"No! My baby!" I hear from behind me. "Don't chase your dreams! Rory c'mon! We'll just stay here together! We'll get some cats, watch trashy TV, hang out boyfriendless you know!"
"You mean like what we did my entire high school life?" I ask.
"Yeah basically!" She says, handing me the last of my bags.
I grab them from her, and place them inside the trunk of my blue car.
I don't want to leave, Stars Hollow has been my home forever. I'll miss the small town vibes, I'll miss the meetings, the people, the gossip, everything.
However, in order to move forward with my career and do something with my life, I have to move to a bigger city. New York.
"Boyfriendless huh? You gonna dump Luke?" I say, when I've packed my stuff into the trunk.
"No, I'm thinking you'll be boyfriendless?"
"Mom, don't worry, I'll be back. I'm not going forever!" I say, closing the trunk with all my stuff inside.
"Wait Rory! What if your roommate is a scary rapist? Will you come home then?" My mom hands me my phone.
"Mom, my roommate is fine. Paris said he was slightly lacking in social skills but-"
"He!? Reference from Paris!? Rory honey, you're gonna be miserable... Luckily there's a simple solution, stay!"
"I'm gonna miss you." I say kissing my mother on the cheek.
"Oh kid, you have no idea..." She hugs me, and then pulls away.
"You're gonna call like every ten minutes right?" She asks. Opening my car door.
"On the minute!" I answer, getting into the car.
"Ok, but if I don't answer you'll know something is seriously wrong with me and that I'm probably in some far off field dying. So you'll come racing back to save me, or whatever is left of what I used to be, from the hungry cows who will surely be back in the morning to eat my body?"
"Assuming that cows magnificently switch from their herbivore ways and become carnivores then yes of course." I nod, closing me door behind me.
"Smart." She says. "Hey Rory?"
"Yeah?" I ask, stopping before I put on my seatbelt.
"Bye kid."
"Bye."
I take one last look at the house, the lawn, the jeep we've had for years, and the little white mailbox, that says Gilmore on it.
My mother smiles at me, and waves, her coffee in hand.
I wave back, and begin to reverse out of the gravel driveway, wanting to turn around and run back inside, cocooning myself in my blankets that smell like home.
But with one last wave, I ignore my instincts and the pang in my chest, and I drive forward, away from the house and my waving mother, further into Stars Hollow.
Which come to think of it, isn't that far.
*****
I decide to stop at Luke's, for coffee for the road.
I enter the diner, he's got sandwiches in his hands, carrying them over to a table.
"Hey! Rory!" His face lights up when he sees me.
"Hi Luke." I say, walking up to the stools at the counter. I sit down.
Babette and Miss Patty run over towards me.
"Rory, we just wanted to say on behalf of the entire town that we're gonna miss ya sugar." Babette says.
"Aw, thanks Babette. I'm sure I'll be back to visit, and I might be home soon if this doesn't work out."
"If it doesn't work out... Honey you'll never be back with that attitude, let's say if it works you come back." Miss Patty says, leaning up against the counter and looking at Babette.
"Alright, it's a plan." I smile at them.
"Oh, over there, something's up with Andrew and his girlfriend. Gotta go check that out huh?" Miss Patty points out the window at Andrew, his arms are in the air and he's screaming, the girl he's with is crossing her arms.
"Oh yeah.." Babette's eyes are wide, she waves me off. "Bye sugar!"
"Oh, bye!" I say, waving, and smiling, but inside I can't stand that I'm leaving.
Then they're at the window pointing and whispering.
"So, last day in Stars Hollow huh?" Luke asks.
"Yep." I nod, suddenly overcome by the great sadness of leaving everyone.
"well at least you're close." Luke says. "Coffee?"
"Yes please."
"Hey, Luke?" I ask.
"Yup." He answers pouring the coffee.
"Take care of her ok?"
"Rory?"
"Yeah?"
"Take care of yourself, don't be hanging out with rapists or anything."
I laugh, "I won't, don't worry."
*****
Boring as hell, but remember that the real story begins in New York....
Please keep reading💜it means so so much!
~Chloe~