Lucille in Stars Hollow

A somber firelight festival (unedited)

 The Founder's Firelight festival: another one of Stars Hollow's unneeded holidays, celebrating true love.

I got to admit, when I saw the production the town put on for every other holiday, I wasn't surprised with the planning and design of this festival. The whole town helped. All I can say is Stars Hollow is a town that likes celebration.

Couple of days before the festival, I was at home when I heard Rory come in.

"Hi," I said.

"Hey," she replied, cheerfully.

"Wow, you're happy," Lorelai observed from the kitchen. My gaze traveled to her hands. She was holding a box of hamburger helper.

"No," I said forcefully.

Lorelai looked up at me. "I want to cook something, let me cook something."

Rory spoke up. "You can make some soup."

"No, no, no. I want to cook like on the Food Channel. Sauté and chop and arranged things to look like pretty rainbows!"

I sighed and took the box from her. "Okay, I'll help. What do we need? A pan. Where are the pans. What do I do with that?"

Rory rolled her eyes and got a pan from a cupboard.

"Now all we need is hamburger!" Lorelai added.

"You didn't get hamburger?" I raised my eyebrows. I didn't really know if letting Lorelai cook was a good idea.
"Of course I did," Lorelai barked. She went to the fridge and got out hamburger.

"So why are you so happy?" Lorelai asked.

"Well...I have a huge favor to ask," Rory started.

"What is it?"

"Well, Friday is Dean's and my three month anniversary. And he's planned this whole thing apparently."

The minute I heard "Friday", I knew what's up.

"Continue," Lorelai nudged.

Rory smiled and asked, "Is there any way you can get me out of dinner?"

A small laugh escaped from my mouth. So did one from Lorelai.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'll ask, but there's no chance she's saying sure," my mother explained. "She's not really going to understand or care."

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"Rory, imagine Grandma saying, 'Oh my god! Of course Rory can skip Friday Night Dinner. I mean, I've spent all week planning for that torturous night, but of course. I always put your happiness first'." I sat down as Rory threw eye daggers at me.

"Exactly. But I'm a good mother, so I'll do it."

She called Emily, who answered and we moved to the couch.

"Really?" Lorelai finally said, a little surprised and confused.

I looked at Rory who was slightly grinning. Then Lorelai hung up the phone.

"So? What did she say?" I asked.

Lorelai looked at us with her mouth open. By the expression, I assumed she said, "yes".

"Hi."

Leo looked up. "Hi." I wanted to look away, not forgive him so easily for his out burst, but it was so hard to not.

"Can we talk?" I asked quietly. All his friends were looking at us and I wanted to talk in private.

"Sure." He got up and I went to my locker.

"What's going on with us?" I asked. He looked away guiltily. "I mean, I understand you need time. And I can give it to you, but I just want to talk when you're ready. Because I really....love you, Leo. And I just want things to work out."

A few minutes passed before he looked up. He didn't say, "I love you" back. He didn't apologize. He didn't make me want to forgive him. All he did was part his lips and say, "I've been seeing someone."

I wanted to cry—I need to cry. I needed to cry with him. In his arms. But in this case, I wanted to cry because of him. But I couldn't do that. Not here, not now.

I looked straight into his eyes and saw nothing but regret. This wasn't something he could undo, however.

So I did the only thing I could think to do: I walked out of the school and didn't look back.

I didn't know where to go. I just couldn't go back to school and see Leo in my classes.

I almost went home, but no one was there. And I really just needed someone to cry with. I didn't have Lisa. I didn't have a boyfriend anymore. Rory was at school. Lorelai was at work.

The last person I thought of was Luke. So I went to the Diner. The second he saw me with tear stained cheeks, he hugged me and I went up to his place upstairs.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't know," I sobbed. "I just couldn't go to school and see him."

He clearly didn't know what to do with a teenage girl crying about her first break up so he went downstairs to call Lorelai.

Then, a woman walked into the room.

"Oh," she said. "Am I stepping into something?"

I wiped my tears away. "You must me Rachel."

She nodded. "And I'm going to guess that you're one of the Gilmore twins Luke is always talking about."

I smiled. Of course Luke talked about us to Rachel. "Yeah, I'm Lucy."

"Why are you crying?" She asked, sitting down.

"I just kind of went through a bad breakup a couple of minutes ago." I looked down.

"I'm sorry, that must me hard."

Just then, Lorelai ran into the room and I cried in her arms. Rachel snuck out of the apartment.

"I love you, Mom," I cried.

"Love you too, babe."

At least she said it back.