The Gilmore Girls were sitting around the table for Friday night dinner. It was oddly quiet for the four talkative women. "Everyone's quiet tonight." Emily pointed out.
"Sorry Mom, I'm just tired." Lorelai took a sip of her water.
"Me too… school," Rory told her.
"Work," Lorelai adds on.
"Life," Anna sighed.
"Dig it, man." Lorelai nods to her daughters.
"Peace out Humphrey," Rory said in the most bored tone ever.
"Mystery," Emily had no idea what they were going on about. A moment of silence covered the table before she broke it again. "Well, this is just ridiculous. Four intelligent women sitting here in complete silence. There must be something to talk about. Do you know that every night at dinner, the Kennedy clan would sit around the table having lively debates about everything under the sun? They would quiz each other about current events, historical facts, and intellectual trivia. Now the Gilmore clan is just as smart and worldly as the Kennedy's so come on somebody say something."
"Do you know that butt models make $10,000 a day?" Lorelai said the first random fact that pops in her head. Her daughters chuckled.
"Camelot is truly dead." Emily decided that the silence was better.
"Emily!" Richard called out his wife's name when he entered the house.
"In here, just follow the crickets." She yelled.
"I am sorry I'm late, but I come bearing wonderful news." He came in and sat down.
"Siri bring Mr. Gilmore a plate!" Emily yelled to the maid while getting up and following him to his seat.
"I just got off the phone." He told them.
"Would you like to change first?" She took his napkin off the table.
"No, no, no I'm fine. So I..." His new was interrupted yet again by his wife.
"Siri, Mr. Gilmore is hungry!" She placed a napkin in his lap.
"Emily, I am perfectly capable of putting a napkin on my lap." He picks the napkin off his lap to put it back on.
"Alright, I'm sorry. You were on the phone." She went back to her seat.
"Long-distance," He clarified.
"God?" His daughter asked.
"London." He told her.
"God lives in London?" She gasps.
'My mother lives in London." He didn't know why the women in his life insisted on interrupting him.
"Your mother is God?" She asked.
"Lorelai," He warned.
"So, God is a woman…" She ignored his warning to go on with her game.
"Lorelai," His voice got firmer.
"And a relative, that's so cool. I'm going to ask for favors." Lorelai smiled.
"Make her stop." He turns to his grandchildren.
"Oh, that I could," Rory hummed.
"When we find an off button we'll let you know." Anna snickered at her mom's pout.
"You spoke to your mother." Emily got them back on track.
"Yes, I did. She's fine, she sends her love and she's coming to visit." His face was beaming with excitement.
"What?" Emily's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding?" Lorelai smiled.
"When," Emily asked, needing to get everything ready for that horrible woman.
"I'm going to get to meet my great-grandma?" Anna and Rory cheer.
"Lorelai the First," He told them her name.
"When," Emily repeated herself.
"I was named after her," Lorelai told her children.
"I figured." Rory rolls her eyes.
"Richard when?" Emily raised her voice.
"You're going to love her. My mother is brilliant, absolutely brilliant." Richard brags.
"We share that also." Lorelai smiles, making Anna roll her eyes.
"I'm asking a question here, does no one hear me? Am I suddenly invisible?" Emily shouted.
"I'm sorry. What was the question?" Richard leans in to hear his wife.
"When is your mother arriving?" She repeated herself for the fourth time.
"A week from today, Rory, Anna, I'm telling you, it's going to be such a treat." He turns to his grandchildren.
"Excuse me." Emily gets up and leaves.
"I still can't get over that I'm related to God. It's going to make getting Madonna tickets so much easier." Lorelai said making Richard share an unamused look with his grandchildren.
Paris, Madeline, Louise, Tristan, Rory, and two other guys were sitting in a circle working on their project. "I think that the basic structure of the Elizabethan government is relatively sound. The division of power between the monarchy, the Privy Council, and the parliament all seem to work. Agreed?" Paris naturally took charge.
"Agreed," Madeline nods.
"Ditto," Louise agrees.
