cruel summer! 𖦹 jay kelso.

i. the start of summer

lorelai was sitting on her front steps as she leaned against the rail, she was drawing in her sketchbook. but soon her attention was pulled away as she heard a car pulling into the driveway across from hers. she was a curious person so she watched as an older man she recognized as eric forman, her neighbors son and a younger girl get out of the car, and next a older women, donna. she had never spoken to the couple but she's seen them from across the street and her parents were acquainted with them, so she knew of them. she assumed the younger girl was the two's daughter, lorelai thought she was pretty and seemed as if she was a person she could see a friendship with. the girl sighed as the girl disappeared inside the house after her father.

she jumped as she heard the door behind her open, her attention was brought back and she looked behind her to see her mother.

"hi honey. so me and your father were talking with eric and donna forman and their daughter is over for the fourth of july and we thought you should go and introduce yourself and maybe make a new friend. we know you're a usually quiet person, but we think that this would be good for you." her mother explained, a smile rested on her face as she looked down at her daughter.

lorelai sighed, knowing she would have to give in and say yes because her mother wouldn't take no for an answer and would continue to bug the girl about it. "fine, i'll go over there." the girl replied, closing her sketchbook and standing up. she smiled at her mother as she passed her to head inside. hearing as her mother began clapping in excitement that rory agreed, she rolled her eyes before heading upstairs.

-

after changing into a decent looking outfit and procrastinating long enough lorelai finally decided to head outside over to the forman's.

she sighed as she began to feel a flutter in her stomach as she became nervous as she got closer to the driveway. she halted as a basketball began rolling over to her feet. picking up the ball she looked up and saw that the younger girl was making her way towards her.

"h-hi, i'm lorelai. i love across the street. i just came to introduce myself. well, rather my mother made me come introduce myself. but anyways, i actually did wanna come over. i saw you getting out from the car and thought you seemed cool. and i'm rambling, sorry. that happens when i'm nervous. um so anyways, this is your ball i'm guessing." the girl finished rambling as she held out the basketball.

the girl laughed as she grabbed the ball, "thanks stalker, it's nice to meet you. i'm leia- she paused as the sound of music and someone singing loudly came from the house beside her grandparents. the girls looked at each other. "come with me." leia said dropping the ball before walking away. "okay." rory shrugged following the girl.

-

leia crouched down as she looked inside the window. rory crouched down beside of her, feeling awkward as she watched the girl from outside. "um. . leia, don't you think this is weird? you know, just sitting outside someone's window." the girl questioned quietly.

leia shrugged, "it could be weirder."

"alright." the girl mumbled with a nod of her head.

before she knew it the girl was at her window, opening it up, "hello." leia greeted.

"what are you doing, creeper? lorelai?" the girl looked over at the brown headed girl. rory waved at her with a shy look on her face.

"oh, nothing weird! i was just standing outside your window and watching you sing with my new friend and wondering what it would be like to. . . be you." the girl laughed. "okay, maybe this is weird." leia said as she looked back at rory. "ya think?" rory responded.

"we'll go now. unless you
want to hear a cool bootleg i got in chicago." leia suggested.

"oh, i'm listening." gwen responded. "uh, yeah it's pretty major. big-time bootleg. the bootiest of legs." leia continued. "just go get it, lorelai you can come inside while we wait if you want."

"sure." rory smiled.

-

rory had taken a seat of the edge of gwen's bed as they waited for leia and an awkward silence had filled the room, the two girls have never really spoken before today so it was definitely weird for the both of them. but soon leia was back and the conversations began again.

"so this was your mom's old room, and your dad lived next door? i bet they boned in here all the time.- "ew, gwen. gross." rory groaned, that's an image she never wanted in her head. "explains a lot. sometimes, late at night, when everything's quiet i can still hear the. . ." gwen paused as she leaned onto the bed imitating a creaking noise. rory groaned once again.

"sorry. i love making people feel uncomfortable." gwen stated with a small shrug before tapping rory on the head as she grimaced, "yeah, i can tell." she mumbled.

"you're really good at it." leia scoffed as she began walking across the room.

gwen flopped down on the bed beside of lorelai, "anyway, tell us about chicago. what are you into?"

"me? uh, a lot of stuff. school. school's a big one. and i'm a pretty big deal in debate club. that's not up for debate." leia chuckled, "yeah, i'm not popular."

"looks like we have something in common." rory replied.

"good. popular people suck."

"yeah, they really do."

"yeah, definitely."

gwen stood up, "ooh, this parts dope." she walked over and turned up the volume on the radio. suddenly a boy barged into her room, he had shaving cream on his chest and a razor in his hand, "damn it, gwen! turn that crap down. i'm trying to shave." he complained before leaving and closing the door behind him.

"uhh, gwen. . . who was that?" rory questioned as she turned to look at the girls.

"older brother. different dads. he's cool. mostly 'cause he has a van, and he's fun to mess with. watch this." gwen explained before turning the volume up once more.

once again gwen's brother barged in, "seriously, gwen. i almost nicked my nerps. this whiny vagina music is bumming me out!" he whined, before walking over and turing the music off.

"oh yeah, nate? me and my new friends are gonna start a band and call it whiny vagina."

"i'm gonna start a band and call it that's stupid-" he pointed at all the girls pausing on rory, "wait, is that quiet girl?" he questioned, rory just waved at him in response.

"cool." he said before walking out of gwen's room.

gwen turned up the music once more, "damn it, gwen!"