╭┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈𑁍ࠬ┈┈┈┈╮
2.07: like mother, like daughter
❝ 08: the little rascals ❞
╰┈┈┈┈┈𑁍ࠬ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈╯

✨☕️✨

      She knew she shouldn't worry. She knew that not everything always goes according to a plan. Especially if a plan was in a year's making. Nevertheless, she liked to know what direction she was planning to go and not wander around the world hoping for the best.

    Life was complicated. She was aware of that but all she could think about was her dad's question;

    'Are you sure, you're making the right decision?'

    She lifts her gaze up to see her boyfriend popping the skateboard tail straight down by the foot and grabbing it with hand. Diving into a conversation with Dean. The girl briefly looks at the other girl sitting next to her — Rory. Her face buried in a book she was currently reading. Catching a glimpse of the book, she purses her lips together, knowing the book all too well; Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

    Everleigh hasn't said a word to Gilmore but somehow she was stuck sitting next to her with no other choice. They both decided to spend time with their boyfriends and yes she was fully aware of the fact that they tried making the girls bond. But they were doing a poor job achieving that. Rory was left reading a book in silence while Everleigh was simply doing her homework. Or attempting to do her biology homework as her mind wanders somewhere else.

    She felt guilty. Her gaze adverts from time to time to Rory and Dean. Both catching each other stealing glances and smiling at one another. She knew their relationship wasn't perfect and they had flaws. Especially Dean. With the way he sometimes viewed the relationship with Rory or the times he has overreacted to certain things, but they managed to work out their issues and continue being happy together.

    Then you had Everleigh and Blaze.

    She still wasn't all that sure whether she had forgiven Blaze for the party accident. She knew it was ridiculous and she knew Blaze was trying to fix their relationship. The girl was very grateful for him trying but it still hurt her knowing Agnes and him kissed. There was a moment, (she doesn't care who initiated the kiss but either way, it happened). And part of her was afraid if she left him alone for too long, it would happen again. Everleigh, however, didn't want to leave him. Being broken up with him for the amount of time they did, made her only miss him more. She saw a future with him and him being part of her life during or after high school and college.

    Therefore, she had to put in an effort of trying to forgive and forget. If she can't do that, she is scared to think what will happen when the two will have to face the long distance.

    So, she has no other choice but to ask;

    "Hey, Blaze," Rory, Dean and Blaze turn their attention to her. Seeing the clouded expression on her face, he leaves Dean's side to approach Everleigh and sits down next to her. The other couple fade into a conversation of their own. Knowing they weren't listening, she continues, "What happens when we leave for college?"

    "What do you mean?" He shifts his weight and places a hand on her back.

    The girl scratches the back of her neck, "Are we still doing the long distance? I mean all my choices require moving away."

    "Yeah, I thought that was obvious." He chuckles softly, "We're in this until we're old and wrinkly, remember?"

    Everleigh gives a half-suppressed laugh but it dies down as soon as it comes, "I just want to make sure we're on the same page."

    "We are," Blaze nods but his eyebrows crease together seconds later, "Don't worry too much about us and college. When the time comes, we'll think of something. We got time."

    Her muscles instantly relax at the reassurance. She shouldn't worry. Right?

    As she looks at Blaze, someone else grabs her focus from behind him in the distance. She couldn't help herself but to bring herself to glance at the guy sitting on the bench and reading a book not too far from where they were located.

   She stands up, biting the bottom of her lip, "I'll be back in a second."

    "Where are you going?" Blaze stands up with her. Dean and Rory watch the couple interacting.

    Everleigh lazily points at the person she wanted to approach, "I'll quickly go and say hi."

    "Why?" He questions, tilting his head.

    "Because I work with him." The girl states like it wasn't obvious enough.

    The guy contemplates his next action and words until he settles with a nod. Taking that as a hint, their conversation is over she turns to leave but Blaze stops her again, "Hey!"

    He gently grabs her forearm and before she could ask anything he pulls her in for a kiss. Rory looks down, finding her shoes more interesting. Everleigh pulls away seconds after, leaving her boyfriend's side.

    As she approaches Jess, she greets, "Hey, you."

    Jess looks up and sees her standing in front of him, his eyebrows creased together, "Hey?" He glances behind her, "What are you doing here?"

    The girl crossed arms over her chest as she smirks, "You really know how to make a girl feel welcomed."

    He looks back at her, "No, I mean, your boyfriend's over there and from the looks of it, he doesn't seem all that happy you're here."

   The teen girl turns to look over her shoulder and sure enough she finds Blaze staring at them with Dean mumbling something to him. Rory on the other hand found her focus back on reading.

