( chapter two ! )
"Presenting Lorelai Gilmore"

  "JESS HURRY UP!" Olive yelled as she pulled on her sneakers. "We're gonna be late, we where supposed to be at work..." She trailed off as looked down at her pink wrist watch. "One hour ago. Crap!"

"Chill," Jess snapped as he pulled his shirt over his head. "We're already late, so who cares."

  "We're already late who cares," Olive mimicked, rolling her eyes as her brother brushed passed her and out the door. He sent her a glare which she just ignored and followed him out.

  When they enter the diner Olives eyes widen when she realized how full it was. Yup! We are dead. She thought bitterly and put on a sweet smile when Luke stomped up to them.

  "Jess, Olive, you were supposed to be down here--" Luke cut himself off when he saw Jess's shirt. It was a black shirt that said 'Metallica' and had some sort of monster on the front. "What the hell is that?"

  "What?" Jess asked in annoyance.

  "That," Luke snapped as he pointed at his nephews shirt.

  "This is a shirt," The male Mariano said slowly.

  "Change."

  "What?"

  "Go upstairs and change your shirt." Luke ordered as he placed his hands on his hips.

  "I like this shirt," Jess snapped, glaring at his uncle. Olive bit her lip to hide a laugh, she will never get tired of Jess and Luke's bickering.

  "How can you like that shirt?"

  "It brings out my eyes."

  The diner owner gave the twins a look as he went on with another one of his rants. Which he seems to do at least 10 times a day. "Part of the deal of you both staying here is that you both work here. And when you work here; you'll wear proper work attire, and that is not proper work attire." He gives his nephews shirt another look of distaste before pointing towards the stairs. "Now go upstairs and change into something that won't scare my customers."

  "Whatever you say uncle Luke," Jess said plainly, turning stomping up the stairs to go change.

  "Olive start working," Luke sighed, rubbing his forehead in annoyance.

  "Okie-dokie," Olive shrugged, sending a smile to the three Gilmore's who sat at the counter like every morning.

  "Gross t-shirt," Lorelai commented as she took a sip of coffee.

  "Yeah," Rory agreed.

"But good band," Eric pointed out.

  "Oh yeah!" The Gilmore girls chorused.

  "You know," Olive spoke, getting their attention. "When you live with them, you don't need cable."

  "SO WHO YOU GONNA ASK?" Lorelai questioned her younger brother as they walked the streets of Stars Hallow. Emily Gilmore, Lorelai and Eric's mom, somehow convinced Rory to be presented to society and She said that Eric needed a date.

  "No clue," Eric sighed as they came to a stop outside of Luke's diner. The two Gilmore's peered inside only to see Olive asleep on the counter and Luke tying to wake her up by poking her with a broom. "Well...you don't see that everyday."

  "Hey, why don't you ask Olive." Lorelai offered with a smirk, knowing that her brother has developed a small crush on the girl. "I mean, you seem to like her."

  "What-no-I-i've only known her for two weeks." Eric stuttered.

  "So? This way you get to know her." Lorelai said before entering Luke's, Eric right behind her. "Olive!" Lorelai shouted making the young girl jump awake.

  "What? I'm up," The brunette mumbled.

  "Thank you," Luke sighed as he set the broom down. "I've been trying to wake her up for an hour." He turned to his niece, "I thought you were dead."

  "I'm just tired, I can't get any sleep because Jess plays his music so load and somehow he falls asleep to it. And all I smell when I breath is smoke, I am a victim of second hand smoking. I just want some sleep!" She exploded. "Sorry, I'm very sleep deprived." She smiled sheepishly when she noticed that everyone in the diner was looking at her.

  "Okay. Olive, are you free next weekend?" Lorelai asked, breaking the awkward silence.

  The teenager thought for a moment before nodding, "I'm free. Why?"

  "Rory's coming out!"

  "Coming out of what?"

  "Our mom is presenting Rory to society. And there is this ceremony and she said if I went alone I would "embarrass the family name" so..." Eric trailed of.

  "So..." Olive repeated with a grin. She new exactly what he was asking, she just wanted him to say it.

  "Would you like to join me?" The male Gilmore grumbled shyly, looking down at his shoes.

  Olive held her hand near her ear. "Sorry couldn't hear you."

  "Would you go to a ball with me?"

  The brunette did a little spin, her brown hair whipping Luke in the face. "I would love to!"

