"I'm home!" Mom called. "Kitchen!" me and Rory yelled in unison, Sookie looking frightened. "I've got the Shining," Mom cheered.
She walked in to see me, Rory and Sookie standing in front of the table. "What?" she muttered. "Uh...this came for you and Max," Sookie muttered and we stepped away.
"Wedding present," I muttered. "Well, the news doesn't travel as fast as I thought," Mom sighed.
"Are you gonna open it?" Sookie asked her. "No, I'll take it back in the morning," Mom told her. "There's no return address," Rory told her.
"Card?"
"Could be inside," I suggested. "But you'll have to open it to find out."
Mom sighed. "Hand me a knife."
She cut open the packaging to reveal the oh so mysterious gift. "It's an ice cream maker!" Rory cheered. "A Musso Lussino 480!" Sookie gasped.
"A fascist ice cream maker?" I raised my eyebrow. "No card, peachy," Mom sighed. "Ooh!" Sookie exclaimed. "Jackson just got in his apple crop, we can make cider ice cream!"
"Il Duce is going back," Mom insisted. "To where though? It's an orphan," Rory pointed out. "We'd be giving it a home," Sookie tried to reason with Mom.
"Guys, this is a wedding present and I am not getting married," Mom reminded us. "I'm not supposed to keep this."
"There's a rule though," I piped up. "I saw it on Martha Stewart with Tessa, if a wedding present arrives after eight weeks, you don't have to return it."
"Nice try, Heather," Mom glowered at me. "It's true!" I exclaimed. "Until I find the sender, no one touches it," Mom laid down the rule.
"I bet Max would let us keep it," Sookie said to us after Mom left the room.
***
"Believe it or not," Professor Anderson informed us. "Shakespeare did not intend his plays to be read by students sitting at desks, they were meant to be experienced and lived! With my third period Shakespeare, you'll be split into five groups and each group has the responsibility for one act of Romeo and Juliet, which will be performed a week from Sunday."
She put our assignments on our desk. Andrea looked pleased with hers. I looked at mine and it said Act Five, Death Scene.
Yay.
"You will nominate a director, cast the scene and rehearse it and interpret the scene in our own individual manner. Last year, we did Richard III and one group set their act during the Roman Empire, the last act was set during the Sonny and Cher show," she told us.
Everyone let out a chuckle. "Whatever you choose, should highlight the themes you see in the scene. And remember, this is fifty percent of your final grade," she said as the bell rang.
Andrea immediately turned to me. "Act Two, Balcony Scene, you?"
"Act Five, Death Scene," I told her. Rory came up to me. "What did you get?"
"Act Five," I told her. "You're with me, Madeline, Louise and Paris," Rory sighed.
I let out a very audible groan. "Yeah, tell me about it," she murmured.
We exited the classroom and Paris came up to me. "You Act Five?"
"Yes," I muttered. "We're all over there," she told me and grabbed my arm and dragged me over. "Our aim is to get an A," she told us. "We meet in the cafeteria to discuss the plan and who's who..."
"Look who's back from suspension," Louise smirked. I turned around to see Tristan. "Yikes, Andrea's gonna be pissed," I mumbled.
"What did he do this time?" Rory asked Louise. "He took apart McCaffey's car and rebuilt it, in the hallway," Madeline told us. "With Duncan and Bowman, obviously and the mechanics they hired."
"Yeesh," I muttered to Rory. "Hopefully, Andrea doesn't find out."
"Too late," Rory grimaced. I looked around to see Andrea frozen on the spot. "I'll be back, tell Paris I had to pee or something," I muttered.
Andrea was about to storm over but I stopped her. "Don't do anything stupid," I advised her.
"But..but," she stuttered. "I know he's a jackass, don't waste your breath," I told her. "Gilmore," Tristan walked over to us. "I'm cursed," I muttered under my breath.
"You lost or something DuGray?" I muttered. "Go down there, take a left, there's the exit."
"Burn," one of the boys piped up. Probably Duncan or Bowman. I just grabbed Andrea's arm and led her away from them.
