cruel summer! 𖦹 jay kelso.

ii. the keg

"uno."

the three girls and rory's new found friend ozzie were all sitting in gwen's basement playing a game of uno.

"i think you're only allowed to drop one card." leia tried to correct but ozzie just stared her down. "excuse me?"

she looked away, changing the subject," cool basement."

"it's a dump. no offense." ozzie replied bluntly.

"ozzie and i met last year in detention. tell them what you did." gwen said looking over at ozzie. ozzie looked over at rory and leia, "i told my math teacher his wife was cheating on him. she was making out with some dude at ihop."

"that's horrible." leia stated. "i know. ihop. show some class."

rory could loud footsteps from the stairs as nate, a girl, and two other boys ran down behind him, who rory doomed learned was nate's girlfriend nikki and two bestfriends jay and mason. "you're not gonna believe what happened. it's the best thing that ever happened to me!" he exclaimed.

"that's what you said when the mcrib came back." nikki responded with an eye roll as she looked over at her boyfriend. "i thought it was gone forever, nik." nate explained.

"aww! you were scared? oh, babe." nikki cooed before placing her hand on nate's cheek and pulling him in for a kiss and that's when rory looked away, her attention landing on the other two boys in the room. the kelso boy specifically caught her eyes. the way his hair was styled and just his perfect looks themself, she honestly thought the boy was beautiful. but she took her attention away from him as he sat backwards on a chair near leia. the other boy stood on the other side on leia. sure she thought he was attractive but her eyes were only on kelso.

lorelai's eyes faltered back over at jay and she watched as he smiled at leia, and for some reason she felt a feeling of jealousy.

"hey, new girl." jay flirted, "hey, boy." leia chuckled nervously. "man? i don't really know how this puberty thing is going for you. probably great." leia rambled.

jay smiled in response before looking over at rory, "hey, it's quiet girl. didn't expect to see you here." rory felt her face began to warm up at the fact his attention was on her and he knew of her, even if it was as the 'quiet girl'.

"well, turns out quiet girl isn't so quiet." gwen smiled, "leia, rory this is jay. and the boy over there is mason. please place all your zippers and buttons in their upright and locked positions." gwen teased the two boys.

"hey, not cool, gwen." jay scolded, "i'm just doing a little get-to-know-you-chitchat. so, are you spiritual? i am." jay said, causing everyone to be confused and make a face, except ozzie and rory. she scoffed at his failed attempt at flirting, and she watched as he switched seats, sitting beside rory. she tensed and felt nervous, she didn't understand why he was just a boy. an attractive one.

"you're making a face. but that would've worked on me." ozzie smirked, jay smiling shyly in response.

rory had noticed that mason had began a conversation with leia, before glancing over at jay who was already looking at her. she smiled shyly before looking away, her face turned red once again.

"can i tell my awesome story now?" nate questioned before continuing, "so we were just chilling in my van. . ." nate started and explained his story to everyone.

"bro. . bro. . bro! bro!" jay and nate repeated back to each other. "they were like this the whole ride here." nikki stated as the boys continued.

"come on, babe. it's a fourth of july miracle. with beer!"

"why are we still talking? let's tap that keg and get stupid!" gwen exclaimed with a smile.

"yeah.

"oh no. we don't have a tap. and, without a tap, the beer is. . . is trapped." nate said in realization, "would a kiss make it better?" nikki tried to make the situation better. "not unless you have a mouth full of beer. do you?" nate asked, "no, i don't."

-

the group had made room and brought the keg down onto the basement and nate was trying anything he could to get the beer without the tap.

"kids versus beer. it's a tale as old as time. it happened to our parents and our parents' parents. the kids on the mayflower." ozzie said as he watched nate who was in front of him.

"ozzie. you're killing me, man. i'm trying to think here." nate responded pausing his attempt to get to the beer. "i know. i can smell it." ozzie replied with a smile, causing rory to smile. she was now standing beside gwen and jay.

"wait, why can't we just go back to mama's and get a tap?" leia questioned, "we've all tried to buy from her, but shes tough. i mean, i even hit her with the-" jay nodded his head in a flirty way with a smile, "hey, girl- nothing."

"what if we get a laser?" nate asked excitedly.

"we're not getting a laser." nikki shut that down quickly.

"well, i guess that's it. we tried everything."

"you said one idea, and it was stupid." gwen replied. "you're stupid. you're all stupid! you hate beer and you hate america!"

"baby?"

"yeah?"

"are you feeling frustrated?"

"yeah."

"is this why you're lashing out at others?"

"yeah."

the couple continued, hugging as they finished their little back and fourth conversation.

"are you dill weeds finished?" gwen asked standing from the chair, "leia you should buy the tap. mama doesn't know you." she suggested as she turned around towards leia. "wait, why me? why not lorelai or something?" leia questioned.

"oh no no no, i would totally blow our cover." rory denied right away, shaking her head.

"yeah, leia you totally could do it. plus your eyes are crazy pretty, which wouldn't really help get a tap but it's something i noticed." mason complimented leia, gwen scoffed pushing mason away. "leia, it would be so badass." she continued trying to persuade the girl.

"i guess i have done some pretty crazy things. one time at the beach, a seagull stole my sandwich, and, under my breath, i. . . called her 'bitch'." leia explained pausing for a moment, "you know what? i'm in."

"all right. new girl is sick."

"to the van!"

"pause. this isn't gonna work. i'm pretty sure oshkosh b'gosh here is gonna get carded." ozzie said before the others could leave.

"good point."

"wait, i have an idea." rory said, a smirk on her face. "makeover time."