8. Alcoholic Virgin
Around nine in the morning the next day, Logan was in the kitchen when Rory came out of his room wearing the Chilton uniform that she was wearing the day before all crumpled and disheveled. Her eyes were red and blood shot - she looked like hell. But still, the essence of her beauty made it difficult for Logan to control his hormones.
"Good morning." Logan greeted Rory.
"Good morning, Logan, how much did I drink last night? My throat feels dry and my head really hurts." Rory groaned wondering what had caused her to get so wasted the night before. Was it the loss of the person she thought Jess to be? Was it the fact that Jess had lied to her? Or was it her unexpected sadness that Logan was going away next school year? It was probably a combination of all three; she shook her head. Logan did not deserve her being upset over his sailing trip. She felt ashamed of her selfish thoughts from the day before.
"Those are the effects of the hangover, Ace. I believe you had a few shots of tequila and a coffeetini and two cosmos, which is a very bad combination especially for a first-time drinker." Logan matter-of-factly stated.
"Oh! God, I shouldn't have taken the crash course in drinking from Finn. Ah! What if my mom finds out?" Rory started to have a panicky feeling in her stomach, she couldn't believe in all the hours she had been at Logan's she hadn't called Lorelai to tell her where she was - she was acting like a different person ever since she met Logan. She did not know yet, if that was good or bad.
"Ace, relax, I called her last night… there were a bunch of missed calls from her. She was so upset at first that she yelled at me."
"Logan, I'm sorry, so sorry."
"It is okay, Ace, I told her what happened and she loosened up… just, you better call her or she might make good her threat to tear me apart. Also, you need to go home as soon as you can."
"Logan, I'm so sorry that I'm the second drunk girl you've taken care of since you've met me. It seems to be the month when alcohol virgins decide to take their first drinks."
"Alcohol virgins?" Logan looked at her in an amused way.
"Sorry, I decided to use a more fancy word for first-time drinkers. I'm still too dizzy to think of a more appropriate word, Logan."
"I like it, Ace, it's catchy, so into the ways on how to cure that hangover… we have what I introduced to your friend Lane - which is to put baking soda in water, but, after talking to your mother, she told me to get you a burrito from Hector's."
"Oh! The hangover burrito! She always eats a burrito after she drinks especially during certain town festivals when Ms. Patty serves her lethal punch." Rory said as she sat down to eat the burrito. "So, aren't you going to tell me about Finn's cure of drinking a Bloody Mary?" Rory asked curiously.
"Ace, I think you had enough alcohol for me to risk more on you."
"How very boy scout of you." Rory joked, as she started to take small bites of the burrito.
"Hey, I was never a boy scout."
"Well, I can believe that."
"Well… were you ever a girl scout?"
"Nah, I hated outdoor activities except for reading a good book outside or taking a stroll. The idea of sleeping in a tent never appealed to me."
"That's because you never slept in a properly equipped tent… see, there are ways to have tents with modern amenities." Thinking about all the tents he had set up during their fancy Life and Death Brigade events.
"Well, we don't all have your money, Huntzberger. Did I say or do anything embarrassing last night? I mean… my memory after one of the shots is a bit of a blur, I think I rambled on something about my love life." Rory said as she was frantically trying to recall the previous night's events. 'Oh! God, did I even admit to Logan that I'm a virgin?' Thought Rory, mortified.
"You said something how it would be crazy if I was attracted to you."
"Well, at least I was talking sense about that… I mean I'm not your type. So, no table dancing or singing 'Margaritaville'?" Rory asked, hoping that she hadn't done anything embarrassing that she didn't remember.
"Nope, nothing crazy or trying to avoid the serious topic of last night. What the hell is 'Margaritaville'?"
"It's a Jimmy Buffet song which my mom and I love to mock. Don't you know music, Logan?"
"I'm really not a country music fan, Ace." Logan teased.
"Well, to be honest, I'm not much of one either, although, there are some good old classics… one by Johnnie Cash which is good to listen to when you're in a really sad mood." Rory was surprised that after she had finished drinking the water with baking soda her headache started to magically go away.
"So, how do you feel now?"
"Much better, thank you. It still hurts… to be betrayed by someone I cared about, but I feel relieved that it's over. I'm ready to start a Jess-free chapter in my life now." Rory honestly said.
"Rory, was there another reason besides Jess that had caused you to take Finn's drinking course last night?" Logan asked because he had a feeling that his impending trip had shaken her a bit.
"Not really, Logan, why did you ask?" Rory replied, not wanting Logan to think that she was needy.
