Playing for Keeps
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: This is the second in my Alternate Scenes for Literati Lovers. Just for clarification, the scenes aren't related in any way. RE: The events in So Begins Our Odyssey have no bearing on this story. OK, that's it. This is another version, (hopefully a BETTER version) of Keg! Max! The title comes from a song by Matchbook Romance. Enjoy.
Jess knocked on Mr. Merton's door, and opened it before there was an answer. The principal looked up from his desk. "Well, well. Jess Mariano. What a treat. Come in, sit down."
Jess stepped into the principal's office, but didn't sit. He instead just stood there. "I was trying to buy prom tickets. They told me to come see you."
"Prom tickets. Never took you as the type who'd want to go to prom."
"My girlfriend wants to go." Jess said, annoyed with the conversation.
Mr. Merton closed the file he was reading. "Well, that's too bad for her."
"What?" Jess asked, annoyed. He finally sat down in the chair. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that prom tickets are for graduating seniors, and you aren't one. You flunked out. You're done." Mr. Merton said, unsympathetically.
"What? That's impossible. I'm a little behind, yeah, but I can't have flunked out." Jess said, sure he'd be able to get out of this with a little smooth talking.
"You can, and you did. You've missed 33 days. The cutoff is 20."
"So, I'll catch up." Jess said. "I'm smarter than anyone here."
Mr. Merton rolled his eyes. "And more humble too. It's too late."
"Just like that?" Jess asked.
"Just like that." The principal repeated.
"Jeez, thanks for the warning." Jess said sarcastically, getting angry.
"I sent thirteen warnings to your house. I sent recommendations for meetings with your guidance counselor and with me. I never got any response."
"That's because I never got anything." Jess argued. It was true. He'd never gotten anything from the school in the mail. "And I know my uncle would've showed me anything that came."
Mr. Merton looked at Jess skeptically, but opened his file and read something from it. "1120 Miller Street."
Jess shook his head. "That's wrong. The apartment is on Old Mill Road, not Miller Street."
"What?" Mr. Merton asked, confused.
"That isn't my address. My uncle and I live at 1120 Old Mill Road." Jess said.
Mr. Merton frowned. "Well, that may be, but you had to have known you were flunking out. You don't even take half your tests. You hardly ever turn in homework, and your attitude is less than respectful."
"Fine. I'll do summer school if that's what you want." Jess said, his mind racing. He had to get prom tickets for Rory.
"That's a start, but it isn't enough." Mr. Merton said. "You have to take the entire year again."
"What? No way!" Jess said.
"That's the only way, Jess. You've missed too much. You'd have to ace every test in every subject for the rest of the year for summer school to be enough."
"So that's what I'll do." Jess said, eagerly.
"Excuse me?" Mr. Merton asked, staring blankly at Jess.
"I can do that. I can get As for the rest of the year." Jess said. His car was gone anyway. He might as well just spend the school day in school. He could still use Luke's truck or take the bus to make his shifts after school and on the weekends.
Mr. Merton looked more than skeptical. "You'll have to get As in everything. You'll have to get an A on every test and turn in all your homework and participate in class to make that work."
"So, I'll do it." Jess said. "I'll do that and I'll go to summer school and get my diploma at the end of the summer."
Mr. Merton could tell that Jess was actually serious about this, which surprised him. "You'll have to come to school all day, every day."
Jess nodded. "I can do it."
Mr. Merton shook his head. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. Fine. But one screw up and you're done. No more chances, no more deals."
"And I can get prom tickets?" Jess asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
Mr. Merton nodded. He wrote something on a slip of paper and handed it to Jess. "Give this to the prom committee. And Jess, I'm going to be paying close attention to you."
Jess smirked. "Well, I'll try to look pretty for you then." He took the offered paper and stood up. He turned to leave. His hand was on the doorknob before the principal spoke again.
"Must be some girl."
Jess didn't respond. He just walked out, glad that the man couldn't see him smiling.
"The band rocked, huh?" Rory asked, taking Jess's hand.
Jess shrugged. "They were pretty good. I thought Brian was going to pass out though."
"Yeah, Zach really shouldn't have said he couldn't use his inhaler during the set." Rory said, smiling.
Jess shrugged again and pulled Rory to him. "Let's get out of here."
