AN: Since I'm leaving for vacation in about in week and I want to get this story done I will be updating twice a day. Just remember that reviews drive me to finish this story so the more reviews more likely the story will be finished by the time I leave. Thanks for all the reviews.
Disclaimer: When I control the Universe then I will own Gilmore Girls
Chapter 7: Is Something Wrong?
Rory woke up the next morning feeling incredibly sore from the night before.
Since today was Sunday and she didn't have school she had to find something to keep her busy and out of the house today.
'Lucky for me it's fall and I can wear long sleeves' Rory thought as she got dressed.
Rory went out of her room to find her mother waiting for her.
"Where have you been sleepy head?" Lorelai asked.
"I just stayed up late last night" Rory lied through her teeth.
"Well come on we have to go to Luke's" Lorelai said.
"Why to we have to go to Luke's?" Rory asked.
"Because Luke makes the best coffee and we are out of coffee" Lorelai said like she was explaining it to a five year old.
"Fine we'll go to Luke's" Rory said unenthusiastically.
This didn't go unnoticed by Lorelai. "What's wrong are you sick?" she asked feeling her forehead.
Rory flinched at her mom's touch afraid that she was going to hit her but Lorelai didn't notice that.
"Mom I'm fine, I'm just still a little sleepy" Rory said.
"Well then we need some coffee to wake you up and you can meet Luke's nephew" Lorelai said.
"What's he like?" Rory asked.
"Well imagine James Dean if he said as much as Luke" Lorelai said.
Once they were at Luke's Rory saw Jess for the first time. Even though he'd been here about a week Rory kept on missing him because she and Max were now going to school early and would just grab some doughnuts or something and avoid Luke's altogether.
Jess had that bad boy attitude all around him nothing about him seemed safe. At the same time though Rory thought she could see some niceness on the inside waiting to come out.
"Luke, two coffees, and two very large stacks of pancakes" Lorelai called out to Luke.
"You got it" Luke said writing the order down.
"Hey, you feeling better?" Dean asked walking into the diner.
"I knew you weren't feeling well" Lorelai said.
"I wasn't feeling well last night, I feel fine now" Rory said as Dean pulled her into a hug.
Rory flinched a little but nobody noticed it or so Rory thought.
Jess was surprised when he saw Lorelai walk in with her daughter. He knew that she had one but hadn't seen her because she was always going to some fancy school of hers.
He noticed her flinch when her boyfriend pulled her into a hug.
'Maybe it's nothing' Jess thought before his thoughts were interrupted.
"Jess I need coffee for that table" Luke said pointing at Lorelai's table.
"Sure thing Uncle Luke" Jess said grabbing a coffee pot and going over to their table.
"So you're Jess" Rory said when he got to the table.
"And you must be this Rory I've heard so much about" Jess said looking her over.
Rory felt uncomfortable that Jess was looking her over but tried not to let it affect her.
"So what's your favorite book?" Jess asked.
"Excuse me?" Rory asked.
"Book, favorite, what is" Jess said.
"Well I guess anything by Ayn Rand" Rory replied.
"Don't tell me you actually like her I tried to read The Foundation, couldn't finish that garbage" Jess said.
"I suppose you like Hemingway" Rory said rolling her eyes forgetting about all her former troubles for a moment.
"Yes I do" Jess said.
"How can you read him?" Rory asked.
"As much as I would love to hear the end of this conversation, Jess I need you in the kitchen" Luke said.
"Sure thing" Jess said going back to work.
"I hate that kid" Dean said out of the blue.
"He seemed nice" Rory said weakly.
"He's always getting into fights at school and doesn't pay attention" Dean said getting angry.
This was the side of Dean Rory always hated and now the fact that he was getting angry scared her more and more.
"Whatever let's just eat" Rory said quickly trying to get away from the Jess subject.
After breakfast Rory went to visit Lane.
"So how's Max doing?" Lane asked.
"Why?" Rory asked fear in her voice.
"Just wondering, you never really see him in town and I haven't seen him with you or Lorelai lately" Lane said.
"No reason he's just been really busy, so how are you doing" Rory said trying to change the subject.
"I wanted to talk with you about something" Lane said nervously.
"What?" Rory asked.
"Well I was thinking since you're off at Chilton and have Dean I'm thinking of joining the cheerleading squad" Lane said quickly.
"Lane you can be a cheerleader if you want you don't need my approval" Rory said.
"Well I thought since we are best friends and tell each other everything I just wanted to know what you thought about it" Lane said.
'If only we could tell each other everything' Rory thought.
"Rory you still with me?" Lane asked.
"Yeah, I was just thinking" Rory said knowing that it was a weak cover story.
"So do you think I should join?" Lane asked.
"If it's what you really want" Rory said.
A little while later Rory had done all she could in Stars Hollow and headed back to the house thinking that Max would be out.
Rory was surprised to find that Max was home. She tried to slip past him.
"Rory wait" Max called out.
'Almost made it' Rory thought as she started to shake. "Yeah, dad what is it?" Rory asked trying to sound normal.
"What were you doing talking to Lane today?" Max asked.
"How do you know that?" Rory asked very afraid.
"I was following you" Max said.
"Why were you following me?" Rory asked.
"Because I wanted to be sure that you didn't say anything" Max said.
"I-I-I promise I won't say anything" Rory said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Good because I you do…" Max said hitting Rory across the face.
"I won't say anything" Rory cried out.
"Good now go to your room I'm sick of looking at you" Max said.
Rory went to her room and looked at her face.
'That's going to bruise, I'll need some make-up' Rory thought as she applied some.
'I should go to the police but would they believe me, I mean he is a teacher, why would they believe me' Rory thought and she went to her computer to keep herself busy and away from Max.
Meanwhile at the inn Lorelai was talking with Sookie.
"I mean this woman just wanted to date Luke" Lorelai said.
"What's wrong with that?" Sookie asked.
"Luke dating a Chilton mom could only be bad news" Lorelai explained.
"He hasn't dated anyone since Rachel" Sookie said.
"Yeah, but still a Chilton mom" Lorelai said not believing that Sookie wasn't on her side.
"Would you like me opinion?" Michel asked walking up to them.
"Not really" Lorelai said.
"I think that you still have a crush on Luke and that is why you don't want to see him with anybody else" Michel said.
"That is not true, I have Max" Lorelai said appalled that Michel could even think something like that.
"But how has Max been to you lately?" Michel asked.
"He has been kind of off lately" Lorelai admitted.
"What do you mean?" Sookie asked as she started frosting a cake.
"I mean that both he and Rory have been acting strange, Max has been all worried about losing his job, and Rory has been, well I can't explain Rory" Lorelai admitted.
"What's wrong with her" Sookie asked.
"I'm not sure she's all jumpy and cut off lately" Lorelai said.
"Maybe she's going through something with Dean?" Sookie suggested.
"Maybe" Lorelai muttered.
"Well whatever it is just remember that I don't care" Michel said walking off.
"Whatever is really going on with Rory is probably just some sort of phase" Sookie said.
"I know I'm probably freaking out over nothing but I just have this feeling" Lorelai said.
"You could always ask her" Sookie said.
"I want her to come to me first" Lorelai said.
"If it is anything serious then she will come to you name me one time that she hasn't" Sookie said.
Lorelai thought for a moment. "You're right, I guess I just worry too much" Lorelai said as she went back to work. Even as she was working though she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was truly wrong with Rory.
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