Episode 8

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<flashback> <12 years ago>
                      
<<no pov>>
         
A five year old girl with blonde hair and dark brown eyes wore a pink princess dress as she pretended to dance with prince charming from sleeping beauty as the dance song played from the movie. After she finished her dance she did a curtsey and her grandmother who was sitting on the couch watching applauds.
        
"What a beautiful performance! You know one day with enough practice you could perform that professionally." She says with a smile. The little girl smiles.
       
"Don't be silly, mom." A blonde woman says as she walks into the living room.
       
"Chloe, why don't you go help your father set the table." She says.
     
"Okay mommy." She replies before running out of the room. The mother sits down with her mom.
      
"It wouldn't hurt to encourage her you know." The grandmother says with annoyance.
      
"She's only a child."
     
"A child with a passion for dance."
     
"Oh please."
     
"She has great potential, Hanna!"
    
"Potential to do what? There are more important things in life for her to do then to dance around aimlessly."
     
"She should be able to do what she wants, be who she wants, to follow her dreams!"
     
"That's nonsense that's what."
   
"Is it? I encouraged you, I let you follow your own path through life. The least you could do is do the same for her."
     
"This discussion is over." Hanna concludes before she stands up and walks out of the room.
                   
<end of flashback>

       
<Unstoppable by sia starts playing>
        
(Chloe) The camera pans into a small dance studio where a teenage Chloe dances slowly to the song in front of the large mirror. After a minute of dancing the door opens and there stood a girl who appears a few years younger than Chloe. She had Chloe's matching blonde hair but with blue eyes. She walks in and the door shuts behind her. Chloe notices her and pauses her music and flips her hair back as she turns around.
         
"Hey Jen." Chloe says with a smile.
         
"Hey. How's your dance coming along?" Jenny asks with a smile.
         
"Good. I still have a few moves to work out but it's coming along." She says as she picks up her water bottle, takes off the cap, then takes a sip when she finishes her thought.
         
"That's good. Mom wants you home."
        
Chloe swallows and pulls the bottle away from her mouth.
        
"She said 5:30."
        
"It's almost 7."
        
"Have I really been here that long?" Chloe says with a surprised look. She drew a breath. "Let me get dressed." She said then let out a sigh as she turned around. "Mom's gonna be pissed."
                       
<intro cuts in>
        
(Rory) Lane and her band are playing in the background. Rory is sitting on the bench outside of the living room window fumbling with her phone. She then turns her phone on and scrolls through her contact and taps one then holds her phone up to her ear. The phone rings for a second then the person picks up.
        
"Rory?" Christopher spoke.
        
"Uh hi dad." She says softly.
        
"Hey kiddo."
        
"So you're getting married, huh?"
        
"It's crazy right? What are your thoughts on that?"
       
"It's great I mean I'm happy you found someone."
       
"Yeah?"
       
"Yeah."
       
"And Sherry being pregnant?" He asks. A moment goes by before Rory answers.
       
"It's a little weird actually. I mean I'm gonna have another brother or a sister even."
       
"Yeah I'm sure. We were a little surprised by the news ourselves I mean we weren't expecting this at all. It's a great opportunity as well. A second chance to be a better father."
       
"Yeah, sure."
       
"So will I be seeing you and Zach at the wedding?"
       
"I don't know about Zach but yeah I'll be there."
       
"Great. I'm really looking forward to it."
      
"Yeah me too...Look I should get going. I've got school tomorrow."
      
"Yes of course well uh thanks for calling."
      
"Yeah...Bye."
         
She hung up the phone and sighed. She stands up and goes into the house as Zoey approaches the house. She had her hands in her jacket pocket and smiled as she heard the music coming from the garage. She stood outside in front of the garage and watched. After a moment the band stopped playing and stepped away from their instruments.
         
Dave smiles when he sees Zoey and she smiles back. After a moment Zach approached them.
        
"Hey." Zoey said.
        
"Hey. What are you doing here?" He asked with a smile.
       
"Oh uh I came to bring you back this." She says as she pulled out a CD case he had let her borrow from her jacket pocket.
       
"Oh you can keep it."
       
"Are you sure?"
       
"Yeah I've got other copies."
         
She nods and puts it back in her jacket pocket as the band exited the garage.
          
(Chloe) Chloe walks into school and heads straight into the girls bathroom. She drops her bag by the sink and presses her hands on either side of the sink. She takes a deep breath and then turns around and goes into one of the stalls. She sits down and after a moment she hears the door open and two girls talking.
          
"So the date was good?" One of the girls asked.
          
