Touch of Hellfire

☕️58☕️

"You don't remember?!" Claire gasped. "So let me get this straight, you went on spring break, got drunk, drunk dialled your ex boyfriend and you have no idea what you said to him?"

"Everything is gone from the second drink to the following morning," I told her. "Damn," she laughed. "I'm going to pretend it didn't happen," I grumbled.

"Has he spoken to you since?" Sophia asked me. "No," I admitted. "Shit, what did you say?" Claire gaped.

"I. Don't. Remember! I was pissed out of my head!" I exclaimed.

"Who was pissed out of their head?" Cole asked us as he entered the room. I cautiously raised my hand. "I drunk dialled my ex."

"Ouch," he muttered. "It pissed him off, I can tell," I mumbled. "You are in deep deep shit," he told me.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," I rolled my eyes.

***

Rory didn't remember that night either, which freaked her out. Mom was talking about anvils for ten minutes straight and Grandma got so annoyed, she demanded a subject change.

"The girls don't know the big news about Jason and me," Grandpa announced. "We are acquiring another company."

"Really? I thought you just started yours?" I asked, a little confused. "Well Heather, the insurance business is changing so rapidly, you have to adapt to keep up," he told me. "It's small, but powerful. Bob and I are having a dinner with our wives."

There was an audible sound of disgust coming from Grandma. "Emily, I hope you will be kind to Bob's wife at dinner," Grandpa said sternly.

"What's wrong with her?" I wondered. "She is literally human Barbie," Grandma complained.

Mom looked down and pulled a face.

I went back to Manhattan that night and I was under a blanket, eating Doritos and drinking cola, watching as much South Park as possible while Andrea was out with Dave.

The apartment buzzer went off. I rolled my eyes and I pressed the button. "Yeah?"

"Pizza delivery for twenty three B?"

"Be down now," I pressed the button and I let him in. I gave him the money and I went back inside.

"Oh my god they killed Kenny!"

"You bastards!" I exclaimed in a high pitched voice, shaking my fist.

***

I held my shirt over my nose, as did Rory, as we walked through the town square. "I can't believe there wasn't an egg map!" I exclaimed.

"The town is gonna stink for days," Rory gagged as we walked to Doose's so I could make my cheesy quesadillas.

"So how's Lane doing with the boys?" I asked Rory. "She's doing good," she replied in a distant tone. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"So you have the list of what we need?"

I handed her the list. "Do you remember anything from that night?" I wondered. "Nope," Rory mumbled.

I picked out some beef jerky and some Pop Tarts to bring back to Columbia. "Dean stopped by," she admitted. "At Yale?" I asked her, shocked.

"Delivering a book case," she told me. "And he dropped out of college."

"What? Seriously?" I gasped, taking some marshmallows off the shelf. "For money, he's working full time and it's such a waste, he's smart and should go to college. How about Melba toast?"

"And Nutella," I said and she popped them both into my basket as she filled hers up. "I should be mad at Dean but I'm mad at Lindsay, she's so selfish," Rory ranted. "She's his wife, she should encourage him to pursue school but no, she needs a townhouse and a Rolls-Royce!"

"Oh Jesus," I grimaced, even making the 'sizzle-ooh' sound. "He wasn't even that up for it, it's just Lindsay. Why doesn't she get a god damn job? What does she do all day?"

If there was ever a time for really bad luck, it's when we walked to the next aisle..and there was Lindsay. She shook her head at us and walked out. "Oops," I muttered.

"I'm in deep shit now," she mumbled. "We both are," I nodded.

***

We joined Grandma and Grandpa on the patio and we sat down and Grandma and Grandpa were panicking.

"Richard they're here!" Grandma yelled once the doorbell rang. "Meeting the parents?" I taunted Mom. "Evil," Mom grumbled.

"She's nervous," Jason told me. "My parents hate everyone."

"Your patio is beautiful Emily," a new voice said and we all stood up. "Thank you Carol," Grandma said.

"Floyd, Carol, this is our daughter Lorelai," Grandpa did the introduction. "And our granddaughters Rory and Heather."

Floyd shook our hands briefly. "I love the trees!" Carol was ecstatic. "They're African, come see," Grandma smiled.

"I'm trying to remember when I last saw you," Floyd said to Mom. "Probably summer camp," Mom assumed. "Let's just be glad we never went to summer camp," Rory whispered to me once the anecdotes were being traded against Mom's karaoke and Jason's dancing.

"Rory, Heather, we left your sodas inside," Grandpa told us. We took the coke cans and opened them and clinked them.

Grandma and Grandpa sat at their usual spots at the table while Jason, Floyd and Carol sat on the left side and me, Mom and Rory on the right side. Pictures were being passed around of Jason's nephew. "I have terrific pictures of Rory and Heather, I should get them," Grandma said.

"Aw, we're right here!" Rory protested. "You're both so big now," Grandma pointed out. "Me and Rory have papers due so we should go," I said. "Oh please, don't let us keep you," Grandpa said. "Thank you both for not looking bored," Carol joked.

We headed out the door and Rory looked at me. "You don't have a paper due you liar," she laughed. "I don't wanna go straight home, can I come with you to Yale?"

"Sure, wanna watch TV and order some Mexican?" Rory suggested. "Yes please," I sang.

I followed Rory's car to Yale and we wrapped ourselves up in blanket and Rory turned on the TV. "Didn't know you were a HBO kind of woman," I smirked.

"Trust me Hezzy, college changed us both a lot, you like baseball, I like HBO," Rory smiled.

"Can I stay the night? I'm too tired to drive back to Manhattan," I yawned. "Paris is gone for the weekend, you can have her bed."

"Night."

"Night."