𝓛𝓾𝓬𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓗𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀

13. Two girl in ball gowns

 "What do you mean 'Rory's not home'?" I asked, getting out of bed and going to her room. She wasn't there. I peeked in my room. She wasn't there.

"Mom! Mom!" I yelled, shaking Lorelai awake.

"Let your mother sleep, child."

I ignored her teasing and continued to shake her. "Mom—Rory. Is. Missing. Get up!"

"Huh?" She asked, suddenly turning pale.

"I looked in her room and mine, she's not there. Grandma said that she never came home!" I yelled as Lorelai dragged herself out of bed and went to Rory's room.

"Do you not hear your daughter, Lorelai? Rory is not here!" Grandma scoffed.

"Both of you, stop yelling at me!"

I grabbed my coat. "I'm going to go look for her." I looked down and noticed that I was still in my dress from the night before. I didn't have time to change so I picked up the dress so I could see my feet and I ran down the steps.

"Lisa?" I said, when she answered the phone.

"What's wrong?" She asked, yawning. "It's six forty."

"I know," I panted into the phone while running. "But Rory is missing. Have you see her?" My heart was racing.

"No, sorry. Not since last night. Ask Leo." I couldn't breathe.

"Okay, maybe he saw her when walking back home. Thanks," I said, quickly hanging up.

By now, I was at Luke's. I ran inside.

"Have you seen Rory?" I panted.

"No, why? Also why are you in a dress?" Luke answered. I ignored the question.

"She's missing."

His face got pale like Lorelai's. "You can't find her?"

"No, I know where she is. I'm just asking to scare you—of course we can't find her!" I said sarcastically.

My phone started to ring. I picked it up and sat down at a stool. Everyone in the diner was looking at me. I must have looked like I belonged in a mental hospital.

"Lucy?" Lorelai said.

"Yeah?"

"We found Rory. Miss Patty called me. Apparently, her and Dean were in the dance studio. Come home." After she hung up, I stood there for a moment. She was in Miss Patty's with Dean. Well she was going to be in a lot of trouble when she got home.

She was in a lot of trouble. When I got back, there was yelling coming from inside.

"Pumpkin, what's going on in there?" Babette asked, shuffling out onto her porch in a nightgown.

"Nothing, Babette. Go back to sleep."

I opened the door and went inside just as the fighting stopped.

"What's up?" I asked, walking into Rory's room. She was sprawled across the bed with tears staining her face.

"Hi. Sorry I got you worried," Rory apologized, sitting up. I closed the door behind me and sat down next to her.

She wiped the tears off of her cheeks.

"God, she's so protective," Rory whined.

"It's like that thing you said...she doesn't want us to end up like her...but out of curiosity, did you...?" I asked.

"No. Of course not. We just fell asleep on the floor. When I woke up, Miss Patty and some old ladies were looking over us," She laughed.

"Do you want me to talk to Mom for you?" I asked, putting my arm around my sister's shoulder.

"No, we'll be good again in a couple days." I got up to go to my room and noticed we were still in our clothes from the night before. Just two girls in ball gowns.

"Are Rory and your mom still in a fight?" Lisa asked.

"No," I replied. "They reconciled quickly—as predicted." I hadn't told Lisa yet about Leo kissing me. I also hadn't seen him since the dance. I was going to tell her. I just didn't want her to say "I told you so".

"Lisa?" I asked, feeling the cold through my ripped jeans. I shivered.

"What?"

"Leo kissed me," I said, partly smiling. I looked at her for any emotion, but all I saw was a blank expression.

"Really?" She asked.

I huffed. "Aren't you going to say 'I told you so'?" She just kept walking.

"I always knew you two would get together. I mean, you were always together," she said, flipping her hair.

Then, she started singing. "Lucy and Leo sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

"Be quiet, Lisa!" Suddenly, I felt a hand slip into mine. It was Leo. "So we're holding hands already?"

He kissed me. "Sure."

I suppose that was supposed to make me smile, but I didn't. "Eh, we probably shouldn't show signs of public affection until I tell my mom. Even then, it will be risky...you have to meet her and stuff."

"Isn't that something you do after you've been dating?" He asked, clearly confused.

"Not when you're in high school still...Mom is very protective."

"Well, maybe I can come over to your house?" He asked. I contemplated that.

"Sure! She would love to talk with you! Ask Dean what she said to him—."

"Are you two coming?" Lisa groaned from up ahead.

"Yup!" I said, rolling my eyes. "I don't know what's up with her."

"She'll be fine. Let's go."

So I grabbed Leo's hand and started to walk to school.