"I don't want to talk to you." She says coldly as she walks over and sits.
"Too bad, this is a family meeting. You have to learn that you can't always get what you want."
"Whatever." She says then scoots closer to Taylor and sinks into the couch.
Lorelai puts her hand on her face and shakes her head. Then sighs and looks at Lauren.
"Taylor, Ryan, go downstairs and play. I have to talk to your sister alone."
Lauren rolls her eyes. Taylor leans over to Lauren and whispers, "Good luck." Then she and Ryan head up the stairs, but stop right at the top to listen.
Lorelai sits next to Lauren on the couch and looks at her.
"Honey, why won't you talk to me? You are hurting mommy's feelings not talking to me." Lorelai explains to her.
"Well, I'm sorry. I just don't feel like talking to you." She says.
"What if you and I go out for some ice cream? Then will you talk to me while we are eating it?"
Lauren shrugs. "I don't know." She says, stubbornly.
"Okay, I'm going to decide then. We are going. I am going to call Julia and tell her to come over and watch Taylor and Ryan. Go get dressed."
Lauren sighs. "I think Taylor is old enough to watch Ryan without having Julia come over. You know how much Taylor hates it when you do that." Lauren says for her sister then starts to walk up the stairs to get dressed.
"Oh well I'm sorry if I do not want my 9 year old daughter and 6 year old son staying home alone!" She yells up the stairs to Lauren.
"I'm just saying! You know how much Taylor hates it!" Lauren yells back down then goes into her room, throws on the first thing she sees in her closet and puts a baseball on her head then walks downstairs. She is determined not to talk to Lorelai with getting ice cream. She hates talking to her mother; she just never understands her.
"Ugh!" Lorelai says loudly in frustration.
Taylor and Ryan come back into the living room.
"Mommy, I can watch Ryan. Its Stars Hollow. I'll be 10 in a few months."
"I don't know honey."
"Come on! I'm more than old enough. You let me stay home by myself sometimes, so why can't I do it with Ryan?" She asks. "Do you not trust me?" She accuses, playfully.
Lorelai rolls her eyes and smiles. "Of course I trust you kiddo." She thinks about it for a few minutes. "Alright fine, you can watch your brother alone. But as soon as we leave I want this door locked. Do not open it for anyone. UNderstand?"
"Yes mom."
"And don't let Ryan eat anything he's not supposed to."
"I know, I know." Taylor says.
"And do not go outside, and no cooking anything and no sticking your hands anywhere where you could get hurt and-" Taylor cuts her off.
"Mom! I know. We'll be fine."
"Alright, Alright. You already know my cell number if you need me. We won't be too long. And remember, what do we say if daddy calls while you are home alone?"
"That you're in the shower and thats why I answered the phone and you can't talk."
"Good girl."
Lorelai and Lauren leave a few minutes later, not talking as they make there way to the car.
The drive into town is completely silent. They get to Taylor's ice cream and soda shop where they silently get ice cream and sit at one of the tables.
"So, are you ready to talk to me yet? Or are you going to continue giving me the silent treatment?"
Lauren shrugs. "I don't really feel like talking."
"Alright I give, I'm not going to force you to talk." Lorelai sits back in the chair and crosses her arms, staring at her daughter.
"Thank you." Lauren simply says and eats her ice cream.
Lorelai can't stand the silence, and decides to say something. "Okay come on, talk to me. Please." She asks nicely.
"What do you want me to say? I'm not like Taylor. I don't like to sit and talk about everything that runs through my head or my every emotion. That's not me." She says.
"We don't have to talk about everything. I just want to know why you told your dad that you hate him."
"And that's the one thing that I really don't want to talk to you about."
"Then let's talk about something else. How's your ice cream?" Lorelai asks, wanting to get at least some conversation out of her daughter.
"It's good." She says simply. "Yours?"
"Its great. I guess its a good thing Taylor made this into an ice cream shop. Although its next to the diner, so not so good for your dad." Lorelai says laughing, trying to make more conversation.
"Yeah, I'm sure daddy hates it." Is all Lauren says.
"Yup..." Lorelai says and then taps her fingers on the table, not knowing what else to say.
After they both finish their ice cream, Lauren decides to break the silence. "Are you ready to go back home?"
