❝MANIC MONDAY❞
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⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ chapter fifty-seven,
Gilmore Girls — Season Three

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟑

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[ LUCY'S POV ]

𝐈 𝐒𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐏. Addy is twirling around in elegant circles, trying to work on her routine for her upcoming interview because my best friend── this wonderful girl── received a callback from Juilliard. In two weeks, she would be in New York, dancing in front of faculty before sitting down to answer questions.

   I couldn't be more proud of her. I knew she'd make it, and while she's freaking out about the interview, I know she's going to be fine.

   She hasn't told her mother, but she needs somebody to drive her to New York so she needs to talk to her mother. Hopefully, once her mom realises that she got an interview to a respectable college, she'll come around to the idea of Addy wanting to do dance in the future.

   Although, if her mother doesn't approve of her future plans, my dad already offered to drive her to New York which means I get to offer my support from the sidelines. However, I hope her mom pulls through and supports Addy. She deserves her mother's love and support because Addy has done so much to get to where she is right now, and everybody should be damn proud of her.

Lindsay sits alongside me, her eyes on Addy as she kicks her leg out, gliding across the floor smoothly. "She's..." Lindsay sighs contently. "She's amazing."

"Yeah, she is."

"She's going to be dancing in New York City," Lindsay says, still watching Addy move across the floor. "That's..." Lindsay chuckles. "That's really cool."

"She's going to ace that interview."

Lindsay nods. "She's such a beautiful dancer."

For thirteen years, I've admired Addy and her dancing. She's certainly a vision. She's so natural on the dance floor that Juilliard is going to be lucky to have her once she gets in. I'm confident she'll dance her heart out, and get into her dream college just like I hope to get into mine.

Adelaide Sloane is going to dance in New York freaking City.

Addy comes to a stop, and she holds her hands up. She turns to me and Lindsay── her biggest fans── and we clap our hands together, applauding her. She smiles, but a frown quickly replaces that gorgeous smile. She then skulks over to us, flopping down onto the bench and sitting in between us.

"That was incredible, Ad."

She shrugs. "I don't know. I-I think I need to... add a few more pirouettes, steady by arabesque, and perhaps I should add a leap or..." She pauses, resting her head back against the wall. "Am I being totally paranoid?"

"Yes," me and Lindsay reply, offering her genuine smiles.

"Great." Addy blows out an exaggerated breath, and she slaps her hands down on our knees. "I have to tell my freaking mother today. I just..." I shake my head. "I'm not so sure I want to."

"Addy, it'll be okay," I assure, but I'm not so sure it will be. I know Addy's mother, and I know she isn't a huge supporter of Addy's past, present and future, but surely she can understand as a mother.

She shakes her head. "No, it won't be."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Lindsay asks. "Maybe she'll be... nicer if we're there?"

Addy chuckles, smiling sadly at Lindsay. "Oh, Linds, you haven't met my mother, and I really don't want you to." She squeezes her knee, smiling through the awkwardness. "She won't care who is there. She'll still be disappointed, mad and, well, a bitch."

I place my hand over Addy's, squeezing softly. "I'm sorry, Ad, but the offer still stands, okay?" She nods. "If she won't take you to New York, my dad has offered."

"I love your dad," Addy mutters, and I smile. My dad also loves Addy, and he jumped at the chance to drive her to New York. He's basically been supporting her this entire time── far more than her mother.

"Hey, we could both go," Lindsay suggests, and I love the sound of that. "I'd love to support you. You're an incredible dancer, Ad."

Addy smiles. "Thanks, Linds. It'd be nice to have you both there if I break down and cry, or if it goes really well."

"Yeah!" We shuffle closer, resting our heads on Addy's shoulders. "We've got your back, Ads."

I wrap an arm around Addy's arm, and Lindsay wraps her arm around Addy's other arm. "Thanks for being here, guys."

"Oh, anytime." I squeeze her hand.

"I should head out. Go talk to my mom."

"Stop by the diner later, okay? Let me know how it went," I say, and Addy nods, moving away from me and Lindsay to grab her bag. "Oh, if it goes horribly, I'll kick her ass for you."

Addy scoffs. "Oh, honey." She shakes her head. "My mom did Krav Maga in high school, she'd kick your ass." I nod, clamping my mouth shut, and Lindsay laughs next to me. "Anyway, I love you guys. I'll see you later." She moves out of the dance studio, leaving me and Lindsay to collect our own bags so we can leave.

I turn to Lindsay once we step out of the studio. "I should go too," she says. "But I'll stop by later to check in on Addy and..." She looks past my shoulder, pointing towards my dad and Taylor who are currently arguing in the middle of the street.

I sigh. "Great. I'll deal with that." I smile over at her. "I'll see you later, Linds."

