"Cheers to the newlyweds, yeah?"
--☆--☆--☆--
"I'm going to Washington," Rory announced as she ran up to her mom and sister.
"Oh. Okay," was all Lorelai could muster up as she handed Rory her bouquet.
The song Sookie had chosen began playing over the speakers. Just as they practiced the three Gilmore walked down the stairs toward the aisle. Even though none of them were feeling it they all put on a smile not wanting to distract from Sookie's wedding.
Lorelai walked first, Cassie a few steps behind her with Rory being the last of the bridesmaids. Everyone smiled at them, not knowing that all three Gilmore women were feeling an ache in their hearts. But all three of them did their best to push through it with smiles on their faces, for Sookie.
However the second that ceremony ended the whole vibe switched. Cassie walked calmly back up the aisle but the second she was out of view she felt like she was having a heart attack.
"Cassie?" Lorelai looked at her daughter with a concerned expression on her face. Lorelai didn't know that Chris had already told Cassie he was leaving. Lorelai was going to tell her later and let her enjoy the wedding. She didn't know the wedding had already been ruined for her. "Honey, are you okay?"
"Mhm," Cassie nodded, wanting to protect her mom the same way Lorelai thought she was protecting her. "I just need some air."
"Okay," Lorelai put a comforting hand on Cassie's back, wanting to make sure she was okay. "Do you want me to come with you?"
"Lor!" Sookie yelled out excitedly when she saw her maid of honor. "Come here!"
"No, it's okay," Cassie told her mom. "I'll just be a second."
Lorelai didn't have a chance to argue since Cassie was already walking away. Cassie pushed the front door open, feeling better now that she was alone. She looked out at the parking lot, seeing the empty spot where her dad's Volvo had been parked only an hour ago.
She could feel the tears forming in her eyes again, she looked down trying to keep those tears from falling. Over and over again she reminded herself that this was supposed to be a happy day. Any tears that fell today were supposed to be tears of joys, not because her dad left them.
"Cassie?" Ethan's voice was soft, already knowing that something was off.
"Hey," Cassie quickly turned around, putting a smile on her face. With everything that happened she almost forgot she had a date, her mind was completely preoccupied. "Beautiful ceremony, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah it was. Are you okay?" Ethan asked her and Cassie nodded her head right away.
"Totally. I just needed some air before the party," Cassie replied but an unsure look appeared on Ethan's face. Ethan didn't know her the way Jess or Sophie did, at least not yet.
"Are you sure?" He asked but she just smiled as she walked closer to him. Ethan wasn't totally sure what he was supposed to do so he went in for a hug.
He knew it was the right decision almost immediately. Cassie leaned into his touch causing his arms to tighten around her. Ethan didn't say anything, he wasn't going to pull away until she did. So they stayed there for a minute, Cassie's head pressed against his chest, his arms holding her tightly.
Cassie slowly lifted her head to look at him, a soft smile appearing on her face. Ethan smiled back down at her, his hand cupping the side of her face. She thought he was going to kiss again, but he didn't. "You look beautiful," He whispered to her.
A soft laugh escaped her as she pulled herself out of his arms. "Let's go back inside," she said, gesturing towards the inn.
"Okay," He nodded, keeping his hand linked with hers as they walked back towards the party.
--☆--☆--☆--☆--☆--
It didn't take long for the party to get crazy. Babette and Miss Patty were already a couple drinks in, singing loudly while Morey played piano for them. Kirk was walking around trying to find someone for him since he read weddings were good places to meet women, it wasn't going well. Sookie and Jackson were laughing and having the absolute time of their lives.
Cassie was trying her best to enjoy herself, but she kept hoping to see Chris walk back in. She would do anything just to have him come back. She'd rather him be here and scolding her for drinking than him driving back to Boston.
"Don't you think you've had enough?" Rory asked her, not knowing why her sister seemed determined to drink her way to blacking out. No one had told Rory about the Chris situation left, she just thought he had a work emergency. Neither Cassie or Lorelai wanted to ruin the night for her.
"Not even close," Cassie asked as she grabbed her third Pina Colada that night. "God I love these little umbrellas. They're so cute."
Rory looked over at Dean, glad that he seemed preoccupied at the moment. Him and Ethan were currently discussing different sport rankings at Stars Hollow High, a subject that didn't hold Rory's attention.
"You want a sip?" Cassie asked, holding the drink out to her sister.
"No," Rory pushed Cassie's arm away.
Cassie just shrugged her shoulders before taking another long drink from the glass. "More for me then."
"I need to tell you something," Rory said to her sister.
Cassie looked at her, seeing the anxious look on her sister's face, "Okay... Ow-" Cassie winced as Rory pulled her away from any prying ears. "Jeez Rory."
"I kissed Jess," Rory blurted out.
Cassie just stared at her for a moment, her brain slowly processing what she thinks Rory just said. Her head tilted to the side, the same way it does when she's doing math. "I'm sorry what?" Cassie set her drink down, still not sure if she heard her sister correctly.
