COLOUR ME CURIOUS
A/N- A new fanfic I just watched Let me hear your balalaikas ringing out. It gave me the idea for this, so I hope you like. Review please.
Chapter one: Balalaikas, Books, And Blow ups.
Rory was trying to work out why she felt so nervous, it was just Jess. His arrival the night before had undoubtedly been a shock, and the news that he, that Jess Mariano, town hoodlum, ex-boyfriend and high school drop out, had written a book had shocked her even more. She hated telling him she'd taken a break from Yale, because they both knew that time off meant she'd dropped out, she'd felt embarrassed showing him the room that her grandmother had decorated, and talking about the DAR felt awkward, despite all that she was looking forward to talking to Jess again. He was due any minute so she didn't have time to change, she was annoyed about that because her outfit reminded her of something her grandmother would wear, the tweed jacket and black pants. Still she made her way downstairs and out into the drive, a smile playing on her lips as she saw Jess standing there throwing pebbles at her window. He jumped as he heard her and was ready to run away before noticing who it was.
'What are you doing?' Rory asked with a laugh, he dropped the remaining pebbles and replied in a whisper.
'I wasn't sure if I could knock.' He said, Rory laughed again. It wasn't shocking that he'd think that after the way she had snuck him into the house last night and kept their conversation very quiet.
'She's not here, she's playing bridge tonight.' Rory explained. Jess visibly relaxed.
'Ok so where do you feel like going?' Jess asked, standing next to Rory.
'I don't know, I don't really know the area.' Rory shrugged, it was Jess' turn to laugh.
'You live here.' Jess said with an amused smirk. Both relaxing in each others company, the nervousness of the evening before forgotten. Until headlights shone on them both, Rory looked up and held in a sigh as she saw Logan. He was meant to be out of town until tomorrow, and now he was here just as she was about to leave for dinner with Jess.
'Hey Ace, I'm not interrupting am I?' Logan asked getting out of the car and standing in front of Jess, Rory in the middle looking between them, she could feel the tension.
'No! We were just heading out for dinner.' Rory replied.
'We who? You've not introduced him yet.' Logan pointed out, still staring at Jess.
'Oh right, Logan this is my old friend Jess. Jess this is my boyfriend Logan, he's just got back from out of town.' Rory replied nervously, they didn't say anything just stared at each other. So Rory spoke again.
'That makes me sound so grown up, saying things like got back from out of town, and old friend. Because when you're young all your friends are new, you have to get old to have old friends.' She knew she was rambling but she couldn't help it, that's what she did when she was nervous. Logan ignored her rant and continued to smile, while Jess smiled at her rambling remembering that she did it when nervous, but kept his gaze on the blonde guy in front of him.
'So Jess, what is it you do?' Logan asked.
'This and That.' Jess shrugged evasively, clearly Jess still had the ability for the verbal thing to come and go. Logan wasn't satisfied with his answer, and probed further.
'Describe the this, describe the that.' Logan said smugly.
'Nothing important.' He replied, Rory wouldn't listen to Jess say that, he had done something important and she'd make sure that Logan knew it.
'He writes.' Rory said defending Jess. This struck an interest with Logan.
'A writer, what kind of stuff do you write? Novels, short stories, poetry?'
Jess wasn't willing to answer him, instead opting to remain silently staring at Logan. Rory again jumped in, ashamed at the way Logan was acting.
'He wrote a book.' Rory replied.
'A book, how long I mean are we talking Tolstoy? Hemmingway? Longer?' Logan asked. 'I'm not throwing you with these names am I?'
'You seem very interested in length.' Jess said through gritted teeth.
'It's a short novel.' Rory said trying to think of a way to change the subject.
'Is it any good?' Logan asked.
'I haven't read it yet.' Rory replied, wanting nothing more than to leave this uncomfortable conversation. She'd been looking forward to catching up with Jess.
'Yet. Well at least you'll have one reader. You know maybe I should just start writing down my thoughts and stuff, add a bunch of he said, she said and get it published.' Logan laughed a smug smile on his face. 'Do you have a copy with you?'
'No.' Jess replied.
'Shame, maybe you could send me one.' Logan said scornfully.
'Sure where do I send it, the blonde jerk at Yale?' Jess said angrily.
'Jess!' Rory said pleading him to stop. 'Come on we were going to eat.'
