"They have lived with you too long."
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The twins were eagerly getting ready for the dance. Neither of them thought they'd be this excited to attend a Chilton formal but they were. They were as excited as they could be. Cassie was upstairs changing and Rory was downstairs, both of them getting ready at their own pace. Yet, somehow they finished at the same time.
Cassie was now staring at her reflection looking at the dress Lorelai had made for her. It was gorgeous, Cassie couldn't believe it. She looked like she was getting ready for the ball, not a high school dance.
"Come on, already!" Lorelai called from downstairs.
"I'm primping," Rory yelled back.
Lorelai rolled her eyes, "You're 16! You have skin like a baby's ass! There's nothing to primp!"
Cassie smiled, fixing a strand of her hair which was in a half up half down style that Lorelai did for her that afternoon. "I'm coming!" Cassie called down.
"Here I come," Rory said a few seconds later.
Within seconds the twins met in the living room, where Lorelai was sitting on the couch. The twins smiled at each other, looking at the other's dresses. They both did a quick twirl, showing the finished product off to their mom.
"Wow, someone hit you two with the pretty stick," Lorelai gushed.
"This dress is amazing," Rory complimented.
Cassie nodded in agreement. "Seriously Mom, you outdid yourself."
"It's beautiful. You both look beautiful," Lorelai said with a bright smile as she looked at her daughters. "Come here," Lorelai waved Rory over to her.
"What?"
"Stray hair."
"Fix please," Rory requested as she sat down on the table across from the couch. Lorelai reached forward, fixing the stand of hair that was out of place. "Thank you."
"Hmm," Lorelai hummed looking down at her daughter's entire outfit. "I think my favorite part is the shoes."
Cassie tilted her head down, looking at Rory's shoes. "Oh they're classic," Cassie said, letting out a laugh when she saw the chunk black boots Rory had on.
"The heels hurt," Rory informed them.
"The heels are a key part of the outfit," Cassie reminded her sister.
"Beauty is pain," Lorelai added, agreeing with her youngest daughter.
"I'll wear 'em on my way out," Rory shrugged.
"You should wear them now and let your feet get numb," Lorelai suggested.
"That's sick," Rory's face scrunched up in confusion.
"That's called sacrifice," Cassie said, putting a hand on Rory's shoulder.
"Go get the hair spray," Lorelai requested.
"On it," Cassie told her, heading into the kitchen. Rory stood up, quickly following her sister just as the doorbell rang.
"It's open!"
"It's me!" Sookie yelled as she walked into the Gilmore house. "I got tacos!"
The second she heard those words Cassie abandoned the mission to find the hairspray and turned around. "I heard you say tacos."
"Here ya go pumpkin," Sookie said, handing Cassie the bag full of food. "Wow, you look like a princess."
"Thanks Sookie."
"I got extra hot sauce and a couple extra burritos in case you get hungry later," Sookie explained as she followed Cassie and the bag of food.
"You take such good care of me."
Lorelai, who was currently facing back pain after being attacked by Rory's dress, was now sitting on the couch. In the exact same position she had been in all afternoon.
"Hey Sookie," Rory greeted as she walked back into the living room. "Look."
Sookie turned around, letting out a loud gasp. "Oh, my god! You're a movie star!" Sookie gushed now, focusing on the dresses the twins wore. "At some point tonight, walk down a flight of stairs. Movie stars always walk down staircases." The twins suddenly looked confused, as they tried to process what Sookie just told them.
"Let me spray while you figure out what she said," Lorelai said, lifting her arm to grab the hairspray from Rory."
"You don't move. I got it," Sookie announced, grabbing the hairspray.
"Wait Sookie-" Cassie tried to reach forward and stop her, but unfortunately Cassie wasn't quick enough. Because right before she could grab the hairspray Sookie-
"Oh!" Sookie gasped, accidentally spraying the hairspray at herself instead of at Rory's hair. "Wrong way- I got it."
"Are you okay?" Rory asked, taking the hairspray from Sookie.
"Yeah, sweetie. Hand that to your mother, and uh... my eyelashes are all stuck together," Sookie realized.
"Honey, are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine!" Sookie yelled, slowly walking into the kitchen.
"Shield the tacos," Lorelai instructed.
"I got 'em," Cassie said, grabbing the tacos before Rory could grab them.
"Honey, grab a napkin I don't want you to spill," Lorelai said to her younger daughter. Cassie rolled her eyes, walking into the kitchen. Lorelai suddenly got deja vu, she had lived that exact moment before, when Cassie was much shorter.
Cassie walked into the kitchen, going unnoticed by Sookie who was trying to sort herself out by the sink. "Rory!" Sookie yelled, not knowing that Cassie was a few inches away from her. "Is this soap by the sink in the silver bottle?"
"No!"
"No," Rory quickly entered the kitchen with a taco in her hand just as the doorbell rang for a second time.
"We're in here!"
"Sookie, stop," Cassie grabbed a damp paper towel, putting it against Sookie's eyes to try and make them feel better. Only problem, Sookie couldn't stand still.
"I got it honey, eat your tacos," Sookie told her.
Cassie handed her the towel, turning around to find her sister with a napkin stuffed in the top of her dress. "I see you're stuffing your bra," Cassie commented. "Does Dean like women with big-"
"Seriously Cass?" Rory asked, cutting her sister off with an unamused expression on her face. "I just don't want to get anything on my dress. Here," She handed Cassie a napkin, letting her tuck it in the same way Rory had done. "No mess."
"I really will do anything for tacos," Cassie realized, taking that delicious first bite. "Mhm. Yeah, I'll do anything for tacos," Cassie nodded, before taking another bite.
