Secrets /1/ TVD

Ch. 9 By the Light of the Moon

FULL MOON
[2×11]

I SAT AT THE LOCKWOOD DINING ROOM TABLE IN AWKWARD SILENCE. Tyler had told his mom about Lilly, and now, me, my mom, Caroline, Tyler and his mom were all sitting at the table together. Lilly was sitting in a high chair, between me and Caroline.

We were all eating in total silence. I could tell Tyler's mom only hated me more now, as if this was totally my fault. Why was I the one to blame? This was only half my fault. Yet, somehow I was the one getting glared at by Carol Lockwood through all of dinner.

"Uh, Tyler, how are you doing in school?" my mom asked to break the silence.

"Uh, fairly well," he said.

"What about you, Lorelai? Junior year with a child has to be difficult," Carol said. She had never called me Rory.

I blinked, putting down my fork. "Actually, I'm a senior. I did online schooling while I was pregnant. Trying to start off at a new school when four months pregnant was a little complicated. My dad pulled me out and started me on that. Being home all day got boring so I got ahead in school," I told her.

She looked a little shocked. Of course, Carol Lockwood would expect the girl who was pregnant at sixteen to be failing classes too. "Oh," she said.

"I'm student council president," Caroline piped up. I tried to contain my glare. I knew Caroline was just trying to help, but still.

"Are you on student council, Rory?" Carol asked.

This time I did glare at my sister. "Uh, no," I said.

"Are you taking any college classes?" she wondered.

"No. I'm not sure if I'm going to college. Maybe I'll do it online or when Lilly's older, just I don't think I really have time to do the whole college thing right now," I explained. I was flustered and I hated it.

"Oh," she said. I felt my fork bend a little because of the grip I had on it. I hated the way she did that. Ever since me and Tyler had first started dating she had found every way imaginable to belittle me. "I think Tyler is going to go to Whitmore, or at least that's the plan."

"Mom," Tyler said, clearly getting annoyed as well.

"What?" she asked, pretending to be unaware of what she was doing. He gave her a look. "What did I say?"

Lilly started making noises, and I could tell she was about to start crying on me. "Uh oh," I said.

"Something wrong?" Carol asked.

"Umm, is there somewhere I can change her?" I asked.

"Umm, follow me," Carol said.

I picked Lilly and her bag up. Tyler gave me a look, clearly worried about how this would go. "Maybe I should go with," he said, starting to stand.

"I'll be fine," I told him.

I followed Carol Lockwood to a room and laid a blanket down and laid Lilly down on it. I changed her and moved back to the door where Carol was waiting. She looked at Lilly, smiling. I knew that smile, and I hated it. It was that one that she had always given me.

"She's a cute little girl, Lorelai," she said. I hated how she called me by my real name.

"Thank you," I managed. It wasn't just the way she looked at me and said my name that I hated. It was how she did this. She was blocking the door. She made me feel trapped and small. Only four people had been able to do that. My parents and her and her late husband. They were the ones I was always trying to impress. The people who I actually wanted to look good for.