"I swear I can't take you anywhere."
--☆--☆--☆--
It was safe to say that the Gilmore women were back on track. The twins were doing well in school and Lorelai was still happy at work. The grandparents were as normal as they could be minus Richard's new investment in an old car that doesn't work. Everything in the world seemed to be going well.
Like right now, the three Gilmores were walking into the diner, eager for some breakfast. They walked in, seeing that the place was almost completely full.
"Hey there," Lorelai smiled when she saw Luke dropping some food at one of the tables. "Anywhere?"
"Anywhere you want," Luke answered not remembering Lorelai's minor tendency to-
"Could you move please?" She asked, looking at a man who was perfectly content eating his breakfast at his table.
"What?" The man looked up in confusion.
"Anywhere where there's not people," Luke reminded her as he guided her away from the table.
"Oh, well, like I'm a mind reader."
With an awkward smile on her face Cassie looked down at the confused man. "She was just joking," Cassie told him before quickly moving to the next empty table.
"Hmm, that's funny," Lorleai said as she looked around the diner.
"What?" Rory asked her, trying to figure out what her mom was looking for.
"Something's different here, something's changed," Lorelai told them.
Cassie shook her head, "Impossible."
"No, I swear, there's something..."Lorelai continued to look around the room.
"I'd be very disappointed if something in here changed," Rory admitted.
"Why are you so anti-change?"
"Because most change sucks," Rory shrugged her shoulders.
"Amen to that," Cassie sighed.
"Aha!" Lorelai smiled when she found it, "The chalkboard." The twins quickly turned their heads towards the chalkboard, both their eyes widening when they saw it. "Luke's special omelet That is brand new," Lorelai nodded her head.
"A new special," Rory gasped.
"No! His four-slice French toast has been there since we were born!" Cassie's eyes widened in horror as she looked at the board.
Lorelai reached her hand across the table putting it over Cassie's, "You just gotta let that go, baby."
Luke walked up to them, his ordering pad out ready to hear what the Gilmores wanted to eat. "What can I get you?"
"You have a new special," Lorelai told him.
"I sure do."
"Nice. What is the special omelet?"
"You won't like it," Luke told her.
Lorelai looked confused, "How do you know that?"
"Because you've been eating here for years and I know what you like, and you won't like it," Luke replied and his answer caused smiles to appear on the twin's faces.
"Can I at least hear what it is?"
Luke let out a short sigh, "Fine. It's three eggs with bits of bacon."
"We like bacon," Cassie nodded at her mom.
"Cubed tomatoes, Swiss cheese and a dash of oregano," Luke continued.
Lorelai smiled, "A dash, he says."
"I've got other customers here," He reminded them.
"I'm gonna go with the special omelet," Lorelai told him, ignoring the smile on both of her daughters faces since they both knew what was coming.
"Okay."
"With a side of bacon," Lorelai added.
"There's bacon in the omelet."
"Oh, then skip the bacon," she told him.
"The side of bacon?"
"The bacon in the omelet," Lorelai clarified.
Luke sighed as he wrote down her instructions, "Hold the bacon."
"Can I jack cheese instead of Swiss? Swiss is so stringy," Lorelai asked.
"Fine," He sighed, once again correcting the order he had written, "Jack cheese."
"Also, I think I'm allergic to oregano so hold that, too, and some coffee," She told him.
"So, just the eggs, tomatoes, and Jack cheese," Luke asked her as he looked down at the order he had written which was now taking up the whole piece of paper.
"Not too many tomatoes," She replied.
He sighed again, "Light on the tomatoes."
"Very light, just a teeny-tiny amount, practically none," She told her him as Cassie tried her best to hide her laughter.
"I'm skipping the tomatoes. It's an omelet with Jack cheese."
Lorelai clapped her hands together, "Perfect!"
"You did this on purpose," Luke realized.
"Did what?" She asked him.
"French toast for me," Rory asked politely.
"And pancakes," Cassie requested.
Luke nodded, glad he was finally done with their order, then walked off. The Gilmore girls laughed quietly, knowing it was a job well done.
"That was cruel," Rory told Lorelai.
"But funny."
Lorelai sighed as she continued to look up at the chalkboard. "Look how hard he worked on that sign and everything. Look at the handwriting. It's so precise, so determines. It's focused- Luke."
