CJ pushed his food back and forth on his plate, wondering what kind of meat he was even looking at, unable to identify it. It looked to possibly be chicken, but knowing his high society grandparents, it could be lamb or goat or some other kind of four-legged animal. Conversation murmured around him. His family chatted aimlessly as they waited for dessert to be brought out, but CJ let their voices go in one ear and out the other. His mind reeled with thoughts of his English essay that was due on Monday.
He hadn't even started it yet, much to his dismay and ever-growing panic. Grief. What role did grief play in his life? He'd never had anyone close to him die before; he tried not to feel upset about that fact as he now struggled for his essay topic. He only had the weekend to put together his entire paper, and the ache that forever clutched at his chest began to tighten at the thought. CJ loosened his tie discreetly, knowing if his grandmother saw she would practically throw a fit. Thankfully, she took no notice as she argued back and forth with his mother about maids.
Suddenly, the Gilmore's maid entered the room, carrying a grand vanilla cake and placing it on the center of the table. CJ's mouth practically watered at the sight of the dessert.
"The dinner was wonderful, Mira," Lorelai complimented, giving the housekeeper a soft smile.
"It's Sarah," the maid replied, narrowing her eyes, before she grabbed CJ's dinner plate to take back to the kitchen.
CJ coughed to hide his amusement, receiving a kick from his sister across the table. He flinched, catching the sudden attention of the table. CJ sent Rory a quick glare soon after, but her eyes had already settled elsewhere, feigning innocence. He rubbed at his shin, massaging the pain away as conversation continued.
"Hey, Grandma," spoke Rory, purposely changing the subject. "These plates are really pretty," she complimented, sending their grandmother a smile.
"Thank you, Rory. They were your Great-Grandmother's," replied Emily, nodding at the twins.
"Lorelai the First," supplied their grandfather.
"Mom wasn't the first?" asked CJ, raising a brow in surprise.
Their grandparents shook their heads. "Not in the name," corrected their grandma.
"No, but in so many other things, I was a regular trailblazer," spoke their mother, smirking at the table guests. She turned to her own mother, "just finishing your thought, Mom."
"Lorelai the First is my mother," added in Richard with a smile. "She's an extremely accomplished equestrian, a distinguished patron of the arts, and she's also world-famous for her masquerade balls. She's quite the woman, my mother," boasted their grandpa.
"Yes, she is," their grandma brushed off. "Mira, come cut the cake, please!" She shouted towards the kitchen.
"Yes, and why don't you bring Sarah out here with you?" Lorelai added, trying to save her mother's mistake.
CJ shook his head. How hard was it to remember someone's name?
Emily questioned Lorelai about her life for a bit, before moving onto the twins, excitedly asking them how Chilton was going.
"Okay, done with me now," snarked Lorelai, only half-joking.
"I'm sorry, was there more to the story?" Grandma replied in that condescending but innocent way.
"Uh, Rory has to pick a team sport to play," their mom brought up.
"It's a requirement," supplied Rory with a soft shrug.
"Physical fitness is as important as intellectual fitness," quoted Grandpa. "So says Plato, and so say I," he added with raised brows.
"What sport are you going to pick?" Their grandma asked, warmly.
"I'm not sure," Rory replied. "I'm not really the athletic type - that's all CJ."
"Oh? What sport are you playing, young man?" Grandpa questioned, raising his brows at CJ inquisitively.
"I play hockey," he said, nodding his head in confirmation. "Center, or Goalie during street games."
"Street games?" Grandma asked, curiously.
"It's when you play roller hockey . . in the street," he spoke slowly, as he'd thought it sounded quite obvious.
"Why, that's absurd," said Richard, sitting up in his chair. "That's not a proper way to play a sport."
CJ shrugged, "When you don't have a rink it is."
"So, Rory, what are your sport choices?" Their grandma inquired, changing the subject back to Rory quickly.
"God, there's like a thousand of them," spoke Rory, trying to list them in her head. "Basketball, Lacrosse, Swimming, Track, Golf."
"Golf?" asked their grandma, suddenly.
"Yeah," Rory confirmed.
"Your Grandfather is a golf player," stated Emily, brightly, sending her husband a pointed look. CJ did not like where this was going for his sister, and possibly for him, as he shook his head. "He plays every week at the club. He could teach you to play like a pro!"
"Emily," spoke Grandpa, looking as if he wanted to do anything else but golf with Rory.
"He could take you on Sunday. And CJ, you could tag along if you wanted, learn a second sport," Grandma suggested, eyes wide and hopeful.
CJ shook his head firmly. "Uh, no, thanks, Grandma. I already have my sport and I should really be focusing on my school work since I'm still trying to catch up and everything," he rambled, desperately, trying to get out of golfing with his grandfather at all costs.