"Okay, so in establishing our own government, I think duplicating a similar structure would be good, with a few alterations. Queen Elizabeth chose to remain unwed. She took on the burden of leadership all by herself at a time when possibly marrying the Prince of France or the King of Spain would solidify her throne while expanding her empire. And though it worked for her, and the concept of a woman ruling without a man is certainly politically correct these days, I think we need to take a different tack. I think we need to devise a nation with a truly solidified royal alliance..." Paris went on.
"She does know this is a make-believe government, right?" Madeleine whispers to Louise.
"You ask her, I'm afraid," Louise whispers back.
"So in addition to the different political branches, we'll also need a King and Queen. Rory, Tristan, what about you?" She turns to the left where they were seated.
"Us…. No." Tristan didn't see how that would help him get Anna back. She wouldn't even look at him. With the help of Rory, Henry, and surprisingly Paris he wasn't even able to get near her.
"Yes, no," Rory agrees.
"Why?" Paris asked.
"Because..." Tristan couldn't think of a reason.
"I just don't want to be queen." Rory didn't feel comfortable being the queen with her sister's ex being the king.
"I'M QUEEN! I'M QUEEN! ALL WILL FALL AT MY FEET FOR I AM THE QUEEN!" They turn their heads to see Anna with her hands in the air as she lets out an evil crackle.
"Miss Gilmore, calm down." The teacher went over to hush her.
"Can we dress up for this?" Her excited eyes fell on her teacher.
"I don't get paid enough." She walked away rubbing her temples.
"She didn't answer my question." She pouts to Henry. He laughs at his friend's antics.
Tristan cleared his throat. "Me either….. King, I don't want to be king."
"What about you? You can be the queen." Rory nods to Paris.
"I'm going to be head of Parliament. I can't be queen." She didn't want to be the figurehead. She wanted to be the one running the show.
"Be both," Rory said. Tristan nodded in agreement.
"I can't be both." Paris shook her head.
"Why not? It's our government." Rory asked.
"It's not done that way." Paris reminded her that they had to follow the structure.
"It can be though, let's vote." She looks at her other group members.
"Rory," Paris sighs.
"Henry VIII started a new church when the old one wouldn't allow divorce." Rory reminded her that structure could be changed.
"He also cut off his wife's head. Is he still your role model?" She challenges.
"I'm just saying we have the opportunity to make any kind of government we want here." Rory thought this project would be fun.
"Why won't you be queen?" Paris sighs. She never thought she would but she preferred Anna right now, at least she seemed happy with her position.
"I'll be the queen." Madeline put her hand up.
"There, make Madeline queen." Rory points at her.
"Fine, you're queen, Tristan's king." Paris thought that Rory would be a better Queen, but she'd just have to coach Madeline to answer the question correctly.
"I'll be the lady-in-waiting, the one with the low-cut blue velvet renaissance dress." Louise used her pen to show how low cut her dress would be.
"Lady-in-waiting is not a political office." Paris reminds her.
"No, but they get all the sex." She winks at Tristan. He looked down at his paper.
"What?" She glares at her friend.
"Watch a movie." She scoffs.
"We are talking about government class, not the movies. God, why can't I get one person to care about this as much as I do?" Paris slammed her hand down on her book.
"Okay, fine. I'll be the head of the Quarter Sessions court, but I'm still wearing the dress. Happy?" Louise rolls her eyes.
"Out of my mind," Paris sarcastically shot at her before turning back to the group. "Okay, so, I secured us the classroom to work tomorrow and Sunday so that by Monday we'll be ready."
"We're working all weekend?" Madeline and everyone else was upset about the news.
"You're kidding." Louise thought this was extreme even for Paris.
The bell rings. "Take this. It's an outline for the entire system: point of methods, some basic laws, and penalties plus some random ideas. Please be ready to discuss it tomorrow at nine in the morning, don't be late." Paris got up and passed out the pages she printed out for all of them.
"Wow, she designed the flag." Madeline looks down at the packet.
When Tristan saw that Paris grabbed Rory to talk to her, he looked for Anna. She was twirling around, singing who's been painting my rose red. He walked over to her. "I think we need to talk."
