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It was a complete accident.
If Rory had been in her right mind, she was convinced that she wouldn’t have done it, wouldn’t have said what she did.
But it just felt like life was handing her one lemon after another, and she wasn’t sure how to make lemonade. If it wasn’t Dean getting married or Jess showing up out of the blue, it was feeling out of place at Yale.
There was always something. Or so it felt that way anyway.
She wasn’t sure if it would have been better or worse if she had ended up at Harvard. At least now, Rory was within driving distance of home and at Yale, she kind of had Paris? Who knew she would be grateful that the other girl had decided they had “unfinished business” … at least she wasn’t completely alone.
But she was lonely at times. Dating was hard, and Rory wasn’t sure whether she really wanted to put herself out there.
Which apparently wasn’t acceptable to certain residents of Stars Hollow.
All she had wanted as a weekend at home- to see her mom, get a little peace and quiet. Have a movie marathon to take her mind off her studies. What she got was a lot of overinvested people who wanted to see her dating, for whatever reason.
“Oh, honey,” Babette had said, in what was supposed to be a comforting voice, having caught her on the way back from picking up the movies that she and Lorelai had decided on, “I know it is hard but trust me, there are plenty of fish in the sea.”
“I’m not looking to fish, Babette,” Rory replied, as polite as she could be, considering this was the third “concerned” party she had dealt with.
Babette’s eyes lit up. “But you should. You’re so young and pretty- why at your age, I defini-”
“Babette.” Rory cut her off, before she could divulge another story that would probably leave Rory slightly mentally scarred. “I actually need to head back …”
“Oh, sure, sure, your mom and you must have plans.” Rory was barely able to breathe a sigh of relief, before Babette continued, “But let me give you the number of this young man … he’s the nephew of my hairdresser’s sister and from what I heard, quite the catch …”
“You really don’t have to,” Rory protested, but she couldn’t finish the sentence.
Babette was already digging in her purse. “Oh, don’t even worry about it! I got his number especially for you …”
If Lorelai had been around, Rory may have gotten the much needed support to escape the situation. Though if Lorelai had been around, Rory may not have been able to manage the lie that she would come up with next.
She didn’t even know how she managed it; it wasn’t like she had ever been a very good liar. At least not when it came to her heart and her feelings. Apparently, her face was too expressive.
But in a stroke of desperation, she blurted out, “Actually, I’m seeing someone.”
Babette paused and blinked at her. “Oh, really? Lorelai didn’t mention anything.”
“Yeah,” she confirmed, taking a deep breath. “It’s kind of new … I’m trying to keep things quiet. Don’t want to jinx it, you know.” She let out an awkward laugh.
“Oh, of course,” Babette said, nodding seriously. “It’s all hush, hush with me.” Rory wished she could believe it, but if she got to leave, she would deal with the rest later. “So … who is the lucky guy?”
“Just a classmate,” Rory replied, trying to sound casual.
“What’s his name?” Babette asked, eyes sharp. Rory felt nervous, as if she was about to get caught in a lie. What would Babette say then?
At this point, Rory really should’ve made up a name; any of the male classmates she went to school with. It wasn’t as if Babette would check and she could always bring her mom in on the story later; Lorelai would have a good laugh over it, but she would back her story up for sure.
But as she struggled to come up with someone, anyone, the only face that popped in her head was Paris’s.
“Rory?”
“Um, it’s, it’s Paris.”
And with four words, Rory sealed her fate.
Rory regretted her decision the second the words were out of her mouth and if it had been any other situation, she would have enjoyed the way that Babette’s jaw dropped and how thrown back the other woman was, which felt like a rare instance on its own.
But now she was too busy freaking out internally and needing to exit the situation as swiftly as possible.
“Well, then,” Babette said, “I suppose college really is the time to experiment. I remember-”
“Uh, I really have to go,” Rory said. She started backing up. “It was good to see you though!”
“Oh, you too, honey,” Babette was saying, but Rory was already waving and dashing home, grateful that no one else was around for their conversation.
What had she been thinking? Dating Paris? Oh man, the best case scenario would be that Babette, for once, kept the information to herself, or at the very least, she could play it off as a joke. Maybe it wouldn’t get that far.
Maybe?
By the time she was inside, she was slightly out of breath.
“Rory? Are you okay?”
She looked at Lorelai and then at the movies that were in her hands. “Just peachy! I got the movies.”
Lorelai wrinkled her nose. “Have you been running? You know Gilmores don’t run. What are they teaching you over at Yale?”
“I had to make an escape,” Rory explained. “I ran into Babette and she was talking about setting me up with someone’s nephew ...”
“Well, if there is a reason to run,” Lorelai joked. “When’s the date?”
“I got out before she gave me the number,” Rory told her, choosing to leave out her lie for the moment.
Lorelai looked impressed. “That is a feat almost as impressive as getting into Yale. I suppose you got lucky it wasn’t Patty.”
Rory could only make an assenting noise, trying not to linger on that particular train of thought. “So … movies?”
“Yeah,” Lorelai confirmed, happy to go along with the change in topic. “The pizza is on its way here. I have the popcorn ready!”
“Did you get the caramel kind?”
Lorelai looked offended. “Did I get the caramel?”
Rory grinned. “Sorry I asked?”
“She leaves mommy for a few months and has doubts!” Lorelai exclaimed dramatically. “Just for that, I should stick you with the unsalted, unbuttered popcorn.”
“Please, have mercy on your only child, for she has been away and needs a sugar fix,” Rory pleaded, matching her mom’s tone.
“Hmm,” Lorelai pretended to consider. “I suppose I could give you one strike.”
“You’re all heart.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
From there, it was easy to put aside the weird evening, and movie night was definitely what she needed. She didn’t think about what she said to Babette and as they indulged in junk food, she forgot about the previous conversation completely.
She almost regretted having to leave the following afternoon, but she knew she had work to do before classes that week, and she didn’t get as much studying done as she previously planned. The last thing she could afford was falling behind.
Seeing Paris again once she returned to their dorm was like having a bucket of cold water splashed on her, as she immediately recalled what she had claimed to Babette, but she managed not to outwardly panic when greeting her friend.
