Author's Note: So here is the next chapter. It will continue with the night-alone-gone-wrong. After this there is one more chapter from that fateful night then the chapters should pick up, following the series a little more quickly. I'm not going to promise that all chapters will be the same length either. There may be a few that are pretty short, or some that are fairly long. It will just depend on where the story can be broken. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I wanted to remind everyone that I do not own Gilmore Girls, nor its original dialogue or characters.
"A tragic waste of paper." Paris said in a tone that said she would not be swayed.
"I can't believe you just said that." Jess was stunned.
"Well it's true. The Beat's writing was completely self indulgent. I have one word for Jack Kerouac -edit."
Rory almost wanted to laugh. The three of them had been going back and forth for quite some time. Most of the food was gone, despite there being far too much for just three people, and they hadn't stopped talking since Paris had sat down at the table.
Rory had to admit she was impressed. It seemed like she wasn't the only person Jess could be nice to. Not that she had truly believed he was incapable of being kind to another person but it just seemed like an odd occurrence for his civility to go towards Paris, someone who could rarely put two kind words together.
She couldn't help but wonder if Jess just assumed everyone in Star's Hallow was an idiot and that's why he never bothered to speak with them. Paris had clearly proven during their conversation that she was intelligent and had plenty of opinions and Jess seemed to be eating it up. He and Rory were always debating about books, but Paris brought a new intensity to the conversation.
"It was not self indulgent. The Beat's believed in shocking people. stirring things up." Jess combated.
"They believed in drugs, booze, and petty crime." Paris said rolling her eyes.
"Well then you can say they exposed you to a world you wouldn't have otherwise known. Isn't that what great writing is all about?"
Rory wondered for a moment if Paris would consider her argument. Jess seemed pleased that she was agreeing with him, if not in facts than just in the mere fact of arguing with Paris.
"That was not great writing that was the National Inquirer of the 50s." Paris said, dismissing Rory altogether.
"You're cracked."
"Typical guy response worship Kerouac and Bukowski. God forbid you pick up anything by Jane Austin."
"Hey I've read Jane Austin."
"You have?" Paris was surprised.
Rory couldn't help but feel a little proud. She knew she had nothing to do with Jess reading Jane Austin but it was refreshing to have a boy who had such a wide range of tastes in literature. She knew Paris would be impressed that the small town girl had managed to find a boy willing to read Jane Austin. Not that Rory cared about impressing Paris, but her continued approval would make school easier.
"Yeah and I think she would have liked Bukowski."
Jess joked managing to get a smile even from Paris. He grabbed the salt and pepper containers he had brought with the food, assuming the Gilmore house would be completely empty. Paris stared at him wide eyed as he dumped salt and pepper onto a small plate and dipped his fry in it.
"What are you doing?"
"Salt and pepper dip. Only way to eat a fry."
"Really?" the blonde asked unhappy with how much the dark haired boy had surprised her that night.
"It's fast food gospel." Rory explained.
Rory smiled dipping a fry of her own in Jess's plate and biting into it. The phone rang not even a second later and she jumped up to answer it. She could hear them still talking behind her and she moved closer to the ringing.
"Oh that's good. That's really, really good." Paris said after trying the dip.
"You like hot sauce?" Jess asked.
"I don't know. Should I?"
"I think it's wise." He said pouring a small amount of hot sauce he had brought over onto a plate for her to try.
Rory moved from the kitchen into the living room with the phone pressed to her ear. She still had a smile on her face as she spoke up.
"Hello?"
"Hey." And suddenly the smile went away. She could hear Dean's voice on the other line and felt guilt wash over her quickly.
"Oh, hey where are you?" she asked trying to sound casual and trying to push the thought of Jess from her mind.
"On my way to see you if that's okay."
She paused for a second. She knew Dean couldn't come over with Jess in the house but she also knew Dean would never say no. If he had it in his mind that he was going to see her she was positive he would.
"Oh well…"
"I know you want to be alone so ill only stay a minute. I just wanna say hi." She could hear him smiling over the phone.
"We just said hi." She attempted, knowing he wouldn't take her bait and go back home.
"Well I want to say hi a little closer."
She knew what he meant, he wanted to come over for a minute then try to make out and convenience her to let him stay. Whether or not he had anything further on his mind she wasn't sure of, although their conversation earlier in the day made her think he was going to try and get farther than just a few small kisses.
It wasn't something that should bother her. The idea of going further with her boyfriend. But she just couldn't picture it. When she imagined doing anything more than kissing Dean an awkward image popped into her mind of how tall he was and she suddenly felt like a little kid. She felt awkward at the idea of it.
"I'm a mess really it's not pretty. You won't recognize me." She tried to lie, though she had thought earlier that she didn't look nice enough when Jess had arrived at her door.
"Well then put a name tag on cause I miss you." He joked.
Rory wasn't sure what to say. They had seen each other only hours before. She didn't even miss her mom yet and they were best friends. She wasn't sure how to handle always needing to be with someone. She was sure that was how most boyfriends and girlfriends felt about each other but sometimes she just wanted a night away.
"I miss you too, but-" she lied.
"But what." He sounded annoyed.
"Paris is here."
She thought it was close enough to the truth that she might get away with it. If she could convince him not to come over then it wouldn't be a lie. She hadn't said only Paris was there, just that she was which was one hundred percent true.
"Why?" he sounded angry.
"She freaked out about a grade and wanted to go over some notes and you know Paris she will not be denied."
Rory tried to make it sound like a joke, but serious enough that he might think Paris was in a crazed mood. She hated lying, hated that she felt like she couldn't tell him the truth, but mostly she hated that she didn't want him to come over because she was having more fun debating with Jess.
"Okay then I'm not really ruining your alone night, someone else did that."
