#gilmore girls: ​a year in the life

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Why Did You Drop Out Of Yale? → You Should Write About You And Your Mom

[inej-ruination-ghafa]

maroon - l.h

midnights masterlist | lavender haze | anti-hero

summary: the three times you said no to his marriage proposal and the one time you didn't

warnings: alcohol

wordcount: 2.4k

You were in your second year at college. Yale had been your dream school for as long as you could remember and the first year had been a dream and now you had the second year to get ready for.

You were at a party when you stumbled into some guy and he spilled a glass of alcohol all over your shirt.

You looked at him in shock, staring down at the way that the red of the alcohol had splashed all over your little white dress.

There was a moment of silence as you both looked at one another. The stain was splashed all over your abdomen and he felt awful for it.

Some other boy walked over, gasping at the mess that had been made as he stood next to the blonde boy.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said, grabbing a stack of tissues and placing the red wine down.

You scoffed. You recognised Logan Huntzberger instantly and you could not believe that this had just happened to you.

“Wow Logan, that’s a mess,” his friend said, “Not you sweetheart, you’re gorgeous,” he teased and you just shook your head.

You tried to dab at the stain with the tissues he had handed you but it wasn't working so you abandoned the idea, instead looking at him annoyed.

”How can I make it up to you?” He asked and his friend leaned on his shoulder, looking at the mess.

“You can buy me a new dress,” you said, trying to ignore the maroon stain that was growing against your stomach, the fabric sticking to your stomach.

His friend that leaned against his shoulder smiled, “He could offer his hand in marriage, that normally does it for me,” he joked.

“Ignore Colin,” Logan said with a smile before he looked at you, “Do you wanna marry me?”

You could feel your face heating up at the proposition but you had to hide your embarrassment and act as nonchalant as possible.

“No way Huntzberger,” you said before looking at his friend, “Does that actually work for you?”

he shrugged, “Ask the missus,”

“He’s kidding,” Logan said with a smile, “Send me the dress,” he pulled out a pen before grabbing your hand and writing his address onto the back of your hand, “And then I'll try to clean it, if not, I'll buy you a new one,”

“Thank you,” you said before walking to the door.

Colin looked at his friend and he realised that he had never seen that look on his face before. His friend had just fallen head over heels with some mystery girl.

“You’re gonna marry her mate,” he said.

Logan turned to him, eyes slightly wide, “you’re crazy,” he said, turning back to watch you leave because it hid the blush on his cheeks.

You turned back as you opened the door and he realised just how red your white dress had been stained. You waved at him, shooting him a smile and he waved back a little too enthusiastically.

Little did you know that tonight was going to be the start of a crazy relationship for you.

You could feel your knee shaking up and down, your hand pressing against your thigh to get it to stop. You were so worried about Logan that you couldn't even function right.

He had been on the trip with Colin and Finn when their stunt had gone wrong and now you were sitting here in a hospital waiting room, hoping that he would be okay but there was no news.

“Mrs Huntzberger?” A voice called out.

You turned around at the sound of your boyfriend's last name and then your brain computed to what they had just said. You looked around and realised nobody knew any difference so you just walked up to the woman, accepting the responsibility, “Oh, um, yes?”

The nurse gave her a smile before she gestured to the room, “You can go in now,” she said.

You nodded and took a deep breath before opening the door. You gasped when you saw it, hand going to your mouth to quiet yourself.

He looked so broken, blood drying slightly on his hairline and he was hooked up to all of these monitors. It broke your heart to see him like this and you sat down next to his bed, unable to take your eyes off of him.

They said he would wake up soon but you didnt mind sitting with him as he slept. With shaky hands, you reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of his face, smiling at the way his head instinctively moved towards you.

You didn't know how long you had been sitting there and staring at him, just making sure that he was really there and alive and wasn't a dream before he started to stir.

His eyes fluttered open and you were met with his gorgeous eyes. You let out a sigh of relief and his lips started to curl into a smile as he looked at you.

“Morning,” he muttered and you chuckled at the words, heart pounding in his chest.

“How do you feel?” You asked, reaching for his hand.

He shrugged his shoulders as much as he could, “The way most people feel when they fall off a cliff,” he teased and you shook your head.

This was not a laughing matter to you. You had nearly lost the love of your life all because he was an idiot and wanted to go out on some dumb adventure and you were so mad at him.

You had been mad ever since you had left your apartment, furious as you drove into New York and absolutely seething as they told you that he had a collapsed lung and listed off all of his other ailments.

But now, as you looked at him, you were just grateful that you got to be mad at him. Grateful that he would stay alive long enough for you to tell him how mad you are. But not now.

”I’m glad you’re alive,” you said and he nodded.

“Me too,” he smiled at you, lips pulling into a smirk, “I’m glad I get to look at your beautiful face again,” he tilted his head to the side, “I thought you’d be more angry,”

You scoffed, “I’m furious,” you said with a small laugh before shaking your head, “No time for that now though, lets just make sure you’re better,”

He nodded, lifting his hand up slowly and touching his cheek. You laughed to yourself before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

The nurse walked in and looked at the two of you, a smile on her face.

