Touch of Hellfire (Original Version)

☕️40☕️

Me, Rory and Mom lugged our luggage for Europe on our backs while walking down the street.

After graduation, we'd be off.

"My back!" Rory complained. "My everything," I whined. "You're bringing all that to Europe?!" Jess was beyond shocked. "You're coming to the graduation party, right?" Rory asked him.

"I am," he told her. "I'm coming too," Luke piped up. "Wednesday at four, to hear the first and last speech of Heather Gilmore's time in high school," Mom quipped.

"I still don't know why they picked me," I mumbled. "They probably want a shout out in the Oscars," Jess joked.

"Definitely," I laughed.

***

They were taking videos for our graduation of us talking blankly to a camera. "How much do I have to pay to not do this?" I asked Andrea.

"I don't know," she sighed. "You moving to New York during the summer?"

"Yeah, just to unpack, once you come back from Europe, we'll sort you out," she reassured me. "So.."

"So?" I frowned. "How was it?" she smirked. "How was what?" I played dumb. "You know, the post prom ritual?" she giggled.

"Oh piss off," I grumbled.

"Congrats by the way," Paris said. "Thanks, you're not pissed at me?" I wondered.

"No," she reassured me.

"Are you going to Dean and Lindsay's wedding?" Rory asked me. "Are you?" I asked the more important question. "Nope," she grumbled. "Then I won't either," I said.

Me and Rory were trying on our graduation dresses, Rory's is a light pink while mine is a dark green.

"I have a job interview tomorrow," Sookie sighed. "Woodbridge."

"It won't be too bad," I reassured her. "The Dragonfly will open in a few months, won't it?"

Sookie looked at Mom. "They don't know?"

"Know what?" Rory's glance turned towards Mom, waiting for an explanation.

"Girls, we're not buying the Dragonfly," Mom explained. "Why are you putting it off?" Rory wondered.

"We didn't get financial aid," Mom confessed. "For Yale or Columbia, I tried but they said no, so the money is for Yale and Columbia."

"That's so unfair!" I exclaimed. "It's not fair on you."

"I'm gonna go scream," Rory sighed.

***

Rory rang the doorbell. "We're doing the right thing," I told her. "We may feel guilty but it's necessary," Rory said.

"For Mom and the future," I held out my pinkie and Rory linked it with hers. "For Mom and the future."

The door opened. "Rory, Heather, what brings you here?" Grandpa asked us. "We have a time sensitive issue to discuss," Rory told them.

They let us in and we all sat down. "We need money," Rory said. "Money?" Grandpa wondered. "For Yale and Columbia," I added

"You need money for Yale and Columbia," Grandpa repeated. "Would you stop repeating what they say!" Grandma snapped.

"It's a long story," I said. "And we have no other financial solutions, all of the options the three of us have aren't good enough so hears our offer."

I looked to Rory to continue. "We would like you to loan us the money for four years at Yale and Columbia and me and Heather will get jobs while we're there and pay you back in installments, well Heather already secured a job, but we will continue this schedule after graduation increasing the payment in proportion to our income."