"Okay, girls, come in here please," The twins looked up, hearing Emily call for them.
Without thinking they both walked into the living room with a napkin stuffed into their dresses and a taco in their hands. They smiled at Emily, seeing the camera in her hand. "Hey Grandma."
"They have lived with you too long," Emily said with a frown as she lowered the camera to look at Lorelai.
"Girls, lose the bib and the tacos, put on your shoes and let your grandma take the pretty picture," Lorelai told her daughters.
"But my taco," Cassie pouted.
"You can eat it later," Lorelai assured her.
"Okay," Cassie set her unfinished taco down on the table and ran upstairs to gran her shoes. She put them on quickly, needing to steady herself when she stood up.
Cassie wasn't used to wearing heels, and she wasn't used to being 5'8. She was as tall as Rory now, instead of being a solid two inches shorter than her.
"Girls let's go! Your public awaits!"
Cassie walked out of her room slowly glided down the stairs, suddenly understanding what Sookie was talking about when she said movie stars walk down staircases.
"Here they are Mom, get your camera moving," Lorelai said once both Rory and Cassie were in the living room.
"What? Oh, my, you girls look gorgeous," Emily gushed, lifting up her camera. "Smile!" Emily took multiple pictures within a two minute time period. She took some of the twins together, then a couple solo pictures for each of them. Each time requesting a smile before the flash went off.
"I'm so glad you decided to buy their dresses," Emily said looking back at Lorelai. The twins smiled, looking at their Mom who winked in their direction. The sound of a car approaching got all of their attention, the added honk of the horn meant it was Dean.
"That's Dean!" Rory said excitedly, going to rush out the door.
"Hey, come here!" Lorelai lifted her arms, causing Rory to turn around and give her mom a quick hug. "Have an amazing time."
"I'll chronicle the whole evening for you, I promise," Rory told her then went over to Emily. "Bye, grandma."
"Where are you going?"
"To the dance?"
"You do not go running out the door when a boy honks," Emily told her.
"It's fine, Mom," Lorelai told her, sounding a little aggravated.
"It certainly is not fine. This is not a drive through. She's not fried chicken."
"You are what you eat," Cassie muttered, earning a stern look from her grandmother. "Sorry."
"But I told him to honk and I'd meet him out there. We agreed," Rory told her, desperately wanting to walk out the front door.
"I don't care what you told him. If he wants to take you out, he will walk up to this door, and know, and say 'good evening,' and come inside for a moment like any civilized human being would know to do," Emily insisted.
"Now, Mom, this is silly, I have met him already," Lorelai told her mom. "Cassie has met him."
"It's true," Cassie nodded.
"Well I haven't."
"Yeah, but–"
"We will wait until he comes to the door," Emily told them and the younger Gilmores knew there was no way they'd get out of this.
"He doesn't know he's supposed to."
"He will figure it out."
Rory sighed, crossing her arms across her chest as she leaned against the wall. They all waited in silence, waiting for Dean to come to the door. Which of course, he didn't do, in fact he honked again, and again.
"He's not a very bright boy, is he?" Emily said, making Cassie snicker.
"Mom, please."
The sound of another car pulling up caught their attention and all the Gilmores looked up. Cassie couldn't help but smile, knowing that it was Josh. She heard the sound of a car door opening and closing, followed by a "Hey, man," from Josh.
The sound of footsteps could be heard as Josh walked to the front door, with Dean trailing behind him. Josh didn't need to be told to go to the front door. He was raised in Hartford and was taught proper date etiquette when he was five years old.
The twins rushed to the door, earning another lecture from their grandma. "Don't rush. A lady never rushes."
"Being a lady is overrated," Cassie whispered to her sister who nodded.
Rory opened the door, smiling at Dean who had made his way in front of Josh. "Hey."
"Hey, uh, I thought I was supposed to honk."
"Dude," Josh scoffed. "You can't honk for a girl." Josh told him, patting his shoulder before walking into the house. "Hey gorgeous."
"Hey handsome," Cassie smirked, giving Josh his own nickname. They both took in each other's appearances, knowing that there was so much more they wanted to say other than a flirtatious greeting.
"Young man, come in here please," Emily waved Dean into the house.
"Somebody's in trouble," Josh whispered in a sing-songy voice.
"Hey, Dean, Josh, meet my mother Emily Post."
"Emily Gilmore."
"Mrs. Gilmore," Josh stepped forward, shaking Emily's hand politely.
"Joshua," Emily smiled at him. "How are your grandparents?"
"Great. Grandpa's finally getting better at golf, he almost tied with me last time we played," Josh joked, and he actually made Emily laugh. Even Lorelai was impressed.
"I must reach out to them, it has been far too long," Emily commented.
"Indeed, I'll let them know that I ran into you," Josh told her with the most polite smile that Cassie has ever seen on his face. "Well, if you'll excuse us. I have to escort this beautiful girl to a dance."
"Of course, have fun," Emily nodded her head.
Cassie waved to mother and grandmother, but as she passed by Rory she whispered a quickly,"Good luck," since they both knew which one of their dates Emily liked better. And now Dean had to follow Josh, which wasn't going to be good for him.
Josh walked behind Cassie, leading her over to his car. He walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for her.
"Who knew Joshua Dawson could be such a gentleman?" Cassie teased.
"I hold many secrets, Cassidy. Stick around, you just might uncover one or two," He told her before closing her door and walking around to the other side of the car.
Just as Josh started the car Dean and Rory walked out of the house. Dean, despite not saying much to Emily, had managed to disappoint her. But Cassie couldn't care at the moment, she just wanted to have fun at the dance.