A/N: So...ahem, I kind of failed at this quick update thing. And since my laptop's power cord went all sorts of wrong and I've just ordered a replacement, not sure when the next chapter will be. Of this or Changes. I'll try to have one as soon as I can though, even if it means using antiquated methods like pen and paper! Hope you like this chapter and thank you for the reviews.
Bananarama!
Later that afternoon, Rory, Madeleine and Paris walked out of the school building, chatting. Catching up to them, Louise grinned, tilting her heads towards the main gate.
"Hot guy waiting outside."
"How hot?" Madeleine looked at her friend, licking her lips.
"10. Leather jacket too."
"Dibs!" The black-haired girl called while Rory and Paris rolled their eyes.
"Nuh-uh. Saw him first, he's mine."
"You always get the ones in the leather jackets." Madeleine pouted as they reached the gate. Finally connecting the dots when she saw Jess waiting for her, leaning against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth, Rory bit her lip, knowing that she was about to start the gossip mill of Chilton.
"So…finally ditched Farmer John for Dean Moriarty?" Paris looked from Jess to Rory.
"What? You know him?" Louise jumped in, getting closer to the girl. "Is he your boyfriend? What happened to the tall one?"
"He's not my boyfriend." Rory blushed, thankful that Jess was still too far to hear the conversation.
"Why not? What's he doing here?"
"And more importantly, can we meet him?" Madeleine smiled at Jess and he rolled his eyes, looking at Rory, making her snicker.
"Sorry, guys, I have to go." She excused herself, hurrying towards him, leaving Madeleine and Louise talking and looking at them while Paris was trying to get their attention again.
"Walk away as quickly as you can." She smiled at Jess as soon as she was near him and he started walking by her side, trying to get as far away from the school as possible. "Sorry about that." Rory took a deep breath when they were a block away. "Madeleine and Louise were debating which one gets to have you."
"Aw, you should have introduced us." He teased, watching her expression change.
"We can go back, I'm sure they're still interested." Rory shot back, feeling her stomach drop.
"Some other time maybe, you said you were in a hurry."
"I think they'll be more than willing to send you their phone numbers."
"Oh, ok, you'll make sure I get them?" He smirked again before seeing her bite her lip, a mixture of annoyance and hurt on her face. "Your school looks even worse than I thought it would."
"They try to scare us into behaving." She smiled wearily, looking at him. "Is it far? We can take a bus."
"Not that far. Why are you in a hurry if the ceremony doesn't start till 6?"
"I have to go by the grandparents' house and change. I was supposed to go straight after school but I told them I had a paper thing. And how do you know what time it starts?"
"Luke's been driving me crazy all day. Better part of yesterday too, actually."
"Seriously?"
"He was ironing his suit jacket this morning." Jess rolled his eyes. "I believe that entitles me to an 'I told you so'."
"Jess, just because he wants to look nice it doesn't mean he…" She shook her head, grimacing.
"What's your problem with them dating though? I mean…they're grownups, it's their business what or who they do."
"Must you put it like that?" She made a face, shaking her head quickly, trying to get the thought out of her head. "And it's just…it would make everything weird."
"Everything what?"
"The diner, mostly."
"That's not everything." He pointed out, looking at her.
"No, but it would be uncomfortable and…I don't know. I just don't think they should date. I would like to not have anything risking messing up the diner for me."
Jess nodded, his smirk fading slightly before pointing to a store door. "We're here."
"Jess, I could have followed directions to this place."
"Told you, I was coming over anyway." He opened the door, waiting for her to get inside before following, nodding courteously at the guy behind the counter before losing themselves in the back shelves. A few minutes later, Rory walked up to him, smiling when she saw him leafing through the stacks of records.
"Thank you."
"What for?"
"Bringing me here."
"Don't mention it." Jess smiled back. "Did you find anything?"
"I have a few options, but I'll look around some more. This place is absolutely amazing."
"Told you, there's an even better one in New York, but somehow I think Lorelai would frown upon me taking you over state lines."
"Too bad, I'd like to see it."
"Ask me again once you're 18, it might make it easier to get you there without risking having the cops sent after me."
"I'll hold you to that." She nodded, flashing him another smile before heading for another stack of records.
Half an hour later, she jumped next to him, holding a t-shirt tightly in her hands, a giant smile on her face.
"Found it! It's perfect!"
"A...Bananarama t-shirt?"
