Chapter 4: You've been Gilmored
If somebody had told Luke 3 months ago that he would spend his free period in a janitor closet making out with his gorgeous girlfriend, he would've never believed it. Yet, here he was. It was early December, almost 2 months after that first kiss, and things were better than ever.
Today, especially, Lorelai was in a really good mood as it was the first snow of the season. She wasn't kidding earlier when she told him she loved snow. She was instantly happy. A little smug also, because she told Luke yesterday that there would be for sure snow today and he didn't believe her magical powers of smelling it. But sure enough, when he woke up this morning the whole Stars Hollow was covered in snow.
Snow, of course, had its downsize, apparently not visible to Lorelai, like the fact the roads were icy, which almost made Luke late to school. Then again, it also made a few teachers unable to show up in school, hence, the free period, which he could spend making out with Lorelai.
"You know, you're getting really good at this. If Carrie could kiss you know, she would definitely not want to kiss any other guys." Lorelai said. Since they were now much more comfortable with each other, she would often tease him about his story of first kiss, that he told her when they met.
"Likewise, I hope you're not practicing on anyone else" He joked.
"Just a few of my other boyfriends. But don't worry, you're my favorite." She laughed and they went back to the kissing.
It was a smooth transition for Luke and Lorelai to go from being friends to being a couple. Especially, since they were flirty with each other pretty much from the start. Lorelai was now a frequent visitor in Stars Hollow and her bubbly personality made her a very welcomed guest to everyone there. There was only one problem. Lorelai's parents. She didn't have the courage to tell them about Luke, she never even told them anything about him. At first, Luke was a little hurt, thinking that she was embarrassed by him, especially when he learnt that whenever she was on a date with Luke, or with him in Stars Hollow, she would tell her parents that she's hanging out with Christopher. She chose Christopher as her back up story, because he was to her parent's knowledge her closest friend and they used to hang out all the time. But she quickly picked up that Luke was a little jealous of him. Of course, he had no reason to be, she barely talked to the guy since she started dating Luke. But still, he was a jealous guy, and she partially understood it as she reacted the same way, when she learned that she was not his first girlfriend and that the beautiful Rachel, who was his first girlfriend, was still living in Stars Hollow. However, after a while, Lorelai convinced Luke that she was not embarrassed by him, but by her parents. And she knew that if they ever found out about him, they would instantly break the little bubble of happiness that they were currently living in.
Before they knew it, the bell rang and the free period was over.
"Amazing how fast time can go, when you're doing something fun. I wish math was as fast. Or history. " Lorelai said, getting up from Luke's lap.
"Amen to that. But it's just one last class and football practice and we'll be all free. What do you want to do today?"
"I know I wanted to go to the movies, but let's do it another time. I want to see Stars Hollow all covered in snow." Lorelai's eyes sparked at the thought. "Can we go there, please? I told my parents that I won't be home till at least 8. So we'll have plenty of time. Oh, maybe they already started preparing for the Annual Winter Festival?" She wondered excitedly.
"I'm sure they did. And to battle reenactment." He rolled his eyes. It was funny to him that Lorelai found all of these events so exciting. For him, it was always a given. "Yeah, sure we can go." He gave her one last kiss and they walked out to the hall. A few people threw knowing smirks their way. It's not like it was a secret that they dated. Luke at first tried to keep the PDA to minimum, but Lorelai would often want to walk holding hands with him or give him a small peck on the lips. It was very PG in public, but they were also often seen walking out of some more private places, like the janitor's closet or the bathroom, Lorelai's hair all messed up, and that didn't give the rest of the students much room for imagination.
"See you after class?" He asked, pretending not to notice all of the stares.
"Sure, babe." And with one last kiss she was gone.
It was still pretty early when Lorelai came home. Only 6:30. She would've stayed longer, but Luke's dad had to drive to Woodbridge and wouldn't lend him his truck, and Luke didn't want Lorelai to come back by bus too late. Even at this hour he offered to drive with her by bus, but she told him he was being sweet but silly. She was perfectly able to go home by herself. Nevertheless, she promised she would give him a call when she was home safe.
"Hi mom, Hi dad. I'm home." She said and went towards the stairs hoping that she could avoid any interaction with her parents before dinner. She wasn't so lucky.
"Lorelai, please come here for a second." Emily's voice was even harsher than usual. Was she in trouble again? Lorelai quickly thought about possible things that she screwed up lately, but she couldn't think of anything. Her grades were good, she wasn't late to any of the classes, no teacher complained about her behavior.
She went to the living room worried. What could she possibly have done to make her mother angry?
"Something happened?" She asked.
