Chapter 2: No-one parties like a Gilmore.

"There's no way you can actually think that. Just by looking at plots alone. But add to it the scenography, the technical aspects. You can't tell me that you honestly believe that 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' is better than 'Star Wars'." Luke shook his head in disbelief.

"Okay, Mr 'technical aspects'. I'm just saying it's more enjoyable. The movie doesn't have to be complicated to be fun. There's nothing wrong with 'Willy Wonka', it's a great movie. You just prefer Star Wars because you're a big nerd."

It's been 2 weeks since Luke started the new school and it was getting better with every day. The 'scholarship student' thing didn't seem to be bothering everyone so much anymore, especially when they learned that he is actually a great football player, when the coach decided that he would immediately replace the current quarterback in the starting lineup. The whispers and gossip stopped, and he even managed to have conversations with people other than Lorelai. That being said, she was still his favorite person there, and they were always eating lunch together and she was always walking him to the bus stop at the end of classes. They were also often sitting together between classes - now that he finally learned the layout of the school he had plenty of time to find and talk with Lorelai and still make it to his classes on time.

Chris was also eating lunch with them, at first, but soon he started to make some excuses to avoid it (he had to stay late after class, he had to discuss some upcoming project with other students etc.). Luke, who couldn't bring himself to like the guy, didn't complain about it much, but he didn't want to be the reason why Lorelai was losing her friend. She, however, told Luke that Chris was acting childish, and if he can't spend time with both her and Luke, then maybe he wasn't such good company after all.

So they were mostly eating alone. That, of course, brought a whole new rumor to other students - were Luke and Lorelai a couple now? The answer was a simple no, yet neither Luke and Lorelai could deny that there was definitely chemistry between them. They didn't talk about kissing since that first day, and for now they were just giving each other space, to get to know each other first. And what fun was that.

Luke just loved learning all of those new things about Lorelai, and vice versa. They quickly learned that although they do have some similarities (like the ability to talk really fast and their mutual love for sarcasm), they were also very different in so many ways, for example eating habits. Luke was shocked when he saw that Loreali could eat like a 300 pound man. He couldn't believe how she was so thin. Every lunch time, she could eat a double cheeseburger, some big fries, not to mention that she was eating it all with at least 2 cups of coffee. He didn't think of himself as a big health eater, but apparently that's what he was to Lorelai. He didn't like red meat, and he didn't like coffee, which was crazy to Lorelai. But it was really fun to learn all those differences because it led them to have long, playful arguments, which they were both so good at.

Today's topic of the day started when Lorelai confessed that she hasn't seen the new 'Return of the Jedi' and that she thought Star Wars were boring to her.

"You would think that for a person who loved watching movies you could at least appreciate the plot and not call it boring. George Lucas is a genius." He wasn't ready to give up on this topic just yet.

"Sorry, I forgot how important Star Wars are to all of the nerds. It's practically your bible." She rolled his eyes at him. Ever since she found out that he likes both Star Wars and Star Trek she would often call him a nerd. He just let it slide every time, since he knew she was only joking. Mostly. "I think we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one or there will be no survivors. My love for Willy Wonka is as big as your love for Star Wars."

"I can deal with the fact that Willy Wonka is your favorite movie. But I just cannot accept that you think Star Wars is boring. We're definitely going to watch it together in the near future. I'm not ready for you to give up on it."

"Fine" she gave up. "Whatever you want, science boy. Changing the topics now. My parents are going away for a whole week this Friday. You know what that means?"

"That you'll have a whole week of relaxation from your mother?" He guessed. After a few stories of a Gilmore family that he heard from Lorelai he quickly understood that Emily Gilmore wasn't exactly a mother of the year.

"Well, obviously. But also, I'm throwing a party this Friday. And you're invited of course."

"A party?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah, are you not familiar with the concept? You know, people gather, they drink some booze, maybe even do some dancing.."

"I know what a party is, Lorelai. But what kind of people are you planning to invite to this party? Those snobby little kids, as we keep calling them? In case you didn't notice, we're kind of loners."

"Oh no, honey, you got it all wrong. I'm not a loner, you're a loner and I'm just hanging out with you. Those people, whether I really like them or not, are Hartford society, which I'm a part of. I've known most of them since I was six. And they always come to my parties."

"Always. How many parties have you thrown?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. At least a couple a year. Pretty much I have a party every time my parents are out of town." He was kind of surprised to hear it all. Of course, he knew that Lorelai wasn't really a loner, she could make friends really easily. He just assumed that she chose to not be friends with any of the students.

"But why? I mean, you don't talk to any of them at school." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's because the school doesn't allow the magical thing called alcohol" She laughed. "In case you haven't noticed before, alcohol can really affect people. For example, Missy Avery, in school she's always acting like she's above everybody. But give her a shot of tequila and she'll become your new best friend. Or Anne Pearson, after a glass of wine she's actually funny. You really have to come and see it for yourself. They're like whole new people."