"Sure, let's go." They stand up and Lauren walks outside to the car while Lorelai pays for the ice cream. Then Lorelai walks back out to the car and they drive home in silence.
When they get home, Lorelai and Lauren walk inside, still not talking. "Well, I'm gonna go work on my extra credit homework." Lauren says then starts to walk upstairs.
"Alright, I'll call you when lunch is ready."
"'Kay." She says then walks upstairs and into her bedroom, throwing herself on her bed dramatically. "Today was one of the most awkward days of my life." She complains to her sister who is painting her nails.
"Oh, come on. It couldn't be that bad."
"Oh, I think it could have been."
Taylor rolls her eyes, closes her nail polish bottle and turns in her chair, looking at Lauren.
"What made it so bad?"
"We didn't say more than ten words to each other the whole time. It was awful."
"You mean you couldn't find one thing to talk about?" Lauren shakes her head. "Why didn't you talk to her about soccer?"
"Since when does mom know anything about soccre or sports in general?"
"That doesn't matter. She probably still wants to know how you like it."
"Yeah, right." Lauren says then sits up and sighs.
"Well you to are so different."
"Yeah, we are." Lauren says then Taylor walks over to her and pulls her baseball cap off her head and ruffles her hair a little.
"You should really let me curl your hair or something, Lauren." Taylor says.
She makes a face and puts her baseball cap back on. "No, no curling."
"Oh come on."
"No. Remember what happened last time?"
"But it would look soooo pretty!"
"No way! I like my straight hair, Plus, we aren't allowed to use the curling iron." She says and smacks Taylor's hand away.
"I may get along better with mommy, but since when do I follow all the rules?"
"Right right, I forgot, I follow the rules, you break them, then we both get in trouble."
"Fine. Then can I paint you nails or something?"
"Ew, no." Lauren whines.
"You're a girl, come on be girlie with me."
"You're the girlie one, not me."
"Come onnn, there has to be a little bit of girlieness in you somewhere."
"No way!"
"How bout just one hand?"
"Yeah because that won't look at all weird." She rolls her eyes.
"Okay, how about your toes?"
"No Tay, I don't want to." Lauren says then reaches down and picks up her backpack, digging through it until she finds her homework and pulls it out.
"You are the only person I know that would do their homework on a Saturday when it's a three day weekend."
"Well, maybe you should do yours now so you won't have to do it Monday night."
"Nooo way, I hate homework."
"Today is friday Tay, not saturday. Tomorrow is Saturday. Thats when my game is. You should really get going on that homework." She says, teasing her sister about not knowing what day of the week it is.
"Oh shut up." Taylor throws a pillow at her sister.
"You shut up!" Lauren says and throws it back at her. "Seriously Tay stop, I'm trying to do my homework."
"But we don't have school till tuesday. I'm doing mine monday night, let's go play."
"Give me like 30 minutes to finish then I'll go play with you."
"Fair enough." Then Taylor goes back to painting her nails while Lauren does her homework.
The day went on slowly and boringly. It was late at night now and Lauren was tossing and turning in bed trying to sleep. The argument she had with Luke before he left was getting to her. She knew she needed to sleep for her game tomorrow, but she just couldn't. She sighs then lays there, looking up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, she gets up and slowly walks downstairs to get some water.
Meanwhile, Lorelai had trouble falling asleep as well. She is sitting at the diner room table, with a cup of steaming hot coffee, and a stack of 5 books all about soccer. She is flipping furiously through them, wanting to learn all she can about soccer so that maybe Lauren will like to hang out with her more and think of her as a better mother.
Right now she is reading soccer for dummies as Lauren spots her through the entry way between the kitchen and dining room.
Lauren sips her water and walks into the dining room where Lorelai is. "Mom, what are you doing?" She smiles.
She looks up at Lauren and smiles back. "Well sweetie, I went to the library and got all these books about soccer so I could learn more about the game."
Lauren laughs a little then walks over and stands next to the table. "You didn't have to do that."
"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Honey, I know how important soccer is to you, that is why I want to know everything there is to know about the game. I want you to think of me as a good mom that cares about what you do."
"Mom," Lauren shakes her head. "You are a mother and you don't have to know anything about soccer to be one."
