"Hi Jess." Jess looks blankly up at Rory and stumbles to get up but Rory
touches his arm, "Can we sit?"
"Sure." He looks uneasily at her wondering how much of his conversation she had heard.
*They sit in silence for what seems like hours but only amounts to 5 minutes; Finally Rory speaks.
"You have no reason to stay?"
"You know I didn't mean—
"It like that, I know, but this goes way beyond your misconstrued statements."
"What to you mean."
"I mean Jess, I don't buy this whole New York is my home bit."
"Rory come on, I have friends there, I have a life there."
"You have friends here, and you have a life here…from what I hear a pretty successful one."
"Successful, yea…I get paid minimum wage to wait on tables in my uncle's diner."
"That's not what I meant, Jess."
"Then how am I successful?"
"Your mom, told mine that when you were in New York, you ditched school all the time to go smoke with your friends…she you never showed any interest in doing anything else."
"So?"
"Since you've been here Jess, You've upped your grades, shown interest in the future, I've even seen you smile a few times." Rory moves closer to Jess and kicks him gently in the leg.
"I know, I'm a completely different person then I was 7 months ago, but I need to go home and just because I do that doesn't mean I'm going to start being an idiot again."
"Jess…" Jess suddenly turns towards Rory.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For putting up with me, for seeing something in me that no one else, not even myself saw." Rory looks up perplexedly at Jess. For a moment they stare into each other eyes...Jess leans in and Kiss Rory, defeated she kisses him back., Jess stops her, "Rory, I can't do this, I can't stay in Stars Hollow." Rory's eyes fill with reluctant tears. "This isn't my home, I just can't stay." Jess takes a last disappointed look at Rory, kisses her cheek and goes to leave,
Rory's tears of dejection turn to tears of resentment, "You're bailing."
Jess swings around his face puzzled, "Excuse me?"
"You've gotten to comfortable, you're afraid of what will happen if you stay."
"Come of it, Rory."
"No, it makes perfect sense, you don't want to lose your edge, and you feel like you you're going soft. You don't want to--
"Don't tell me what I'm feeling…you have no idea!!!
"Maybe not but you're afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of people really caring about you. Luke, My mom, me." Jess stares through Rory, but there is pain shining in his eyes.
"You don't know what you're talking about Rory, everything in your life is crystal clear, not in mine; I'm different, I don't like going to parades and fairs ever weekend, I don't worry about the beautification of my neighborhood and I don't care about every single person I meet." I'm not small town material, I don't belong here, I belong in New York."
"Fine go, but what ever way you put it Jess, you're bailing." Jess turns to leave.
"I'm not bailing."
Jess clenches his fists in anger and heads to the diner. Rory remains on the bridge tears flowing freely down her face. Her plan had failed and she knew it, as she watches him leave she knows there is nothing she can do. Jess is leaving; he doesn't love her, now all she can do is stand and watch him leave.
*Tuesday Morning—A small group of people have gathered to see Jess off including, Sookie, Jackson, Lane, and Lorelei. Rory is walking the streets of Stars Hollow unable to bring herself to say goodbye. Sookie approaches Jess and hands him a small cooler.
"Sandwiches for your trip. I didn't know what kind of cold cuts you liked so I put a bunch in. Have a safe trip bye." Sookie hugs Jess and concedes.
Lane shakes Jess' hand, pulls him close and says, "You really hurt her you know."
Jess' eyes go blank, he whispers, "I know."
Lorelei grabs Jess shoulder, he turns and she speaks, "I may have been to quick to judge you. You're a good kid, don't go making hell in the big city, got it."
"Yes, sir."
Luke grabs Jess, and ineptly hugs him. "You be good in New York, kid."
"Sure, Uncle Luke."
"You know if you ever need a place to stay, you've got it here."
"Sure, thanks."
"You sure, you want to do this?"
"Positive."
"Alright, well here;*Luke shove a white envelope into Jess' bag.* open it later once you're on your way."
"Ok. Bye Luke."
"Bye Jess."
* The bus comes and Jess leaves. His mother falls asleep almost instantly. An hour into the ride, while rummaging through his backpack for his book, the white envelope fell out. Jess holds it in his hand and then quietly opens it, three pictures fall out along with a note. Jess,
In case you forget what the place looks like. Remember the family you got here…and the girl.
Jess looks at the pictures. The first is of Luke and Lorelei fighting over coffee, the picture Jess knew had been taken by Rory, for a school project in January. The next picture was of Jess reading a book in the gazebo, again for Rory's project…As he picked up the last picture Jess' face turned white. He had never seen the picture before, and he knew it was not for Rory's project as there beside him on the bridge sat Rory. Jess smiles to himself and turns to the window.
"Man, I hope I'm doing the right thing." As the bus trails on Jess is over come by his thoughts. The image of her sitting on the bridge, laughing as does his Deniro impression, the nights spent star gazing, the literary debates all go through his head as he figures out a plan to get home…
to Stars Hollow
A/N Hey guys I know I keep leaving you with a lot of suspense, I'm sorry but I myself love the idea of prolonged stories, it makes for more excitement so expect at least 2 more chapters before they get together.