-

  OLIVE WALKED INTO the ballroom, her arm linked with Eric's, behind Rory and Lorelai. She was sporting a simple black dress that went down to her knees, paired with a pair of brown high heeled boots; she also had her hair styled in a curled pony tale. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she looked around the room. It was huge, two ginormous white staircases; along with a bunch of tables decorated with pink flowers, candles and tablecloths. Olive did a little happy dance, making Eric look at her in amusement.

  "Wow, this place is huge!" Rory gaps, as she too observed the room in aw. "Do I have to walk down those stairs?!" She points towards the staircases.

  Lorelai sighs dramatically, "I'm afraid so. Unless you want to make a really memorable entrance and just slide down the banister, which I totally encourage."

  "Me too," Eric encouraged, a small smirk on his face. "Make this a little more interesting."

  "You are--" A small woman began, basically appearing out of nowhere, startling the four.

  "Lorelai Gilmore," Rory told the woman with a kind smile. Assuming that lady was done talking.

  "--late." The woman finished, glaring at the four. Olive took a step to the side so that she was hiding behind Eric, this woman's glare was intimidating.

  "Sorry. My fault," Lorelai smiled sheepishly. "Took me a while to get pretty. Not all of us are 16 anymore, you know what I mean?" The woman stared at them blankly, making Lorelai clear her throat awkwardly. "No?"

  "You are to head up the stairs. The preparation room is on the right." The woman instructed as she lead Rory towards the stairs.

  "Look for the toxic cloud of Chanel!"

-

  "YOU'RE A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL man." Lorelai gushed as the bar tender handed her a drink. "I have a feeling we're gonna be very close tonight."

  Eric sighed as he leaned a across the counter. "Cut her off after three please," he whispered so his sister couldn't hear. The bartender nodded before going to serve someone else.

  "Mom, you're here." Lorelai shouted in surprise, catching the two teens attention. An older woman with red hair stood in front of the three.

  "Where should I be? Spain." The woman said sarcastically. She raised an eyebrow when her eyes landed on Olive. "Who may this be?"

  "Mum, this is Olive. Olive this is my mother, Emily Gilmore." Eric introduced nervously, knowing that his mom can be a little judgmental. Okay, a lot judgemental.

  "It's lovely to meet you," Olive smiled kindly. The Gilmore siblings both hold their breath, waiting for Emily's comment. Olive looked at both of them confused and a little scared.

  Emily nods in approval making Lorelai and Eric sigh in relief. "Lovely to meet you as well."

  "I tried calling you last night." Lorelai says, setting her drink on the counter.

  "I was very busy."

  "And then we got here before you."

  "What's your point Lorelai?" Emily sighed, looking at he daughter, annoyed.

  "Time to run," Eric mumbled as he started towards the table; pulling an awkward and uncomfortable Olive behind him.

  "Are they always like that?" The brunette questioned as she took a seat beside the blond at an empty table.

  "Yup," Eric answered. "So...what's in the bag?" He asked. He's always seen her with it, and had never gotten around to asking.

  "My sketch book and pencils." Olive explained as she pulled them out of her bag. "I always carry it with me, never know when I'm gonna get some inspiration." She studied the boy across from her for a moment before smiling shyly. "Can I draw you?"

  Eric's eyes widen in surprise, not expecting to be asked that question. He smiled as a small blush made its way up his neck, "Sure." He knew he was falling for the girl in front of him; he just hope its the same for her, and lucky for him the feelings are mutual.

  Olive sent the boy a grin as she grabbed her sketch pad and pencil from her bag. "Don't move," She ordered as she started to draw.

  "Damn, I hate that dude." Eric mumbled half way through her drawing. Olive raised an eyebrow in question before looking in the same direction he was. She saw Lorelai being led away from a group of woman by a handsome man with light brown hair.

  "Who's he?"

  "Christopher. Rory's father," Eric explained as the pair split up, Chris going up the stairs and Lorelai taking a seat at the table. "Oh, here comes my dad," he sighed when he spotted Richard Gilmore enter the ballroom and Emily stomp up to him. "Oh look, now my parents are fighting."

  Olive offered a sad smile before asking the question that's she's been wanting to ask for a while now. "Why don't you live with your parents. Wait, was that nosey?"

  The blond laughed, "It's okay. I don't live with my parents because I was board out of my mind there. So, I asked my parents if I could move in with my sister, they said no at first; but then my dad made an offer. If I go to Yale when I graduate, then I can move in with Lorelai."

  Olive nodded, "Cool." She smiled to herself as she put her sketch book back in her bag. "I've been planning on going to Yale as well. They have a cool art program, what a Kawinkidink." She mentally slapped herself for saying 'Kawinkidink'. "Never let me say that aga--" she gets cut off by the lights turning off, making her let out a little shriek. She quickly covered her mouth, glad that nobody knew it was her; well except the laughing blond who sat across from her.