"For the most part, but Zoey didn't seem like herself." The other girl responded.
         
"How so?"
            
The two girls then walked to the corner of the bathroom where they were more audible to Chloe and they began speaking lowly.
          
"She was real quiet most of the time and when we went to the bathroom she was saying how she thought that last night would make things less complicated. I think she may have been referring to me and Zach."
           
"I thought she was over that."
          
"So did I."
           
After a moment of silence the girl started talking again at a normal volume.
         
"So you said Dean came over last night?"
            
Chloe's heart sank a little when she heard those words.
           
"Uh yeah. All we did was watch a movie and talk...It was nice actually." The girl smiled.
           
Chloe then stood up and flushed and walked out of the stall all flustered. She recognized both of the girls. The girl she worked with and the other girl being Dean's ex. She washed her hands, grabbed her bag and left.
           
(Zach) "Why not?!" Rory exclaimed as her and Zach walked through the front door.
          
"Because."
          
"Because why?" Zach turned around and Rory stopped.
         
"Because he's dad that's why!" Zach exclaimed. "I'm not going to that wedding because watching the two of them together is just another reminder that that baby she's carrying is going to have him in every single way that we never did!"
         
"Zach-"
         
"No. You can go. But I'm not."
          
He then turned around and ran upstairs.
  
          
"I don't understand."
          
"Understand what?" Jess asked as he stopped in front of his room. He pulled out his keys and jammed the second one into the key hole and turned it.
          
"I mean how come she doesn't seem as affected by dad?" Zach said as he began to pace.
          
"Zach..." Jess said he pushed the door open and walked into his room. He walked over to the couch and sits down as Zach continues to rant.
         
"He's left he's come back, he makes promises and never keeps them. And then he all of a sudden expects us to come to his wedding and to accept that he's gonna have another kid."
         
"Zach-"
        
"And for some reason Rory is so okay with all this I mean she even tried to convince me to go-"
        
"Zach Breathe. You need to breathe."
       
Zach drew a breath and and stopped pacing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
        
"I understand that you feel angry and upset that his new child is going to have something with him that you never got. But you can't change things. Things happen and even though it's hard you have to learn to accept them." Jess told him
       
Zach began to tear up. He drew another breath and said, "Do you think I should go to the wedding then?"
       
"That's your decision but I think it might help."
      
Zach smiled a little and nodded.
     
"Okay...and thank you."
      
"Glad I could be of service." He replied.
       
<4:30pm>
       
(Lane) Lane approached the Gilmore's house in a hurry and frowned when she saw the band was leaving.
       
"What are you guys doing we still have another hour."
       
"That was before you were late." Brian said. "By like 30 minutes."
       
"More like an hour." Dave said.
       
"Look I'm sorry I had homework. We can still practice can't we?"
       
"Our next practice on Saturday. Show up this time." Brian said and continued to walk home. Dave just shrugged and walked away. Lane frowned.
         
<the next day after school>
        
(Chloe) The hallways were mostly emptied when Chloe finally left her last class. As she was walking out she felt someone grab her by the waist. She shrieked and pushed the person off before turning around to see who it was.
        
"It's only me." Dean said as he started to laugh.
        
Chloe rolled her eyes and continued walking.
       
"Hey I'm sorry." He said as he followed her. He caught up to her and grabbed her hand turning her around. He furrowed his brows. "What's wrong?" He asked.
       
"You're what's wrong."
       
"What did I do?"
       
"Just be honest with me."
       
"Okay?"
       
"Did you go to your ex's house the other night?" She asked. Dean froze. "Did you or did you not go to your ex's house the other night?" She said more firmly this time.
       
"I was going to tell you." He said as she folded her arms. "It's not what you think."
       
"Oh I think it is." She said then turned to walk away.
       
"Chloe-" Dean said as he reached for her arm."
       
She pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me!" She said before rushing out of the school.
       
<Chloe's room> <6pm>
      
"What a jerk!" Jenny exclaimed.
      
Chloe was sitting on her bed.
      
"Really it's fine, Jen." She insisted.
      
"No it's not. You deserve so much better than him."
        
Chloe smiled. She then looked at the time.
       
"Shoot I'm going to be late for work."
She says then Jenny gives her a concerned look.
       
"Hey are you sure you're getting paid enough there to pay for the studio?" Jenny asked.
       
"Yes." She replied.
       
"Chlo..."
       
"Jen, don't worry about it. I have everything under control."
        
(Zoey) Zoey walks into the diner and sees Dave sitting there.
        
Dave smiled at her. "Hey."
       