She stopped twirling to tilt her head to the side, "About what?"
"Anna, you know about what?" He sighs.
"No, I don't. Do you know what he's talking about, Henry?" She looks back at her friend.
"No, I don't have a clue." He shrugs.
"Come on, Anna. Do you want to deal with these tensions in the air for two and a half years?" He could feel the desperation building up inside him.
"Tension, I don't feel any tension. Do you, Hen..." She looks back at her friend again.
He interrupted her before she could say the other guy's name. "ANNA! I promise, after this talk, if you never want to talk to me again then I leave you alone. I promise."
"Fine, I'll see you in the cafe, Henry." She waves to him before walking out of the classroom with Tristan following her. She led him to a courtyard and sat down on the bench. "I don't know what you want to talk about, you already got a new girlfriend." She looks at the trees surrounding them.
"Summer is not my girlfriend." He sat down next to her.
"Um, but you knew who I was referring to." She glares at him.
"I hear the same rumors you do. Rumors are just that, rumors." He gave her a pointed look.
"So, you didn't dance with her?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I did, but not all night. I didn't go home with her." He looks her in the eyes, hoping that she sees the truth in his.
"I'm supposed to believe that." She scoffs.
"She went home with Austin." He told her.
"Oh, so it was her choice, not yours. Well, I don't blame her. He's good looking and doesn't humiliate his girlfriend by screaming at her in the middle of a party." She let out a bitter laugh.
"I wouldn't look at Summer like that sober. The girl's pretty, but she got to be infected with something." He sneers.
"Don't shame her." She sneers right back at him.
"You're right, this isn't about her. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten drunk and made an ass of myself." He looks down at his feet.
"A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts." She whispers when she notices people passing by staring at them.
"I didn't mean any of it." He denies.
"How can I believe that? Because I thought you liked movie nights and the town events. Although I appreciated it, I never asked you to take me to any of those high-end restaurants. So what I don't appreciate is you making me sound like some ungrateful brat who only wants to do what they want to do. If you want to go to these parties then you have to say something, because I'm not a mind reader." She got everything out that's been on her mind.
"You're right. I have to communicate better. I will do that, just give me another shot. Please." He put his hands together.
The bell rings letting them know they had to get to their next class. "Alright, fine. But, you're still on thin ice. Lucky I didn't box you up." She got up to head back inside.
"Box me up?" He pushes his eyebrows together in confusion.
"Come on, let's go." Lorelai impatiently waited for her daughters.
"Relax, I'm almost ready," Anna yelled down the stairs as she put her heels on.
"We're going to be late." She yelled.
"No, we're not," Rory shouted back.
"Well, it's Friday night and traffic's bad on Friday night." She walks to Rory's room as Anna walks down the stairs. She sat down in front of the TV to watch a rerun of Three Company.
"Get up, Anna, we're going." Lorelai sang. She throws each of them their coats before putting on her own.
"You're mean." Rory sang in the same tone.
"Oh, okay, look. I will admit, I work very hard and sometimes I am a little tired come Friday night for the Gilmore family dinner. But I had a light day today and my grandmother who I have not seen for years is going to be there." Lorelai defends herself. Anna turns off the TV to put on her coat and follows them to the front door.
"And it has nothing to do with the fact that Grandma hates Great-grandma?" Rory stops her in front of the coat closet.
"Not at all," She shook her head.
"And when you see Grandma miserable and uncomfortable you're going to be sad and sympathetic?" She stares at her mother's face that she knew would crack soon.
"Not at all," As she predicted she couldn't keep the smile off of her face.
"Mean." Rory pouts.
"You got to admit, Rory, that Grandma likes to make mom uncomfortable, so, naturally, mom would be excited for tonight." Anna reasoned. Lorelai pointed at her as if to say that's my point.
"It's still mean." She told her sister before turning to her mom. "I want you to be nice."
"I will be nice." She kept that wicked smile on.
"And no outward reveling in someone else's pain." Rory insisted.
"I promise, internal revealing only." She pointed to her heart.
"Okay then, we can go." She nodded to the door.