"It's not something you can teach in an afternoon," their grandfather also protested.
"That's okay," spoke Lorelai. "Rory can pick something else."
"Why should she pick something else?" Questioned Grandma. "She needs to learn a sport, and Richard can teach her a sport," she spoke, as if it were that simple. "You can use your mother's old golf clubs," she added to Rory with a quick smile. "They're upstairs gathering dust along with the rest of her potential."
CJ's eyes widened at how casual his Grandma was with that insult and, despite how funny it kind of was, he couldn't help the guilt that bubbled back in the pit of his stomach. The subject matter was one that he didn't enjoy as it always invoked these feelings. He and Rory shared a look, knowing the other was thinking the same.
"Okay, Mom, could I maybe talk to you for a minute?" asked Mom, politely, setting her cloth napkin upon the table.
"We're having dessert," stated Grandma, giving her daughter a pointed stare.
"I know, but i'd like to talk to you fast before the sugar sets in and makes me crazy," she insisted with a grin.
"You are the oddest person," Grandma spoke, rolling her eyes, though she was moving to her feet and dropping her napkin onto the table.
The two elder Gilmore women left the dining room, heading into the sitting room to argue, the twins were sure.
The rest of the dessert went quickly, CJ shoveling two slices of cake down his throat in record time, before Lorelai, Rory, and CJ exited the mansion. Their shoulders slumped in relief as they could finally relax. CJ quickly loosened and pulled his tie off; after wearing it all week at Chilton, having to put it back on for Friday Night Dinner was quite difficult for him. He shoved the tie in his pocket, knowing it'd wrinkle and he'd just throw it in the dryer this weekend, and he quickly ran a hand through his hair to give it a more disheveled look.
Their Mom was apologizing to Rory for not being able to get her out of golfing with Grandpa. CJ was suddenly very glad he played hockey. The thought of giving up his Sunday to go golfing, of all sports, with his grandfather, of all people, was nauseating.
"Would you guys come with me?" He heard Rory ask, and he began shaking his head furiously.
"No way," he snapped, quickly. "I am not wasting my Sunday like that, sorry." He shook his head.
"Rory, I love you, I would take a bullet for you," their Mom spoke, genuinely. "But I'd rather stick something sharp in my ear than go to the club with you."
"Fine," Rory relented, a small smile on her lips at their mother's antics.
"I'd rather slide down a banister of razor blades and land in a pool of alcohol than go to the club with you."
CJ grinned, jumping in. "I'd rather skydive without a parachute than go to the club with you."
Their Mom laughed, slinging an arm around her son's shoulders. "I'd rather eat my own hand than go clubbing with you. Ooh, I'd rather get my face surgically altered to look like that lunatic rich lady with the lion head than go clubbing with you."
"I'd rather be probed by aliens and birth their alien baby than go to the club with you."
Saturday was spent catching up on the mountain of homework and studying gifted from his Chilton teachers during his first week. He knew he and his twin were almost a month behind, but the stack of work sitting before him seemed inconceivable. Each class had its own thick, 3-ring binder full of notes that he'd missed, as well as extra, more in-depth notes provided by some of his classmates.
A pair of bright, green eyes popped into his mind - he had borrowed Marnie's notes as well. Pushing her face from his mind, despite the butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the thought of the girl, CJ tried to focus his mind on his work again. He had to catch up, he reminded himself. If not, he would be kicked from Chilton and would be a failure. The teen worked at a hasty pace, reading, highlighting, taking notes, giving himself practice questions, but the nerves clenching at his chest refused to lessen.
His racing thoughts soon turned to the impending essay he'd yet to start. What role has grief played in his life? CJ sighed loudly as he slumped back in his desk chair. He had no ideas; his mind a total blank. He bit his bottom lip as he tried to think of something, anything, that he'd grieved over in his life, anything that he had lost.
Losing his pet hermit crab had hurt pretty badly when he was 5, but the thought of using that for his essay on grief practically made him blush in embarrassment. Had he grieved over nothing else in his almost 16 years?
After spinning around in his desk chair for awhile, CJ soon spotted his Chilton tie lying haphazardly on his dresser with its deep wrinkles on display. With a sharp jolt in his stomach, CJ realized what he'd lost in his life, what he still grieved over almost every single day: having a dad.
Christopher Hayden was very much alive; CJ talked with him on the phone once a week, saw him on some holidays, but he wasn't a true dad. He was a father, barely, CJ thought with contempt, but was not a dad. It wasn't him who taught him to ride a bike or tie his shoes, it wasn't him who took him on his first camping trip or gave him his first beer.
It wasn't him who taught CJ how to tie a tie or drop him off for his first day of school.
Ideas now rushing through his mind, CJ grabbed his pencil and began writing with haste.