“Look who has returned,” Paris said, in lieu of a real greeting. “How was Pleasantville?”
“Fortunately, still in color and everything,” Rory quipped, and Paris just blinked at her. “Like the-”
Paris waved her off. “Anyway, I need to get my notes. Did you see my notebook? I can’t find it anywhere!” She muttered curses about roommates and something about competition that Rory couldn’t quite make out, but decided not to waste time trying to.
“What did it look like?” Rory asked instead. Likely, it was just under a bed or a sofa, but knowing Paris, once she was set on something, she wasn’t going to get anything else done and it was better off for Rory that she just helped her and got it over with.
And if she kind of felt like she owed her, for using her as an excuse the previous day, well, she would keep that tidbit to herself.
Paris was more than ready to give plenty of details and then they were on the search together.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long, and Rory was soon able to go back to her own studying. Not before Paris yelled at three different people, but they did get their hands on her notebook, still in one piece. Rory silently wondered how many people Paris would scare before she graduated.
Paris probably had a number in mind, Rory thought fondly. One thing was for certain: she certainly kept Rory’s life interesting. Good interesting or bad interesting, well, that was still to be determined.
School settled down, but her personal life? Not so much. She didn’t think about what she said the first few days, but Rory knew she shouldn’t let her guard down so soon.
Because towards the end of the week, she got an unexpected call from her mom.
After exchanging updates and hearing about Kirk’s latest job, Lorelai clearly proved that she hadn’t called just to catch up.
“So, Rory, is there anything you want to tell me?”
Rory blinked and looked around. “No?”
“No?” Lorelai repeated. “Funny thing, I was just talking to Babette …”
“Oh.” Rory’s stomach sank.
“And she was very impressed at how ‘open minded’ I am,” Lorelai continued. “And I am, it’s true, unless it comes to vegetables and things that taste like vegetables …”
“Mom …”
“However, it was quite a shock as to what I was open minded about ….”
“I’m not dating Paris!” Rory blurted out. She glanced around the room, thankful she was alone and Paris was in class.
Lorelai sounded amused, much to Rory’s relief. “Yes, that is something I would’ve hoped you told me.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “I told Babette I was seeing someone and she wanted to know who it was …”
“And you thought of Paris? ” Lorelai asked. “Was there no other guy you could’ve made up? You even have that one friend, don’t you …”
“Marty,” Rory replied, groaning. She didn’t know why he hadn’t come up when she was desperately trying to pull a name out of the air. “I blanked … and panicked.”
“Well, congrats, you’re now dating Paris.”
“Who knows?” Rory asked, dread rising in her stomach.
“Rory, you told Babette,” Lorelai reminded her. “The better question to ask is ‘who doesn’t know?”
Oh, great, now she was going to have to do damage control. “What did you say?”
“Your mother is an excellent actress, par none,” Lorelai declared. “I told them that it was your business and that was that. I wasn’t exactly sure what you wanted me to do.” There was a pause, and, “Though thanks to you, I did have to have a very awkward conversation with Luke, because he wanted you to know that he supports you.”
It felt like many of Luke and Lorelai’s conversations were twinged with an added awkwardness lately, but Rory wasn’t going to focus on what was going on with them. The rest of the town may have thought it was inevitable but it was a little terrifying for Rory, for reasons she didn’t want to dwell on at the moment. She couldn’t help but smile at the idea of Luke trying to be supportive in his own way. He had always been good to her and she was grateful for it as well as his general presence in her life.
“Thanks,” she chose to say instead. “Any chance this will blow over?”
“Taylor has switched sides and is now considering a parade,” Lorelai informed her, causing Rory to wince. “Last time I heard, they were wondering if a rainbow colored crown was too much.”
“I’m never coming home again,” Rory said, barely resisting the urge to climb into her bed and never come out.
“Oh, don’t say that … you’ll break your mother’s heart! Also, there is a chance the entirety of the town will show up at Yale with banners and signs.”
The images Lorelai’s words produced in her head brought back that urge once more.
“Please don’t joke.”
“But Rory,” her mom was happy to insist, “What else is there to do when your daughter accidentally comes out?”
“I’m not … out,” Rory insisted. “I was never even in!”
“ I know that,” Lorelai said patiently. “The rest of the town, on the other hand …. Well, all I can say is that if you avoid it, it is only going to make things worse.”
“I was planning to come home this weekend,” Rory admitted, “But now I’m not sure if I should wait.”
“You might want to practice your excuses once or twice,” Lorelai advised.
“Trust me, I’ve already figured I’m a terrible improviser.”
“Well, good luck, sweetie,” Lorelai said. “And if you want me to do or spread a contradictory rumor, just say the word!”
“Thank, mom.”
“Don’t worry too much. You’ll be fine.”
That was one person’s opinion, and as much as Rory relied on Lorelai for so much and trusted her with, well, almost everything, she wasn’t so sure on this one. She did consider waiting a week or two but she wanted to stick to her one plan, and at the very least, she owed certain people, like Lane and maybe Luke, an explanation. The rest of them could wait.
On Saturday morning, she realized that she had promised Paris she would study with her the following day and then quickly jotted off a note and hoped Paris would see it. Paris wasn’t the best at checking her text messages, but Rory made sure to send one anyway, and then taking her weekend bag and her books, she left without a backwards glance.
Thankfully, there wasn’t any new signs or banners or any indication of what Rory had been warned of, and she made it home without issues.
In the grand scheme of things, people thinking you were dating a close friend, even if it was the opposite gender that you were inclined toward, wasn’t a big deal, but in a town like Stars Hollow, everything felt amplified.
The majority of the time, she liked it and loved her small town, but there were certain incidents, like this one, or those rare times when the pedestal that they had put her on, did feel like a lot. Sure, she brought this on herself this time, but had she been anyone else, she didn’t think she would’ve ended up in the situation to begin with.
Or been a slightly better liar.
What was done was done. All she could do is try to fix it and hope that Paris never, ever found out.
Because that was a terrifying prospect all on its own right.
And one she didn’t even want to begin to consider.
