[karana]

So und Teil 3 gleich hinterher, Erklärung siehe Teil 2

Chapter 3: The Flood

The next day after school Rory decided that she would take a first load of books from her locker with her. Lorelai hadn’t told her anything about her problems or the absurd condition of her mother. Rory was sure she would go to Chilton a week from now.
Sure, it was a bit early to clear her locker, but she was so excited she had to start with something.

When she had pulled the first ten books out, she discovered that it really had been a good idea to start them because she couldn’t have guessed how many stuff a locker was able to hold.

The books were heavy and when she kicked her locker shut, she dropped the books. Sighing she crouched down to pick up the books when suddenly a guy was standing next to her, nearly giving her a heart-attack.

“God! You're like Ruth Gordon just standing there with a tennis root. Make a noise”, she exclaimed and put a hand on her wildly beating heart.

“Rosemary's Baby”, the guy grinned.

“Yeah”, Rory nodded, confused that for once someone could keep up with her references, other than her mother or Lane.

“Well, that's a great movie. You've got good taste”, the guy complimented and Rory didn’t know what to say. An awkward silence followed. ”Are you moving?” he broke it.

“No, just my books are”, Rory said and felt stupid.

“My family just moved here from Chicago”, he explained and went to pick up the rest of her books which were still lying on the floor, because she simply couldn’t think or move anymore.

“Windy. Oprah”, she stuttered the first things which came to her mind.

“Yeah. Yeah, that's the place. I'm Dean”, he smiled and handed her the books after she finally got up.

“Hi”, she smiled goofily and stared at him. “Oh, Rory. Me. That's -- that's me” she continued when the first bit of blood returned to her brain- and her cheeks.

“Rory”, he repeated.

“Well, Lorelai technically”, she hurried to explain.

“Lorelai. I like that”, he smiled that brilliant smile of his again and Rory started to ramble.

“It's my mother's name, too. She named me after herself. She was lying in the hospital thinking about how men name boys after themselves all the time, you know, so why couldn't women? She says her feminism just kind of took over. Though personally I think a lot of Demerol also went into that decision. I never talk this much”, she finished a bit out of breath.

“Well, I better go”, he suddenly said.

“Oh, sure” Rory shrugged, although everything inside of her screamed NO!

“I have to go look for a job”, he explained.

“Okay, good” she shrugged again and snapped out of her daze when he started to leave.

“You should check with Miss Patty”, she called after him.

“What?” he asked and walked back over to her.

“About the job. You should check with Miss Patty. She teaches dance. She was actually on Broadway once”, she told him.

“I. . .I don't really dance much”, he chuckled confused.

“No, no, she just kind of knows everything that's going on in town. She'll know if someone's looking”, she explained and together they walked out of the school building.

“Oh, great. Uh, thanks. Hey, what are you doing now?” he asked and Rory’s heart started to beat a bit faster.

“Nothing...much. I should throw this away at some point”, she said and motioned to some notes that lay on top of her books.

“Well, maybe you could show me where this Miss Patty's place is”, he asked.

“Yeah, I guess so. I really don't have anything important to. . .let's go”, Rory agreed and was surprised when he took the books out of her hands and carried them, while they walked to Miss Patty and chatted.

~*~
It was early in the evening when Emily decided to call her future son- in-law and tell him bout his marriage. Richard was still working and she thought that it was time now that Lorelai would get to know who she had to marry.

“Hello, this is Emily Gilmore. Yes, Thank you, we are fine. How is business? That’s very nice to hear. Oh, yes, that’s true. Listen there is a reason why I am calling you after all this time. What? No, nobody died”, Emily said and started to doodle on the paper in front of her. It was an old habit she couldn’t get rid off and every time she talked to someone on the phone, she had to burn the papers afterwards, so nobody would see her stupid doodles.

“Actually it’s kind of a business thing I am calling you about. Do you remember your mother’s letter? No, not the one with the hearts all over it, but the one she wrote shortly before her death. Yes? So you remember that one paragraph about my daughter? Lola? Well that was the nickname your mother gave her, but actually her name was Lorelai…hello you’re still there?” she asked and a content smile appeared on her face.

