You're Just Like Me, You Know
Chapter 2
The trio arrives at the diner a little bit later. Lorelai gestures to Lea to sit at a table and Lorelai walks over to the counter with Sophia still in her arms.
"Luuuke!" Lorelai calls.
"Lorelai…are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"What are you talking…oh, the baby? We didn't just time travel a few years, Lukey. This is Sophia, Lea's kid."
"Lea…the girl who's staying at our house?"
"Yeah", Lorelai points to where Lea is sitting.
"Okay, I'll be right over."
"Sure thing", Lorelai smiles, "Say goodbye to Daddy", Lorelai says to Sophia jokingly.
"Not funny", Luke grunts.
Lorelai walks back over to where Lea is sitting.
"Any idea what you want?"
"A salad, I think. Are they good here?" Lea asks.
"Oh boy, I wouldn't know. I'm not exactly a healthy eater. Why would you get just a salad? You're tiny."
"And I'd prefer to keep it that way", Lea comments coyly.
"Fair enough."
Luke comes over to take the girls' orders.
"Luke, here you are!" Lorelai remarks enthusiastically.
"Lorelai, here I am", he pauses, "What'll you have?"
"A turkey BLT, hold the L…and the T, s'il vous plait!", Lorelai responds.
Luke gestures to Lea, "And you?"
Lorelai interrupts, "Wait, let me do introductions. Luke, this is Lea. Lea, this is Luke, diner man slash coffee provider slash fiancé."
"Hi Lea", Luke says.
"Hi Luke", Lea pauses, "I'll have the chicken ceasar salad, hold the cheese and croutons."
"A girl after my own heart", Luke comments, "I'll be back."
Luke leaves and Lorelai leans closer to Lea, while Lea reaches in her bag for a bottle of apple juice for Sophia.
"Lea."
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk about you for a sec?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess. Will you give the bottle to Sophia?" Lea asks, passing the bottle to Lorelai, "Why do you want to know about me?"
"Why not? You kind of just appeared on the scene and I have a tendency to be nosy", Lorelai smiles.
"So, I'm almost eighteen. I dropped out of high school when I found out I was pregnant but I got my GED. Sophia's father moved away before I could tell him about her, so he doesn't know. My parents were as supportive as they could be, but I still hated living there. I got on a bus and ended up here, obviously."
"And we are happy to have you."
"Thanks", Lea shifts awkwardly.
"Do your parents know where you are?", Lorelai approaches the subject lightly.
"They don't know I'm here in Stars Hollow because I didn't know I'd end up in Stars Hollow. But they know I left. I wrote them a note."
"Geez, you are me."
"Frightening", Lea pauses, "So, tell me about you."
"Subtract 20 years and it's your same story. Except the father knows. He kind of floats in and out of our lives but he's a good guy."
"Do you still talk to your parents?" Lea asks.
"Yes, but for weird reasons. They're helping pay Rory's way through Yale. But my parents are in a class all their own; I'm sure yours are nothing like mine."
