realist ━━ jess mariano

33| post office

AT FIVE IN THE MORNING, the town gathered in the High School Gym for the annual Stars Hollow Dance Marathon.

"I can't believe I'm doing this for you." Rosie grunted as she adjusted her blue and white stripped dress. "I look like a nineteen-fifties housewife, this is ridiculous." She heaved a deep breath as she took a look at herself in the mirror, fixing the clips that pulled the front of her hair back.

Kayla handed her an energy drink. "Sorry, but you owe me for the great debacle of sophomore year, remember? I still have a scar from scraping my knee helping you sneak out of Jake's bedroom window."

"I can't believe you waited two years to pull that card."

"I knew I had to get you to do something equally as awful." She shrugged. "Dancing with my cousin for hours on end is the closest thing I could find. Just remember the rules, no sabotaging him so Lorelai and Rory could win."

"I wouldn't dare." She said sardonically, looking around the gym as she observed everyone else in their costumes. "I feel like I just stepped into The Life of Riley."

"Isaac's here." Kayla gaped at the door, watching her cousin make his way to them. "And I'm serious, this doesn't count unless you two win."

      Rosie furrowed her eyebrows. "You do know Kirk wins this every year, right?"

      "Not this year." Isaac said, flashing them a smile as he approached the two."Rosie, Kayla." He greeted the two.

     "Hey, Isaac."

"Ready to teach Stars Hollow some moves?"

     Rosie sighed."Unfortunately, my mom forced me to take ballroom dance lessons for two years in middle school, so I am ready."

     "You mean fortunately."

     "Two years of dance lessons, Isaac." She repeated. "Nothing fortunate about that."

     Kayla nudged her cousin. "Remember, if you tell Aunt Abeni I'm making Rosie do this instead of me, I'll tell them who's actually stealing our neighbour's Playboys from his mailbox."

     Rosie cringed in response. "I won't tell a soul." Isaac promised.

    "Good." Kayla clapped her hands together. "Well, I should go—"

     "What? You're leaving?" Rosie grabbed her friend's wrist desperately as Isaac left to grab a coffee from Luke's coffee machine stand.

    "It's five in the morning, I just had to make sure you actually go through with this." She said. "So, good luck, may the force be in your favour, and if Isaac's hands even linger in places they're not supposed to be, page me and I'll be on my way to Aunt Abeni's."

     Rosie downed her energy drink before responding, then handed Kayla the empty can. "I'm gonna go grab something to eat before this starts."

     "Call me when you win!" Kayla exclaimed before leaving.

      As Rosie made her way to the food station, she spotted Rory and Lane by the corner. Rosie made her way to them wearily. "Here comes Katherine Hepburn." Lane announced.

     "Ah, my nemesis." Rory said.

    "I can't believe Lorelai talked you into doing this." Rosie commented.

    "I can't believe Kayla talked you into doing this."

     "Sabotaging each other for the sake of cutting this whole thing short doesn't sound so bad, right?" Rosie mused on the idea for a while before turning to look at the sandwich Lane was making for the participants. "What's this?"