***
Me and Rory walked into the house to find Mom on the phone. She just hung up and we put the coffee cup from Luke's in front of her.
"Well, I've had no luck so far," she mumbled. "How was school?"
"We have to do Act Five of Romeo and Juliet, with Paris, Madeline and Louise," Rory told her. Mom grimaced at that.
"I have to learn how to play depressing music on my guitar, that's my job," I sighed. "And I said to Paris that you'd make our costumes, she wants to meet you tomorrow, at three," Rory added.
"Sorry..what?" Mom muttered. "She needs a resume," Rory told her "And samples of your previous works and your referrals."
"And my ass to kiss," Mom grumbled. The phone rang and Rory answered it as I went upstairs to find some depressing music. "Hezzy! Rory's ordering pizza okay?" Mom called upstairs. "I'll see you later!"
"See ya!" I called. I picked up my book and my guitar. I made sure it was in tune. "Alright, operation, find the most depressing," I sighed. I started slowly strumming the A minor chord.
I heard a knock on my window and I jumped up once I deciphered the knocking pattern. I knew it was Jess.
I leapt up and headed to the window. I opened it. "Hey," I smiled. "Hey, yourself," he replied. "Permission to enter?"
"Permission granted," I opened it further and helped him in.
"I heard you play, you practicing for a funeral?" he quipped. "In a way," I admitted. "It's for an assignment, my group is performing the last scene of Romeo and Juliet and I have to provide the music."
"So, you're looking for something depressing?" Jess wondered. He looked at my guitar and widened his eyes. "Holy crap, is that Angus Young's signature?!"
"I got it signed on my fourteenth birthday," I told him. "Joe Perry signed it too."
"Anyone else?" Jess asked. "Uh, Robert Plant, James Hetfield, Dennis DeYoung and Lemmy," I told him.
"THE Lemmy?" Jess was impressed. "THE Lemmy," I confirmed. "I'm officially jealous," Jess smiled.
He flicked through my book. "Hmm, try that one."
"You know guitar?" I raised my eyebrow. "Yeah, play it," he told me.
I plucked the strings slowly and Jess was a genius at this stuff. It sounded sad, depressing and made me want to curl into a ball and die.
"It's perfect," I muttered. "Thanks for helping me."
"Anytime, Heath," he murmured. "Now, I feel sad," he chuckled. I picked up my guitar and smirked.
***
I walked into the lunch hall, despite it not being lunch time, with my guitar.
"Why were you belting out Bohemian Rhapsody last night?" Rory asked me. I shrugged. "Felt like it."
"Where's Paris?" Rory asked Madeline. "She'll be here, she's just getting some things."
Brad was in our group as we had no boys to play Romeo. "Should we start?" Rory suggested. "Do you have a death wish?" Louise asked her.
"We could choose the motif at least," Rory mumbled. "Traditional Elizabethan," Paris announced as she entered the room. "But.." Rory opened her mouth to speak but Paris kept talking. "We are trying to get an A, I'm not doing the Death Scene like a Vegas lounge act..uh who are you?"
"Brad..third period Shakespeare...ma'am," Brad stuttered. "Okay, I want everyone to start reading these, Heather, with me."
I followed Paris out of the room and she led me into an empty classroom. "Did you pick your piece?"
"Yeah," I told her. "Play it," she ordered. I took my guitar out from its case. "Who signed it?" Paris asked me. "Different rock stars," I told her. I played the tune Jess chose for me last night, slowly.
"It's great," Paris told me. "Good choice, I like it, depressing and mirrors the theme perfectly, you'll have to keep playing it on a continuous loop."
We went back to the lunch hall. "Back to business, everyone, apart from Heather, will be off book on Friday. If any of you plan on missing rehearsal, you'd better have a coroner's note," Paris instructed them. "Heather has her role already, Brad you will be Romeo, Louise you'll be the Friar.."
"Well, well, the gang's all here," Tristan joined us. "This is a meeting," Paris told him. "Sorry, I'm late," Tristan muttered, sitting down. "Uh, what are you doing?" Paris asked him.
