Other Girls of Gilmore Girls: The Lindsay Lister Story

Chapter 10

View Along: S3 E 17 A Tale of Poes and Fire

When I got an A on my Athenian blog from Mr. McKellen, I decided to log back into my Blogger account. I had views. A lot of views. I had comments. People were still commenting on this?

When I wrote about the kiss, people began to comment.

||||     I need more. Tell me more!

Xoxoxo

Hooked! ||||

They liked it. People out there liked this and wanted more. But what would I say next? The made-up blog posts I turned in for homework didn't get too much of a reaction, but the post that was based on my life got a huge reaction. The only thing I could do was think back to Dean and start there.

 ||||     He held my waist and lifted me on top of him. I had never been held like that or touched like that. He was there with me, and I had no question that I was more important than the girl he last tried to court. ||||

I finished up and posted it without hesitation. I would check back later to see if anyone read it. Before the screen on the computer turned dark, Dean knocked on the door. I knew it was Dean from the sound of the knock even though he wasn't planning on coming over.

"Before I get to work," he said before pulling a small bag out from behind his back. "For you. It's nothing big. Don't have any expectations."

I stepped closer and raised my face to welcome him with a kiss. Inside the bag was a black shirt. I lifted it up. "Babette ate oatmeal," I read off the front of it. "Babette ate oatmeal?"

"Kirk is selling shirts with phrases on them. I had to help him get a sale."

"Oh Kirk. How much time do you have?"

"Absolutely none, but I'm making two minutes to finish kissing you here and now." After, as Dean started to head toward Doose's Market, he turned and asked me if I wanted to go to the Poe Society thing that night. I hadn't heard of it, but it was time with Dean so of course.

I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about Dean, and it was obvious because my mom asked me: "Is it serious?"

"What does that mean? Maybe?"

"Does he treat you respectfully?" My mom poured a cup of coffee from pot, which had been turned off since the morning. She put the mug in the microwave and hit the minute button. "You are nearly an adult. You need to think about the quality of man you spend time with now."

"I only spend time with quality guys, mom. Quality guy." I watched as the microwave counted down. "We are going to the Poe thing tonight. Meet him when he comes over."

That night Dean impressed my mom so much she elbowed me on my way out of the door. "Keeper," she whispered.

"I can't stay away," Dean said as he put his arm around me for the walk to Miss Patty's Dance Studio. We were a little early for the Poe reading, so we stopped by the diner to get cups of coffee to go. I lifted the lid so my coffee would cool faster. "Can I tell you what I like best about you?" Dean asked

"No. I absolutely won't stand for compliments," I teased.

"You have a peace around you. You know what you value, you stick to it, and you just radiate peace because of it."

"Peace?" I asked out loud even though I didn't mean to. I often felt so fluttery and unstable that I couldn't imagine being called peaceful. Dean said he liked that I valued family so much and that I wanted to see the world without owning it. He said he loved that I wasn't going to college just to go. The version of me I saw through him made me happy. I couldn't have had a better end to my senior year than this. "Get going?"

Miss Patty's Dance Studio was dark with a single spotlight shining on a fake bird. It felt like Halloween, which was weird for the spring. "What's with the crow?" I asked. "It's a raven," someone said from across the room. "Ok fine," I muttered under my breath.

"It's like his most famous poem or story or whatever," Dean explained.

"So we are going to listen to people read his writing in the dark? With a raven?"

Just then a man took the stage dressed in an ill-fitting suit that looked more like a costume. Then I realized: "They are in costume!" I stifled a laugh.

"See? Fun," Dean said and took my hand as we listened to the man recite a very long, and honestly very boring, poem. Partway through Dean started looking over his shoulder a bit, so I looked too. Rory and her mom were on the other side of the studio, a few rows behind us. I hadn't noticed her. Dean dropped my hand to wave at them.

I folded my arms across my body.

I didn't see why we had to run into her all the time. I probably hadn't seen this much of Rory Gilmore since our freshman year of high school. Now that I'm with Dean she's suddenly everywhere we go? Shouldn't she be with Jess? You know, her boyfriend.

"Take thy beak from out thy heart," the man dressed as Poe said. I knew exactly how he felt. I wondered what Dean would do if Rory said she wanted him back. Would he go to her? Was he using me to get over her? To fill his time? Or would he turn her down? Maybe he would do it publicly again, like how he dumped her. I took a breath. I had forgotten that he dumped her in public, talking loudly and embarrassing her. Dean had moved on way before Rory ever had; if anyone was the problem, it was her.

Everyone was clapping. Poe had finally finished. But then a second man dressed as Poe took the stage and began reciting the same poem. "What? What is this?" I leaned into Dean, but either he didn't hear me or his mind was also wandering to Rory. I turned to look at her. She was staring at Dean. She probably had been staring at him the whole time. She was a problem, and I knew it.

On the way out, Dean stopped to say hi to Rory and her mom. I sighed to signal that I wasn't happy because I couldn't say it, but I don't think he noticed. Rory's mom was beautiful, too. I knew that I was prettier than Rory in a traditional way, but she was prettier in a more interesting way. Which did Dean like better? They told me that anecdote from elementary school that I didn't remember. Isn't it funny how people walk around thinking something about you that you don't even think about yourself? I tried to look bored so Dean would get the hint that we should leave, but they started talking about college. Rory got into Harvard, because of course she did, and the look on her face when she heard that Dean got into Southern Connecticut State. She was jealous of something. She couldn't be jealous of state college; was she jealous of me? I said I had to get home, and Dean said he would take me. Rory said goodbye. They may have a history, but that's it. A history. I was making something new with Dean. Rory Gilmore could go to hell for all I cared.

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