"Okay, good. Oh, wait," She grabs a camera. "So the internal reveling can continue for years to come."
"Mean," Rory demands. Anna laughs with her mother. They got in the jeep and made their way to their Grandparents.
"So, you got back with Tristan?" Lorelai glanced at Anna in the back seat.
"Who told you?" She looks over at Rory. She was a little embarrassed with how quickly they were back together when she cried all weekend about it. At least it didn't get around town.
"The Porsche that dropped you off," She said.
"He promised to do better at communicating. I mean my hair is similar to Jean Gray in the sun, but I'm not a mind reader." She flips her hair.
"So, he didn't sleep with Summers?" Rory asked.
"No, he danced with her for a few songs and passed out on the floor in one of the bathrooms." She retold the story that Tristan told her on the ride home. "Summer confirms the first part too. She said she only danced with him to make Austin jealous."
"Well, glad that worked out." Lorelai parked the jeep in her usual spot. "Let's get this hat rack in place." She got out of the jeep. The siblings got out to help her get the hat rack from the back.
"God, this thing weighs 1000 pounds." Rory groans as they struggle with it.
"I know, I know. Here, put down." She pointed at the bottom of the steps.
"What are we doing?" Rory thought they had to take it inside.
"Well, in case Gran comes to the door you know." She pushed it out of the doorway view.
"Good thinking." Anna nods.
"I mean she's 80. The eyes have got to be gone, right?" She walks up to the door.
"Let's just try to keep her inside the house." Rory and Anna follow behind her.
"Good thinking." Lorelai knocks on the door.
"Do you have it?" Emily opens the door.
"We got it." She points to where it was hiding.
"Hurry up, bring it in here." She waves to them.
"Ah!" Anna yells out when Rory picked it up from the bottom making the top part swing at her. Fortunately, she was able to grab it in time or she would be going to dinner with a black eye.
"Sorry," Rory apologies.
"Okay, quiet, be quiet." Emily hushes them.
"Okay mom, thanks for the direction and all but, um, we need some help." Lorelai grabs the middle part.
"Oh yeah, sorry," Emily grabs the very front to steer them into putting it down by the door.
"Careful honey," Lorelai told Rory. She almost smashed her fingers while putting it down.
"Watch it, watch your head. Get it over here. Okay yes, yeah I think that was about… no, I think it was maybe a little more on the left. Oh God, I should have put tape down." Emily cursed herself.
"Mom, you don't think that the coat rack could've moved a quarter of an inch in five years?" Lorelai reasoned with her panicking mother.
"Yeah, you're right. That's it. Okay, put your coats on it." She pointed at them. She needs it to look like it was always there. They did what they were told because frankly, a stressed-out Emily was scarier than a mad one.
"How'd you get her in here without her noticing it wasn't there?" Lorelai asked.
"Well, I brought her in through the back way then I had Stella wax the floors, also she napped so that took up about an hour." She explained to them the way she has to bend backward for the woman.
"Where is she now?" Rory couldn't wait to meet her. Anna was a little stressed about tonight, she didn't like Emily and she looked like her Grandmother so she wasn't sure how tonight would go.
"In the living room scratching the diamond pendant, I bought her against a mirror." Emily looks at the coat rack wondering if she should move it.
"So we shouldn't keep her waiting, huh?" Lorelai looks at her mother who didn't move an inch.
"No you're right, we shouldn't. Oh, heaven help me!" Emily took a deep breath before leading them to the living room. Lorelai chuckles under her breath.
"Stop," Rory scolds her.
"Mom, look who's here?" Emily points at them.
"Who?" An elderly woman wearing a black dress was looking through a magnifying glass to read the newspaper.
"Has she not heard of glasses," Anna whispers, making Emily chuckle.
She cleared her throat, not wanting to have to explain why she was laughing. "Well, look." She told the older woman.
"If I wanted to look, I would look. I haven't looked therefore you must draw your own conclusions. Ah, thank you, dear boy." She thanked her son for giving her a drink. Her tones went quickly from venomous to sweet.
