Title: Episode One Of Rory and Jess: The Early Years

Author: Psyc0gurl0

Disclaimer: as always I own nothing.

Summary: What if Jess was sent to Stars Hollow prior Episode one, prior to Dean even coming to Stars Hollow. What if Jess got there even before Chilton and Rory switched schools? Jess comes the summer between 9th and 10th grade. How does him coming change everything?

Author's note: another story I shouldn't be starting! I already have so many on my plate, but this idea would not go away. I mean, seriosuly it was starting to annoy me, so finally I sat down last night and wrote. And wrote. And wrote some more. And heres what I came up with. It may not be as interesting as 'Razor Scars' b/c there is no badass Rory but...I hope people will still like it. Here's the story! lol.

Chapter 1: Brown-haired-Tree-Hemingway Guy

"He's here again." I said gloomily staring at my tree.

"Who?" my best friend, Lane Kim asked.

She was looking around very obviously too. I wanted to duck my head because I was sure the tree guy would notice her staring. Ech.

"That guy." I muttered trying to look anywhere but at the tree and the guy.

"What guy?"

"The guy under the tree."

"Which one? The one holding the football or the one with the book?"

"Book."

"The one with brown hair?"

"That's the one."

"He's cute."

"Don't say that."

"Why?"

"He's reading Hemingway. Guys that read Hemingway aren't cute. They're dull." I said totally disgusted that my best friend would think a Hemingway fan was cute. Was the world coming to an end?

"He doesn't look dull. He's wearing a Metallica t-shirt."

"So? Maybe he's a wannabe Metallica fan. And the t-shirt is ugly."

"Ugly yes. Wannabe no."

"why do you say no to the wannabe thought?"

"He just doesn't look like a wannabe. Maybe a wannabe James Dean or Danny Zuko, but not a wannabe Metallica fan."

"Danny Zuko?" I said smiling.

"Grease. Hey you can be his Sandy Olsoon." Lane said laughing.

"What's with the Grease references?"

"Mama Kim was out of town and I was in the mood for a musical, don't ask me why, it was summer and you were at the Inn with Lorelai. Anyway, at the movie store they had Grease and I didn't realize how much I hated musicals till I saw that movie."

"Huh. It's a classic." I pointed out.

"Totally cliche. Good girl falling for bad boy. Totally cliche. Makes me want to gag a little." Lane said shaking her head.

"I like Grease." I protested.

"It's a nice sit-on-the-couch-waste-my-life-away movie, but it won't make me want to dye my hair blonde and wear spandex to fit in with the Danny Zuko's of the world."

"Amen to that sista."I said taking a sip of my coffee.

"I wanted to sit under that tree." I muttered darkly glaring at the punk sitting under the tree.

"Share the tree." Lane said rolling her eyes.

"I can't." I whined.

"Why not?"

"It's weird."

"And glaring at him everyday isn't?" Lane asked laughing.

"Who is he anyway?" Lane added looking again at the guy.

"I don't know." I said shrugging and trying not to care that much. Beside's why would I care? He's just a guy who stole my tree.

"When did he get here? I mean, I know when he got here, I know because he started sitting under my tree." I rambled.

"It's not your tree, Rory." Lane said.

"Well...it should be. I'm going to write my name."

"You can't write your name, Taylor will kill you."

"Not if I make it discreet. So, what are we doing today?"

"Arguing over whose going to ask Danny Zuko to leave."

"That's rude! Let's raid my mother's nail polish stash and give each other pedicures."

"Sounds good." Lane said smiling as we walked away back towards my house leaving the James Dean look a-like at my tree.

"Oh summer how I love thy!" I heard my mother yell walking into our house.

"Rory! Darling! Are you home?"

"Bedroom!"I yelled back looking over at Lane who was painting her last nail.

I watched mom walk into my room and smile. I saw her eyes dart over to my 'Harvard' wall. She smiled upon seeing it then turned to look at me and Lane.

"Lane! Rory! What have I told you about sniffing the nail polish fumes?" mom said smiling seeing all the colorful little bottles around us.

