A/N
Last but certainly not least, Hannah John-Kamen as Andrea Swarbrick
Mom didn't get mad at Rory. Although Kirk bragging about his victory didn't help whatsoever.
Things were hella awkward. Between me and Jess and me and Rory. Awkward was the understatement of the year.
Last night was the biggest disaster of the year.
Scratch that, century.
"My God," Tessa said for the fifth time this morning. "I still can't believe that happened so what exactly happened?"
"I'm too tired to explain," I yawned. "So who dumped who?"
"Rory broke up with Dean because he thought she had her eye on Jess and vice versa," I mumbled. "He only has eyes for you anyway, I've hardly seen him and Rory exchanging so much as a conversation," Tessa pointed out.
"Exactly," I agreed. "I'll keep an eye on him in school, in case Dean starts picking a fight," she offered. "God this is so awful," I groaned. "Poor Rory didn't deserve any of that."
Mom and Rory walked into Luke's and Rory joined me and Tessa. "You okay?" I asked her. "Not really," she mumbled. "Hezzy told me what happened, I'm sorry," Tessa gave Rory a small hug. "Thanks Tessa," Rory gave her a small smile.
"Mom still grumpy about Kirk winning?" I asked Rory. "Yup," she sighed. "Last night was such a disaster! Have you and Jess spoken since?"
I shook my head. "I'm gonna after school."
"I'm so sorry," Rory mumbled. "You've got nothing to apologise for," I told her.
"I bet ten bucks your mom is gonna steal that trophy," Tessa laughed. "So if she does, I have to give you ten bucks?"
Tessa smiled and sipped her coffee. Rory showed me her watch. "I'll get the donuts," I offered.
I walked over to the counter. "Two please," I said to Luke. Jess came out from upstairs and froze once he saw us. "Hi," he mumbled. "Hey," I murmured. Luke handed me the donuts. "Bye," I muttered and I walked away.
"Awkward," Mom sang. Rory shot her the death stare and we walked out. "That was pretty awkward," Rory pointed out as she took her donut.
***
"What part of 'no walnuts' doesn't she understand!" Grandma ranted as we were waiting ten years for the salad.
"Mistakes happen," Mom pointed out. "That woman has zero work ethic," she mumbled. "You made her redo it four times so she has some," Mom commented.
"I like things done correctly," Grandma stated. "The first time," Grandpa muttered. "In Europe they have the salad last and main course first," Mom piped up.
"Lorelai," Grandma sighed. "Fine, we'll be European tonight!"
"I was getting tired of being American so this is a nice change," Grandpa smiled.
"I'm gonna get another soda," Rory said, standing up. "Come on Hezzy." The two of us got up and went into the kitchen. Rory handed me a can and I started pouring it into a glass.
"Did you find them?" Grandpa asked us. "Yep," Rory told him as she opened her own soda. "Good, ah here's the ice," Grandpa said. "And chocolate."
"Bless you!" I cheered as he handed me and Rory chocolate. "How's school?" he asked us. "Good," I said. "Little crazy."
"Preparing for college is quite daunting," Grandpa pointed out. "I was so stressed out whilst preparing for Yale, didn't cut my hair for two months, but it was worth it, my years at Yale were the most gratifying ones of my life. My father went there and I made wonderful friends, of whom I'm still in contact with."
"That must be nice," Rory commented. "I'm actually going there next week, a reunion of the Whiffenpoofs," he said.
"The what now?" I mumbled. "An a-cappella singing group," he explained. "Like the Beatles but we have better table manners, a group of us are meeting up at the old alma mater and we're having dinner, swapping stories."
A maid came out with the salads. "Excuse me," she sniffled. "They have walnuts," Rory whispered to me. "Oh no," I grimaced. "You may want to come with me next week, both of you to Yale, having a look around and your mother could come too, it'd be fun, I'd love to show Yale to you both," Grandpa offered.
"Sounds cool, we're in," I accepted the offer. "Good," he smiled. "Now which one of you wants to tell your mother?"
