Friday night dinner, one of the things I dread the most. After a hard day at school of taking notes to where my hand cramps up, dealing with Paris and Brook and finally the somewhat awkward encounter with Mr. Medina; I still have to dress up and sit through hours on end of mom and Grandma making passive aggressive statements towards each other.
Rory and I are sat side by side across from mom. Rory is wearing a colorful outfit, while mom and I are more dressed up. She is wearing a nice, burgundy blouse and a black pencil skirt and I'm wearing a short dark red dress.
"Tomorrow our lawyer, Joseph Stanford is coming by." Grandma started talking as we waited for Grandpa to come back so we could get dessert.
"Ugh. Crazy Sissy's dad." Mom groaned as she took a sip of wine. "That's terrible. Sissy was a good friend of yours." Grandma said, shocked.
"Mom, Sissy talked to her stuffed animals and they answered her." Mom pointed out. Have to admit that is a little creepy.
"Let's just start a new topic." Rory suggested. "You're impossible," Grandma ignored Rory and continued to nag at mom. "She said a new topic mom." Lorelai directed.
"Everything's a joke. Everyone's a punch line." Grandma sneered. "Okay, I'm sorry." Mom apologized, but we all know it was just a saying. "My daughter, Henny Youngman." Grandma commented.
"Sorry for that." Grandpa announced as he walked back into the dining room, fixing his tie. "A little trouble in our China office." He continued to explain.
"What did I miss?" He asked. "I was being impossible then I turned into a Jewish comedian." Mom answered.
"Oh, well, continue." He said as he had nothing else to say. "Thank you, where was I?" Grandma questioned herself. "Um, Joseph Stanford is coming tomorrow." I reminded her.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, "So, girls. Your grandfather and I thought it would be nice, after dinner, for you to look around the house and pick out what you'd like us to leave you both in our will." Grandma directed.
"Take a look at that desk in my office. It's a really fine Georgian piece." Grandpa added. "Why don't I ever bring a tape recorder to these dinners." Mom thought to herself.
"Oh, well anything you want to leave me is fine." Rory dismissed. "Yeah. I'm sure it'll be fine." I agreed.
"Nonsense. You should have what you like." Grandma assured Rory and I, "So just look around, if you find something you like, stick a post-it on it." She explained.
"Okay, you two have hit a level of weirdness that even I marvel at." Mom commented. "You can pick out things too." Grandma offered. "Oh, well now it's less creepy." Mom smiled.
"Do you hear that Richard? Apparently we're creepy." Grandma commentated. "Yes, well, you live and learn." Grandpa responded as the maid finally brought out dessert.
"Oh, cool!" I exclaimed as the maid put a small bowl of pudding down in front of me.
"What's that?" Mom asked, shocked. "It's desert." Grandma answered in a duh tone. "It's pudding." Mom carried on.
"Well, if you knew what it was, why did you ask?" Grandma retorted. "You don't like pudding." Lorelai argued, to absolutely nothing.
"Yes, but you like pudding." Grandma explained and I think that it's sweet that she thought of us for dessert today. I mean, if there's pudding every night I might actually enjoy coming here.
"Oh I love pudding. I worship it." Mom added as she got her bowl. "I have a bowl up on the mantel at home with the virgin Mary and a glass of wine next to it." She continued as I started to eat mine.
"I've never had pudding from a crystal bowl before." I decided to jump in and stop mom from rambling.
"You like the bowl?" Grandma asked and I shook my head since I had just taken another bite. "Put a post-it on it when you're done." Grandma ordered.
~~~
After dinner Mom, Rory and I were all handed a stack of post-its and were ushered to go around the house and claim things that we wanted. Grandma had gone to check on the maid, while Grandpa went to his study a while ago.
"Ugh. So what do we think of this?" Mom asked as we all looked at the very strange vase that Grandma and Grandpa had in the living room.
"Where would we put it?" I questioned as I looked at it. "I don't know." Rory answered. "The Emily and Richard Gilmore psycho museum." Mom responded.
