Better in cones

Chapter Seven

'Sookie this song is so depressing, you can't seriously want to walk down the aisle to this?' Lorelai said, as she, Rory, Sookie and Michel sat round a table trying to figure out what song Sookie would play at her wedding.

'I like it, She has a great voice.' Sookie sighed happily. The rest of the group looked between one another and then back to Sookie. Who was now happily swaying to the music, not a care in the world. Michel groaned as Sookie hit replay, assuring them it gets happier the more you listened to it. He stood up saying he was going to stop wasting his time and stomped off leaving the three girls to discuss the music.

'Sookie have you even listened to the lyrics?' Lorelai asked, Sookie smiled happily.

'It's a great song.' Sookie repeated. Lorelai sighed turning to her daughter who was staring into space.

'Rory hun I could use some back up on this one.' Lorelai begged, Rory looked round at her mum and then to Sookie. She listened to the music and the lyrics.

I dream both day and night of you

And what good does it do?

Cause I can't get started with you.

Her thoughts as they so often did turned to Jess, the song reminded her of him. Ever since there fight two weeks ago she felt she couldn't get started with him, they couldn't work out there problems, and she certainly had been dreaming of him at night, and thinking of him most of the day. She wanted to fix things with him, they were good friends before this stupid fight, and now she'd found out that she might be going to Washington over the summer. Dean would be leaving for his grandparents house in Chicago in a week and that would leave the whole summer free, for what though? Hanging out with Jess, going to Washington? She couldn't even decide if she wanted to go to Washington, it would be a good opportunity, but a summer spent sharing a room with Paris, she wasn't sure she could take that.

'Rory, are you ok?' Lorelai asked after a few minutes silence, the song had finished and now both Lorelai and Sookie were staring at Rory who had zoned out, staring off into space. Lorelai shook her daughters arm gently. Breaking her from her daydream, thoughts of Jess pushed aside she concentrated on what her mother was saying.

'Hmm, yeah I'm fine. Just...thinking.' Rory said standing up. 'Sookie that song is depressing, if you like me and Lane can work on some other suggestions.'

'Ok sweetie, but I really do like this song.' Sookie replied watching as Rory left the room. Without offering an explanation of where she was going. She made it to the outside of the inn, and typed in Jess' number into her phone, she'd done this a hundred times since the fight, never quite getting the nerve to press call, this time was different, she wasn't sure if it was the song that had made her change her mind about calling him, or if she was just sick of thinking about him all the time, but she wanted to talk to him. Try and fix things, even if Dean was still in the picture. So before she could talk herself out of it, she pressed call. Her heart beating a million miles an hour as she listened to it ringing. Suddenly she heard his voice, sleepy and annoyed, so she figured he'd been asleep and she'd woken him.

'Jeez! If you called to simply stay silent then you called the wrong guy.' Jess complained.

'Jess?' Rory's voice was quiet, nervous as she spoke his name, not sure of the reaction she'd get from him with this call, the reaction she got was silence. He'd heard her voice and suddenly felt very much awake, he sat upright on his bed and ran a hand through his messy hair, she'd called him so she must want to talk about something. Both remained silent for a couple of minutes, neither knowing what to say.

'So...? I guess you called for a reason.' Jess said after he'd grown tired of the awkward silence, if she wasn't going to speak he'd prompt her into it, after all she must have had a reason for calling him.

'You don't like Dean because he tries to control who I'm friends with, because he made me pick between him and you, but Jess you're doing the same. If I'm friends with you then I'll fight with Dean, and if I'm not friends with you then we don't talk, and I can't deal with either of those, I don't want to hurt anyone and I need you to understand that. I want to be friends with you, I like spending time with you, talking about books and movies, you get me in so many ways and...and I need you to get me now, I need you to understand why it's easier for me to hang out with you when Dean is...when he's not around.' Rory was almost crying now. 'I've got the chance to go to Washington this summer with Paris for this student government thing, I don't want to go. But if this is how it's going to be between us all summer, even when Dean goes away in a week then I'll go.' She was crying now, and Jess felt awful for making her cry, it was the last thing he'd wanted. Taking a deep breath he answered her.

'Don't go to Washington.' Jess said quietly, moving off his bed and out into the hall as Luke arrived in the apartment.

'W-what?' Rory stumbled over her words, she couldn't believe she'd just heard those words from Jess. Thinking she'd made it up in her head, wishful thinking.

'Don't go, stay. We can hang out like before, I won't cause trouble for you and Dean, not intentionally anyway. Just...don't go.' Jess repeated, and elaborated on his previous statement.

'Ok then, I'll stay.' Rory dried her eyes, unable to suppress the smile that had spread it's way across her face. 'So are you coming to Sookie's wedding tomorrow? It should be fun.' Rory smiled. Jess smirked, happy to hear the laughter in her voice again, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but he'd missed talking to her so much.

'Not a chance, besides Luke's going and Caesar is away so I'm holding down the fort here.' Jess said leaning against the wall.

