Touch of Hellfire (Original Version)

☕️26☕️

"That must be nice," Rory commented. "I'm actually going there next week, a reunion of the Whiffenpoofs," he said.

"The what now?" I mumbled. "An a-cappella singing group," he explained. "Like the Beatles but we have better table manners, a group of us are meeting up at the old alma mater and we're having dinner, swapping stories."

A maid came out with the salads. "Excuse me," she sniffled. "They have walnuts," Rory whispered to me. "Oh no," I grimaced. "You may want to come with me next week, both of you to Yale, having a look around and your mother could come too, it'd be fun, I'd love to show Yale to you both," Grandpa offered.

"Sounds cool, we're in," I accepted the offer. "Good," he smiled. "Now which one of you wants to tell your mother?"

"Not it!" I piped up. "Evil," Rory grumbled. The maid came running back, crying. "We're going to need more chocolate," Grandpa said and went back to the fridge.

Mom didn't take the news so well. "He's going for a dinner," Rory told her. "The two of us are just having a look around and testing the coffee," I said. "I've tried Harvard and Columbia coffee, Yale's turn."

"He's manipulating the pair of you," Mom warned us. "Please come Mom," I begged her. "It's hi, then bye, I'm still going to Columbia, Rory's still going to Harvard, nothing will change our minds."

"It'll be fun, we'll make it fun," Rory insisted. "Okay," Mom agreed.

***

I walked into Luke's after school to see Kirk interrogating Rory. "I didn't steal the trophy!" she exclaimed. "Hezzy? See you at home?"

"Yeah," I nodded sitting at the counter. "Usual?" Luke asked me. I nodded. Jess came out from upstairs and looked stunned to see me. "Could I get that burger to go please?" I asked Luke. He nodded.

"I've got that movie upstairs," Jess told me. "Oh yeah, great," I murmured. "Wanna...go upstairs and look at it?"

"Yeah, sure," I nodded and the two of us walked upstairs, not saying a word.

"You want a soda?" he asked me. "I'm good thanks," I muttered. "I have to do something other than stand here like a complete and utter moron," he said.

"Trust me, you're not the only one," I pointed out. "Everything okay? With you and your sister?"

"Yeah, we're good," I nodded. "Have she and Dean talked at all?" he wondered. I shook my head. "Probably for the best."

"Are you okay?" he wondered. "I'm fine, are you?"

"I'm good," he muttered, the two of us getting closer. "Good," I said and we were about to kiss before the door burst open.

"Great timing," Jess rolled his eyes. "Alright you two, sit down," Luke muttered.

I sat down and Luke gave me my burger. "I threw some fries in," he told me.

"Okay, first of all, when Heather is here, the door stays open.."

"Wait what?!" Jess protested. "You're not allowed on either end of the apartment," Luke continued on. "You stay in the middle, you can sit on the couch or the chair, when she is on the chair, you're on the couch and vice versa, on weekdays you will have her home by nine and weekends you will have her home by eleven, any evidence of alcohol or smoking, you won't be allowed near her without an adult present. Is that clear?"

"May I speak?" Jess piped up.

"If you must," Luke rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to have you committed or would you prefer to check yourself in?"