"Ooh. Pretty. What color?" mom added upon seeing my newly painted toes.

"Blue." I said wiggling my toenails.

"Pink." Lane said mimicking me.

Lane sighed glancing at the clock, "I gotta go, Mama Kim will be back from her tofu cooking class in 15 minutes."

"Tofu cooking class?"

"She ran out of ways to incorporate tofu into food. She found a class online and decided to go extra crazy and join it. There's one boy."

"How futuristic of her."

"She tries. I'll see you tomorrow, Rory."

"Wait! No you won't! I'm working at the Inn." I said making an apologetic face.

Lane sighed, "fine, I guess it's another day of watching Rizzo and Kenickie make out in backseats." "A pass time that everyone should love."

"See you later." Lane yelled closing the door behind her.

"Are you 'summa lovin' with Lane?" mom asked laughing.

"What is with the 'Grease' references today? First Lane, now you?" I asked exasperated.

"Wanna watch it tonight?" Lorelai asked smiling at me.

I smiled a little, "if it's on."

"When is 'Grease' ever on television?"

"All the time."

"What channel?"

"Disney."

"Since when do you watch Disney?"

"Family Channel. MTV."

"MTV plays Grease?"

"Yep."

"Yeah right. MTV plays nothing with substance. Grease has substance."

"Oh yeah, teens making out in backseats and having drag races really screams inspirational speech."

"Excuse me! Kenickie was the first guy I ever wanted to make out in a backseat with. Although, I was more partial to John Travolta even thought he was with Olivia Newton-John and then he got, you know, fat."

"He's not fat. Just old."

"Excuse me, have you see him in 'Swordfish', his latest movie? 'It's kinda like the masturbation without the payoff' Classy! Award-winning!" mom said making her voice all deep for the movie quote.

"All actors make bad movies sometimes." I said shrugging.

"Your so nice, even to the fat actors of Hollywood. How are you my daughter?"

"I enjoy coffee."

"Well, then it's settled. We are related."

"Marvelous. Speaking of coffee...Luke's for dinner."

"Of course! When have I ever said no to Luke's?" mom asked with a fake gasp.

"True. True. Now! Let's go." I said smiling and heading out the door.

"Off we go, Sandy." mom said smiling as I tossed her a glare.

"Very funny, Rizzo." I shot back.

"Ah! I love Rizzo. So much cooler then Sandy." mom said dreamily.

"You always love the bad girls."

"They are the most fun."

"But they never amount to anything."

"Not true! I did." mom said as I just shook my head.

"Thank God! We are here! Now Luke get's to deal with your insane mind."

"He does try."mom said opening the door.

"Many times. But he never can—Oh no!" I said stopping suddenly making mom collide into my back. I wanted to scream, that guy was here, taking orders.

"What?" mom asked a little worried about my sudden mood change.

"Brown-haired-tree-Hemingway Guy is here."

"Who?"

"This guy." I groaned softly nodding to the guy handing an order to Luke.

"What's the matter with him? Does he have bad breath?"

"I don't get that close to him." I said wrinkling my nose.

"Sit down, you two!" Luke yelled seeing us. We looked around the restaurant seeing only a few tables free.

"There are no free tables." mom said watching Luke walk over to us.

"There are too. Go sit."

"We don't like those tables."

"They're fine tables."

"We don't like those tables."

"Fine. Sit at the counter."

"Rory and I feel more in the mood for a table today."

"What?"

"We want to sit at a table."

"Then take the available tables or wait. I don't care."

"But we're hungry!" mom wined as I snickered.

Luke groaned in frustration and went back behind the counter. We waited a few minutes then walked over to one of the available tables.

"Your sick." I said shaking my head.

"So you've told me."

"You had a total pointless argument with Luke over nothing."

"I like our bantering fun!"

"I'm hungry."

"Oh look, that brown-haired tree guy is coming over."

"Hemingway." I muttered shaking my head.

"What can I get you?" the guy asked in a slughty wraspy voice.