"Right before the wedding, I kissed Jess. He had just come back and I saw him out on the trail. He told me he's moving back and then... then I kissed him," Rory told her.
"You kissed Jess?" Cassie asked her, feeling completely dumbfounded.
"Yes!"
Cassie shook her head at Rory, "No you didn't."
"Yes, I did," Rory replied, quickly checking where Dean was to make sure he wasn't looking for her. Luckily he was still talking to Ethan.
"I don't believe you," Cassie said with a smile on her face. Part this reaction may have been due to the alcohol she's ingested but she really didn't believe that Rory kissed Jess.
"What do you mean you don't believe me?"
"You wouldn't," Cassie shook her head, so sure that Rory was messing with her. "I mean, no, no there's no way. Your perfect little Rory. You wouldn't do that."
"Well I did."
"Jess... like, like Jess Mariano? Jess, Luke's nephew? Jess, the one that uses 'huh' in every sentence?" Cassie asked her and Rory couldn't help but slap her palm against her forehead.
"Yes!"
Cassie stood still, a smile slowly appearing on her face before she completely lost it and fully broke out in a laughing fit. "Oh shit." She continued laughing before her eyes landed on Dean. That's when the most terrifying gasp came out of Cassie's mouth. "Oh my god!"
"Shut up!" Rory hit her arm, hoping that no one heard them.
"What about Dean?" Cassie asked her, realizing what this piece of news meant. In fact this piece of news was almost enough to make Cassie forget about Chris.
Rory shook her head slowly, "I don't know. I don't know, it just happened and that's kinda why I'm going to Washington."
"Oh I need a drink," Cassie picked her drink up again, quickly downing the rest of it, feeling as it went straight to her head. "My god, Rory."
"I know, it's bad," Rory looked down with a guilty expression.
"No. No, this is catastrophic. You're Rory and Dean. I mean Dean, oh my god, Dean."
"What about me?"
"Dean!" Cassie smiled a little too brightly when her sister's boyfriend approached them with a curious expression on his face. "Dean, you handsome guy, you."
"I think you're drunk Cassie," He laughed, realizing that was probably the first nice thing Cassie's ever said to him.
"And you," Cassie looked over at her sister, immediately seeing that Rory wanted him to be far away from where she was, "you are coming to get another drink with me..." she said with a questioning tone as she looked from Dean to Rory. "Cheers to the newlyweds, yeah?"
"O-Oh, okay," Dean didn't fight her as she walked the both of them over to the bar. The one with the young bartender that Cassie convinced she was twenty one.
"Two Pina Coladas," Cassie smiled at the bartender who was looking more and more unsure about her age with every drink she ordered. But he just nodded and started making the drinks, he wasn't getting paid enough to stop her.
"Cassie, what's up?" Dean asked as he stood at the bar with her. He already knew damn well that out of all the people here, she wouldn't choose to spend alone time with him. Dean was well aware of Cassie's feelings on him, even though Rory has tried to convince him numerous times that Cassie just didn't know him.
"We just haven't hung out in a while," She replied as she gave him an unsure look, both of them knowing damn well they've never hung out.
"Right, and it's not the three Pina coladas you've had already?"
"No, it's not," She claimed, knowing her reason for pulling him away from Rory.
"Here you go," the bartender said as he slid one drink over to Cassie and the other over to Dean.
"And let's make it four pina coladas, shall we?" Cassie smiled at him and Dean couldn't help but smile back. It was at that moment Cassie realized he deserved better than to be treated like dirt. Sure he wasn't her favorite person in Stars Hollow, but no one deserves to be cheated on.
"What?" His eyebrows furrowed together when he noticed her gaze soften.
She couldn't help but let out an annoyed sigh, knowing that what she was about to admit was going to hurt her pride. "You aren't a bad guy," She told him. "You're good to Rory, except for when you're weird. You aren't bad."
"That hurt you to say, didn't it?" He asked her.
Cassie nodded slowly, "Yeah it did."
Dean laughed, glad that even though it took this long he was glad they had a friendly moment. "So... you and Ethan?"
"We're not there yet Dean," Cassie held her hand up, stopping him from asking about her love life. "Hold your horses."
"Ok," He smiled as Rory approached them with Ethan not far behind her. "Hey," Dean smiled before handing Ethan the pina colada that Cassie ordered him.
"Thanks," Ethan smiled appreciatively.
"We're gonna go find food," Cassie announced as she took Ethan's hand. He waved to Dean and Rory before walking away with Cassie. As soon as they were gone Cassie began laughing to herself.
"What?" Ethan asked her.
"Oh nothing, this is just gonna be a weird summer," She predicted.
a/n: ahhh the first chapter of season three!! I can't believe we're actually here. I'm sorry this chapter is short, I promise the next ones will be longer. Just so you all know there will be a few summer chapters before we start episode one, which I hope is an exciting announcement. I hope you all enjoyed and are excited for more of Teenage Dream!!