We're Crazy

Chapter 41

"Isn't this nice, Ror? You and me, in the mall, not a care in the world," Lorelai smiled.

"Of course, I would never turn down a mall trip. Did you not invite Liv?" Rory asked.

"She was busy," Lorelai said, "where shall we window shop first?" Lorelai grinned.

"No window shopping for me, I need school stuff so I will be actual shopping," Rory told her.

"You mean you've come to the mall to shop? To actually spend money? How boring," Lorelai crinkled her nose in disgust.

"An absolute travesty," the two stepped onto the escalator to go down and Rory gasped.

"Is that -?"

"Surely not -"

"It is, it's her."

"Hide," Lorelai said, and both girls raised a hand to cover their faces, trying not to be spotted by Emily Gilmore, who was coming towards them on the escalator. They watched her tentatively, and she passed them, before realising they were there and turning back to get their attention.

"Should we run?" Lorelai asked, as they smiled at her.

"We can't, she's seen us," Rory tutted.

"Great."

"Come on, we'll take her to get burgers or something," Rory shrugged as they waited for her to come back down the escalator.

Lorelai's face lit up at this idea, "Emily Gilmore eating a mall food court burger is like seeing a unicorn."

"See, when will you ever get this opportunity again."

"Lorelai! Rory! How nice to see you here," Emily exclaimed as she got to their floor.

"Hi Grandma," Rory smiled, "What brings you to the mall?"

"Oh you know, I just thought I'd try something new..." she trailed off.

"Right," Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously.

"Just the two of you, no Liv?" Emily asked, looking around, as if Liv was going to jump at her.

Lorelai smiled, "she was busy. You hungry?"

Emily looked at her thoughtfully, "yes, I suppose I am."

"Brilliant," Lorelai grinned, and Rory nudged her.

They got to the food court, and Rory told them that they should go and find a table and she would get the food for them. Emily chose a table that she was semi-satisfied with after several exclaims of "Lorelai, it's sticky!" and "there's a wet patch on that chair", and they sat in an awkward silence for a few moments.

"Why did you really come here, mom?" Lorelai asked.

Emily sighed and looked down, "I couldn't be in that house any longer. Richard's never in at the moment, he's always in business meetings, or playing golf, or both, and I just can't stand it anymore. I needed a change of scenery."

Lorelai frowned, "I'm sorry, mom, that must be boring."

"It is. I've even tried making friends with the maids but they don't last for more than a day so I've given up there," Emily sighed.

Rory arrived back at the table, and distributed the food.

Emily looked at her blankly, "this is edible?"

"This," Lorelai grinned, picking up her burger, "is delicious."

Emily looked at her dubiously, before grabbing her plastic knife and fork and began cutting up her burger.