"That's Jess' handwriting," Rory spoke up, immediately getting confused looks from her mom and sister.
"Really?" Lorelai asked her. "How do you know Jess' writing?"
"Oh, well, I lent him a book and he wrote some stuff in it," Rory informed them.
"He vandalized one of your books?" Lorelai asked.
Rory shook her head, "No, he didn't vandalize it. He wrote in the margins, thoughts and stuff."
"Jess writes in block letters?" Cassie asked, since that was the only part that seemed to confuse her.
"No," Rory shook her head again.
"Then how did you know the block letters were his handwriting?"
"So what did he write, play basketball, eat a sandwich? That kind of stuff?" Lorelai asked, not letting Rory answer Cassie's question.
Overwhelmed by the questions Rory let out a long breath. "No, like margin stuff. People like Mark Twain wrote in margins."
"Pilot a steamboat, write Huckleberry Finn?"
"If you recognized the block letters that means he wrote in your book with block letters," Cassie continued.
"Just forget it," Rory sighed.
Cassie couldn't help but be amused by her sister's annoyance. Lorelai, however, was trying to cover her tracks. "No, I'm sure margin writing is very common," She nodded, then her eyes drifted towards the door. "Oh, hey, you didn't tell us Dean was coming."
"Dean?" Rory looked confused.
Cassie snickered seeing the look on her sister's face. "This'll be fun," she whispered to herself, ready to see how this whole thing will play out.
"Hey," Lorelai smiled up at the boy.
"Hi," Dean leaned down, quickly giving Rory a kiss.
"What are you doing here?" Rory asked, having not moved an inch since he walked in.
"I just dropped by to say hello," Dean said, still standing next to their table. "Hey."
"Hi," Cassie nodded awkwardly at him.
"How'd you know we were here?" Rory asked him and Cassie could feel the second hand embarrassment forming.
Dean laughed, "'Cause you're always here."
"We're not always here," Rory claimed.
Feeling the awkward tension that suddenly surrounded them, Lorelai smiled up at her daughter's boyfriend. "Do you, uh, wanna eat with us Dean?" She asked, looking at the empty seat between Rory and Cassie.
"Rory?"
"Huh?"
"Is that okay?" Dean asked her.
She nodded with a smile, after giving her sister a slightly panicked glance. "Yes. Oh, yes, you don't have to ask."
Dean smiled as he sat down between the twins, not noticing the conversation they were having with just a few glances. Luke, who was now doing the coffee rounds, walked back towards their table. Lorelai turned her head, looking over at him. "Hey, we're four now."
"I did the math," He told her before looking over at Dean. "You gonna eat something?"
"Sure, yeah." Dean turned around, his eyes landing on the new chalkboard. "I'll take the special omelet, I guess."
Luke let out an annoyed sigh, "You put him up to this."
Lorelai, who was already busy trying to contain her laughter, shook her head at the diner owner. "No, I did not! I swear."
"Right. You don't even know what's in it," He said, now looking at Dean.
"I'm not picky," He replied, shaking his head.
"So you'll send it back after I make it?" Luke asked him.
Once again Dean shook his head, "No."
"Right. I'll come back when I've got time for this," He told them before walking away from their table.
Dean looked around with nothing but pure confusion in his eyes. "What was that all about?"
"I think there was something in your attitude, mister," Lorelai laughed.
"What?"
"Trust me," Cassie spoke up and Dean looked over at her, "You don't wanna know."
--☆--☆--☆--☆--☆--
The school day went by fairly quickly for Cassie. Her teachers were annoying, she took notes, gossiped with Louise then the day was over. It was perfectly fine day, for her.
For Rory however, the day was a little more awkward. Now normally the time on the bus ride home was filled with Cassie catching Rory up on all the latest gossip, but today, today Rory had news to share.
"Oh my god, so you won't believe what Louise told me," Cassie began to say as the twins sat down in their normal seats.
"May I have the floor for a moment?" Rory requested.
"I'll allow it," Cassie replied, giving her sister a questioning look.
"So you know how I'm taking Econ," Rory began telling her.
"Yeah?"
"Well we have this group project that we're doing. We have to make a consumer product and pitch it at the fair in three weeks. There will be a winner and everything-"
"Rory get to the point," Cassie interrupted her.