"But we never have anything to talk about. I see all those crazy soccer mom's with their freaky matching chairs and outfits and how their kids talk to them. Do you want me to be like them? Cause babe, I'll go out and buy us a crazy, ugly matching outfit if you want." She says with a big grin.
Lauren smiles. "No, I'm good. And I really don't want you to be a soccer mom. I like you the way you are."
Lorelai let's out a sigh of relief and closes the book. "Oh thank god. I think if I read one more page about soccer my head is going to explode."
Lauren laughs. "Sometimes it scares me how alike you and Taylor are."
"And sometimes it scares me how much you and Rory are alike." Lorelai laughs.
"Hey, I'm not as smart as Rory. She's like a... freak or something." She smiles then they fall into a silence until Lauren asks, "Mom, is daddy really mad at me?"
Lorelai pulls Lauren close to her and gives her a hug. "Oh no no no, of course not honey. But I do think that he is really hurt by what you said to him."
"Can I call him? I don't think I'll be able to sleep or concentrate on my game tomorrow until I talk to him."
She looks at the clock, its almost midnight. But then she looks back at her little girls sad face and hands her the phone. "Sure kiddo, you can call him."
"Thanks." She says then walks out of the dining room and into the living room and sits on the couch. She dials her dad's cell phone number and waites for him to answer.
"Hello?" Luke answers groggily after about four rings.
"Hi daddy, its me, Lauren." She says quietly over the phone.
Luke quickly sits up. "Hey sweetie. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah every thing is fine, I didn't mean to wake you up. But I really want to tell you something."
"It's okay. What'd you want to tell me?"
"I..I.."She starts off nervously. "I want to tell you I'm sorry I said I hate you. I don't hate you daddy, I love you, so much."
"I love you too. I know you didn't mean it, you did get my temper after all." He smiles.
Lauren smiles over the phone. "Thanks. I also wanna say you are the greatest dad in the whole world, not the worst. I'm sorry I said that about you."
"It's okay, sweetie. You do good at your game tomorrow. Have someone record it for me."
"Okay daddy I will. Do you want to talk to mommy before you go back to sleep?"
"Is she awake?"
"Yeah, she is."
"Okay, let me talk to her then."
"Love you."
"Love you too." He says, then Lauren hand the phone to her mom and heads back towards the stairs.
Lauren sits on the top step and listens to her mom's conversation with her dad.
"Hey hun, sorry we woke you up. SHe was really upset and was afraid you were mad at her, so I told her she could call you."
"It's fine. I'm glad she called, but what are you guys doing up so late anyway?"
"I couldn't sleep. I've been up all night reading about soccer and then Lauren couldn't sleep so she came downstairs to get a drink of water."
Luke laughs. "You've been reading about soccer? Do you have a fever or did you drink to much coffee?"
"Haha, very funny Luke. No I just..I took Lauren out to get some ice cream with me today, and she barely said two words to me. I was pretty sure she hated me." Lorelai confesses, Lauren, who is still at the top of the stairs, hears that.
"You know she doesn't hate you. She's just... I don't know. Stubborn."
"Yeah your probably right. I just wish she'd talk to me you know. I wish she could see how much I love her and care about her. She's my little girl."
"I know. It's just that you and Taylor click together more and you and Lauren aren't as alike so it's harder."
"So you're saying just because Lauren isn't exactly like me, means that I can't have a good relationship with her?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that you to are so different and it'll take a lot of work for you too to have a good relationship."
She sniffles a little and smiles sadly over the phone. "I really miss you here Luke. I just want this whole weekend to be over." Lauren sits at the top of the stairs, hating to see her mom sad. They may never get along, but Lauren absolutely hates when anyone makes her mom cry.
"I know. Me too. I'll be home in the afternoon on Sunday. It'll be over before you know it." Luke says. Lauren hears her mom sniffle again then gets up and walks downstairs and gives her mom a hug while she continues to talk to Luke. After they hand up, she asks,
"Are you okay mom?"
Lorelai hugs her daughter very tightly and then let's go. "Yeah princess I'm fine. Just overtired and a little sad thats all. You know I love you, right kiddo?"
"Yeah, of course. You know I love you, right?"
Lorelai smiles and nods her head. "Well I know that for sure now. Thanks honey." She says softly and they hug one more time. "Now how about we both go to bed. You've got a big game tomorrow."