Lorelai, for her part, only greeted her with a few jokes, but overall, treated her like she normally did. Small mercies. When she had to go to the inn to deal with an unexpected incident, Rory took the time to go see Lane.
Making it across town was a challenge in its own right, especially since there was a newfound interest in her, but she was certain she had never moved so fast, not since she had escaped Babette the week before. She remembered Paris’s advice that she once gave her, which was basically a lesson in power walking and how if you act like you have somewhere to go, people will move out of your way.
Rory supposed that with Paris’s added intensity, it never failed her, but people in Stars Hollow weren’t as scared of her as the rest of the population was of Paris. By the time that she had made it to Lane, she had dodged three different people, and avoided another two by waving them off. She really hoped needing to run or move at fast paces wasn’t going to be a regular situation in her life.
She definitely wasn’t a fan.
It was a stroke of luck that Mrs. Kim wasn't the one to answer the door, and Lane met her outside, fortunately free, and by the looks of it, had definitely heard the rumor. It would've have been a surprise if she hadn't.
"You know, I heard of rebounds, but that is certainly not a direction I would've expected you to take," Lane told her, smiling.
"It's not true," was the first thing Rory said to her.
Lane snorted. "Yeah, I figured that if it was, you would've told me. But why does Babette seemed so convinced you're dating Paris? I mean, Paris?"
"There's nothing wrong with Paris ..." Rory trailed off.
"Sure, but she's terrifying to have as a friend," Lane countered. "Can you imagine what it would be like to date her?"
Rory hadn't ever really considered the possibility. "I think she and ... Jamie are doing okay." And that's when she realized that in the midst of spinning her own web of lies, she had forgotten Paris's very real boyfriend, and felt even more embarrassed about the whole situation. It really shouldn't make it to her, much less to Princeton, so she was safe in that area, but she still felt a little guilty.
"What's he like?" Lane asked, tilting her head.
"He's ... nice?" Rory realized she didn't really know much about the guy, and she definitely couldn't bring up any sort of personality chart. "He and Paris like each other."
"Nice? Opposites attract I guess," Lane said thoughtfully. "So ... Paris?"
Rory was quick to explain the rest of the situation, keeping away from prying ears, which was harder than expected.
"And you couldn't come up with any other guy," Lane said incredulously. "Anyone ... hell, call him Brad Pitt!"
"I know, I know," Rory said, for what felt like the millionth time, when it in actuality, it was probably two. "I screwed up! I am so not meant for these type of situations."
"You're a bad liar," Lane said frankly. "I should've trained you better."
"Too late for lessons?" Rory asked, with a weak laugh.
Lane pretended to think about it. "I'm sure we can fit you in at some point. Anyway, you are the reason I had a very weird conversation with my mom, so thanks for that."
"That seems to be going around," Rory said. "Sorry ... what does Mrs. Kim think?" She was actually a little afraid to know. Was she even allowed to see Lane anymore? Now that was a devastating though, one that would immediately have her setting the whole town straight. She would wear a public "L" on her sweater to represent the lying liar that she was rather than chance at losing her oldest and closest friend.
Oblivious to her worries and fears, Lane waved her hand. "No, she quoted the bible, said something about 'love thy neighbor' and then worried about whether Yale was ruining you. Or if it was the clear terrible boys that you've dated ... well, I'll save you the spiel. Anyway, the point is that we can still hang out."
"I appreciate that," Rory said, sincerely.
"I doubt I was going to be able to visit you at Yale anyway, but now there is definitely no chance of that happening," Lane added. "The words 'lesbian orgy' wasn't exactly used ..."
Rory couldn't keep the horror she felt off her expression and Lane let out a small giggle at the sight.
"I could go my whole life without hearing Mrs Kim use the words 'lesbian' and 'orgy', especially together," Rory stated.
"You and me both," Lane said emphatically. "I had to reassure her that nothing of that sort was likely going on ..."
"Likely?"
"Look, you're not the only one who was caught off guard!" Lane argued. "I mean, at least you could've a girl a head's up?"
"In my defense, I was too busy running away," Rory said slowly.
"Let's not make that a habit."
"I'm working on it," Rory said.
"Any plans on how to fix this?" Lane asked curiously; they didn't really have a destination to their walk but from what Rory could tell, they were going to end up at Luke's anyway.
"Not at the moment. You have any ideas?"
"Hope that something more exciting comes along and Taylor doesn't follow through on his plans for a parade?"
"I'm counting on you to vote against it," Rory was quick to say.
"I have your back," Lane promised.
That much, Rory did appreciate. "So," she said. "I feel like I'm talking about me a lot. What's going on with you? Speaking of relationships, how is Dave?"
"He's ... there." And Rory didn't like the way that Lane's face fell. "Well, in California. Not with me, or with me." Rory could read between the lines just fine.
"You broke up?"
Lane blew out a breath. "Yeah."
"Lane! What happened?" Rory was genuinely thrown back at the turn of events. Even if Dave was in college in California, she just assumed that those two would be happy and make it through.
"A long distance relationship happened," Lane replied warily. "I mean, we had some argument about a ... jug, and it just went downhill from there. He's just so far and talking over the phone, once, maybe every few days, is not a relationship."
"Yeah." Rory wondered that had she stayed with Jess, and he not have taken off without a warning, would things have been the same. She supposed she could've still seen Jess during the weekends, just like she was seeing Lane and her mom now; that wasn't an option for Lane.
"So I broke up with him," Lane was saying, and Rory made a sympathetic noise. "I think we both kind of saw it coming."
"How are you doing?" Rory asked, squeezing her friend's shoulder lightly, hoping to show support however she could.
"Honestly, it sucks, but what can you do?" Lane replied. "I wanted to make it work, but who knows when we'll even see each other again? He got some Christmas job so he wasn't even planning to come then ... I don't want to have a relationship over the phone."
"That's fair, you do deserve better," Rory said.
"Ugh, but he was so perfect!" Lane exclaimed. "How do you find someone like that? The one who just ... gets you and connects with you in every way?"
"I think I'm the wrong person to ask for that one," Rory commented and Lane let out a laugh.
"Fair. But there's a reason that people don't end up with their first love."
"True. You'll find someone else, when you're ready," Rory said confidently.