"Not it!" I piped up. "Evil," Rory grumbled. The maid came running back, crying. "We're going to need more chocolate," Grandpa said and went back to the fridge.
Mom didn't take the news so well. "He's going for a dinner," Rory told her. "The two of us are just having a look around and testing the coffee," I said. "I've tried Harvard and Columbia coffee, Yale's turn."
"He's manipulating the pair of you," Mom warned us. "Please come Mom," I begged her. "It's hi, then bye, I'm still going to Columbia, Rory's still going to Harvard, nothing will change our minds."
"It'll be fun, we'll make it fun," Rory insisted. "Okay," Mom agreed.
***
I walked into Luke's after school to see Kirk interrogating Rory. "I didn't steal the trophy!" she exclaimed. "Hezzy? See you at home?"
"Yeah," I nodded sitting at the counter. "Usual?" Luke asked me. I nodded. Jess came out from upstairs and looked stunned to see me. "Could I get that burger to go please?" I asked Luke. He nodded.
"I've got that movie upstairs," Jess told me. "Oh yeah, great," I murmured. "Wanna...go upstairs and look at it?"
"Yeah, sure," I nodded and the two of us walked upstairs, not saying a word.
"You want a soda?" he asked me. "I'm good thanks," I muttered. "I have to do something other than stand here like a complete and utter moron," he said.
"Trust me, you're not the only one," I pointed out. "Everything okay? With you and your sister?"
"Yeah, we're good," I nodded. "Have she and Dean talked at all?" he wondered. I shook my head. "Probably for the best."
"Are you okay?" he wondered. "I'm fine, are you?"
"I'm good," he muttered, the two of us getting closer. "Good," I said and we were about to kiss before the door burst open.
"Great timing," Jess rolled his eyes. "Alright you two, sit down," Luke muttered.
I sat down and Luke gave me my burger. "I threw some fries in," he told me.
"Okay, first of all, when Heather is here, the door stays open.."
"Wait what?!" Jess protested. "You're not allowed on either end of the apartment," Luke continued on. "You stay in the middle, you can sit on the couch or the chair, when she is on the chair, you're on the couch and vice versa, on weekdays you will have her home by nine and weekends you will have her home by eleven, any evidence of alcohol or smoking, you won't be allowed near her without an adult present. Is that clear?"
"May I speak?" Jess piped up.
"If you must," Luke rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to have you committed or would you prefer to check yourself in?"
"Oh haha," Luke muttered dryly. "What do you think I'm gonna do?" Jess asked him rhetorically.
It was like I wasn't even in the room. "There will be no funny business," Luke stated. "When you're there, there's Lorelai, when you're here, there's me and when you're out there, there's Taylor."
He looked chuffed with that last statement before leaving. As soon as the door closed I burst out laughing. "Alright on the couch."
Jess looked at me weirdly. "I call dibs on chair," I smirked, eating my fries.
***
"Come on, they'll be here soon!" Mom yelled up the stairs. I came down with my backpack. "I did some research," Mom told us. "The best of New Haven," Rory looked at the book. "There's a good taco place ten minutes from campus."
The doorbell rang and Mom answered it. "Hello Rory, hello Lorelai," Grandpa greeted us. "I'll get the bags."
He took our bags and put them in the front. Mom had half her body out the window while drinking her coffee.
We had a little look around and the art gallery was awesome. "Did you see the cameras Hezzy?" Rory asked me. "They were bigger than Taylor's ego," I joked and Rory burst out laughing.
"He took me there on our first date," Grandma laughed. "All the ladies, he'd take to the art gallery."
"Oh Emily you were no better," Grandpa pointed out. "I was in another relationship when you decided you simply had to have me."
Mom started laughing. "My God!" Grandma rolled her eyes.
"Linny Lott," he reminded her. "I was engaged to her. Handed out invitations and everything."
"Oh she was stupid," Grandma grumbled. "You're going to give them the wrong impression."
