to her and ask about it. Several minutes passed, and Lorelai was about to give up hope of Joan coming to her rescue. Then there was a knock on the door.

"Lorelai? Are you in there?"

"Yes." Lorelai replied, barely loud enough to be heard through the door.

Joan opened the door and walked in. "Have you been here this whole time? It's only 3:10."

"I came straight home from school." Lorelai replied gloomily.

"I can see that." Joan walked further into Lorelai's room and took a seat on her bed. "Are you okay?"

"I will be soon enough, I suppose."

"Well, that's not a very good answer. Did something happen at school?"

Lorelai inhaled deeply as she let a couple of tears escape her eyes. "Everyone there is so mean. Except for Sookie." Lorelai added. "She's the only one who actually cares about people. Everyone else just looks for trouble."

"Sweetheart, is someone bullying you?" Joan asked.

"No…"

"Are you having trouble making new friends?"

Lorelai huffed. "No… everyone wants to be my friend."

"I don't understand." Joan replied. "What's the problem?"

"That's the problem. Everyone wants to be my friend, but it's all for the wrong reasons. They don't really care about me, they just care about being popular."

"And why would being friends with you, make them more popular?" Joan asked stepping closer to the true problem.

Lorelai sniffled. "Because at first I was the new girl who was going to bag Luke Danes, but this morning I became the girl who put Luke Danes in his place."

"What did you say, Lorelai?" Joan asked almost regretfully.

"He tried to humiliate me." Lorelai replied. "In front of everyone. He told me I was too young for him, but that in a couple of years he'd give me a chance. Then he said I should consider it an honor that he's taking an interest in me."

Joan rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever you told him, he had it coming."

"He runs track, and he's really popular, so I told him that he'd need all his extra speed to outrun future alimony and child support collectors." Lorelai sniffled again.

"Lorelai…" Joan replied with a half laugh and a half scold.

"I feel horrible that I said it, but he shouldn't have tried to embarrass me in front of everyone."

"So, you embarrassed him in front of everyone instead."

"Then, all day long everyone acted like they were so happy that I told him off, but yesterday he was their King." Lorelai paused. "Now, there's been a bunch of guys try to get me to go out with them and they keep saying horrible things."

"Like what?" Joan suddenly became more concerned.

"When I told this one guy that I wasn't interested, he asked me if I was a lesbian."

Joan's mouth nearly hit the floor. "He what! Where was the teacher during all of this?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Some guy named Chris came over and threw him up against the wall, and then made him apologize to me."

Joan could not believe her ears, never had any of her high school days been so bizarre.

Lorelai rose from her bed and wrapped her arms around Joan. "Today has been so miserable."

"Oh, sweetie, there'll be days like this. Well, maybe not exactly like this. It sounds like you've had a very unusual day." Joan hugged Lorelai. "If you want me to come to school tomorrow and talk to the principal, I will."

"No." Lorelai replied. "That would only add fuel to the fire."

"Lorelai, harassment is a serious issue. Promise me you won't let it go too far. I want you to tell me if this continues." Lorelai gently nodded her head in agreement. "Okay… good." Joan kissed Lorelai on the top of the head. "Now, what would you like to order for tonight's diner?"

Lorelai smiled. "How about cheeseburgers?"

Joan sighed. "Something told me you wasn't going to say a salad."

"We could get lettuce and tomatoes on the cheeseburgers."

"Oh, yes, that would make it all better." Joan laughed. "Do you have any homework?"

"A little."

"Well, go ahead and get started. I'll call in the food."

That night, Lorelai fell asleep early. Joan came into her bedroom to find her asleep with one of her novels covering her face. Joan removed the book and switched off the bed light. A few hours later, Joan was awaken from a deep sleep.

"Mommy!" Lorelai yelled. "Mommy!"

Joan jerked up from her bed and rushed into Lorelai's room.

"Mommy!"

Joan realized Lorelai was still asleep, and obviously having a nightmare.

"Lorelai…" Joan grabbed her arms. "Lorelai, wake up!" Lorelai's eyes quickly opened. "It's okay… it was just a dream." Joan soothed.

Lorelai had broken into a fierce sweat and her breathing was heavy. She gazed up at Joan for a moment and then rose up to hug her.

"Shh…" Joan replied to the girl's cries. "I'm right here." She slowly rubbed Lorelai's back.

Lorelai's crying subsided and she pulled way from Joan's grasp. "I'm sorry for waking you." Lorelai whispered through the dark.

Joan cupped her hand around Lorelai's face. "Don't worry about that. Are you okay?"

Lorelai shook her head.

"Sounds like it was a pretty bad dream. Was it about Emily?" Joan asked.

"No. It was about you."

"Me?" Joan asked in complete surprise.

"We were sitting in the living room watching tv. Someone knocked at the door, you went to answer it and it was some man in a black coat. He knocked you down and then came inside after me. He grabbed me and tried to leave with me. He said that he was taking me back to where I belonged. You tried to stop him….Then he shot you…" Lorelai's eyes became full of tears again. "You feel to the ground. He shoved me into some car and started to drive away. Then you woke me up."

Joan's own eyes were beginning to water. "Sweetheart, nothing like that will ever happen." She reassured. "No one is going to take you away. This is were you belong."

Lorelai's eyes were red and puffy. "Can I sleep with you?"

"Sure, if that will make you feel better." Joan replied. "Come on." Joan lead Lorelai out of her room and into the one across the hall. They both climbed into bed.

"I hope I don't have another nightmare." Lorelai said as she pulled the covers over herself.

"If you do, I'll be right here." Joan placed her arm around Lorelai. "I'm not going anywhere."