A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews. They are wonderful. I have lately been inspired to write so here's another chapter!! So, I started this chapter with one idea in mind but after the second paragraph, I was inspired to write a completely different chapter and save my original plan for next chapter. I hope you like it. It's cute and fluffy since I had drama in the last chapter and plan to have drama in the next chapter. But enough rambling. Hope you enjoy it and reviews are always welcomed!!
The next couple of months quickly passed by Rory and Jess were glad to finally finish the 8th grade and enjoy their summer vacation before they started high school. Over the remaining months of 8th grade, things resolved between Rory and Jess. They became the best friends everyone, students and adults, wished they could have. They continued their pattern of spending all of their time together: before, during, and after school, as well as weekends. Rory and Lane were still friends and still spent time together. At first, Jess was still a little nervous about losing Rory but she assured him that he could never be replaced. After that, Jess never worried anymore and Lane was always welcome. Things were back to normal, and Rory, as well as Jess, was happy for that.
It was a hot July afternoon and Rory and Lorelai made their usual morning journey to Luke's diner. The diner was unusually deserted, which the Gilmore girls thought was due to the unusual hundred-plus degree weather Stars Hollow was experiencing. Rory and Lorelai sat at their usual table near the window and Jess grabbed a chair and joined them. "Luke! Oh, Luke!" Lorelai called to Luke.
"I'll be there in a second," he called back from behind the counter.
After about ten seconds, Lorelai called back impatiently, "Why are you taking so long? There's practically no one here!"
Luke then grabbed his pencil and pad and headed to their table. "You know Lorelai, the whole world doesn't revolve around you."
"Since when?"
"What can I get you?"
"Cup of coffee, stack of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and two eggs. Rory?"
"I'll have the same."
"Coffee? Yall want coffee? It's a hundred and ten degrees outside and yall want coffee? You have got to be kidding me?"
"I never joke about coffee," Lorelai replied.
"Me either," Rory responded.
"Fine! Two cups of coffee," Luke said giving in to them. Rory and Lorelai laughed as he walked away.
"You two are ruthless," Jess said.
"I know. We try," Lorelai said still giggling over her triumph.
"So, Rory, what are you doing later?" Jess asked.
"Nothing. I'm free all day." Luke brought Rory and Lorelai their coffee and then left still with a scoff on his face.
"You want go swimming?"
Rory choked on her coffee and began coughing loudly. "What? I'm sorry. It sounded like you asked me to go swimming."
"I did."
"Excuse me? I didn't know you swim."
"I normally don't but I can't stand this hundred degree weather and being stuck in the diner and the small closet upstairs that Luke calls an apartment."
"Ok…well…I don't swim….ever."
"Oh, come on Rory. It'll be fun."
"No Jess!"
"Please."
"Not happening!"
Luke brought Rory and Lorelai the rest of their meal. "There. I hope you're happy. In fact, I bet you'll be very happy when you die a slow painful death from eating this food," Luke said before sulking back to the counter.
"I think I successfully reached my goal of upsetting Luke today," Lorelai proudly exclaimed before taking a bite of her pancakes.
Jess was standing outside of the bathroom in Rory's house impatiently waiting for her to come out. "Come on Rory. Let's go."
"I can't believe I'm doing this."
"It's going to be fun Rory," Jess said unconvincingly.
"No it's not! It's exercise. And I don't exercise." Rory said as she put on her bathing suit. It was the only one she could find and it was her mom's at that. Rory was fairly positive that it was at least three years old to make matters worse. She looked in the mirror and yelled rather loudly.
"What Rory? What's wrong?" Jess asked concerned.
"I look horrible."
"No you don't"
"Yes I do. I have love handles."
"That's not possible."
"Oh my god. I look hideous."
"Rory, you're gorgeous. I know you are. Now come on."
"You haven't seen me. You don't know how bad I look," Rory complained.
"Well come out so I can see you." Rory hesitantly opened the door for Jess to see. "See, I told you're gorgeous. It's not possible for you to look horrible in anything. Now can we please go?" Rory smiled at him and grabbed her things.
Once they got to the swimming pool, Jess instantly dove in and swam a quick lap. Rory, on the other hand, put their things down on a lounge chair and began to read A Tale of Two Cities. Jess noticed this after he reemerged from swimming and decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Rory! We came here to swim! Not to read."
"Jess…" Rory pleaded but lost focus when she secretly began to check Jess out. It was the first time she had seen Jess shirtless and was quite surprised when she found him attractive.
"Yes Rory. You are swimming," Jess said grabbing Rory's hands and pulling her up from the lounge chair.
Rory dropped her book in her chair to protest. "No Jess. No I'm not…." Rory began but before she could finish she was fully submerged under water and had a mouth full of water. Once she reached the surface she searched for Jess and found him beside her in the pool. "I can't believe you pushed me in. I still had all of my clothes on."
Jess smirked at her. "You were self conscious about your bathing suit," he said chuckling.
Rory splashed water at him. "Thanks," she said sarcastically. "I'm so going to pay you back," Rory said swimming closer to him. She grabbed his hands and the two stayed that way for a few seconds before Rory dunked him under water. She laughed at her antics and swam away with Jess chasing after her.
After a couple of hours of swimming, Rory and Jess were tired of the water and bright sunshine and decided to get something to eat. After they finished their hamburgers and french fries, the two bought chocolate ice cream cones to eat on their way back to Luke's diner. However, they didn't get far before it started to rain, so they decided to stand under an awning while they ate their ice cream cones.
"Aw, you look cute sunburned," Jess mocked Rory, who had rosy cheeks and a slightly red nose.
"Shut up. It's all your fault!" Rory yelled at Jess who smirked at her in return.
"Aw, admit it. It was fun," Jess said as he took the last bite of his cone.
"Maybe…a little." Rory, who still had an entire ice cream cone, looked down at her clothes, which were still damped from Jess pushing her into the pool with all of her clothes on. "You know, my clothes are still damp from where you pushed me in." Jess smirked at Rory. Rory glared at him and took the top scoop of her ice cream in her hands and threw it at Jess. She laughed at him. "Payback Mr. Mariano," she replied in between sinister laughs.
"Payback huh?" Jess replied. He looked at Rory and began to chase her again. Rory took off running threw the rain. She made halfway to Luke's before Jess caught her in his arms and twirled her around in the rain. They continued to play in the rain for several minutes before heading into Luke's. Rory and Jess entered the diner drenched from the pouring down rain and went upstairs to dry off.
Luke looked at them in disbelief and shock, while Lorelai looked on smiling. She turned to Luke, who had finally calmed down from Lorelai's behavior that morning, and said, "Don't you wish you were fourteen again?"