“Mrs Huntzberger?” She asked.

Logan looked up at the nurse with wide eyes. He had not expected her to say that to you and before he could question it, he watched you stand up.

“Yes,” you replied with little hesitation, forgetting that he was in the room and that you weren’t actually married.

The nurse looked between the couple for a second, “We need to take some tests, see you in a second,”

“One second, I just need to tell my wife something,” Logan said, giving you a teasing smile. Although he was joking, he couldn't deny that the words seemed so normal as they fell off his tongue, like he was meant to say them.

The nurse nodded her head before walking out of the room and Logan looked up at you.

“Are we getting married, Mrs Huntzberger?” He questioned that signature smirk painting his lips.

You could feel your face warming up at embarrassment that he had found out what had happened. You had never meant for him to find out the ways that you had gotten into the room.

“It's the only way they'd let me in,” you tried to explain, embarrassment seeping out of your pores.

Logan did not seem fazed at the idea, his hand reaching out to grab yours, “You want to get married to me?”

“Not today,” you leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, “One day,” you stood up and walked towards the door, stopping and turning back to him with your hand on the handle, “one day,”

you repeated the sentiment under your breath before walking out. He was left in that room, cheeks hurting from how much he was smiling at the idea of one day making you his wife.

You two were sitting on the hardwood floor, looking at one another. He was leaving for London soon and you made work of your last few days together by drinking that cheap rose that Colin had bought you a while ago.

You were both totally drunk, asking yourself how you had ended up in this position, your feet in his lap, your head tucked into his shoulder as he sucked a mark into your neck.

“Marry me,” he whispered against the skin on your neck, thumb brushing against the bruise that would blossom there soon.

You felt giddy but the words nearly made you sober up. Marriage was a big commitment and after what had happened with your parents, you didn't know if it was ever a good idea.

You leaned into him, hand on his chest as you looked up, getting lost in his eyes for a second before you remembered what you were going to say, “No,”

“I love you, I'm gonna marry you one day,” he repeated the sentiment again and you smiled to yourself.

Although you had been together for nearly two and a half years and had gone through hundreds of ordeals together, the thought of marriage still scared you.

But as you looked into his eyes, both of you a little tipsy as you cuddled on the floor of his apartment, the smell of incense burning throughout your apartment, you knew that maybe it wouldn't be too bad of an idea.

“Okay,” you muttered, not believing it to be real.

“I'm serious. I'm gonna marry you,” he held your face in his hands, not taking his eyes off of you, “I will be your husband,”

You scoffed, still not believing him, “Maybe,”

“Thanks Mrs Huntzberger,” he teased and you stood up, brushing the dust off of yourself before reaching your hand out.

He took your hand, flashing you his signature toothy grin. You could feel your cheeks heating up at the thought of walking down the aisle towards him, that smile looking back at you.

“Let's get you to bed,” you muttered, pulling him up clumsily and he collapsed into your arms and suddenly, the idea of marriage didn't seem too bad.

Two days until graduation. The time was supposed to be relaxing but as you stood in the park where you had gone on your first date with Logan, it was anything but that.

“Excuse me?” You questioned, taking a step back as you looked at him there on one knee in front of you, the box open to reveal a gorgeous ring.

“Marry me?” He asked, not repeating his speech again.

You could feel your heart speeding up and that fear of marriage bubbled back up again and you had to take a few steps back to try and escape that feeling, he noticed that was something wrong and instantly closed the box, shoving it into his jacket pocket before rushing over to you, hands coming to your shoulders to try and smooth you.

“Are you okay?” He asked, not even asking why you were freaking out.

You shook your head, “I need some time,” you managed to stutter out and he nodded his head.

You hated how patient he was with you. It would be easier for Logan to yell at you then for you to have to see that disappointed stare.

Before you even realised what you were doing, you were running in the opposite direction and you didn't stop until you could feel your lungs begging for air.

That was two days ago.

Now you were standing alone at your graduation. You hadnt talked since that day and you didnt know what you were going to do when you saw him but now he was standing there in front of you so you had very few choices.

You gave him a half hearted smile and walked over. He was holding a bouquet of roses in his hands and you didn't know what to say.

“Yours was better than my graduation, I was slightly tipsy an-” he started to say but you could not deal with the small talk.

“Stop,” you said.

He went silent instantly and you could see that similar look of disappointment in his eyes.

Logan reached his hand out, taking yours in his and holding it tight, “Please don't say no,” he begged.

You could feel tears pricking in your eyes, “Logan,” you muttered but he just shook your head before you could say anything.

He knew that he could convince you. You two were perfect together and he didnt know what he would do if he were to lose you.

“You said no when I asked you when I was drunk, you said no last night, you said n-” he started to say and you cut him off.

“Yes,” you stated.

His mouth clamped shut. He looked at you with those big wide eyes. Logan had believed that it would take longer to convince you but clearly this had been your answer the whole time.

“I wanna marry you,” you said, just to reinforce your promise.

He chuckled, that big pearly white grin that you loved appearing, “Serious?” He questioned.

“I want that avocado tree and I want that house and I've applied for some jobs I'm teaching in the Silicon Valley area,” you explained.

