4x02: Mattress In, Out, and Back In Again
Luke groaned as he shuffled the last few feet down the hall and into Rory's dorm room. With that last of his strength, he deposited her mattress onto the bedsprings. At least now, Rory would have a proper place to sleep while at Yale. And it better be only for sleeping….. if I get wind of anything else…. Luke did not allow himself to go to that possibility, but he knew that assess (and maybe some genitals) would be his if anyone touched Rory, especially if it turned out to be non-consensual.
Rory, meanwhile, plopped down onto her mattress and tested it out. "Perfect!" she smiled. "Thanks for helping me move, Luke."
Luke shrugged. "Your mom needed something to haul it all here. I had my truck…." His voice trailed off, and he quickly regained his verbal footing by taking a seat in Rory's desk chair. "So…. how do you feel, princess? You ready for school?"
Rory shrugged nervously. "I hope so. It's just that….. Yale is so big!"
"Well….. it's different for every place, I bet. You know, cause I never went to college, and your mom couldn't, having you." Luke stumbled. God, why couldn't he talk about this more easily? "College….. it's that time where you get to….. live on your own two feet. Try life out for size. At least, that's what I've been told. So…. try everything. Go to classes, sure, get your homework done, but it's important to have fun, too. These will be the best years of your life, Rory. A time to grow. And if you're not ready for it, well, there is no hope for the rest of us!"
Rory laughed. Luke nodded, then patted her shoulder. "You're ready, princess. You can do this!"
For a moment, he thought about giving her a hug, but refrained. Lorelai might want to have that moment. So Luke mumbled something about going down to check on Rory's mom, leaving Rory to contemplate her life at Yale over the next four years.