  A spotlight turns on at the top of the stairs, a woman wearing pink starts speaking into the microphone. "Good evening. On behalf of the daughters of the American Revolution, I would like to welcome you to our annual debutante ball. Oh, this bring back so many memories. I myself came out in this very hall in 19-- well let's just say a number of years ago."

  "Was that supposed to be funny?" Olive whispered Eric, as the rest of the audience broke out into laughter.

  Eric shrugged, "maybe only old people get it."

  "Eric," Olive scolded. "That's rude," she furrowed her eyebrows, "and very very true." She turned back to the front as the woman began speaking again.

  "Now the word "Debutant" comes from the French word "Debuter" which means to lead off." Olive groaned silently, starting to get board. She started digging through her bag, gaining a questioning look form Eric, which she ignored. She smiled in victory as she pulled out a deck of cards; her brothers deck of cards to be exact, he's probably gonna murder her for stealing them, but she doesn't really care.

  "Goldfish?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, holding up the deck of cards.

  "I'm in," Eric nodded eagerly, the speech was boring him as well. Olive grinned as she started dealing the cards, neither teen noticing Lorelai's disappearance. Not even five minutes into the game they had to stop because they started introducing the daughters of the American Revolution.

  Olive didn't even pay attention she was just waiting to hear Rory's name. As she waited she finished off her drawing of Eric, than flipping the page and getting ready to Sketch Rory.

  "Lorelai Gilmore, daughter of Christofer Hayden and Lorelai Gilmore." Olive smiled and clapped along with the crowed as Rory and Christopher make their way down the stairs. Chris kisses his daughters hand once they make it to the bottom and stepped off to the side as Rory curtsied. She was then escorted to the dance floor by her boyfriend, Dean, and joined the circle with the other girls.

  Chris heads over to the table where the two teens sat. He sent Eric a friendly smile before taking a seat opposite of him. Eric sent him a sarcastic smile in reply as Olive just waved awkwardly. They all smiled at Lorelai as she took a seat and watched as the daughters of the American Revolution started the fan dance. Olive felt so bad for Rory, she looked so miserable. And the fact that Eric and Christofer started laughing didn't help at all. 'Boys' Olive thought to her self as she rolled her eyes, hitting both guys on the back of the head.

  "Ow!"

-

  "SO, DID YOU KNOW THAT you're considered a hot dad?" Rory told her father as the group was heading to Luke's.

  "Really?" Chris asked, a smug smile making its way onto his face.

  "Libby said it's to bad you're my real dad, because if you were my step dad I could steal you away from mom."

  Olive whistled, "that's messed up."

  "That Libby's got a good life ahead of her." Chris joked.

  Olive looked down at Eric's hand, before lacing it with hers, causing the boy to blush madly and Olive to grin. She thought when he blushed it was adorable.

  "Well I was very proud of all of you. You made it through the entire ceremony with a straight face. Almost all of you." Lorelai sent Chris and Eric a look.

  Chris puts his hands up on defence. "I'm sorry, but that fan dance was more than I could take."

  "Hey! I need burger." Loralei said as the group came to a stop outside of Luke's.

  "Me too," Rory nodded.

  "Me three," Eric agreed.

  "Dean, Olive?"

  "Well I live at Luke's so..." Olive trailed off with a small shrug.

  "Honestly, the only thing I can think of is taking off this tux." Dean says, playing with the jacket of his tux.

  "Hey watch it. You're talking to a lady now." Lorelai joked, pretending to be mad.

  "Well, how about I do it at home?"

  "Better."

  "Thanks for going with me," Rory gushed.

  "Tomorrow you start paying." Dean pulls Rory into a kiss.

  "My eyes!" Eric shouts but than groaning in pain when Olive stomps on his foot for being rude. She thinks Dean and Rory are adorable together. Dean waves at the group before taking his leave.

  "And then there where five," Lorelai sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

  "Actually I have to get back to Boston in the morning. So I'm gonna call it a night too." Christofer politely turned down the offer.

  "What?" Rory pouted, "not even for fries?"

  "I'll tell you what. I'll get up a little early, and have coffee with you before I go. Deal?" Rory agreed, pulling her father into a quick hug.

  "It was nice to meet you Olive," Chris sent a smile to the teen, who has yet to let go of Eric's hand.

  "You too!" Olive chirped, pulling the man into a hug, catching him by surprise. She let go, grinned at him once more and stepped back lacing Eric's hand with hers once again.