He didn't even hesitate to kiss you, dipping you slightly as he revelled in the amazing moment that was occurring. This was all he had ever wanted.

When you both pulled away from the kiss, smiling against each other's lips, he pulled the ring out from his pocket with shaky hands.

You grinned at him as he slipped the ring onto your finger, both of you taking a second to admire the look of it

You kissed him again, unable to stay away from him, “We're getting married,” you muttered against his lips.

“We are-” he kissed you again before pulling away, a smirk on his face, “-Mrs Huntzberger,”

[a-aexotic]

✫𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆, i can see you.

✫ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | fighting, swearing, tristan being an asshole, breaking things (not too graphic promise LOL) ✫ 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 | hey yall, i'm back! i hope everyone enjoys! also i tagged everyone who seemed interested, i'm sorry for the VERY late update. i'm back, mwahhh. also planning a nate archibald series, who'd be interested? lmk! ✫ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | @colbybrocks @weepingwitchofthewest @shady-writtingtalk @zulpix-blog @wheelerslover @dogmom600 @damnhati @remussbitch @yourmumstoyboy2-blog @1-800-starkindustrie

The front door opened suddenly and she whipped her head to make eye contact with... Tristan Dugray? Oh, so that's where she's heard that name!

Y/N couldn't control as her mouth flew open. She also couldn't control the words that came out of her mouth as she saw him. "Oh, you've gotta be shitting me."

After Y/N had locked eyes with Tristan she whipped her head to face her father. "You're engaged to Tristan's mother?!"

Her father and Kristan looked surprised — they both exchanged glances before they looked back at her. "Yeah, I guess I am?"

His answer sounded more like a question rather than a straight up reply. He didn't know why she was now seemingly opposed to the idea of him being engaged to Kristan simply because of Tristan.

Y/N looked shocked, her jaw practically on the floor. "You're engaged to Tristan's mother." Instead of a question, it sounds more like a statement.

Before any of them could reply, Tristan spoke. "Oh, hello step-sister." You could practically hear the smirk in his voice. He was enjoying see your shocked expression. Tristan's smug remark only fueled your growing frustration and utter disbelief. You shot him a glare that could freeze lava before turning back to her father and Kristan, your mind racing with a whirlwind of emotions.

"So, this is what you meant by wanting me to spend time with my old 'friends'?" Your tone was laced with sarcasm as she addressed her father. "You conveniently forgot to mention that my 'old friend' is now my soon-to-be stepbrother?"

Her father shifted uncomfortably under her accusing gaze, realizing he had failed to properly prepare Y/N for this bombshell. "I... I thought it would be best to tell you in person."

Your frustration mounted with each passing second. "Well you thought wrong, Dad."

Kristan interjected, her voice gentle yet firm. "I understand this is a lot to take in, Y/N. But we're all going to be a family now, and I hope we can find a way to make this work."

Y/N fought the urge to roll her eyes at Kristan's attempt to diffuse the tension as she gave her a sarcastic smile. "Right, a family. How convenient."

Tristan leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed with a smirk still playing on his lips. "Well, this should be fun. Welcome to the family, stepsis."

Y/N resisted the urge to launch herself at him as she shot daggers with her eyes. "Don't call me that."

Kristan shot a glare at her son as she turned to you once again. "We didn't realize it would be such a shock to you,. We should have handled this better."

You took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. You knew you couldn't blame her father entirely, but the whole thing still felt like a betrayal. "I just need some time to process all of this," Y/N muttered, her voice tinged with resignation. "Excuse me."

"I thought that went great." Tristan mumbled as his mother shook his head, your father pulling her in closer.

You turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving your father, Kristan, and Tristan as your retreated to her old bedroom, you couldn't shake the feeling that your carefully constructed world was crumbling around you, and you had no idea how to pick up the pieces.

You stepped out of the car, dramatically slamming the door as you took in the school: Chilton Prep School, where she would be going to school from now. She heard footsteps from behind her, she already knew who it was.

"Welcome home, Cromwell." Tristan's voice rang. You gritted her teeth at the sound of Tristan's voice behind you. You turned slowly, fixing him with a glare that could cut through steel.

"Save it, Dugray," you snapped, your tone dripping with disdain. "This is hardly my idea of home."

Tristan raised an eyebrow, his smirk never faltering. "Well, get used to it. Looks like we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other from now on."

Tristan raised an eyebrow, his smirk never faltering. "Feisty as ever, Cromwell. I'm just offering a friendly welcome to our new classmate, no need to get all... bitchy."

You narrowed your eyes at his remark, resisting the urge to roll them. "I'll take that as a compliment, Dugray. And I don't need your welcome. I know my way around just fine."

Tristan's smirk widened, clearly enjoying getting a rise out of you. "Oh, come on, Cromwell. Where's that famous New York charm? You're going to need it to survive in this stuffy place."

"I'll manage just fine without your help," you shot back, your voice dripping with determination. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than stand here and listen to your bullshit."

You turned away from Tristan, walking into Chilton. You already hated it, everyone looked so pretentious and elitist, just like Tristan. But you weren't going to let that intimidate you. You had faced down Manhattan's elite, and you could handle a bunch of snooty prep school kids. You had grown up with these kids, they couldn't be that hard.

