"I'll take care of her."
--☆--☆--☆--
When the girls got out of school, Rory went back to Stars Hollow, leaving Cassie alone in Hartford. She went to the school library deciding to study there for a couple hours. Cassie couldn't focus at home, for some reason Shakespeare and her bedroom didn't mix.
Cassie was going through her notes, making flashcards whenever she found important information. She was so focused on her notes that she didn't notice a girl eyeing her from across the room. She only noticed the girl's existence since she came and sat down in the seat across from Cassie.
"Hi."
"Hi?" Cassie set down her pen, wondering who the blonde girl was. She recognized her from a couple of her classes but Cassie still hasn't introduced herself to many people.
"Sorry, I'm Sophie Dugray," The girl held her hand out to Cassie, but the Gilmore Girl didn't take her hand right away.
"Dugray?"
"He's my cousin, not my brother," Sophie laughed, seeing the almost worried look on Cassie's face. "I don't really like him either. But his friend, Josh, he's not so bad."
"Did you come over to talk about Josh?" Cassie asked her.
"I saw you two talking, I thought maybe-"
"Look, there's nothing going on between me and Josh. I didn't even know he had a girlfriend."
Sophie immediately began laughing. She waved her hand in the air while she tried to catch her breath. "You think I'm dating Josh?" She continued laughing which caused a confused look to appear on Cassie's face. "He's like a brother to me. I'd never date him."
"Oh," Cassie shrunk down in her seat a little, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
"God, you're funny," Sophie told her, still laughing a little.
"Right. So, uh, no offense but why are you sitting with me?"
"You looked like you're in distress or something," Sophie told her.
"Well you're right about that," Cassie smiled. She expected Sophie to get up and leave her to study but she didn't. Instead she pulled out her books and started jotting down notes. Cassie looked up at her, causing Sophie to look up as well. "What'd you get on the essay?"
"An A, why?" She asked.
"Just checking to see if you're as miserable as I am right now," Cassie said honestly.
Sophie sighed, setting her pencil down. "I was a transfer too. Started middle of last year, first midterm I got a D in one class, and two Cs. I thought they were gonna kick me out." Cassie was a little confused as to why she was telling her that. "You'll catch up, we all do. And now that I've caught up I can help you."
"Why would you want to help me?" Cassie asked her. She knew she must be giving off the impression that she wasn't used to having friends, which wasn't true. Rory was her built-in best friend and along with Lorelai the three of them were the perfect trio.
"Because I need better friends, and you aren't like any of the girls here," Sophie told her.
"Should I be offended?"
"Definitely not, that's the highest of compliments."
"Well thanks," Cassie smiled, nodding as she went back to her studying. Sophie looked like the kind of girl who didn't care about school, but that wasn't true at all. Sophie was fighting to prove herself just as much as the Gilmores were.
She felt out of place too. Not just at the school, but in her own home too. But Cassie didn't know that... not yet anyways.
For the next hour the girls worked together to prepare for Mr. Medina's test. Cassie made the flashcards while Sophie went through the study guide. Their papers covered the entire table and they kept accidentally grabbing each other's papers.
"Number ten," Sophie asked, looking up the study guide.
Cassie picked up her own copy, flipping to question ten. "It's 39 plays, not 40," Cassie told her.
"39 plays," Sophie repeated. "Why did he write 39 plays? I hate odd numbers."
"You hate odd numbers?"
"Well I hate the number 39," Sophie declared.
"If you declare it then it must be so," Cassie was just about to continue her studying, however the sound of voices outside the library made her stop. "What's going on out there?"
"Parent teacher conferences," Sophie answered.
"Parent... Teacher, oh shit," Cassie immediately began gathering up all of her material. Because she realized that she wasn't the only Gilmore in the school. Lorelai was probably wandering the halls and she'd eventually be speaking to Mr. Max Medina, meaning she'd find out about her and Rory's poor test grades.
"What? What's going on?"
"I have to get out of here before-"
"Cassidy Gilmore."
"-before my mom finds me," Cassie slowly turned, and there she was in a B-52s shirt. "I'll see you around," Cassie said to Sophie as she put her last binder into her backpack.