"Yeah."
Lane didn't look as confident and Rory was well aware of the fact that a guy Lane actually really liked and one that Mrs. Kim approved of was not an easy combo, and that was part of the reason Dave had been so special. Wanting to see her friend smile, she lowered her voice. "If you try to get set up too early, make a list of fake names."
It worked.
"I'm sure I will be better at it than you."
"Those are some low standards, buddy," Rory joked. They were close to Luke's but from what Rory could see, it looked crowded in there, and she wasn't exactly enthusiastic to go deal with everyone else. "Hey, do you want to head to my place and eat too much ice cream and junk food?"
"Turns out you are a good planner after all."
"I have my moments."
And with that, they did head back in a different direction. With Lane being around, Rory was less likely to be stopped, because they could at least pretend they're conversing, even though most of the time they were.
The rest of the day flew by, and once Lane left, having to head back for dinner, Rory went back to studying, and working on a paper that was due soon. Midterms were coming up, and to say she was a little terrified was an understatement.
Lorelai came home right before dinner, with takeout in her hands, already ready to rant about plumbing issues and coordinating uncooperative people, and Rory listened patiently as her mom detailed the problems as they ate. It was nice, and comfortable.
Outside having to do some unexpected cardio, her return home was turning out to be ... fine. Normal.
Maybe, just, maybe, this would all go away and things wouldn't end up as badly as she expected.
She would soon find out that she had just jinxed herself instead.
Her Sunday started out normally enough; the two of them went to Luke's, who was indeed slightly awkward but wanted her to know that he was "happy for her" and "there if she needed anything".
There was no way to contradict him without embarrassing them both, especially not with a crowd around. So she just expressed her gratitude and moved on. It was no longer possible to avoid prying eyes and ears and people ready to ask way too many questions, but she gave vague answers, the best she could, and she and Lorelai were able to have their breakfast in relative peace.
By the time she was finished, she was more than ready to head back home, hole herself inside until it was time to leave again.
Life wasn't about it make it that easy on her. As they were about to go, the door to the diner swung open and there was none other Paris standing there, hair in a ponytail, looking slightly frazzled.
"Rory, there you are!"
"Paris!"
"Aww, her girlfriend came to visit," she thought she heard someone say, but she was too busy making her way to the other girl.
Paris's hearing was sharp. "Wait, what did she just call-"
"What are you doing here?" Rory asked instead, cutting her off, before she could pursue that line of questioning.
"We were supposed to study together, and you just disappeared," Paris chided. "I had to come all the way here to find you. Lucky that I know there is only place outside your home that you frequent."
"I left a note," Rory said, exasperated. "And I sent you a text message."
"I didn't see the note," Paris replied. "And I don't have time for text messages. We were supposed to study."
"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" someone else muttered, within her hearing. Rory almost turned back and made a snappy comment, when Paris's eyes narrowed.
"What is that supposed to mean? And why did that per-"
Yeah, this would get ugly, so instead Rory grabbed her arm, waving off her mom, who gave her an understanding look, before dragging her outside.
"Okay, Paris, we can study," she said quickly.
"I didn't bring my books," Paris said bewildered. "But Rory, why did that person call me your girlfriend? Has this whole town lost its mind? Then again, that does imply that they ever had it in the first place and I have my serious doubts about that."
"Well, it's complicated," she said lamely.
"Are they using the girlfriend term as in 'hey hanging with the girlfriends' because not that I'm familiar with current slang, but that doesn't sound like what she was saying," Paris continued.
"Where's your car?' Rory asked instead, and Paris pointed, and Rory tried to make them move in that direction. "Look ... there's something I have to tell you."
"Oh, Rory, there you are."
And the last person she had wanted to see at this moment, now that Paris was there, was Taylor, and with his perfect timing.
He watched Paris closely. "And your ... partner ... has deemed to show up as well. Look here, I know you're an out of towner, but if you want to date one of our people, you have to remember that you need to make yourself a part of this town as well."
"What are you talking about?" Paris exclaimed. "I'm clearly losing brain cells every second I'm standing here."
"Sorry, Taylor, we have to go," Rory said quickly.
Taylor hmmd and humphed. "I hope that fancy college of your's doesn't cause you to forget where you came from, Rory. I expected better out of you, young lady."
She felt an unreasonable sense of guilt. "I know, I'll stop by next weekend. We're just in a hurry and I made a promise to Paris to study. Midterms and all. Bye Taylor." Paris was getting ready to rant and she pushed her toward the car, basically having to shove her in the driver's seat, before getting into the passenger's seat.
"Head back to my place."
For once, Paris went along with it, but not before having several comments along the way. "Rory, seriously, I just came here to get my study partner and make sure you were still alive, but this is the second person who thinks we're dating. Why? I want answers and I want them now."
"You see ... it's a funny story. Okay, not a funny story. I don't know why people start out by saying things are funny because usually, when they preface it like that, it really never is."
"Rory." Paris had a warning note in her voice, and Rory could tell that she was testing her patience. There was nothing to do but just blurt it out.
"They think we're dating because I told someone we were and it just kinda ... spread?"
Paris was quiet, too quiet, and Rory chanced a look toward her. Her hands were gripping the wheel tightly and she looked ... bewildered? Confused? Rory couldn't read her expression.
"Is this a practical joke?" Paris asked finally. "Is there something I'm missing here? Because I'll be honest, I've never really been good with the jokes and I've been told I don't have a great sense of humor ..."
"It's not a joke," Rory said, cutting her off. "I just ... panicked."
Paris pulled up in front of Rory's house and parked the car. "And told ... this person that you were dating me? Me?"
Rory took a deep breath and told what was now a familiar story, and Paris just stared, without speaking, which was kind of worrying in its own right.
"You couldn't think of anyone else?" Paris exclaimed. "Anyone? Really, Rory?"
"I KNOW, I should've made up a name, hell I should've used an old one," Rory said, exhausted. "I messed up. Like I said, I panicked."
"You could've even named one of your exes and they would assume you have a type!" Paris pointed out. "There are millions of guy names in the world and the only person you could think of was me? How about that one puppy that follows you around ... Matty?"