" I still don't see the appeal, honestly. And I'm not really much of a drinker". He vaguely remembered the incident that happened at the 4th of July party with his old team. It was the first time he's been drinking and it ended with him skinny dipping, singing the national anthem and almost blowing his hand up while shooting fireworks. He avoided alcohol ever since. "But if you're inviting me, then of course I'll be there".

"Awesome. I feel like this will be the party of the century." She gave him a devilish smile.

Oh boy, what did he get himself into?

"Come in and make yourself at home. There is a guest bathroom on the right, you can change there, I'll change upstairs and come back real quick." Lorelai said and quickly disappeared upstairs.

It was Friday afternoon, the day of the party. Lorelai pointed out to Luke a day earlier that it would make no sense for him to go back home and back to the party, while dealing with Friday's trafics. Instead, she offered him to bring a change of clothes for the party to school and hang out at her house till evening.

He looked around with shock on his face. Lorelai's house was huge. He knew her parents were rich, obviously, but he didn't expect them to be this rich. Separate living room, dining room and weird looking piano area were all very big and very elegant and he didn't even see the whole house. His entire house could fit in the Gilmore's living room. He couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. What the hell was he doing here? He didn't belong to this world.

But then again, neither did Lorelai. He suddenly understood all of her complaints regarding her family. He could understand why she always felt such high pressure in her parents presence and why she wanted to get out.

He walked to the bathroom, which was apparently a 'guest bathroom' (at his house there was only one bathroom for him, Liz and his dad). He was glad he could finally change from this horrible uniform. When Lorelai told him to bring a change of clothes for the party, he wasn't really sure what kind of clothes he should bring, but ultimately decided to just bring regular jeans and a T-shirt. He really hoped that the Hartford kids didn't have parties with a 'coat and tie' dress code.

He was ready much faster than Lorelai, so he had plenty of time to look around the living room. It was, of course, big and fancy, like the whole house, but it also looked so stiff. It didn't even look like anybody was living here. Everything was perfect, not one crumb on the floor, not a bit of dust on the old-looking table. He looked over the fireplace to the only thing that indicated, the family lived there - photos and pictures. The big oil painting of Lorelai and her parents looked very staged and awkward, but photos couldn't hide her real personality: he couldn't help but laugh at all the pictures in which she was wearing big, puffy dresses and was sticking out her tongue or making some silly faces. He also took a closer look at her parents. Emily and Richard Gilmore looked as serious and intimidating as they were often presented by Lorelai. He couldn't really picture her being comfortable in this house. Then again, from what she told him, she rarely felt good here.

"Stalking much?" Lorelai asked him playfully, when she saw him. He was so invested in the photos that he didn't hear her come downstairs.

"Just a bit," He admitted with a laugh. "You just look so cute in those big puffy dresses," He joked.

"Yes, thankfully I was able to convince my mother to never put me in one of those again on the day I turned 12. It didn't take much convincing, since, as you can be by the photos, I boycotted them by never smiling at the camera while wearing them. So she gave up, finally". She shook her head at the memory of countless parties when she couldn't even run around because she was wearing one of those ridiculous dresses.

Luke didn't give her the answer because he turned around away from the fireplace and looked at her. Until now, he never saw her wearing anything else but a school uniform. Those were, of course, hideous, but even then he could appreciate her beauty. But now, when he saw her, he could've sworn that he never saw anyone this beautiful his entire life. She wasn't even wearing anything special. Just a short, casual blue dress. She also let down her natural curly hair and put a bit of makeup on. But to him, she was breathtaking.

"What are you looking at, weirdo?" She joked a little, feeling a little uncomfortable and self-conscious. He looked at her for a while and she was worried that she overdid it and it looked weird to him.

"Sorry, just zoned out for a second there."

'oh my God' he thought to himself 'she must think I'm such an idiot'

"I was just thinking how it feels living in such a big house with only three people. I could probably fit my whole house in just this living room/dining room area." He quickly changed the subject. Thankfully, she didn't ask more questions about him zoning out and she followed the new topic.

"It feels lonely, most of the time. I bet your home is super cozy. And feels like an actual home. For me, this place is just a house. I would give you a tour, but we should probably start preparing. We have to push the furniture to the wall to make room for dancing and bring out the snacks and the booze. You'll help me."

"Was that supposed to be a question? Because I didn't hear a question mark at the end of that sentence. I thought we were supposed to 'hang out and wait for the party' and suddenly I'm in the organization and welcome committee." He pointed out with a laugh. "You lucky you're so pretty, otherwise it would be harder for you to boss people around" He didn't mean to say it, it just slipped out.

He was worried she would be weirded out, but instead she smiled and said:

"Smooth, Danes, real smooth. Well, since I'm so pretty, you can start on the furniture while I just stand here fanning myself. Pretty people shouldn't work, "she teased. "And don't worry. You're pretty good looking yourself".

"Hey, there you are! I've been looking for you for hours!" Lorelai yelled when she spotted Luke in the crowd. He rolled his eyes.

"We talked 5 minutes ago, Lolerai. You just drank too much to remember that." He laughed.

The party was going on for more than 3 hours now and Lorelai wasn't the only drunk person in the house. In fact, Luke was probably the only person who wasn't drunk right now.

