╭ ╮
━━━ " 📂 " ..⃗. ༉
𝘿 𝘼 𝙉 𝘿 𝙀 𝙇 𝙄 𝙊 𝙉 𝙎
! chapter four ─── ʚĭɞ
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EVIE HAD BEEN SELFLESS when agreeing to her and Rory's father coming into town, but as the night went on and she remained cooped up in her bedroom, she couldn't help but wish she had been a little bit selfish in that moment.
They could've understood, right? Christopher had been on the brink of kicking her out, had waited far too long to call and make sure she was alright - sure Lorelai had promised to call when Evie arrived, but wasn't he worried about her?
Despite everything, it appeared that being selfish just wasn't how she was programmed to run, and after spending a couple days following that wallowing around in her bedroom, going to school and working late into the night on the closing shift, Evie arrived late to the breakfast table, asking if they wanted her to fetch some coffee as Lorelai put a pop-tart in the toaster for her.
Her offer was denied - Rory rushed in from her bedroom announcing that Dean and Lane would be coming over to watch something to try and get her boyfriend to agree to come with her. Evie was yet to meet Dean, so it seemed coffee was much less important.
She never imagined a world in which coffee was less important, but she agreed to wait.
Lane arrived not long after that, blue green sweater sleeves pulled over her hands and smiling. Her and Evie had shared a number of classes, and had managed to be re-introduced and became friends in the short few days in which Evie began to attend school again.
Dean on the other hand, well she didn't have any classes with him and had only seen him in passing. He towered over many students, so it wasn't too hard to spot him.
Rory had disappeared into the bathroom when there was a knock on the door, and Evelyn pushed herself up from her chair without even thinking, another pop-tart in hand as she twisted around Lorelai on the phone, pulling open the door.
"So this must be the elusive Dean." Evie leant against the doorframe, taking a bite of the strawberry flavoured toaster pastry, eyes flickering up and down his appearance once before take a step back, arm gesturing for him to come in. "Jesus you're tall." She commented.
Dean chuckled, pretty used to getting that now. "And you must be Evie, Rory's half sister. I actually have something for you-" her eyes were wide as he dug around in the pockets of his jacket, pulling out a small tin. "Rory mentioned you had burnt yourself pretty badly? My mom makes this balm thing and it's pretty soothing."
"Thank you." Evie took the tin, examining it before placing it down on the table to put away later. "Rory's will be out in just a second - I'm sure you've heard about the circumstances that have brought you here today?"
"Sure have. Emily Gilmore can be quite convincing." Dean replied, shoving his hands in his pockets and nodding to Lane on the couch. Rory appeared at that morning, however Evie was pulled away from the interaction by a nudge on the shoulder by Lorelai's elbow, who was covering the bottom of the phone.
"You managed to find those photos?" She asked, hand slipping off . "Grandma is practically desperate to see them - Yes mom I'm asking her if she has them, no I did not say you were desperate!" Lorelai winced, ushering Evie towards the back door.
She rather hurriedly went tog atther the photos, returning to find Lane, Dean and Rory watching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction. Emily Gilmore was now asking about a hairstylist.
"I think you're gonna looked great in a tux." Rory gently placed her hand on Dean's arm, Evie settling in on the armchair across from them, using her knee to straighten the pile of photos.
"Tails." Lane corrected, and beside her, Rory and Dean's heads snapped towards her.
"What?" The boy asked.
"Yeah, according to this it says all escorts must be properly attired in black tails, white cummberbunds and white gloves." Lane read off of the small booklet that Rory had been given.
"What?" Dean repeated, looking up at Rory with complete and utter horror written plainly across his features.
"All three, necessities." Evie commented. "You'll get all sorts of funny looks if your cummberbund is even the slightest bit cream."
"I'm sure the gloves are optional." The Gilmore girl hurried to try and calm her boyfriend, who was looked even more grossed out by the prospect as the seconds passed by.
"Not according to this." Lane wrinkled her nose.