"This is the strangest evening I've ever had here." Rory commented. "Yeah. Agreed." I said as Grandma came back.
"So, how are we doing in here?" She questioned. "Great, just getting ready for the big day." Mom joked as she put a post-it on the vase. "Very nice." Grandma replied.
"So, mom, it's getting late. Unless you got some funeral plots for us to decorate we should really get going." Lorelai informed Grandma.
"Any special requests for dinner next week?" Grandma asked Rory and I. "Oh, well--" Rory was about to answer before mom cut her off.
It was mine and Rory's birthday next Friday and we were kind of hoping that we could get out of Friday night dinner.
We were having a party and everyone we knew, that we like, was invited. So we asked mom if she could talk to Grandma, which she agreed to.
"Mom, I want to talk to you for a minute." She started. "And um, girls, go say goodbye to Grandpa." She muttered under her breath and cocked her head to the side.
"Very smooth." I told her as I took Rory's arm and we walked to go and say goodbye to Grandpa.
We said goodbye to Grandpa and decided to wait in the car where mom walked out a few short moments after.
"So, how would you like two parties this year?" She asked with a fake smile as she hopped in the car.
"You couldn't get her to cave." Rory stated. "No, but she did agree to make the string quartet learn 'like a virgin.'" She added.
"Well, you tried." I responded, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Sweets, I promise, Saturday night, we'll do it right at home. A Stars Hollow extravaganza." She promised as she started driving out of the driveway.
"So is this party Grandma's having a big deal?" I asked out of curiosity. "Not really." She answered, "The government will close that day. Flags will fly at half mast. Barbra Streisand will give her final concert- again." She kidded. "Uh huh." Rory nodded from the front seat.
"Now the pope has plans. He's trying to get out of them. However, Elvis and Jim Morrison are coming and they're bringing chips." She continued to try and make us smile. "You asked a simple question." Rory shook her head at me.
~~~
After the day at school Rory and I both decided that we would just head home. It wasn't a horrible day, except for the amount of homework we got, but nothing less we made it out alive. After studying for a while I became hungry.
"Hey Ror, I'm gonna order a pizza." I informed her as I grabbed the phone. "Okay, get two!" She yelled from her room, before returning to her notes.
"Hi, can I have one everything pizza and one pepperoni pizza." I told them, once they asked what I wanted. "Small, medium or large?" The guys on the phone asked. "Large, please." I responded with a smile.
"Lucy! I'm home!" mom called as she entered the house. "Kitchen!" I replied to her. "And Justin is just so dreamy! He can't marry Britney. I'll just cry and cry and cry." Mom said in her mimicking voice.
"Pizza will be there shortly." The guy on the phone told me. He must have thought that mom was crazy.
"Okay, thanks." I replied then hung up the phone. "Pizza's on it's way." I smiled. She gasped, "You're such a good provider." She teased, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi." She finally greeted. "Hi." I said as well. "Rory, pizza's on the way!" I called from the kitchen. "Okay! Hi mom." She yelled back from her room.
"Well, I'm gonna get back to homework." I told her as I started to make my way towards the stairs. Mom sighed as she sat down at the kitchen table.
"Call me when the pizza guy gets here!" I exclaimed before rushing up the stairs and to my room.
~~~
I was finishing up organizing some of my notes when the phone from downstairs rang. After a couple of seconds Mom called from the stairs, "Eva! It's for you!"
"Coming!" I yelled back as I decided to stop studying/organizing my notes. I quickly closed them and put them in my bag before running downstairs to get the phone.
"Hello." I greeted kind of out of breath. "Hey. You good?" Justin's voice came through the phone.
"Yeah. Sorry, just ran down the stairs." I answered his question as I made my way back upstairs to my room with the phone. "So, how've you been?" I asked him as I laid down on my bed.
"Good. A little bored now that football isn't everyday." He let on. "How is Coach by the way?" I questioned smiling.
