Chapter 2.
It was the golf episode, Rory had to pick a sport to play. And Grandma manipulated Mom, Rory and Grandpa into letting Grandpa take Rory to the club for golf she even tried to convince me to go but I knew it was a bad idea. I wasn't a terrific golfer but I was good enough, that for a first timer I'd seem excellent, and Mom would freak out even more. I'm getting more used to calling everyone in my head what I call them out loud.
"I'm working on a painting, Grandma, but I tell you what you and Grandpa can have it when I'm done."
"I would love your painting, Quinn what's the subject."
"It's a surprise…"
That Saturday after, Rory and Mom left. I painted a pair of girls who at the distance I painted them at could easily be me and Rory, playing together in a lawn. The lawn at the inn, I remember the moment well. We were playing with the ribbons used in rhythm gymnastics that Miss Patti had given us. It looked professionally painted. After I was done painting, I showered and changed and went to the inn, where Mom was having dealing with the wedding. On the way to Luke's to meet Rory we talked.
"You know that no matter what happens, Rory and I we're yours right."
"And I have the stretch marks to prove it."
"Not what I mean, I mean Grandpa and grandma can't lure us away with country clubs, and books, and debutante balls. No matter what happens, no matter how much closer we get to them, which might happen, you'll always be the most important person in our lives. It's the Gilmore Girls Special club, and we let other people visit and sit in on meetings but there's only three members are you, me and Rory and that bond don't break."
Mom laughed. "I know….baby girl."
Mom took my advice after Rory got home and didn't freak out over Rory having fun with the grandparents. Well she looked hurt but I repeated what I said that night again and she didn't say anything to Rory, Sookie did get into a fight with Jackson over Strawberries and eventually ended up using Blueberries I got to help her with the Blueberry shortcake, by helping her, I had her teach me how to reconfigure the one they cut for grandma so it didn't look leftover. So We brought the Blueberry shortcake, and the painting I did. They got only found the book by HL Menken and his Biography, but a first edition of Alice in Wonderland. So Went to see it. It was beautifully illustrated.
"This is absolutely beautiful, it's a British first edition…." The next episode Rory got the D and freaked out they still studied, like crazy, but I set my alarm, made coffee which woke them both up.
'Quinn?"
"You said it was an important test I didn't want you to miss it, coffee?"
"Thank you, God." Mom said taking a cup.
"I prefer Quinn."
Lorelai began drinking coffee, "Since when do you know how to make coffee, Baby girl."
"I live here of course I know how to make coffee." I said.
Rory laughed. Then went to get ready. Rory took her test, and Mom went to the inn, and I went to school. The boys left me alone now, no one teased me since I dropped Tommy. JR, and I were still the best of friends, we didn't end up getting real close to Nat but we still hung out a lot of the times. I taking my weekly piano lesson with Morey and JR was playing her harmonica. I meaning Quinn, had been taking Piano lessons for two years, I knew how to play now and I was just learning new pieces or would Jam, Babette nudged and then pushed Cinnamon into the lamp, I didn't really think these lessons through. But I ran and got Rory, who ran and got Mom, but I stayed with Morey and Babette, the Dr. Jeanne came, and examined Cinnamon then Rory and Mom came, and we decided to have the wake. Mom pulled me aside. JR went to get her parents to bring food.
"Are you okay, baby girl?"
"Yeah, Mom I mean It's just….It's so sad. Cinnamon's been around all my life right….."
"Yeah, Sweetie, I know. Baby girl, do you need anything."
"Do you think Cinnamon went to a nice place I mean I know we don't do religion or anything but….."
"Yeah, sweetie, I think she do." Part me was still ten so I couldn't help wouldn't. Damn conflicting personalities. Mom rubbed my back. "Do you still want to still take lessons?"
"If Morey still wants to give them to me."