"Where were you today?" Emily answered with a question. Lorelai tried to keep a poker face and answered as casually as possible.
"I told you this morning. I was hanging out with Christopher."
"You were, weren't you?" Shit. It looked like her mother caught her in a lie. The question wss, how much did she know and from who? "Well, that's interesting because I was at a D.A.R. meeting this afternoon with Francince Hayden. And since we needed some help with arranging furniture for this week's fundraiser she brought Chris with her, since he didn't have anything to do this afternoon."
The room was dead silent. Her mother and father, who hasn't spoken a word since she came into the room, looked at her questioningly.
Lorelai knew she had to be very careful now. She didn't know how much her mother knew, and she sure as hell wasn't gonna start admitting.
"Okay, so I wasn't with Chris today. We sort of drifted apart a few months ago. I was by myself, I just didn't want you to know about my fight with Christopher, because I know you both like him."
"Yeah, Chris also told me that you drifted apart. Specifically, he told me that you were a little too busy for him, because you're spending all of your time with your new boyfriend, Luke."
Damn Christopher. She wasn't sure how, but she was gonna make sure that he would pay for it later.
"Fine, you caught me, officer. I was with my boyfriend Luke today. What else do you want me to say?" She knew it was over, she may as well come clean.
"Well, now that we put all of the lies behind us.." Emily of course had to put a firm accent on the word "lies". "You can start by telling us exactly who Luke is and since when is he your boyfriend?"
Oh boy, it would take a while. And with that, the beautiful bubble burst.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" It was the first thing Lorelai said, when Luke picked up the phone.
"God, Lorelai, what happened? I was worried sick. You said you would call the minute you came home and it's been 2 hours. Miss Patty's organizing a search party as we speak." He wasn't really mad, just relieved that nothing happened.
"Oh honey, I wish I was apologizing about that. But, unfortunately, I have the perfect excuse for not calling right away. I spent the last 2 hours being grilled by my parents about my new boyfriend. I'm talking FBI level questioning here. And they finished only when I promised them that I would bring you home for their annual christmas party this Friday. So once again, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Oh God." Luke answer. He wasn't stupid, he knew that sooner or later he would have to meet Lorelai's parents. But a Christmas party? That sounded like a big event. "Are you sure this has to be a Christmas party? Maybe you can convince them to do a simple dinner some other time? I can handle one dinner, but I may not be able to handle a party. "
"No, the party was actually my idea. And before you start to freak out, trust me - it's better than dinner. At dinner they could spend the whole evening attacking you. At the Christmas Party they will at least have to pretend to be nice."
Luke needed a minute to process it. When the silence became too unbearable to Lorelai she finally said:
"Of course I can't make you go, if you don't want to. I know we haven't been going out for long, and if you feel like this is too big a step for you, I totally get it."
"No, no. I'll be there, I promise. I'm just trying to figure out how to do it. I mean how to dress, what to talk about. Anything that would make your parents like me."
"To be honest, Luke, I gotta tell you that there's nothing you can do to make them like you. I told you once that my parents are snobs and it's true. Unless you're related to someone important they will always look at you like you're beneath them. I know it sounds harsh, I just want you to be prepared. I need you to know what you're getting into before you accept. So you can decide if it's worth it."
This time, Luke didn't have to think about his answer.
"Whatever they'll do, it's still worth it. You're worth it." He said. And it was true. He couldn't lie and tell that he wasn't scared because he was. But he also knew that Lorelai meant a lot to him. And he couldn't let some stupid thing like a Christmas party get in the way.
It was Friday evening, and Luke stood in front of the Gilmore's house, unable to move. He knew he should do it, he heard voices inside so he knew he wasn't the first guest to arrive. Also it was freezing. It was after all a December evening, and he had nothing on, but a suit. A suit, which he bought just yesterday, specifically for this occasion. Lorelai, of course, told him that he shouldn't do it, that he should just wear 'something nice'. But after looking at the things in his closet, he felt pretty strongly about the fact that his nicest clothes weren't nice enough for Emily and Richard. So he bought a new suit and spent more than half of his savings that he earned by working a few afternoons a week for his father. The suit was expensive and uncomfortable, but the saleswoman said that it was made by a famous designer, and he wanted to have something that could impress Lorelai's parents. But in order for it to work, he had to actually ring the bell and get inside.
"Alright, Luke. You can do it, don't be a wuss." He said to himself and finally rang the bell.