I rush across the street towards Dad and Taylor who are standing outside Taylor's, arguing about the new store Taylor is building. Remember that building Dad bought just so Taylor wouldn't buy it? Well, Taylor did buy it, and now he's turning it into something the entire town will love.

Very soon, our diner will be next door to...Taylor's Olde Fashioned Soda Shoppe.

   "What's going on?" I ask, looking from Dad to Taylor.

   "I'm renovating your father's building," Taylor tells me, but I already know that.

   "The renovation is supposed to be going on inside the building." I step away, moving away from Tom── the contractor── who is moving a very large saw around.

Dad tugs on my arm, moving me away before I get sliced in half. "There's no room out here," I say, feeling very anxious about how close that freaking saw is to me.

   "There is plenty of room to move around if you turn sideways," he claims, holding his hands up defensively, and I scowl at him.

   "I'm gonna punch you in the nose." I grab Dad's arm, yanking him back before he actually does kill Taylor for how he's acting. Sure, it would be fun to witness Dad punching Taylor in the nose, but it'd also be very, very bad.

"I have every right to make the necessary renovations to the building that I am paying good money to lease," he says, looking from Dad to me but I don't know what he wants me to say. Dad charged Taylor a lot for this building── more than necessary, but Taylor hides a crapton of money somewhere so he's paying good money to lease the space.

"Taylor, if any other person in this town pulled a stunt like this in front of your market, you'd have them arrested." Well, he isn't wrong there.

"I have acquired all the necessary permits to do exactly what I'm doing, and all of this has been looked over and approved by the town magistrate."

"You're the town magistrate," I state, glaring at him.

"And as such, if you have any complaints about me, you may take them up with me." I roll my eyes, stepping to one side as Tom shifts his saw away from Taylor.

"Get him away from my saw," Tom grumbles, staring over at Tom.

"Get him away from my diner."

Dad turns away, but Taylor calls after him, "By the way, Luke, I noticed you hadn't returned any of my lawyer's calls about the lease agreement. Now we have to set up an appointment to see that those papers get signed."

"Lawyer?" He needs a lawyer? What on earth for?

"Forget it. I'm not going through any lawyer." Dad hates lawyers, but I'm hoping he won't hate me in the future. "You want those papers signed, you pick them up and you walk them over to me. Then, I'll sign them."

"Luke, this is business. It needs to be done properly and legally."

"It's a standard lease form, Taylor. I bought it at Office Depot." I grin, but Taylor doesn't look amused.

"All the more reason to have a professional take a little looksee, huh? I mean, there's a reason they say good lawyers make for good neighbors." He looks over at me. "You're planning on being one, aren't you, Lucy?"

I chuckle awkwardly. "Not anymore," I lie. "I don't feel like being a good neighbour."

Dad grins, and Taylor looks confused. "Okay, now back to work."

I tug on Dad's arm, moving him away from Taylor before he whacks him. "I can't stand that man, Lucy. I can't──"

"Okay! It's gonna be fine, Dad."

What I don't say is that I'm actually kind of excited for Taylor to open up the Soda Shoppe because I would kill for a burger from the diner and a root beer float from the Soda Shoppe. While I'd never admit it, this shop is going to be a revaluation despite how much I dislike Taylor.

We move towards the diner, Dad still running on fumes, and I find his frustration amusing, but I'd also never say that.

"Oh, also Tristan is──" We step into the diner, and I come to a sudden stop upon seeing him.

"Here," I finish.

He smiles, and it's been a whole month since I've seen that smile. Dammit. "Hey, Blue."

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   𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐆𝐎 𝐔𝐏𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑. "I've missed you," he mumbles against my mouth, and then he's kissing me. We haven't seen each other in a month, and while we've called one another nearly everyday, I've missed this── the physical, desperate need for one another that we can't have on the phone.

Tristan pulls back, and reattaches his mouth against my throat, pushing the softest bites into my skin. I keep my hands in his hair, holding on tightly, and a feeling thunders anxiously low in my stomach.

This is what builds our relationship── the touching, the wanting, the needing each other all day, everyday. On the phone, we were able to talk and talk for ages, but there was that gnawing feeling of want that I couldn't have because Tristan was three-thousand miles away.

If he goes to Oxford, it'll be nights of long phone calls, and we won't have this. We won't be side-by-side. We won't be able to kiss. We won't be able to touch one another. We won't have this stability, this desire, this bond.

   I know there's more to our relationship than this, but this is a large part of what makes us, us.

   I pull away, hands on his chest. "Tristan..." He pushes his mouth against mine a few more times, and I let him before I pull myself away completely.

   "What's up?"

   He moves to sit down on my bed, and I grab a chair from the table, pulling it towards him so I can sit down away from him. If I sit next to him, he'll look at me with those eyes and that smile, and I'll jump on top of him, fall back against the bed and let him do whatever the hell he wants to me when I know we need to talk.

