Chapter 11

"You did what?"

Rory's eyes were so wide that she looked like a cartoon to Paris. It might have been amusing if she was in that kind of mood. Right now, she wasn't.

"Would you like to yell a little louder?" she hissed. "I'm not sure the people on the plane flying overhead quite heard you."

"I'm sorry," Rory lowered her voice, looking around the cafeteria at the attention she had inadvertently gained. "I just... When you weren't in school, we all assumed you were sick."

"Sick is a little strong. Possibly temporarily insane," said Pars thoughtfully. "I can't explain it, I just had to go. The planning was minimal. I left my car here knowing from experience what a pain in the ass driving in the city can be. Hopped on a bus and then I was kind of committed."

"But Jess didn't know you were going?"

"He called the night before to talk, told me where his usual place to hang out was. I just headed towards Washington Square Park and there he was. He was surprised to see me, especially dressed like this," she explained, rolling her eyes, "but not unhappy."

The smile on her face told Rory that Jess wasn't just not unhappy to see Paris, he was probably thrilled. They were an odd pairing, there was no denying that, but Rory supposed there were a lot of couples that didn't really seem suited on the surface. If you knew both people well enough, you could see how it worked. Paris and Jess both loved books, much like Rory herself, and they could argue for hours on the points they disagreed on. The opposites attract thing was probably in play too. Paris was so intense about school and education, while Jess was kind of laid back about that kind of thing. They complimented each other in ways Rory couldn't explain but it just seemed to work for them. It sucked that they had been torn apart just when things were finally happening.

As Paris went on to explain how her day in New York had turned out, Rory found herself feeling a little jealous. It wasn't that she wished she was Jess' choice still. She was happy with Dean and that was the truth. It was just so romantic and exciting, running away to see the guy you weren't supposed to like. Very Romeo and Juliet, though she wasn't about to tell Paris that. Somehow Rory figured she wouldn't appreciate the comparison, especially when she considered the ending to that particular play.

"And then I had to come back so I would get home at the usual time," Paris finished off her story. "I knew my parents probably wouldn't notice, but I couldn't take that risk right now. I told Jess he could come back, that I might be able to smooth things over so it would be okay but... I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "I'm still having trouble with the fact that I even care about the guy, or any guy. I mean, I'm not this girl, Rory. You know I'm not."

"Paris, you're seventeen and female. We're all this girl sometimes," Rory promised her. "So you never had a guy that you felt like this about before, now you do. It's not a bad thing. You do know you can be committed to your education and a boyfriend, right?"

"I guess."

Paris considered it all carefully. She had managed to balance school, college prep, and faking a relationship with Jess pretty easily. None of her grades had suffered at all, though she did have to fight through these past couple of weeks since the night Jess left town and her parents lost their minds. Surely a real relationship couldn't take up any more of her time and focus. She could handle it, but then there was nothing to handle if Jess stayed away. All Paris knew for sure right now was that thinking about it too much was making her even crazier than she already felt.

"So, the reason I actually sat down at this table was not to discuss Jess," she admitted then. "Though admittedly it is nice to have one friend who will listen and not judge. The rumour mill has been pretty crazy since everybody found out what happened that last night before he left. Suddenly my reputation has me catapulted from Cecile to Kathryn in one easy step. It's a little intense."

Rory smiled at that.

"I'm here if you need me, Paris," she promised. "I know it's a little weird with you guys only pretending to date because of me to start off with-"

"Please, don't remind me." Her friend rolled her eyes. "I still don't know what I thought I was going to achieve."

"You were trying to be helpful," Rory said with understanding. "Maybe it was a little misguided, but you're new to the friendship thing. You'll learn," she told her with a smile.

"Don't bet on it," Paris replied, though she was smiling too, in fact Rory noticed she was smirking, probably a habit she picked up from her would-be boyfriend. "So, the real reason for this conversation. As you know, I'm running for Student Body President, and I have to say, it's not going as well as I hoped. The idiots in this school just don't understand what it is to be a good leader. They would rather vote for their stupid friends, that go to their stupid parties, than someone like me. My minor bad girl indiscretions don't even seem to be scoring me as many points as they should. You know I'm the best candidate for running this place."

"Paris, you do know that Student Body President is not the same as Headmaster or Chairman of the Board."

"Maybe not, but it's as close as I can get right now."

Rory decided not to argue and took a large bite out of her sandwich so she wasn't tempted to say anything else.

"The fact is, I'm pretty sure I can swing the voters over to my side with the right running partner. Someone popular, well-liked, well-respected, but who will also actually have the brains to assist in office."

The look on her face as she spoke soon told Rory what she meant by her remarks.

"No."

"Rory, please?"

"No!" she repeated quickly, swallowing her food too hard. "Paris, I don't want to be Vice President of the Student Body. That's not my dream."

"But I need you. I'd do the same for you!" she argued. "I dated a guy to make you see how great he was. I sacrificed my own happiness in an attempt to help you!"

"Paris, that's not... We already established that was a misguided attempt at help," Rory recapped. "And I'm not... I..."