"I didn't remember Marty," Rory corrected.
"Marty, that guy is hopeless," Paris said. "Hope he realizes that he has no shot."
"I don't think he wants one, Paris," Rory argued.
"Oh, Rory," Paris looked placating and it felt a little condescending. "You never notice when someone is interested. It's not new with you."
"It's not ... I notice!"
"You really don't," Paris replied. She didn't look too upset, which Rory was going to take as a win for now. "You didn't with Tristan, not with Jess, and definitely you don't see the way Marty looks at you. Anyway, that's not my problem. What is my problem is this whole town thinks that I'm dating you. Usually, I wouldn't care about what this crazy place does or thinks, but I don't really want people believing that I need to "be involved" or whatever nonsense that guy- Taylor?- was saying. I don't have time for relationships, much less be apart of this madness."
No time for relationships? Wasn't Paris already in one? But she couldn't point that out now. "I know, I'm sorry, Paris. I shouldn't have involved you and didn't mean for you to find out."
"So you were just going to never tell me and then, what, stage a breakup?" Paris demanded. "I would've been the girl who broke the town princess's heart?"
"I actually hadn't thought ahead that far," Rory confessed. "And I thought you didn't care what everyone thought about you here?"
"I don't," Paris sounded less than firm though. "I just am not interested in being thrown in a villain role that I didn't choose myself. What are you going to do to fix it?"
"I don't ... know?"
Paris looked like she wanted to bang her head against a window or the steering wheel. "Rory, you have lists for literally everything. You have lists of your lists! I sometimes think you make lists just so you can have an excuse to check things off ... are you telling me that you, you, don't have a plan here?"
"This whole thing was kind of spontaneous ... the only plan I had was to explain to my mom and then Lane what was happening."
"Now I see why you stay away from spontaneity," Paris said sarcastically. "Your plans tend to be better than this."
"Thanks?"
"It wasn't a compliment."
Rory glanced over and saw her mom standing on the porch. "Do you want to come in, Paris?"
Paris followed her gaze and shrugged. "At this point, I might as well, I'll give you 30 mins, Gilmore, and then I need to head back and study. You are in big trouble, but I'm not going to fail my midterms because you temporarily lost your mind."
"Fair enough."
Once they were inside, Lorelai and Paris exchanged pleasant greetings; one thing was for certain, it was nice at how Paris and Lorelai had learned to get along over the years. Lorelai still thought Paris was a little intense, but she liked her and for some reason, Paris had latched onto Lorelai as well. It was something that definitely warmed Rory's heart.
"Anyone want coffee?" Lorelai offered.
"Did you two just leave a place that served coffee?" Paris asked, confused.
"That was breakfast coffee," Lorelai clarified. "This is after breakfast coffee. Not to be confused with lunch time coffee. A specific coffee for every time of the day."
"Do you have any blood going through your veins or just sugar and caffeine at this point?" Paris asked, eyebrows furrowing. "And how is that you both have such perfect skin when you eat so terribly?"
"I haven't tested but I'm hoping for the sugar and caffeine!" Lorelai said gleefully. "And I don't know - maybe it is genetics or it is the clear tolerance I have been building up since my youth that I have so kindly passed along to my mini-me over there."
"I am convinced you come from a line of Disney princesses," Paris muttered. "Nothing else makes sense. Do the animals talk to you? Have I just been missing that?"
"Animals don't talk, Paris," Rory make sure to throw in.
"But you aren't denying the Disney princess part, I see," Paris observed. "I'll figure you out one day, Gilmore."
"You do that, Paris." Rory couldn't keep the fondness out of her voice.
"But we have bigger fish to fry," Paris said sternly. "What are we going to do about this? Time to brainstorm."
Rory and Lorelai exchanged glances and Rory wasn't so sure she liked what she saw in her mom's expression.
"Mom?"
"I have to say, it might be harder to contradict the rumor," Lorelai said. "Now that Paris showed up, everyone is even more convinced of your relationship. There were some doubts before ..."
"And I just confirmed them by visiting? Is that really all it takes?" Paris asked. "What are the consequences of admitting to this obvious lie?"
"Just town weirdness more than anything," Rory replied, wrinkling her nose. "I think people will move on ..."
"No, Taylor held a meeting just two weeks ago about the terribleness of lying and how misleading people will be the downfall of society," Lorelai quoted. "I think there was a mix up in prices over at Al's ... the whole town boycotted the place for a week."
"I don't want my lying to reflect on you," Rory said, now distressed.
"It that something that could actually happen?" Paris wondered.
"I have a good reputation here," Lorelai assured her, "Taylor just overreacts to ... everything."
"Which is also something the rest of the town is not immune to," Rory added, frowning. "Is it so bad that they just ... think it? I mean, Kirk will do something insane or Taylor will focus on something new eventually, right?"
"They seem kind of obsessed with you," Paris reminded her. "But honestly, you're probably right. Coming up with an excuse will likely draw this out longer. Just let it go and hopefully your town will find a new hobby. Have they considered crochet by any chance?"
"Miss Patty tried to make a club, but they were just gossiping and drinking and Kirk stabbed himself with a needle and had to be taken to the hospital," Rory explained.
Paris raised an eyebrow. "Only in Stars Hollow."
"You get used to it."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Paris said. "Well, you owe me for this one, Rory, and don't think I won't collect at some point. For now, I have to head back. The books await. Are you coming too?"
"Yeah, I should get back," Rory agreed, looking apologetically at her mom. "I'll probably leave a little after you."
Paris nodded firmly, and after they said their goodbyes, they watched her drive off.
"That didn't go so badly," Lorelai noted. "I truly thought she would freak out more."
"You and me both," Rory agreed. It wasn't as if Paris would've held back because Lorelai was around anyway. But Rory knew for sure that Paris would be bringing up at least once in the near future. It was probably the least of what Rory deserved at this point.
Rory focused on gathering what she brought, and after giving her mom a hug, she said, "I'll see you in a few weeks?"
"Don't let Paris drive you too nuts," Lorelai said, nodding.
"No more than usual," Rory countered, grinning. "Bye, mom."
"Bye, Rory."