"You're welcome, Trix." Richard smiles at her.
"Trix?" Rory asked.
"Dad's pet name for Gran," Lorelai told her.
"Isn't it just darling?" Emily said with a fake smile.
"It's a little twisted," Anna raised an eyebrow.
"Hi Gran," Lorelai greeted her.
"Lorelai," The woman finally looks up at them.
"Yes, it's so good to see you again." She nods her head.
"Trix, this is Rory and Anna. You haven't met them yet." Richard points at each of them.
"No, I don't believe I have." She stares at the two young women.
"Hello." They waved to her.
"Come. I want to get a very good look at all of you." She waved for them to come closer which they did. "These two are tall. You not so much, but that's okay neither am I." She pointed Rory and Lorelai then at Anna.
"Thanks," Anna said slowly as she played with her sleeve.
"How's your health?" She asked them.
"Oh, good," Lorelai nods.
"Very healthy," Rory answers.
"Mm-hmm," Anna hummed. She was starting to feel awkward under the woman's gaze.
"Good. That means that the majority of your blood is Gilmore's blood. Gilmore's don't get sick." Trix looks up at her son. "Am I right, Richard?"
"Oh, we wouldn't dare Trix." He laughs.
"That's right. Your mother is always sick." She looks over at Emily in disgust.
"I'm hardly always sick." Emily gave out a chuckle while keeping her fake smile on.
"You're sick right now." She pointed at her.
"Are you sick now, Mom?" Lorelai looks over at her.
"Headache," She gave the old woman a pointed look.
"Gilmore's don't have headaches, our heads are perfect. You don't drink?" She asked Lorelai.
"Uh, well…" She did normally have a drink in her hand by now.
"Emily, get this woman a drink." She orders Emily around like she was the maid.
"Oh, I'll do it." Richard walks over to the beverage cart.
"Thanks, Dad, white wine." She requested.
"I'm going to go get the hors d'oeuvres." Emily walks into the kitchen, wanting as much time away from the old woman as possible
"So, you're Rory and you're Anna." She pointed at each of them.
"Yes ma'am." They nod their heads.
"My son speaks of you constantly. He seems very fond of you two." She told them.
"Oh, well I'm very fond of him too." Rory blushes.
"Me too," Anna nods.
"These little girls are as smart as a whip Mom. I think they have a great deal of you in them." Richard gave Lorelai her wine and sat down.
"Really? That's good. I was worried about you. You look so much like her I wasn't sure if you would be able to live up to the Gilmore name." Trix looks at Anna.
"You don't have to worry about that, Trix. Anna is one of the top students in her class. She won an entrepreneur award last year for running the bake sale. She is a magician in the kitchen. She makes chili seem like a five-star dish. And, she is good at networking. At Rory's birthday party, she knew half the people there. That is only after a few months at that school." Richard bragging about her made her blush.
"That puts my mind at ease. I don't want the Gilmore name being tainted." She sighs. Emily came in with a tray of cheese. "Is this cheese?" Trix asks.
"Yes, it is." She nods.
"Am I supposed to eat that cheese?" She spoke to her like she was a child.
"Well only if you like." Emily shrugs.
"Emily, where are those spiced nuts that Trix likes so much?" Richard jumped in to save her.
"I'll get some." She put the tray down to run back to the kitchen.
"So Lorelai, since I've seen you last, you've grown up, gotten pregnant out of wedlock, raised a child, and still haven't bothered to get married. Have I left anything out?" Lorelai the First looks at Lorelai the Second.
"Well, sometime in between growing up and getting pregnant, I got my ears pierced." She pulls on her earring.
"I've always hated a scandal. However, I've always appreciated self-sufficiency. Tell me, how do you support these children?" She nods over to them.
"I run an inn." She told her.
"Hard work?" She asks.
"Yes, it is." She couldn't even get the computer to work with her today, but she wasn't going to mention that.
"Good. Hard work is good for a woman, makes her stronger. I admire people who enjoy hard work." She explains. Anna wondered if that was why she didn't like Emily. She didn't feel like she worked hard being a housewife.