    Everleigh turns her focus back on Jess and shrugs, "He just doesn't know you, that's all."

    "And you believe that?"

    "I would know my boyfriend." She comments and sits next to him on the bench. The girl ignores him studying her every move, still not understanding why she was there with him. Drawing focus away from her, she points at the book in his hands and smiles at the book she recommended weeks ago. "So you listened."

    Jess looks down at the Scattered Poems by Jack Kerouac in his hands and closes it shut, "It was already on my list."

    "Sure it was."

    "You don't believe me?"

    "No." She laughs, "If I remember correctly you said poems weren't your thing."

    "Maybe I had a change of heart." He suggests.

    "Sure you did." The girl playfully rolls her eyes at him.

    "Whatever," He says and looks away, "Don't you have other things to do?"

    "Like what?"

    "I don't know," He shrugs, "Be with your friends rather than here."

    "Well, I consider us friends."

    That made him look at her, "We only see each other when we're working. How does that make us friends?"

    "You got no friends here." She says bluntly, "If you want to be an angsty teen trying to get the part of Patrick Verona, be my guest. You're not that far away from it either."

    "So I'm your charity case?" He asks, his tone more so teasing rather than serious.

    "No..." She ponders over her next words, "You are not as bad as everyone thinks you are."

    She wasn't lying either. He really wasn't as bad as everyone was making him to be. She has heard countless conversations about Jess from loads of people and how caution they need to be now. Never knowing what he would do to them and you could not forget the times she has overheard Blaze and Dean talking about him.

    To be quite honest, she felt bad for the guy. He had a different experience from her; When she moved to Stars Hollow, she already had friends and felt very welcomed in the community. Jess, however, has not made any friends so far and the people talked about him and Luke constantly. She didn't like that and wanted to make sure Jess had at least one person to count on and call a friend.

    (Even if it meant disturbing his peace and approaching him whenever appropriate).

     "And you came to that conclusion, how again?" He questions, arching a brow.

    "When we get on Luke's nerves and purposely continue pushing his buttons." She continues smiling mischievously.

    "Ah, I see your point." 

     "Anyone that purposely get on his nerves are automatically on my friends list." She points a finger up.

    "Let me guess, the list is very long." He presumes with a lopsided smile and the girl nods rapidly.

    "Yup and I say that with pride and joy," She looks back at her boyfriend who was occupied by talking with Rory and Dean. She stands up as the conversation between her and Jess doesn't seem to flow, "Well, I'll head back and let you read my suggested book."

    He scoffs, "I didn't read it because of you."

    "Whatever you say, Mariano." 

━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━

     Lydia Anderson was just casually walking around the town, bored out of her mind when she caught a glimpse of her new found friend. Everleigh was standing just by the Gazebo tiling head. Approaching the girl, she stands in line next to her. Observing her, she notices the Morgan girl clutching onto her shoulder bag's strap while her focus is somewhere else. Following her gaze, she only could see herself looking at Doose's market building.

     Wanting to know further Everleigh's plan she asks, "What are we looking at?"

    "The rooftop."

    "Doose's rooftop?"

    "Yup."

    Lydia scrunches up her nose, "Why?"

    "Has anyone ever been up there before?" Everleigh nods with her head to the rooftop, dismissing her question.

     Shrugging, Lydia says, "There hasn't been an occasion for it," Just as those words left her mouth, Lydia could practically see her friend's mind working and it finally hits her, "Wait — you're not actually thinking..."

    The girl turns to Lydia grinning widely and wiggles her eyebrows, "It will be fun."

    And with that Everleigh was off on the mission. Lydia looks around bewildered by the sudden move but runs after her. She had no idea what was the plan or why it was a plan in the first place but she wasn't going to question it either. At least now, her day won't be as boring anymore.

    Walking around Doose's, the girls ━ (well, Everleigh leading and Lydia following behind), enter the walk-up apartment side of the building and head to the upper floor. By the time the two reached the top, Lydia was practically holding onto the rail for dear life, hyperventilating.

    Noticing, she was the only one affected by the amount of stairs, she notes, "How ━ How are you...not dying...cause I am." Lydia exhales heavily.

     Everleigh glances at Lydia, shrugging, "I exercise daily and go for runs."

     "Of course," Lydia adds sarcastically, "Exercise. Noted." Everleigh bites the inside of her cheek, trying to open the only door on the floor that led to the roof. Pushing the handle she wiggles the doors only for it to not budge. Lydia's eyes widen and points down at the stairs, "I am not going back down. We are camping right here until I get a new pair of lungs or Godlike powers."

