𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓. . . 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥
❝ No, because being a sister should come before anything else. ❞

  JESS MARIANO AND Luke Danes hadn't ever been scared of Charlie Gilmore. Then again, it was a rare sight for the oldest Gilmore daughter to get that angry that quickly.

  "Charlie—"

  "It's not okay!" The girl paced around the under-construction apartment, two sets of eyes following her, "How could they just flake out on you, that is not okay!"

  "It's wrong, but—"

  "But nothing, it's completely screwed up!"

  "Jess."

  "Yeah."

  Charlie complained the entire time Jess tugged her out of Luke's, she was still seeing red by the time they hit pavement.

  "Charlie, you've got to calm down."

  "Luke doesn't care about anything ever, and the one time he tries no one else does! And it's all for his Dad, we both know Luke wouldn't care if this wasn't what his Dad wanted—"

  "I know," Jess grabbed her hand, "I know, alright? But we'll be there."

  "We?"

  "Told you I'd follow you anywhere, didn't I?"

  Charlie couldn't help but smile, and this time she was leading Jess. The music store was nearly entirely desolate, and it only made Charlie's mood boost that much more.

  "Are you ready to be serenaded?" Charlie grinned, picking up a guitar and dramatically strumming it.

  "Nope."

  "Too bad." The girl shrugged, tugging a plastic chair across from the one Jess had taken a seat in.

  "Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?" This time, Charlie was far less nervous about singing in front of the Mariano boy, "I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on. So tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin."

  Jess Mariano thought he could listen to Charlie talk about nothing for hours. He could simply sit in her company for days and pretend to laugh at her jokes for weeks. But one thing he knew very clearly; He could listen to her sing forever.

  "And if you have a minute, why don't we go talk about it somewhere only we know." A smile tugged at Charlie's lips as she focused her eyes on the instrument, "This could be the end of everything so why don't we go? So why don't we go?"

  She looked up briefly, but it was long enough to catch the pure adoration that consumed Jess' irises.

  "This could be the end of everything, so why don't we go, somewhere only we know?"

  Words had always been important to Jess, he could write a novel on anything from the best pizza in the world to why Charlotte Gilmore could conduct symphonies in his heart with a simple look. But, right now, every word seemed to minuscule to describe his feelings so he settled for bringing the girl into a kiss.

  Rory had been looking for her sister and Jess, she and her Mother had been working Luke's without its usual employees but the teen had put her foot down. She was unsuccessful up until the point she decided to check the music store.

  A bubble of envy erupted when she saw her sister's current situation. The girl bore a shocking resemblance to a flower, being gently held in the hands of Jess Mariano. Her cheeks were the crushed velvet color of roses and her hair cascaded in a way that would make any honeysuckle jealous.

  So, Rory did what any rational teenager would do. She acted on impulse.

⌁

  Charlie had woken up late, so it was no shock her whole day was off schedule. The diner was busy as she rushed in, Charlie more focused on grabbing a notepad than realizing her Mom and Luke were chatting behind the counter.

  "Charlie—"

  "Yeah, I know, I'm late, I'm really sorry," The girl talked as she searched desperately for a pencil, "I woke up late and then my homework took longer than I thought and then I couldn't find the jeans I wanted to wear and then my hair wouldn't sit right which is why it looks like this—"

  "Take a breath, John Moschitta."

  Charlie rolled her eyes at her mom but gladly accepted the pencil Luke held out to her. Before she had the chance to take an order, Lorelai stopped her.

  "Hey, sweets, I don't want to sound too much like your Grandma, but I do like to know what's going on in your and Rory's lives."

  "I just gave you a play-by-play of my morning," Charlie laughed, "That's about as into my life as you can get, but, Mom I really need to—"

  "I'm talking about you and Jess."

  "Me and Jess?" Charlie questioned, halting her movement.

  "You and Jess?"

  Luke felt physically dragged back into the conversation at that point, not by either Gilmore but by the simple thought of his nephew with Charlie.

  "Yeah, I know him and I haven't been best friends or anything," Lorelai frowned, "But you can talk to me about anything, cause you're my kid and that matters more than who you're dating."

  "Jess and I aren't dating."

  "You know I hate it when you or Rory lie."

  "I'm not lying."

  "If you aren't dating him, why were you kissing him in the music store?"

  Medusa had nothing on Charlie Gilmore, for when she turned to Rory with pure betrayal in her eyes, the youngest Gilmore froze.

  She'd expected Charlie to explode. Blow up and leave nothing but ruin in her wake.

  But she didn't. The girl looked between her mother and her sister, Lorelai seemed to piece things together as Charlie took a step back as if her sister had physically hit her.

  "Charlie—"

  "No," Charlie pointed to her sister, shaking her head, "No, because being a sister should come before anything else."

  "You can't—"

  "I never did anything wrong!" Diner patrons turned to the sisters after Charlie had cried out, not in anger but in pure hurt. "You don't own people, Rory! You can't control them like you're playing a game!"

  "I'm sorry. . ." Rory's voice went up an octave in pure shock.

  "Yeah," Charlie nodded, "I don't really care."

  The teen looked between her twin, Mother, and Luke, and ultimately the sad looks they sent couldn't keep her rooted to the speckled tiles.

  "Rory—"

  "I know," The girl mumbled, not allowing her Mom to finish.

  "Is Charlie here yet?" The three turned to Jess, who looked extremely bored. Until he saw their expressions. "What did you guys do?"

  "Jess, you can't just—"

  "It's my fault," Rory cut Luke off.

  "No surprise there," Jess grumbled, walking past the three.

  "Where are you going?"

  "To find Charlie," Jess snapped at Rory, he heaved the door open but paused, turning back to the girl, "Can you stop making her so upset? There's only so much I can do."

  Rory chewed her lip as the teen hurried down the streets, not pausing for people or cars.

  "I'm going to fix this," Rory told her Mother determinedly, nodding before returning to her current job.

  The problem was not one, but both Gilmore sisters reached their breaking point that day. Rory Gilmore decided to mend things; because Charlie was right, they were sisters before anything else. 

  But Charlie Gilmore came to a realization after the hurt bubbled into all too familiar anger. 

  Being sisters didn't mean that much when she had to give up everything for Rory to consider her a good one.

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
Hi, friends! The REAL angst is 
starting, who is excited