As you made your way through the halls, you couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place. The students eyed you with curiosity, whispers following in your wake. But you held your head high, refusing to let them see any hint of insecurity.

Chilton was a far cry from the bustling streets of Manhattan, and you couldn't shake the feeling that you were in for a rough ride. But you were Y/N Cromwell, and you didn't back down from a challenge.

With a flick of your hair and a confident stride, you made your way to your first class, ready to show Chilton Prep that Y/N Cromwell was a force to be reckoned with.

"Where are you two going?" You popped a grape in your mouth as you watched Kristan grab her purse from the chair as your father tightened his tie.

"I told you earlier, we have a date."

You raised an eyebrow at your father's response, a hint of skepticism in your voice. "A date? You two are acting like lovesick teenagers."

Kristan chuckled, smoothing down her blouse as she shot you a warm smile. "Well, your father does know how to sweep a lady off her feet."

You rolled your eyes as Kristan and your father shared glances. You all knew what that meant, you had to be left alone with Tristan. You had barely managed to tolerate his presence since arriving at your father's house, and the thought of spending an evening alone with him was enough to make you want to crawl out of your skin.

"Well, have fun on your date," you forced out, the words tasting bitter on your tongue.

With a quick goodbye, your father and Kristan headed out the door, leaving you alone, turning around and seeing Tristan in the spacious living room. He caught your gaze and his lips curved up into a smile.

You felt a shiver run down your spine as Tristan's gaze met yours, his smirk sending a wave of irritation coursing through you. You knew exactly what he was thinking – that he had you right where he wanted you, trapped in his company for the evening.

Suppressing a sigh, you turned away from Tristan, refusing to let him see how much he was getting under your skin. Instead, you busied yourself with anything that would distract you from his presence – flipping through a magazine, checking your phone, anything to avoid acknowledging him.

But no matter how hard you tried to ignore him, Tristan was a persistent presence in the room. You could feel his eyes on you, his smug smirk burning into the back of your skull.

Finally unable to take it anymore, you turned to face him with a glare. "What do you want, Tristan?" you snapped, your patience wearing thin.

Tristan's smirk widened, his gaze flickering with amusement. "Just enjoying the view, Cromwell," he replied casually, as if your irritation was nothing more than entertainment to him.

You let out a bitter laugh as you shook your head. "Real classy, Tristan."

Tristan's smirk only widened at your remark, his amusement evident in every line of his face. "Oh, come on, Cromwell," he said, his tone teasing. "You can't tell me you're not used to being the center of attention. You were in New York for five years and you're telling me you didn't have the boys throwing themselves at you?"

You narrowed your eyes at Tristan, refusing to let his words rattle you. "I don't need validation from boys like you," you retorted, your voice dripping with annoyance. "Unlike some people, I have more important things to focus on than relationships."

Tristan's smirk faltered slightly at your cutting remark, but he quickly regained his composure. "Touché, Cromwell," he replied, his tone laced with amusement. "But don't act like you're immune to a little attention. I've seen the way you strut around like you own the place."

"And you don't? Please, I see the way every girl at Chilton looks at you. And I know you well enough to see how much that strokes your already, inflated ego." You paused, your voice laced with sarcasm as you leveled a pointed gaze at Tristan. "But hey, who am I to judge? If you want to bask in the adoration of your fan club, be my guest."

"Oh, I will, Y/N." Tristan let out a laugh as he watched you get all heated. He continued you watch you as you scoffed, turning your head back to the magazine.

You could feel his eyes on you, his amusement practically palpable. But you refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you squirm. You weren't about to let him see how much he was getting to you. With a determined flick of your wrist, you closed the magazine and stood up from the sofa, shooting Tristan a glare.

"I have better things to do than sit here and listen to you," you declared, your voice laced with determination. With that, you turned on your heel and marched out of the room, leaving Tristan behind with his smug smirk and his insufferable ego.

You refused to let him drag you down to his level – you had bigger things to focus on than his petty games, like actually getting back to Manhattan where you belonged.

As you walked away, Tristan's amusement turned to frustration. He wasn't used to someone challenging him like this, especially not someone like you. With a determined stride, he followed after you, catching up just as you reached the hallway.

As you stormed out of the room, Tristan's smirk faded into a scowl. He watched you go, frustration bubbling up inside him. How dare she walk away from him like that? Without a second thought, Tristan followed after you, his footsteps echoing in the hallway as he caught up to you just as you reached the foyer.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Tristan called out, his voice sharp with annoyance.

You stopped in your tracks, turning to face him with a glare. "Away from you," you replied sharply, crossing your arms over your chest. "I can't stand being around you for another second."

Tristan's jaw clenched, his own temper flaring. "Oh, please," he scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Like you're any better. You're nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks she's better than everyone else."

The words hit you like a slap in the face, igniting a firestorm of rage within you. "At least I'm not a narcissistic asshole who gets off on belittling others," you spat, your voice rising with each word. "You think you're so much better but you're not."