   I think back to what Addy said last month, "You and Tristan need to have a real conversation about him potentially leaving, Luce. You can't avoid it forever." Addy and Lindsay were right. I can't avoid this conversation any longer, and even though I should wait until we receive our acceptances or rejections, I can't ignore the nagging feeling in my stomach.

"We need..." I pause. "We need to talk."

He looks at me, a little concerned. "What's going on?"

"I don't want to breakup," I begin, but I realise that I must sound... strange.

His rears his head back, very confused. "Why would we break up, Luce?"

"You're leaving."

"I'm... not leaving." He laughs, trying to move past the confusion. "Blue, what's going on?"

"I'm terrified, okay?" I stand up, no longer wishing to stay seated as I feel very fidgety. "I'm── I know you enjoyed Oxford, Tristan, and that's amazing. I want you to be happy, I do, but I am terrified of losing this." I point between us. "On the phone, talking to you... it was nice, yeah, but it wasn't the same, Tristan, and you know that."

He frowns, looking away from me. "Lucy..."

I sit back down, reaching for his hand. "We're going to be going to college for four years, and if we're apart for that long──"

"Lucy, we're not breaking up."

"But Tristan, we──"

"Lucy, we are not breaking up," he repeats, now standing up and freeing my hands, and I desperately want to reach out and snatch them back. "Yes, I enjoyed Oxford, and yes, if I get in, there's a huge part of me that wants to go, but..." He exhales. "...we are not breaking up, Luciana, do you understand me?"

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing leaves my mouth, and Tristan sits back down, taking my hands again. "I've said it before, Lucy, you have been the greater part of my life for the past two years, alright? I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you."

"It's gonna be hard, Tristan. It..." I squeeze his hands. "God, it was hard for a month. What the hell will four years be?"

"Lucy, I haven't got in." He tugs on my hands, and I look over at him. "This is all hypothetical. I haven't been accepted, and even if I do, I might not even go."

"But a large part of you wants to, Tristan."

"Yeah, but another large part of me wants to stay here." He reaches a hand up, touching my face. "I didn't want to talk about this until later because we don't know what's going to happen, Lucy. We don't know if I'll get in. We don't know what our future holds, but there is one thing that is very, very clear."

"What?"

"You." His finger traces my cheekbone. "You're the one thing that I'm sure about── the one thing that will definitely be in my future." I smile sadly, but Tristan's smile remains joyful. "Please don't worry about it, okay? Can we not just..." He shrugs. "...live in the moment?"

I nod, but that uncertain feeling in my gut remains. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"Hey." He brushes a strand of hair past my ear, his hand holding my cheek. "I get it, alright? You're worried, and I am too because college is... well, soon, but I'm excited for our future, Luce. It's going to be okay."

I lean my cheek against his hand. "I missed you," I whisper.

"I missed you too, Blue." He presses his forehead against mine. "Now can I please kiss you. It's been a whole month."

I smile, and I lean in to push my lips against his. Seconds later, we fall into a steady, fast-paced movement because it's been a month since I've felt his lips on mine, and I'm about to go absolutely crazy.

   Well, I would go absolutely crazy if it wasn't for being upstairs from my──

   Tristan us yanked away from me, and pushed to one side. "Get downstairs. Now!" I turn to look at my dad, lips swollen, and my face turns red in embarrassment.

   "Dad, I──"

   "Downstairs. Both of us." He turns to Tristan, pinning him with a glare I rarely see. "Lay another hand on my daughter in front of me, and I'll have your head."

   I look over at Tristan, offering him a sympathetic smile, and I stand up. I move away, walking downstairs towards the diner to help Dad. And for Tristan to stay, he has to help out too which I'm very, very apologetic about, but he appears to be a natural in the diner.

   I don't know how, but Tristan Dugray knows how to run a freaking business, and that makes my dad awfully annoyed.

   I peer up at Dad. "Stop."

   "I hate that kid," he grumbles, and I roll my eyes, pushing past him to grab the coffee pot.

   I step over to Tristan, sliding a hand against his back as he places a plate of pancakes down. He looks past my shoulder at Dad who is still glaring at him. "Your dad is..." I look over my shoulder, pinning him with stern eyes.

   "Dad, do some work," I insist, stepping away to pour a few people coffee.

   I walk past Jess who seems to be grinning like a damn fool. "Didn't know rich boy had it in him," he comments, and I slap my hand against his arm.

   "Don't you have a shift at Walmart, bag-boy?"

   If looks could kill, I'd be ash on the floor, but I'm too amused to care. "I'm not the bag-boy."

   I'm about to make some quippy comment, but somebody walks in and stands right in front of me. "Excuse me?" We turn to her, eyeing her strangely. I don't recognise this woman. "Hi, I'm looking for a Mr. Lucas Danes."

Jess grins, shifting his eyes over to Dad who stands at another table. "Oh, Lucas."