"Professor Anderson forgot to include me, she told me to pick a group, this was the only one void of ex girlfriends," he told Paris.
"I didn't know having good taste was a bad thing," I snarked. "Oh, Heather, you wound me, don't you need me at all?" he flirted with me. I rolled my eyes. "You can be our Romeo," Louise said. "Brad is Romeo," I told her.
"I agree with Heather," Paris spoke up. "I'm not giving the most vital part to someone who can't manage to stay in school!"
"Fifty percent of our grade, Heather," Louise told me. "She's not the director!" Paris snapped. "But she's not letting emotion cloud her judgement, Heather?" Louise looked at me.
I turned to Brad. "Do you get stage fright?"
"I tend to throw up," he admitted. "Fine, but if you ruin this for us, I swear to God.." Paris growled at Tristan. "Rehearsal tomorrow night!"
"Can I be Juliet?" Louise asked Paris. Paris looked at me. "Who do you think should be Juliet?"
"Rory," I answered honestly. "Evil!" Rory exclaimed. "Hear me out, before you condemn me to Hell for the billionth time since I crawled out of the womb," I requested. "Juliet is chaste and has more than three lines and Rory is the best public speaker."
"She's right," Paris agreed with me. Rory gave me a dirty look.
***
"I said I was sorry!"
"You don't know how bad this is, Heather!"
"Then tell me!"
"I can't!"
"Look, I don't trust Madeline and Louise because I know they'll blow it, do you really think I would do that just to spite you?!"
"Guys, what's going on?" Mom asked us, shocked because me and Rory hardly ever fight. "She nominated me to be Juliet and Paris agreed with her!" Rory shouted.
"It's not my fault that Paris agreed with me, Madeline can't remember lines well and Louise would be oogling Tristan!" I exclaimed.
"It's bad though!" Rory snapped. "Because something happened last year!"
"I'm not psychic!" I yelled. "How about telling me what happened, so you can make me feel even worse?!"
"I didn't want to be Juliet!" Rory grumbled angrily. "Well, I'm sorry! But I wasn't just doing it for me, I was doing it for you too because I trust you and I know you better than anyone! If it's really that bad, then I deserve to go to hell!"
I stormed upstairs and slammed the door behind me. I flopped onto my bed and I began crying into my pillow.
I heard my door open. "Oh, sweetheart," Mom gave me a big hug. "Tell me what happened."
"They all looked at me for the decision making because Paris kept agreeing with me," I sobbed. "And they told me to pick a Juliet and I picked Rory because she was the only one who was actually able to do the role but I don't know what happened last year and now I'm the bad guy."
"Look, it's not your fault, okay? You were put on the spot and you panicked and I know it spooked Rory but she shouldn't have yelled at you because you didn't know what happened last year," she put her arm around me.
"And if you ask me, you made the right choice," Mom muttered. "Although, it isn't great in Rory's books since the incident but it shows that you trust your sister."
"What happened?" I asked her. "Okay, Rory kissed Tristan a day after she and Dean broke up," Mom admitted. "Oh," I grimaced.
"And to add insult to injury, rehearsal is here, in Stars Hollow, at Miss Patty's," Mom told me. "Ugh," I moaned. "Try not to kill each other," she advised me. "I'll try," I sighed and I got my guitar and walked downstairs. "I'm gonna go ahead and go there, need to practice," I told Mom.
"Okay," she murmured.
I went out the back way and before going to Miss Patty's, I went to Luke's.
"Heather, you okay?" Luke asked me. "Not really, can I have a coffee to go, please?" I asked him. "What happened?" Luke asked me. "Me and Rory had a bad fight," I sighed. "How bad?" Luke wondered. "We were yelling at each other, I was crying and I may have chipped some of the paint off my door by slamming it," I admitted.
"Ah," Luke mumbled. "Sorry, kiddo."
"It's okay," I said. "Siblings fight all the time, right?"