"Here we go spiced nuts." Emily put a bowl of nuts on the table.
"Thank you, Emily. I suppose I can just put these nuts in my hand." She put her hands out.
"I'll be right back." She left to grab some plates.
"So Gran, um, when was the last time I saw you?" Lorelai asked.
"You were still in your teens, wild hair flying everywhere. I see you've taken care of that." She looks at her hair that has been tamed since.
"Yes, I joined a support group and bought a hairbrush. I'm just taking it one day at a time." She ran her fingers through her hair.
"That was a joke?" She asked.
"Yes, it is," Lorelai tense for a moment not knowing how this would go.
"Very good," She nods.
"Thank you." She relaxed.
"I have dishes and napkins." Emily came back in with her hands full.
"Good for you. Richard, I would like to be escorted into the dining room now." She looks up at her son.
"Your wish is my command." Richard stood up to help his mother up and guide her to the dinner table.
"Well, uh, I'm not sure that dinner is ready just yet." Emily didn't want her sitting at the table, grumbling that she should have told her that dinner wasn't going to be ready for a while.
"Well, perhaps our presence in the dining room will teach your help that when one is told dinner is at 7, people often expect dinner at 7." She turns to give her a smirk.
"But it's only five after, Mom." She told her.
"Only five after? Richard, in the event that I am kidnapped and a ransom, is demanded at a certain time, I would prefer that Emily not be in charge of the drop-off." She turned to her son, who gave a little chuckle.
"I bet you want to be the one to pick up the phone when the kidnapper calls, so you can hang up on them," Anna whispers to her grandmother.
"It's one of my fantasies," Emily confessed.
"Grandma, this dinner's delicious." Rory gave her grandma the same compliment she did every Friday night.
Emily opens her mouth to thank her when Trix beats her to it. "Very good young lady, we all believe you. Now, let's talk about your education. What school do you two attend?"
"We're going to Chilton," Rory told her.
"They're in the top ten percent of their class," Richard told her.
"Rory is going to Harvard." Emily brags.
"Harvard?" Trix's eyebrows rose at the news.
"Yes ma'am." Rory nods.
"Richard, how can you allow this girl to go to Harvard?!" She looks at her son.
"Now, Trix…" He tried to reason with her but he couldn't even get a sentence out.
"You're a Yale man. Your father was a Yale man!" She told him like he didn't know.
"Well, we want Rory to be whatever kind of man she wants to be." Lorelai tried to lighten the mood.
"That's enough jokes for this evening Lorelai." She glares at her.
"Sorry." She sips her wine.
She surprisingly let the Yale thing go and move out to another subject, although it wasn't any more comfortable than the last. "Now if you don't mind my asking, Chilton is rather an expensive institution, I'm curious how the manager of an inn can afford such a luxury?"
"Ah well…" Lorelai looks down at her plate. She wasn't proud of having to borrow money.
"We're helping Lorelai out a little," Emily informed her.
"Yes, we've seen to it that their education is taken care of." Richard let his mom know that it was fine by him.
"But it's temporary. It's a loan. I plan to pay them back every cent. They know this." Lorelai wasn't sure why she had to explain this to her.
"That's it, I'm done. Richard. Tomorrow, Rory, Anna, I shall plan the menu. When you've lived in Europe you learn a thing or two about food." She dropped her fork and knife on her plate. Richard hurries to get up and guide his mother out of the room.
"Oh, we can't. We're studying tomorrow. We're in a study group and our presentation is due on Monday." Rory was sad that she was going to miss spending time with her great-grandma.
"Yeah, we're making our kingdoms. I'm the queen of mine." Anna bounced in her seat.
"Oh very well, your mother can tell you all about it." Trix gave Lorelai a look to let her know she had to be there.
"I will, I promise." She nods her head.
"Won't you have dessert?" Emily asked her mother-in-law.
"I once traveled to a small village in Cambodia. I did not eat dessert there either." She looks back at Emily as Richard guides her out of the room. Emily put her head on her hands to stop herself from screaming in frustration.
Anna walked into the classroom her group was meeting in. It was across from the one that Rory's group had their meeting. "Hey." She greeted her classmate.