"Tails?! Gloves?!"
"Remember Neil Young." Rory said, pointing towards the TV. Evie raised her eyebrows, leaning forward to see the images playing across it. "Remember that you love me." She continued. "Remember that I'll be watching Battlebots with you for a month."
Dean didn't seem to look any happier as he sat back in his seat. "Show me Neil Young again." His expression didn't change even when Rory wound it back.
"It won't be that bad." Evie piped up, looking from her pictures over to the group of three. "And it could be worse. I've done it three times over and every time my escort has been some random guy who Straub and Francine deemed suitable."
"Well I live vicariously through others!" Lane began, sitting up and clasping her hands together. "Tell us about your dates." She begged.
"Fine, fine." Evie sounded reluctant to show them but was actually rather happy to. Even Lorelai, who was still receiving an earful of questions from her mother, perked up. "First there was James, very boring, nothing memorable." She held up a picture to them, handing it to Rory who showed her mom, boyfriend and best friend in turn.
"Second was less boring than I first thought." Evie produced another picture from her pile. "Didn't seem to be any fun at the beginning, but then I heard he did cocaine in the bathroom and then almost overdosed at the after party."
"Then you thought he was more fun?" Rory asked, brow furrowed.
"Not fun." Lorelai chimed in, covering the phone again. "But interesting."
"Right. Keep in mind that rich kids in California are completely different to the ones in Connecticut." Evie agreed, and when she looked down at the third photo produced from her pile a small smile appeared that hadn't from any others. "Then my third one, which was by far my favourite, Leo."
"Leo?" Lane repeated, looking as if she was holding onto every single word that Evelyn was saying.
"Leo was fun, right from the beginning. Didn't want to be there anymore than I did, so we ran away half way through, didn't even make it to dessert. Stole one of the cars that the valets weren't really watching, drove all the way to Venice. Took us forever and then stayed there until the sun came up two days after." Evie had been showing them pictures of Leo from the actual debutante ball, but then moved onto another one of the pair bathed in sunlight.
"Turns out, white dresses hate the sand and with a good pair of scissors and seventy dollars or so we could stay the two nights there and get new clothes." Evie slumped back in her seat, gazing down at the photo. "Best, most exciting nights of my life."
"Then what happened?" Lorelai had all but put the phone down now, Emily's voice quiet and wittering on about something.
"He drove me home, I got grounded and I never saw him again."
"God you do take after me." Lorelai was mumbling as she peered over Dean's shoulder to get a good look at him. "Good taste as well."
"I'd say." Lane agreed, eyes wide as she turned to Evie. "Have you got any more pictures?"
"A couple." Evie nodded, fishing them out of her pile. Echoes of Mrs Gilmore shouting her daughter's name down the end of the phone drew Lorelai back to it, Evie moving to give Lane even more photos of the heavily admired Leo.
But the happiness that her memories of said boy were shattered abruptly by the sound of a horn blaring. "Dad!" Rory exclaimed, hurrying to pass Dean the photo of Evie and James she had been examining and out of the front door.
"And now's my time to leave." Evie had frozen in her seat for a moment, before standing up. "Just put the photos in a pile when you're done - and keep the Venice pictures with Leo separate please. I don't think Emily would be pleased with them."
Evie was just about to slip out of the back door when Lorelai caught up with her, dragging her back through into the living room. "Nuh uh missy, you're gonna go and say hi." Lorelai shook her head.
"I've got a shift at the diner." Evie protested, arms folded across her stomach.
"Then you can leave after you do it!" Lorelai grinned. "It doesn't have to be much, okay? Just acknowledge his presence then leave."
"Sure sounds like a lot." Evie mumbled, but didn't say anything as Lorelai moved her towards the door, leaving her on the front porch as she watched the Gilmore woman approach her daughter and ex. "He has a car." She mused, hearing Lorelai having a similar reaction.
Christopher was yet to notice her, all smiles for Rory. "Well I needed a little more space." The man was saying as he opened the trunk. "Had something big to haul. I believe this belongs to you."