"Josh is in my group," Rory blurted out.
Rory watched Cassie, waiting for her to have some kind of reaction. Of course after hanging out with Jess the next person Cassie told about Josh and Stella Hayes was her mom and sister. They were both a lot more animated when they heard the news than Jess was.
Now despite the 'I'm okay with it' exterior that Cassie put up, Rory wondered if deep down Cassie was heartbroken. Rory's been lucky so far, she's only had to talk to Josh a few times and there was almost always another person there. But today they were right next to each other, working on a project that would take three weeks to finish, which included out of school time.
"Cassie?"
"Rory, I'm fine. Honestly," Cassie told her. "You're doing a project with him. It's not like this wans't bound to happen at some point."
"Totally," Rory nodded, "Yeah no big deal."
Cassie laughed at the look on her sister's face, "Rory, are you nervous about this?"
"Of course I am," Rory replied and that only made Cassie smile more. "He's your ex. I would find it weird if you did a group project with Dean if he and I ever broke up."
Cassie nodded, "Yeah so would I. You know because Dean and I don't go to the same school."
"You know what I mean."
"It doesn't have to be weird Rory," Cassie told her. "We broke up months ago, it's time to move on. I won't be mad if you guys are friendly or even friends, okay?"
"Really?"
"Mhm," Cassie nodded her head.
"You're being very mature," Rory told her. "It's weird."
"I'm just trying to move on. He did and I'm supportive of it," She replied and Rory noticed right away that she switched from happy to supportive. "We're seventeen, it's completely normal for seventeen year olds to break up and date new people."
"I guess," Rory shrugged her shoulders. "And I guess this means tomorrow I should actually say hi to him."
"Please tell me you did not just give him your awkward smile then look away?" Cassie asked her but when the nervous smile appeared on Rory's face Cassie figured out the answer pretty quickly. "Oh jeez."
The twins got off the bus and started walking towards the inn. They had a lot more weddings on the schedule this year which gave the twins a lot more to do after school. So pretty much everyday this week if they weren't at school they were at the inn.
Of course while they're walking they usually pass the school. And due it being a school there's normally students in front of it, except today Cassie spotted the guy she had been avoiding since a certain drunken kiss.
"Oh boy," Cassie muttered and without hesitation she started walking faster.
"What's going on?" Rory asked as she practically began sprinting just to keep up with her sister. "Who are we running from?"
"Ethan Sawyer," Cassie answered.
"Scrawny Ethan? The one you kissed at Julia's party?" Rory tried to subtly turn her head, of course nothing about Rory said subtle. In the process of looking behind her she nearly walked right into a pole. Which seemed to catch a few people's attention, including Ethan's. "Oops."
"I swear I can't take you anywhere," Cassie shook her head as they continued walking now going a more normal pace.
"Cassie!"
"Oh this is gonna be awkward," she let out a quiet sigh before turning around, she didn't want him to think she was avoiding him. Despite the fact that she clearly was. "Hey Ethan, what's up?"
"Uh, not much," His answer sounded more like a question. "You?"
"Oh we've got tons of stuff to do today, right Rory?" Cassie nudged Rory's arm.
"Yes. Indeed we do."
"Listen... I just wanted to apologize for the other night," He told Cassie, a look of genuine concern on his face. "To be honest I don't really know what happened, but if I made you uncomfortable I just want-
"You didn't," Cassie interrupted him and now he just looked confused. "I was dealing with my own personal stuff, it wasn't you."
Ethan looked like he didn't know what to say, or even what to believe. "You aren't just saying that to try to make me feel better right? Because if I did something-"
"I promise Ethan, it wasn't you," Cassie assured him seeing the slightly panicked look in his eyes. "It was a good kiss."
A smirk slowly formed on his face, but looked like he was trying to act cool about it. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Cassie nodded with a smile on her face.
"Cass, we should probably..." Rory pulled Cassie a step back, already knowing where this was headed.
"Right yes, we have to go to the inn to help our mom," Cassie explained to him.
Ethan nodded his head, "Well don't let me keep you. I'll just see you around."
"Yeah, I'll see you around."
"It was nice seeing you again," He smiled at Rory.
"You too," Rory replied and the second he was out of earshot Rory looked at Cassie with wide eyes. "It was a good kiss," She said in a mocking tone.