Cassie swung her backpack over her shoulder as she walked over to Lorelai. However she didn't stop and talk to her mom, no, she was too embarrassed to even look at her. Cassie walked right past her, knowing that Lorelai was close behind her.
"Cassie," Lorelai tried to catch up with her youngest daughter, but unfortunately she was in heels. "Cassie, would you stop walking so fast?"
But of course Cassie didn't stop, she kept walking all the way to the Jeep. She opened the door and sat down waiting the couple of seconds it took for Lorelai to catch up with her. Cassie crossed her arms over her chest as she turned her head to look out the window.
Lorelai let out a sigh, as she closed the door to the Jeep. She hated that both her daughters felt like they couldn't tell her about their grades. She hated that they let her yammer on and on about shopping trips and ice cream when they were both so incredibly sad.
"You talked to Mr. Medina, didn't you?" Cassie asked, her eyes still looking outside the car.
"Honey, why did you let me whine about my boredom and ice cream when you had something major going on?" Lorelai asked her, while simultaneously answering Cassie's question.
"I'm sorry," Cassie whispered.
"You just let me go and on like an idiot. You should've told me," Lorelai said softly, reaching her hand over the middle console to put it on Cassie's arm.
"I couldn't..." Cassie shook her head, feeling tears form in her eyes. "I couldn't tell you this."
"Babe, you tell me everything. Of course you could've told me."
"If I told you then that'd mean it was real," Cassie finally turned her head and Lorelai could see just how heartbroken her daughter was. "I was embarrassed and I felt like a failure."
"Oh honey, you aren't a failure."
Cassie reached into her bag, first pulling out the paper that she received a C minus on and handed it to Lorelai. Then she reached in again pulling out the math test that completely bombed. "I'm a failure. I've failed."
Lorelai let out a quiet breath, setting the papers on her lap just as a tear fell from Cassie's eye. She's never seen her like this before. Cassie has always been good at putting up a strong front, just like Lorelai.
"This has never happened to me Mom. I've never failed before."
"I know, but you were at a different school."
Cassie nodded, "Is it bad that I miss how easy it was? I mean at Stars Hollow High I could get an A without even trying. Here I put in so much work, so much time, and I still fail."
"You are not a failure," Lorelai said, speaking slowly hoping that her words sink in this time.
"I can't do this Mom," Cassie admitted.
"Listen, these grades... they aren't great, okay? But all this talk about "I'm a failure" and "I can't do this" is so much worse," Lorelai told her. "It's not you, it never has been. You just started Chilton, you're bound to have a couple bumps in the road, but it's not the end of the world. You'll catch up, you'll do better. You are a Gilmore. You're of hardy, stubborn stock, my dear. If there's one thing I gave you and Rory it's my stubbornness."
"I'm not stubborn," Cassie told her.
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
Lorelai held her hands up in surrender, "Okay, you're not stubborn."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"You can do this Cassie, and I will be there every step of the way to help you. Rory and I will both be there," Lorelai told her. "So put these grades behind you," She said as she quite literally threw the papers into the backseat. "And kick some ass."
"You're quite good at the pep talks," Cassie told her.
"I know," Lorelai started the car and the two girls headed back to Stars Hollow.
The entire drive home all Cassie tried to think about was ways she could improve her grades. She needed to do better, she would do better. She didn't care if took every last ounce of life out of her, she was going to succeed at Chilton. Lorelai was right, her daughter was stubborn. Once she set her mind on something it would happen.
--☆--☆--☆--☆--☆--
Now that Gilmore twins were determined to prove everybody wrong they had spent every free moment of their time studying. Cassie would pick up her notebook everytime she had a free moment. While Rory hadn't even set down her book between the walk from her house to the bus stop.
Rory and Lorelai were busy studying at home while Cassie was at the diner. She liked studying in the diner and now that Luke was helping her study it kept her a lot more focused. Every time he saw her get distracted he'd pick up the flashcards, that were now kept in his pocket, and yell a question at her.
Cassie was currently highlighting something on her study guide, trying to ensure that she'd remember that piece of information. Luke walked past her, filling her cup with coffee. She lifted her head and Luke instantly grabbed the flashcards.
"The Comedy of Errors, written..."