"Let me help you." Henry got up to grab the coffees off the boxes of doughnuts she brought. Everyone gathered around to grab a coffee and doughnut.
She put the boxes down and grabbed one of the cups. "Here is your chai." She hands it to Henry.
"Thank you." He grabs it from her.
"Oh cool, the doughnuts are shaped like clowns." Thomas laughed. When he was put in her group, she was annoyed. No, so much that he kissed her sister, but that he was a slacker. It is why she hated group projects, there was always someone who did nothing but got her good grade. But, she found with the right threats of her knowing people that could do bodily harm, he would do the work and do it well. He didn't need to know that Stars Hollow wasn't a ghetto. These rich kids think if you take the bus it means you're from a rough neighborhood.
"So, I talked to your sister yesterday." He told her.
"Am I going to have to make a call?" She glares.
"No, she just wanted to clear things up. Let me know why she cried. Then she suggests that I find a woman of substances and the next thing I know she is talking me into asking out Paris." He put his hands up to show he meant no harm.
"What?" Anna was confused about how Rory thought the two could fit together.
"She said that Paris could keep me grounded and I could show her a little fun." He shrugs.
"So, you're asking out Paris?" Henry couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah, I did already. She said yes, who knows it might be fun." He laughs.
"You said the same thing about hugging a cactus naked." Roger, another group member, said.
"I was drunk at the time." He defends himself.
"Somehow I think it'll be the same experience." Anna chuckled.
"Alright people, we are here to organize a kingdom, not gossip." Francie Jarvis, a redhead, who was a less smart but a more vicious version of Paris, slammed her hands down on her desk.
"Good, because I have some issues with your plans," Anna sat down on one of the desks that they moved to form a circle.
Anna was coming down the stairs wearing a little black dress. She was going to another party with Tristan. It seems like every weekend there was a party. She guesses when you're rich that's what you do. "I'm ready." She smiles at her boyfriend sitting on the couch.
"Finally," He got up. They walk to the door. She opens it to see Paris standing there.
"I don't know what to wear." She had a bunch of clothes in her hand.
"Ever?" Anna arches an eyebrow.
"On my date, I'm not a trendy girl, okay? I don't haunt the boutiques hoping to find that one fabulous little top. I study and then I think about studying and then I study some more." Her voice got higher the more she spoke.
"Do you want to come in?" She opened the door wider. "Rory!" She yelled for her sister.
"No, I need you, not Rory. You're a trendy girl. I only have one lipstick at home? And it's barely even a color. You put it on and it looks like you're not wearing anything which is why I liked it in the first place. But to date, you need the fabulous little top and you need lipsticks that you can actually tell you're wearing." She followed Anna to the living room.
Rory came in from the kitchen. "What is going on?"
"I'm going to be stuck on this couch all night." Tristan sat back down.
"We're going to the party after I dress up Paris for her date," Anna assured him. "Do you want to put that stuff down, so I can look through it?" She pointed to the couch. Anna was in a roller-coaster relationship with Paris. Sometimes, she hates her, other times she felt bad for her, but most of the time she found her dry humor amusing. Rory seems to enjoy their rival friendship.
"Why didn't you go to Madeline or Louise about this? They know all about lipsticks and fabulous little tops." Tristan asked Paris.
"Oh yeah, that they get. The whole supportive you're going to be fine and not throw up 12 times on the way to his car thing that they don't get. Here, I can get the lipstick stuff from Anna and the support from Rory." She explains.
"None of this is going to work. I mean, what are you a rich widow who never plans to marry again, but still wants to look presentable." Anna looks through all her outfits.
"Forget it. I'm not going." Paris walks to the door.
"Yes, you are. Come on now. This is your entire wardrobe?" Rory grabs her arm.
"Yes." She nods.
"Nothing's left at home?" Tristan asks after looking through the clothes too.
"Nothing but my Chilton uniform and my bat mitzvah dress which has menorahs on the collar," She told them.
