Here's chapter two! I just need to correct something from the last chapter: Rory and Jess are nearing the end of their Junior year at Chilton. I'm pretty sure that's what I meant when I was writing the note last time...it just came out as the wrong grade. Whoops.

Thanks to all my reviewers! Starletelena, gilmorefanforever (sophie!!), Kassandra27, piper14798, QuEEnSeRb716, missedthetrain, JessRoryYunaTidusforever, JESSandRORYforever, Jeremy Shane, Dusk Reaper, and Curley-Q. Thanks a bunch! I hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, especially Gilmore Girls.

"So, how's what her face?" Rory asked carefully as Jess drove them home from Chilton the next afternoon.

"Who? Shane?" Jess asked.

"Yeah. The girl who's face you've been sucking off on a daily basis,"

"Do I sense jealousy, Gilmore?" Jess snickered as he flipped his turn signal.

"NO!" she answered anxiously. "I mean, don't you want a companion that you can talk to?" she reasoned. The light turned red, so Jess took a moment to turn in Rory's direction. She had that expression on her face, the "I'm concerned about you" look invading her pristine features.

"Rory, I'm not looking for a relationship. I just want a little fun." Jess sighed and turned back to the road. "This isn't about me finding "companionship," is it?"

Rory sighed. "I just think it sucks you can't talk to her about anything important. You're better than that! Why can't you at least go out with a girl that has some substance? Some brains?" she ranted.

"Smart girls are mean," he grumbled under his breath.

"Rory Gilmore said "sucks"!" Jess laughed and eased his foot off the brake pedal. Jess didn't want Rory to know he was really just waiting for the right person to come along. He was in a romantic funk. When had he ever been in a relationship? Well, quite a few times. A real one? Never. "I don't need intelligent communication with a girl. That's what I have you for," he commented smartly.

"Gee, thanks. Way to make me feel loved," Rory grumbled softly, but just loud enough for Jess to hear. She peeked over at him to see what he was doing. Jess was a fidgety driver. He could never just hold the steering wheel and go forward, he needed to do something distracting to others. They were silent for the moment as Jess drummed his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. He smirked wildly at Rory as he drummed his fingertips on the wheel louder. He knew she hated the action, if not for the noise, the silence that caused it, so he continued. It would only be a matter of time before she chewed him out.

Rory glared at the side of Jess's head. He knew perfectly well he was bugging her, but he continued incessantly. She refused to take his bait. That was what he would always try to do, bait her. Nope, Rory Gilmore would not be baited. Jess stopped at another red light and averted his eyes to glance quickly at Rory, who had continued to glare. At his glance, she turned her head rapidly so that it would appear she was never looking in his direction at all.

"Careful, you'll get whiplash," he joked hastily. Rory scowled back at him, but was pleased that he had been the one to break the silence. Clearing her throat loudly was her way of getting his attention. Cautiously, he peered in her direction.

"How was your Franklin meeting?" he asked.

"One word: Paris."

"Point taken." The light turned green and Jess's foot left the brake in favor of the gas.

"Thanks for waiting," she said softly, and took a big sip of coffee.

"How else were you getting home?" he asked, trying to find something else to focus on rather than Rory's eyes.

"Bus."

"I rest my case." She was smiling. Christ, why did he love her smile? Jess shook his head, mentally berating himself for the interest.

"Well, thanks anyway." Jess didn't respond. Rory sighed and decided to change the subject. "So, when's our next movie night?"

"Don't know," Jess answered. It was the return of his monosyllabic self. In turn, Rory groaned.

The "Welcome to Stars Hollow" sign was in view. This car ride home had been unbearably long. Thankfully, Rory had nothing more to do that Friday night.

"You have dinner with the grandparents tonight?"

Except for dinner with the grandparents.

"Oh, um, yeah. I do have Friday Night Dinner."

"Figures. It is Friday night." Jess smirked as he pulled in his space by the diner. "Do you know what time Emily will let you go?"