By the time that Rory made it back to her dorm room, Paris was already studying, not even bringing up what had happened, so Rory just took out her notes and joined her.
"So, tell me, are you mad?" Rory found the nerve to ask, when they took a break an hour later.
"You would know if I'm mad," Paris reminded her. "I'm weirded out a little, but it's not something I can't deal with."
"Oh." Rory remembered what she said earlier. "Wait, you said you didn't have time for relationships ... Jamie ..."
"And I broke up," Paris finished. "It doesn't matter."
"Are you okay?" Seemed as if it was something else that she had been asking a lot lately.
Paris shrugged. "I'm fine. Like I said, it doesn't matter."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Rory offered. It was easier with Lane; she knew what to say, and Lane was forthcoming with answers. Paris had a tough walls, but Rory found that climbing over them and getting to her was worth the effort. There was something special about Paris letting you in and having her trust and friendship and Rory truly had learned to cherish that.
"Not really," Paris said. She stopped for a moment. "Okay, maybe. I don't know. Have you ever met a guy who should be what you want on paper but in reality, it just isn't there? Like he's smart, I know that, but it's not in a way that challenges me. I think I want someone to challenge me and with Jamie, it's ... fine."
Rory found those words resonated more than she would admit. "There's nothing wrong with wanting more."
"Exactly." Paris seemed satisfied and more confident. "After all, he's in Princeton and it isn't like we had a future together anyway. I need to focus on my studies."
"Whatever makes you happy. You are ... right?"
"It that my girlfriend asking?" Paris questioned, lips curving into a smile.
"How about a caring friend?" Rory suggested.
"That you are, and like I said, I'm fine."
"I would know if you weren't."
"Though I am better at hiding it than you are," Paris said confidently.
"You don't have to hide with me, you know," Rory said.
Paris eyed her and then nodded. "No, I guess I don't. Since we're having a heart-to-heart, how about you? Since you're using me to avoid being set up with whatever weirdo they want to push you towards- and I don't blame you there- are you over the brooder?"
"I think so," Rory said slowly. She missed Jess and hoped he was okay, but a summer away and time at Yale had mostly healed her heart.
"Good." Paris seemed pleased about that and she wondered if her heartbreak had shown too much in the past. She thought she had been doing a pretty good job of keeping to herself, but apparently not. She wasn't going to ask, not wanting to dwell. "Now, are we done with the sentimental part of our evening? Studying isn't over yet."
"Yes, Paris, we can go back to studying."
Some things never changed, and with Paris, she kind of hoped she never would.
Things went back to normal, as far as much as they could anyway, and Paris very kindly didn't mention their situation and as long as Rory was at Yale, she didn't have to think about it. Her midterms went smoothly, and she was looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving.
Until she got a call from her mom right before she was set to leave. If she wasn't careful, she was going to get worried about these random calls she was receiving.
"So, Rory, any chance you're bringing Paris?" Lorelai asked cautiously.
"Why would I do that?" Rory asked.
"The town still thinks you're dating her ..."
"They haven't moved on from that yet?" Rory asked, frowning. "What happened to Kirk setting the gazebo on fire?"
"That was a temporary distraction," Lorelai said. "Here's the thing- Taylor is getting suspicious about the fact that you haven't brought her back, and Miss Patty was confused that Paris seemed, well, confused."
"What is he saying?"
Lorelai didn't sound like she wanted to tell her but Rory pushed for it, fear rising again.
"Mostly he's back on his dishonesty spiel again," Lorelai finally admitted.
"And this is hurting you ... or it could hurt your inn?" Rory asked, hearing what Lorelai wasn't saying.
"He just wants to know if he can trust the family or what we're producing," Lorelai said, but she tried to keep her tone light. Even on the phone, it sounded almost forced. "You know how he is, Rory. All talk."
"But they did boycott Al's," Rory said desperately. "You said that."
"They wouldn't do that to us."
"Are you sure?"
A pause, too long of a pause. Her lie was silly, and simple, but she didn't want to think of the backlash. Could she just apologize sincerely and get away with it? What would Babette think? What would everyone think? Could she ever show her face in town again?
"It'll be fine, Rory."
"Okay." Rory clutched her phone closer to her.
"I'll see you when you get back," Lorelai said. "Don't think too much of it."
Don't think too much of it?
Easier said than done.
How was she supposed to think of anything else?
Paris could sense she was panicking when she got back.
"What's with you?" Paris asked. "Did someone accidentally give you decaf?"
"Don't even joke about that," Rory warned. "No ... it seems that people still are into us dating and now they think it is a lie."
"It is a lie," Paris said.
"I know that!" Rory exclaimed.
"Rory, you're panicking again," Paris said, putting her hand on her arm. The touch felt nice and Rory resisted the urge to lean into it, Paris' fingers on her sent an unexpected spark up her arm, but she couldn't afford to focus on that at the moment. "And I'm not very good at calming people down. Ask anyone."
Rory let out a laugh at that. "I know."
"Exactly so you may be on your own here."
"I just don't want them to boycott my mom's inn!" she burst out.
Paris looked genuinely puzzled. "Why on Earth would they do that?"
Rory frowned and explained what her mother had said, and what she hadn't said.
"And they would really do this?" Paris asked. "Rory, you are from sort of fairytale land, aren't you?"
"It's not like that, and maybe we're just being paranoid ..."
"But you're worried, really worried about this," Paris said, staring hard at her. "Rory ..."
"I don't want to be the reason my mom loses her dream!" Rory said, wringing her hands.
To her surprise, Paris just hugged her. The embrace felt nice and she breathed in the scene of her friend, unintentionally. It was warm and comforting, two words that she previously wouldn't associate with Paris but it felt fitting at the moment. And she actually felt better when they parted.
"All right, there's only one thing to do then," Paris decided.
"Tell the truth and hope for the best?" Rory suggested.
"No," Paris said patiently. "No need to make you the town pariah over something this dumb. Clearly we make them believe it."
"You would do that ... for me?" Rory was awestruck at the gesture she couldn't have begin to ask.