"As adorable as that sound, come on." Anna grabs Paris's hand and pulls her upstairs. Rory followed them. Tristan turned the TV to the ESPN channel, which was the first time that ever happened at that house.
Anna sat Paris down on her rolling chair and went to her closet. "Is this your room?" Paris looked around the place.
"Yes, it is." She nods.
"I can't wear your clothes." Paris shook her head.
"Yes you can, I do it all the time. What about this?" Anna pulls out a pink blouse.
"My mother says the color pink makes my head look small," Paris said, getting a what the hell look from the siblings.
"Okay, no pink." Rory grabs the blouse from her sister and puts it back in the closet.
"This whole thing is so insane." Paris sighs.
"Why?" Rory sat down on the bed.
"Thomas asking me out? Why would he do that?" Paris looks down at her lap.
"Why would he not do that?" Rory asked her.
"Because he's gorgeous and experienced and only dates those most likely to become a trophy wife. He's always the life of the party, people like being around him. People like that don't look at people like me." She kept her eyes on her lap.
Anna looks at Paris from a new perspective. She always thought the girl was confident and fierce in everything. It seemed like that was only in academics. "He was talking about your date the whole time during the study group. He thinks it's going to be fun." She told her.
"Really?" She looks up from her lap.
"Yeah and, I think he would make a great trophy husband."Anna nods.
Paris let out a nervous laugh. "I don't know why I'm so nervous. I never even thought about him before. I only ever really thought of one person like that." She briefly glanced at Anna before going on. "I don't think he's going to be my husband, but he asked me out and I said yes. A little experience never hurt anyone. It's kind of like a mock date. Yeah, it's a mock date, no need to be nervous." She is talking more to herself than anyone else at this point.
"This is the outfit." Anna pulls out a red and black blouse with a black skirt.
"It's great. Are you sure I can use it?" Paris stares at the clothes.
"Yeah, the bathroom is down the hall. I'll get the makeup ready." She points in the direction of the bathroom. Paris nodded her head. She took off her jacket to throw it on the bed and note cards fell out of it. She grabs the clothes from Anna and goes to the bathroom.
"She's bringing flashcards on a date?" Rory picked up the cards.
"You brought a book." Anna pointed out. Rory walked out to talk to Paris about them, while Anna found her make up for sensitive skin.
A few minutes later, Paris came back in. Anna did her makeup naturally so that her red lips stood out. "Okay, I'm done." She spun her around, so Paris could see herself.
"I look weird." Paris sighs.
"No, you look great," Rory told her.
"I look weird." Paris didn't even feel like herself.
"Well, weird looks great on you." Rory smiles.
"You're going to hold this evening over my head for the rest of my life, aren't you?" Paris looks between the sisters.
"Probably," They shrug.
"Bye." She walks down the stairs and out the door.
"Anna!" Tristan yelled.
"I'm coming," She ran down the stairs. She couldn't believe she got so caught up in dressing up Paris that she forgot about him and the party.
Anna had the house to herself again, so she was folding laundry while watching the Golden Girls. Rory was at school to finalize her project. She was happy that Francis had to do some kind of club thing today or she would be at school too. Her mom was having tea with her two grandmothers.
The phone ringing made her get up. "Hello," She answered.
"Anna, I'm so, so sorry. Don't have anyone cut my legs off, I need them." A frantic male voice whines.
"Who the hell is this?" She asked.
"Thomas." He told her.
"Thomas, all you have to do is draw the flag and the work cited page. How do you fuck that up?" She growls into the phone.
"No, I did that." He assured her.
"Then, what the hell are you calling me for?" She puts her free hand on her hip.
"This is about my date with Paris." He fumbles.
"Paris? Why what happened?" She sat down on her couch and paused the Golden Girls to get the details.
"It was an alright date until she asked me what made me ask her out. I told her about Rory and she went off. She is upset that Rory thinks she's some charity case. She thinks that she was setting up to be humiliated. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it." He explains.
"Calm down Thomas, you can keep your legs. This peace between the two was never going to last. Don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up the phone. "That is a blouse and skirt I'll never see again." She turned the show back on and went back to folding her clothes.