Lauren smiles. "Yeah, I know." She says and they finally head up to bed. "Oh, mom, can you record my game for daddy tomorrow?"
"Thats a great idea." Lorelai says as she tucks Lauren into bed and kisses her forehead. "I can definitely do that. Goodnight princess. I love you."
"You too." She says then rolls over and falls asleep.
Lorelai closes the door half way and then walks down the long hallway to her room. She gets comfy in bed and soon after falls asleep.
The next morning is spent getting everything ready for Lauren's big soccer game.
"Alright, do you have water?"
She looks. "Check."
"Soccer ball?"
"Check."
"Shin guards?"
"Check."
"Cleats?"
"Umm..." She searches like crazy through her bag looking.
"Uh kiddo, I don't know much about soccer, but I do know that in order to play you need cleats. WHere did you put them?"
"Um," She goes and checks my the door. "Found 'em!" She says then stuffs them into her bag.
"Great!" Lorelai looks down the list. "Okay, what about snacks for halftime?"
"Check, bag of cookies and oranges."
"Oranges? Ew, come on kid, don't you want pie or something?"
"I'm good with the oranges. Are you stocked up on coffee for you and Taylor? And you better not forget to tell Taylor not to say anything to daddy about the coffee. You know she can't keep her mouth shut just like you."
"Yup, got it all in this thermus." Lorelai and Lauren both look around and grabs their two bags. "Alright, I think thats everything. Let's go." Taylor follows behind them carrying the camera. Ryan is left in the living room by himself not knowing that they all walked out to the car.
"Uh mom, I think we forgot someone." Lauren says.
"Shit." Lorelai curses and jumps out of the car and runs inside to a scared looking 6 year old. "I'm sorry baby, I'm so so sorry. You ready to go?"
"Yeah." He says then follows Lorelai out to the car and he gets into the back with Taylor.
The blast movie, laughing and singing all the way to the field. After they pull into the parking lot,and start to get everything out of the car; A bully of Lauren's walks by and gives her a dirty look.
"You're going down Danes." Then pushes her with her shoulder and walks by.
Lorelai sees this confrontation. "Laurie, what was that all about?"
"Oh, nothing." Lauren smiles a little.
"Alright. Well let's get this stuff and go over to your team." They all walk over to the field. LAuren walks over to her team, while Lorelai, Taylor and Ryan set up their chairs on the sidelines.
"So did those books on soccer help you out with what everything means?" Taylor asks.
"Surprisingly yes. Not fully, but I understand most of the game now."
Taylor giggles. "Are you sure?"
"Don't laugh! See, if Lauren's team scores in that goal, they get a point." Lorelai points to a goal to prove her daughter she's right.
"Well, I knew that much," Taylor giggles. "Okay, so what does a goalie do?"
"The goalie is the one that stands in front of the net and stops the other team from scoring in the goal."
"Wow, maybe you do know I little somethin' about soccer." Taylor says, impressed.
"Ha, told ya I did." She says, sticking her tongue at her daughter, then they turn back to the game, watching and video taping it. 10 minutes in, Lauren scores a goal and Lorelai jumps up in the air.
"Yay! Way to go Lauren!" She cheers and Lauren looks to the sidelines and smiles proudly.
"Wait, was that good?" Taylor asks. "It was good right?"
"Yeah Lauren got a goal! And look, I got it all on tape." Lorelai says and the watch the replay on the camera.
"Cool." Taylor smiles.
They went on filming and watching the rest of the game. At the end of the game Lauren grabs her stuff and runs over to her mom, brother and sister.
"Mom did you see my goal!"
Lorelai gives her smelly daughter a hug. "I sure did kiddo, it was awesome."
"Thanks." She smiles.
"Congrats sis. I love you and I'm proud of you but I'm not hugging you until you've taken a shower." Taylor smiles.
"I can live with that." Lauren smiles back.
"How about we get some ice cream to celebrate."
"Do you think we can wait until daddy gets back and watches my video to do that?"
"Sure, that sounds like a great idea. THen we can all celebrate together." Lorelai says happily, but still wants to celebrate with her daughter.
"Cool thanks. Can we have a celebration dinner tonight though? Just me, you, Taylor and Ryan?"
Lorelai's faces lights up with happiness. "Of course! You pick what we eat."
