I've always been slightly obsessed the Shane. I mean, yes, she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but really, she was harmless. And Rory was unbelievably rude to her. Yes, she was dating Jess, and Rory's green eyed monster appeared, but Rory WAS dating Dean. And Shane didn't really *do* anything to Rory (besides that whole Jess thing, but we can't really blame her for that, can we? I know given the opportunity I'd love to prop up a tree with Jess' hands in my back pockets! lol). And she classy trashy. And I make up words all the time, in fact bloaty doesn't seem that bad. All in all, I love her. Sort of.

Burn Away

I watched her take him from me
And his love is no longer my own
Now they are gone
And I sit alone
And watch one cigarette burn away

- Patsy Cline

She had just moved to town. Hicks-ville, population: ten? Rolling her eyes as her mom offered to show her her new room, she slid her sunglasses on and wandered off.

Reaching the square, she frowned as she spotted yet another shop selling porcelain unicorns. What the hell is up with that? Walking backwards, taking in her surroundings, she banged into something. Turning on her heel, she was confronted with a large set woman, with red hair, a love of leopard print and a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"Sorry."

"That's okay, honey. Are you new in town?"

"Yeah..." Her reply came somewhat distractedly. Across the way she had just spotted a guy coming out of a store. The diner, maybe? She squinted to read the sign.

"Oh, that's Jess." She blinked up at the woman, who smiled back at her. "Cutest thing around these parts. After his uncle, of course."

"Okay." She nodded and sidestepped around the woman, taking off after the dark haired boy.

She found him on a park bench next to the school, cigarette idly held in his left hand, his face a picture of concentration reading the book held in his right.

"Bum a smoke?" She asked, standing in front of him. Glancing up from his book, he smirked. Closing the novel over and throwing it beside him, he extracted a pack of smokes from his pocket and offered one to her.

Reaching out a thin hand, nails painted scarlet, she plucked one from it pack and brought it to her lips. "Light?" She arched an eyebrow.

Wordlessly he flipped open his zippo and leaning forward, she lit the end of the cigarette. Sitting down at the opposite end of the bench, she gave him the once over. He was ridiculously good looking. Maybe moving to this one horse town would be so bad.

Lifting the cigarette to her mouth she inhaled and exhaling she watched the smoke blow in the gentle breeze, mixing with the smoke from his. "I'm Shane." She glanced at him. '"Shane Preston." She watched the look of amusement on his face as he quirked an eyebrow.

"I know." She shrugged. "Let's just say my parents were very disappointed I arrived with a vagina."

"Jess." He nodded. "My mom was disappointed I didn't have one."

She smiled and inhaled again before dropping the half smoked cigarette to the ground. Standing up, she crushed it with the toe of her shoe and cocking her to the right she looked at him. '"I'm glad you don't have one." She smirked.

"Huh." Was the reply she got before she walked away.

The next time she saw him, it was two days after they met.

She was in the post office browsing the postcard selection, figuring she'd sent one back to California, back to her friends.

"Luke wants to know if there's any mail? None was delivered."

She turns and sees hims. Blue jeans and a green t-shirt. Dark olive arms, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Mail was delivered to the diner this morning." The guy behind the desk (Kurt? Kip? She couldn't remember) squeaked.

"I'm just asking what I was told to ask." He shrugged and turned, spotting her as he did so.

"Hey." She nodded and he returned the gesture. "Waiting on a delivery?" She smirked, lifting a postcard with a picture of a giant twine ball and slipping it into the back pocket of her jeans, before following him out into the street.

"Sort of."

"You're sort of waiting for a delivery?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"'Kay." She wrinkled her nose and looked over at him. "You got any plans?"

"When?"

"Now." She rolled her eyes. "Figured you could show a new girl 'round town."

"Four left turns and you're back in the centre. What's to see?"

She arched an eyebrow. "I'm sure we'll think of something to do."

She watched him glance back at the post office and run a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Sure. Come on."

They first made out in an alley. It wasn't the most romantic of places, but then, she wasn't the most romantic of girls. And she knew he wasn't her prince charming.

But he knew how to kiss, so she wasn't about to start complaining about their location.

In the four days since their meeting at the post office, they had made out all over town.

With one exception.

The old bridge.

He had said no and walked off in the opposite direction. She caught up to him but before she could ask him what the hell was the matter, he had her pressed against a tree and all coherent thoughts left her mind.

On the sixth day of the tryst, she waved her parents off for the weekend and then checking her hair she headed off to find him.

The town was packed, banners were everywhere, vendors selling carnival food and a load of dorks in hats singing some god-awful song. She reached the diner as he stepped out.