'He's leaving you in charge a lot lately.' Rory smiled proudly.

'I know it's almost like he trusts me, he must be mad. Hasn't heard the rumours that Taylor is so eager to spread.' Jess smirked.

'I know, though Luke doesn't exactly talk to Taylor does he. Not at a reasonable volume anyway. So since we had that fight I never got the chance to ask, how's your mum doing?' Rory asked.

'Uh...Rory I don't really want to talk about it on the phone.' Jess replied, the walls coming up again. Rory nodded understandingly, though he couldn't see it.

'Fair enough, we'll talk later then?' Rory asked a little nervously.

'Yeah we'll talk later.' Jess replied.

'Good, ok so I'd better get going then, I'm meant to be helping my mum and Sookie. So I'll see you, I'm not sure because we're eating here today and tomorrow's the wedding so we're helping out all day and then the wedding and reception.' Rory said annoyed that she was so busy.

'I'll call you tonight.' Jess smirked at her rambling, missing the way she spoke so fast.

'Sounds good.' Rory smiled happily, saying her goodbyes and hanging up, suddenly a whole lot happier than she'd been only fifteen minutes beforehand. She walked back into the inn and smiled at her mum and Sookie.

'You ok sweetie?' Sookie asked as Rory say back down at the table a smile across her face.

'I am now.' Rory smiled back at her, going through a box of cd's and picking out a happier song and pressing play, she began to dance around to the music.

'What's caused this change of attitude?' Lorelai asked smiling at her daughter as Rory spun around happily to the song 'Walking on sunshine'. Rory smiled and hugged her mum, knowing she couldn't lie to her about the reason why she was so happy, but afraid of Lorelai's reaction.

'Me and Jess are friends again. I called him and we're friends and I'm not going to Washington with Paris. We're going to be friends again.' Rory smiled.

'Oh boy, Rory are you sure you want to base your decision on going to Washington on Jess?' Lorelai asked.

'That's only part of the reason.' Rory replied still smiling.

*

'Jess what are you doing?' Luke asked as Jess walked back into the apartment and put his phone down.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' Jess replied sitting down on his bed and getting out a book to read.

'She has a boyfriend Jess, you can't just ask her to stay home from Washington for you.' Luke shook his head, concern over his face after Lorelai had spoken to him about some of her concerns.

'You were listening in?' Jess jumped up from his bed angrily. 'My conversations with Rory are my business. I'm going out.' Jess stormed towards the door.

'Jess where are you going?' Luke shook his head again.

'Out!' Jess shouted storming off down the stairs and going out the door of the diner, straight to the bridge.

*

'So you're really not going to Washington?' Lane asked sat out on the grass after Sookie and Jackson's wedding ceremony, the sun was shining brightly and it was the hottest day of the year so far. Both girls were sat on the grass drinking lemonade and catching up.

'I'm really not, Paris yelled at me when I told her but I feel good about my decision.' Rory replied laying back on the grass, as she did she spotted what looked like Jess, heading down a pathway towards the stream. Rory sat bolt upright a small smile playing on her lips.

'What is it?' Lane asked looking at her best friend strangely.

'Nothing, I'll be back in a minute.' Rory hopped off the grass, smoothing out her bridesmaid dress, and her hair and picking up an extra glass of lemonade, before walking down the track towards where, as she'd thought, Jess was standing in a grass clearing, she smiled at him and walked over handing him the drink.

'I thought you had to work.' Rory said sipping her own drink, he looked over at her.

'You look nice.' Jess said taking in her appearance, as the sun shone round them, she looked beautiful in her dress, perfect standing there with a smile on her face in the sun, drinking lemonade. All she needed was a book and she would look totally perfect.

'Thank you, so? I thought you were working today? I saw Luke, I know he's here.' Rory looked at him, meeting his coffee coloured eyes with her blue ones.

'There was no one there so I made the decision to close. Luke said it would be ok, if it was slow.' Jess explained. 'Thought I'd come check out this shin-dig. It's ok I'm here right?'

'It's ok by me.' Rory smiled catching his meaning, he was wondering if it was ok to come see her, knowing Dean was at the wedding.

'Good, so...' Jess smirked at her as she spotted the book he had with him.

'Can I borrow that?' Rory asked. 'It's just the party will start soon and I'm not a big party girl, it'd be good to read something, but my mum wouldn't let me bring a book.'

'Go on then, but I want it back.' Jess handed her the book, as they heard Dean calling her, Rory immediately looked worried.

'Go on beat it.' Jess smirked, a little annoyed that Dean had ruined the conversation they were having.

'I'm sorry Jess, I just...He knows that we're talking again, I told him that but he isn't happy about it, I don't want to make things worse.' Rory smiled apologetically.

'It's fine, call me tonight.' Jess said. Rory hugged him tightly, it took him a few seconds to realise what was happening, then wrapped his arms around her waist.

'I'm glad we're friends again.' Rory smiled.

A/N- Ok I made it longer for you all. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, please keep it up :) I love reviews.