"you've been gilmored."
In which, Theodora Gilmore is forced into reconnecting with her mother and sister.
[gilmore girls seasons 1-3]
[OC x multiple OC]
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chapter ten! the endangered owls
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"Your grandfather called last night and told me to let you know he's bringing you back something very special from Prague," Emily announced, looking up from her plate at her granddaughters.
"Wow. Prague. How amazing is it that he's going to Prague?"
"Did you know the cell that Váalac Havel was held in is now a hostel? You can stay there for like $50 a night," Rory announced, excited by the strange fact, "Hey, maybe on our big trip to Europe we could go to Prague and stay in his cell."
"Absolutely. And then we can go to Turkey and stay in that place from Midnight Express," Lorelai suggests, continuing to pick at her dinner.
"Lorelai, what are you doing?" Emily asked, furrowing her eyes at her daughter's actions.
"Getting rid of the avocado?"
"Since when do you not like avocado?"
"Since the day I said 'Gross. What is this?' and you said 'avocado'," Lorelai dismissed, focusing on separating the avocado from the rest of her food.
"Avocado is overrated," Thea grumbled, she was past sick at this point of avocados on everything.
"I'm focusing on Rory and Thea now. Tell me about the Chilton formal next week," Emily requested, turning to face Rory and Thea, who had decided to sit together that week, "I know where it's being held and it is a beautiful place."
"There's a formal?" Lorelai asked, confused about the change of topic.
"How do you know about the formal?" Rory asked, forgetting that her sister could have spoken to her grandmother about the upcoming dance.
"Yeah, how do you know about the formal?" Lorelai repeats, focusing her gaze on her mother.
"Thea told me and I read my Chilton newsletter," Emily answers, picking at her dinner, "Have read every issue since Thea started in first grade," Emily rose from the table, moving to fetch her copy of the newsletter.
"Are you serious?" Lorelai asked watching as her mother reappeared.
"And it's a good thing, too, since you don't bother to read yours. One of us should be up to date on the goings-on at Thea and Rory's school," Emily explained, sitting back down at the dining table.
"Hey, Mom, I read my newsletter," Lorelai defended, crossing her arms.
"You did?"
"That's right,"
"What was the picture on the cover?" Emily asked, holding her copy to her chest.
"It was a picture of a really rich kid in plaid," Lorelai uncertainly answered.
Emily turned her copy of the Chilton newsletter around, revealing the cover to her daughter, "It was a spotted owl."
"In plaid,"
"The owls are endangered, and Chilton is taking donations to help them. You girls gave a very nice one, in case you're interested,"
"Mom, don't be giving donations on Rory's behalf. I'll do that," Lorelai snapped, unhappy about her mother's active role in her daughter's school life.
"How can you do that when you don't bother to read the newsletter?" Emily calmly argued, placing the newsletter down on the table.
"I read the newsletter,"
"You didn't know they were taking donations," Emily bit back.
"It's a private school. They're always taking donations. they teach a class in it. I'll get them next time," Lorelai dismissed, casually waving her hand.
"Well, what about the owls?"
"They'll live,"
"Apparently they won't, dear," Emily signed, tapping her fingers on the glossy paper, "That's why they need the donations in the first place,"
"So, you have a formal coming up?" Lorelai asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from the Chilton newsletter.
"I have my dress all sorted, Grandma helped me pick out a beautiful one. I just have to find the perfect shoes and for Alec to ask," Thea smiled, lifting her fork from her plate as she smiled over at her grandmother.
"Yeah, but I don't think I'm going to go," Rory admits, fumbling with the edges of her jumper.
"Nonsense. Of course, you're going," Emily argues, shaking her head slightly at her older granddaughter.
"Mom, if Rory doesn't want to go, she doesn't have to go,"
"Well, I don't understand why she wouldn't want to go," Emily shrugged, she'd been used to Thea wanting to attend every dance.
"I know you don't..."
"I'm gonna go get a coke," Rory sighed, standing up from her seat and heading off to the kitchen.
"What did you say to her?" Emily turned to her daughter.
"What are you talking about?"
"If she doesn't want to go it must be because of something you said," Emily blames, knowing her daughter would do everything possible to convince Rory to go against convention.
"Mom, I promise. All I ever said to her about dances is that you go, you dance, you have punch, you eat, you take a picture, and then you get auctioned off to a biker gang from Sausalito," Lorelai joked, not worried about Rory's lack of interest in the school formal.
"Lorelai, this is serious,"
"Mom, I said nothing, Ok? Rory's disdain of formals is totally her own. Let's just drop it, please," Lorelai begged, pushing food around her plate once more.
"Fine,"
"Fine,"
"What's wrong with the tomato?" Emily asked, with a deep sight at her daughter's actions.
