Funeral For a Friend
Disclaimer: I own none of this.
Summary: "Will you come to my caterpillar's funeral?" One-Shot.
A/N: I stole the title from a band… it's actually a band name, but I figure… whatever works, right?
This is short, and I don't really like it that much, but I'm posting it. I'm not sure why, but maybe someday I'll fix it and rewrite it and it will actually be good. For now I am really tired and have not slept in God knows how long, so I'm sorry if this sucks… but I can't sleep and needed something to do. Anyway, yes I'm sorry if this is bad. But, hey, if it is, let me know?
Please review.
"Hi, my name is Rory Gilmore." The little girl said. She was wearing a purple dress that went just past her knees, and had small ruffles at the bottom. She had plastic angel wings on, that were probably from an old Halloween costume, because they were practically falling apart. She had braids in her hair, and was wearing purple flip-flops that matched her dressed.
"Actually, my real name is Lorelai, but everyone calls me Rory… because my mom's name is Lorelai. She named me after her." The little girl explained.
"I know." He told her.
"Oh, OK, I wasn't sure if you'd remember me."
"I do." He said. How could he not remember them? They came to the diner almost everyday.
"Oh, OK, well…" She began, but he could tell she was a little bit nervous.
"What?" He asked her.
"Will you come to my caterpillar's funeral?" She asked him, sweetly. It sounded so silly. She was having a funeral for a caterpillar. God, if anyone found out he had gone to a caterpillar's funeral, he'd never hear the end of it. But somehow, he just couldn't say no.
"OK." He nodded, throwing his towel down on the counter, and following her to the door.
"Here, wear this." She said, handing him a tie that had a Winnie The Pooh pattern on it.
"Winnie The Pooh?" He asked, looking at the tie he had in his hand.
"It's the only one I had. I already gave the Rugrats one to Kirk, sorry." She said.
"It's OK." He said, putting the tie around his neck. "Where's the caterpillar?" He asked.
She opened her hands, and showed him the dead caterpillar that was lying on a tissue. "I wanted to make him a coffin, but I don't know how." She told him.
He sighed. "I can help you make one."
She smiled and he swear her eyes got four shades bluer. "Really?"
"Yeah." He said, walking over to the shelves in his diner. He picked up a half empty box of nails, and dumped its contents out on another shelf. "Here." He said, putting it out for her, so she could dump the caterpillar inside.
"Do you have any markers?" She asked.
"Why?"
"I want to decorate it." She said.
Of course. He searched the shelves and found a blue sharpie. "Will this work?" He asked.
"Perfect." She said, taking off the lid, and then plugging her nose with the hand that she wasn't writing with.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"It's toxic." She said, and he wanted to laugh. He never really liked kids, but there was something about this kid that was different. She was cute, even.
He watched as she drew swirlys and hearts all over the box. "There." She said, when she finished and put the cap back on the sharpie. "Thank you." She said, politely handing the sharpie back to him.
"No problem." He said, throwing the sharpie back on the shelf.
"Let's go!" She said, grabbing his hand and dragging him outside. She stopped when they got to the square, where a few people were gathered.
"Hey Duke." Lorelai Gilmore giggled. He rolled his eyes at her, and watched her daughter.
"Luke, wanna trade ties?" He heard Kirk whisper.
"Shh." Luke replied.
"C'mon Luke, I love Winnie The Pooh."
"Shh." Luke said, again.
"Fine." Kirk said, crossing his arms and pouting, as if he was a 13-year-old girl.
Luke turned his attention back to work, and watched as she dug a small hole in the dirt to bury her caterpillar in. When she stood up, her knees were dirty, but she didn't look like she cared. She brushed off her hands, and looked at the few adults surrounding her.
"Would anyone like to say a few words?" She asked sadly.
"Harrieto was a very good caterpillar…" Lorelai begun.
"Harrieto?" Luke asked.
"At first I named him Harriet." Rory said. "But then, we found out he was a boy."
"So, I changed it to Harrieto."
Luke nodded, and tried not to smile. It'd be bad for his image.
"Harrieto was a very good caterpillar." Lorelai started over. "He never peed on my hand, or bite me or anything. We loved him very, very much…"
"But now he's in a better place." Rory said.
Lorelai nodded and smiled at her daughter.
"Rest in peace, Harrieto." Rory said, before covering up the caterpillar with dirt. Lorelai went to her daughter's side, and patted her hair.
"We need a rock." Rory said.
"Why?" Gypsy asked.
"For the tombstone!" Rory said.
"Duh." Lorelai added in.
Luke looked down and saw a perfect caterpillar tombstone sort of rock, and picked it up. "This good?" He asked.
"Perfect!" Rory said, excitedly, jumping up and taking it from him. "Do you have good handwriting?" She asked.
"Uh, I guess so."
"Can you write it?" She asked, getting a sharpie from her mom, and handing it to him.
"Sure." He said. "What should I write?"
"Here lies Harrieto. He was a good friend." Rory said, after some thought.
Luke nodded and began to write.
"Do you know how to spell Harrietto?" She asked.
"I think so." He said.
"H-A-R-R-I-E-T-T-O." She said.
"That's what I thought." He said, before he finished writing, and handed her the rock.
"Thanks Luke… er… Mr. Danes." She said.
"Luke." He told her.
"Duke." Lorelai shouted, and Luke rolled his eyes. When would she learn that she was not funny?
"Thanks Luke." Rory said, with a sweet smile, before returning to the place the caterpillar was buried. She placed the rock on top, and stared down at it.
"C'mon honey, let's go get some pie." Lorelai said.
Rory nodded.
"Duke! C'mon, we need pie!" Lorelai shouted.
Luke rolled his eyes, and followed. He never could say no to them.
OK. You know what to do.
Thanks.