He was holding some big book thing, and from where she was stood Evie couldn't see what the title was. Luckily for her, Rory would announce it. "The Compact Oxford English Dictionary!" She exclaimed as she took the present.
"I promised you I would get it, I'm just sorry it took so long." Christopher apologised, instantly being reassured that it was quite alright. "On the bright side, this is the new edition. If I'd gotten the old one, you wouldn't have the word 'jiggy' in it."
"Thank you!" Rory was radiating happiness. "I love it - I'm gonna go look things up right now." She was back away, pulled back by her father's words as he handed her a magnifying glass and then watched as Rory rushed off with it, gaze landing on the Gilmore girl's half sister.
"Evie." He seemed to loose a little of his well built composure, just for a moment. "Hey - how have you been?" His expression softened at the bandages that were still wrapped around her leg.
Evie's jaw set, not saying anything for a moment. "Haven't been kicked out yet, so I'm guessing pretty good." She shrugged, eyes flickering over to Lorelai. "Was that good enough? Can I go now?"
"Go?" Christopher asked, about to ask where when Evie had already returned into the house, slipping past Rory with her dictionary and out of the back door, retrieving the book she had started the night before - an old childhood copy of Emily of New Moon by L.M Montgomery - tucked under her arm and a few pocketed dollar bills and some of that gum that Luke had given her to stop smoking stuffed into her pockets.
Christopher and Lorelai had migrated into his new car, and whilst no words were exchanged between father and daughter, Evie knew that he was planning on asking the woman beside him about her, watching her through the rear-view mirror.
And to the shock of Babette, who was watching through the curtains, Evie stuck her middle finger up as she passed the car, a frown on her face as she slipped past and headed for the town square.
She had made the shift at the diner up.
⩩≀𓈒
The town square had become her safe haven from the Gilmore house, which seemed to have been completely infiltrated by her father since the earlier the day in which he had arrived.
Whether it was the gazebo steps or a bench below it, sat on the bridge that crossed the small lake or the diner as she worked, that was she would most likely be found, changing positions throughout the day.
And just like the house she was living in, the town square was soon invaded.
She was working her actual shift later on at Luke's when she saw a very familiar pair crossing the street by Miss Patty's studio, eyes flashing. "Luke!" She announced, halfway through taking an order. "Can I take my break half an hour early?"
"What?" The man grumbled, placing two plates in front of another couple by the window. "Go for it - but-"
Luke couldn't even get his question out before Evie was pushing her notepad and pen into his hand, sneaking behind the counter and pulling her book out from one of the cut-outs in the wood and slipping out through the door in the back.
However, it was answered a couple of minutes later when the door was pushed open by Lorelai Gilmore and Chrisoper Hayden right behind her.
A sigh left her lips as she listened to the usual tone of conversation, opening her book and flicking through to the page she had dog-eared, sitting down on the second-to-bottom step.
"What the hell-" A voice above her asked, joined by a hand gripping the banister. "I didn't know you had a shift today." Of course, who else would be coming down from the apartment above the diner but Jess, who was eyeing the book in her hand.
"I do. And I've taken my break early. I'm avoiding people. So please - keep it down." Evie barely even looked up from the book, fingers fiddling with corner that had been folded.
"Who are you avoiding?" Jess asked, deciding it would be better to avoid them as well and sitting down on the step below her.
"My dad. Christopher. He's here because he actually decided to do something fatherly for Rory, and who am I to be the person to stop her from getting that." Evie shrugged.
"So now you're sat here reading."
"And listening to my dad ask Luke for a chai latte." The girl chuckled, shaking her head. "And contemplating - you wouldn't happen to know if there are any barns around here? With rafters high enough for me to tie-"
"They're gone." Luke's voice droned through the doorway. "The hell is a chai latte?" He asked when Evie finally emerged and took a seat at the counter, book still opened.
"Beats me." The girl shrugged, a grin on her face. "Tea with some spices and herbs in it, I guess? What did you give him."