"It's just, you seemed a little upset when we mentioned our sailing plans after our European trip."
Fearing that Logan could read her so well, Rory decided to deny what she truly felt. "That is ridiculous, Logan, I'm really happy that you are going on a year-long adventure."
"You sure? Cause there really is no shame in admitting that you will miss me." Logan smirked although he could tell it was a big mistake - Rory would never admit to him when he was being cocky.
"How typical of you, Logan, to think the world revolves around you. I'm going to go call my mother right now."
"You can run, Ace, but you can't hide." Logan said not believing that this conversation had gone from being serious to being playful in just a few minutes.
Rory stuck her tongue out at him while she stood by the door of Logan's bedroom, cringing at how like a five-year-old she was acting. She was still amazed how easily their conversations would flow or how they could easily tease each other in the short time that they had known each other.
*********
For almost half an hour Rory talked to Lorelai and apologized profusely for not informing Lorelai of her whereabouts, for drinking the night before and for not calling or returning Lorelai's calls. Surprisingly, Lorelai had been very understanding, although, she had told her that alcohol did not always solve any one's problems. She was still a little nervous about talking to Logan especially because she felt uncomfortable to admitting that she would miss him next year.
"Hey," came the sound of Logan's voice which startled Rory.
"Sorry, if I startled you… you seemed a little deep in thought."
"Not at all, Logan." Rory stiffly said.
"How did the call to your mother go?"
"Fine, Logan."
"Oh, we're being formal… pretty soon will be taking about the weather. I hear it's below average temperature for a day in May." Logan joked.
"Logan, I'm not trying to be formal."
"Come on, Ace, are you still mad because I suggested you would miss me next year. It's nothing to be ashamed of… I'll call you often."
"Again, you're assuming this is all about you… it's not… next school year things will change. I won't see my mom or Lane as much anymore. Paris might come here, but there are some things that I can't easily communicate with her. My boyfriend turned out to be a jerk, and Dean who is still my friend is getting married. I thought maybe for one second I would have someone who I could easily talk to at Yale, and turns out he is leaving. I'm not mad at you… I was just a little shocked last night… that's all."
Logan felt incredibly bad for her. "Hey, when I was in high school my parents, Colin's parents, and Finn's parents all wanted to separate us, although, I really don't know why they introduced us in the first place. We all went to separate boarding schools. I went to a bunch in Massachusetts, and Colin went for the most part in Switzerland, and Finn went to the schools where Colin and I were not enrolled. However, we kept in touch and contrary to what our parents wanted, the physical distance from each other made the three of us emotionally closer… we visited each other on every opportunity we had. And somewhere along the way we all got kicked out from the schools we were in and the three of us ended up at Andover during our senior year. What I am trying to say is that we will keep in touch and we'll still be close even though we're apart next year. I'm sure it will be the same thing with your mom and Lane."
"Wow, that's quite an inspirational speech, Huntzberger, I can't believe I misjudged you when I first met you." Rory said, amazed.
"It's okay… you were pretty upset that night."
"Not to mention humiliated!" She shuddered remembering the crying and all the negative feelings.
"Are we okay now or is our next conversation going to be about when the next rainfall is going to be?" Logan teased.
"I think it will be next winter, but seriously, I was such a baby. After all, we still got two weeks until school ends and of course, prom night."
"We're still going to your prom?"
"Yeah, you think I would miss out on all your interesting stories about how you managed to get kicked out from most boarding schools on the Eastern Seaboard?"
"Actually, Ace, to be fair there were only six."
"Details, Huntzberger."
"You know, Ace, I really don't understand this friendship." Logan teased.
"I don't also. Do you want it to end?"
"Not by a long shot."
They had come such a long way in such a short time that it seemed that they had known each other forever.
*********
Hours later, Rory was sitting with Lorelai on the couch. Lorelai had insisted to have a small wallow session, even though Rory had insisted over and over again that she was fine.
"So, a rich boy is taking you to the prom?" Lorelai asked with mischief in her eyes.
"Mom, it's platonic, and I know how you feel about people of wealth but Logan underneath all that cockiness is a pretty down-to-earth guy." Rory tried to explain the situation because she really did not want to be at odds with her mom over her friendship with a guy.
"Hey, I'm totally cool with him… I mean I was pretty pissed at him last night but he was able to calm me down. Plus, he listened to me when I told him to bring you back to Mommy safely, so far no Boston cream pie being thrown in his face unlike the other one." Lorelai joked.
"Well that's good to know, and Logan is too much of gentleman to really try and insult someone unless he is really mad." Although, she doubted that Logan was much of an insult guy.