That Sunday, CJ had gone to help his mother set up and organize the wedding at the Inn, cursing his Mom and the happy couples mercilessly in his head at being woken up early. He was straightening the Lilac colored streamers hanging on the porch, trying to get them to hang evenly. He was carefully fixating another lilac decoration when his Mom walked past, talking with the two brides and their mother, and squeezed his shoulder in thanks. CJ nodded, giving his mom a soft smile, before she walked off talking about flower colors or streamers, he wasn't quite sure and he didn't care if he were being honest. He just wanted to finish these decorations so he could go hang out with Matt. With how busy Chilton was making him, CJ felt he didn't leave a lot of time for hanging out with his best friend, so he vowed to do so today.
Thankfully, he was on his last set of sashes or ribbons or streamers or whatever they were called, tying them neatly around the last bare rung of the porch. He sighed with relief as he finished, cracking his knuckles, and tried to remember where he'd left his skateboard. He jogged through the large, double doors of the inn before heading over to the front desk, expecting to see his skateboard leaning up against the wall. His shoulders slumped as his eyes roamed over the area, catching no sight of the heavily-stickered board. Letting out a soft sigh, CJ headed towards the swinging kitchen door when a man cried out. A loud thumping sound followed and CJ's head whipped to find a man on the ground, groaning in pain. Patrons and workers of the inn jumped into action to assist him - CJ's mother being one of them.
CJ's stomach lurched as he realized what had caused the man to fall. His skateboard had practically flown across the inns' floors and slammed against the front desk after the man had inadvertently stepped on it. Frozen in his spot, CJ could only watch with wide eyes as a group of people helped the man up, settling him down on the couch beside them and giving him soft pillows to cushion his injury. Lorelai was apologizing profusely for the accident, fluffing up his pillows and offering free services for his distress.
CJ backed away slowly, knowing his mom was going to want to talk with him quite soon. He quickly exited the inn before anyone noticed, resolving to speed walk as he'd left his skateboard, the object of the crime, at the crime scene. How many times had his mother told him not to leave his skateboard lying around? CJ scratched the back of his neck as he headed back home, knowing his mom would be on his tail soon.
As CJ laid on the living room couch, awaiting his mother's impending arrival, he clicked on the T.V. and began watching a rerun of some celebrity award show that'd premiered recently. His heart was pounding, his chest aching, and his fingers shaking as he thought about how much trouble he was in. It was a genuine accident, but he'd been scolded before for the same reasons, and this time he'd even hurt someone. The man had looked okay, but that didn't stop the engulfing guilt that bubbled in his stomach.
"CJ," Mom called out as she walked into the house, letting the door slam loudly behind her.
CJ waited for his mom to find him, lying casually on the couch as Justin Timberlake received a shiny, gold award.
Lorelai slumped on the couch beside her son, shifting his feet to the floor, forcing him to sit up so she'd have somewhere to sit. "Well, setting up the wedding was interesting," she commented, sarcastically.
CJ nodded. "So, I heard," he agreed, playing along.
She sighed, sending her son a rare, stern look. "I've told you this a hundred times, kid, you gotta be careful with that thing," she spoke, seriously, a soft hand on his shoulder. CJ nodded, breaths coming out in falters as his hands shook, the tightness in his chest and nausea in his stomach building.
Lorelai took in her son's shaky body, his pale face, and sighed, knowing how filled with nerves he was, especially when getting in trouble. He'd been like that ever since he was a kid, he and Rory both had, but Lorelai worried, ironically, about CJ's worrying sometimes. Like in moments like this, when his hands shook, and he panted out his breaths, and he looked at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. She sighed, rubbing her son's back, comfortingly. "You're a great kid, CJ," she spoke, softly, with a smile. "But that man could've been seriously hurt."
CJ nodded, biting his lower lip, as the guilt of that reality settled in his stomach. "I'm sorry, Mom, I really am," he spoke, still looking downward.
His Mom pushed his chin up to force eye contact between them, "Look at me, Ceej. I know you're sorry, and I'm glad, but I really need you to be more careful from now on. The inn can't afford a lawsuit," she joked at the end, but she made sure to still give her son an emphasized stare to ensure the seriousness of her message came across. She didn't like having tough conversations with her children, but she would for their sakes.
"How about some ice cream?"
"Hell yeah."
His mom had a bit of time to spend with him before she'd have to go back to work, especially to ensure that one of the grooms, who now sported a back bruise, was in marrying condition.
After Lorelai had left back to the inn - thankfully without him this time, CJ thought - the Gilmore household blared with the sounds of the T.V, a wrestling match flashing across the screen. He heard the sound of the doorbell before he flew off the couch and raced to the door. He grinned as Matt appeared, quickly ushering him inside. The teens headed over to the living room, CJ quickly turning the T.V volume down as they sat.