"Duh," Paris said immediately. "You're my friend, and I like Lorelai. Do I think this whole thing is crazy? Yes, but if there is something I can do to help, well, I guess I can pretend for a little bit. We can 'break up' at some point next year, once the inn is up and running."
"Paris! Thank you!" Rory said, hugging her again, secretly delighted to have the excuse to have Paris back in her arms. The feeling was getting kind of addicting but she wasn't going to admit that part out loud.
That not something she could afford to dwell on. Not ever, and certainly not now.
"So please tell me you can come up with a real plan this time," Paris said. "Or at least let me help you out."
Rory hesitated. "Any chance you're free to come to Stars Hollow for Thanksgiving?"
"Lucky for you, I am," Paris replied. "When do we head out?"
Rory felt a weight lift off her chest. "Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow it is. This time though, I'm definitely helping come up with our cover story. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right."
And Rory definitely couldn't argue with that.
When Paris was packing, Rory made sure to call her mom with the good news. Despite her best efforts, Lorelai did sound pleased so whatever problem Lorelai had been pretending didn't exist, definitely existed.
And when Paris was driving them back, because of course she insisted she would drive, they came up with a plausible story of how they got together. The nice thing about being friends for so long was that they didn't have to pretend to know each other; they just did.
When they were back at Rory's place, Paris waved off Rory's offer to take the couch. "I can get more late night studying done here," was Paris's excuse. "And it is closer to the kitchen."
She wasn't wrong there.
Their first outing as a "couple" involved them getting coffee. Sensing eyes on them, Rory took things one step further and finally got the nerve to take Paris's hand and much to her relief and delight, Paris was a pro at going along with the plan, and somehow knew how to read Rory's mind, entwining their fingers and squeezing their hands together.
It felt ... right.
Her happiness was unfortunately short lived.
While they were walking, they ran into Dean and Lindsey, which was weird to say the least. They all stared at each other, in silence for a few minutes, before Rory was forced to break up.
"Hey, Dean," she said, addressing her first love and his ... wife. That wasn't going to be normal for a while. "Lindsey."
"Rory," Dean said tightly, eyes drifting to her and Paris's joint hands. "Paris."
"So how are things?" she asked, not sure what to say.
"Good, good, we're ... heading home," Dean said, looking over at Lindsey, who looked as perfect and put together as always. "We're hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Lindsey makes great stuffing."
"Oh, that's nice," Rory said, and wasn't that what Dean wanted? "Well, nice seeing you both. Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving," they echoed.
Paris was unusually silent, giving them a polite but uninterested look, but she could feel the impatience from her even standing next to her. She was holding her tongue and Rory kind of wanted to know what she was going to say.
She didn't keep her waiting long.
"I give that marriage six months," she informed Rory, once they were out of earshot. Rory should be grateful that they made it that far.
"Paris!" she exclaimed. "They seem happy."
"Please, this is a classic case of you missing what is in front of you again," Paris said dismissively, and Rory wondered if she should be insulted. "Clearly that man is still in love with you."
"In love ... me ..." Rory stammered. She vaguely recalled Luke asking her to not to attend Dean's wedding, but that hadn't been for any real reason, right? It couldn't have been because Dean had doubts."He's married!"
"Sure, because he knew he couldn't get you," Paris replied immediately. "Come on, Rory, he couldn't have been more jealous if he tried. And I'm sure that pretty wife of his knew it. Unless she is really in denial."
"Huh."
Dean still having feelings for her was a little mind blowing. She had often wondered after Jess had left if she had made the wrong decision - after all, Dean had stayed, been good to her, and wouldn't have left without a backwards glance. Would she have been happier if she had just ignored those feelings, worked harder to make their relationship work?
Was there a point in saving something in the first place?
"Having doubts yourself there, Rory?" Paris asked, eyes glinting with an emotion that Rory couldn't place. She wanted to lie, tell her that she was fine, but in the face of that look, she found it impossible.
It was always easier to be honest with Paris. She wanted to be honest with Paris.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I took a risk with ... with Jess, and it broke my heart."
"If you had stayed, would that have been better?" Paris asked.
"He did dump me," Rory recalled. She let out a sigh. "You know what you were saying about Jamie? About having someone that should be perfect and then it just not feeling right?"
"Is that what you had with the bag boy?" Paris asked.
"I did love him but towards the end ..."
"Toward the end you were settling," Paris completed her sentence with ease.
Rory blushed. "I wouldn't call it settling. I just wanted to want Dean ... maybe more than I did."
"And now you're tied up with nostalgia because the brooding guy you fell for ran and you got a glimpse of the life that you could've had if he hadn't showed up in the first place."
They were still walking toward the diner, but Paris's words caused her to stop. "Well, I wouldn't go that far ... I guess we would've just kept dating?"
"For how long?" Paris persisted and Rory wondered why she cared. "He probably would've proposed to you, and no offense, I can't see you married at 21."
"Me either." That much Rory could admit.
"Rory, do you want to be Lindsey?"
"No."
"Then, there is it," Paris said. "Look, you told me that it was okay that it didn't work with Jamie and I'm telling you that it's fine it didn't work with Dean. It's okay to fall out of love."
"It's okay to fall out of love."
And for some reason, that made her relax. She hated hurting Dean, and maybe whatever she had been feeling was chalked up to nostalgia and regret. Even if there was no Lindsey, she tried to picture a future with Dean and she just came up blank.
Honestly, the only person she could really see in her future was Paris, but that was a whole different story.
"Rory?"
"You're right," she said finally. "Thank you."
"I usually am." Even Paris looked less tense than she had moments prior. "Don't you forget that, Gilmore."
"I won't, Geller," she said, nudging her playfully. "I guess I have to find my 'right fit' still."
"You have time," Paris said knowingly. "You'll find them- you have the Disney princess looks and some brains to go with it."
"Paris ..." Rory groaned.
"You'll find someone," Paris said confidently. "The perfect fit for you ... trust me."
Rory actually did.
And that was that.
