Title: Closeness and Jealousy
Author: PunkRockAlec
Rating: PG13
Improv: ego, tender, glass, freak
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: My first one, hope you enjoy.
Spoilers: May reference characters and situations not found in Season
One.
Chapter One:
Stalking 101
Not many people knew it, but her ego was very tender. Not many people knew it, but she heard the rumors. Not many people knew it, but she cared what they thought. Not many people knew it, but her fragile world had shattered.
Her world now lay on the floor around her, sparkling like glass, torn into shards by a stray baseball. For the first time she couldn't think, she'd shut down completely. The teacher at the head of the class sounded rather similar to the teacher on Charlie Brown. "Wah wah wah wah wah," went the teacher. She struggled to grasp the important points of the lecture, but her heart just wasn't in it today. It was 30 minutes away, with a dark haired, dark eyed mysterious rebel. She gazed out the window. Okay, maybe it wasn't 30 minutes away, maybe it was sitting, right out there on that grass, with said dark mysterious rebel. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 'Shouldn't he be in school?' was her only thought. Okay so maybe she wasn't completely shut down.
Suddenly the teacher calling her name broke her from her reverie. "Excuse me?" she asked the teacher, what class was she even in?
The teacher sighed and repeated the question, "I asked you if most typhoons are caused by underwater earthquakes?"
Ah, Environmental Science, "Yes ma'am, they are infact mostly attributed to underwater earthquakes. Which can sometimes take place millions of miles away." The teacher nodded, satisfied with her answer and turned to someone else in the class.
"I always thought she was a freak," someone behind her was saying, she tried not to notice.
"So did I. Good to know she's not perfect," someone else said. She sighed and turned her attention back out the window. He was staring at her now, perfect. Could the day get any more embarrassing?
"God, who's the dish?" the first girl said. She didn't even need to turn to know she was talking about him.
"Wow, I don't know, he can't possibly go here, I would've done him by now," there was a hint of a smirk to the sentence, ah... Summer.
"But Summer," the first girl started whilst she mentally congratulated herself on properly identifying the ditz, "If you've done all the guys in this school, how can you remember all their faces?" And that must be Amber, her crony.
"Well Amber, you pose an interesting question. I guess she'll just have to take off his pants and see for herself, after all she can never forget a dick." Ahh, Tristan, her own personal hell. She mentally shook herself and tried to pay attention to class.
"You would know Tris, you always were the king of the dicks."
"Don't I know it baby." She resisted the urge to gag, and fortunately the bell rang, signaling not only the end of the period, but the end of the school day. She quickly gathered her books and hurried to her locker. She reached in and grabbed the few things she needed before anyone could say anything and took off out the door. She hurried to the yard where she'd seen him, and there he was.
"Jess," she breathed, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school? Are you stalking me? Because if you are, you suck at it."
"Well, I probably should be in school but wait, oh schools out in Stars Hollow. I came to just, hang out, see who I'd see. So no, I'm not stalking you. I can if you want though."
"No thanks, So you aren't here for Rory?"
Jess stared at Paris in mock surprise, "Rory goes HERE? No! I did not know that."
"Very humorous." She shuffled around a bit, "I better go."
"Alright," he fell into step with her as she began walking away, "So, where we going?"
"Home."
"Well gee Paris, I know we're friends and all but I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of a commitment yet."
"No. I'm going home, you're going, well, wherever it is juvenile delinquents go at this time of day."
"Well, juvenile delinquents usually go to probation, but since I am not a juvenile delinquent, nor am I on probation, I suppose I'll go to the bookstore."
"Really?" Paris asked as they entered the parking lot.
"Sure, want to come?"
"Well, I should study..."
Paris was cut off by a shrill voice, "I'll come."
Paris whipped around, "Do you even know where he's going?"
"Sure," she said with wide eyes as she twirled her hair. She flashed perfect white teeth at him, "So, how about it?"
"Gee, Summer, I didn't know you could read." Rory Gilmore said as she walked up to them.
"You'd be surprised what I could do Gilmore, just ask Tristan, or wait until tomorrow and ask this stud here."
Rory shuddered over exaggeratingly, "I'd rather not ask Tristan anything thanks." She turned to Jess, "Hey I can't come today. I've got a project with, shudder, Tristan."
Jess nodded, "It's okay Ror. I'll just take..."
"Me!" Summer cut him off. She looped her arm through his and proceeded to hang all over him. Jess, Paris, and Rory all shuddered while trying not to gag.
"Um, no," Jess said, "I'll take Paris with me. She has, well, some taste, not great taste, but some." Jess looked at Paris his eyes begging her to go with him.
"Sure, I do need to get some books off of the New York Times Best Sellers List."
"Great!" Rory and Jess both said at the same time.
Rory pressed some money into Jess' hand, "Pick me up something."
"What?"
She shrugged, "You know what I have, you know what I don't have. Pick something neither of us have and we can share." He nodded and she turned to Paris, "Come back to Stars Hollow with him, we can have dinner and study. It'll be nice to have intelligent conversation after dealing with the devil."
Paris nodded, "Sure, I assume Luke's right?"
"You assume right," Rory said with a smile. "I better go, Tristan doesn't look happy waiting for me over there."
"Bye" Jess and Paris said and Rory hurried off.
"Come on," Jess said. "If you're good I'll have Luke make you some special Mac and Cheese."
"Oh Jess you spoil me," Paris said dryly. He laughed and they walked off leaving a disgruntled Summer in their wake.