Exploiting Realities

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR - SECRETS KILL

ARIA

The next two weeks went by really slowly. Lorelai wouldn't communicate with me or Alec, and it was torture. We were both going through Lorelai-withdrawal.

I hadn't gone more than a day without talking to Lorelai since sixth grade, and you know what they say. Two weeks was two years in girl time. She hadn't even been teaching me my classes. She'd just left my work on my deck every Friday and I'd been on my own. I suggest that no one ever takes physics...it's confusing as anything. Especially without a tutor.

Alec and I were on better terms than we had been in a while. With everything that was happening with Lorelai, we had snapped back into best friend mode. That was what I really needed right then: a best friend. Especially since mine was giving me the cold shoulder.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive us?" I asked him when he was tutoring me exactly two weeks after my sleepover with Lorelai. We sat across from each other cross-legged on my living room floor, surrounded by binders and papers.

He shrugged. "Maybe if we can get her to actually talk to us."

I sighed. "I'm going mad, Alec. I can't do this."

He nodded in understanding. "I know, I know."

"What're we going to do about our New Year's party? Is it just not going to happen? It can't just not happen, Alec. It always happens."

"We're going to have to make up with her," he stated, like it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know that," I told him. "I just don't know how to do that if she won't talk to us!"

"We have to make her talk to us. We need to not give her a choice."

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

He shrugged. "Sneak into her house while she's sleeping and lock her in a closet and not let her out until she does?" I laughed. "I'm not kidding, Ar. If that's what it takes, I'll do it."

I shook my head. "That's not necessary. Maybe just barging into her house...we've done that before."

He laughed. "I've practically lived there for the last fourteen years of my life so it wouldn't be too weird if I walked in acting like I owned the place."

So it was decided. Now, don't think we're crazy. We did ring the doorbell, at least.

"She's in the basement," Cassie told us when she opened the door. "Do you guys know what's wrong with her? She's been acting weird for awhile now."

"We'll find out," Alec promised her, heading towards the basement.

When we got down the steps, we saw Lorelai slouched on an armchair chucking darts at the wall (and missing, might I add). Alec and I exchanged worried glances before heading towards her.

"Um...Lor?" Alec said cautiously.

Lorelai jerked around, startled. "Go away," she snapped when she saw us. "I don't want to talk to you."

"It's been two weeks Lor," I reminded her. "I miss you. Nothing's going to change if you don't talk to us."

She folded her arms across her chest. "I have nothing to say," she said sternly.

"Well, we do," Alec stated. We walked over to the sofa next to the armchair she was sittng in and sat down.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I said remorsefully. "I didn't think it would hurt you this much."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't even care that you guys kissed! What I care about is that you didn't tell me! Why would you keep something like that from me? I would've been happy for the two of you! Don't you get that?"