Victoria Gilmore // Brutal

Hell in a Handbasket pt.1

"Victoria do you have your bag?"

"Do I need to bring a pillow?"

"Umm.. no I don't think you will. You'll probably sleep in my old room." I pick up my back pack and meet my mother in the living room where Rory stands with a giant duffle bag.

"Woah are you planning on staying a week?"

"Well I don't know what we're doing and I want to be prepared for anything."

"And that?" I point to a purse laid on top.

"Books."

"Oh how silly of me." Walking to the car Lorelai gives us the lowown.

"No fighting, no swearing, no boy talk I don't wanna have the conversation with my parents again. No making fun of their money. I know it's funny and Victoria I'm looking at you, please just make it as quick and easy as possible. If they don't think your gonna, I don't know, pull a me then they are so much more likely to let you come home unharmed."

"Mom we're not going into the army."

"Just you wait."

"Come on it's only one weekend how bad could it be?"

—-

We sat through one of the most awkward dinners that had ever existed. Mom and Grandpa talked about taxes and Emily talked about the DAR. As we went into the parlor after the meal the fighting began. When it was time for dinner to be over Rory and I stalled as much as we could. But as soon as mom left we where ushered into the lounge. Emily poured us each a soda and grandpa and herself a drink.  After fifteen minutes of long sips in silence Emily speaks up. "So, who wants dessert?" We both look from her to one another taken aback by the sudden joy in her voice. "Richard would you go tell Yolanda to bring out some cake." He stands up and leaves the room calling out trying to find the maid. "Alright well. As we wait for dessert I'll show you to your room. I hope you don't mind sharing our maid is completely incompetent and choose not to set two rooms."

"That's alright grandma." Rory sings as sweet as possible.

"Yes well it will have to be. Right this way." She leads us up stairs and down a large hallway. "This was your mother's room." Pink wallpaper and matching sheets flooded my senses. It was like stepping into a pink overloaded time capsule. "I'll let you two get unpacked or whatever you need. The bathroom is three doors down to the left. Be down stairs in ten minutes for cake."

"Rory I think we where just abducted." I say after I can't hear Emily's footsteps anymore. I step through the door and over the the dresser.

"I can't believe this is where mom grew up." She stops to admire the covers on the bed. "Her room was gigantic." Hey don't touch that! I wonder why she ever left"

"Well hmm let's see. I don't know, mabey it's because she got pregnant with us when she was sixteen with a deadbeat man.."

"He's not a deadbeat."

"Rory do we have to do this every time? He is a deadbeat, at the very least he doesn't care. If he wasn't he wouldn't have run off. He wouldn't only come around once every two years. He wouldn't..."

"He tried to marry her."

"But Rory she didn't want that. You know she didn't, God Rory can you just for even thirty minutes get your head out of the clouds."

"I'm happy where we are. I'm happy mom made the choice she did but she didn't have to." We stand opposite sides of the bed staring at each other for a few minutes. Neither of us wanting to continue the pointless conversation. No matter what we say, we can never change the fact that Chris is just not around. Rory turns to face the closet as Yolanda walks in.

"Mrs. Gilmore would like me to tell you dessert is done, and that you can come now."

"Thank you Yolanda." I say. She smiles as she walks away. We follow out the door, Rory closing it behind me.

"He's not a deadbeat."
—-

"Your late." The covers are ripped violently off my body. Sitting up my blurry eyes land on the alarm clock.

"Why are you up at five thirty. No, more importantly why did you get me up at five thirty!"

"Grandma said to be down by six."

"Ok Emily does not own my sleep schedule." I pull the sheets over my four head and slam down on my pillow.

"Victoria!" She hits me repeatedly with a pillow over my body. As she pushes me off the bed.

"What is all the commotion up here!" Emily bust through the door and Rory turns sharply to the door as I sit up from the floor and pull the quilt from over my face. "Lord! Are you two five years old? Down stairs in ten minutes or you will not be doing anything today."

"Is that an option?" I stare at her

"Fix your hair." She struts down the hall. Rory glanced at me before she bursts out laughing.

"What?" I look up to see my hair stood up in all directions. "French braid?"

"Get over here."
———————————

Sitting at the breakfast table the maid brings out towers of pancakes and waffles, eggs and French toast, fruits of all adornments and condiments to spare.

"Wow Grandma I don't think I ever seen a breakfast so big!" Rory smiles

I look down at my plate and whisper "Obviously you've never served a Sunday morning at Luke's" so only Rory can hear. This in return gets a small laugh and a questionable glance from the elders.

"So Girls. Your Grandfather and I were discussing what we would be doing today."

"And-" Richard chimes in

"And," Emily continues, "we have decided that we want to split you up."

"Hmm?" I nearly spit out my orange juice as my eyes go big and turn to Rory.

"Umm Grandma you don't need to do that I'm sure we will be just fine all together."

"Oh nonsense Rory. You will go golfing with your grandfather and Victoria will come shopping with me."

"Victoria is really more the athletic type Grandma." Rory says as I look at her for help.

"Yeah it's true I am." I blurt out.

"Already decided. Maybe we will switch next time if all goes well. Now girls you may go get changed into appropriate clothing for your respective outings, and meet us down here in ten minutes or so." Rory and I stand up and hastily walk up the stairs.

"Rory I don't stand a chance! Why would she want me to go shopping. Oh my God are we going shopping shopping or like shopping shopping."

"I don't even know how to respond to that."

"Like oh that's a cute store ok let's move on. Or,  let's look for your size."

"Umm, I really couldn't say T."

"Your no help."

"At least you might get something out of it, how am I going to go golfing with Grandpa. I don't even know how to golf!" Her shocked face makes me hunch over laughing and soon after she followed. We laughed all while we were changing and redoing our hair.