"Hey." She grinned, leaning in to kiss him. "I thought you had to work."

"It's dead in there." He thumb jerked back, and she could see his uncle at the counter. "Luke give me the day off."

"Cool."

"Whatever." He waved it off, walking past her.

She cocked her head to the side before taking off after him. "Anyone ever tell you that you're kind of a jerk?"

"You have a point?"

"No, just informing you that you're jerk."

He pressed his back against a nearby tree and smirked at her. "Huh. Wanna say that a little closer?"

She tried to be mad at him, but damn him and that smirk, she couldn't. Stepping closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're a jerk." She told him before kissing him.

She felt his hands in her back pockets and instinctively pressed closer to him. When the need for air overtook, she stepped back. "My parents are out of town for the weekend."

"And?"

"And... nothing." She sighed. "I'm going for a sno-cone. Wait here."

When she came back, she found him still leaning against the tree, a lit cigarette in hand, his eyes focused across the street. Following his gaze as she joined him she spotted a brunette in a dress her grandmother must have picked out and a guy about twenty feet tall. "Friends of yours?" She asked.

He didn't take his eyes off them. "No." Turning to her, he pushed himself off the tree. "You're parents are gone?"

She nodded and he took off in the direction of her house. "Come on then."

"Jess!" She yelled, running after him. "Wait." He didn't slow down.

She had had sex enough times before to know when a guy wasn't into it. And Jess wasn't into it.

He was simply going through the motions, and while yes, she was enjoying it, she knew he wasn't. At least not past a base level.

Not that she had expected rose petals and candles and swelling music, but even a feigned interest would have been nice.

They first had sex that Friday, while the town enjoyed their cracked festival. She hadn't seen him since he left that night but it was now Sunday and they were going through the motions.

Suddenly she heard the front door and her mom's voice.

"Shit." He swore, rolling off her. Pulling on his jeans, he opened her window. "Later." Was all he said before disappearing out of her room.

She could feel the weight of that brunette's stare as she kissed him. And she would have to be blind to miss the glare between Jess and the giant on their way out.

"What was that about?"

"What?"

"That." She pointed through the window.

"Nothing. I gotta go to the book store." He headed away.

"Why?" She asked as she fell into step with him.

"To buy a book."

She pulled a paperback from his back pocket and held it up. "You have a book."

"Another book." He grabbed his copy back, shoving it into his pocket.

"Why? If they're any good, they'll make a movie."

"You don't have to come."

"I'm coming." She snapped, walking ahead of him, letting the door to the shop close in his face.

"I gotta job." She watched the smoke from their cigarettes entwine in the air as the lay in the grass. When he made no reply, she carried on talking. "In the beauty store. It'll be boring as hell, but I get a twenty percent discount so it'll keep me in smokes and cherry red lipstick."

She heard a twig snap, she glanced up and saw Rory (she had heard the dance teacher call her in the street a few days ago) and her Asian friend. Rory shot daggers at them and it wasn't hard to miss the scowl etched on Jess' face.

"What's with you two? You fuck her and never call her back?"

"No."

"What?" She teased. "She never called you?"

"Drop it Shane." He stood up, crushing his cigarette under his boot. "I gotta go to work."

"Say hi to Wal-Mart for me."

"Yeah, whatever, later."

She was bored in work, idly flipping through a copy of US Weekly that she'd already read. Twice.

She looked up and saw Rory and her friend, who was annoyingly bouncy. But, God, what was her problem. "You need something?" She asked Rory, ready to get the Jess issue out of the way. But instead she asked about her friends hair falling out.

When they left she called into her boss. "Hey, Milly! I'm gonna take my break."

She headed to the diner and watched as Luke went into the store room. Quietly she slipped in and up the stairs. Jess opened the apartment door and before he could say anything, she kissed him. He was hers, no matter what that chicks attitude was.

She pushed him towards his bed and down onto it when his knees hit the frame. "I missed you." She smiled, kissing him again. Her hands lowered to unbuckle his belt, but as soon as she had undone it, she heard footsteps outside the door. "Shit!" She scrambled off the bed and hid in his closet, pulling the door closed behind her.

When he opened the door five minutes later, he laughed, telling her she was an idiot.

"Yeah, whatever. I have to get back to work."

"Shane."

"Bye."

Back at work, and back to being bored. She suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to ask Jess about her sweater. She picked up the phone and dialed his number.

"Yeah?"

"Jess, is my purple sweater there?"

"A sweater?"

"Uh huh" She rolled her eyes as he asked if she was sure it was there. "All I know is I don't have it, so it's gotta be at your place."