"Are you indicating you'll be free when I get home?" Rory asked, pleased that they might actually have some time together outside of a car. All they had done when they were alone was homework. A night out would be fun. At least Rory could get her mind off Shane. Ugh, why did she have to like Jess so much? Jess was Rory's, not Shane's.

"Depends when you get home."

Rory sighed. Of course. Whoever got to Jess first would be the one he spent his time with. Stupid Shane. Stupid Jess. "You know, the usual time," she answered vaguely.

Smirking, Jess responded, "Shane said something about coming over around seven, but I doubt that will last too long."

As response to his remark, Rory frown. He was smirking wildly again, but there was a glint in his chocolate eyes. "You're going to have sex with her?" she gasped.

"When is that such a news flash, Ror?" he laughed. Had he really been insinuating that the whole time they had discussed relationships? Every time he had "messed around," had that really been what he meant?

"You've had...you're not..." Rory backed away in anger. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Because you're a girl!" Jess spat, angered that she was upset with him. "You don't tell your female friends how many chicks you fuck!" Rory backed further away. This was a side of Jess she had never seen before. She had seen angry Jess before, but this was a new level. No matter what, he had never taken his anger out on Rory. He had ranted to Rory, but he had never dared to yell at her as he just had. "And you're a prude!" he shouted, knowing that he had already hurt Rory.

The tears shone in her eyes as she lunged to smack him across the face. Her anger ripped through her common sense and she slammed the car door that she had been holding onto for support and dear life. "Fuck...you," she growled, her teeth and jaw clenched, her movement and voice shaky, her face red and ripe with anger.

As she stalked off, Jess mentally scolded himself. How could he? How could he say those things to that girl? Rory was further off in the distance. It was easy enough to run after her, but his feet were planted to the ground. The door of the diner swung open and hit the frame with a loud smack! as it closed.

"JESS!" Luke bellowed from the entrance.

He hung his head in shame, but was unable to move. Stiffly, he turned to the diner. "Yes, dearest Uncle Luke?"

"What the hell just happened?"

Jess had been sitting on the Gilmore's top stair for the past hour. His tattered copy of Huck Finn was abandoned in favor of a pack of Marlboros. He was back to being chain smoking Jess. Carelessly, he flicked his eighth cigarette on the lawn. The familiar Gilmore jeep had yet to pull up, so Jess selected another cigarette and lit it with ease. Tense was the only word that could be used to describe how he felt. Taking another drag off the cigarette, Jess noticed a shadow lurking down the street. A sullen looking Rory was traipsing in his direction with a to-go cup from Luke's. Obviously, she had left Lorelai at the diner in favor of some alone time with pillow. Jess blew smoke from his nose and mouth before discarding the ninth cigarette in a row. Rather than fling it in the yard, he snuffed it out on the stair and saved it.

Rory walked up the stairs, past the pile of cigarette butts, past the discarded copy of Huck Finn, and past Jess. "Rory?"

She looked angrily in his direction. "Go away," she hissed. He had never seen Rory like this before. She had been angry when Tristan had cheated on her, she had been livid, but this surpassed the emotions she let out.

"I'm sorry!" he called as she opened the front door. She shot him a look that made him want to crawl in a hole. "I didn't mean anything I said!" he shouted louder, almost angry that she was disregarding his apology. Apologizing didn't come easy to Jess, Rory should have known that.

She did know that. She just didn't care. Slipping into the house wasn't going to solve anything. Jess was trying, he was trying incredibly hard. Rory thought about the last few months. She thought about how they had drifted, how Jess spent more time with his guy friends and hopeless flings. She thought about how much he had hurt her, and how much sooner she deserved an apology. The hurt flashed in her eyes like lightning. She knew apologizing was hard, but when it hadn't been necessary, there was no explanation, no apology, no strings attached. They had mutual forgiveness. Not this time, Rory thought as she smacked the front door shut in front of his face.

Chain smoking Jess was back in full force as he lit up number ten and flipped the Gilmore house off before returning to the diner.