"Oh my God, my mother was the other woman," Mom burst into fits of hysterical laughter.
"Lorelai!" she scolded her. Grandpa stopped at a trash can. "This is where I proposed to your grandmother."
"Aw," me and Rory cooed in unison. "She was angry with me because I wouldn't commit to holiday plans when in fact I was going to introduce her to my parents, you called me a spineless jelly fish, I got annoyed and I pulled out the box and went 'Here!' and she opened it and said 'fine.'" Grandpa explained
Grandma suddenly gasped. "My button! It broke!"
"Come on, we'll sort it out," Mom ushered her to the bathroom. "Are you both having a good time?" Grandpa asked us.
"A very good time," I told him. "Your mother took my diploma and put it in her room when she was ten years old, claiming that she wanted to go to Yale," he laughed.
***
"This is the main administration building," Grandpa told us. "The professor's office, the Dean's office, follow me!"
"I wonder why he's so excited," Grandma frowned.
We stopped outside the Dean's office and that's when I got that feeling. The 'so nervous that I might throw up like Stan in South Park' feeling.
Crap. Mom was right.
"Rory, Heather, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, his name is Harris Fellows, the Dean of Admissions," Grandpa told us. "What?" Mom started to look not so happy.
"I called him before we came and asked him if he had time to squeeze you both in and he said yes."
"For what?" I mumbled. "For an interview for Yale," he told me. "But.." I began to protest. "We haven't applied for Yale."
"I told him that both of you weren't finished deciding," he said. "Ivy League schools are competitive."
I looked at Grandma who was glaring. She had no clue about it. "Rory, Heather, you don't have to go in there," Mom told us, looking at how pale I was slowly becoming.
"Of course they have to!" Grandpa insisted. "The man is waiting."
"We'll go in," Rory mumbled.
Okay, I'm gonna have to try to keep the puke down.
***
I kept it down for the whole interview and once we were doing the farewell handshakes, I decided to make my getaway. "Excuse me sir, do you know where the bathroom is, I'm feeling a little lightheaded," I mumbled. "Down the hall first door on the right," he told me. "Thank you," I dashed out and made a beeline for the bathroom.
I shut myself in a stall and started puking. I heard a knock on the door. "Hezzy? It's me," I heard Mom's voice. I unlocked the door and she sat down next to me.
"You okay?" she asked me. "I kept it down for the whole interview so that's something," I wiped my mouth with a paper towel and swished water around in my mouth.
"I wasn't prepared, neither was Ror, it was a nightmare," I sighed. "Even if I do get accepted, I'm not gonna go, New York is my dream, it's because I want to go there, no one is pushing me, it's my choice."
"Can you repeat that next Friday Night Dinner?" Mom tried to lighten the mood. "Yeah, I'll do that," I chuckled. Mom gave me some water to drink and we left the bathroom.
Rory was waiting for us outside and the three of us left.
We got a cab back to Stars Hollow and I bought some Tic Tacs to freshen my breath. "You gonna come to Luke's?" Rory asked me. "Nah, if I eat I'll throw up, I'm just gonna go home," I mumbled.
Mom nodded and she and Rory made their way to Luke's. "Heather!"
I turned around to see Jess running across the road. "How was the trip?" he asked me, a little out of breath. "I'd rather not talk about it," I sighed, but I knew I'd say something in the next two seconds. "My grandpa organised a meeting with the Dean from Yale, I got so nervous that I threw up."
He started to lean in. "You do know I threw up like two hours ago," I reminded him. "Yeah, don't care," he leaned in and kissed me. I looped my arms around my neck. "The Tic Tacs helped," he said. "Good," I smirked.
"I'd better go or Luke will turn into the Hulk," Jess told me. "I'll see you around," I smiled and we both walked away from each other.
I unlocked my front door and I went upstairs and got my pyjamas and got into my bed.
Maybe my grandparents thought Yale was good for me. But my decision is final. Columbia.