    "We're not." Lydia watches the girl pull her bag closer to her, rambling through it until she found the thing she was looking for. Lifting it up, she reveals a set of lock picks and her mouth gapes open, "That's why I got this."

    Astonished, Lydia watches Everleigh kneeling down and twisting the picks as she manipulates a lock's components. Seconds later, they hear a faint click and Everleigh manages to unlock the door. Lydia on the other hand just drifted her attention from the door and back to her friend, "I think I'm in love with you."

   Everleigh beams at her, "Thanks. I do tend to charm my way around people."

    "Clearly it's working." The two step outside on the roof, leaving the door open and as expected there was nothing mysterious going on. Just an empty rooftop with ducts and ventilations splattered around. Lydia glances at Everleigh, "How did you learn to pick locks?"

    "At the summer camp," The girl smiles, strolling around, "Agnes and I learned to do it three years ago by this one girl. She taught us, so we could sneak into places at night."

    Lydia analyses the girl at the mention of her former friend, whether to continue the topic or to drop it, "And did you?"

    "Oh, yeah. Almost every time." The Morgan girl laughs nodding.

    Approaching the edge of the roof, they had a view of Stars Hollow in a way they have never seen it before. — And that was coming from both of them. For the first time Everleigh Morgan really saw Stars Hollow for what it really was. She finally understood why people felt welcomed here. A sunny day with kids running around, chasing one another, people stopping one another for a chat or some taking their dogs for a walk. Not one person seemed to ruin the good atmosphere.

    Until now;

    "Hey!" A sharp tone shouts. Both girls turn their heads, only to see Kirk pointing directly at them as he passes the Gazebo, "You can't be up there!"

    In unison, they both stare at each other wide eyed, "Uh-oh!"

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    Running inside the Luke's from the back entrance, Lydia quickly scans the space and finds a free table by the shelves. While Lydia slumps down on the chair, Everleigh passes Jess behind the counter.

    He gives her a weird look, "What are you doing?" She ignores him as she grabs the two clean empty cups, "Morgan."

    Everleigh sighs, places the cups on the counter for a second and fishes out money, "Play along."

    She shows the money in his hands and grabs the cups again. Jess glances down at his hands, "What?"

    "Just play along what's about to happen." The girl says walking past and towards Lydia's table as Jess trails after her.

    As she sits down, he looks at the money with an arched brow, "You gave me 20 bucks to lie?"

    "Heard that's a good skill of yours, "She notices him holding a coffee pot and grabs it from his hands to fill their cups full, "So you know — use it. "

    Jess rolls his eyes, taking the coffee pot back and walking away. Just as he leaves their table a door bell chimes, announcing someone knew. The girls turn their heads to see an uptight Taylor scanning the whole place until his vision sets on the little rascals.

    Taylor points at the girls, "You two!"

    Walking up to all too casual girls, Lydia tries her hardest to hide her disgust drinking the coffee while Everleigh was enjoying hers. Sipping the coffee, Everleigh says, "Yes?"

    "What do you think you're doing?" He places his fists on both sides of his waist.

    They shrug and Lydia tries suggesting, "Drinking coffee?"

    "Then tell me why I just had Kirk telling me you two were up on my roof?" He explains sternly.

     "We were?" The girls tilt their heads and Everleigh pouts, "When?"

    "Ladies, this is no joking matter." He waves a finger between the girls, scolding, "Breaking rules will only put this town in a bad place and I will not stand by it."

    "Couldn't be us, Taylor," Everleigh lifts her cup up for a second, "We have been here all this time. Ask Jess."

    "Oo!" Lydia interjects, making Taylor and Everleigh turn to her, "What if we have evil twin sisters, we don't know about?"

    Everleigh's eyes light up, "Disguising as us and making us look like the bad guys."

    Taylor exhales sharply and rolls his eyes, "You don't have a twin sister. Both of you don't."

    "We should definitely give them names." Everleigh ignores his comment.

    "Hmm..." Tapping her cheek, Lydia thinks, "Patricia and...Petunia!"

    "Patricia and Petunia." The other girl repeats, nodding her head along the words, "Wow, — a total villain potential arc."

    Lydia smiles widely, "Thank you."

    Knowing the girls will be no help, he notices the boy opening a till and points at him. "You!" Jess looks up and sees Taylor walking up to him. Allowing the girls to drop the topic, "How long have they been here?"

   Taylor points back at the girls and they both share a small wave as Jess glances at their table. Turning back to Taylor, his bored expression doesn't change. "I don't know."

    Whispering, Everleigh notes, "I gave him 20 bucks to lie and this is the best he comes up with?"

    "What do you mean 'you don't know' ?" Taylor asks.

     "I don't watch every move a customer makes."