"He will, I promise, Morey and Babette love you, Baby he was so happy when you asked. And he says you've gotten so good. You and Morey always had this bond. Trust me he's not going to stop your lessons." I nodded I knew that. He always filled the grandpa or Uncle role in my life. He taught me to love Jazz and Blues. Later, Sookie, Luke and JR's parents brought food, and JR's Grandma hung out with Miss Patty, Babette, and Morey. Morey even let me play for piano for a while. Then later Max Medina showed up, and Rory was flipping out, Mom told us she wouldn't date him if we wouldn't want her too.
"I don't care." I said. "Just don't marry him."
"If I ever marry anybody we'd talk about it. Rory…' they went back and forth and eventually she got the answer she got in the asking to keep him out late on Thursday so he'd sleep through an oral exam on Friday. Grandma did call but I answered and didn't tell her about Cinnamon I told her we Mom was at work, Rory at the Library and I was at my piano lesson then my friend JR's house and then I asked her about Claudia's funeral. And handed the phone to mom, Mom took my cue and told her about 'work'. The next day we went to Friday night dinner, and I played the piano for grandma and grandpa. I played Taking the A train. And they were very impressed. Mom and Rory were too.
"You know playing the piano will look good on her college applications….."
"I want to go to art school, not music school, grandpa."
"You want to go to Yale Art school correct."
"or Rhode island School or design, Cooper union, or there are some places in Europe, but yes."
"Then you need extracurricular."
"I always paint the sets, for any play the school or the town puts on."
"Those don't count" Rory said.
"They do now."
"I went to Taylor, for you actually, For Harvard, saying that it would help you and the other students get into college if he would start counting when they volunteered for town things, as Extracurricular he said he would. You know for all His annoyingness he gets stuff like this. He started counting it. You can put it on your college application so can anyone else from Stars Hollow."
"You did that for me."
"Someone had to. You do the horn or plenty, and all the other things, and you never get credit, you need credit, Rory."
"That's great Baby girl." I actually did last week the conversation was interesting. But Taylor saw my point I even made the point he might get more volunteers from the high school, especially juniors and seniors who are trying to get into college. He smiled and nodded.
Before we knew it, it was the Friday before Rory's birthday. We put stickers on all of the things. I chose the piano, some books, some art, some furniture, unlike Mom and Rory, I only picked things I actually wanted. I went to the stationary store and bought her a fountain pen that was not too fancy, and didn't cost me an arm and a leg, when I wasn't working on schoolwork and missing, JR, her and her folks and Nonna went to Italy for a funeral. I also decided against interfering in this episode because despite hurt feelings it worked out the best way it could have. I did hide the broken leg photo though. I wrapped it up, and the refills, and as per our tradition I left it on her dresser the morning of her birthday. She would leave mine on my dresser on the morning of my birthday. I went to school, after school, Mom made me put on my party dress, and we went to Grandma and Grandpa's. I said hello, and went to the bartender.
"Can I have a Roy Rodgers please?" I said. He made me one, and I looked around. I decided to talk to a few people. I found Paris.
"Hi."
"hello."
"Who are you?"
"Paris Gellar, Who are you?"
"Quinn Gilmore, Rory's Little sister. You're the editor of the school paper."
"Yes."
"Rory wants to be Christiane Amanpour, what do you want to be?"
"A doctor, cancer research."
"Wow, that's really important. I just want to be an artist. I love to paint, and draw, and sometimes Sculpt."
"You don't want to do something important."
'I like it, come on, I'll show you one of my pieces…." I showed her the piece I gave grandma.
"You're very talented. Well for someone your age." I was insulted I knew the way she worked. The way back we ran into Rory.
"Paris!" Rory said. "Quinn."
"Hi, Rory." I said. "I was just talking to Paris."
"I see that."
After that I drank more Roy Rogers, and placed myself around the Chilton school kids, to listen to the gossip. They didn't know or care whose birthday this was. I found the sub-party that the cool kids had formed. Ate plenty of whatever the food was and didn't mind it a bit. I didn't go upstairs, because that was private, between Mom and Rory, I got introduced to Grandpa and Grandma's friends. And a lot of Grandma friends got shown the painting I did, and praised it. I spent the rest of the party observing everyone. Then Rory was hurt and the party was over. We drove home.
