This Is Us || Jess Mariano

30

The troubadour was playing a song in the street outside the diner when Lorelai, Charlotte and Rory suddenly pushed past him with large backpacks on their backs.

"Coming through! Heavy packs!" Rory exclaimed.

"Out of our way, peace boy!" Lorelai said.

"No offense, we love the song. Carry on!" Charlotte said as they entered the diner and dumped the bags on the floor and sat down at a table.

"Urgh!" Lorelai groaned.

"I've never known such pain!" Rory exclaimed.

"We are so not walking around Europe with those annoying things on our backs. We will never cope!" Charlotte said.

"But we're backpacking through Europe. How are we going to do this without backpacks?" Rory pointed out.

"But all the time we've talked about backpacking, I never actually pictured us with backpacks." Lorelai sighed.

"Well, what were you picturing?" Rory asked.

"Spry, accommodating European men with neat moustaches trailing after us, carrying our luggage, hailing taxi cabs, constantly reminding us how beautiful we are." Lorelai grinned.

"No, it's just the three of us humping our backpacks around." Rory smirked.

"Well, at least my new walking shoes are all broken in. If you count broken skin, broken toes." Lorelai said going to take off her shoes as Luke walked over.

"Don't do that." He said.

"Don't do what?" Lorelai asked.

"Don't take your shoes off. This is a restaurant." Luke said.

"I don't see a 'No shirt, no shoes, no service' sign." Lorelai said.

"It's right here, don't do that." He said.

"We're in pain, Luke!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Well itt's great that you guys are bearing it so nobly. And can you move these?" He asked gesturing to the backpacks.

"Why are you being so mean? We're in a relationship. You're meant to care!" Lorelai exclaimed dramatically.

"Can you move these?" Luke repeated smirking slightly.

"Can? No." Rory quipped.

"Would if we could? Debatable." Charlotte grinned.

Luke rolled his eyes and moved the backpacks out of the way.

"Wow look at that!" Lorelai said.

"Spry and accommodating." Rory nodded.

"Hey, would you grow a moustache and follow us around Europe?" Lorelai grinned.

"And leave Jess in charge of the diner. No chance." He smirked.

"You think he'd burn the place down?" Lorelai smirked.

"Oh yeah." Luke nodded.

"Hey! That's my boyfriend you're talking about!" Charlotte said indignantly.

"Oh we're just joking, hon." Lorelai said.

"He would totally burn it down though." Charlotte joked.

"Ok, so your graduation is Wednesday at four, correct?" Luke asked Rory and Charlotte.

"You're coming?" Charlotte asked her face lighting up.

"You know you really don't have to." Rory said.

"I want to. I feel like I've been through this whole Chilton thing with you both." Luke smiled.