Jo's POV
I sat with Rory, Lane and Dean, as Lorelai talked on the phone with her mother. Rory had been talked into attending a debutante ball, and she managed to rope Dean in with her.
"So?" Rory asks.
"So what?" Dean questions.
"It's good, huh?"
"It's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction," he replies.
"Yes, and doesn't Neil Young look cool?" she asks.
"I guess."
"If you'll notice, he's wearing a tux."
"Neil Young looks cool because he's Neil Young, not because he's wearing a tux."
Poor Dean was not looking forward to his required outfit, but from what I've picked up he'd probably do anything for this girl.
He's a nice guy and even offered to join Lane and I at lunch. Lorelai comes back in still bickering with her mother before walking off again.
"I think you're gonna look great in a tux," Rory reassures Dean.
"Tails," Lane says.
"What?" Dean asks, looking up at Rory.
"Yeah, according to this, it says that, "all escorts must be properly attired in black tails, white cummerbunds, and white gloves'" Lane reads.
"What?" Dean asks again.
I giggle. He is so unhappy. I start reading over Lane shoulder.
"I'm sure the gloves are optional," Rory says.
"Not according to this," I add.
"Tails!? Gloves!?"
"Remember Neil Young. Remember that you love me," Rory says.
That doesn't work.
"Remember that I'll be watching Battlebots with you for a month," she adds.
He sighs.
"Show me Neil Young again," he says, leaning back into the couch.
Lane and I smile at him. There's a honk outside and Rory jumps up.
"Dad!"
Lorelai and Rory go out to meet him. Rory returns with the gift her dad got her. A dictionary with every word in the English language.
We hear music blaring and look out the window. It's coming from the car. Rory goes out to turn it down before running back.
--
I spend my Saturday either working in the diner, or reading in the diner. It's almost closing time when Rory shows up, still in her pretty white dress.
"Hi, how was it?" I ask her.
"It was good, I actually had fun."
"Can I get you anything?"
"Burger and fries, please," she replies.
"I got it, you hang out," Luke tells me.
I sit with Rory and she tells me about her night until Luke brings her food. Just as she's taking her first bit Lorelai walks in.
"Hey!"
"What?" Rory asks.
"After all you've been through tonight, and I come in here and find you eating like that?" she asks.
Rory just stares at her for a second before sticking her pinky up.
"There you go," Lorelai says.
"Being a lady is hard," Rory replies.
"So, tonight? What's the consensus?" Lorelai asks, her.
"The fan dance was humiliating. I'm never doing a curtsy again, but having dad around was great."
"Yeah, it was," Lorelai replies.
They talk until Luke brings Lorelai's food, as well as some food for me.
"Eat this," he instructs, before looking at Lorelai.
I catch his eyes looking her up and down.
"So, back from the ball, huh?" he asks.
"Yes. I left behind a glass slipper and a business card, incase the prince is really dumb,"she says.
"Good and desperate thinking."
"Thank you."
Just then Jess comes out from behind the curtain. I laugh.
"Hmm. Luke," Lorelai says.
"What?"
He turns around and sees Jess who is cleaning the counter like nothing is happening.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asks.
"Working," Jess replies.
"For once today," I mumble to the girls.
"So you think this is funny, huh?"
"I'm sorry, I thought this was the uniform," Jess says, looking down at his outfit and then pointing at me.
My eyes widen and then I look at what I'm wearing. This morning I asked Luke if I could wear one of his flannels.
"Hey, you said I could wear this today," I tell Luke.
I had pushed the sleeves up as high as they'd go and folded the bottom half up, tying it in a knot at my waist. I also wore a back tank top and black jean shorts.
Luke looks back at Jess.
"Okay, you know what, that's fine. Have your little joke. You know, doesn't bother me at all. You just go over there and clean off that table. I'm ignoring you. You do not exist."
"Okay," Jess replies.
We quietly eat and watch. Jess exaggeratedly moves the pepper and Luke loses his cool.
"That's it. Get upstairs and change."
"Whatever you say, Uncle Luke."
"It's Luke. Just Luke. Mr. Luke. In fact, don't address me at all!" he yells up the stairs.
"You know, I'm really lucky," Lorelai says.
"Yeah? Why?" Rory asks.
"I have someone to complain to when life sucks, or work sucks, or just everything sucks, I have someone I can talk to."
"Yeah? Who?"
"Ooh, Shecky, you kill me," she jokes.
"It just must be really lonely not to have that," Lorelai adds.
"You thinking about grandma?" Rory asks.
"Mm. I'm just... thinking," Lorelai replies.
I look down as I keep eating. She's thinking about Luke. She's talking about Luke.
Luke now has two teenagers to deal with. Everything in his life, he has no one to talk to about it. If he has a good day, or a bad day, there's no one he has to talk to.
Well, he has me now. He can talk to me.
But does he even want to talk to me?
Of course he doesn't. He took us because he had to, not because he wanted to.
I frown and push the food around on my plate. He walks back out.
"Make sure you finish," he tells me.
I just nod at him. Poor, Luke. He has to deal with us.
Jess being an ass, and me... I'm just here.
Just a burnen. I eat more of my food and while Luke is busy I offer the rest to Rory. She talks it and I take my plate to the kitchen.
I finish washing the dirty dishes, including Lorelai and Rory's. They leave and Luke and I finish up.
I get ready for bed and curl up on my air mattress, covering my head. I don't say a word to Luke and he doesn't seem to notice.
I fall asleep as the silent tears dry on my face.
\\AN// -- All grammar, punctuation, and spelling corrections are helpful, encouraged, and greatly appreciated.
Thank you
-- Izzy