the town and the city (j. mariano)

CHAPTER 7

Mandy was never fond of Christmas, but she never let it show. With people like Lorelai and Rory constantly around her, she was half certain she'd be shunned for the sentiment. Only one person knew her dislike for the holiday, and he was the only person she ever wanted to know. 

After all, he was the first one to ever give her a present. Mandy's mother usually forgot the day or spent it berating her daughter, so the Forester girl would find solace at Luke's. Slowly, Christmas wasn't a reminder of everything she didn't have, but of who she did. It hurt less when Rory told her about the twenty presents Lorelai had given her or when Lane asked how her holidays had gone. Instead of lying to them about the new things she was given by her mom, she told them about the book she was given or the dinner she had. Mandy would never tell them that her mother wasn't responsible for either of those things, but Luke. 

After "the incident," Mandy's dislike of Christmas grew once again. Luke jokingly called her a Grinch, but he knew the feeling. The first Christmas without his dad he could see the pity in the eyes of every person in Stars Hollow. Mandy experienced that look daily, but it was even worse on Christmas. Because everyone realized that she'd been lying for so long. 

So when Lorelai and Rory ran to the Forester house to beg Mandy to come outside and build a snowman with them for the contest, she wanted to shrivel up in her bed, forget about winter, and read her book. However, Dean had different plans for her. He tugged a hat onto her and shoved her outside.

"How do you like that mouth?" Lorelai asked the girls.

The two looked at each other before giggling softly. "It's not very mouthlike," Rory replied.

"I think it works."

"It's tilted to the side."

"It was intentional! It gives her a unique expression," Lorelai claimed, determined to defend their snowman. 

"Like she had a stroke?" Mandy asked, hiding a smirk.

"Fine, I'll just use the Mrs. Potato Head lips."

"No, forget it," Rory said. "Leave stroke-mouth. It's not like we're gonna win this anyway."

"Exactly. Why did I have to get out of bed for this?" Mandy whined.

"Whoa, bad attitude," Lorelai scolded.

"Mom, face it. That is the single most incredible snowman I have ever seen." Rory pointed to the man carving an elaborate snow structure.

"I'm sorry, that snowman is way over the top, way too showy. It's screaming 'I'm incredible, I'm special, look at me!'"

"Isn't that the point?" Mandy grumbled.

"I hate this man with every fiber of my being," Lorelai complained. "We're ignoring him now. So, what are we doing over winter break?"

"We?" Mandy asked, confused.

"We," the elder Gilmore confirmed. "You're with us this year. We want to make it special for you."

And that was exactly the opposite of everything that Mandy wanted. She wanted a quiet Christmas where she could be spared from any town gossip and lingering stares. She wanted to be exempt from it all. She wanted to feel normal and go to Luke's like she always did.