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𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑲 & 𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑨/𝑺𝑰𝑫 & 𝑵𝑨𝑵𝑪𝒀
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FAWN HARPER lived her life by one simple rule: routines made the chaos seem manageable. Maybe it was something her mother had drilled into her, starting from the moment she could tell time. "You can't just live life letting things happen to you," her mom would say, her voice sharp and deliberate. Fawn had taken it to heart, crafting a daily rhythm that made her feel like she had some semblance of control.
Her mornings were a symphony of structure. Wake up at 7:00 a.m., help with breakfast, take a shower, find a shirt that hadn't yet reached its expiration date in the rotation, fix her hair, swipe on some mascara, and then walk over to Vivian's house. A routine honed over years—minus the Vivian part, which had only become a staple more recently. Thank you, Mom.
The day always began the same. Mrs. Houle, Vivian's mom, would glare at Fawn as if her very existence had corrupted the "pure and perfect gift of God" that was her daughter. Vivian, proving her mother's point, would saunter out of the house looking like she'd stepped out of an Avril Lavigne music video. A snarky exchange would ensue, punctuated by the rumble of Damon's ridiculously loud '69 Camaro pulling up in front of the house. Mrs. Houle would add another glare to her collection as they all piled into the car, cranking the stereo to drown out the world.
Today was no exception. Ape Hangers' I Don't Want to Live Today blasted from the speakers as Damon rattled on about his one true love: Rory Gilmore.
"I'm telling you, this is the year," he said, gesturing wildly with one hand while steering with the other. "She talked to me at the gas station when she got back from Harvard. That means something."
Vivian, buried in a math textbook she hadn't bothered finishing the night before, didn't even look up. "You said the same thing when you were fourteen and had a crush on Fawn," she deadpanned, chewing absentmindedly on her pencil.
Fawn twisted in her seat, mock gasping as she pressed a hand to her chest. "You had a crush on me? Damon, I'm touched."
"You already knew that, you idiot," Damon groaned, throwing her a withering look. "Those were dark times. And for the record, you two never let me live it down."
Fawn grinned, thoroughly enjoying herself. "I mean, who could forget the time you said you were going to marry me? That was a highlight."
"Okay, moving on," Damon muttered, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "And Rory has a boyfriend, Harper, thanks for reminding me. Freakishly tall, hockey-playing jerk—yeah, I know."
"You mean Dean?" Fawn asked, leaning back in her seat with an amused smirk. "The one you're too scared to even look at?"
"Shut up," Damon snapped, but his grumble lacked heat. Vivian chimed in, closing her textbook just long enough to deliver the final blow. "He's right, you know. You stutter every time you talk to Rory. And when Dean shows up, you practically vanish."
Damon groaned. Fawn and Vivian exchanged triumphant grins. "Miss anything?" Vivian asked innocently, tilting her head.
Fawn shrugged. "Other than the fact that Damon will never land Rory? Nope."
The car erupted in laughter as they pulled into the school parking lot.
By lunch, the day had already spiraled into chaos. First, they were late for class—thanks to Damon and Vivian cramming for the pop quiz Fawn had warned them about. Then, Damon's bad mood returned after an unfortunate encounter with Dean. And as if things couldn't get worse, Shane—the one person Fawn despised more than anyone—managed to spill an entire coffee on her during lunch.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Shane said, her insincere tone matched by the fake pity in her expression. Fawn stood there, drenched in coffee, glaring at her.
"I'm sure you are," Fawn muttered through gritted teeth.
Shane's lips curled into a smug smile. "Good luck at cheerleading tryouts, by the way. Hope you don't smell like stale coffee." She turned on her heel and sauntered off, leaving Fawn fuming.
"Why are you even trying out for cheerleading?" Damon asked as she scrubbed at the stain on her shirt with a napkin. "You hate it."
"It looks good on a college application," Fawn snapped, rolling her eyes. "And I would've been fine if I'd worn black today. But no—one day I try something new, and this happens."
"Don't freak out," Vivian said, ever the voice of reason. "You keep a spare shirt at Luke's, right?"
Fawn nodded, and Vivian gestured toward the street. "Then run."
Fawn burst into Luke's diner like a hurricane, her frazzled energy drawing the attention of both Lorelai and Luke, who were deep in conversation.
"Hey," she said, already halfway up the stairs to Luke's apartment. "Can I borrow your shower?"
"Sure," Luke replied without missing a beat. But before she could disappear upstairs, Lorelai grabbed her arm.
"What do you think about Luke adopting a kid?" she asked, her tone playful.
"I'm not adopting," Luke cut in, scowling. "I'm just helping him finish high school. That's all."
Fawn raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a grin. "Right, Daddy Warbucks."
"Never call me that again," Luke groaned, pointing her toward the stairs.
Her shower lasted all of five minutes—a record. She'd just pulled on her spare shirt when she realized she wasn't alone. Standing in the doorway was a guy she'd never seen before, looking at her like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
"Are you breaking in?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. When he didn't answer, she added, "Because all the money's downstairs, if that's what you're after. Should I be telling you this? Probably not."
"I live here now," he said, his tone clipped.
"Luke's nephew?"
He nodded.
Fawn let out a long sigh. "Great. Luke's nephew just saw me half-naked. Fantastic."
"Luke's nephew doesn't mind," he shot back with a smirk.
"Luke's nephew is an ass," she retorted, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. She paused, glancing over her shoulder. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Jess."
"Well, Jess," she said, her lips curling into a sly smile, "it's been... weird. See you around." And with that, she was gone, leaving Jess staring after her, wondering why she hadn't told him her name.
f.h
author's note ihatethisihatethisihatethis this sucks so bad, i just wanted to put something out so here it is.