~*~
A few minutes before Lorelai and Rory had entered Luke’s diner, which was empty by now and sat down quietly on a table. Lorelai was still debating how she could get the money without marrying a stranger, while Rory was deep in thought about Dean. Both had made a decision: Lorelai knew that Rory had to go to Chilton, no matter what and Rory had decided that Stars Hollow High wasn’t that bad anymore.

“So, you were late getting home tonight”, Lorelai tried to start a conversation.

“Yeah, I went to the library”, Rory lied. She couldn’t remember ling to her mother- ever. That was a first.

“Oh. Oh, I forgot to tell you, we're having dinner with your grandparents Friday night”, Lorelai told her, hoping that it would never even come that far. Because then the dinner would be no dinner, but her own wedding.

“We are?” Rory asked surprised.

“Mmhmm”, Lorelai made, sending silent prayer to every god she knew, that she would find another way.

“But it's September”, Rory said.

“So?”

“So what holiday's in September?”

“Look, it's not a holiday thing. It's just dinner, okay?” Lorelai snapped.

“Fine, sorry”, Rory muttered when Luke reached the table with their plates.

“Red meat can kill you. Enjoy”, he told them sarcastically and then went back behind the counter, because the telephone rang.

“So, I finished hemming your skirt today”, Lorelai said, but Rory remained silent.

“Did somebody die?” they heard Luke ask.

“A grunt of acknowledgment might be nice”, Lorelai added.

“I don't understand why we're going to dinner on Friday night. I mean, what if I had plans? You didn't even ask me” Rory changed the topic.

“Well, if you had plans I would have known”, Lorelai shrugged and ate some fried from her plate.

“How?”

“Well, you would have told me”, Lorelai shrugged, not in the mood for any arguments.

“I don't tell you everything. I have my own things”, Rory spit out.

“Fine, you have things”, Lorelai shrugged again, annoyed by her daughters behavior

“That's right. I have things.”

“Hey, I had dibs on being the bitch tonight”, Lorelai snapped.

“Just tonight?” Rory shot back.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Lorelai asked stunned.

“I'm not sure I want to go to Chilton”, Rory admitted.

“What?” Lorelai was sure the Flood would come right through the diner door now.

“The timing is just really bad”, Rory muttered.

“The timing is bad?”

“And the bus ride to and from Hartford, it's like thirty minutes each way”, Rory tried to be at least a bit rational.

“I can't believe what I'm hearing” Lorelai said, once a loss for words.

“Her name is..? Jeez!” they heard Luke yell in the background, but were too occupied with their own fight to pay attention.

“Plus, I don't think we should be spending that money right now. I mean, I know Chilton's got to be costing you a lot”, Rory brought out the next argument.

“Oh, you have no idea” Lorelai replied.

“All of your money should be going toward buying an inn with Sookie”.

“What about college? What about Harvard?” Lorelai asked her daughter.

“We don't know that I can't get into Harvard if I stay where I am”, Rory replied.

“Okay, enough. Enough of the crazy talk, okay? I appreciate your concern but I have this covered”, Lorelai lied, fed up with this discussion.

“I still don't want to go” Rory said louder.

“Why?”

“Because I don't” Rory yelled and stood up.

“Okay, fine. We always had a democracy in this house. We never did anything unless we both agreed. But now I guess I'm going to have to play the mom card. You are going to Chilton whether you want to or not. Monday morning, you will be there, end of story“, Lorelai yelled back and stood up as well.

“No! No way! This is crazy” Luke yelled into the phone, while the two Gilmore Girls stared at each over the table.

“I have to get out of here”, Rory said suddenly, turned around and left the diner as fast as she could. For some seconds Lorelai looked after her daughter, not believing what had just happened.

Then she let herself fall into the chair and pushed her plate away from her. She was deep in thought and didn’t hear Luke slamming the phone to the cradle or marching up to her. She was startled when he suddenly stood beside her, looking down on her, his face red with anger, a defeated look on his face.

“We are getting married on Friday.I won't wear a tux”, he said, pointed his index- finger to her face, nearly touching her nose and then he marched back behind the counter and up the stairs and a second later his apartment-door slammed shut.

Lorelai sat on her chair, feeling like she had been hit by a truck. This was the end, she was sure now. The Flood was near, it must sweep her away any second now, she could already feel the spume on her skin.

TBC