Chapter 2: "A diploma maybe not worth hanging up on your fridge…"

LATER THE SAME WEEK

Jess is called in to talk with Principal Merton while standing in line to buy prom tickets.

"Jess Mariano, sit, sit" Principle Merton says smugly.

Jess grunts. "To what do I owe this pleasure? Last time I checked you don't need to be a member of the football team to buy prom tickets?"

"Ah the prom, no Jess the reason I asked them to send you to my office has nothing to do with the prom." Merton looks at Jess with a mix of frustration and annoyance.

"Although I'm surprised a student of your caliber and so called school spirit wants to attend a Stars Hollow high social event? After a beat Merton points a finger at Jess. "I must warn you though; this year we have arranged a strong security routine so any shenanigans you plan on performing will not be fruitful."

"Gee, can't a guy just put on his dancing shoes without being pinned as a security warning these days?" There's another beat. Jess looks down on his shoes.

"Uh, my girlfriend wants to go… so I'm going."

"Aha…"

"Well let's not prolong this shall we… You see Jess you are a very lucky guy who actually can attend the prom." Jess sensed there was something wrong, so here, now, he would finally get what's coming…

"As we both know your attendance in classes and tests have been minima this semester. Not to mention the lack of participation and those very few assignments you actually did turn in. I and your teachers have been worried that you might not be able to graduate because of all this. And have several times tried to warn you about this, meeting no response from you side might I add." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "Basically what I am trying to tell you Jess, is…that despite all of this you are… you are graduating." Merton says with slight disappointment showing.

A little pause goes by without either of them talking.

Jess weirdly calm, looks up at the tall figure now standing over his head. "Well gosh, if I knew it took this little effort I would have skipped the last couple of English classes discussing how Bridget Jones diary and the whole chic-lit phenomena has changed women's perspective on literature. Personally I wouldn't even discuss this in a so called literature class, but what do you expect when your English teacher gets her literary input from reading Cosmo right?" Jess rambled.

Merton shakes his head. "And he's humble to! Look Jess, like I said we are all surprised, but you somehow managed to meet the minimal requirements. You won't have grades or a diploma worth hanging up on your fridge, but you aregraduating."

"Chill, I get it, you're surprised. You don't have to repeat the words graduate and surprise to make a point. I'm lucky I get it."

Merton slowly getting more and more agitated sits down. "Now Jess that's it, you are damn lucky! So don't test me here." He pinches his nose. "Look, now that you're done with high school I advise you to take your education seriously. Now if academics are not something you want to pursue, at least think about your future and plan ahead. It doesn't't take too much effort, and resenting authorities will not get you far… You might have lucked out this time, but the world out there won't always give you a break. And there will no longer be any teachers or parents to guide or push you." Merton breathes in.

"I know this is not news or advice that you haven't heard before, not from me, your teachers or your uncle. Just.. Just think about it ok?" Not knowing what to expect from the careless hoodlum sitting in front of him staring back with a blank face, Merton shrugs seeing no other reason for a longer heart to heart. He stands up.

Jess looks down. There are no witty remarks flooding the surface of his head, and there is no rude parting line being launched any time soon, even as Jess stares at a framed photograph of a pink bow-tied poodle on the desk in front of him. All he can do is stare.

"Now we're done here. Good luck and enjoy the prom."

Jess slowly stands up and leaves. He goes back to stand in line for the prom tickets, more numb this time, thinking how he ought to be feeling a sense of relief rather than the bursting feeling of guilt.

After a few minutes of standing in line he quickly sees Dean walking up behind him to stand in the same line.

Jess already a bit irritated turns around. "Heya Dino, so first you're the quarterback of the football team and now you're going to prom… boy if your date is a cheerleader, then I'll be damned if we actually weren't on the set of American pie or something, I'm sure it must be so hard to live life as such a cliché, right?"

"Shut up Jess". Dean stands tall trying to come up with a suitable comeback but ends up just standing there, scowling.

"Hey men, save the Frankenstein glares for the ball huh, just remember to smile a little so you won't scare your date… I mean wearing a tux won't make u look any less scary with that scowl thing u got going on…" Jess demonstrates by doing an imitation, which ironically earns him an even angrier scowl.

Dean ignores Jess remarks. And after some evil glaring from both parts, his best thought quip comes to mind…

"So I heard Rory's going to Yale?" Dean looks smugly.

Jess nods, nothing gets passed this guy huh.

"Good for her, shell get away from Stars Hollow, while you, well I bet you can still wait tables at Luke's right? Hey man, you know what they say, college isn't for everyone." Dean smiles proudly.

Jess sighs and mumbles. "Woah, I guess the teachers got to you too…"

Jess speaks up louder this time and after another beat he looks up. "Wait, are you actually worried about me Dino? "I recommend you don't waste those few brain cells of yours thinking about my future, I'm sure it's enough for you to keep track of Taylors color coded stacking routines."

Dean brushes the remark off and continues. "Shell lose interest in you man, hanging with college kids, shell move on…"

"Hey, mind your own business and go play Jerry Springer somewhere else, all right…"

Lindsay walks over to Dean and greets him with a kiss,. Jess turns around annoyed.

So in the past 15 minutes, two of the most annoying, incompetent people of Stars Hallow have made him think about life after high school. Honestly it feels surreal to actually graduate in the first place. Principal Merton was right. After cutting class and doing the bare minimum of homework it's a miracle they actually let him graduate at all. Maybe Merton just made sure he wouldn't come back next year, it wouldn't shock him. Jess personally couldn't stand the guy, and he bet it went both ways.