"He says that the babies healthy and perfect. And he looks really happy too." Justin said and I could tell he was also smiling. "How've you been, Miss incommunicado." He teased.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I apologized, "Been a little busy with school, again. But honestly I'm doing great." I replied, with a little huff.
"Well, that's good then. At least you're good." Justin said, "But we're good right?" He questioned us.
"Yeah. Why?" I answered, though I was confused why he didn't think we were good.
"The night in Babette's garden. You just kinda ran off, I didn't know if it was about me." He informed me.
"I'm so sorry about that," I honestly apologized, "I don't know what came over me. I really was enjoying the moment." I tried to get him to understand.
"I'm glad. I thought it was just me." He slightly chuckled. "Oh no. I definitely enjoyed it." I smiled.
"Well, I have to go. Mom is calling me down for dinner." He said, as I heard his mom call in the background.
"Well, go. I'll see you in two day, right?" I questioned wanting to confirm that he would be at my birthday. "No where else I would rather be." He whispered wholeheartedly.
"Ok. Goodnight." I whispered back. "Good night." He responded then ended the call. I put the phone on my nightstand then fell back onto my bed with a smile on my face. I can't wait for Saturday.
~~~
Rory and I stood at our lockers getting out which books we needed for first, second and third period before a certain blond came and lent against one of the lockers beside mine.
"Hey." He greeted me as he was too close for comfort. "What, blond boy?" I questioned as I grabbed a book, not even looking at him.
"I just wanted to say Happy Birthday." He answered with a smirk on his face. This time I looked at him, confused at how he knew that.
"It's not my birthday." I sassed as it technically wasn't. "No, but it will be." He responded as he held up a piece of paper before opening it, "On Friday at 4:05 in the morning, Evelyn Lorelai-" He started to read off the paper, but I quickly cut him off.
"What is that?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I didn't want the answer and grabbed the paper from him.
"An invitation to your birthday party." Tristan shrugged as Rory came from behind me and grabbed the paper from my hands to look at it herself.
"Who else got these?" I inquired. I really did not want anyone from Chilton celebrating my birthday.
"I don't know. Everyone in our class, I think." Tristan once again shrugged with that stupid smirk.
"I'm gonna go now." I excused myself from this conversation and made my way down the hall.
"I'll see you Friday, Birthday Girl!" Tristan called out, as if I wasn't already embarrassed. Rory quickly joined me in the hall as she still held the invitation.
"Maybe it won't be so bad." She tried to stay positive, but I gave her a death glare in response.
~~~
The rest of the day went by way too slow. Classes sucked, life sucked, people sucked, everything sucked. All I wanted to do was go by Justin's place and complain until he got sick of me, but Rory practically dragged me to Lukes to meet up with mom.
I walked through the door with a huff and didn't say a thing while I sat down at a random table. Rory followed my actions, but looked at mom with a sad smile.
"Wow. Nice face you got on there." Mom commented sarcastically as she joined Rory and I at the table.
"Coffee." I replied monotone. "Bad day?" Mom questioned as she looked between the two of us.
"I've now used the word 'sucked' so much that it's lost all meaning." I replied to mom as I thought of how my day went.
"Well, maybe this will cheer you up." Mom quipped as she unzipped the cover that was covering what was most likely a dress.
"What is that?" Rory questioned as we both looked at the dark grey dress that mom was showing us. It looked nothing like what Rory and I would ever wear. "These are our party dresses!" Mom exclaimed with a smile.
"So it's a Halloween party?" I puzzled as I continued to look at the dress. "Listen you," Mom starts and puts the dress away, "So, I'm shopping today with your Grandmother and it's a whole three hours of 'who are buying that for, mom' 'have you met Rory and Eva?' And then finally, I talked and she listened, and she wound up getting you both something I think you're really gonna like." Mom explained how her day went.
"Really?" Rory questions because I think that it's safe to say that we both have doubts of that ever happening.
"Yes, really." Mom confirmed, "And of course she insisted on buying us these dresses, but I think that I can do something to them to make them better."
"I've never seen you this cheery after spending time with Grandma." I commented about her mood.