  "You three go ahead," Lorelai instructed. "I'll be there in a sec." the teens nodded and headed into Luke's diner, leaving Chris and Lorelai alone.

-

  OLIVE, ERIC AND RORY sat around a table in Luke's diner, silently eating their meals. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comfortable one. Rory and Eric were both munching on a burger as Olive ate a basket of fries.

  "Hey!" Lorelai gasped from the door, getting the three teens attention.

  "What?" Rory asked, puzzled by her mother outburst.

  Lorelai takes a seat beside her daughter, eyeing the burger in her hands. "After all you've been through tonight I come in here and find you eating like that?!" Rory looks at her mother than at her burger before raising her pinkie, making Lorelai nod in approval. "There you go."

  "Being a lady is hard," The blue eyed teen whined jokingly.

  "So tonight, what's the consensus?" Lorelai questioned.

  Rory sighs as she places her burger back on her plate. "The fan dance was humiliating--" she ignored Eric's chuckle, knowing that Olive will shut him up. Which she did. "--I am never doing a curtsy again. But having dad around was great. He's got a new girlfriend."

  "Yeah, Sherrie. Poor girls named after a Journey song, that's gotta be rough."

  "He seems happy," Rory smiled to herself.

  "He does, he really does."

  "I'm glad."

  "Me too," Lorelai turned to Olive who was stuffing her face with fries. "Olive, what did you think?"

  The female Mariano looked up, she was about to answer but realized her mouth was full. She held up a finger, telling them to wait a moment. When she swallowed she smiled sheepishly, "it was fun." Olives eyes light up, remembering the finished sketches in her bag; she didn't have time to colour them, but she thinks they look better this way. "These are for you," She handed Eric his and Rory hers.

  Rory eyes widen in surprise when she saw the drawing of her and Chris coming down the stairs, white dress and everything. "Olive this-this is amazing, oh my god."

  "Thank you," Eric thanked, being brave and putting an arm around her shoulders, sighing in relief when she didn't push it off.

  Olive blushed, "don't mention it." She quickly went back to eating her fries.

  "I feel kind of bad for grandma though." Rory explained, taking another bite out of her burger. "She was so into this night and she ended up so miserable."

  "Don't worry," Lorelai says as she pulled her daughter into a side hug.

  "Yeah! She'll have fun at the next one." Eric joked causing Olive and Lorelai to laugh.

  "Excuse me?" Rory asked horrified.

  "Yes," Lorelai joined in. "We have you signed up for the next six balls."

  Rory looked at the three, obviously not amused. "Not funny!"

"Your doing this until you bring home a prize."

  "Ignoring you now."

  Luke walks over to the table, and places a burger in front of Lorelai. "So...back from the ball huh?" Luke asked, pointing out the obvious.

  "Yes," Lorelai sighed. "I left behind a glass slipper and a business card in case the prince is really dumb."

  "Good," The diner owner nodded, "And desperate thinking."

  "Oh god," Olive groans when she sees her brother enter the diner wearing a red flannel and a blue baseball cap backwards; obviously mocking Luke. He gave her a smug look as he started to whip the counters.

  "What?" Luke asked his niece in confusion. Olive nods for him to look behind him, when his eyes land on his nephew, he stomps towards him. "What do you think your doing?"

  "Working," Jess said innocently, causing Olive to scoff. Her brother is an idiot.

  "So you think this is funny, huh?" Luke placed his hands on his hips.

  Jess looks down at his outfit then back at his uncle. "I'm sorry, I thought this was the uniform."

  "If it is than I quit," Olive joked.

  Luke ignores her, sending a glare at Jess. "Okay, you know what? Have your little joke. Doesn't bother me at all. You just go over there and clean up that table. OK? I'm ignoring you. You do not exist."

  "Okay," Jess nods as he walks over to a table. He slowly picked up the salt shaker and moved it over an inch mockingly, obviously pissing Luke off.

  Luke hits his hand on the table, causing Olive to jump. "That's it! Get upstairs and change!"

  "Whatever you say uncle Luke," Jess said duly, sending Rory a smirk and heading up stairs.

  "It's "Luke"--just "Luke" Mr Luke. And in fact, don't address me at all!" He shouted after his nephew.

  Olive clicked her tongue, before standing up, "Thank you for taking me." She thanked the three Gilmore's, quickly giving Eric a peck on the cheek and running up the stairs.

  "I'm planning the wedding," Rory grinned at her uncle; who had a silly grin on his face, holding the cheek that Olive kissed.

  "Shut up!"