"Shut up," Cassie pushed her arm. "I do not sound like that."
"Ugh," Rory got the chills, "you can not date Ethan Sawyer."
"Who said anything about dating him?" Cassie asked her. "And why can't I date him? He's totally hot and cute at the same time."
"He reminds me of a golden retriever," Rory told her and that only seemed to make Cassie smile.
"A lot of people love golden retrievers," Cassie smiled at her. "They're cute."
The twins continued towards the inn, walking into the building they used to call home. Just as the walked towards the desk Lorelai was walking out of the kitchen. She immediately smiled when she saw her daughters.
"Hey mom."
"Oh hi, I thought you guys couldn't get here until later," Lorelai remembered them saying.
"Our meeting for the Franklin didn't run as long as it usually does," Cassie told her as the twins walked behind the desk.
"Well lucky for me and more work for you," Lorelai said putting a stack of paper in front of each twin. "Here chronological order please. So how was your day?"
"Cassie apparently loves golden retrievers," Rory informed Lorelai. "She'd even date one."
"Wait what?" Lorelai looked extremely confused.
"Oh my god, I never said I'd date him."
Lorelai's eyes were wide as she looked at her youngest daughter. "A date? Who? You're dating who?" She asked, fearing Cassie's answer.
"I'm not dating him," Cassie reminded her mom, but she still looked freaked out. "Ethan Sawyer."
"Oh thank god," Lorelai sighed and both twins looked confused. Neither of them knew that Lorelai was afraid Cassie was gonna tell her that she was going out with Jess. "I mean... uh, Ethan's great. He's a sweet kid, little scrawny..."
"He fixed that," Cassie told her.
"Oh? then that's really great," Lorelai nudged her shoulder. "What about you?" Lorelai looked over at Rory. "Any exciting news?"
"I got an A on my physics test," Rory answered.
"Aw."
"And I convinced a boy that Paris would probably never attack his rabbi," Rory added.
Cassie laughed, "wouldn't bet on it."
"So uneventful?"
"Well there is one thing..." Rory looked over at Cassie again and Lorelai just looked confused.
"Okay?" Lorelai gave her a questioning look.
"I know you're probably not gonna wanna do this," Rory told her mom.
Lorelai shook her head, "Yes I will... unless it's something I don't wanna do."
"You want wanna do it," Cassie informed her, since she knew her mom well enough to know that Lorelai Gilmore doesn't do school projects.
"Do you wanna be the parent advisor on my economics projects?" Rory asked her even though she already knew Lorelai's answer.
"Ooh, Rory, gosh..."
"I'm kinda in a spot," Rory told her.
Lorelai sighed, "No one else can do it?"
"Nope."
"You checked?"
Rory nodded, "Yes."
"You double checked?"
"Yes."
"And no one else could do it so you came slumming after me and I'm your last choice?" Lorelai asked her older daughter.
"Of course"
Lorelai smiled at her, "I appreciate that."
"I'm totally stuck," Rory reminded her.
"Well if you're stuck I'll do it," Lorelai told her. " But, ooh, hey what about your grandfather, retired business titan?"
"You want Grandpa to be her economics advisor?" Cassie asked, looking up from the stack of papers Lorelai had given her.
"Oh come on, he'd be perfect."
"But this is a business project and the word business has been kind of taboo in that house since he left the firm," Rory reminded Lorelai and all Cassie did was nod her head in agreement. "Asking him might remind of that and upset him."
"Or he'll be thrilled that you thought of him"
"Or you'll be relieved you don't have to do it," Cassie smiled at her mom.
"No," Lorelai shook her head at Cassie. "I really think he would enjoy helping you. And you'd be doing me a big favor cause then I wouldn't have to feel guilty about being so reluctant to help you out myself."
"Knew it."
"All right. I'll give it a shot," Rory sighed.
"Good girl."
Rory turned her head looking at her mom for a moment before asking, "Would you really have felt guilty?"
"No," Lorelai answered quickly. "But I would've felt guilty about not feeling guilty and you can see how that could just go on forever."
"Miss Gilmore and the vicious cycle."
a/n: I don't really know what to say tbh other than we'll get some Cassie and Josh content in the next chapter, oh and Rory and Josh content. I hope you guys are excited.
[unedited]