Willow Danes

Double Dates

I'm in Rory's room when I hear someone in the kitchen. I walk out and see Lorelai getting drinks from the fridge.

"Oh. Hey. You're back. How did it go?"

"Not too good. Why don't you go back in there with me? Maybe you can help."

"Okay. Just give me a second."

I go back to put my school stuff away. I get back just as they are getting the Bop It from the closet.

"Oh, no. It's Bop It bad?" I ask.

"Hey, look what I found," Lorelai says.

"Bop It!" Rory says excitedly.

"Who wants to play?" Lorelai asks.

"I want to play!" Rory replies.

"Let's all play. You guys know how to play?"

"I've played it here before," Dean replies.

"Yeah, he has," I reply.

"Yeah, I remember. Hey, cool hand," Lorelai says.

"What is it?" Luke asks.

"Oh, well. Each guy holds one of the handles, and you start it up, and then you do whatever it says. You twist it, or pull it or bop it, until one of you's out," Lorelai explains.

Rory and Lorelai play a round. I take a seat on the couch next to Dean. After they play they have Luke and Dean go.

They go back and forth.

"Don't hut the Bop It, guys. It's got feelings too," Lorelai says.

They start hitting it really hard.

"Jeez, they're gonna kill the Bop It,"

They keep going.

"Yeah! In your face! In your face!," Luke says, when he finally leaves.

"Fine. You Win," Dean replies.

"I hammered you, buddy."

"It's just a stupid game."

"Say the loser."

"Luke," I say, getting on to him.

"I gotta go," Dean says.

"Already?" Rory asks.

"Yeah, it's getting late. Uhh, thank you, Lorelai. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, Dean. anytime."

"Bye, Dean."

"Bye, Will."

He bends down to kiss Rory.

"I'll call you later," he tells her.

"Yeah, call me."

Lorelai and I get up to stand next to Rory and Luke.

"Thanks a lot," Rory says to Luke.

"What did I do?"

"Rory..."

"We shouldn't have gone out like this if people didn't want to."

"No, no. Rory, I wanted to."

"You made no effort."

"I-I did. I swear."

"It didn't look like it from what I saw," I tell him.

"Look, we can talk about this later," Lorelai says.

"He had some sort of chip on his shoulder," Luke says.

"Oh, come on, Luke. you're the reason we had to pull out the Bop It," Rory says.

"What?"

"Bop It's what we bring out for social gatherings that need mouth to mouth," Lorelai explains.

"I'm going back to school."

"Rory, wait. I feel awful here."

"On, it's okay. Whatever. Bye, Mom. Bye, Will."

"Bye, Rory."

"Bye, honey. Drive safely."

"Yeah, drive safe."

She leaves.

"I feel awful," Luke says.

"Well, it's- You know, it's my fault. I forced this" Lorelai says.

"No, no. it's not your fault. I shouldn't have said yes to a double date."

"Well, I wanted to do this."

"But I can't be around that guy. I knew that, and I said yes anyway."

"Why can't you be around him?" Lorelai asks.

"Because he's not good for her."

"Luke," I say.

"He's not. He's not right for her."

"Look, you're mad at Dean from years past. What's past is past. They're a couple now. I mean, do you even remember why you're mad at him?"

"He's a punk. That's what I remember. Just look at his history. He broke her heart before."

"Their problems were mutual. You don't know the whole story."

"He got married and bailed out before the honeymoon was even over."

So did you.

"Well, when you're young, you make mistakes."

"He was pining for Rory, and he got married. That's unstable."

"He's 19. Give him a break."

"He doesn't know what he wants. He's proven that. How can Rory trust him now?"

"Matters of the heart are not science. There are no sure things."

"He's not good enough for her."

"Well, who is? Jess?"

"No, not Jess. A prince, maybe. One that's in line to be king. You know, not one of those waiting-for-a-brother-to-die ones, but a real one. And if not a prince, someone who's gonna be good for her. You know, Rory is like Pippi," Luke says.

"Pippi?"

"Pippi?" I laugh.

"She can have adventures and be free, she's smart. The whole world's waiting for her."

"She can have adventures and be free, she's smart. The whole world's waiting for her."

"You're comparing Rory to Pippi Longstocking?"

"Pippi is strong and independent. She can lift a horse above her head. Uh huh-"

"What did you do to him?" I ask Lorelai.

"Beat up bullies and build a hot-air balloon. She's unique, like Rory, but I guarantee you, if Pippi had met Dean, there would be no horse, no balloons. He'd grab her down to his level, spend all her gold coins, and poof, like that, all her dreams would be gone," he says.

"It's Rory's choice who she chooses to be with, okay? Not yours, not mine."

"Well does it feel right to you? I mean, are you okay with this Rory-and-Dean thing?"

"I just need this to work," Lorelai replies.

"Look at me. Not stopping 'till he's upset every person that means anything in the world to him in one night."

He pulls Lorelai and I close to him and hugs us.

"You want a beer?" he asks Lorelai.

"Yes," she replies.