TROUVAILLE ... l.danes (REWRITE)

chapter fifteen; the past

EVERY MOVEMENT LANGUID IN THE SUMMER SUN

nineteen-eighty-five

THE SUMMER heat stretches languidly along the tarmac, littered on all sides by tarpaulin-covered stalls lazily constructed early this morning by Stars Hollow residents already craving their first taste of homemade lemonade.

Lucas rolls his head back until his hair – too long and frizzy in this heat, a simmering, raging heat that builds sweat somewhere along his hairline and lets it drip past his eyelashes – unsticks from his neck and tumbles over his shoulders. Tammi, in her short shorts, leans close to him, not against him. Just close enough that it is obvious they are together, but not close enough that this heat can stick them together. He can still remember last night too clearly, trying to untangle their sweaty limbs before his Dad came barrelling in to cut through their make-out session. Their skin had burned as they'd unstuck themselves like ripping velcro. He'd watched her climb out the window with a scowl on her face, sweat glistening on her brown skin, but she hadn't looked back at him as she landed on her feet. As nimble as a cat, just like all the other cheerleaders who've snuck out of his window.

His eyes flicker over the festival. Mr Doose, the guy who owns the grocery shop across from the hardware store, had tried the annual thing to make summer fun. But, Lucas is pretty sure it's definitely not going to work. Not when every single one of the vendors is tugging at their clothes in an attempt to stave off the heat and even the lemonade and iced tea is doing nothing to quell the sweltering humidity.

The St James' are all clustered together, a massive family event with multiple stalls. One full of baked goods – half of them done by Olive despite her being nothing more than an honorary St James, and the other by Sookie who's just started her baking career according to Liz. Another of flowers. Ring tossing. Catch the fish. And in the middle of it all, is Shelley passing out free iced tea with a sweet smile on her lips. It's peach. Just like her lips, tilted up into the kind of smile that makes him stop, unable to do anything but stare. Does she even realise what she does to him?

Olive stands on one side of her, half of her braids twisted up into a loose ponytail while the rest fall around her shoulders, selling the cupcakes she iced to look just like the WELCOME TO STARS HOLLOW sign. On her other side is Sookie, sporting a similar green bandana to Auntie Pam, and trying to get people to try the strawberries her dad grew in his back garden. One of the Belleville boys, who live out on the farm on the outskirts of town, gladly takes a few, turning bright red when Sookie giggles and hands over her favourite ones.

A Junior that Lucas recognises from the track team – not as good as him, of course – rocks on his heels as he gets closer to Shelley's free iced tea stand, hands shoved in the pockets of his denim shorts. He grins, toothily, as soon as he reaches her and tries to lean against the stand without knocking it over. Shelley smiles back, as bright as ever, hair falling over one shoulder as she tilts her head towards him.

His fingers graze against hers on the clear plastic cup.

Lucas, without even realising it, is already on his feet. Tammi jumps up beside him, one hand still holding the magazine she's been using to fan herself. He lets his eyes fall on her just as she turns a confused expression onto him, wondering out loud why they would ever move from their perfect spot on the outskirts of the festival, where no one can touch them but the sun.