"Fine, I'll look." He groaned. "Nope, can't see it."

"You're not looking for it, you're watching TV, I can tell."

"Really not here."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll just get a new one." She shrugged. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Eat?"

"I don't know, I'm sick of eating. I've been eating like a pig, I feel all bloaty."

"Not a word."

"It is so a word, it's a word 'cause I said it." She laughed. "That's how words get invented, 'cause people say 'em and then other people say 'em..."

"It's still not a word." He interrupted her. "Saying something doesn't make it a word."

"You're such a jerk sometimes and I'm always nice to you. "

"Whatever, what time you off?"

"I get off at the same boring time." She is pulled out of her thoughts by a voice. Looking up she sees Rory again and inwardly sighs.

"I don't have all day."

"Hold on a sec." She tells Jess and then sets the phone on the counter. "Will this be all?"

"Yeah, that'll be all. I'm growing a beard here."

She had enough. What the hell had she done to this girl? "What's your problem?"

"What's your problem? I'm a customer, I'm in a hurry, and you're supposed to assist me."

"I am assisting you."

"Yeah, after you took your sweet time getting off the phone, which by the way, clearly was not a business call."

"Un-freaking-believable." Shane rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it is, it is. The level of service in this place is just that – un-freaking-believable."

She plastered a fake smile to her face and handed Rory her bag. "Have a nice day."

"Yeah, thanks, you too. " She glared and walked away. At the door she paused and look back at her. "And by the way, bloaty is not a word. There's bloated, there's bloating, but no bloaty."

"Thanks, that's fascinating." She retorted.

"Well, for you, how ice is made is probably fascinating. See ya."

She stared at the door and picked up the phone. "Did you hear..." She trailed off. The line was dead.

"It's a piece of crap." She was seriously unimpressed with this.

"Hey, it's still a car."

She inhaled and rolled her eyes. "You can't see car for rust."

"You wanna take a ride or not?"

"Sure." She shrugged one shoulder, dropping her cigarette to the ground beside the wheel, and he did the same. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere." He out the car in drive and pulled off. He pulled into a clearing on the side of the road halfway between Stars Hollow and Woodbridge.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he cut the engine. "Oh what, we're gonna do it in your car?"

"Beats getting caught by Luke or your parents."

"Fine." She sighed, climbing into the back seat. "You just gonna sit there?"

It wasn't until he dropped her home that she realised she'd left her bra in the backseat.

She didn't understand why he insisted on going to this stupid dance anyway. He hated the town.

Then she spotted Rory and it made sense. As soon as they sat down she kissed him. She wasn't going to loose without a fight.

They called a break and he stood up, saying he was going to stretch his legs. She hung back for a bit and then went after him, but when she reached the street she couldn't see him. Wandering around, she heard his voice and she ran up the steps into the dance studio.

"Where'd you go? I've been sitting out there for twenty minutes."

"Break's only for ten."

"It's just a saying." She scoffed. He told her he came to get food, but before she could take the sandwich he was holding she was told the food was for the dancers.

Looking up at Rory she smirked. "Who are you? Bobby Brady? Get a life." She plucked the sandwich from Jess and brought it to her nose. Maybe it was better the food was for the dancers. She felt Jess' arm around her neck, and then immediately felt the tension as Jess mocked the couple beside them. When they left, so did Jess' arm and then Jess. She stared after him, confused as to what had happened.

Rory liked Jess.

But Jess liked her. Shane. Right? She shrugged it off and followed him back into the gym.

"Can we not go?"

"You can. I'm staying." Jess picked up his book and she watched Kirk try to tango.

"I'm bored."

"Okay." He closed his book and turned to kiss her. He pulled back abruptly. "You talking about me?" He asked Rory.

"No."

"I heard you mention Shane."

She tried to hide her smile when he said that she concerned him, asking Rory if she had a problem. When she told them to leave, she inwardly smiled. "Works for me. Let's go."

But he didn't. Jess stayed, baited her. She watched as Rory got dumped. Because Rory was into Jess and Jess was into Rory.

She wasn't surprised when he showed up at her window that night.

She wasn't surprised when he said it was over.

She wasn't surprised when she saw them at the mechanics making out as she walked home from work.

She was surprised how much it hurt.

How much it hurt to see them walking hand-in-hand, or talking over the counter at the diner or reading at the bridge.

It hurt to see her cigarette smoke blow into the wind, and mixing with only the air.

She hated being alone.

I tried to make it a pretty symbiotic relationship, in term of treating each other like dirt. But I think Jess came off as the bigger jerk. *shrugs* Let's face it, he was. Let me know what you think. :)