The shadows of the day passed over Rory's face and the tree stump remained still under the rising sun. She let out a small sigh and looked over her shoulder. Jess had his hands folded across his stomach and his dark curls were splayed out against the pale gray wooden planks, the wavy mop on his head steadily growing longer since his uncle evidently forgot that little boys need haircuts.

Rory knelt down onto the floor and gripped her hand around one of the handrails, resting her forehead in the space between the bars. "Maybe fairies get hungry … maybe if I put a bit of the sandwich out by the tree stump," she mused. There was no response from behind her. Rory shifted in place so she was no longer sitting on her knees.

"Jess?" she said. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

There was still no response. Rory twisted around in place. "Jess."

Jess watched a moth flutter back and forth through the rafters above him, bumping against the ceiling as it went. He closed his eyes and then slowly opened them again, the moth now dodging one of the spider webs clinging to the edge the nearest support. "I don't know," he said deliberately, throwing his arms spread out on either side of him.

Rory frowned. She sat up straighter. "Oh, come on. You can't just not know. You've gotta have some idea. Like me," she perked up, "I want to be –"

"I know," Jess groaned, elongating the word as he half turned over onto his stomach, legs still kicked up against the wall. "You wanna be Christiane Amampour." He said the name with a mocking reverence.

"I do," Rory replied, ignoring his tone and lifting her head proudly.

Jess rolled up into a sitting position and began picking at a splinter of wood on the floor.

"You have to have something in mind," Rory insisted, unable to imagine not knowing at all what you wanted to be when you were bigger.

"Why?" Jess asked.

"Cause you do," she said. "You can't have no idea. Cause then you won't know what you'll major in in college." She nodded firmly, sure she was right.

"Well maybe I'll run a diner." Jess set his face into a fake wistful look, the splinter of wood snapping away from the floor in his hand. "Then I don't need a major."

"You wanna take over Luke's?" Rory asked, sounding curious and little bit of wondered excitement sneaking into her voice.

"No," Jess said sharply, cutting her a glare up through his bangs. He dug the edge of the splinter into the soft wood between his legs. "I was joking."

"Oh." She looked briefly back out towards the fairy ring. It was the same, only the shadow cast by it was longer. She turned back, "Then seriously, Jess. What do you want to be?"

The splinter of wood between his fingers snapped at the base where he pushed it into the floor. "Nothing," he said, an edge in his voice. "I'm gonna be nothing, so leave me alone about it already." He fell back over onto his back with a thud, kicking the soles of his sneakers up hard against the siding again, staring blankly up into the rafters and all the bugs dancing aimlessly though them.

Rory dropped her head. A gentle breeze swept through the porch and brushed her hair against her face where it stuck to her lips and the light sheen of sweat on her cheek. She slowly folded her legs in and turned, pressing her face up against the rails again.