"Sure." He looks uneasily at her wondering how much of his conversation she had heard.
*They sit in silence for what seems like hours but only amounts to 5 minutes; Finally Rory speaks.
"You have no reason to stay?"
"You know I didn't mean—
"It like that, I know, but this goes way beyond your misconstrued statements."
"What to you mean."
"I mean Jess, I don't buy this whole New York is my home bit."
"Rory come on, I have friends there, I have a life there."
"You have friends here, and you have a life here…from what I hear a pretty successful one."
"Successful, yea…I get paid minimum wage to wait on tables in my uncle's diner."
"That's not what I meant, Jess."
"Then how am I successful?"
"Your mom, told mine that when you were in New York, you ditched school all the time to go smoke with your friends…she you never showed any interest in doing anything else."
"So?"
"Since you've been here Jess, You've upped your grades, shown interest in the future, I've even seen you smile a few times." Rory moves closer to Jess and kicks him gently in the leg.
"I know, I'm a completely different person then I was 7 months ago, but I need to go home and just because I do that doesn't mean I'm going to start being an idiot again."
"Jess…" Jess suddenly turns towards Rory.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For putting up with me, for seeing something in me that no one else, not even myself saw." Rory looks up perplexedly at Jess. For a moment they stare into each other eyes...Jess leans in and Kiss Rory, defeated she kisses him back., Jess stops her, "Rory, I can't do this, I can't stay in Stars Hollow." Rory's eyes fill with reluctant tears. "This isn't my home, I just can't stay." Jess takes a last disappointed look at Rory, kisses her cheek and goes to leave,
Rory's tears of dejection turn to tears of resentment, "You're bailing."
Jess swings around his face puzzled, "Excuse me?"
"You've gotten to comfortable, you're afraid of what will happen if you stay."
"Come of it, Rory."
"No, it makes perfect sense, you don't want to lose your edge, and you feel like you you're going soft. You don't want to--
"Don't tell me what I'm feeling…you have no idea!!!
"Maybe not but you're afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of people really caring about you. Luke, My mom, me." Jess stares through Rory, but there is pain shining in his eyes.
"You don't know what you're talking about Rory, everything in your life is crystal clear, not in mine; I'm different, I don't like going to parades and fairs ever weekend, I don't worry about the beautification of my neighborhood and I don't care about every single person I meet." I'm not small town material, I don't belong here, I belong in New York."
"Fine go, but what ever way you put it Jess, you're bailing." Jess turns to leave.
"I'm not bailing."
Jess clenches his fists in anger and heads to the diner. Rory remains on the bridge tears flowing freely down her face. Her plan had failed and she knew it, as she watches him leave she knows there is nothing she can do. Jess is leaving; he doesn't love her, now all she can do is stand and watch him leave.
*Tuesday Morning—A small group of people have gathered to see Jess off including, Sookie, Jackson, Lane, and Lorelei. Rory is walking the streets of Stars Hollow unable to bring herself to say goodbye. Sookie approaches Jess and hands him a small cooler.
"Sandwiches for your trip. I didn't know what kind of cold cuts you liked so I put a bunch in. Have a safe trip bye." Sookie hugs Jess and concedes.
Lane shakes Jess' hand, pulls him close and says, "You really hurt her you know."
Jess' eyes go blank, he whispers, "I know."
Lorelei grabs Jess shoulder, he turns and she speaks, "I may have been to quick to judge you. You're a good kid, don't go making hell in the big city, got it."
"Yes, sir."
Luke grabs Jess, and ineptly hugs him. "You be good in New York, kid."
"Sure, Uncle Luke."
"You know if you ever need a place to stay, you've got it here."
"Sure, thanks."
"You sure, you want to do this?"
"Positive."
"Alright, well here;*Luke shove a white envelope into Jess' bag.* open it later once you're on your way."
"Ok. Bye Luke."
"Bye Jess."
* The bus comes and Jess leaves. His mother falls asleep almost instantly. An hour into the ride, while rummaging through his backpack for his book, the white envelope fell out. Jess holds it in his hand and then quietly opens it, three pictures fall out along with a note. Jess,
In case you forget what the place looks like. Remember the family you got here…and the girl.
Jess looks at the pictures. The first is of Luke and Lorelei fighting over coffee, the picture Jess knew had been taken by Rory, for a school project in January. The next picture was of Jess reading a book in the gazebo, again for Rory's project…As he picked up the last picture Jess' face turned white. He had never seen the picture before, and he knew it was not for Rory's project as there beside him on the bridge sat Rory. Jess smiles to himself and turns to the window.
"Man, I hope I'm doing the right thing." As the bus trails on Jess is over come by his thoughts. The image of her sitting on the bridge, laughing as does his Deniro impression, the nights spent star gazing, the literary debates all go through his head as he figures out a plan to get home…
to Stars Hollow
A/N Hey guys I know I keep leaving you with a lot of suspense, I'm sorry but I myself love the idea of prolonged stories, it makes for more excitement so expect at least 2 more chapters before they get together.