"Rory what's wrong?" I said from the backseat of the car as if I didn't know the answer.
"Your sister and I had a fight with grandma."
"Why?"
"Grandma invited all her classmates from Chilton without asking her."
"Oh, I'm sorry Rory. I'll have a retroactive bad time if you want."
"So that means you had a good time?"
"People basically ignored me, and I was able to watch them it was fascinating." I said. "and Rory I think you're wrong I don't think Paris is a soul-sucking demon."
"What did you say to her?"
"We talked about my painting I made for Grandma and grandpa, and how her parents forced her to come, and then I told her all the ways Mom told her all my hiding places from two Christmases ago, when that extra super boring couple came."
"Oh, the Grangers, I remember them. They were awful." Mom said. "The Woman had the worst monotone voice I've ever heard in my entire life, and the man sounded like Ben Stein. And All they could talk about were their purebred dogs and his stamp collection."
"You didn't talk about me at all." Rory asked.
"No, Roro I didn't." I called her by the name I called when I was little and still did sometimes. I had been making my own decorations all week. they were Rory inspired with her, I drew scenes in literature with Rory in them. The Hatter's Tea Party, Captain Ahab's whale Hunt, the March sister's attic games, and A scene with the animal people during HG Wells, Island of Dr. Moreau. While Rory was at the college fair the next day I decorated the living room, with the posters, steamers, Chinese lanterns, Mom had bought the streamers and Chinese lanterns. All were bluish.
"Hi, Mom. I got everything for 20 bucks, it was all on sale, I mean I had the poster board and drawing stuff already, I only had to buy the Chinese lanterns and streamers, so I bought 6 Chinese lanterns, and two rolls of streamers, and hung them up, for the low, low price of 20 bucks…..."
"Very Nice, Baby girl….it looks great." I then helped Sookie with the food. Rory came and then the Party got started.
"Happy Birthday Rory." Miss Patty Said.
"Open it, Open it, Open it!" Mom said Enthusically She did and it was an iBook.
"No!"
"do you like it cause I can take it back."
"It's Blue and it has a handle."
"It's way to expensive."
"that's what I told the guy at the store."
(Sookie brings in a cake with Rory's face on it.)
Sookie: On three because I'm going to drop it….one….
We all sing happy Birthday.
Lorelai: Make a wish.
Lorelai: Everybody can I have your attention, a very serious moment, a priest, a rabbi, and a duck…..
Rory: Mom…
Lorelei: I'm kidding, I'd like to propose a toast to one of the two things in my life that's always good, always right, and without whom I wouldn't have any reason to get up in the morning…..to my pal rory cheers.
Everybody: Awww…..
Babette: Rory happy Birthday.
The doorbell rings.
Lorelai: In honor of this special girl I now invite you to help you eat her face.
Quinn: I'll get it. (She goes to the door and answers it. Grandma and Grandpa are on the other side.) Grandma and Grandpa (she hugs them happily) I'm so glad you're here and so will Rory…..Mom, Rory, Grandpa and Grandpa are here…" I'm glad I hid the broken leg pic I thought. "Come in, Come in…."
She leads them in. Rory gets up and greets them.
"Grandma! Grandpa I'm so glad you came!" She hugs them. "Grandma look." She showing her bracelet.
"Oh, it looks lovely."
"Can I get you two a drink?"
"No I'm fine, Lorelai." Grandma said.
"No, you'll need one and I have glasses that say Holiday inn on them.
"Stoli on the rocks with a twist." Mom goes into the kitchen.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm so glad you're here and aren't we Rory."
"Yeah…..we are." Rory said "Did you see the literary posters Quinn made for me, she put me inside literary scenes."
Grandma smiled. "Home clever…." Then she tried some food and then left. Grandpa started looking around. We started to have cake with the others. Rory went out to bring Grandpa his reading material and Grandma and Mom went upstairs, sands broken leg picture. I had cake happy in the knowledge everything was going to work out. grandma and grandpa left and I gave them big hugs bigger then the dainty hugs Rory gave then surprising them. They hugs me back, then we went inside and finished partying.