The rest of their Thanksgiving trip went off without a hitch. Fortunately, outside the hand holding, they weren't expected to show any real affection, though Rory did kiss Paris's cheek once, and was convinced that Paris had blushed, though she denied it wholeheartedly. But Paris wasn't the only one affected. Rory had accidentally brushed her lips on the corner of Paris's mouth, and it was a feeling that was stayed with her for hours after, leaving her wondering what it was like to do it for real and trying to understand why she felt so disappointed at the idea that she would never get a shot to try. Her mom gave her some questioning looks from time to time, but she didn't pursue it and Rory was grateful, not ready to face certain realizations that were coming up on their own.
She was also able to fool Paris as well as she did the rest of them, which was a bonus.
They also did have to deal with some questions, but they were ones that she actually had prepared answers for. Paris was always willing to challenge anyone who questioned them, and always happy to go toe to toe with Taylor as well, who realized that he had a formidable foe in Paris and while Taylor was Taylor and didn't back off completely, there was definitely a grudging respect that was formed.
By the end of it, it didn't seem anyone had doubts about their relationship.
"Any chance you want to come over for Christmas too?" Rory asked on their drive back to Yale.
"You planning to continue this charade?" Paris teased. "At least the town won't be expecting a Christmas proposal."
"Again, don't even joke about that," Rory said darkly. But the idea of marriage, much less marriage to Paris didn't scare her as much as it should.
Even at Yale, it felt that they even spent more time together once they started "dating". Rory was more comfortable settling into Yale, and Paris was eager to add in some extracurricular to boost up her resume and Rory was willing to follow her where she led.
Their plans were different, but their goals felt like they always aligned.
And Rory like the journey that they were on.
She soon got used to pretending to date Paris to certain people, and even when she got chatted with and asked out by a cute guy on another floor on the way to do her laundry, she absentmindedly told him that she was seeing someone, only realizing what had happened once he was long gone. Had she done so much lying that she was beginning to believe her own lies?
The worst part was she liked saying she was dating someone, more importantly, that she was dating Paris. She liked cozying up with Paris, when they watched movies late at night, liked introducing her to her favorite parts of Stars Hollow when she came back with her for day. She just liked ... Paris. Every touch felt like it was burnt into her skin, and she was reacting more and more every day and she just couldn't explain it.
What was also unexpected was the jealousy she felt when she felt when she had come back towards the dorms after class, to see a guy talking to Paris outside their building. A tall, handsome guy, who was clearly interested, but it was a feeling that Paris didn't reciprocate, too busy making some point on whatever topic was holding her interest at the moment, which filled Rory with a sense of relief that she knew she wasn't allowed. For all that Paris called her out on not being able to tell if someone was interested, she was completely unaware that her brash attitude didn't take away from a pretty face and her sharp tongue was appealing to some people.
And somehow Paris looked even prettier when she was angry.
Not that Rory had noticed, of course.
Rory was going to go in another direction when Paris spotted her and called her over.
"Hey, Rory, so be on my side here," Paris said impatiently and immediately shot off a question from a previous lecture. The guy barely glanced at Rory, still hooked on Paris, and Rory couldn't resist the urge to wrap her arm around Paris's waist, almost possessively, and fixed him with her best unimpressed look.
Paris seemed confused but continued with her point and of course Rory backed her up. As she always would.
The guy in question, who Paris didn't even deem worth introducing, seemed to get a clue that Paris wasn't interested and scurried off shortly thereafter.
"And that," Paris said emphatically, "is how you scare the enemies!"
"Not everyone is your enemy, Paris," Rory said, amused.
"Well, you have the friends, the allies, and everyone else falls into the rival/enemy category," Paris said.
"I don't think he wanted to be your enemy," Rory said, smiling.
"Then what is then?" Paris asked. "Clearly he saw a threat and was challenging me. Shows what he knows."
"I think he was just looking for an excuse to talk to you," Rory said calmly.
"Why would he do that?" Paris asked, before her eyes widened. "Oh, wait do you think he was ..."
"Interested? Yes."
"He was flirting," Paris realized. "I was wondering why he kept insisting on sharing notes. Guys are so weird. Was I flirting?"
"I don't think you were," Rory replied, as they headed into their dorms, having dropped her arm.
"Wait, so what was with the show there?" Paris asked. "Pretty sure he's not part of the group that you are trying to fool, unless he's some secret Stars Hollow resident that you need to send a message through."
"No, you just didn't ... seem like you were into it," Rory said lamely.
"You're still a terrible liar." Paris didn't seem upset.
"Sorry?"
Paris shrugged. "Don't be, this may be useful for me. I don't have time to date and if people think I'm unavailable, might be better off, for both of us. You might lose out on some prospects though."
"I don't want any," Rory said.
"Then we're on the same page."
"Of course."
It seemed as though the topic wasn't completely dropped though, because as soon as they got back to the dorms, Paris brought it up once more.
"One question though ... were you at all jealous?"
"Jealous?" Oh, wow, her voice went high there for a moment. "Of who?"
"James."
"Is that his name?" Rory asked, a little too casually. "You didn't introduce me."
"I didn't think there was a need," Paris replied, eyeing her carefully. "But your show of ... whatever that was felt like it was more than just helping me ward him off."
"Paris ..."
"So were you? Jealous?"
"Maybe," Rory said, brushing a hair behind her head. "Is that ... okay? I think-" She paused and took a deep breath. "No, I know that I like you. Maybe more than just this pretend stuff. But if it isn't for you, then we can't just ignore it ..." The rejection part was what she hadn't considered, hadn't want to consider. She carefully had been ignoring the idea of a break up or how it would happen.
Paris didn't say anything; she instead leaned forward and before Rory could react, kissed her.
Rory made a surprised sound, but kissed her back.
And it felt good.
No it felt better than that. Paris fit in her arms like she couldn't imagine anyone else ever doing again, and the taste of her lips was one that she found herself immediately addicted to.
"Paris," she said, slightly out of breath. "You ..."
"I told you, Rory," Paris said, catching her own breath. The flushed look was a good one on her. "You are really, really bad at telling when someone is interested."
"Well, then, I guess you'll have to continue to show me," Rory said, in a slightly challenging manner. Leaning forward, she kissed Paris again, deciding to save conversations for later.
Paris was more than happy to go along with it.
They had all the time in the world to talk.
In the place she least expected it, Rory found her perfect fit.
And she couldn't be happier.