Tristan squared his shoulders, meeting your gaze head-on. "I want to know what your problem is," he replied, his tone angry. "You've been acting like you a complete bitch when I'm all trying to do is be your friend."

You scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief. "Oh, spare me the act, Tristan," you shot back, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "We both know that's not what you're after. You just want to play your little games and stroke your own ego."

Tristan's jaw clenched, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "And what about you, huh?" he retorted, his voice rising in anger. "You act like you're too good for everyone, like you're above it all. Well, let me tell you something, Y/N – you're not as special as you think you are."

"You know what, Tristan. I don't care about you or your stupid games because all I'm trying to do is get back to New York. All this shit is just a rock in the road," you spat as you turned around, walking away.

"Oh really? What about your obvious drinking problem, that's why your mom sent you away, right?"

You stopped in your track as you took in Tristan's words. Fury was etched across your features as you spun around to face him, your fists clenched at your sides. "How dare you," you seethed, your voice trembling with rage. "You stupid asshole!"

You pushed him as hard as you could, causing him to trip and fall into a table. You heard a loud shattering and both of you just stared at each other before looking down to see glass everywhere.

"Shit, that's my mom's vase." Tristan's eyes widened in shock as he glanced at the shattered remains of the vase on the floor.

Your chest heaved with anger as you glared at Tristan, your fists still clenched at your sides. "You deserved it," you spat, your voice thick with venom. "You had no right to say that."

"Y/N, this vase is like two grand. It was my mom's favorite vase," Tristan scoffed as he stared down at the ground. "She's gonna be fucking pissed, idiot."

You stared back at him with anger but you knew that you needed to figure something out. Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you clenched your jaw and met Tristan's gaze head-on. "I know I messed up," you admitted begrudgingly, your voice tight with frustration. "You shouldn't have been a bitch."

"Well you shouldn't have pushed me, like an psycho." Tristan's voice was sharp, but there was a hint of surrender beneath his irritation. He knew that pointing fingers wouldn't solve anything, but he couldn't help but feel defensive in the face of your accusation.

"Well I'm not apologizing-"

"Y/N, we need to figure out what to do before they come home."

And right on cue, the front door opened, revealing your father and Kristan, who froze in shock at the sight of the shattered vase and the two of you standing next to it.

Your father's expression hardened as he took in the scene, his disappointment evident in his eyes. "What in the world happened here?" he demanded, his voice a mix of frustration and disbelief.

masterlist !

series masterlist !

[doverstar]

I'd love to defend Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life for a minute (I don't usually make long posts and may delete this later for that reason) because I feel like writing something inconsequential.

Other people get lots of comfort watching the original show (especially in the fall). I feel cozier watching AYITL. The characters are much older; the dizzy, flighty, still-growing-up feelings for Lorelai and Rory have faded, and it's full of moments that make it clear that certain things in their lives are definitely always going to be there. Constants. Luke, Stars Hollow, family, Kirk, Taylor, the changing of the seasons. Now - for my defense. (I'm rambling.)

Okay, many, many people don't like the revival. I understand. It's different in a lot of ways from the original show, and lots of expectations were not met. When I first saw it, it threw me too. But I didn't dislike it. In fact, the more I rewatched it, the more I thought it was almost better than the first show. The leading ladies are not flashy young stars anymore - Rory is Lorelai's age when the OG show first began, and Lorelai is gracefully and fabulously careening toward grandma times with all her wit and charm, all her most comfy habits, and it makes me want to hang out with her more than Season 1 of the show ever did. And I think the fact that ASP came back to write for these characters again and end it on her terms, at last, was an absolute win, and I love how she did it because it fixed so many things I thought were wrong in the show.

Lorelai is self-centered, terrified of commitment, and has no idea how to put others before herself and not run away during the hard times - unless something involves Rory.

Rory is self-centered, thinks she is special, and has no idea how to deal with not getting what she wants. The consequences of her actions almost never directly affect her, and when they do, said consequences are quickly stamped on and snuffed out by her mother/friends/family.

Emily is self-centered, desperate to be in control, and finds her worth in what other people think, in how things look, and that includes what Richard thinks.

In the show, Lorelai has moments where she learns to stay and learns to put other people who are not Rory before herself. Those moments don't last. She definitely has good intentions, but they're all conditional. She only has good intentions up to a point - and that point is usually when someone or something threatens her happiness and feeling of safety, or Rory's happiness and feelings of safety (understandable; that's her child).

In the show, Rory is told she is the sweetest kid in the whole world. Rory is told she'd never do anything to hurt anybody. Rory is told she's special, she's smarter than her peers, she's not like other girls. Rory 100% believes that. She also probably has a bit of a problem with living up to that image - she wants to be all of those things, and thinks she is, and can't handle it when it seems like people think she's not. (That may or may not have something to do with Christopher, who always had somewhere more important to be, or with Lorelai, who was so cool and strong and sure of Rory.)

And the show has moments, too, where Lorelai has to face the music and see that she's screwed up or is hurting someone with her behavior (Max, Chris, Luke, Jason, Emily, Richard, Sookie), but very very often, Lorelai breezes her way through that music and keeps moving, and flits to the next thing or person that will make her happy, because she does not know how to stay and stand and fix what she's broken. Because it only matters if she is happy and if Rory is happy. (The same thing goes for Rory in the show - consequences come, but Rory rarely has to properly deal with them herself. She is coddled and propped up the whole way.)

