Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters

Notes: Chapter 3 will be following shortly!

For two and a half hours, Jess had shown Rory his part of the city. He had taken her to a pretty kickass record shop where she ended up getting a GoGos record for her mom, that just so happened to be signed by Belinda. They'd walked through Washington Square park and got hotdogs before catching the subway back to the theatre. And now, he was depositing her back at the theater in time to make it look like she had been there the whole time. How she was going to do her paper, she wasn't sure, but it had been so worth it.

"And this is where I leave you," Jess said with a grin. Rory felt her smile drop.

"I don't want this to be over," she said quietly.

"Ah but you gotta be on that bus or there might be problems."

Rory nodded sadly. "Hey," Jess said, tapping the underside of her chin to make her look up at him. "Give me your hand."

Confused, Rory did as he asked and offered up her hand. Quickly, Jess whipped out a felt tip pen and wrote a series of numbers on her hand. Not just any numbers, but a phone number. Then he offered her the pen and his hand. "Phone number." Shyly, Rory wrote the house number on his arm.

With a grin, Jess kissed her cheek. "Catch ya later, booktease." With some swagger to his step, Jess headed on his way and Rory floated into the theater to wait until people started to leave. A few minutes later, as people streamed out of the theater, Rory, still in a daze, headed towards the designated meeting spot to wait for the bus. The group gathered around, voices raised in excited discussion. Rory looked distractedly for her book to keep anyone from trying to talk to her about the show and realized - Jess had never given it back. Even now, it was riding in his pocket further and further away from her.

Tristan, spotting Rory made a beeline for her. "Hey, Mary. Where'd you sneak off to during the show?" He was about to wait for a response when he noticed the number and name written on her hand. "Well well. What's this?" he grabbed her hand for a better look. "Jess Mariano?"

Rory snatched her hand back. "That's none of your business. And I don't know what you were talking about. I was in the theater, in my seat, the whole time."

"Really? Cause that record peaking out of your bag says otherwise, Mary." He smirked. "Or Should I say, Maggy." With that, he walked away.

Rory gasped and rushed to hide the record in question. But before she could get very far, Paris grabbed her hand. "Well well well. What have we here? Breaking the rules?" Paris' snotty voice sounded very high and mighty.

"It's been there since before we even got on the bus at the school, Paris. My friend Lane gave it to me at the bus stop this morning and I forgot to stash it in my locker okay? The last thing I'd do is give you and Tristan more ammunition." Rory wasn't quite sure where the temper was coming from but she suspected it had something to do with being angry with Paris and Tristan for popping her happy bubble after spending time with Jess. Jess, who even as a fleeting thought in her mind was so intoxicating as to make dealing with Paris bearable somehow.

Paris scoffed. "Because I totally believe that. I'm watching you Gilmore, and you're gonna write this up for the paper."

Doing her best not to flinch or strangle the snotty bitch in front of her, Rory smiled. "Fine. I can do that." In a moment of somewhat self satisfied haughtiness, Paris flounced away back to her lackies and started back to a giggled conversation about some guy who had been sitting near them.

Shortly after that they boarded the bus back to Chilton, Rory settled into her seat and let herself calm down. She discreetly programed Jess' number into her phone and then got comfortable. It wasn't long before her thoughts drifted back to Jess. This wasn't good, she was dating Dean after all….but her and Jess...they clicked. They not only had so much in common, but he made her heart race and he took her breath away. Dean, while a wonderful boyfriend, just didn't make her feel things like Jess did. Sighing, a bit sadly, she realized what she had to do.

The ride was oddly nerve wracking without her book but Rory had thought of Jess to tide her over and distract her from the hell she knew was coming when she broke Dean's heart.

The bus pulled into Chilton, where their families awaited to take them home. Lorelai was resting up against the jeep with two cups of coffee in her hands. Rory filed out of the bus smiling and walked up to Lorelai.

"Hi Mom," Rory said in her typical quiet manner. "Thanks for coming to get me." She took one of the coffee cups from her.

"Well it was either this or the strip club. Figured this was cheaper," Lorelai replied with a grin. "How was the trip?"

"It was good."

"Good? That's it? Not 'magical' or 'entertaining' or even 'educational'? Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?"

Rory laughed and pushed away the hand Lorelai was attempting to press to her forehead. "Are you sick? Fever? Seriously."

"Mom I'm fine," Rory insisted still laughing. "I'm just tired."

Lorelai chuckled. "Well a bus ride sure will wear ya out. I guess that means we're headed home?"

Rory nodded and leaned her head against the window. "Please and thank you." Lorelai and Rory climbed into the jeep and Lorelai started up the car. Rory couldn't wait to take a nap once home. She rested her eyes for the duration of the car ride.

Thanks for reading!