Young love|Gilmore Girls

2✔️

"I don't know if I want to attend Chilton anymore."

Rory's words landed in the diner like a bomb, freezing everyone in place. Lorelai choked on her coffee, and Ronnie dropped her fork, which clattered loudly to the floor. For a moment, the only sound in Luke's Diner was the faint hum of the coffee machine. To say her family was shocked was an understatement. Rory Gilmore not wanting to attend Chilton was like Taylor Doose not caring about bylaws—it just didn't happen.

Lorelai recovered first, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "I'm sorry, what now?"

"You don't get to back out now!" Ronnie added, frantically trying to retrieve her fork with her foot. "I already emptied my locker!"

"Where is this coming from?" Lorelai pressed, her voice teetering between concern and disbelief.

Rory fiddled with her napkin, her expression a mix of guilt and determination. "The timing is just really bad. Plus, the bus ride to Hartford is, like, thirty minutes each way. And it's so expensive."

"What about Harvard?" Lorelai asked, leaning forward. The words felt foreign in her mouth—Harvard was practically Rory's religion. "You can't just ignore Harvard."

"We don't know that I can't get into Harvard if I stay where I am," Rory countered, glancing up at her mother.

"We," Ronnie interjected sharply, finally abandoning her fork mission. "We don't know that we can't get into Harvard if we stay where we are."

"Yes, of course, we," Rory said, flustered.

"Okay, enough," Lorelai declared, raising a hand to cut them off. "Enough of the crazy talk. I appreciate your concern, Rory, but I've got this covered."

"But I still don't want to go," Rory said softly, her voice firm but reluctant.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Oh my God, what's gotten into you?"

"It's about a boy," Ronnie teased, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

Rory kicked her under the table. "Ow!"

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "Wait, a boy? This is about a boy?" She gasped, the realization hitting her. "Of course, it's about a boy! How did I not see it? All this talk about money and bus rides—Rory Gilmore, you have a thing for someone, and now you don't want to leave school!"

"I'm leaving," Rory announced abruptly, gathering her bag and standing up.

Lorelai shot to her feet as well, shrugging into her jacket. "Oh no, you're not walking away from this conversation! Not happening, kid."

Ronnie waved her hand lazily after them. "Can I have some money for the pancakes you're abandoning?"

Lorelai spun back and slapped some bills into Ronnie's hand before following Rory out the door. "God, I'm so dense. That should've been my first thought—after all, you're me!" Her voice trailed off as the door slammed shut behind them.

Ronnie sighed and returned to her pancakes. "Finally. Peace and pancakes," she muttered, savoring the moment.

The bell above the diner door jingled again, and Matt Thompson walked in, scanning the room until his eyes landed on her. Ronnie waved, and he headed straight over, sliding into the seat across from her and giving her a quick side hug.

"I just ran into your mom and Rory," Matt said, raising an eyebrow. "Things seemed... intense. What's going on?"

"Drama in the Gilmore family," Ronnie explained nonchalantly, cutting into her pancakes. "Not with me, of course. I'm as drama-free as ever."

Matt smirked. "Right, tell that to Angelica Smith."

"Low blow, pancake thief," she said, slapping his hand away as he reached for her plate.

Matt laughed, rubbing his hand. "Seriously, though. What's the deal? Why the imbalance in the Gilmore Household?"

Leaning in conspiratorially, Ronnie lowered her voice even though everyone in the diner had probably already heard. "Rory doesn't want to go to Chilton anymore."

"What?" Matt blinked, genuinely stunned. "Why not?"

Ronnie grinned, savoring the moment. "Because of mystery man. A.K.A. Dean."

"No way!" Matt said, leaning closer. "She actually said that?"

"Well, no," Ronnie admitted, her grin widening. "But it's obvious, isn't it? If she'd just listened to me years ago and learned how to socialize, we wouldn't even be transferring to Chilton."

Before Matt could respond, the door jingled again, and his face immediately fell. Grabbing a menu, he ducked behind it.

"What are you doing?" Ronnie asked, furrowing her brow.

Matt motioned frantically toward the door with his eyes. Ronnie turned to look and groaned. "Oh, great. Angelica Smith."

Angelica sauntered over, her heels clicking against the floor. She smiled sweetly, but her tone was anything but. "Veronica. Matt."

Ronnie gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Angelica."

"I heard you're transferring schools. Can't say I'll miss you," Angelica said, flipping her hair. "But at least the volleyball team needs a new captain now. And I'll get more alone time with Matt."

Ronnie's smile turned icy. "Charming as always."

"Speaking of which," Angelica continued, turning her attention to Matt, "what do you say we give that date another shot?"

Matt sighed, setting the menu down. "Angelica, I'm flattered, but I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" Angelica demanded, her smile faltering. "Because Ronnie doesn't like me? You do have your own opinions, don't you, Matt?"

"Okay, you know what?" Matt leaned forward, his patience officially gone. "I tried to be nice, but no, Angelica. We're not going on a date. Ever. The only reason I said yes the first time was to avoid hurting your feelings, but I should've been honest from the start. So, I'm sorry, but no."

Angelica narrowed her eyes. "Is this because of Ronnie?"

Ronnie raised her eyebrows, intrigued. Matt didn't even blink. "No, Angelica. It's because you're rude, shallow, and annoying. Plus, let's be honest—you only asked me out to mess with Ronnie."

Angelica looked completely unaffected by his words. "Hm, looks like it worked," she said as she looked over at an annoyed Ronnie. "I feel bad for your future girlfriend, Matt. Lord help her when she has to deal with that annoying troll over there."

"Don't call her that," Matt defended. "Besides, I feel bad for your future husband, but then again, I doubt you'll have one,"

Angelica's smile returned, sharper than ever. "Well, I hope you two are very happy together." She spun on her heel and stalked out of the diner, leaving them in stunned silence.

"Wow," Ronnie said after a beat. "I told you she was awful."

"Horrible," Matt agreed, shaking his head.

"Hey," Ronnie added, a sly smile creeping onto her face. "Thanks for saying I'm not a annoying troll."

Matt groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Don't make me regret it."