It's not like he was a goody-two-shoes. He drank some beer and a couple shots of tequila, but he stopped drinking a while ago. He wanted to be sober enough to get on the right bus and get home safely.

He, however, quickly realized that being the only sober person in a house full of drunk teenagers is no fun at all. Earlier when he was a little buzzed, he was actually believing that what Lorelai said about the other students were true. Alcohol was in fact magical and it made him like those people. They were less judgemental and way more fun. But in order for it to work he had to be drunk, too. So he was not surprised that Lorelai was having the time of her life. She was dancing and laughing and talking with people that she normally never talked to as if they were her best friends. And he just stood in the corner, keeping an eye on her and making sure that she was alright. And once every five minutes, she would come over to him and talk like she hadn't seen him the whole party.

"What are you talking about, buddy? I would've remembered if I talked to my best friend. I'm not that drunk." She giggled.

"Sure you're not," he laughed.

"I was just thinking about the first day that we met. Do you remember that?"

"Of course, Lorelai. It was only a couple weeks ago." He reminded her.

"Really? Feels longer." She said with a puzzled face. For Luke it also felt longer. They were just talking so much that it felt as if they were friends for a really long time. "Anyway. I was thinking specifically about that first time I walked you to your bus stop. About how I really wanted to kiss you, right there and right then. Why didn't you let me?" She asked.

U-oh. She was even drunker than he thought. There was no way that she would've brought up that subject so casually.

"Lorelai, you had a lot to drink tonight. I'm pretty sure you don't really want to talk about it."

"No, I do. It's been eating me up inside. Why? Was it because I'm not pretty enough? Don't you like me that way?"

Oh, what the hell. He was 99% sure she wouldn't remember it tomorrow.

"Of course I like you that way, Lorelai. You're the prettiest, funniest girl I know. I didn't kiss you, because we didn't know each other then. I didn't want you to waste your first kiss on some random guy you just met." He knew he would never be able to be so honest about it if she wasn't drunk.

"Oh, Luke, you big softie. That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. But we know each other now. And I do like you. And I want to have my first kiss with you."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Yes, of course they were flirty with each other, but he didn't expect her to be so straightforward with him. Alcohol really was magical. But it also was known for making people make really bad decisions.

So he was once again forced to stop Lorelai Gilmore from kissing him. Even though he really wanted to kiss her.

"Lorelai, I would love nothing more than for you to have my first kiss with me. But trust me, this is not the time and the place. You want to be sober for this. I'm almost sure you will not remember any of it tomorrow.

"Fine," she pouted. "Always the perfect gentleman. Will you walk me to my bedroom? I think I've had enough partying for today and I don't trust myself to walk up those stairs."

"Of course. But fair warning, if it's your calobarated plan to seduce me, it's not gonna work." He grinned.

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying." She smiled.

He helped her up the stairs as she barely could walk in a straight line and walked her to her bedroom. He looked around and noticed that even though this place was also big and fancy it felt a little more homey. The room was a little cluttered and cozy, the walls were covered in posters of various artists, including the Bangles and Madonna.

"I'm sorry but I think you're just gonna have to sleep in your dress, because there's no way you're gonna be able to change it yourself and I'm not gonna help you with that." He said, blushing a little.

"Oh Luke, you're such a prude." She laughed. "Fine, It's okay, this dress is comfortable. Will you stay with me till I fall asleep?"

He wanted to agree, especially when she looked at him with those big puppy eyes, but it was already 11:15 PM. The last bus to Stars Hollow was leaving at 11:30 PM.

"I wish I could Lorelai, but I have to go or I'm gonna miss my bus."

"What bus? Are you crazy? I'm not gonna let you come home in the middle of the night. You can stay in the guest bedroom. My parents are not here, remember? Besides, someone sober needs to make sure that all the people leave, and lock up after that. And I'm clearly not gonna do that."

She made a lot of sense but he still hesitated.

"Come on, I was just kidding about seducing you. Besides, the guest room has doors with a lock so you'll be perfectly safe there." She laughed.

"Fine, I'm just gonna have to call my dad, so he won't worry. But I'll stay."

"Yay" He smiled at her excitement.

"Luke..?" She asked and then went quiet.

"What?"

"Nevermind, forget it."

"Come on, tell me what you wanted to say." he encouraged her.

"I just.. was wondering did you mean what you said earlier? Or did you just say that because you think I won't remember?"

He didn't have to ask her to specify what she was asking about.

"I meant it." He answered honestly. "But I also think you won't remember".

"Okay then."Apparently, she was pleased with his answer. "I think I'm ready to fall asleep now. After you lock up you can sleep in a guest room at the end of the hallway on the right. "

"Alright, goodbye Lorelai." He said and walked to the door when something on her desk caught his eyes. "Is this the new Star Wars movie?" He laughed.

"Yes. I rented it last night. And Wonka, too. We're gonna have to watch it together tomorrow. Maybe you can convince me that it's better. " She answered half asleep. "Goodnight, Luke."

She rented this movie while thinking of him. With that thought in his mind he walked downstairs with a smile on his face.