Now, Dean's remarks surprisingly affected him more than he wanted to admit. Jess was never the one to plan things ahead. He took each day as it came, and literally just rolled with the punches. Right now it suddenly became crystal clear that Rory and he didn't have long before their relationship status would change from local to long distance. How would that work for them? What would Jess do? Should he just work full time? Attend a community college? And what about the big elephant in the room? He couldn't ignore the fact that he had a burning desire to get out of this shithole of a town. And with her gone next year, the little tolerance he had grown accustomed to would disappear completely.

Student at the ticket counter: "How many tickets do you want?"

Jess shakes his head, getting back to reality for a second.

"Yeah, uh, I'll take two."

APARTMENT ABOVE LUKE'S DINER, SAME DAY

"Caesar, where are the tomatoes!?" Luke yells from the counter standing with his back against the door.

The main door closes with a loud thud and the bell shrieks a little as the dark typhoon of a boy comes crashing in with an annoyed look and hanging shoulders. Before Luke gets time to greet the familiar figure, Jess descends up the stairs and into their shared "bachelor" pad.

"Caesar, forget about the tomatoes and cover for me, I'll be right back".

Noticing the boy's worried face Luke follows Jess, that's what a good parent would do right? You sense when your kids' worried and ask them about it. That has to be written down in a parental guidebook somewhere…Luke thinks while he rushes up the creaking stairs.

Jess flings his keys and the recently bought prom tickets on the dresser and hurries into the shower, not precisely eager to discuss his future or anything else yet again with Luke. He needs to cool down and collect his thoughts, something a heart to heart with his uncle won't give him the chance to do. Before Luke gets his chance at even greeting him, he's in the shower.

"Hey, what's the hurry?" Luke half way yells at the bathroom door being shut in his face.

Jess answers from behind the bathroom door. "I'm meeting Rory in 20 minutes, can't talk." Hoping that would do the trick, he gets undressed, steps in the shower and lets the warm water slide down his tense body. Jeez, this was going to be a long day.

Standing alone in the apartment, Luke shakes his head. "Ok, there's some leftover Chinese in the fridge, eat before you leave, and tell me when your leaving and where you are going, okay?"

"Mmh." Jess mumbles from the shower.

Luke frustrated as always turns to leave, but stops right before stepping out after catching a glimpse of some papers on Jess's dresser. Never seeing anything but his fancy hair products on said place, his interest is piqued and he walks over to check the suspicious papers at hand.

"The 2003 Stars Hollow High prom" Reads the heading on the first paper, flashing in sparkly big letters. While the second paper is a letter addressed to family and friends, informing them about the coming graduation ceremony being held in the gymnasium sometime later that following week.

"Oh". It dawns on Luke. Prom. Jess. Graduation.

"Jess is graduating and going to prom, wow". He mumbles to himself.

Luke sits down as the thought reassures him and makes him actually feel happy for his grumpy roommate/nephew. This was a big achievement, and he honestly feels like the day wouldn't even come. After receiving a couple of warning calls from both Principal Merton and some of his other teachers, he was half expecting some other turnout for Jess's high school career, the way it actually had turned out was by far more like a wishful thought come true than the realistic outcome he had both prepared for and feared.

Jess was graduating.

Jess storms out of the bathroom half dressed, as he hurries over to his dresser to find a shirt to wear. He opts for a black sweater, not thinking too much about it. He looks up in the mirror and starts gelling his hair. From behind Luke comes up and starts patting his back.

Jess shivers at the touch and jumps back. "Jeez, what did I do now?"

"Nothing, can't I give you a friendly pat on the back without it being a part of a parental punishment scheme?". Luke smirks.

Jess looks back at his uncle's weird and smiling face. "With you, my answer to that question is, No."

"Hey, come on. Im just"… Theres a beat. "Im just really proud of you Jess."

Jess notices the prom tickets and the grad-ceremony information letter in Luke's hands, and cringes, he decides to keep this pathetic moment of pride and relief short.

"Look I get it, your surprised, you're all surprised that I the scumbag of Stars Hollow, actually managed to once not fail at something. Well, listen I'm just as shocked and I don't need any friendly physical gestures, nor do I need any of your Luke Danes "pep-talks" for the future, ok? Just drop it, and I'll be out of your hair in no time".

Luke, stunned at Jess's abrasive nature concerning such a positive piece of news is taken aback. "What are you talking about Jess, I'm just proud of you that's all. There are no pom poms or even an "I told you so" planned here. I knew you could do this, and now well, you did."

Jess not feeling the same wave of sentiments or feelings of accomplishment. Rushes to put his jacket and shoes on, almost running out the door. He almost makes it, before Luke stops him by holding his shoulder behind.

"Hey, I don't know why your' in this mood, but I told you that you could at least tell me where you were going and when your' coming back. And don't think we won't at least try to celebrate this thing, even if that means I have to drag you fishing or something..." Luke tries to smile but sees Jess's blank face looking down at his shoes.

"I'm going to a party at this kid Kyle's house…Rory and Lane will be there. I'll be home before 11".

"Ok. Have fun". With that he lets go of Jess's shoulder as he watches his retreating form running down the stairs as if he was fleeing some crime scene.

He doesn't get it. For once Jess does something that won't require a big mouthful of yelling, and he is still as hard to crack open as ever. Walking down the stairs he thinks this time he has to make the kid feel some joy at least, as he mentally starts preparing an elaborate fishing trip or even a trip to New York...

TBC...

AN: Remember to please review. I still want to know if my writing is a pile of messy, exaggerated and OOC bleh, or if it is just meh. Help a girl out! :)