COWBOY LIKE ME, jess mariano

one - othello

"I'M SO EXCITED!" Rory repeated for what felt like the tenth time that morning! "Are you excited Meg?!"

Meghan said nothing in response, silently sipping her coffee.

"Oh yeah. You're excited." Rory concluded.

Meghan smiled to see the nerdy girl in front of her hyper from adrenaline and caffeine.

"How are the eggs?" Rory asked her mother.

"Good." Lorelai smirked, intentionally chewing her next bite extremely slowly.

"I'm glad." Rory nodded, checking her watch, then gazing back at Lorelei.

"They're still good."

"I'm still glad." Rory nodded. Lorelai rolled her eyes and put down her fork.

"Look freak, we will not be late."

"It's the first day of school." Rory sighed, explaining her eagerness, "I wanna get there early."

"We will be there early, I promise."

"I have different classes this year, my routes aren't the same. I haven't found the quickest path around. And my locker, they moved it, so I don't even know if it'll work properly and then I'Il have to get a new one and God knows how long that'll take or where it'll be and that could send the whole day into chaos." Rory ranted and Meghan looked at the Gilmore girl like she was insane, waiting for her to stop, "I'm just excited."

"Really? You? Excited? About the first day of school? I almost forgot because the last time you told us was an entire ten seconds ago." Meg teased playfully.

Rory sighed in defeat. 

Lane came, in talking to Rory about something Meghan couldn't have cared less about.

"We can go, I just need to grab some donuts," Lorelei told the girls, leaving the table. Meghan took this opportunity to open Othello, the book she was currently reading. In the background she heard Luke say something about disliking his sister, Taylor talking to his boy scouts, and Lane listing music records to Rory. But the blonde drowned all this out until Lorelei came back to the table telling them it was time to go.

At school, Meg was overjoyed to see Paris, whom she had grown very close to the previous year. She enjoyed discussing literature and current events with Paris and enjoyed the healthy competition. Unfortunately, Rory hadn't had the same luck with the forward Chilton girl and didn't interact with her nearly as much as Meg would.

"She hates me." Rory complained to Meghan on the bus back to Stars Hollow.

"She doesn't hate you, I think she just wants to challenge you," The girl suggested weakly, trying to focus on her book, slightly irritated at the interrupting brunette.

"She's making me write about cement. Literal cement." Rory groaned.

"Well I guess you just have to prove to her that you deserve to be on the newspaper. If your writing is good enough then she can't deny you the good pieces, because she ultimately wants what is best for the newspaper, what makes her look like a good leader." Meghan said, trying to reassure her.

"Can't you just talk to her for me? For whatever reason, you guys are friends." 

Meghan rolled her eyes, but agreed, "Fine. I'll talk to her tomorrow. I promise."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Rory said happily, "You're the best."

Meg smiled, "I know."

Rory and Meghan walked into the diner.

"Ugh, I hate her." Rory told Lorelei.

"I know, me too." 

"You don't even know who I'm taking about!"

"Solidarity, sister."

Meghan laughed at their exchange, taking a seat across from Luke.

"How was school?" He asked.

"Same old stuff." He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted from the phone ringing.

"Meg. It's for you. It's Nick."

The girl got up from her seat and Luke passed her the phone. She thanked him, then raised it to her ear.

"Hey," She said.

"Hey, sorry I wasn't at school, my flight was delayed and I only got back this morning. Didn't get to see you in your uniform." 

"Oh. that's why you weren't at school." She pretended to deduct,  even though, truthfully, she had simply forgotten. 

"Yep. So, are you doing anything tonight?"

"Yeah. Working. Just like every other night," She reminded him, rolling her eyes.

"Well, then after. You finish your shift at 8, right? I'll pick you up then."

"I dont know, I'm kind of tired."

"Come on, I haven't seen you in weeks, it'll be fun I swear."

She smiled and gave in, "Yeah, fine. Why not?"

"Okay great, I'll see you then."

"Okay, bye." 

"Bye." She hung up and sat back down.

"Meg we're having dinner at ours' tomorrow night so that Jess can meet all of us, and hopefully be less weirded out by this place." Lorelei explained. 

Meghan pretty much lived with the Gilmores. 

Meg's father developed early-onset dementia four years ago and her mother, Lillian, did her best for two years to live with him and all his symptoms. But she couldn't do it, so she got a job where she had to travel a lot. It made things easier for her because she didn't have to deal with his sometimes aggressive and sometimes depressive behavior.

Meghan also struggled with living with her father. Lillian had paid for a full-time nurse for the man, and arranged with Lorelai to have Meghan stay with her whenever she was traveling. Meghan and Rory had already been close cousins, but they grew even closer as they lived together. Lorelai cared for the girl a lot, so naturally she spent a good deal of time with Luke. He'd become like a father figure for her, and she'd help him out at the diner when she needed money.

"Huh, who's Jess?" She asked, confused.

"Oh, you don't know? He's Luke's nephew. He's living here for a while."

"Oh. He's probably going to be like a mini-Luke. Flannels, backwards cap, short-tempered." She predicted, laughing.

"Oh no no, I just met him, he is no Luke." Lorelei clarified.

"Really? Huh. I can't picture anyone else."

"Guess you'll have to wait for dinner tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, Meghan you can have the next two weeks off work. Consider it an early birthday gift. Plus. I need to show Jess how to work this place and I know if you're here you'll just do everything for him."

"Thanks Luke!" Meghan said, smiling gratefully, then getting up to change for her shift. When she was out of her uniform, back in normal clothes, she put on a half-apron and stood behind the counter, taking orders and reading in every free moment she had.