Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Gilmore Girls or the Good To Know If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die by Brand New.

Rory Gilmore descended from a long line of strong woman. Her mother. Her grandmother. Even, her great-grandmother. She could do this. They had done incredible things in their lives that had to have been difficult. Just look at her mother- Lorelai had gave birth at sixteen, and raised a daughter- who didn't really do anything bad or wrong. That's right.

Rory was smart. Intelligent. Strong. She could be.

Compared to what those three women had gone through in their lives, telling a boy that you liked them should be no big deal.

Especially when said boy had practically moved back to a town he didn't like (presumably) because of her. Especially when she had already kissed the boy.

Jess did like her. Right?

Right?

She needed to stop thinking.

And step up to the counter (thank God Luke wasn't around).

Jess only gave her a passing glance before his gaze went back to the counter. "And what can I get you?"

She took a deep breath (what the hell should she say?).

"I think we should date."

Okay, maybe she shouldn't ever not think again.

Jess looked too stunned to talk.

Um, okay.

"I mean, I think we should start dating." Rory frowned. None of this was coming out right. She didn't even make sense to herself. "Maybe. I don't know."

Jess leaned in, his eyes looking to either side of him. Wait, what was he doing? "I think…" his voice got even lower than it was to begin with. "You've upgraded from coffee to crack."

And then he walked away.

Yeah, that totally didn't go the way she had thought it would in her head.

Except, what did she exactly think would happen?

Maybe Rory should have paid more attention (heed) to Jesse Lacey.

Take heart, sweetheart, or I will take it from you.

She had never been so embarrassed in her life. Maybe she had been, but at the moment Rory couldn't ever remember being so embarrassed in her life. There was no one to blame but herself. Since yelling at a compact disc went beyond the limits of acceptable eccentricities. Even for her.

Right?

There was only one thing to do now that she had messed (everything) up by herself.

Her mother might be biased against Jess, but she never given her bad advice before.

Again, Rory's memory might be a bit faulty there.

Her mother was on the couch, with the remote control and the television on, when she entered the house.

Lorelai shut off the television when Rory sat down.

Good. It would be easier to talk when not competing with a tv show.

"I told Jess that we should date."

That had come out as randomly and abruptly as it had when she first said it.

Maybe there was just no building up to it.

Lorelai was quicker with a reply than Jess had been. "Why?"

There was a question. "I don't know. I thought we should." Her mother reached over, and pressed the back of her hand again her forehead. Rory slapped it away. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if you have a fever." Was that a joke? Because her mother looked kind of serious.

Rory sighed, her mother wanted a full explanation. It was just…the story was so long. So the words sort of tumbled out of her mouth. She wasn't even sure if the words would come out in the right order.

"I don't know. I just had this dream, and Jess and I dated. And it was good. Then it went bad. But when it went bad, it was because all these stupid, inconceivable things started happening. Like his dad coming back. And him skipping school to work at WalMart. Jess hates WalMart- why would he work there, anyway? And then we went to this concert, and it got out really early. And I got home at, like, eleven. And you couldn't even tell I hadn't been anywhere but to a hockey game. What kind of concert is that? And then I woke up. And then I realized I couldn't date Dean anymore." She paused to take a breath. "Because I didn't like him like that, and it wasn't fair to keep dating him. Right? I thought I didn't like Jess that way but…" She sighed.

"You found out that you did?" Lorelai put a hand on her shoulder.

Her mother may not really be for it. But she'd be supportive. And give her advice. And that's why Rory loved her mother.

One of the reasons, anyway.

"Yes." Rory frowned. "I was trying to wallow. And I thought Deja Entendu would make a good wallowing music…"

Lorelai nodded, "Well they do know how to make pain funny."

"And I was listening to The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot, and it just hit me. I like Jess."

"Okay," Lorelai sighed. She wasn't too happy. But she was hiding it. Sort of. "Next time, go with the original. Listen to Morrissey."

"Mom."

"Sorry," she shook her head. "See- all the bad thoughts? Gone. Continue on. So you found out that you like Jess…"

"So I told him that we should date." Just like that.

"Oh Rory," her mother winced. "Just like that?"

She nodded, "Just like that."

"You never tell a boy just like that." Yeah, she knew that now. "There needs to be games and hints and flirting and…charades."

"Why?"

Straight forward should be the best way to go.

"Because if you tell a boy that you want to date him…after months of stressing the fact that you didn't," Lorelai pointed out. "Well, to the boy it might seem like you weren't being serious."

That was messed up logic. "What kind of joke is that?"

"Well, some girls…less honest, and innocent than you…" She reached over, resting her hand on Rory's hair. "Play mean games with boys. Like that."

"So what should I do?"

"Nothing."

Rory wasn't amused.

So Lorelai sighed, "Well you can't play games now. So be straightforward again. Just, try to explain yourself better this time."

This sounded like something she should ask Paris to help with. Maybe pie charts and statistics and facts would convince Jess that she was serious. Or that she was insane.

Either outcome was possible.

But she needed a plan.

Not Paris, because that was far too drastic.

But Lane.

Lane was good at coming up with plans that actually worked.

To Be Continued…