Previously in The Boy with the Backwards Watch

"I don't know. Don't just stand there, go out into the common area and look like you've been sleeping on the couch or something." She tossed a blanket at me and I rushed out. Clearly Rory was panicking, and I just couldn't figure out why. And then the door flung open.

Chapter Ten: Let Me Out Again

Paris came in like a winter storm. Everything about her was screaming anger. "I hate having to go places. I HATE IT!" she was kind of going crazy when Rory rushed in, and then she noticed me. "Jess..." she turned to Rory, "What, pray tell, is he doing here?" Rory pulled Paris into their shared dorm, and I just kind of stood there, not sure what was happening. There was hushed arguing coming from the other side of the wall. I heard lots of stuff about "breaking" and "denial" in which Paris seemed to be trying to knock sense into Rory. I guess Lorelai and Luke haven't been the only concerned ones.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, Rory came bursting out of the dorm, closing the door precariously behind her and leaning against it for support. "That woman's a madman. Is that contradictory?" I said to Rory. She laughed and brushed hair out of her eyes. "I missed this. This craziness."

"Me too," she muttered, laughing to herself nervously. "I think someone's going to sleep well tonight. After throwing a tantrum, there isn't all that tossing and turning." She walked over to me and took my hand, keeping her round blue eyes on the floor before flickering a glance in my direction. "Why did you come back?"

"I promised. I thought we already went over this," I mumbled, slightly irritated, swinging her arm a little bit.

"Your promises have never really meant much up until now," she said, dropping my hand like it was diseased and walking back to the dorm room door. "I love you, Jess. But how do I have a garuntee that you're reliable. And that you'll be here?" She craned her neck to look back at me. I was just kind of stunned. "I don't, do I? Because you've never been able to give me that promise. You can promise to love me and you can promise to always come back, but I know that when you promise me that you're staying - that you're really, truly here with me - its empty. Completely empty." She just kind of looked at me sadly, and before I could say anything she had opened the door and walked through. "You can stay on the couch if you want," she muttered before descending into darkness.

So I sat on the couch, staring at the TV. Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself beating the crap out of the pillows. I wasn't calming down any, and this entire night was leaving me high strung. I shut my eyes tight, letting the blood collect in my eyelids. I could feel my pulse against my irises. It felt calming. Before I knew it, I was losing consciousness. Drifting into a world of blackness and shallow dreams. The couch wasn't exactly good for sleeping on, but I was so damn tired.

When I woke up, there was a girl who looked about sixteen with her nose about an inch from mine. When she saw my eyes flutter open, she screamed and jumped back. "Who...who...who are you?" she asked me, stuttering and tucked her hair behind her ears. Must've been a nervous habit.

"Who are you?"

"I asked first..." she said, looking wildly around the room. Paris came bursting out of her and Rory's dorm room. "Tanna, how many times do I have to tell you? Can't you save the morning screaming until we're all at class?"

"Sorry Paris," the girl named Tanna said shyly. "There's just a strange guy on the couch." Rory came rushing into the room, pulling a bathrobe around her tightly. "Is everyone okay?"

"In a manner of speaking," I said collecting myself as I stood up. "Morning all."

"Morning, Jess," Paris sniped, still giving the evil eye to Tanna. "Hey Tanna, why don't you go get yourself some breakfast. I mean, its fun, its Sunday. Go... do something. I mean, Althetabot is already on her morning run, isn't she?" Tanna nodded quickly. She reminded me of a mouse as she scurried out of the room and down the hall. Paris then turned on me. "What are you still doing here? Don't you have some precious American wastelands to go visit? Why don't you just go and let things heal? God!" she screeched, storming back into her and Rory's room. Rory looked at me nervously before coming over.

"Things never seem to get dull around here," I said. Rory smiled. I smiled back. "Have I mentioned that I'm sorry? And that I'm staying. I promise."

"Jess..."

"What? I do. I'm staying for good this time, barring a permanent break-up or death. I mean, not even severe illness."

"Didn't you hear a word I said last night?"

"To be honest, I can't hear a word you're saying now. Paris is capable of trashing a few decibles." Rory just looked at me painfully. I couldn't bear it anymore, so I kissed her, and slowly, but surely, she fell into a puddle of what we used to have. "I know... that you don't want me to give you empty promises. And they're not empty. Not this time."

"How about we deal? You don't promise anything and I'll be spontaneous and there. I mean, trust must be reestablished, fire must be rekindled. I just want to skip it, and we'll see what happens along the way, alright?"

"Alright." I kissed her again and she pulled away, smiling at me. She seemed happy with the decision. However, just to toy with her, I rolled my eyes and said, "I promise I won't make any more promises." She hit my arm and then kissed my ear lightly.

"I think that this'll work," she said before sitting down on the couch and pulling me down with her.

THE END of chapter ten

I know that it was a bit of a wait for such a short chapter, but I'll try to crank out a few more before break is up. Also, I plan on updating every single piece over the next week, but I need your help on something. Go read Compliance, Dependance, and Thievery and then read At the End of Reality: An Internal Prelude. Then vote on the following - I have considered turning CDT into a full-length story. However, I also wanted to work much harder on At the End of Relaity. I can only do one or the other. Whatever is more demanded will get a bit more sway, although the final decision is up to me. So tell me what you think.