"Not you and Rory though, you guys never fight," Luke pointed out. "Evil used to be a term of endearment but it wasn't used in that context," I told him.
Jess made the coffee and handed it to me. "I put some sugar in there," he told me. "Thanks," I murmured. "Look, you and Rory are best friends, you guys will make up, trust me," Jess said to me. I gripped his hand affectionately. "Thanks Jess."
I left the diner and walked to Miss Patty's. "You're a little early, Heather," Miss Patty told me. I looked over at Paris who was waiting impatiently. "Is it okay if I set up?"
"Go ahead, dear," Miss Patty gave me permission. I set up the music stand and sipped my coffee. Jess makes a good cup, I'll give him that. "Uh, where's Tristan?" I heard Paris ask Madeline. "Market," Madeline replied.
It suddenly hit me that Dean had a night shift. "Shit," I muttered. "Back in a sec!" I called to Paris as I literally sprinted to the market.
I burst into the market to find Tristan and Dean talking, most importantly Dean's temptation to punch Tristan right in the face.
"Dean!" I exclaimed. "I've got something to settle with this guy!" Dean growled. "Outside, outside," I ushered him out.
I pushed him out the door. "Jesus, Heather!" Dean exclaimed. "Is it true? Are Tristan and Rory Romeo and Juliet?"
"Yes, it's true and it's my fault, not Rory's, I made her be Juliet," I rambled. "Look, I only found out we were rehearsing here like twenty minutes ago, it's just a project, they do it on Sunday and then you have my blessing to castrate him."
"Don't be mad at Rory, be mad at me, for forcing her to be Juliet," I mumbled. "And being forced to choose Tristan for Romeo as he was the only male public speaker in our group, who won't throw up after two lines."
"When is it over?" Dean asked me. "Sunday, I'm sorry," I mumbled. "It's okay," Dean muttered. "I just wish Rory would've told me, but thanks for telling me, can you get rid of Tristan for me, please?"
"Yeah..I will," I said.
I walked back in. "You, out!"
I grabbed Tristan by the jacket and hauled him out of Doose's. "Did you have to antagonise the guy?" I asked him rhetorically. "Come on, he's a stock boy," Tristan laughed. "Just go back to the group, before I murder you slowly and painfully," I threatened him. He reluctantly went back to Miss Patty's.
While there was awkwardness between me and Rory, it went well. Rory went over to Luke's as I practiced my guitar.
"Hezzy!" Mom came rushing in. "It's gotten worse!"
"How?" I asked her. "Dean is coming to every rehearsal now," Mom sighed. "WHAT?!" I freaked out. "He told me he talked to you," she muttered. "Well, I prevented him and Tristan from knocking each other out and I told him what was going on," I explained. "I told him it was my fault.."
"It wasn't your fault, let's blame Tristan, make our lives easier," Mom suggested. "God, I tried to make it better but I made things so much worse!"
"Sweetheart, none of this is on you, it's on Tristan for being Tristan," Mom told me.
***
I walked over to Tristan and his buddies. "Heather," he greeted me. I grabbed him by the blazer and dragged him to the empty lunch hall.
"At least ask me out first," he grumbled. "I'm not that desperate," I hissed. "Now, I'm gonna talk and you're gonna listen!"
He sat down reluctantly as I folded my arms. "I know about what happened between you and Rory, that you kissed, Dean is coming to the rehearsal tonight, so keep your mouth shut," I ordered.
"You don't want me to tell Dean, got it," Tristan rolled his eyes. "I don't want you to tell him or even hint that something happened, because not only will you have one angry Gilmore, there will be three angry Gilmores on your ass, me, my sister and my mother! I don't want to see my sister's relationship go up in flames, she has to tell Dean herself, it's better that way, we may be twins but I will do anything to protect my sister even though she hates my guts at the moment, are we clear?"
"Crystal," Tristan agreed. "Good," I muttered. "But.."
"Crap," I whispered. "Next rehearsal, you and me get coffee because I'm only getting the rough side of Heather Gilmore, I want the fluffy side," he said. "A date."