"How's it been going?" CJ implored, offering his friend a slice of pizza from the box he'd ordered.
Matt grabbed a slice eagerly, nodding at CJ in thanks. "Alright, my dad's out of town for the night, so I can head home early."
CJ nodded, "That's great. Get some sleep tonight, yeah?" he suggested, sending Matt a serious look.
Matt nodded, agreeing, before he sent CJ a stern look of his own. "You, too, Mr. Concealer."
CJ's eyes narrowed, albeit playfully. "Okay, that seriously does not leave this room," he spoke, shoving Matt lightly.
Matt croaked out a laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.
"Matt, I'm serious," he practically whined, as Matt continued to laugh.
"Alright, alright," Matt relented, still grinning. "It won't leave this room. But you need to get sleep, too," he added, sending his friend a look.
CJ let out a humorless chuckle, "It's not like I don't try." He took two large bites of a slice of pizza, his face puffing out from the cheese, pepperoni, and various other toppings.
"And you still can't sleep?" Matt frowned. He took a small bite of his own pizza, grabbing a napkin off the table for his hands. The sounds of wrestlers slamming each other onto the mat echoed as they talked, the light from the T.V illuminating their faces in a soft blue hue.
CJ swallowed harshly. "Not really. I get a few hours in on a good night," he said with a shrug.
"Maybe you should talk to your Mom about it," suggested Matt with a shrug of a shoulder. "She's really great; I'm sure she could help you."
CJ felt that familiar grip of nervousness in his chest, dropping his half-eaten slice of pizza back into the box. His heart seemingly began to quicken its pace. "I don't need help, Matt. I don't need anyone else to know about this - I'm fine," he insisted, gaze intense on the T.V as he avoided Matt's concerned eyes. "I get enough sleep. I can handle this on my own."
"Look, I just really think your Mom would be able to help, and -"
"Matt, I said no, okay?" CJ snapped harshly, getting to his feet and immediately beginning to clean the coffee table. He began piling his dirty napkins and pizza crusts onto an empty paper plate. He chewed on his bottom lip as silence encompassed them, only broken by the sounds of the thumps and cheers on the T.V, and the rustling of his movements. He quickly headed to the kitchen, throwing his trash away, before leaning against the counter. CJ let out a tired sigh and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. This day had not gone the way he'd planned at all, he thought to himself with a roll of his eyes. He hated talking about his problems, he hated disappointing people, and that's all he'd been doing all day.
CJ resisted the urge to tell Matt to go home, as much as his tired body protested. He'd been looking forward to hanging out with Matt all day, for one thing. For another, it was only 5 o'clock and he couldn't go to bed now, especially knowing how long he'd probably toss and turn for anyway. And, finally, he would never send Matt away unless he absolutely had to. Matt's house was not a place anyone in their right mind would want to be, CJ knew, and he couldn't stomach the idea of sending his best friend back there if he didn't have to.
CJ took another moment to steady his breathing, to chase away the ache in his chest, before he grabbed two sodas from the fridge and headed back to the living room. Acting as if nothing odd had happened, CJ handed his best friend a coke before he sat down beside him with the other. "What'd I miss?" He asked, his bottle opening with a hiss.
Matt recounted the last few moments of the wrestling match, seemingly forgetting about the almost fight the two friends had had. CJ appreciated the fact that he and Matt could move on from things so quickly.
"How's school been?" CJ asked a few minutes later. "Has Mrs. Rosenberg learned what a bra is, yet?"
"No," laughed Matt with a grin, "no, she has not."
A few hours later, after Matt had needed to head home, CJ walked to Luke's to meet up with his family for dinner. He tried not to feel bitter about the fact that he couldn't use his skateboard to get there. For one, he had left it at the inn after he'd run away, and two, he was pretty sure his Mom was keeping it from him for some time. Forcing a child to walk everywhere was surely some form of maltreatment, CJ thought to himself.
He reached the diner soon after, the bell ringing over his head as he shuffled inside. He spotted his sister instantly, not because of their twin connection or something cool, but because of the horrific hat she was sporting. A multicolored striped beret, with a little, fuzzy pom pom on top, sat on his sister's head. CJ pretended to gag as he approached the table, sliding his jacket off his shoulders and hanging it on the back of his chair.
"What the hell is on your head?" he asked, biting back a laugh as he sat down beside her.
"It's my golf hat," she protested quietly, grabbing the sides of it self-consciously.
"Um, no offense, Ror, but you're gonna get your ass kicked if you keep wearing that thing."
Rory's jaw dropped, eyebrows furrowed. "And to think I asked Grandma for one to bring back to you."
CJ snorted. "You did not."
Rory reached down to the bag at her feet, brandishing a matching multicolored beret with a little, fuzzy pom pom on top. While the one on Rory's head was yellow, red, and green, the one in her hands was red, green, and brown plaid. She shoved it in his face and he let out a laugh, accepting it from her hands.