Now, to my point!

I watched AYITL and noticed something was different right away. Lorelai is with Luke (she should be), who is the opposite of her - constant, loyal, selfless, determined to stay no matter how hard things get. But they're not married. Lorelai is scared to really commit, and marriage is one of the hardest things you can commit to - ever. And Lorelai is not happy. Rory, for her part, is not perfectly settled as a reporter or a journalist or any of the things she was always told she could be. And she's not happy. And Emily, bless her, has lost her husband and her false sense of control is spinning away, and of course, she is not happy.

And A Year In The Life takes the show's clumsy half-arc of these three Gilmore women and perfectly completes it.

Lorelai's fear of commitment and habit of bolting when things get hard drives her to push every new chef out of the Dragonfly, refuse to expand the inn to better accommodate Michel's needs, shun Rory's tell-all of her past mistakes, shame Richard at his funeral and break Emily's heart, and worst of all, nearly wreck the closest thing to a proper relationship she's ever had: the one she has with Luke. She can't face that she misses her father, loved her father, and that maybe her mother is right about her relationship status. She can't face that people might read Rory's writing and see all her flaws and all her mistakes growing up in printed ink, and she can't run from that. And when Rory insists, Lorelai cuts ties. Lorelai has spent years avoiding marriage with Luke. She has spent years hurting her mother in an effort to defend herself at all costs. And she has spent years ensuring the Dragonfly Inn is exactly what she wants it to be; because changing it would be uncomfortable, and as a result, she won't commit to a new chef, she won't expand, and she's about to lose Michel the way she lost Sookie.

Rory's bubble of self-centeredness and assurance that she's special is popped with the needle of reality at last: she is not special. She's a young woman who has to actually work hard to find a job and make some money, like everyone her age. She is talented and she is smart, but she's not God's gift to journalism, and people keep saying no, and people keep asking her to prove her skills and her merit, and she doesn't know how to deal with that because everyone has always told her she can do anything she wants and she's the best. She wants a distinguished career and can't find anyone who will take her on; she tries to write for a raging batty feminist (hello Alex Kingston I love your work) and that goes sideways; she wants Logan Huntzberger but she turned down his proposal and now he's engaged and it has to be a secret; she wants somewhere to live - just not Stars Hollow because she's better than the thirty-somethings stuck back home. She wants Lorelai to approve of her book and insists her mother give her this, as if Lorelai hasn't always given her whatever she could. And when Lorelai says no, Rory does what she wants anyway and almost fractures their relationship over it.

Emily's control is completely gone - she can't control her emotions, she can't control her tongue, she can't control her maid or her maid's handy family, she can't even control a stupid painting of her late husband. She's on a downward spiral and her anchor is dead. She tries to regain a sense of worth, because surely that will bring happiness back. She tries to gain it from how many possessions she has, that doesn't work. She tries to gain it from Jack, who is not well-suited to her but he makes a matching accessory to the life other people will see. That doesn’t work. She tries to gain it from therapy with Lorelai, control her daughter at last, that doesn't work. She tries to control Richard's headstone, that doesn't work. She even tries to find solace with her beloved D.A.R, and she finds that emptiest of all.

A Year In The Life has these women finally face their flaws head-on and grow. The way characters should.

Rory: Rory is confronted with the fact that she is not special and has to move home like everyone else her age and get a job she does not want, because that's life, and that's what everyone else has to do in the real world. And when she's at her lowest, pouting, she gets advice from someone who has faced his own flaws long ago and has grown and who knows her at her best, and encourages her to get up and work hard (Jess Mariano, ladies and gentlemen). And she does. Rory hits bottom and takes Jess's advice and works at understanding her mother, who is not perfect, and even goes to interview her father, who is also not perfect. She fights with Lorelai over the book and insists on her own way, and when Lorelai refuses, Rory can only blame herself. She has a rabble-rousing night with her LaDB boys and winds up sleeping with Logan in one more bubble of fantasy, one more umbrella-jump of escapism, like the old days, because Logan is her weakness. And when she wakes up the next morning, Rory turns and walks away from Logan and the affair and her insistence on having what she wants regardless of who she hurts (hello, Dean Forrester and her affinity for taking spoken-for men) for the final time. And the consequences of her desires? She’s pregnant. (Come on, we all know the baby is Logan’s; Rory’s life rhymes with Lorelai’s.) She goes to Christopher to interview him for the book and is subtly asking her father why he wasn’t in her life, because she needs to know what to do with her baby and her lover. She didn’t go to Lorelai to figure that out. She went to her dad, because the truth is, Rory didn’t have her father, and part of dealing with the consequences of her actions is to work out how to take care of this baby and whether or not that means involving the father. She’s owning up. She goes to Lorelai and offers to give up this book; she doesn’t make excuses or whine, she wrote the book anyway because she believes in it, but when she’s gotten three chapters in, she respectfully goes to her mother and asks her to read it and then, for the sake of Lorelai, not herself, Rory promises to quit and throw the book out if Lorelai does not approve. Because Lorelai is more important to her than herself. Rory has worked hard and made mistakes and gotten pregnant and she has stared the world in the eyes and seen she’s not special. And she has to deal with that. And she does, finally, deal with it. And she’s happy.