"A date?" I asked in disbelief. I sighed. "Fine..one date but I'm not kissing you at the end of the night, those are the terms."
"No kissing, got it," he smirked and walked away. "Tristan," I stopped him. "Stay away from Duncan and Bowman, they're not worth you throwing your life away," I advised him.
He walked out and Andrea walked in. "Uh..what happened?"
"Sit down, I'll explain," I muttered. "In exchange for him not telling my sister's boyfriend that he kissed my sister the night after they broke up, I agreed to go on a date with him, but only one," I told her.
"Whoa," she muttered. "You are a good sibling, throwing yourself to the wolves like that."
"I am?" I asked her. "Yeah, you're going out with someone you don't like, just to help your sister out," Andrea pointed out. "I don't picture Rory doing the same for you."
"The only guy I like isn't into me like that," I murmured. "What if a certain bad boy got jealous of a certain someone..." Andrea smirked.
"You're telling me to make Jess jealous by flaunting my date?" I raised my eyebrow. "Two birds..one stone, that way something good comes for you," Andrea laughed. "You are a mean person," I mumbled. "But you love me," she said.
***
"Oh, my God!" Mom gasped once I told her everything. "Why did I agree?" I wailed.
"It's one night, it'll be over," Mom tried to comfort me. "This is the worst week of my entire life!" I freaked out.
"Come on, time for Hell," Mom said. "Not helping," I complained.
Then came rehearsal, I plucked the strings of my guitar quietly as the scene played out. "O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick...line," Tristan said.
"Thus with a kiss I die," Paris complained. "It's easy to remember. You kiss her then you die..why are you smiling?!"
I looked up to see Tristan enjoying Dean's anger. I cleared my throat, loudly. I shot Tristan a dirty look. "I am not failing because of you!" Paris shouted at him. "Can we just get the damn scene done, please?" I grumbled.
"Sorry," Tristan apologised. "O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick, thus with a kiss I die.." he hovered over Rory and looked right at Dean.
"Oh, come on!" Paris yelled impatiently. "But the kiss at the party," Tristan told her. I widened my eyes in shock. "The Capulet party, the kiss has to be just as memorable."
"Let's take five" I suggested and I walked out of the studio. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"We had a deal," I muttered, when Tristan came out. "I'd go on the date if you didn't tell Dean what happened or hinted at it, you hinted at it," I grumbled.
"You know what, take a half an hour, I need to sit down," Paris grumbled. "So...date?" Tristan asked me.
I sighed. "Fine."
I walked to Luke's with him. "You take it black?" I asked him. "White," Tristan told me. "Okay," I muttered turning to Luke. "Two coffees, my usual and one white."
"Who's he?" Luke asked me. "My date," I sighed. "You're on a date?" Luke asked me. I saw Jess look up from the table. "Hey!" Luke scolded him. Jess continued cleaning the table but at a slower pace. "So..date..does your mom know?" Luke asked me. "Yes," I told him. "For here or to go?"
"To go, please," I mumbled. "Make sure he treats you right," Luke told me in a low voice. "Thanks Luke," I muttered. I turned around and gave Tristan his coffee.
"That guy is totally into you," he told me once we walked out. "How do you know?" I asked him.
"He was eavesdropping on the conversation you were having, the second you said date," Tristan told me. "He's my friend," I told Tristan. "So, not your boyfriend?" he asked me.
"No, he's not," I said. "But you want him to be?" Tristan hinted. "I don't know what I want, it's complicated," I explained.
"So..what you planning to do after Chilton..Yale?"
"No, Columbia," I told him. "Or Dartmouth, there's a pros and cons list."
"Personally, Dartmouth's overrated. Columbia is in New York City, I'd want to go there and what course do you want to do?"
"Film and Media," I said. "Trust me, Columbia alumni have a better chance than Dartmouth alumni at getting their stuff produced," Tristan advised me.
"Okay...Columbia it is," I smiled. "Thanks."
"Any time."