"What? No." Rory said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"C'mon." Jess prompted. "This party's lame."
"The band has a whole other set to play." Rory argued.
"And they can do it without us." Jess said, kissing her neck.
Rory smiled and said, "My best friend is in the band, Jess. How would it look if I left?"
"It'd look like you want to be alone with your boyfriend." Jess responded.
Rory considered the offer seriously for a moment before she pulled away and said, "After the band's done." She said.
"Yeah?" Jess asked, pulling her close again.
Rory kissed him quickly and said, "Yeah."
Jess put his hands on her hips and kissed her hard on the mouth. "OK." He said after they pulled apart. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her head.
Rory leaned against him. "I like you today." She said. "You're in a good mood."
Jess smirked. "I'm always in a good mood."
"That is your reputation." Rory agreed sarcastically.
Hi, Rory." Dean said, coming up with Lindsay.
"Hi Dean, hi Lindsay." Rory said, not moving from her position.
"Hi." Lindsay said, obviously a little uncomfortable.
Jess nodded to them both, not bothering to suppress his eye roll at Dean's presence.
Rory elbowed Jess in the ribs as if she could sense his attitude change. "The band was amazing, huh?"
Dean nodded and Lindsay said, "I liked them, but I didn't recognize most of the songs."
"She's not a music freak like you." Dean said.
"We can't all be freaks." Rory said, smiling. She took Jess's hand, knowing that he was annoyed.
"True enough." Dean said, his eyes falling on Rory and Jess's locked hands for just a second.
"I'm more into Matchbox 20 and Michelle Branch and stuff like that." Lindsay offered, still feeling uncomfortable.
Jess rolled his eyes and muttered "Jeez" under his breath. Rory knocked herself into him again to quiet him.
"I like them too. I like all kinds of music." Rory said, smiling at the girl.
Lindsay wasn't listening to Rory. She was looking at Jess. "You used to go to our school." She commented.
"He still goes." Rory replied quickly.
"Really?" Dean asked with a knowing smirk. "Haven't seen you around much lately."
"Well, if I'd known you were attendance monitor, I would've checked in." Jess snapped. "Besides," Jess wrapped his arms around Rory's waist with a smug smile, "You'll be seeing a lot more of me now."
Dean clenched his jaw and said, "Rumor is you got expelled."
Rory looked up at Jess quizzically. Jess was shooting a hateful glare at Dean. "Jess?" Rory asked.
Jess's smirk turned annoyed and he said, "Don't believe everything you hear." He walked away quickly, looking angry. He stalked up the steps without looking back.
"Excuse me." Rory said quietly, following Jess.
Rory hurried up the stairs after Jess. She walked into a bedroom and Jess was sitting in a chair in a dark corner.
"Jess…" Rory said, coming towards him
"I didn't want you to know that." He said, frustrated.
Rory frowned. "It's true."
"No." Jess said, shaking his head and standing up. "I almost got expelled. I made a deal with the principal. As long as I ace the end of the year and go to summer school, I can graduate at the end of the summer."
"Well, why didn't you want me to know that?" Rory asked, placing a hand against Jess's cheek.
Jess shrugged, leaning in to Rory's gentle touch. "I didn't want you…"
"What?" Rory demanded.
Jess shrugged again and mumbled, "To be ashamed of me."
Tears filled Rory's eyes at Jess's honesty. She'd never heard him say something so sweet or honest before.
"Jess." Rory said, "I'm not ashamed. I'm glad that you're going to finish."
"It was the only way to get prom tickets." Jess said, shrugging again and trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal.
Rory's eyes widened at Jess's words. For her. He'd agreed to finish school for her.
Rory grinned at Jess before leaning in to kiss him passionately. They sank down onto the bed together and soon ended up lying down together, still kissing passionately.
"Jess…" Rory said, knowing that he wasn't interested in just kissing.
Jess pulled away and looked at her, lust and passion in his eyes. Rory was a little frightened, not by what she saw in Jess's eyes, but by the fact that she knew it was mirrored in hers.
"Let's get out of here." Rory said, hoping her implication was obvious in her eyes and the tone of her voice.
"Yeah?" Jess asked.
Rory nodded. "Yeah."
Jess stood and offered Rory his hand. She took it eagerly, and the two left the party together.