"We should attempt that chocolate pizza tower that we've been talking about!" Lauren smiles.
"Ah ha, you really are my daughter!" Lorelai says and her and Lauren laugh. "But first you gotta take a shower, you smell."
Lauren smiles. "Yeah, yeah."
They get home, Lauren takes a shower, while Taylor and Ryan play for a little while. Later at around 5:30, they get cleaned up and Lorelai asks Lauren,
"So kiddo, where would you like to go for dinner?"
"Um... Chinese sounds good. Then on the way home we should get stuff to make out chocolate pizza tower and that can be out dessert." Lauren smiles.
"Alright great, let's go." They all pile into the car and go out for chinese. An hour later, after buying everything they need for the chocolate pizza tower, they arrive back home.
"Okay, first let's all get in our pj's so that we are all comfy before we make this."
"Okay!" They all say then run upstairs, change quickly then come back downstairs. They get their pizza crust, frosting, M&M's, chocolate chips, reese's peanut butter cups, mini snickers, chocolate fudge, ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate cover espresso beans (for Lorelai and Taylor), and everything else they can think of and get started.
They spend a good half hour making it and now its about 8:30 at night and they are all sitting in the living room on the couch, groaning from all that they ate. The empty plate sitting in front of them.
"I can't believe how big that tower was." Lorelai says in awe.
"That was... amazing." Taylor says.
"You know what?" Lauren says.
"What?" Everyone groans.
"I'm surprisingly not full. Actually, I think I may be hungry." This makes everyone groan again. "I'm serious." Lauren says then stands up.
"What else could you possibly fit in that tiny stomach?" Lorelai says with a moan.
"I don't know... Cereal sounds kind of good actually." She says then walks into the kitchen and comes back out a few minutes later with a bowl of cereal.
"Have I told you that you're crazy?"
"Gee thanks mom." She says with a bunch of cereal in her mouth.
"The truth hurts, deal with it." Lorelai fires back and they both laugh, Lauren has milk coming out of her nose and mouth.
Lauren finishes her cereal then they all watch a movie together before heading upstairs. Later on that night, Lauren sneaks downstairs and grabs the phone and calls Luke, who answer on the second ring, knowing that she was going to call him sometime that night.
"Hey sweetie, how was your game?" He answers.
"We won daddy!" Lauren whisper yells so that she doesn't wake anyone up.
"Congratulations! I'm so proud of you. You're mom recorded it, right?"
"Yeah! And guess what!? I scored a goal!" She screeches quietly.
"Oh, good job! Ah, I wish I could have been there. I'm so sorry that I wasn't."
"Mommy got the goal on tape. What time are you coming home tomorrow?"
"In the afternoon. I think about maybe two or three."
"And Tommy isn't coming over, right?"
"No, he's not. I'm taking him home first then I'll be home."
"Good because I don't want to see him. I hate him."
"Lauren, he's your brother you don't-" Lauren cuts him off.
"Half brother." He corrects.
"He's still your brother and you don't hate him. You're gonna need him some day, watch."
"I'm never gonna need him. I don't like him."
"You will. He'll be there one day to get you out of trouble. No matter how stubborn the two of you are, you will need each other no matter how much you don't want to admit it."
"Daddy I'm a smart kid. I will never get into trouble, so there, I won't need him. I don't like him, he hogs you."
"Lauren." Luke says in a voice that Lauren reconizes very quickly.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop."
"Thank you."
Lauren looks at the clock and sees that it is already 11:30. "I should go to bed before mommy finds out I'm down here. Night daddy."
"Night baby. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."
"Love you too."
"Bye."
"Bye." Lauren says then hangs up the phone, turns off the lamp and sneaks quietly back up the stairs and back to bed.
Lauren spends the next morning finishing up her extra credit homework, wanting time to pass until Luke gets home. As it gets closer to 1:00, Lorelai starts pacing by the window. She has missed him like crazy, this has been the longest and farthest they have been apart in a long time.
2 hours later she sees his truck pull into the driveway and swings open the front door.
"Ekkkk!!!!! Daddy's home you guys!" Lorelai screams and runs across the yard as Luke smiles, getting out of his truck, and catches Lorelai as she jumps into his arms and gives him a kiss. "I missed you."