Life and Death
By blackbirdfree
Chapter Five
Rory was subdued in school the next day. She didn't know how she felt about her mother and father being together… in whatever way it was. The thought of them being in a relationship did tick-off some boxes in "Rory's childhood hopes-and-dreams" box… but she was still unsure about it all.
After all, what if Lorelai and Christopher's relationship only lasted as long as the latest Pepsi commercial? Three minutes and the next show would be on next. Would things get even worse between the two? Lorelai and Christopher's relationship had never been a stable one. Maybe the two's attempt at some type of real commitment would explode in all their faces.
And, of course, there was the pink elephant in the room: Lorelai was pregnant again. Rory would have a new little brother or new little sister in the future. What would that mean for Rory and her parents? Would her relationship with them be even more strained and complicated than it already was?
"Ms. Gilmore, what are the three types of plays that Shakespeare wrote?" questioned Mr. Medina. Mr. Medina was Rory's English teacher.
"He wrote tragedies, comedies, and historical plays," answered Rory in the next heartbeat.
Mr. Medina nodded. It seemed that Rory had passed that impromptu-and-unofficial oral exam.
"We will continue to study Shakespeare for the following weeks until Christmas break," said Mr. Medina toward the end of fifth period. "You will be assigned a group project that will be thirty-percent of your grade. I will assign your partners. Everyone listen-up as I call your names out."
Rory was absent-minded for most of the period. But now she was listening intently.
"Rory Gilmore, your partner will be… Jess Mariano."
Rory bit her lip. She glanced at Jess who sat at a desk beside her.
"Looks like you'll be my Shakespeare-buddy from now on," said Jess in a whisper.
Rory smiled.
"How was school today?" asked Emily at dinner. It was salmon and green beans for dinner. It wasn't one of Rory's favorite meals to have but she tried her best to eat some of it. She wondered who the new cook was that made the meal.
"It was fine," answered Rory. "I have a huge project to do in English."
"I see," said Emily. "Well, I hope you focus in that class. You may want to ask your English teacher, Mr. Medina, for a recommendation letter once you're a junior at Chilton. Mr. Medina's praise may be exactly what you need to get a leg-up on the competition that you will face once you apply to Yale."
Rory rolled-her-eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," she said in an absent-minded way.
Rory's mind turned to her mother and her father. "Have you heard anything from Lorelai or Christopher?"
"Yes, in fact. Both Lorelai and Christopher want you to visit them this weekend at the two's new home. They are excited for you to see it."
"Oh," said Rory. She sighed. "I suppose there's no way for me to get out of it?" she questioned.
"Lorelai and Christopher are finally trying to make it work for the first time in years," said Emily. "I think you should support them."
"They've never supported me," said Rory in an angry tone-of-voice. "Why should I bother?"
"Lorelai is pregnant," stated Emily flatly. "You will have a new brother or a new sister in a number of months. I don't think that you should burn your bridges right now."
Rory scowled. "It just seems like the two are starting to build a entirely new family together. Where were the two of them when I was growing up? Where was mom when I fell at my figure skating competition and broke my ankle? Where was dad when I was lost at the Harrington Mall for three hours? Those two never paid any attention to me… so I don't see why I should pay attention to them now."
"Rory," said Richard Gilmore, Rory's grandfather. "Your parents have a simple request. You will visit them this weekend. You will stay the entire weekend with them. You will behave in a polite way throughout your entire stay… just the way your grandmother and I raised you."
Rory would have said something back, however, Richard's final words made her feel a little vindicated. Maybe her grandfather knew more about what she was feeling then he let on.
"Fine," she finally said. Rory stood up at the table and threw her napkin on her unfinished dish of salmon. "I'll do it. But I won't be Lorelai and Christopher's good little daughter. They don't deserve that."
Rory left the table before either one of her grandparents could say a word in edge-wise.