"Oh my god, you did." He placed the hat on his head, adjusting it to match how Rory had hers on. "Well?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at his twin. "How's it look?"
Rory cringed, scrunching her nose up in disgust. "Oh, yeah, you were right," she shook her head. "We are gonna get our butts kicked wearing these."
The bell above the door jingled again and in walked the twins' mother, a plate in her hand with a slice of cake covered in saran wrap. She sighed and smiled in relief as she approached their table, practically collapsing into her chair.
"Oh, my god," she complained. "This day - the swans, the tulle, my head." She set her purse down on the floor and the piece of chocolate cake onto the table. "Luke, I need the largest cheeseburger in the world. Let's break a record, Mister." Their Mom began to discuss the wedding, explaining the mishap with the butterflies, before she took in the twins' appearances. "What's with the hats?"
"Grandma gave it to me, and I brought one home for Ceej," explained Rory with a small smile.
"You guys are gonna get your asses kicked wearing those."
"See?" CJ said to Rory, raising his brows at her. "I told you."
"It's not that bad. You're wearing it, aren't you?" Rory replied.
"As a joke," he shrugged, instantly pulling it off his head. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to revert it back from hat disheveled to just regular disheveled.
"I kinda like mine."
"You want a mirror, kid?" Lorelai asked Rory.
"I'm taking it off." Rory slid the hat off her head, tossing it on the table beside CJ's.
"So, Ceej, you wanna tell Rory the best part of the wedding so far?" their Mom asked, feigning excitement.
CJ rolled his eyes at his Mom, but nodded. "Well, we went with the purple theme," he explained, nodding.
"How . . great," said Rory, furrowing her brows.
"And one of the grooms has some back bruises now, nothing serious," he added, nonchalantly.
Rory's eyes widened. "What? What happened?"
"I may or may not have left my skateboard out again."
Rory cringed in sympathy, "Yikes. You said he was okay though, right?"
"The doctors say he's going to be fine," Lorelai added. "Albeit a little sore, but good to go for the big day," she assured. "So, Rory's golfing adventure - tell us!"
Rory shrugged her shoulders slowly. "It was fine."
"Aw, honey, I brought you some of Sookie's chocolate cake to make you feel better," Lorelai cooed in sympathy, sliding the plate over to Rory.
"Hey, where's my cake?" CJ protested.
"You didn't have to go golfing with my father," explained Mom, dramatically. "Besides, kids who almost kill a man don't get chocolate cake. You get the gross kind of cake, like carrot or something."
"Okay, I didn't almost kill him," CJ defended with a roll of his eyes.
"I don't know," replied Lorelai, jokingly, "it was a bit touch and go for awhile."
"You know, golfing really wasn't that bad," piped in Rory.
"You are the sweetest kid in the entire world," Mom gushed. "Where did you get that from?"
Their Mom practically harassed Luke about her order again, before Rory began to explain her day golfing.
"Well, by the end of the day I could even hit the ball." Mom let out an impressed sound. "Sometimes it wasn't my ball, but the intentions were good."
"Well, good intentions and no physical exertion what-so-ever is what the game of golf was built on," Mom said with a smile. "Did you guys order, yet?"
CJ and Rory both shook their heads.
"I'm not that hungry. Matt and I ordered a pizza."
"I'm not hungry, either. I had a big lunch at the club."
"With all the other devastators of our land," piped in Luke as he approached the trio's table, coffee pot in hand. He refilled Rory's cup of coffee, pouring Lorelai and CJ their first cups.
"Luke, I'm really sorry. I didn't know," spoke Rory as Luke walked away.
"You had a big lunch at the club?" repeated Mom, sending Rory a look.
"Yep," nodded Rory. "It was quite good." She took a deep sip of her coffee.
"Quite?" Questioned Mom. "What's with the 'quite'?"
Rory played with the cuff of her sleeve. "What do you mean?"
"You don't ever say 'quite'," their Mom argued.
"I've said 'quite' plenty of times."
"Yeah, Mom, 'quite' is a quite common word," added CJ, furrowing his brows at his Mom. What was her deal about Rory's vocabulary?
"Whatever," Lorelai said, moving on. "So, besides the 'quite good' lunch you had, what else happened?"
"They went golfing, how much could Rory have to say about it?" asked CJ with a roll of his eyes. At the looks both of the women sent him, CJ backpedaled, "I mean, it's the most boring sport known to man 's all."
Rory nodded her head in agreement. "While that is true," she acknowledged. "I really didn't have a bad time. We played, I met his friends, I took a steam."
While CJ quirked an eyebrow up at this, their Mom almost choked on her coffee, sending Rory a look. "You took a steam?" she repeated.