The maid opened the door. He was hoping Lorelai would do it so he didn't have to walk to the living room alone. Unfortunately, he had no luck today. He walked slowly, looking around. The house looked even more fancy than he remembered. It looked like Emily Gilmore could throw a hell of a party. The house was filled with Christmas decorations, there were a lot of candles, which gave each room a natural, warm light. It looked truly beautiful. He walked inside the living room. He immediately looked around a small group of people he didn't know, looking for Lorelai. She was standing in the corner, looking beautiful as always and a relief washed over him. He could get through this with her by his side. She smiled when she saw him, while the rest of the room was still unaware of his presence. He recognised Emily and Richard from the photos, there were also around 10 more people, which he didn't know. All of them were couples, around 40 years old, it seemed that besides Luke and Lorelai there were no teenagers or kids present.
Lorelai walked over to Luke and squeezed his hand, as she could sense how nervous he was.
"It's gonna be okay, I promise." She whispered to him. "Just try to relax, nod a lot and ignore whatever mean things they'll say."
"Mom, Dad, there's someone here I'd like you to meet." She said out loud and they walked over to her parents, still holding hands. "This is my boyfriend, Luke Danes. Luke, these are my parents, Emily and Richard Gilmore."
"It is a pleasure to meet you both, Mr and Mrs Gilmore." Luke said politely and reached out his hand to them.
"Likewise, Luke." Richard said while shaking his hand. However, his face was telling a different story.
"So, Luke, I guess you have some charm in you that made you noticable to Lorelai." Emily said, not bothering to shake his hand or answer to his welcome. She went straight to the point. "I must say, I don't see it yet. Although, I have to admit, this is a very nice suit you're wearing. I hope you didn't have to spend a lot of money on it. Lorelai mentioned that your family struggles financially a little bit." She said it loud enough for everyone to hear. The comment made Lorelai extremely angry.
"Mom, I said no such thing! Could you please, stop attacking him?"
Luke, on the other hand, tried to take Lorelai's advice, which she clearly couldn't take herself, and remained calm and relaxed.
"No, it's okay, Lorelai. We don't struggle financially, although we have nowhere near enough money to afford such a beautiful house. It's lovely. And as for the suit, it was rather pricey, but nothing I couldn't handle. Thank you for your concern, though. " He answered politely and with a smile. Emily's smile faded at his words.
'Ha! Luke - one, Emily- zero.' He thought to himself. He clearly won the first round of this oral battle.
"Well, that's nice." Emily said sweetly. "You should know that such suits should be worn often so the color won't fade. But I don't suppose you have many events that you can use it for in that little town of yours." She tried again.
"You may be right, but fortunately, Lorelai is always a big help in such situations. I'm sure she will be able to take me to a few other events for which this suit should be used." He answered before Lorelai could say something. He could see that she was boiling with anger. And normally, he would feel the same way. But he wanted to be in Lorelai's life, so he had to learn to deal with her parents in a civilized way.
"How lucky for you." Emily answered with a frown. "I believe dinner is ready to be served. Everyone, please come to the dining room."
The people walked out of the living room leaving Luke and Lorelai behind.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry." Lorelai said in a hushed voice. "I mean, I knew they were gonna be rude, but I would never think that my mom would say such things in public. You know that I never said to her that your family struggled financially, right? She just wanted to make you be angry at me."
"Yes, of course I know you wouldn't say it. Relax, Lorelai. I got this. I know I was nervous before, but I'll be alright. Your mother is a lot, but I need to show her that she can't make me go away. So she can keep insulting me, and I'll keep being perfectly polite."
She gave him a quick kiss.
"Did you know that this whole confident look is very sexy on you?" She smiled. "I was so worried that you wouldn't be able to handle it, but here you are, all calm, and I'm the one who keeps losing control. Okay, let's go, before she starts yelling. And just so you know, there'll be a lot of kissing waiting for you on Monday, to make up for this horrible evening." She gave him a wink and they walked to the dining room.
"Finally" Emily said when she saw them, as if they were gone for a really long time. "Sit down, you two, or the dinner will get cold."
They sat next to each other at the last 2 empty seats.
The woman sitting next to Lorelai smiled at them and said:
"Lorelai, my dear, I have to say that your boyfriend is quite a handsome gentleman."
"Yes, I sure do know how to pick them. He is handsome, funny, and very kind." She answered politely, while looking at her mother as if she were really speaking to her.
"So how do you know each other?" The man seated next to Luke asked, joining the conversation.
"We go to the same high school. Luke transferred at the beginning of this school year." Lorelai answered.
"Yes, how nice it is that such a good school offers scholarships to those less fortunates." Emily couldn't pass up this opportunity to make another comment regarding Luke's economic status. But he was determined to not be provoked by this woman.
"It is very nice. And if I hadn't received this scholarship, I would have never had a chance to meet your amazing daughter." He smiled as if he wasn't offended at all.