Dad turns to us. "What?"

"IRS," Jess and I deadpan, and we clap our hands together upon saying the exact same thing. "Nice one."

We walk away from the redheaded woman who starts up a conversation with my dad, and I pull on Tristan's arm, moving us to stand behind the counter. I want to spend time with him because we haven't seen each other in a damn month, and now that my dad is occupied, I want to spend all my time with him.

I pour myself a cup of coffee, and I lean back against Tristan. "Your dad is still──"

I tilt my head towards Dad who stands at the other end of the counter, talking with the woman and signing papers. "Occupied." I grin, watching as he pours her a cup of coffee. He doesn't even bat an eye in our direction which I'm grateful for because I tug on Tristan's arm, letting his hand rest on my stomach.

I place my hand over his, sipping on my coffee, and Tristan pushes his mouth against my temple. "You know, working in a diner is quite fun."

I scoff, placing my cup down. "Yeah, okay."

"It is fun," he insists, but I really don't believe him. "I swear."

"Well, good. I'm probably gonna take over the diner when my dad dies so..." I pat my hand against his, and I feel him physically tense. "I'm just kidding. Calm down, sweetheart."

He relaxes, laughing uncomfortably. "Right."

   I look over at Dad and the redheaded woman, and I feel Tristan pinch my waist. "Looks like your dad is getting his flirt on..."

   I scrunch my face up, disgusted. "Tristan, that's my dad."

   "People are trying to eat, guys." Jess walks by us, and we both scowl at him, not stepping away from each other. He can't comment on my relationship when I constantly have to see him and Rory pawn at one another in town. It's... well, disturbing when it's your cousin, but I don't say anything because I act in a similar way.

   And it's been a month since we last saw each other, and I don't want to let go of him.

   Jess leans back against the counter next to us, and we watch Dad and he smiles down at the coffee cup the mystery woman leaves behind before she departs from the diner with a smile and a kind wave. "Well, that was an interesting show," Jess comments.

   "What are you yammering about?"

   "Guess Gloria Allred wants to go slumming."

   "Shut up."

   "She was totally coming onto you." I grimace, still feeling a little disgusted to be talking about my dad's love life. "Wouldn't you agree, Luce?"

   "Oh, please don't involve me."

   He looks over at Tristan, silently asking for his input. "Totally coming on to you," Tristan agrees, and I pinch at his arm until he frees me.

   Dad sighs. "She was not."

   "Couldn't you hear her panting when you were signing those things?"

This time I smack Jess. "Ew!"

"Oh, don't be a prude now, Luce." He looks from me to Tristan who just shrugs and grins, but that quickly fades when my dad looks over at him, eyes blazing with fury. Jess turns back to Dad. "She laughed at your jokes, and we both know there's gotta be some ulterior motive when people laugh at your jokes."

I snort out a laugh which Dad definitely doesn't appreciate but that was funny. "Okay, whatever. Even if there was something, which I'm not saying there was, she's a suit. Not my type."

"Yeah, especially since she's not a monk," Jess comments, and I hold my laughter behind my hand this time.

"Oh, I don't go out that much, is that what that's supposed to mean?"

"Well, you don't, Dad."

I realise I'm not making it any better, but Jess isn't wrong. Dad never goes out, and if he does, it's usually with me.

"Exactly. Take a look at a calendar. When was the last time you went out on a date?" Jess asks, and we stare at Dad who doesn't respond because he can't. He hasn't been on a date in years, that much I know. "A year, two years ago?"

"Last month, wiseass," he finally responds, and I scoff. "I went out with Joanna Cooper."

"You gave her a ride home," Jess and I comment, grinning at one another because, once again, we said the same damn thing.

Dad doesn't look amused. "A ride home is the end of a date," he corrects.

"Only if you go on a date first," I argue, and I clap my hand against Jess', smiling from ear to ear.

"Nice one," Tristan comments, laughing, but Dad still looks like he wants to attack us.

"I'm not gonna discuss this with either of you."

Jess shrugs. "Suit yourself. I have to go meet Rory anyhow." He moves past Dad, still talking to him, "See, I'm gonna go pick her up, spend a few hours actually being with her, then give her a ride home. That's called the end of a date."

"Or I could stay open a few hours later which means you're here til ten. That's also called the end of a date."

"Oh, he got you there!" I clap my hand against Dad's, smiling smugly at Jess.

Jess shakes his head. "Hopeless."

"Bye now." Jess leaves, and Dad turns to us. "I'm guessing you two have something better to do?"

I pout. "You don't want our help?"

"Get out of here."

"Thanks, Dad." I tug on Tristan's arm. "If you get any wild ideas to ask that woman out, do it."

"Get. Out."

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authors note:

ew long ass chapter of, well, nothing but i am totally on a posting roll

i guess i've been a little more inspired to write lately