"Didn't you say his parents were friends with your grandparents? Just don't tell your grandmother… knowing her, she would be doing back flips all day."
Rory rolled her eyes, wishing her mother would stop being so immature towards her grandparents. "Mom, please, Logan and I aren't dating… besides, maybe Grandma - because she knows Logan - will give you an easier time by not calling you to inquire about the boy who went with me to the prom when I show her the prom pictures."
"Fine, but I'm still telling her he is a drinker." Lorelai retorted, kidding.
"Mom." Rory almost shouted although she hadn't meant to.
"Wow, you're awfully defensive of him?" Lorelei observed.
"He is just my friend and he has helped me immensely during the past few weeks, so I would appreciate you not using him in any issues with Grandma."
"Rory, I was just kidding, I'm grateful in the way he helped you. Do you have more than friendly feelings for him?" Lorelai thought that it seemed that Rory was strangely affected by Logan.
"No, Mom, Logan and I are just friends I just broke up with Jess, and I want to be more cautious about whom I date. I don't want to make the same mistake again." Rory sadly stated.
Rory's sad tone reminded Lorelai of what she needed to tell her, but she needed to know if Rory was okay with the break-up before dropping the bomb. "Rory, how are you after everything that happened yesterday."
"Mom, for the tenth time, since you asked me, I'm really fine." Rory said, exasperated.
"I understand but are there no lingering feelings for Jess?" Lorelai cautiously asked.
"The only feelings are of relief and sadness that it didn't work out. I feel anger for the way he chose to handle our relationship especially during these past months. A part of me also feels bad for him because he has issues, and that he seemed sorry for breaking up with me. However, no, I don't feel anything remotely romantic towards him, and like I told him I'm not going to pine for him. Why do you ask, Mom?"
Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief. "Rory, last night after Logan called me I called Luke to rant about Jess."
"Oh! Man, don't tell me you blamed him… none of this was Luke's fault." Rory panicked, remembering the car accident a year ago.
"I wasn't going to blame Luke… I was going to tell him to do something drastic with Jess… I don't know… send him to reform school or something… do those still exists? Anyway, before I could say anything Luke told me that Jess is gone."
"What do you mean gone?"
"Meaning that his whole room had been cleared up. He left town because Luke kicked him out after telling him that he needed to leave if he didn't repeat 12th grade again. Well, I guess he chose to leave. Luke was afraid that Jess might convince you to go with him."
"Like I would risk my future by running off with Jess!" Rory stated sarcastically. She couldn't believe that had she not have broken up with him, Jess would have just left her without saying goodbye. That would explain why he had been on the bus that morning. He cared so little about her that he could leave without saying goodbye. She felt herself close to tears again, feeling let down by him once again.
"Rory, are you okay?"
"He was planning to leave, Mom, and when I saw him, he didn't know I was going to be on the same bus. He was going to leave after all that has happened without talking to me or saying goodbye. I meant so little to him."
"Come here." Lorelai hugged her and Rory leaned in close. "Luke was pretty devastated… he felt like he failed him." She really hated that the two people who gave Jess a chance had suffered because of him.
"I don't feel bad for him anymore… I have been very supportive and I have offered my support to him time and time again… and yet, he took me for granted." Rory finally stated between tears.
"That is exactly what I told Luke last night, both you guys gave him a lot of support and love but he chose to be a jerk."
"Does Luke have any idea where he went?" Rory asked curiously.
"He does… he thinks he went to his estranged dad in California."
"Another thing… he didn't tell me about his dad being back in his life. Does Jess have a chamber of secrets or something?" Rory said, wiping her tears. She felt like she didn't know the person that she had been going out with in the last six months - she felt so stupid and so naïve.
"Are you going to be okay?" Lorelai asked with concern.
"I think so, I mean I have a lot going on but I get to go to prom now." Rory smiled.
"Yep, we'll send Jess one of your prom pictures and we'll show the jerk what he missed."
"I wouldn't go that far, Mom." Rory said between giggles.
"Okay, so what kind of dress are you thinking of wearing to the prom?" Rory couldn't believe that just by thinking about going to the prom with Logan she felt all her past feelings of betrayal all go away.
Author's Note: I hope you guys liked this chapter because, originally, I planned on writing, like in most of my stories, some tension between Rory and Lorelai. I think they have some issues that they did not resolve in the show. However, in this story the tension just didn't fit, and I think that shortly after the Jess drama, Lorelai would have probably welcomed Logan with open arms - in case any of you think Lorelai is behaving out of character with almost immediately accepting Logan.