Title: When She Cries

Book: II
Chapter: Twenty Five
Chapter Title: Lips Painted Black

Rating: R.
Coupling: Me and my Colins. All the way baby.
Disclaimer: Aye, captain. I hold no deeds to Gilmore Girls. And I don’t own matchbox twenty’s Downfall.
Author’s Note: Jess. Because, hello? She’s the best. And Trixie. She makes me cry. And Kait, because she’s Kait. But mainly to Jess.

 

*

Be my savior/And I'll be your downfall.

 

 

            Lola DuGrey had this way of always making her presence known. Sometimes it was by the clicking of her heels, or the way she held herself when she walked into a room, but mainly she had this way of filling your senses and letting you feel her in the room before you were even aware she was close by. Still, Dallie held out hope that she wasn’t actually there. Because, really when was the last time Lola DuGrey had bothered coming in early for a Franklin meeting? Or on time, for that matter? He was still in denial when someone nudged the book he was reading with their shoe.

 

            Oh, fine. “Yes, Lorelai?”

 

            She sighed. “Cowboy…” He could tell without even looking at her that her lips were puckered into a pout.

 

            “Take me away?” Dallie looked up in time to see Lola roll her eyes.

 

            She licked her bottom lip. “So…”

            “Buttons?”

            Lola sighed. “Don’t be lame. It suits you far too well.”

 

            “Is there a reason you decided to come early?” Dallie wouldn’t be surprised to learn if it was just to torture him. Especially since she and Ryan Davis had broken up. A fact he only knew because Tyson Donnelly had expressing his happiness that he could now get into his locker with out having to interrupt the lip-locked couple.

 

            “Maybe I was just beside myself with anticipation to see if you were accepted or not.” She didn’t need to say the name of the college. They both knew which one she spoke of.

 

            “Maybe you all ready know.”

            She did, due to the fact that their families were so close. “Maybe I wanted to say congratulations.”

 

            Maybe she wanted to annoy the sanity out of him. “I got the card, thanks.”

 

            “So…” And they were back to that. “I heard that you and the bite broke up.”

 

            “Bit,” he automatically corrected her.

 

            “Whatever. Does it matter?”

 

            “I don’t know, Lana.”

 

            My, someone was extra sarcastic today. “Dollie.”

 

            “Very mature, dearling,” he returned.

 

            “I’m so impressed with your loquaciousness. I can’t wait to see the valedictorian speech,” Lola told him. “Will you throw in a grunt too? A nice little shout out to the Danes/Mariano side of your DNA.”

 

            “No I plan to drag it out, as to waste as much of your time as possible,” Dallie returned. It was probably best to get this out of their system now, anyway, instead of taking up meeting time. He set his book aside.

 

            “And you deny that I’m the center of your universe.”

 

            Ouch. He had set her up for that one. “Ah, ‘tis the east and Juliet thinks she is the sun.”

 

            “I don’t do Shakespeare metaphors,” Lola returned. She wasn’t going down the Romeo route with him. “Unless, of course, it’s MacBeth.”

 

            “That would figure.”

 

            “Lady MacBeth and Abby from The Crucible are some of the best literary figures,” Lola paused for dramatic effect. “Ever.”

 

            Of course. “Gee, Lo, I wonder why? Could they possess something that you aspire for?” Should he or shouldn’t he? He should. “Manipulation. Deception. Cupidity.”

           

            “All fine qualities,” Lola replied dryly as Mrs. Peters walked into the room.

 

            The supervisor looked at her and sighed. “Miss DuGrey can we please refrain from sitting on the table top?”

 

            Lola slid off the table, and sat into the chair next to Dallie’s. “Yes, ma’am.”

 

            It was odd to see Lola obey someone, but then…right. Dallie looked closer, she had switched over to studious Lola.

 

*

 

            The meeting had been oddly on topic so far. Once again, Lola DuGrey was proving how much easier she could make lives for others if she just showed up on time. If she just went with the rules a little more often. Which was probably exactly why she wouldn’t. She loved to show, every once and awhile, how much importance she actually had in their daily lives. Suddenly, Dallie couldn’t wait for college.

 

            “Could eating disorders actually be considered an epidemic?” Breklin asked, tapping his pen against the table. “It’s not contagious.”

 

            “Tell that to peer pressure,” Lennon mumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

 

            “Don’t you have to be at cheerleading practice?” Breklin questioned her, setting his pen down much to the relief of the entire staff who had grown tired of listening to the continual tapping.

 

            “Don’t you have a head to pull out of your ass?” Lennon shot back.

 

            “Miss DeLuca, Mr. James,” Ms. Peters sounded wearier than ever. “Must we even begin with this? This is a newspaper, not a reality television show. Leave the insults at the door, please.”

 

            "It's not like Dallie can really peak someone's interest for long." Lennon added in her own defense.

 

            Lola sat up straighter at that. Oh, hell. “That was really more than I needed to know about yours and Mariano’s former sex life.”

 

            Ethan turned to Dallie, “So what were we saying about bulimia?”

 

            “I think we had moved onto drugs,” Dallie replied. “And how high school will drive you to them.”

           

“Can I do my article on that?” Breklin asked, tearing his attention away from the brewing cattiness.

 

“Sure.” May as well secure at least one article for the next issue.

 

            “I have a suggestion,” Lola spoke up. Oh wow, were they actually going to get back on topic?

 

            Dallie could only imagine what it was, too. “And what would that be, Lola?”

            “Well college acceptances are in, right?” The question was rhetorical, since they had all been on the receiving end of at least one of those letters. “Why not poll the senior class on the colleges they’re going to. Or at least have gotten into. It’ll show what the big schools are this year, and Chilton will have something updated to put on its brochure to reinforce its image as a great college preparatory school.”

            “But every one already knows it’s a great school,” Spring cut in. “Why reinforce it?”

 

            “Because it looks good on paper,” Aurora said, coming into the conversation for the first time this afternoon.

 

            “It won’t fit in with an issue talking about drugs and eating disorders,” Spring sulked.

 

            “Since when has the Franklin been themed?” Ethan asked out loud.

 

            This was true, and Lola just rolled her eyes. “Watch it Spring, envy is such an unbecoming sin.”

 

            “What importance is it to you?” Spring queried. “Like you’re even going to college.”

 

            On the surface it seemed like a ridiculous question to ask. Of course Lola was going to college. She attended Chilton, and well…it was expected of her. However, on a closer look it wasn’t so ridiculous. Lola didn’t have any clear career aspirations other than a slight interest in history, and it had never been a big mention of hers like the rest of the students. Plus she didn’t need to go to get a good job to make good money. She had enough money already to keep her in designer for the rest of her life. So it wouldn’t be completely unfair to think she wasn’t going. If you didn’t know her well enough. Which few did.

 

            “Since when does going to Princeton count as not going to college?” Lola countered. It was the only thing she had ever said about her personally going to college. It was an almost shocking announcement.

 

            Plus it shut Spring up. And that was always a plus.

 

 

To Be Continued…