It was like he was trying to come up with any excuse to get her to agree to spend time with him. She knew what would happen if Dean came over. They would watch TV, make out, he may try to go further she'd say no they'd go back to watching TV and then he would leave. He wouldn't stop by only for a minute to say hi. With Paris there he'd think she didn't need to have time alone anyway, whether or not Paris left them alone.
"Yes but-"
"I'll see you in a sec." he said hanging up the phone.
Rory slammed the phone down on the small table. She didn't want to kick Jess out but she knew it was her only option. She needed Jess out and Paris to get into study position before Dean showed up at her door. It was the only way she could keep up the lie she had created.
"I can't get into poetry its kind like geez just say it already I'm dying over here." Jess was saying as she walked into the kitchen.
If Dean hadn't called she would've agreed. She would have started a debate two against Paris about how poetry tended to drag on. But she knew it wasn't the time for that. She needed to stop all conversation and get Jess moving.
"Wow I just noticed the time and its getting really late."
It wasn't even a subtle statement. It wasn't late at all, and she hadn't even managed to sneak it casually into conversation.
"It's seven o'clock." Jess stated as if she needed to get a new watch.
"Is it already?" Paris asked as if her ears had shot up from the sound of the time.
Rory only nodded, walking over to Jess's coat and picking it up for him. She tried to hand it over but he wasn't taking it.
"I need to get going. Nanny told me to be home by seven thirty, I'll barely make it if there's any traffic."
"No!" Rory shouted, she needed Paris to stay and needed Jess to leave. Dean would be confused if he showed up and Paris wasn't there. "I just mean there won't be any traffic, you don't have to rush."
But it was too late. Paris had practically leapt from the table and had grabbed her bag, which she had organized earlier when she thought she was leaving before dinner.
"If you find my flashcards call me. Have a good night!"
Rory wasn't sure what to do. Paris had made up her mind and was practically out the door. It was useless to try and stop her. As the door swung closed behind the blonde Rory knew he only chance now was to get Jess out of the house before Dean made his way over. He had said he'd see her in a second which meant he had to be close.
"Listen please thank Luke for me it was really nice of him."
Rory practically shoved the coat into Jess's hands as she stared at him begging for him to stand from the chair.
"Who was that on the phone?" he asked his voice quiet because he already knew the answer.
"No one." Rory lied.
"No one wouldn't happen to be on his way over here right now would he?"
He didn't like being kicked out, didn't like that the only person he could stand in the town was too afraid of her boyfriend to stick up for him. He didn't like that the only other person besides Rory that seemed half way decent didn't even live near him. It was suddenly far too clear how unfair life was.
"Jess." Rory said feeling bad.
"Dean's on his way over and you don't want him to find me here."
"You know why, though. You know it'd be bad." Rory wasn't sure what she was feeling guilt over at the moment, whether it was hiding things from Dean or kicking Jess out despite the fact that she wanted to continue spending time with him.
"We're just eating dinner." Jess said as if that would make anything alright.
"Jess I'm asking you as a friend just please leave now." She begged, knowing there was no way around it.
"You really want me to go?" he asked genuinely.
"I really want to avoid a fight with Dean."
She knew she couldn't lie to Jess. She couldn't look him in the eye and say 'yes I want you out.' But telling a half truth was as good as she could get and have him still leave. If it was up to her Dean wouldn't come over and they would be able to discuss books for the rest of the night, but that just wasn't an option.
"Okay I'm going." He relented, proving to her again that he cared about her and her feelings.
"Thank you."
It felt lame to say, but most things did when she was talking to Jess. She never knew what to say or how to handle things. She just knew that he always would do what she needed him to do.
Slowly he stood up, holding his coat in his hand and turning toward the entryway of the house. He grabbed at his leg, an incredibly fake look of pain splashed over his face.
"Ow, oh."
"What?" she asked actually concerned for a moment.
"I just twisted my ankle, I better go lay down."
She could even pretend not to find it funny. Truth be told if she hid him away in some room Dean might never know Jess was there. But she couldn't do that to Jess. Hide him somewhere and make him wait through God knows what Dead had in mind till God knows when. It wouldn't be fair to keep Jess waiting around. She knew he had to go.
Pushing him so he was walking backwards from the kitchen and through the entryway she just smiled slightly and he smirked at he with a playful look in his eye.
"Jess." She groaned, knowing it was slightly painful for them both for him to leave.
"God you're no fun when you're tense. You sure you want me to go cause maybe this whole thing could be solved between me and Dean if we just sat down and had a heart to heart. He'll tell me his issues, I'll tell him mine."
She pushed him against the door and he did his best to hide the doorknob from her. She knew he didn't want to go just as much as she wanted him to stay but it wasn't a possibility.
"Jess ." she said in a breathy voice, her hands still pressed against his chest.
If it had been any other time it might have been a moment between them, but she reached around his back attempting to open the door. Not letting the possibility of a moment overtake her desire to get Jess out before Dean arrived.
"I promise ill speak slowly." He offered, ignoring her half hearted glare at his dig.
"Bye." She joked as she finally pried the door open.
She pushed her hands against his chest again, leading him out of the doorway and onto the porch with a smile on her face. She loved how easy it was to joke with him.
"Okay well give him my best would ya?" he joked until he turned around and saw Dean glaring up at him. "Actually I guess I could do that myself."
It was the worst situation she could think of. Her hands were still pressed against Jess' chest and Dean was staring at the two of them like he might kill someone at any moment. The small bag he had in his hand had almost slipped from his grip as Dean's eyes glazed over, in what Rory could only assume was rage.
Yeah things couldn't get any worse...
A.N. So what will happen now? Only Jess and Rory in the house and now Dean is here to witness it. Things have just gotten a lot more complicated.