     "Well , have these two been here for a while?" He questions further.

    "Yes." Jess sighs and closes the till, "They're on their second refill."

    "Ah, so he does lie." Everleigh comments, her shoulders dropping.

    Taylor looks back at them and waves a hand on their empty tables, "Then why are they not eating? This is a diner for crying out loud."

    Jess squints his eyes and walks away as he says, "Jeez, why don't you ask that yourself."

    "Yeah, Taylor." Lydia opens her arms out, "We are right here, you know?"

    The girls start giggling as the man waves them off, grumbling and leaves the diner without another word directed to any of them.

━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━

    After Taylor left the diner, the girls ended up actually ordering a large bowl of curly fries for them to share and talk about endless things. Sharing tips and tricks for pranks, Everleigh's life in Chicago, Lydia's life in Stars Hollow, movies and shows. The list went on and on.

    And just when they were ready to leave, Everleigh stops and tells Lydia to wait outside. With no further questions, Lydia leaves the girl's side and Everleigh approaches Jess. With a little bit of hesitation she watches him leaning by the coffee machine, reading and wondering whether she should just leave but decided against it.

   "Thank you." She says abruptly.

    He looks up, "For what?"

    "For lying for us."

    "You paid me to."

    "I know." She puts her hands in the back of her jean pockets, "But you could've just taken the money and moved on with your life. So I just wanted to say thank you."

    "It was no big deal." Jess shrugs.

    "I know." Everleigh lifts the glass dome and grabs two donuts for her and Lydia.

    "You do realize, you still have to pay." Jess adds.

    "It's a good thing I gave you those 20 bucks," She smirks, placing the dome back on the base, "— don't worry you can keep the change."

    "Just—" He sighs and gives her a small bag for donuts, "Don't tell Luke. I won't hear the end of it."

   "We both know I won't." The girl starts walking backwards, "Plus now I can rely on you to cover for us again."

  "Again? No way." 

   "We'll see about that, "She comments turning around, "See you tomorrow, Mariano."

    And just before she left Luke's, she couldn't help herself but to glance back at Jess to notice the side of his lip twitching upwards at the girl's comment. Everleigh always cared about building new friendships and getting people to like her. So seeing Jess slowly starting to warm up to her, really made her leave the diner with a smile on her face.

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     "So I got to tell you something." 

     Everleigh's dad sits down on the couch next to her and she grabs the remote to turn off the TV. Allowing her dad to have her full undivided attention only on him.

    "Okay."

    "And I am telling you this so we can be honest with each other."

   "Okay.''

   "Even if you tried hiding things with Blaze."

    "Dad." The girl sighs, "The point."

   She watches him rub his hands together nervously and exhales heavily before announcing, "I am kinda seeing someone." Everleigh bursts out laughing , making her clasp a hand over her mouth as he gives her a confused stare, "How is that funny?"

    Realizing he wasn't joking and stops, "Oh, you're serious."

   "Wha—yes I am deadly serious."

    "Oh, uhm..."She adjusts her position, her eyebrows intertwined. She didn't know what to say, "I mean, are you ready for it?"

    "I'm going on dates with this woman, "Her dad deadpans, "Of course, I am."

     "I get that but—" She stops herself for a second debating but continues anyway, "You and Bonita just broke up a few months ago and she has been in our lives for years. Isn't this a bit too soon?"

     "We are taking it slow. Me and Bonita —"

     "Bonita and I." She corrects him.

    "Right." He notes exhaling, "Bonita and I broke up and I still love her but I got to move on somehow and the woman I'm seeing just got out of an odd situation herself. So we're seeing where it goes cause we just..."

    "Connected." The girl finishes off his trailing.

    "Exactly."

    Everleigh tilts her head, observing her dad's expression and the tone. Feeling how honest and sincere he actually was being,  "Is she nice?" 

    "Yeah, " She watches him nodding with a small smile playing on his lips at the thought of her, "She is very different from anyone I've met and so funny."

    "That's nice." She says, "So what's her name?"

    Her dad laughs and stands up, "Not telling."

    "You can't just tell me you're seeing someone and not give me any clues of who this mystery woman is, " Everleigh gasps faintly.

    "Because once I tell you her name, in minutes you will know where she lives, her parents' names, where she grew up, what school she went to. The list goes on and on." He notes turning away from her, walking out of the living room.

   "Well, someone's gotta be the detective of this house." She points out standing up herself.

   "No."

   "Oh, come on! It's just a name." The girl follows after her dad.

   He shakes his head, walking inside the kitchen, "Not doing this."

   "What about the last name?" She tries.

   "No."

   "Pretty please?"

