Title: When She Cries

Book: II
Chapter: Twenty
Chapter Title: Pretty Pictures

Rating: R.
Characters: Dallie, Lola and Ethan.

Disclaimer: Aye, captain. I hold no deeds to Gilmore Girls. And I don’t own matchbox twenty’s Forever December.
Author’s Note: To all that support me. Kait, Summer, Roxy, Miya, Mijay, Gracie, Jamie, Jess, Ashley and Priya. And those whom I’ve forgotten, because I suck like that.

 

 

*

 

I reach within my isolation/I harbor it/I honor it/
You say you'd like to see me closer/Of course you would/

You have no choice.

 

 

            Even at his own party, Dallie found himself sitting off to the side at a table. He wasn’t really into parties, but his mother had wanted to do something big and special for his birthday, and he had never really been one to say no to his mother. And his father had just shrugged and said it was up to him. Right.

 

            But then again there really was no problem just sitting there, and letting his mother be happy about the party. It was only a few hours out of his, hopefully, long life. He could deal with it. Someone sat next to him. When someone sat down next to him without warning, it could only be Lola DuGrey. Everyone else was humble enough to ask other people for permission when sitting next to them. Lola, however, thought the permission was implied by the fact no one else inhabited the seat.

 

            Dallie looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t sure whether or not he should be offended that she wasn’t actually dressed up for his party. She wore jeans and a sweater, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. The only make up he could tell that she wore was pink lip-gloss. Did it matter? He liked her better this way. Unless it was a deception. One could never tell with her.

 

            “So this is, like, the event of the century,” Lola commented, snapping her gum. Oh, she just went and pulled out all the stops for him, didn’t she? At least she had played the role of the dutiful socialite earlier, when she had arrived with Tristan, wishing him a happy birthday and kissing him on the cheek.

 

            “Even bigger than Zander and Emily’s wedding on General Hospital?” It was simply amazing the things you remembered from childhood. And then could later hold over their heads.

 

            “No,” she played half-heartedly at being offended. “Though maybe bigger than Jason and Liz’s.”

 

            “It must be so refreshing for your parents to know that time spent at your Grams was very educational.”

 

            Lola rolled her eyes upward. “It was. Shut up.”

 

            “That’s not very charitable towards the birthday-boy.”

 

            She shrugged. “I gave up being charitable when I was ten. Far too exhausting.”

 

            Well, that was Lola for you. “So what’s with the demure, wallflower act this evening?”

 

            Lola sighed and rubbed her forehead. “My stomach’s been bulimic all day.”

 

            Oh. That was good enough reason to be subdued. “So you decided to actually just relax?”

 

            She nodded. “May as well.” She folded her arms across her chest and slumped down in her seat. Well the socialite version of slumped. “You mind?”

 

            “May as well,” he echoed her words.

 

            They sat in silence, or not talking since the music was playing in the background, not to mention the chatter of the party guests. After a few songs had played and ended, Lola’s gaze seemed to lock on something out on the dance floor. He would have followed her gaze, but she stood up rather abruptly.

 

            “I’m going to get some air,” She said the words slowly, as if she was trying to get them out right and not stutter.

 

Lola DuGrey stuttering? Yeah, that’d ever happen.

 

“Have fun.” It was a lame thing to say, but she sometimes had the effect of making you sound not so intelligent. In any event.

 

Dallie watched her leave before his gaze returned to the dance floor, and he saw Rory and Tristan swaying to the slow song currently playing. His brow furrowed and he looked to where Lola had gone. Weird.

 

 

*

 

          Darkness. Lola wouldn’t be the first to admit it but she loved it. There was something in the brisk night air that affected her like a drug. Which was probably the most acceptable explanation she could give if one were to ask her what she was doing out in the Mariano’s back yard, with no real purpose or intent, other than a feeling…no, a need to get out of that house. Away from her parents, the party. Well, unless you counted the nausea that had plagued her all day. Plus there was a pull from the night like she hadn’t had since she was a child, when her parents would bring her to the Marianos when she was younger, so they could talk to Paris and, if he was home, Jess. Back when the three of them would spend nights trying to catch fireflies. Sometimes Aggie, Devon, Dallie and Paris would join. Sometimes they’d do their own thing. Those had always been surreal memories to her, not only because they were all happy, but also because it was one of the few times in her life she had ever seen her father wearing something other than a suit or his silk pajamas. Maybe if she just closed her eyes she could see her parents sitting on the back steps, her mother sitting in between her father’s legs, her father’s arms…

 

            Lola scuffed her sandal against the cool grass, and a firefly flew in front of her. She brought her hands up and crushed the bug in between them with an abrupt clap.

           

            “I’m not sure whether or not I want to ask who you were picturing that firefly as,” came a male voice from behind her.

 

          Lola started, but relaxed immediately since she recognized the voice. “Langford.” She turned to see Ethan standing there, holding a box of presents in his hands. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t your girlfriend.”

 

            “I should dearly hope that the animosity between the two of you have not yet reached the homicidal point,” he returned.

 

            Well, wasn’t he delusional? But the last thing she, or rather her stomach, wanted was to build up enough energy to argue. “What’s with the box?”

 

            “My mother goes a little crazy with presents.” His mother went a little crazy with everything.

           

            Lola could believe that, she had met Madeline Langford numerous times. “Lucky Dallie.” She was feeling sort of dizzy, so she sat down on one of the steps. There, much better.

 

            Ethan looked down at her. He highly doubted many had been in this sort of position before. “Are you, um…” How did one ask Lola DuGrey how she was feeling? Surely, it must have been done before. “All right?”

 

            Her blue eyes flickered up to his. There was an icy vulnerability, which sounded like too much of a contradiction to exist, and even though he saw it, he really didn’t believe in its existence. “Lovely.” Her voice was colder than her eyes. “And unless you want to be the first ever person I’ve regurgitated on, I’d move on.”

 

            Ethan moved on, because he really didn’t want to be thrown up on. But a smile still touched his lips, as years of social structure seemed to crack. Fancy that, Lola DuGrey was human after all.

 

To Be Continued….