Cassie thought to herself for a second before answering with, "1590."
"Published?"
"16... 1623?"
"Yup," Luke walked away from the youngest Gilmore going over to Miss. Patty and Babette's table.
The two women were the town's gossipers. They knew everything about everyone. If you needed information about anyone, screw the FBI, Miss Patty and Babette were the women to ask. They smiled when Luke walked back over to the youngest Gilmore, pulling another flashcard out of his pocket.
The entire town loved watching the Danes-Gilmore show. All of them knew that Luke was secretly in love with Lorelai, not that she noticed. But his love for the twins went above and beyond that. And they loved him just as much. Without a real father in their lives Luke was, in a way, the only dad they had.
"Richard III?"
Cassie hesitated, actually worried that she didn't know the answer. "1590?" She guessed but Luke shook his head. "'91?" Luke shook his head. "'93?" He shook his head. "Oh, I'm gonna fail."
"You're not going to fail," He told her, walking away from the table she was sitting at.
Cassie took a sip from her coffee, not that it was doing much to keep her awake anymore. She could feel her eyes growing heavy, but she was determined to stay awake.
As the people in the diner slowly started making their leave it gave Luke more time to help Cassie study. He began to wipe down the tables, as he listened to her talk about all things Shakespeare.
"The sonnets are 154 poems of 14 lines," She told him.
"Except?"
"Except for 126 which is 12 lines," She answered and Luke nodded.
The Danes man had to admit, he never thought he'd have to learn this much about Shakespeare. But he'd learn it all again in a heartbeat if it meant he could help Cassie. The youngest Gilmore continued reading her notes while Luke went into the back to check inventory. He was only gone for about ten minutes but by the time he came back out Cassie had managed to fall asleep.
He grabbed the phone off the wall, carrying it into the kitchen so his voice wouldn't wake her up. He dialed the phone number that he memorized years ago, then waited a few seconds before hearing Lorelai at the other end of the phone.
"Hello?'
"Hey, it's me. Uh, Cassie fell asleep, here."
"So wake her up," Lorelai told him. "I can come pick her up."
"No, no, I'll let her sleep, she has that big test in the morning and... well she needs her sleep," Luke said into the phone. "I'll take care of her."
"I know you will," Lorelai said with a smile, not that Luke could see it. "Good night Luke."
"Good night Lorelai."
Luke hung up the phone then quietly went upstairs. He grabbed a pillow and a blanket before walking back down the stairs. He gently placed the blanket on top of Cassie, and put the pillow beside her if she needed it.
He looked at her, debating if he should just leave her there or not. Luke sighed as he finished closing up the diner, he locked the door and closed the blinds. He glanced back at Cassie just before flipping the light switch and heading up the stairs.
It was safe to say that Cassie Gilmore experienced a large amount of confusion when she woke up the next morning. She rubbed her eyes, and took in her surroundings, only then realizing that she fell asleep in Luke's diner.
It wasn't the first time she fell asleep in the diner, but she's never woken up in the diner. Normally Luke would just carry her out to the Jeep and Lorelai would take her back home. But evidently that's not what happened last night. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the last time Luke had to carry her to the car she was eleven, not fifteen.
Cassie lazily looked down at the watch on her wrist, only for her eyes to open wide. She quickly stood up from her seat and began packing her bag. She had slept in. The bus that she takes every morning had just left and she assumed it left with Rory on it.
"Luke!" Cassie yelled. "Luke!"
The Danes man came running into the dinner from upstairs with a bat in his hand. He let it fall dramatically when he realized that Cassie wasn't in danger.
"What?"
"I'm going to be late!"
"Late?"
"For school! I missed my bus!" She yelled, suddenly thankful that she had fallen asleep in her school uniform.
Luke quickly ran upstairs, grabbing his car keys before going back down the stairs. "Truck, now," He said, pointing out the front door. Cassie grabbed her now packed backpack and followed Luke out the door.
Just as they made it to the truck, Cesar, the man who works with Luke walked past them. Cassie got into the car just as Luke gave Cesar the keys to the diner and instructed him to open for customers while he took Cassie to school. Without waiting for Cesar's response Luke quickly started his truck then drove all the way to Hartford.