'How about I join you, I can get to know Jess a little better. So when you say old friend, you mean ex right?' Logan asked.
'Yes we dated in high school.' Rory said frustrated, she could tell Jess was on the verge of storming off.
'How cute, we're you the high school sweethearts, two straws in the milkshake couple? Well you can tell me about it at dinner, shall we go?' Logan asked, putting his arm around Rory, she pulled away from it.
'Logan I think it would be better if you didn't come. Me and Jess have a lot to catch up on.' Rory said firmly. Catching Jess' interest, she still wanted to have dinner with him.
'Fine, whatever.' Logan said angrily, getting into his car and driving off, Rory knew they'd have a fight about that later, but right now her attention was on Jess.
'So shall we?' Rory asked. Jess nodded and they headed to his car, driving to a funky French style bistro in the college district. They talked about old times, caught each other up on their lives and avoided the subject of Logan until Jess couldn't take it anymore.
'What are you doing Rory?' Jess asked as they walked back to the car after they'd eaten.
'I'm going towards the car.' Rory said, although she knew what he was talking about.
'Not that, Rory what are you doing? Being with that jerk…' Rory cut him off.
'He isn't usually like that, he's just tired from travelling and he drank too much…' She made excuses for Logan, feeling she had to.
'No he's a jerk, I could see that the moment I met him, what are you doing Rory, living at your grandparents, being the DAR, not talking to your mum, not going to Yale. Why did you drop out of Yale?! This isn't you Rory, I know you, better than anyone else does, and this…it isn't you. So what are you doing?' Jess demanded, Rory stood still for a minute, tears in her eyes as she questioned everything.
'I don't know.' She said lamely. Because that was all she could think of too say. 'I don't know.' She shook her head and started crying. 'I've messed everything up, things got bad and I made a stupid choice and then things just spiralled out of my control, I didn't know what to do so I let my grandparents have the control. It was all supposed to be temporary but then it got more permanent. I've been so stupid, and I miss my mum and I miss Yale but I just…' She was crying harder and Jess looked at her sadly.
'Just what Rory? If you want to fix it then you can, you're smart and strong and you can do it.' Jess said.
'I'm scared Jess, what if I've messed things up too much to fix? I can't do this alone.' Rory cried.
'Listen, take tonight and think about what you want to happen, make a list, you like lists. Then tomorrow I'll pick you up from your function' He smirked at that, not believing she actually had a DAR function. 'Then we'll take the first and most important step, it's not going to be easy but you can't fix anything until you do.'
'What?' Rory said slightly afraid.
'I'm going to take you home.' Jess said, Rory relaxed a little, got into the car and they drove off down the road. He dropped her off and instead of going inside she drove to Lanes.
*
'Where were you young lady? You didn't come home last night, and you're not wearing your dress.' Emily was furious.
'I didn't have time to come back and change, I was at my friends house.' Rory said walking around the room, making sure everything was ok. Last night she'd sat up awake all night making a list of goals that she wanted to achieve and she'd already began, she didn't want to go home this afternoon and have nothing to show her mum she was truly fixing things. So early that morning she'd called Yale and sorted out going back, amongst other things.
'Can't they play those guitars quieter?' Emily said annoyed.
'They're balalaikas.' Rory shot back.
'You young lady need to learn to follow the house rules, you were late today.'
'I wasn't late grandma, I was early for the function, you're just mad because I missed your inspection at home.' Rory yelled.
'You will not speak to me like that.' Emily shouted. 'You're grounded.'
'You can't ground me, I'm twenty one.' Rory laughed.
'You get more like your mother everyday.' Emily's eyes flashed with anger.
'And you get more like my mothers mother everyday.'
'You wait until your father gets home, he'll teach you the house rules.'
You mean my grandfather?' Rory was shocked, she finally knew what it was like for her mum growing up with the Gilmore's. 'And besides I don't have to follow the house rules if I don't live there.'
*
Rory stepped out into the street and saw Jess sat in his car waiting, she smiled. She'd changed into a pair of jeans and a white top, feel much more herself, she got into his car.
'You ready to go?' Jess asked, she nodded and started telling him that she was back in Yale, and all her other plans. Knowing that everything was going to be ok.
A/N- There it is the first part. I doubt the other chapters will be this long though. Let me know what you think.