Title- Dodger and the Book-Tease
Author- Kàra
Summary- What if Rory had written to him that summer? Lit, of course.
A/N- Yep, I'm ripping off Sarah Jae. Sorry, SJ, but you forced me to it. You haven't updated Pink in way too long. Your own fault! The last chapter was so yummy, and then... nothing. Not since, like, March.
It was the last week of June before the letter arrived. Jess had long since given up hope that she would write to him. No, that pipe dream had been killed when he had spotted Bag Boy perched on the steps of Miss Patty's with a sickeningly love-struck look on his face and a letter in his hands. A letter which bore Rory's precise, curvy handwriting. Jess had gone home and punched his pillow until the thing exploded (Luke would appreciate that slightly more than a hole in his wall). The kiss behind the Independence had clearly meant nothing to her.
But here it was, in a plain envelope, addressed to him. With fingers that were most definitely not shaking, he opened the letter...
Dear Jess,
I wrote the salutation the very first night I was in Washington. I've been sitting here, staring at it, ever since. I've
written everyone else I know three times since I've been here, and I finally realized tonight that I have to say
something. We kissed. There, I wrote it down. I kissed you. You came to Sookie's wedding and I went temporarily
crazy and kissed you. And unless I'm remembering things wrong, you kissed me back. And now I may have to find
this letter after I've sent it and burn it, because as of right now, we are the only two who know of that. But I'm
acknowledging that it happened, I guess, by writing this. I thought maybe pretending it didn't would work, but this
letter is proof that that plan went right out the window... I'm rambling. Sorry. You can see why this letter took so
long to get written.
The problem is that I have no clue what to say. I know what's going on in my head but, as always, you are a mystery.
People tell me what I'm supposed to want, and I am supposed to want Dean. Everyone has chimed in on what they
want me to do. Everyone but you. And that's where I get stuck. I know what my mom wants me to do, I know what
Lane thinks and I know what Paris thinks and I know what the whole town thinks.
You, though, confuse me. There are times when I think maybe you like me- you know what I mean- and then there
are times when I think maybe you're just messing with your head. I know you don't hate me. You're too nice to me
for that. But I guess it's entirely possible that you only look at me like that because it's a good way to psyche Dean out
and I know the two of you really don't get along. (Yes, that is an understatement, very astute of you.) I just don't
know where your head is, and I'm scared to trust anything I'm feeling until I know that.
So I guess where I'm going with this is, if me kissing you was totally inappropriate and not what you wanted at all, then
I am sorry and I promise it will not happen again.
For something so short, that was very difficult to write,
Rory
He stared at the page and shook his head, amazed. Outright, it didn't give him any further insight into what she was thinking, or how she felt towards him, but if he read between the lines, there was obviously something. She cared, at least enough to acknowledge that something did happen between them. It's better than nothing.
After rereading the letter a completely appropriate and not-at-all-excessive number of times, he got a piece of paper out of Luke's desk and sat down to write...
Rory received his reply not even four days after she dropped her own letter in the mailbox, and somehow that made her feel guilty. He at least had the courage to correspond, while she had sat around and dithered over that sheet of paper for almost a month before she got up the courage to do anything real.
Nervously, she slit the envelope open with Paris' letter opener...
Rory,
I'm not much of a letter writer, but here goes nothing, I guess.
You should have written sooner. What's there to be afraid of?
Stupid question. There's plenty to be afraid of. But at least you don't have to worry about the Bag Boy breaking your
neck with his freakishly large hands if he ever finds this letter. Never fear, he will never see it, unless Luke finds it,
xeroxes it, and posts it on every telephone pole in Stars Hollow (which would make about as much sense as anything
else that goes on in this insane town).
Wow, sarcasm, that's original.
And do I really need to "chime in" on what I'm thinking? I think I've made my position on you very, very clear. And
if you honestly think I'm just using you to screw with Dean, you've obviously been spending far too much time with
Lorelai. To get to the point, I do have feelings for you. And wow, that is way easier to write down than it is to say
face-to-face. I can't decide if this is better or worse than a two a.m. text message. At least there's no little emoticons
in a letter, so thank god for small favors.
-J
She stared at the words printed on the page. It was a fairly short letter, but the contents had the power to change everything, if she let them.
The question was... did she want to?
It was a full week before Jess heard back from her, and he was getting antsy, but eventually the letter did arrive. Every hour since he had mailed his response to her letter had increased his anxiety. He had meant it when he said it was easier to confess his feelings on paper than in person, but it had still been six very difficult words to write down, and the long wait before her response came was excruciating. By the time he actually held her letter in his hands, it was almost impossible to make himself open it.
But he did.
Dear Jess,
I made a pro/con list. I consulted with Paris (who was not helpful). I called Lane (who was also not helpful, but much
easier to talk to). None of it helped me make up my mind. So finally I just flipped a coin.
I'm kidding. Well, about the coin. I'm not that shallow, I promise. The rest is true, though. Leaving a boyfriend who
was always so good to me is not something to be taken lightly.
I'm breaking up with Dean when I get back from Washington. I don't want to do it by phone or letter. That would be
cruel, and I have no intention of ever writing a Dear John letter. But I am going to break up with him.
And I guess that's my not-so-subtle way of trying to imply that I like you, too. I'm sure everyone will call me crazy for
breaking up with the safe bet to be with the unpredictable, dangerous-looking guy, but I don't care. Things haven't
been right with me and Dean since... well, since you came to Stars Hollow, actually. Which speaks either to my loyalty
or my blindness, I'm not sure which...
Rambling again. Sorry.
Please don't be surprised if I keep writing to him. I'm trying really hard not to hurt anybody here, but I just don't know
how to go about that. And since I can't think of anything else to say, I guess I'll end this here.
Rory
Jess grinned widely.
He got the girl.
The reply came only a few days later.
Rory read it and couldn't help but laugh.
Rory,
Glad to hear it.
How's Washington?
-J
A/N- Coming up next... Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days get just a bit crazier...