Emily: Emily is confronted with the fact that nothing is inside her control—except what she does. Worth does not come from what she owns or who she’s with or what she’s wearing, and it didn’t come from her marriage, either. That wasn’t why she married Richard anyway. She is miserable and alone, and part of that is her fault. She married Richard because she loved him, and she keeps coming back to Lorelai because she loves her, and she opens up her house to Rory when Rory needs a place to write because she loves her. Emily looks around at what she has and recognizes what has worth and what doesn’t, maybe for the first time, with clear vision. She recognizes that she can’t control everything. At first, that fact keeps her down. She forgets what day it is, the curtains are closed, and she doesn’t get up in the morning. No Richard, no Lorelai, no reason to move. And then Lorelai calls her, and tells her about who Richard was and what Richard did and how it mattered, and that inspires Emily. She can get up. She buys a place on Cape Cod, totally opposite of the sort of life everyone admires and expects to have worth, and she does what she’s really always been best at—she loves. She takes care. She took care of Richard, she took care of Lorelai and Rory when they needed it, and she takes care of Berta and her wonderful family, instead of having a maid take care of her needs. She packs up and moves out, she sends Jack away, she reveals the D.A.R. for what it is and quits them forever, and she takes a job at a whaling museum because she just likes it. It’s nothing fancy, and neither is her oceanic house or the music she plays in it or the clothing she wears, because none of that is worth anything anyway. Her family is. Her friends are. She gets the painting of Richard done right and brings it with her, and she gives up attempting control of everything and only takes control of how she behaves. She gives Lorelai what Lorelai needs for the Dragonfly, and her only stipulation is that she gets to spend more time with her daughter and Luke. She loves, she takes care of others, she helps. And she’s happy. And now, the best for last. The star.

Lorelai: Lorelai sits in that stupid Stars Hollow Musical and hears a song that perfectly describes her problem—it’s never or now. Make a commitment. Do something hard. Make your life about something other than your momentary present happiness and comfort, the way you do with just Rory, sometimes, but make it a permanent change. Make change permanent! Don’t run away! …And then she runs away. She’s been miserable, she’s hit bottom, like her mother before her and her daughter after her. She’s losing friends, she’s losing Luke, she’s losing Emily, she’s losing Rory over the manuscript, and it’s all her fault. Lorelai tries to breeze past it. She does Wild. She does what she’s never done before, she does something hard and uncomfortable, but she does it for herself, and therefore it doesn’t quite work. She tries to hike, Dipper Pines won’t let her hike, she meets other women her age who think this hike is gonna fix things, it doesn’t, and she gives up and goes to get coffee because that’s her go-to. (Coffee is speedy, bad for you, and only a temporary rush—kind of everything Lorelai clings to, actually.) But the coffee shop is closed, and when Lorelai is denied that allegorical Band Aid, she goes around back and sees a great view and finally finds clarity. She didn’t need the hike—she needed to think. She needed a moment of silence and introspection to gain the insane courage to finally stop moving, stick around, and face her fears. To put her eyes on herself and then take her eyes off herself and onto other people—namely the people she loves. Lorelai calls Emily and cries, because it’s hard to do this, it hurts, but with one story, she proves she loved her father, and she knows her father loved her, and the fact that she’s calling shows that she knows Emily loves her too, and she loves Emily, and has loved them both all along. It gives Emily the strength she needs to get out of bed. That was hard, but Lorelai did it. And now she’s going to do more hard things—she’s going to commit. It’s never or now, and Lorelai chooses now. She goes home and the first thing she does is propose to Luke and become Lorelai Danes overnight. Hard. Scary. Just right. She patches things up with her daughter, and chooses Rory over herself—for the hundredth time, yes, but when it’s at its hardest for her to do. “I’ll read it when it’s done.” Lorelai expands the Dragonfly. She goes to Emily for help, which is also super hard, but this time it’s not for Rory – it’s for her, and it’s for Michel, and it’s for the Dragonfly. And she accepts Emily’s affectionate terms. Lorelai chooses Rory, Luke, Emily, and Michel over herself, and commits, and she doesn’t run away. And she’s happy.

And all of it is earned. Finally earned.

I could talk more about the incredible writing, about ASP at her best, about the perfect themes and scenery and the very intentional end to Paris, Lane, Kirk, Taylor, Dean, Jess, Logan, Chris, and the general cast’s stories, but I’ve already rambled for too long.

Suffice it to say: A Year in the Life is my Gilmore Girls. It’s best version of the story. I think it was expertly done. Not perfect, but an ending that was earned.

[zanephillips]

Matt Czuchry as Logan Huntzberger Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life 1.04 “Fall”

[mozzzz05]

I was thinking recently about Lane Kim (my beloved) and how I’ve always kind of hated her arc (bcos ASP is obsessed with getting people pregnant) and I think her own story line would have been so much more interesting if she did become a rockstar.