Her argument started collapsing as she looked at Paris, recalling how they were supposed to be friends now, how Paris was suffering the loss of her boyfriend that she only just got. If nothing else, running for Student Body President might take Paris' mind off Jess and make her feel better. Rory didn't suppose they would actually win, and even if they did, it wouldn't be so bad, she guessed. It'd look good on her college applications at the very least.

"Fine," she said eventually. "I must be crazy, but yes, okay, I'll be your running partner."


Rory looked amazed when Paris offered to drive her home. Paris herself knew she had an ulterior motive in going over to Gilmore's house to brain-storm ideas for their campaign. The other half of her reason for wanting to be in Stars Hollow was Jess' uncle. Just as soon as she and Rory were done with their planning, Paris drove to the diner and went inside, hopping up onto a stool at the end of the counter. There weren't too many people around, which was a good thing. She hoped to get a few moments alone with Luke to talk about what happened the other day in New York. She couldn't say why she wanted to tell him about it exactly, perhaps just because he was one of the few people she could talk to about her boyfriend that wouldn't think she was pathetic.

"Paris, hi," he said when he spotted her. "Er, what can I get you?"

"Just a soda please," she said politely. "Um, unless... Do you have any mac and cheese?"

Luke smiled and nodded his head. "One soda, one mac and cheese, coming right up."

Paris found herself smiling back quite easily. So maybe Luke did look like he should run a truck stop with a cat house upstairs, but she knew better now. He was a real nice guy from all Rory had said about him, and he had always been pleasant enough to her when he thought she was dating Jess. Paris couldn't imagine that Jess ever told his uncle it was a con, and now there was never any need to reveal such a thing. After all, whatever Paris was feeling now, it was very real, perhaps for Jess too, if what he said in New York was anything to go by.

A few moments later, when Luke returned with her food, Paris just blurted out what was on her mind without a moment's pause.

"I went to see him, in New York."

"Jess? You went to see Jess?" Luke checked.

Paris nodded her head. "I missed him, which is new for me because I don't really care much for a whole lot of people in my life. There are plenty I actually wish would go away and leave me alone for a while, but they never do. Jess is different. I can't explain it, even when I try, but I missed him so I went to see him. It seemed like the thing to do."

Luke nodded in understanding.

"It can be that way, when you care about somebody" he told her, smiling approvingly.

It felt strange to Paris, to be approved of like that, by some guy's guardian. She felt like she was in a romance novel and her suitors father had just decided she was good enough to marry. That was not something Paris ought to like, being a modern woman and all, and yet it was kind of nice to be looked at like that. To be considered the right person to be someone's girlfriend. There was a time not so long ago when Paris wondered if she would ever really date. If any man would ever be brave or stupid enough to want to be that close to her. Clearly Jess was one or the other. Maybe both.

"So, when you saw him, he was doing okay?" Luke asked then.

"He seemed fine." Paris nodded, picking at her food. "We talked some and we... Well, you know as well as my parents do what stage our relationship had reached," she said, stuffing a large forkful of mac and cheese into her mouth so she didn't have to say any more for a while.

Luke certainly didn't have a response to give. He really wasn't sure what to make of Paris when he first met her. She was kind of annoying and abrasive, opinionated too, but he had been reasonably polite to her because she was Rory's friend. When Jess admitted he was dating Paris, Luke almost thought he was joking, but actually seeing them together, they made a strange amount of sense. Neither would take crap from the other, and they were smart enough to keep up with each other too. Certainly it was clear they got along, that they really liked each other a lot.

For a while it had seemed as if Jess and Rory were supposed to get together, but now Luke realised that was never going to happen. Rory was too nice in some ways. As much as he loved her, he doubted she would have been enough for Jess. Paris was stronger, able to hold her own and not let her boyfriend get away with anything too stupid. Jess needed that, and Luke would have liked for them to have continued seeing each other. Seemed unlikely now.

"You miss him too," said Paris, a statement not a question as she watched Luke get lost in thought for a few moments.

"I kinda got used to having him around." Luke shrugged.

"I'm sorry he had to go away because of me," Paris said sadly. "If I could change it, I would."

"I know you would, Paris," he said, finding her a smile, "but it wasn't your fault that Jess went away."

"No, it was my stupid father's fault!" she countered crossly. "And of course he won't listen to me on the subject. Oh no, I'm useful enough for helping him out with the figures for a potential divorce or keeping the finances of the house in order, but God help me, I can't possibly have an opinion on my own boyfriend that matters at all."

Luke winced as Paris went into full on rant mode. She was still annoying sometimes, but damn if he didn't feel sorry for her right now. He felt sorry for Jess too, and himself, truth be told. It was a sorry situation, but Luke was starting to wonder if maybe there wasn't something he could do about it, if he put his mind to it.

"Hey, you want some ice-cream when you're done with that?" he offered Paris when she was finished with her rant and most of the way through her mac and cheese.

"I'm really not supposed to," she said awkwardly, before finding a smile, "but who cares, right? I should probably live a little while I can."

"Sounds like a plan," Luke agreed, though he was startled by the fact that she had even spoken those words.

Somehow he just knew she learnt that attitude from Jess.