***
I sat in Luke's with Mom and Sookie. "So how was it..awful?" Mom asked me. "It wasn't too bad, I guess," I muttered. "He helped me make a decision, a big one."
"Which one?" Sookie asked me.
"THE big one," I told them. They leaned forward. "I want to go to Columbia," I announced. "It's closer to home, about two and a half hours by bus and one hour forty by car and Tristan told me I have a better chance there than Dartmouth."
"Well, I'm glad he helped you come to that conclusion," Mom smiled.
"Can I talk to you? Alone?" Jess' voice popped up suddenly. "Uh, yeah, sure," I muttered.
We went outside and Jess sighed heavily. "What do you see in him?"
"In Tristan?" I asked him. "Yeah, I didn't think prep guys were your type," Jess commented. "He's not, it was one time thing, I made a deal, if he kept his mouth shut about something, I'd go on a date with him and he was actually helpful, he helped me make a big decision," I explained.
"Columbia...I heard," Jess smiled. "Yeah...Columbia," I mumbled. "It's closer than Dartmouth but not by much."
"Ah," Jess muttered. "Did you and Rory make up yet?"
"Not yet," I said. "I should..get back to work," Jess mumbled. "Oh yeah..yeah you should, I'll see you later?" I asked him.
He nodded and he went inside.
***
I watched as Andrea did the Stone Age version of Romeo and Juliet. I clapped loudly with everyone else.
"Very convincing," I poked fun at her. "I would pay to see you throw a rock at someone."
"Evil!" she exclaimed.
Paris came rushing out to me. "Tristan..I can't find him anywhere!" Paris panicked.
After running around for a while, I bumped into him. "Come on, hurry, we're on soon!"
"I can't," he sighed. "My dad had me pulled out of school."
"Seriously?!" Paris shouted and stormed off.
"Oh, Tristan, what did you do?" I mumbled. "Something involving Duncan, Bowman and Bowman's dad's safe, I should've listened to you."
"Well, that was stupid," I commented. "I agree," he muttered. "Can't you just..I dunno...undo it?" I asked him. "Just say you were going through a gothic, wannabe phase."
"I tried," Tristan muttered. "But now I'm being shipped off to military school, in North Carolina."
"Sorry," I sighed. "Tristan, come on!" Mr DuGray ordered.
"I'd kiss you but you said kissing is off the table," Tristan muttered. I stood on my tip toes and pecked him on the cheek. "Take care of yourself," he advised me. "Thanks for the advice, about Columbia," I said.
"They'd be lucky to have you, goodbye, Heather Gilmore."
He walked out with his father. "Hurry up!" Paris ordered, making me jump.
I did what I did, I played my guitar as a background theme while Paris played as Romeo. We got applauded at the end.
"I loved the guitar!" Professor Anderson said. "Who was playing?"
I stuck my hand up into the air. "Astounding work, Heather," she complimented me.
"Thank you," I smiled.
***
I was in my bed all comfy and I heard my door creak open. I felt something crawl into my bed and hug me.
"I'm sorry," Rory mumbled. "Mom told me what you did for me."
"It's what you do for family, you would have done the same for me...right?"
"Of course I would," Rory hugged me tightly. "Professor Anderson was more impressed with you anyway. You didn't deserve that abuse I gave you."
"It's okay," I told her. "No, it isn't okay, tomorrow, we are going to that fancy candy shop in Hartford and I'll buy you whatever you want," Rory proposed. "You know me well, Ror."
"So you kissed Tristan?"
"On the cheek, I was saying goodbye," I told her. "I think Jess might have been a little annoyed at our 'date.'"
"Jealous," Rory laughed. "Maybe, I don't know," I smirked. "But I made my mind up about college."
"Really?"
"Columbia," I said to her. Rory snuggled in closer to me. "I was hoping you'd choose Columbia, it's closer to home."
"Yeah," I mumbled. "Night, Ror."
"Night, Hezzy."
Rory stayed snuggled into me.
"Hezzy?"
"Yeah?"
"You're still evil."
"I know I am."