"No, it's..." Taking a deep breath, she looked at him, trying to find the right way to explain it. "Mom used to have this exact model t-shirt when she was my age. But after she moved out of my grandparents' house and into the shed, when we didn't have any money, she used it to make me a dress. It was the first thing she ever made and it's still somewhere in my baby box. So this and the Bananarama record I found earlier? Perfect present!" She grinned, exhaling loudly as she reached the end of her monologue.
"Get it then."
"I will. She'll love it." Rory nodded again before looking down at his hands. "You haven't found anything?"
"Not yet. Worst case, I have to stop by a bookshop to ease the pain." He smirked, looking at her.
"Aw, you poor thing. That sounds dreadful." She teased, still hugging the shirt.
"I don't know how I'll deal."
"You'll find a way. I'll go pay for this and the record and then browse some more."
"I'll be here." Jess nodded, watching her as she headed towards the counter, holding her findings in her hands. After she was done paying, she walked back up to him, still beaming happily.
"Can I help you find anything?"
"I don't think I'm looking for anything in particular, but thanks for the offer." He smirked, shaking his head.
"Go on, there's got to be something I can do to thank you for bringing me here."
"How about we leave it as you owing me?" He cocked an eyebrow and she bit her lip hesitantly. "For this and for making Lorelai ask Luke to her graduation, therefore unleashing the annoyance that is nervous Luke upon me."
"I know a really nice bookshop around here, would that be sufficient reward?" Rory smiled at him, stepping a bit closer.
"The one on Bishop?"
"Damn." She laughed, nodding. "Let me know if I can ever do anything for you."
"Dangerous." Jess tried to not start laughing, making her blushing furiously.
"I mean...to repay...uh...for..."
"Uh-huh." He nodded, finally chuckling softly. "Shouldn't you head to your grandparents' house?"
Looking at her watch, Rory nodded. "Probably."
"Go on, I'll walk you there."
"You don't have to."
"Might as well, I don't think I'll find anything today." He zipped his jacket again, looking at the door. "Ready?"
"Sure."
A few seconds later, they were outside, with Rory leading them towards her grandparents' house.
"So...you said something earlier about a shed?" Jess remembered.
"What?"
"When you were rambling about the t-shirt."
"Oh, yeah. The potting shed behind the Independence. We lived there until I was about 11."
"I'm sorry." He shrugged, looking at her.
"Don't be. It was tiny, but mom was there and we had everything we needed." She smiled back at him, biting her lip. "It wasn't as bad as it sounds."
"Why did Lorelai leave? I've heard her complain about her parents, but she has a…penchant for the dramatic, shall we say, so I'm curious how much of it is true." Jess smirked.
"Her and grandma don't get along. Honestly, I think they're both just too stubborn. It's complicated." Pausing for a second, she took a deep breath. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"I know Luke's parents are dead, but what about your other set of grandparents?"
"Don't know them." He admitted, picking up a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. "I don't even know if they know I exist."
"You're not curious to meet them?"
"Nope."
"What about your dad? I've never heard you mention him." She decided to push her luck and he took a drag out of his cigarette, kicking a pebble out of his way with his left foot.
"Don't know him either. He took off as soon as I was born."
"Do you know anything about him?"
"Liz used to tell me stuff about him when I was a kid. Mostly bad, don't get a too rosy picture in your head here." Deciding to change the subject, Jess looked around at the houses they were walking past. "Fancy neighbourhood."
"Yeah, it is. So, your…"
"I have your copy of Clockwork Orange, by the way. You left it in the diner." He didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence, trying to make her realize she should drop the subject. Nodding, she smiled.
"I had fun today."
"They allow fun at your fancy school?"
"I was thinking of after school." She admitted, biting her lip as she stopped in front of her grandparents' driveway.
"Yeah, it wasn't all that bad. Nice place." He rolled his eyes, looking at the house in front of him.
"You'd like grandpa's book collection. He has a lot of first editions. A couple of Hemingways as well."
"Good taste." He smirked and she stepped closer to him, not thinking about what she was doing. "Have fun tonight." Jess added.
"I will. Sorry for the Luke thing."
"I'll live." He nodded, stepping towards her as well, keeping an eye on the house to make sure no one was watching them. Leaning closer to her, his smirk turned into a smile as he threw his cigarette to the ground. Instead of moving any closer, he changed his mind, pulling back again. "You should go inside before you're late."
"Uh…" She hesitated, not knowing if she had just imagined that something was about to happen.
"I'll see you at the diner." Jess turned around, heading back down the street.
"Jess!"
"Huh?" He turned around, looking at her.
"Thanks again."
"You're welcome." He nodded, waving once before he started walking back. Rory shook her head, walking to the front door and ringing the doorbell.