"Yeah," said Rory, nodding with a small smile. "I sweated out all my toxins and I stole a towel."
"Wow!" spoke Mom, sounding surprised. "Sounds like you really had a good time."
"I did."
"Really?" Mom asked, as if she couldn't believe what Rory was telling her.
"Really."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really?"
"Yes, she really did," intervened CJ, massaging at his temples to stave off the oncoming headache. Living with Lorelai Gilmore did come with its faults at times.
"Sorry, I'm just - I'm surprised," said Mom with a concerned look, her eyebrows furrowed. "I thought you were gonna be bored."
"And now you're upset that she wasn't?" CJ questioned, before taking a large gulp of his coffee at the look his mother sent him. He was not in her good book today, he reminded himself, and really shouldn't be taking steps to make it worse.
"I'm not upset," she defended, quickly. "Just surprised."
"It was really nice there," continued Rory. "Pretty, too. Grandpa and I talked a lot."
"You talked?" Now it was CJ's turn to grill Rory. "Really?" he implored, raising his eyebrows at his twin in surprise.
"We talked about Fez," she explained.
"And he thought it was a hat," teased Mom.
"You told him about our plans to backpack around Europe?" CJ asked, a surprised lilt to his voice again. He hadn't thought she would, considering the way they expected the grandparents to react to the plan.
Rory nodded. "Yeah, he said he thought it was a great idea."
"Really?"
Rory sent CJ a sharp look.
"Sorry."
"So, you really had fun?" Mom asked Rory again.
Rory nodded. "Yeah, I did," she replied as Luke strolled over, a gigantic cheeseburger on the plate in his hands.
"That's really, really, great," stressed Mom slowly.
"Oh, so she's allowed to say 'really'," CJ pointed out with a roll of his eyes, only half-joking.
Luke placed the burger down on the table, but their mom made no move to touch it.
"I thought you were starving," commented Luke.
"Things change," she snapped, lightly. "Move on."
Luke set the check on the table and walked away without another word.
"Does this hat really look bad on me?" Rory asked with a frown, placing said hat back on her head and sending her mom and brother an innocent look.
Mom stared at Rory for a moment, while CJ tried to hold back a laugh. "I mean, I wouldn't be caught dead -"
Lorelai sent her son a sharp look. He rolled his eyes playfully, but cut himself off.
"It looks really cute, Hon," Mom replied.
The following morning, CJ sat in Medina's class hastily taking notes. They had turned in their essays at the beginning of class and CJ had practically slumped with relief at having crossed another thing off his to-do list. Now he just had a million more assignments to go, it seemed. While he was enjoying actually being challenged in school - assignments at Stars Hollow had been ridiculously easy - his chest ached at the multitudes of assignments that poured in, at the difficulty and intensity of them.
Medina was lecturing, once again, on Shakespeare's grief and personal life and how it is reflected within his works. CJ tried his best to pay attention, to take his usual meticulous, neat notes, but a certain brunette kept catching his attention out of the corner of his eye.
Marnie sat in the desk beside him, like usual, listening intently to the lecture and taking notes in her loopy scrawl. Her brown hair was tied into a neat plait that hung down her back, her bright, green eyes flittered back and forth between her notes and the lecturer. Every few moments she would lick her lips, successfully both hydrating them and leaving CJ feeling quite flushed as heat creeped up the back of his neck.
CJ practically jumped as the bell rang suddenly, eyes snapping back to his notebook where, with a deep sigh, he realized he'd forgotten to take the last part of the notes. Where the rest of his neat handwriting should be was nothing but blank lines.
Resolving to ask his sister for her notes this afternoon, CJ scooped up his belongings and turned to leave the classroom. With a jolt in his stomach, he remembered that he had borrowed Marnie's notes the previous week and that she probably needed them back. Turning around, CJ caught Marnie's eyes and gave her a small smile.
"Uh, Marnie, hey," he greeted, shuffling his feet and trying not to cringe at his awkwardness.
"Hey, CJ," she replied, smiling brightly at him, swinging her bright purple backpack onto her shoulders.
"So, I realized that I still have your notes, and you probably need them back to study or - or go over them or something and I'm, like, keeping them hostage and I shouldn't be, so," he jutted a thumb over his shoulder. "They're in my locker. I can grab 'em for you." Heat creeped up the back of his neck again, rushing to the tips of his ears and even leaving a faint rosiness in his cheeks.
"That'd be great," smiled Marnie. "I'll come with."
The two walked side-by-side out the classroom and down the hall, heading towards CJ's locker.
"How are you feeling after your first week?"
CJ let out a soft huff, "Like I'm never gonna catch up," he admitted. "I've only missed a few weeks, but by the amount of work I've had to do it's like I missed months."