I just love the idea of Rory, who had everything handed to her to her on a silver plate -an encouraging, happy home life, an expensive education, contacts with people in the industry she wanted to be in, being accepted to every college she applied for, going to a fucking Ivy League college - failing. (As we know she does) just becoming this absolute mess of a journalist. I love the idea of her throwing it all away because she took it for granted.

But her friend, the one who’s family never supported her - not in the way that mattered - who didn’t have industry contacts or the musical education or experience, who didn’t have a leg up, who had to sneak about in order to practice, to perform gigs, to improve at all in her field of interest. I would love to see her succeed, the girl who no one thought was going anywhere - the girl that didn’t even think she was going anywhere. The girl who for so long had to live vicariously through Rory.

I would love for Mrs Kim to come around eventually and be proud of her daughter because even though it’s not what she wanted for her, it’s what her daughter wanted for herself and she got it. I want her to be proud that her daughter is this headstrong woman that fights so hard for what she wants and doesn’t let anything get in the way of that.

It would make me enjoy Rory’s arc a lot more too, for once she’s in Lane’s shadow & Lane finally gets what she’s always wanted. I just love that juxtaposition. And I hate that Lane never got what she wanted, I hate that her life feels entirely overshadowed by men and babies.

[jessmmariano]

What if Lane Kim inherited the antique shop from her mother and turned it into a music store/school where she taught lessons and inspired the next generation of music listeners much like how Luke turned his father’s old hardware store into a diner?

[silent-idea]

Favorite Characters (no particular order) ↴ Jess Mariano ⇢ Gilmore girls

[thelailasblog]

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Favorite Otps/Pairings: Jess Mariano & Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) “Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago and you know it, too. I know you do.”

[lgbtjess]

my take on jessdean

[asylumgarden2003]

10 things to keep in mind for the upcoming school year

you're never too late to prepare for the school year.

Set goals: Define what you want to achieve academically, socially, and personally. Whether it's improving your grades, joining a club, or learning a new skill, having clear goals gives you direction.

Break your goals into smaller, manageable steps and track your progress regularly. Use visual reminders to keep your goals in sight and celebrate small victories along the way. This can help maintain motivation, ensure you’re on track, and make big goals feel more achievable.

Prioritize yourself: While school is important, make sure to take care of yourself to avoid burnout. School can be and is stressful, and you'll find your mental health draining more than once. Take a day to put yourself first. A day is all you need.

Join clubs: Get involved in things that interest YOU (not your friends). It's a great way to find your passions, help you try new things, find friends with similar interests, and of course, look great on your university application. Clubs are a fun way to help yourself and your school out!!

Connect with teachers: You have no idea how much this will help you in the long run. Not only will you better enjoy your class, but teachers will be more forgiving and lenient when it comes to your final mark. You may also be able to get a university recommendation letter!

Don't be afraid to ask for help: Whether its academic or personal, asking for help isn't something to be hesitant about. "Ughhh im the only one who doesn't understand!! Im gonna look so weird if i raise my hand AGAIN." Dude, respectfully, shut up and go ask for help. You're only harming yourself in the process. Too scared? Ask privately. Don't want to talk upfront. Send an email. Your grade is on the line!!

Be Nice: Seriously, it's not that hard! being rude is not cute, you're just an ass!

Support your friends: Be there for them. The relationships you build now can last you a lifetime.

Take on Leadership Roles: Step up when you can. It may be difficult initially, but how else would you learn more about yourself? It's a good way to discover your strengths and interests. Also not only will be an amazing add-on to university applications, you meet a ton of new people!

Avoid Drama: As tempting as it sounds, it can take a toll on you mental health, having to comfort one person and then being told to choose between person a and person b? stay out of it. you come first

(+ EXTRAS: Manage time wisely, and balance schoolwork with leisure and other activities. Avoid procrastination by breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps and tackling them systematically. Being adaptable, be open to changes and challenges that may come your way. Whether it's adjusting to a new schedule or dealing with unexpected events, adaptability is key to success.

[kaitlinamberxo]

“Life's short. Talk fast.”

kaitlin's 100 favorite female muses — 10/100: Lorelei Gilmore

[duncantashi]

i hate almost everything about ayitl but jess mariano? never.

[sweetnnaivete]

i wanna read jess mariano's book so much i bet it would be a 10/10 stellar read

[theonethatwatchesalotofshows]

Is the Gilmore Girls fandom full of nerdy overachievers? Because why else would Rory dropping out of Yale for one (1) semester be such a big deal? 5 years ago when I watched as an inexperienced high schooler I also thought that she was making a bad decision but now I see that people graduate late literally all the time, for various dumb reasons and it doesn't affect their future career at all. And Rory didn't even graduate late, she literally took a whole semester off and yet managed to still graduate on time! In one of the greatest universities in the world! So why does Rory get so much slander for this, both within and outside of the show? Everyone acted as if Rory was throwing her life away by working one semester instead of studying. When Logan, Colin and Finn literally also took semesters off, but unlike Rory used them to slack off, acted like forever students and actually graduated late, yet they are lovable? Make it make sense!