Moments Later..
The slide shows a picture of the town square.
"But that's the heart and soul of Stars-Hollow! What about all of our businesses around the square? My dance studio has been there for over THIRTY YEARS!" Miss Patty says, saying what's on the minds of everyone else in the room.
"All store owners will be greatly compensated for their land. Everyone wins." Frosty-Luke says with that too-perfect smile.
Another slide flashes onto the screen. It shows the huge superstore now filling the town square. Next to it is a billboard that reads: 'welcome to Stars-Mart Hollow'.
LOGANS APARTMENT- LATER
Rory is loading the dishwasher as logan is sitting on the couch, surfing the channels on the large TV.
"Mmm. Wonderful meat loaf! Come watch american inventor with me!" Logan says from the couch.
"These dishes aren't going to wash themselves." Rory says
"GREAT idea! I'll go on the show with the DISHBA! A robot you put on the table and it clears it and washes the dishes too! It's GENIUS!"
Rory rolls her eyes.
"Wasn't that on 'The Jetsons' this morning?" ROry says as her cell rings.
LUKES DINER- the diner is full of angry townspeople.
"So you remember my CA reincarnation?" Loralai says to rory on the phone, "Well she's got one for luke. And they're both evil, they make Osama look like a Tele-tubby!"
"You're exaggerating. (beat) And It doesn't read Stars-Mart Hollow." Rory says into the phone.
"We're all here meeting now. Luke's got his coffee machines going and we're all brainstorming. Trying to come up with a plan. Come Home! We could use that smart Yale-Brain of yours! This Stars-Mart is going to destroy the town!" Loralai says
"Doesn't it have to be voted on? You can stop it! Power to the people!" Rory says.
"We're screwed wither way. If we don't. our property taxes will double and we'll all be out of business." Loralai says, getting more frantic with every word, and now appears to be on the verge of tears.
"So it's a ghost town or stars-mart hell? I'll go over to the business school and see what they come up with." Rory says
"I didn't tell you the worst part" Loralai says, tears begin to fall down her face.
"And here I thought you started with the worst part," Rory says
"Ground breaking is on June Third." Loralai says. Still hardly able to control herself.
"No! Not the third!" an: third was the first date loralai set for her wedding
"It's the final sign." Loralai says as Luke passes by with coffee pots in both hands, filling the customers cups like there's no tomorrow, " My Town square gazebo wedding is definitely eighty-sixed now.
CONFERENCE ROOM- DAY
Rory is up in front a room full of yale business majors.
"If we don't come up with a solution, Stars Hollow will fall victim to the cooperate cookie-cutter store future like so many small towns before. We will loose the last of America's great mom-and-pop business."
"Survival of the economic fittest. Thats the way the cookie crumbles." Says one guy in the room.
"But we're talking decades of flavor and charm! Imagine yale without the ivy walls. Just a bunch of prefabricated buildings." Rory says
"I have an idea!" someone says. rory looks hopeful, "What if you make the Stars-Mart blend in with the town?"
"That's not the point! There's more to the town's business than the bottom line" Rory says
"No, there's not. That's why the call it the 'bottom line'" Says the first guy.
"There's nothing lower than the bottom line" Says the second guy
"Oy with the Poodles already" ROry says, slapping her forehead.
LUKES DINER- LATER
Loralai sips a cup of coffee and strolls down the sidewalk. She stops at the shoe store and smirks. She then picks up a brick and gets ready to throw it into the window when Blonde-Loralai peeks out from behind a sign that reads "out of inventory."
Stunned, Loralai throws the brick into the street as Blondie steps out, sipping starbucks coffee.
"I miss CA. I have to drove an hour and a half to find decent coffee!"
"You should go back, i mean if you miss is so much!" Loralai says
"In time, I'd hate to miss all the action going on in this little town." Blondie says
"Yeah. So.. Katrina-ish. Business is good i see." Loralai says
"Completely sold out! ANd to believe this is only my first week!" Says blondie.
"Doesn't surprise me though, those designer shoes at such low prices, how could anyone resist?" Loralai says, then looks down at her shoes, " These aren't knock offs, are they?"
Blondie chuckles, "Nope, the real thing."
Loralai seems puzzled by this women's attitude, "I thought you'd be a little more upset that a week after you open your store, they have to close it for stars-mart."
"Que sera, sera" Blondie says as she struts off in her Jimmy Choo heels.
Loralai watches her with that 'something's fishy' look, "I'll get you my pretty..."
YALE HALLWAY
Rory slides down the wall and hits the floor, head buried in her hands.
"Finals going that bad?" someone says, when rory looks up, it's Jess standing there with a hand out to help her up.
"whatareyoudoinghere?" Rory says, shocked to see him.
"Well, I just finished my latest novella. Found somebody to edit the book for next to nothing." Jess says
"Oh... Well, I could have..." Rory says
"Things are a little weird since the last time we.."
"Yeah... But... well, this is business. I could look it over if you buy me a cup of coffee,"
"That's quite a bargain, are you sure you're up for it?"
"Should be a lot more fun then editing the Yale Daily News."
Jess holds out his arm, very gentleman like, "Shall we?"
"We shall!"
LUKES DINER
everyone is depressed looking. Luke is headed to give a couple their check and then snatches it away,
'Never MIND! ON THE HOUSE! EVERYONE.' Luke yells, very frustrated, 'Enjoy the last of my cooking.'
Luke walks back behind the counter, to loralai. He looks around the diner, and you can almost see a tear sliding down his face
"My dad built this place. Everything. And ran it for 25 years. And now, it's just over."