Marnie nodded in sympathy, "Chilton is definitely different from other schools." The pair finally reached CJ's locker. He began twisting in his combination as Marnie leaned against the wall. "You know, I could help you study," she spoke. "If you wanted," she added, hastily.
"That'd be great," replied CJ with a smile. He pulled Marnie's humongous binder from his locker. "I could use all the help I can get." He handed her the binder before grabbing his books for his next class.
"That's obvious," spoke a new, snarky voice from behind CJ. He whipped around only to see, much to his dismay, Ezra - a.k.a Marnie's boyfriend.
"Ezra," admonished Marnie lightly.
Ezra sent his girlfriend his innocently raised eyebrows, as if he had no clue what she was talking about, before he sauntered over and swiftly pulled her in for a deep kiss. CJ looked away pointedly, shuffling through his locker for nothing in particular, as the couple practically made out beside him. He chewed on his bottom lip in frustration before they finally broke apart, right as CJ was wondering if they were ever going to come up for air. He shut his locker with a bit more force than he'd intended, the resounding slam echoing through the hallway.
"Um, I've gotta go - I've got Anderson next and, uh, you know how he is," CJ spoke, softly, to Marnie, pointedly avoiding the dark gaze of Ezra.
Marnie nodded, smiling softly at him. "Okay, I'll see you later!"
As CJ walked off in the opposite direction, books in hand, he couldn't stop his whirlwind of thoughts about Marnie. He was obviously attracted to her, much to his dismay. He practically had a whole list of reasons why it would be a bad idea to pursue her; number one obviously being how she was already taken, by a guy that disliked him, no less. And, number two, that he'd literally just started this new, intensely rigorous school only a week ago and was several weeks behind still. He didn't need distractions, he berated himself. Even if they were super pretty, super kind, nice smelling distractions . . . Especially if they were those kind, he amended.
That afternoon CJ pulled his ice skates on, knotting them securely, before he grabbed his helmet from the bench beside him. His stomach was a bundle of nerves, despite his love of hockey. He found himself chewing on his bottom lip and jiggling his leg as he waited for the rest of the team to be ready for practice. As he scanned the locker room, his movements stopped short as he spotted a familiar pair of dark eyes across the room.
CJ practically groaned, rolling his eyes as he realized that, of course Ezra would be on the hockey team too. The universe just loved screwing him over.
"Alright, team," called out Coach Wilkerson, catching everyone's attention. "We have some new faces," CJ felt the eyes of every single member of the team on him, turning his neck and cheeks a light pink. "So, let's practice those drills and make sure we all have them down."
As CJ followed the rest of the team to the ice, he felt something hit his foot and he found himself crashing to the ground. Lying in a pathetic heap, CJ whipped his head around to find Ezra grinning at him, lowering his hockey stick. He laughed at CJ with his friends before stalking off. CJ glowered after them before he pulled himself to his feet, dusted himself off, and retrieved his dropped hockey stick. With his jaw set, CJ skated out onto the ice to meet the rest of the team.
Practice began with each player going up against the goalie. CJ nodded to himself; this would be easy. With the rest of the teams' eyes on him, CJ began skating towards the goal, maneuvering the puck easily. He shot the puck and it practically flew into the goal, the goalie missing it by just seconds. Ezra's turn was a few players later. He made his goal just as easily, sending CJ a taunting look as he skated off. CJ rolled his eyes. Two could play at this game.
CJ pushed himself as hard as he could, doing anything he could to be better than Ezra. He pushed himself to skate faster than him, to shoot the puck harder than him, to make more goals than him, to send him more glares than he was sending back. And it was working - judging by Ezra's clenched jaw and loud swears, anyway, as CJ bested him once again. He couldn't help but smirk to himself as he did his own little victory lap around the rink.
As the team exited, Ezra slammed his shoulder into CJ from behind, knocking him forward and sending him stumbling. "Who do you think you are, Gilmore?"
"I think you just answered your own question," snarked CJ, narrowing his eyes at him.
"Shut up. Don't think that you can just come to Chilton and start hitting on my girlfriend or egging me on at practice," Ezra growled. "I don't care if Marnie thinks you're 'sweet' or whatever," he spat, rolling his eyes. "You don't look at her, you don't talk to her, you don't breathe the same fucking air as that girl - you understand?"
"Marnie isn't your friggin' property."
"Marnie is none of your business," he hissed. "She's my girlfriend, mine." He paused, shooting CJ another dark look, "and if we have to have this conversation again, I will not be as fucking nice about it."
He gave CJ another rough shove for good measure before he stalked into the locker room, leaving CJ to glower after him.