"Well, if you also go to St. Mary's, you have to know our son, Christopher." said a woman sitted next to Emily.
"Oh, yes, Christopher. He's such a fine young man, isn't he Richard? I always thought he had a little crush on our Lorelai, and vice versa. It's a shame he couldn't be here tonight. It is so rare that you can meet such polite and well-educated men at such a young age."
The mention of Christopher's name stung a little. It was the first thing that Emily said, which actually got to him. He didn't know how to respond to that so he just sat there quietly. Lorelai squeezed his hand under the table.
"Yes, Christopher is a very fine young man. But we were always only friends, I had no feelings for him." Lorelai said firmly.
"Well, feelings are funny things when you're so young. One day you think you're in love, the next day you hate your guts. One day you say you have no feelings for someone, and the next day, you love him." Emily answered lightly.
"Well, maybe for some people, but I've always been steady with my feelings." Lorelai was doing everything in her power to not allow Emily to disregard her relationship with Luke. "And anyway, mom, weren't you 18 when you fell in love with dad? That's still pretty young, are you saying you hate his guts now?"
"Lorelai! I said no such thing. 15 and 18 years old are a lot different ages."
"Well, I'm almost 16 and Luke's almost 17, so it's really not that big of a difference." Lorelai pointed out to her mother. The conversation was getting more heated and Luke could feel that Lorelai was getting angrier by a minute so he decided to change the subject.
"This is a very delicious turkey, Mrs Gilmore." He said.
"Yes, it is. Emily, as always you've outdone yourself." Other people chimed in on compliments, probably uncomfortable with previous conversation.
"So Luke, if I may ask, what kind of scholarship did you receive?" Asked the man sitting next to him.
"Football, sir. I'm the teams' new quarterback."
"Really? You're the coach's Thomson newest star? He's my very good friend, and I must say he speaks very highly of you. He's very excited for this season." Luke was glad that he heard at least one nice thing today.
"Glad to hear it, sir. I'm excited for this season, too. "
With that the conversation shifted to football, for which Luke was very glad. It was the topic that he could shine in, and didn't give Emily much room to be rude to him. And he felt a little better, hoping that the evening would not be so bad after all.
Of course they couldn't talk about football all night. And whichever subject they choose, Emily was always able to make mean moments regarding Luke, while pretending to be nice. He took it like a champ, but with every comment he felt more exhausted. Finally when she said an extremely rude thing about how she read an article that boys who grew up without mothers are most likely to become criminals, he excused himself from the table, saying he needed to use the restroom.
Instead, he went to Lorelai's room as he remembered that it had access to the balcony. He needed to take a breath of fresh air. She found him surprisingly quickly.
"I hope you're not hiding from me, because this is my go to spot when I need to hide from my parents." She said with a sad smile. "I'm so, so, sorry Luke. You don't deserve any of it."
But instead of saying anything Luke just put his arm around Lorelai and brought her closer to him so her head was resting on his shoulder.
They stood that way for a while, looking around. Lorelai's neighborhood looked beautiful this close to Christmas. Every house was sparkling with Christmas lights. It was nice to discover that they didn't mind the silence. For Lorelai it was often difficult to stay silent, she loved talking. And she also noticed that over the years she started using the talking as a defense mechanism. If she was the one talking, no-one could insult her, and it was also the only way to stop uncomfortable silence with people who she had nothing in common with. But with Luke she could be quiet and peaceful.
"Don't worry about it, Lorelai. The comment about the mother was a cheap shot, but I can handle It. I just needed a little break." He said finally.
"I know exactly what you mean. I can't tell you how many evenings I spent in this exact spot, wishing that they weren't this way. I hope you know that I don't think about you any of these things she said. I don't care about how much money you have or where is your family from, honestly. And I gotta say that I would happily trade families with you. Because they're kind people, just like you are."
"Do you honestly believe that I would be here, if I believed you think so little of me? I meant what I said, Lorelai. You're worth it. We can't choose our parents. And I will never judge you for anything they say." He said firmly. "Now, let's get out of here. We need to get back anyway, and it's freezing here. I don't want you to catch a cold."
Suddenly, she took his face in her hands, looked him in the eyes and kissed him.
"What was that for?" He asked smiling.
"For always saying the right thing. I don't care what my mother says. To me, you're perfect." She said and hugged him, burying her face in his chest.
And in that moment she knew that what she felt for Luke wasn't just a stupid crush anymore. She felt something she never felt before and it made her heart ache, in a good way. And she also knew that her mother was wrong whenshe said that teenagers knew nothing about feelings. Because, when this particular feeling washed over her, she recognised it immediately. For the very first time in her life, she was in love.