"Well, it's been a long time since we didn't end up fighting. It was refreshing. It wasn't exactly fun, but I didn't get that shooting pain in my eye like I usually do." Mom gestured to her eye at the end.
"Wow. That's great." Rory and I nodded. "Yeah. Mom agreed as Luke came and put down three coffee's in front of us, "So I hear you're having a party Saturday."
"Yeah. Mom's famous for her blowouts." Rory talked to Luke as I took a sip of the coffee. "The best one was her eighth birthday." Mom smiled, proud of herself. "Yeah, that was a good year." I nodded in agreement.
"The cops shut us down." Mom started to say, but Luke chipped in with a scared look on his face, "The cops shut down an 8-year-old's birthday party?"
"And arrested the clown." I added with a giggle with made mom and Rory giggle as well. "I don't want to hear anymore of this." Luke said aloud then walked away.
"So, now tell me, why Miss Lemonhead today?" Mom asked getting back to our earlier moods. "Nothing. We're fine." Rory answered for the both of us.
If mom was finally getting along with Grandma then we might be able to take this one bullet for her sake.
"Well, let me see." Mom continued as she started to played with the dress again, "Maybe we should really embrace the whole tulle thing. Go totally modern Cinderella." Mom thought aloud, "What do you think?" She asked.
"Yep... Lucky us." I mumbled as I looked over at Rory with a fake smile who just copied my actions.
~~~
Today was finally Friday and after a wake up call at 4:03 and a whole speech about our birth story I was finally on my way to meet up with Katie, Josh and Justin. "Happy Birthday, Birthday girl!" Katie exclaimed as she ran over and gave me a giant hug.
"Thank you. Thank you." I smiled as I returned the hug before she let me go. Quickly I was pulled into another embrace, this one somewhat new, but familiar, "Happy Birthday." Justin told me as he pulled away slightly to give me a sweet kiss. "Thank you." I blushed.
"So, do you really have to go to this party after school?" Josh complained as normally he and I would go to Weston's after school and get a cupcake together. It was something that we had done since we were kids.
"Sadly." I answered with a sad smile, "It's bad enough that I have to see these stupid kids from Chilton everyday, but tonight? On my Birthday?" I complained as I pouted.
"Well, what did Lorelai say when you told her?" Katie questioned as she sat down on the steps of the school.
"I didn't." I mumbled as I looked at the ground, suddenly very interested in my shoes. "Why not? You and your mother are like best friends." Josh spoke up with a questioning look.
"Well, she was finally getting along with our Grandmother, and you should know that's never happened, and we just didn't want to ruin it." I explained as I looked at Katie and Josh.
"It's one night," Justin said as he put his arm over my shoulder, "One night, then tomorrow, we party." He smiled then gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Barf." Josh complained at us.
~~~
After a long school day at Chilton mom came and picked Rory and I up to head to our grandparents house. Somewhere I never thought I would be on my birthday.
Nevertheless here we are walking through the door pass the maid. The house was filled with people decorating and setting up the place. It was a struggle to get us three through the hall.
"Jeez, mom, leave some servants for the rest of the neighborhood." Mom commented as we turned to the living room where Grandma was setting down a tray.
"There they are, the birthday girls."Grandma greeted Rory and I with a smile. "Hey Grandma." Rory and I said at the same time, both forcing a smile.
"Wow, you really went all out, huh?" Mom made up for mine and Rorys lack of conversation as she looked around the place again.
"Well I wanted everything to be perfect. What do you think?" Grandma asked as she gestured to the room.
"I think Edith Wharton would have been proud and busy taking notes." Mom answered in a way that Grandma would not understand.
"Here, girls, go change." She said and handed Rory and I our dresses for the night. "Hurry." Grandma called after Rory and I took off upstairs to go and change.
Once Rory and I got to the room we started to change into our dresses. "So, how are you and Justin doing?" Rory questioned as she slipped on her dress.
"We're good. I've been having a lot of fun with him." I answered as I copied Rorys actions. The smile on my face was forced though Rory didn't seem to notice. Even though Justin and I were great, I still couldn't get Tristan out of my mind.