    "Still no."

━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━

    The next day after finishing a late night shift at Luke's, Lydia and her met up and decided to spend time on the same rooftop, they almost got in trouble for. This time it was dark outside and the two had blankets to lay on while admiring the stars in the sky, so no one really knew the two were up there in the first place.

   Most of the time, Lydia showed her knowledge about space, planets, constellations and how to spot them in the sky. Everleigh spent more time listening to Lydia talking and taking in information rather than speaking up herself. But then the two fell silent, looking up until Lydia spoke up again but this time more quietly;

   "Eve?" The girl turns to look at Lydia, "I'm glad you live here."

    She couldn't help herself but tease her friend, "Aww you've got a soft spot for me?"

   "Shut up, " Lydia shoves her lightly with a smile on her face and Everleigh giggles, "I'm trying to be nice."

   "It's okay. I've got a soft spot for you too." 

    "I'm never going to be honest with you ever again — like ever. " Lydia mumbles covering her face.

   "Sure thing." 

   The two fall quiet again but this time Lydia's smile drops and sighs. "I don't have many friends. Before you, I had Dean and Jo to count on the most and before Dean, it was just Jo. She was the only one who tolerated me in this town."Everleigh turns to her, Lydia's focus on the sky instead of her, "— I just hope you know that I appreciate you spending time with me."

    Everleigh sits up, crisscrossed. They have been friends only for a few months and the two spent more time joking light-heartedly about deeper things but never really had heart to heart moments. Seeing Lydia opening up to her, made the girl drop all her sarcastic comments and actually listen to her talk.

  "Of course." Everleigh nods and Lydia sits up, coping Everleigh's sitting position, "You're my friend, Lyds. If there's one thing I'm grateful about this town, it's you. "Everleigh looks down, "I thought after ending my friendship with Agnes, I wouldn't be able to become friends with anyone really. Especially in a small town like this."

    Lydia scrunches up her nose, "Agnes, Agnes? The evil one?"

    "Yes, Agnes Agnes." Everleigh chuckles and rolls her eyes but stops as soon as she realizes, "Wait — how do you know about her?"

    "Dean."

    Everleigh lifts her hand in the air and drops it again back in her lap, "So he does gossip."

    Lydia shrugs side of her shoulder nonchalantly, "It takes a while but I get it out of him eventually."

    "Let me guess, repeatedly asking the same thing over and over again until he becomes frustrated and gives in?" Everleigh specifies.

   Her friend snaps her fingers at Everleigh and mouth opens in a 'o' shape, Yes! That's it!"

  "I'm glad to know I'm not the only one to stress him out."

   Lydia laughs but notices Everleigh's smile doesn't reach her eyes, so she asks about the person she was thinking about, "Do you miss being friends with her? Agnes."

  She nods her head slowly, playing with her shoelaces, "Yeah. — I mean I grew up with her. I knew her even before I met Blaze or Dean and she has been part of my life for so many years. So it sucks not being able to call her now and tell her about my life here in Stars Hollow. Or just talk to her."

   "Why don't you just try to talk it out and be friends again?" Lydia suggests.

   "I couldn't." The girl shakes her head, "She broke my trust and heart— if we were to become friends again things wouldn't be the same anymore."

   After a moment, Lydia downheartedly says, "I'm sorry."

   "It's okay ... I guess." Everleigh brushes it off, "Friends come and go."

   "Don't worry." Lydia's spirit lifts and Everleigh looks up, "You got me now." And without another word Lydia embraces the girl in a unexpected hug. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden move and feel relieved at the change of the topic.

   Everleigh truly was happy she had a friend like Lydia.

✁- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTE:

    question: if you didn't know my original plan was to write all the seasons in one book. (yes, i am writing all the way from season 2 to the revival). question is, whether you'd like me to write in one book or split it in two?

    and if you ever would like to listen to extra playlists from this story, you can always find it on my spotify. i made a short playlist for blaze & everleigh relationship and a long one for jess & everleigh. ( both playlist songs are put in a chronological order to tell their love stories )

[ shallow hearts ]

━

[ hopeless hearts ]

✨☕️✨

REFERENCES;

         ☕️ title: the little rascals

movie  — the little rascals ( 1994 )

━

         ☕️ mentioned: frankenstein by mary shelley.

novel — frankenstein by mary shelley ( 1818 )

━

          ☕️ mentioned: scattered poems by jack kerouac

poetry  — scattered poems by jack kerouac ( 1971 )

━

         ☕️ everleigh: "If you want to be an angsty teen trying to get the part of Patrick Verona be my guest."

movie — 10 things i hate about you ( 1999 )

✨☕️✨