After a long bus ride and trek to the house, CJ practically crawled through the front door. His shoulders slumped, frown etched on his face, as he let both his hockey bag and book bag slide from his shoulders to the floor. Letting out a miserable sounding groan - which totally didn't turn into an almost whine - CJ sulked to the kitchen. He visibly perked up at the sight of his favorite ice cream, chocolate brownie crunch, that had been hidden in the back of the freezer. After retrieving two spoons, CJ knocked on his sister's door. He was met with silence. Furrowing his brows, CJ knocked again, "Rory?" he called out. "It's me."
The door flung open, CJ being met with his sister's annoyed expression, though he was sure he was sporting a matching one.
"Was your day as crappy as mine?" he sighed, sounding defeated.
"Probably." She invited him in, snatching one of the spoons from his hand before he could even offer her one and shutting the door behind him. She sat at the foot of her bed, legs crisscrossed and spoon at the ready. CJ had chosen Rory's desk chair, propping his legs up on her desk casually. She sent him a disbelieving look, but he didn't even pull his attention from opening the pint of ice cream for a second. "Don't put your feet on my desk," she complained, sending him a frown.
He shot her a look in return. "You want the ice cream or not?"
"Nevermind," said Rory with haste.
The twins dug in, scoops of chocolate brownie crunch melting in their mouths. CJ practically moaned at the chocolate-y goodness as he stuffed his cheeks.
"So, what happened today?" Rory asked CJ in between bites of ice cream.
CJ couldn't help the eye roll that followed even if he'd wanted to. Just thinking about that asshole Ezra made him mad, and he explained as much to Rory, detailing everything that's happened - Ezra being Marnie's boyfriend, being super possessive of her, threatening CJ, tripping him, etc, etc.
His sister's frown grew deeper and deeper as he spoke. "Chilton has quite the student body," she commented, shaking her head.
"Really commendable," CJ agreed, stealing the tub from Rory's hands and taking an extra big scoop. He shoved the entire overflowing spoonful into his mouth, cheeks puffing out and leaving a smear of chocolate on his face. "Wha' abou' your day?" he muffled out.
Now it was Rory's turn to roll her eyes. "Our mother," she spat.
CJ raised a brow at this. "Wait, really?" It wasn't often any of the Gilmores fought, but it had been happening more often with Friday night dinners and extra tension from school and the grandparents. CJ frowned deeply; he hated when any of them argued. "About what?"
Rory snorted, "Bra sizes."
"What?"
"You heard what I said."
"But - what?"
"She really got angry with me because I said her boobs were bigger than mine."
CJ really hated being the only guy in the house.
"Is . . is this a normal thing girls fight about?"
"No, of course not," said Rory, affronted. "Mom's being super weird."
CJ nodded. "Ever since we've had to see the grandparents again," he agreed. "And she was tense at dinner last night, too, after you said you had a good time with Grandpa."
"Does she really hate them that much?" Rory asked with furrowed brows.
CJ shrugged, "Maybe, or just jealous that we'll like them better than her," he thought for a moment, scooping another spoonful of their dessert. "Or both."
"Definitely both."
Why someone would ever hold a wedding on a Tuesday afternoon, CJ had no idea, but he cursed both sets of brides and grooms as he rushed to change into his button down and slacks straight after school. He was just grateful that his mother wasn't forcing him to wear a tie, like he had to wear for Friday Night Dinners. Emily Gilmore would have a cow if she knew, but, thankfully, his grandparents were not attending.
Pulling at his collar, CJ stood off at the side, surveying the party. Most of the guests were dancing, starting a conga line that weaved in and out of the crowd. He spotted his mother and sister at the check-in table talking quietly with one another. A small smile graced his lips as he watched them make up, their mom placing a kiss on his sister's forehead before they cuddled up together. He felt immense relief flood through him as the tension in the Gilmore family dissipated.
"CJ," a voice called out.
CJ turned to see Matt approaching, dressed in slacks and a blue button-down with small wrinkles on display. CJ felt a grin force its way on his face as he met Matt halfway, slapping their hands together as a form of greeting.
"What are you doing here?"
"Your mom invited me," Matt spoke with a small shrug. "I hope this is okay," he murmured, gesturing to his clothes.
CJ waved a dismissive hand at him. "It's fine. Besides, who cares? It's just some random peoples' wedding."
Matt snorted, but proceeded to nod, grateful for the reassurance. He frowned suddenly, toeing the dirt beneath them. "Listen," he spoke up, quietly. "I'm sorry about the other night. I shouldn't have -"
"Don't," CJ intervened. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were just trying to help," he acknowledged, "and being a good friend, and I was kinda an ass about it."
"I didn't say it," Matt chuckled.
CJ rolled his eyes fondly, "and you're not even denying it," he teased. "I must've been a jerk if even you aren't disagreeing."
Matt had a sheepish smile on his face that CJ knew meant he was right.
"You down for some hockey later?" Matt asked, suddenly.
"Always."