"Hey." She replied. "Are you waiting for someone?" She asked.
      
"No. You can sit if you want."
      
"Sure." She said then walked over to his table and sat down across from him.
        
(Chloe) Chloe walks in with a smile and greets Luke.
        
"Hey." She said as she grabbed her apron.
       
"Hey have you seen Lane? She was supposed to come in 15 minutes ago." He said. Chloe shook her head as she finished tying her apron.
       
(Lane) Lane was approaching Luke's when she saw Dave and Zoey through the window. They were talking and laughing. Lane tried not to make much of it, but she couldn't help but feel this pit in her stomach.
        
(Zach) Zach and Dean were walking from the school out of practice.
         
"So how are things with Chloe?" Zach asked. Dean sighed and looked down as they walked.
         
"Ouch."
        
"Yeah."
        
"So you told her."
        
"Well not exactly."
        
"What do you mean?"
        
"I don't know how but she found out on her own and I didn't get the chance to explain."
       
"You just have to be honest with her, man. Tell her what happened and most importantly tell her how you feel."
        
There was a pause.
      
"Speaking of which... I need to be honest with you." Zach said nervously.
       
"Yeah?"
       
"I called Jess." He said as he came to a stop. Dean stopped and turned around.
        
He shrugged and said, "Okay."
       
Zach furrowed his brows. "Okay?"
       
"Yeah did you think I was going to get mad or something?"
       
"Maybe."
        
Dean gave him the 'seriously' Look.
        
"Zach I told you this already. I don't care that you're friends with him. He understands you in some ways that I can't. You need him."
          
Zach just smiled stupidly causing Dean to smile.
        
"Come on." Dean said as he nudged his head in the direction they were walking.
          
(Zoey) Zoey laughed at something Dave had said and now they were just gazing into each other's eyes. Zoey then snapped out of her gaze and said, "It's getting pretty late I should go?"
          
He cleared his throat. "Right, yeah, totally."
          
Zoey stood up and walked towards the door. When she reached the door she stopped and turned to look at him. She smiled and waved and he returned the smile and waved back. She then opened the door and walked out shutting the door behind her.
         
<ruin by Shawn Mendes starts playing>
          
(Chloe) After a few moments Dave got up, left some money on the table, and opened the door. Dean was there so he held the door open for him too. Dean smiled and nodded as to thank him. The door shut and now him and Chloe were the only ones there.
           
Chloe looks up then shakes her head. "What can I get for ya?" She asks in a fake polite tone.
           
"I want to talk." He said.
           
"Sorry, I don't think we have that on the menu. Try somewhere else." She said as she wiped down the counter.
           
Dean sighed. "If you'll just give me three minutes to explain myself."
           
Chloe stopped in mid swipe. She closed her eyes and drew a breath.
         
"Fine you have one minute." She said then threw her rag on the counter. She then walked around the counter and leaned up against the other side of it. She folds her arms and looks at him. "Well...talk."
           
"Right um...I just want to apologize for not telling you sooner about me going over to Rory's and to tell you the truth I'm the one who called her." He says.
           
Chloe scoffed.
        
"Wait so you called her after I told you I was busy?"
          
"Yes but-"
         
"So you were mad that I couldn't hangout with you so you went to her house to what? Get back at me?"
         
"No no no no. That's not it at all."
         
"Then what is it then?"
         
"Look. It's been almost a year since me and her broke up. Over the summer we started to talk again and things were good, but when her boyfriend left we stopped. So when you said you were busy I had no other plans. Then I thought of her and that that night would be the perfect chance for her and I to reconnect. So I called her."
         
"And then what?" She asked more calmly.
       
"Nothing. I mean we watched a movie but that was it."
         
Chloe remained silent as she was processing everything.
        
"Sooo." Dean says.
        
"Can I ask you a question?" She asks as she furrows her brows. Dean nods.
        
"What do you want from me?" She asks. "I mean you come here while I'm at work to tell me all of this-"
          
"I want you." He says. "I want you Chloe Thompson."
         
There was a pause
         
"You're smart, beautiful, crazy talented...and so much more." He says. She smiles and blushes.
         
"You're just saying that."
         
"Because it's the truth."
          
The two of them just look at each other smiling like crazy.
         
"If you'll just give me one more chance...I'd like you to be my girlfriend." he says. Chloe thinks for a moment.
          
She then suddenly walks up to Dean, cups his face, and kisses him.
          
He pulls her closer by the waist and kisses her back. After a few moments she pulls away.
          
"Yes." She answers. He smiles and kisses her again.

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