STOLEN DANCE || GILMORE GIRLS

42: womb to grave

Josh began tapping his foot under the table, something he usually only did when he was super nervous about something. "I just..." He looked up at Rory, trying to pick up any kind of hint from her expression but she gave him nothing. "I just want this to be perfect. I don't want to lose her."

"You won't," She told him, but he still looked unsure. In fact Rory herself was a little unsure about all this. She knew that Cassie loved him, but she didn't know if that had changed since the last time they talked. These last couple days Cassie hasn't said much about her and Josh, it was a little odd.

"You think?"

"I know," Rory answered. "You won't lose Cassie."

"Good," Josh sighed, a smile reappearing on his face. "Because I plan on loving her for a really long time."

--☆--☆--☆--☆--☆–

"So tell me where we're going again?" Cassie asked, looking over at Rory as the two of them walked into the Chilton courtyard.

"I have to give these to Madeline," Rory answered, showing her the biology notes she had been carrying.

"Well there she is," Cassie pointed then was forced to walk faster to catch up to her sister.

"Hey Madeline!" Rory called out, "I've got the notes you wanted."

"No thanks," Madeline replied, not turning around to look at them.

Confused by what was going on Rory continued to follow her. "No, these are the ones you asked for. The biology notes from Tuesday. The other day you said..."

"No thanks," Madeline interrupted her as she began walking faster.

"But..." Rory and Cassie slowed down, just as Louise appeared beside them. "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing's wrong with her Mary," Louise answered, barely glancing over at the Gilmore twins she was walking next to..

"Mary?"

Cassie laughed, "ah it's the first day of school all over again," She realized and Rory immediately rolled her eyes, coming to the same conclusion.

"Oh no, not this Virgin Mary thing again."

"Not virgin. Typhoid," Louise corrected her before walking off, leaving them with Paris.

Rory looked to her side, seeing Paris staring up at her. "What?"

"You know, when we met at the beginning of the year, I didn't like you guys because I thought you were some rubes from the sticks and I have no patience for rubes," Paris told the twins.

"Aw Paris," Cassie pretended to gush, "you really know how to send my heart a flutter."

"How very enlightening," Rory replied, ignoring her sister's comment.

"But then I discovered that you're not so dumb," Paris continued. "You guys even seemed modestly interesting at times. That's when I made a very big mistake. I let my guard down. That won't happen again."

"You let your guard down?" Cassie asked her. "When did you let your guard down?"

"What is all this about?"

"It's about using people for your own sick ends. It's about making enemies where you should have made friends," Paris told her.

"How did I make you my enemy?"