"Tea with a cinnamon stick."
"Close enough." Evie's eyebrows were raised. "Now do you understand why I've been here so much?" She continued, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. "And I have to go with the stupud Debutante ball with them. Sure - I would go to support Rory but he's gonna be there and there is no way that Hartford has any Leos."
"Leos?" Luke repeated. "That sounds dodgy."
"Well he stole a car with me and ran away with me to Venice beach for two nights when I was fifteen and a half. He was only sixteen though, so it wasn't weird." Evie seemed to be finding entertainment in the slideshow of emotions covering Luke's face.
"Careful, he's malfunctioning." Jess muttered as he walked past her, rolling up his sleeves with a cloth in his hand, beginning to clean the table.
"Stay here whilst I go get more cinnamon." Luke finally grumbled,reaching for some cash from the drawer. He didn't say much else, but his look of distaste to where Christopher and Lorelai were descended down the steps of Miss Patty's studio. "Make sure he doesn't set the place on fire."
"Yes sir." The look on Jess's face was priceless as Luke left Evie in charge over him, pausing his actions of wiping the tables as the Danes man pulled the door open and disappeared through it.
"I'm his nephew - why does he trust you more than me?" He eventually asked.
"I've known him since I was like two. And I've been working here for way longer." Evie waved her hand absentmindedly, getting up and abandoning her book as the time came for the end of her break, serving herself a cup of coffee before going back to taking orders.
"We arrived here on the same day." Jess's reply came when she was back behind the counter, rewriting the hurriedly scribbled words and passing it back to Caesar.
"I've been working here since I was like eleven. On and off since then though, last time I visit I was fourteen." Evie was turning back to face him, only to be tapped on the shoulder.
"You gave me this one by accident." Caesar handed her back a ticket. Studying it for a moment, she joined Jess behind the counter, taking the glass cover off of one of the stands a cutting a piece of the pie sat there.
"I'm pretty sure that's illegal." Jess replied.
"Tell that to my piggy bank on my top shelf." The girl sniffed, reaching past him for a plate and loading the slice onto it. "The salt and pepper shaker refills are in that cupboard, by the way." She pointed.
"How did you know?"
"I'm all-knowing. Like a god." Evie's voice was completely monotone, and the Mariano boy turned around to stare at her, expression matching it. "I'm joking, geez. You left the empty ones on the table."
"You're not funny." Jess watched as she reached for the refrigerator handle and opened it, pouring a glass of the lemonade and fishing out one of the lemon slices with a fork.
"Bite me, asshole." She rolled her eyes at him, scooping up the plate and the glass and making her way over to the table the order had been for. "Hi Babette, I was so sorry to hear about Cinnamon and so sorry I couldn't be here to pay my respects." The girl smiled as she placed the pie and lemonade down in front of her. "Have some lemonade, on the house."
"No worries sugar." Babette smiled, words thick with her accent. "Are sure I can have this - not that I would normally pass up a free drink, but really -"
"It's completely fine, the least I can do." Evie had slid away before any more protests could be made, her eyes settling on the bench across from the diner, where Lorelai and her father had settled.
It would only be a matter of days until Christopher would leave, she could wait until then.
⩩≀𓈒
She expected her father to be gone by the time she arrived back at the Gilmore household - Evie had agreed to work an extra hour and half at the end of her shift (Luke really didn't think it was right, but he could excuse it whilst Christopher was in town - he knew the girl wouldn't run away for nothing) and then sat on the pavement under a street lamp just down the road for another half hour before finally making her way back.
"Did you have Chinese?" She asked as she pulled her shoes off, eyes focused on Rory sitting with a takeaway and the number of them on the coffee table beside her. Rory nodded, holding up her box and offering her some.
"No thanks, I already had way too many fries from.." Her voice died off when she rounded the corner and saw who was stood in front of the mirror. "Dean.. hey. How were your dancing lessons?" She was completely ignoring Christoper stood there teaching him how to tie his bow tie.