Subconsciously, I think one reason that I'm not complaining as much as I would be is because I get to see Tristan again. Ever since the bake sale I can't stop picturing the way he looked at me. The way he made my heart speed up. The way my stomach erupted in butterflies. There was just something about him that made me go a little crazy.
"That's good. I'm glad you're happy." Rory smiled, "Could you zip me up?" She asked and turned around for me to help her. Quickly I stood behind her and zipped up her dress before asking her to do the same.
"So how are you and mystery boy?" I teased as I held my hair aside. Rory let out a small breath as she slowly zipped up the dress.
"I guess we're good. Nothings really happened though." Rory replied, "With Chilton and everything I haven't been able to see him much." She explained while finishing the zipper.
"I get that. Just know if he really liked you, he'll find a way to make it known." I smiled and turned around to face her. "Shall we?" I asked as I held out my hand ready for her to take.
Rory smiled and took my hand, "We shall." She replied as we walked back downstairs to the party, which guests have already started to show up.
~~~
Rory and I are sitting down in the corner of the living room. Rory isn't interested in anyone here and the only person that I would even consider making a conversation with hasn't shown up, to wrap this up we're bored.
Mom sat down in between Rory and I and sighed before handing us each a drink, "Here."
"What is it?" Rory asked as I examined the red drink that was just handed to me. "Shirley Temple." Mom answered as she took a sip of her drink and relaxed into the couch.
Pleased by her answer I followed suit and took a drink of my own. I have always loved a Shirley temple. Rory on the other hand was more curious about what mom had, "What are you drinking?"
Mom smiled then looked over at Rory, "A Shirley Temple Black." Then let Rory smelt the liquid.
"Wow." Rorys nose scrunched up after taking a sniff. "I got your good ship lollypop right here, mister." Lorelai said as she held the drink up then took another sip.
"So do you want something to eat?" Mom asked us both. "Everything smells funny." I commented. I had gone to get something earlier, out of boredom, but nothing smelled appetizing.
Mom just hummed in agreement before Grandma came and interrupted us. "There you girls are! Come." Grandma demanded as she grabbed ahold of one of our hands.
"There's some people I'd like you to meet." She finished as she pulled Rory and I up from our places and directed us to her friends.
~~~
After grandma introduced Rory and I to her friends, Rory suggested that we go find Grandpa and since I have nothing better to do, I followed her.
"Hi Grandpa!" Rory greeted happily as she cut in on a conversation Grandpa was having with some business men.
"Hi Grandpa." I said less enthusiastically, as the men were now focused on Rory and I.
"Rory, Eva. Gentlemen, these are my granddaughters, Rory and Eva." Grandpa said proudly as he introduced us.
"Happy Birthday Rory, Eva." One man said then handed us each a check to which three more followed suit.
My eyebrows raised in surprise as I accepted each one of the checks. You know, if I have to sit here bored for 5 hours I may as well go around and get paid.
"I think we should get Dennis on the phone right now." The first man said as he looked back at Grandpa, returning to their conversation.
"Fine, I've got a phone in my office." Grandpa replied as he led the others to his office to call Dennis.
Rory and I looked at each other then the checks before smiling again at each other. "Girls, there's a whole group of your school friends in the library. Let's go say hello to them." Grandma suggested as she once again led us straight to them without much choice.
She walked Rory and I to the library where there were kids our age, but to be honest I didn't recognize one of them.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Rory told Grandma as she refused to go any further into the room. "Just say hello first. I'll hold those for you." Grandma said as she tried to convince Rory to say hello.
While she was distracted by Rory I quietly and quickly turned around and left the two standing in the middle of the doorway.
(A/N)
I am so sorry for the wait. I really have neglected this story. I will try and be better.
If you liked please VOTE and comment! It means a lot to me and I love seeing your comments. I will also respond as quickly as possible if there are any questions.
Love you lots xxx
Bella
September 6, 2021
Word Count 4184