"Coffee please. Plus a hamburger and fries. Oh and a milkshake."

"Feeling extra hungry today?" I muttered staring at my unopened menu.

For some reason the guy made me feel kind of uncomfortable.

"Long day at the Inn. Had to fire Bob."

"Why?"

"He kept falling asleep."

"Why?"

"Apparently he had the common cold year round and was taking large doses of benadryl."

"Gotcha." I said nodding.

"Sorry to interrupt your pow-wow but are you getting anything else beside's a burger, fries, and a milkshake?" the guy said dryly.

"Don't forget the coffee." mom added with a forced smile.

"Who are you?" I blurted.

"Excuse me?" the guy asked raising an eyebrow at me.

He had an odd gleam in his dark brown eyes.

I swallowed and asked my question again. "Who are you?"

"I'm sorry we don't carry that. What do you want to eat?"

"Who are you?" I asked again only getting quieter this time.

"Why is my name important for getting your food order?"

I rolled my eyes, "same."

"Now was that so hard?"

"Of course not. Move along. I'm sure someone will want your fine service." I muttered turning to look at my mother.

I paused thinking about what I had just said and I shook my head. Where did that come from? Since when was I so...blunt and snippy. I smiled to myself, enjoying my last comment to the surely Danny Zuko.

"Well, wasn't—"

"I see you sat down." Luke said interrupting mom and coming over with a coffee pot.

"Great perception skills you got there, Mr." mom said smiling at him.

Luke rolled his eyes and started pouring coffee into my cup.

"Whose your new help?" Mom asked while I watched the new guy take an order from Kirk.

"That's my nephew, Jess Mariano."

"Sounds Italian."

"Great perception skills, Lorelai, when the aliens land on earth you'll be the first to know, because they'll be running around with little green bodies and you'll go 'hey! Aliens have landed on earth' as everyone around you runs away screaming from their lasers."

"Weirdo." mom muttered taking a sip of her coffee.

"Junkie." Luke retorted walking away after filling my cup.

"So...Jess Mariano. Luke's nephew." I said still looking at the guy.

"Huh." mom said smiling to herself watching me still watch Jess.

"What?"

"Do you li—"

"what? No! He just steals my spot under my tree and likes Hemingway! What kind of rational person likes Hemingway? He's irrational! He should be put in an asylum! He—Oh well! Hello!" I said blushing when Jess came back over there.

"Don't let me stop you on your rant, but do you want onions? Pickles? Mayo? Mustard? Ket—"

"All of the above except no mayo." I muttered looking at the table.

"Same."mom said looking at the guy.

"He's more of a Danny Zuko then a Kenickie don't you think?" she muttered making me blush even more.

"I bet he goes for the good girls." mom said teasing me.

I glared and drank my coffee.

"So! Are you ready for school to begin?" Mom asked changing the subject.

"Yes! I'm very excited. Only 3 weeks to go. This summer has went by so slow."

"That's only because you look forward to school. Freak."

"Please! I'm the freak? You're the one that has been making me watch Friends reruns because you heard that rumor that they were going off the air."

"Hey! Friends is a classic, you cannot just cancel a classic. What will happpen with Ross and Rachel? And what about Chandler and Monica? Oh and—"

"Here you go." Luke said bringing us our meals.

"Where'd Jess go?" I blurted as Luke shrugged.

"His break?"

"You don't know where your own nephew is?" mom asked raising an eyebrow.

"There's no where to go in Stars Hollow."

"Does he have a car?" mom asked.

Luke shrugged.

"Why is he even here?" I asked taking a bite of my burger.

"Um...it's a long story but basically Liz sent him to stay with me a little while."

"Why?"

"He got into some trouble back in New York."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Hey, listen Rory he's going to be starting at Stars Hollow High, could you maybe get him acquainted with everything. He's new and...shy."

I blinked and said yes. Because as my mother constantly reminded me, I was too nice for my own good. Now I was stuck with brown-haired-tree-Hemingway guy.

Great.