"Pretty good when we finally got the hang of it." Dean replied, lifting his chin a little.
"Did you say fries?" Lorelai asked, reaching to pull Evie towards the sofa. "I moved your Leo photos back into your room, figured you wouldn't want your dad seeing them."
"Knowing him he would probably burn them." Evie didn't even attempt to hide the words and the distaste within them, Christopher's gaze flickering over to his daughter and Lorelai but not saying anything.
"Were you working all this time?" He eventually asked. "I hope he's paying you properly."
"No, I'm working there because of shitty wages, totally." Evie settled down on the sofa and opened her book.
Rory and Lorelai shared a look, knowing what this might end up as and deciding to dive right into another conversation. "Anyone want the last egg roll?" Rory found a topic first, sitting up in her seat and beginning to reach for it.
"Where are you going?" Lorelai's hand covered the container before Rory could reach it.
"To get the egg roll?"
"You're getting it yourself?"
"Yes."
"No!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Ladies never get their own egg roll. Ladies never get their own anything. They don't even get their own ideas."
"Oh boy." Rory and Evie mumbled, the first looking slightly happier as she received her egg roll, the latter peering over the top of her book.
"They just sit helplessly and wait for a young, strong man to come by and assist them." Lorelai was continuing. "They don't step in puddles, they don't step over puddles - they can't even look at puddles. They actually need to be blindfolded and thrown in a sack and carried over puddles."
"Isn't there a moratorium on how long ladies are supposed to talk?" Rory interrupted.
"Uh, no." Lorelai replied. "Now, repeat after me - 'I am completely helpless."
Behind them, now that Lorelai had stopped rambling on, they could hear the conversation between Christopher and Dean. "Ok, so you put the left side through the back loop, and you tug a little bit on both sides, and... you, my friend, might just be mistaken for a gentleman. Or a waiter."
"So how do you know how to do all this?" Dean asked as Christopher continued to fiddle with his tie.
"Seventeen cotillions, a dozen debutante balls, and a brief - but scarring - experiment with the Children of the American Revolution." Christopher replied.
"Where you wear only the bow tie." Lorelai chimed in, the two girls on the sofa glancing at each other and cringing.
"A good idea on conception but the sudden snowstorm instantly dampened the effect." The Hayden man continued before finally letting go of the bow tie.
"Hey, uh, do you think it's cool when Neil Young wears a tux?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, of course, but it's.. Neil Young."
"Alright." Dean sighed, tugging off the bow tie. "I should get going - I'll see you at three." He leaned down to give Rory a brief kiss before turning towards the door. "What's this?" He asked, upon being handed a box.
"Your gloves." Rory replied.
"I... thought you were kidding."
"Oh no." Lorelai and Evie were shaking their heads in sync, pretending to be utterly horrified by the thoughts. "Ladies never kid."
"And never about gloves." Evie added, eyes flashing with amusement at his expression.
With one last bye, Dean was leaving the house and Rory standing up. "I think I'm going to bed too."
"Do you need help?"
"No." Rory glanced over to Evie, who had stood uup as well. Once more, she was shaking her head.
"Wrong!" Lorelai exclaimed. "The correct answer 'yes', ladies need help with everything!" Rory slipped away with a quick few goodnights, and Evie was well on her way to follow her when her father stopped her.
"Evie - are you planning on not talking to me at all during my stay here?" Christopher asked.
"Yeah, great idea, right?" Evie rolled her eyes, turning to Lorelai. "Night Lorelai."
"Goodnight, kid." The woman chorused after her, and Evie hurried out through the kitchen, climbing over the porch fence and landing on the grass, unlocking the door to her bedroom.
Flicking the lights on, she collapsed on her bed with a sigh. The next day could be her idea of a personal hell, but then Christopher would leave.
Get out of Stars Hollow and leave her there to live with Lorelai and Rory and work at the diner and attend a high school in which the students' idea of a good time wasn't burning a pool house down.
She just needed him to leave.