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The test run for Lorelai's inn is almost here. Rory can't stop thinking about it. It feels so wrong not to be there, even if she and Lorelai are on the outs. It feels weird to be fighting with Lorelai in general. Rory takes a deep breath and distracts herself with a job hunt. Rent for Jess's apartment is pretty cheap, but she doesn't feel right having him cover it. Jess is at work right now and Rory double checks she has the key he cut for her before stepping out, testing that the door is definitely locked before heading down the stairs.

It's a sticky day. The air is heavy yet hazy and Rory feels sweat steadily trickle down her back before she's halfway down the sidewalk. There's a chorus of traffic surrounding her, car horns echoing human shouts and screeches of brakes. A lot of the stores along this street look tired and Rory can't imagine they get a lot of business. The windows have half-taped posters hanging on the glass, so gloomy you can't see inside. Rory thinks one is closed until the door opens and a man leans out, his tattered shirt hanging over a scarred chest. He gives Rory a lazy grin.

"Hey...can I help you?"

"No," Rory says and the man asks, "Sure about that?"

"Yes. Thank you." Rory picks up her pace as she hears him laugh but to her relief he's gone back inside when she glances back. At the end of the street is a cafe and Rory quickly goes inside, just in case the man decides to come back out.

"Sit."

"What?" Rory asks, blinking. A woman is staring at her, snapping gum, a hand on her hip and the other holding a notepad, and round her waist is a dingy grey apron with splats of sauce.

"Sit down and order something."

The cafe is hardly full of customers but Rory sits down all the same. The cafe doesn't seem old but like the stores, there is a tired air to it. An incongruous jukebox stands in the corner which Rory wagers no one plays. She orders some water and then quickly adds a request for soda, going by the waitress's frown. Silently, she goes to the back and returns with a cola bottle with a straw in it. She forgot the water but Rory doesn't remark on it. Instead, she meekly sips the soda and then asks, "Do you, um, have any jobs?"

"For you?"

"Yes," Rory says awkwardly, unsure if a dig was being made. The waitress grunts and asks, "Ever done waitress work before?"

"A little," Rory says. "I mean, I helped out at the diner where I lived sometimes."

This was a rare occurrence but Rory doesn't add that. She bites her lip and the waitress grunts again. She gives Rory a look and then says, "You can start on Monday."

"I got the job?"

"You got the job and between you and me, I wouldn't get too excited about it. You can do Monday to Friday, morning to closing. What's your name?"

"Rory."

"Rory. Huh."

"My real name's Lorelai but my mom named me Rory because she was all whacked out from what they gave her after birth and -"

"Whatever," the waitress says, cutting off Rory's burbling. "Be here at eight on Monday and I'll show you the ropes."

"Thank you!" Rory says, digging out some coins for the soda and the waitress rolls her eyes.

"As I said, I wouldn't get too excited. See you Monday."

Rory heads back down the street with a spring in her step. She has got a job! She is a working woman! Okay, so it's being a waitress and Rory is sure it won't be too thrilling, but it has to be better than that cardswiping job in the canteen. At least, it can't be worse. Either way, she went out and found a job and Rory laughs out loud to herself. Her good mood is a little dimmed when she gets back. The apartment is empty and hot and Jess won't be back for a few more hours. Rory gets a book out from one of the boxes and tries to read but it's too hot to concentrate. There's no TV. There's nothing to do. Rory can feel her mood fading further and her thoughts wander back to Lorelai. The test run is tonight. It suddenly seems wrong not to be there and, though Rory has mixed feelings about it, she decides to drive to Stars Hollow. Jess has left his cellphone in the apartment so Rory leaves him a note before quickly taking a shower, brushing her hair, grabbing the keys, and heading back out. The car is still safely where she left it. Rory feels almost a jolt of homesickness as she gets back behind the wheel, despite it being barely any time since she last drove it. Rory's mixed feelings get stronger with each passing mile but she drives determinedly back to her hometown. She feels that she at least has to give it a shot.

It feels strange driving back into Stars Hollow. There are signs up for the summer festival, children running around the square and squealing as they splash water at each other. Rory reads a poster for the Soda Shoppe's Icecream Queen and something tells her Taylor Doose won't be begging her to try for it this year. Rory wonders what Lorelai told them. No doubt they're blaming Jess, as always.

Lorelai isn't home when Rory eventually reaches the house. She considers just going back but hesitates, lingering in her room. There's still all this stuff she'd left behind and things she'd brought back between stints at Yale; clothes Rory had forgotten about or had deliberately taken home because she knew she'd have so much to pack on the next trip. The summer had seemed so straightforward then. Rory runs her hand over the folded shirts, feeling a touch of sadness, which deepens as she looks at the books on the shelf, the whole world of her childhood. She should just go, she thinks. She should try the Dragonfly for Lorelai but Rory's courage is already petering out. She looks around the room one last time, walks back into the hall and then jumps almost five feet in the air as the front door opens and Lorelai comes in.

"Jeez!" Lorelai exclaims, hand on her heart. "You scared me half to death!"

"So did you!" Rory protests, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans. They stare at each other for a moment and then Lorelai asks, "What are you doing here?"

"It's the test run," Rory says. "I thought I should be here."

Now that the words are out they sound stupid. Her mother stares at her and finally says, "Are you still in New York?"

"Of course I am."

Lorelai nods, putting down her keys but doesn't say anything. Rory waits and then asks, "So you don't want me here?"

"That's not what I said."

"You aren't giving me much of a welcome."

"What do you want me to say, Rory?" Lorelai snaps. "You've run off to New York and stopped by with no call for my test run and I'm supposed to throw a party?"

"I never thought I had to call first," Rory says, stung, and Lorelai's expression softens. "I didn't mean - Rory, you know that's not my point."

"So what is your point?"

"You know what my point is," Lorelai says angrily, her expression set again. "My point is you took off to live with your ex-boyfriend and now you've just shown up like nothing's happened."

"So I shouldn't have come?"

"You shouldn't have gone with Jess," Lorelai says. "How's that going, by the way?"

"It's great."

"Oh really?"

"Really. I got a job as a waitress."

"Wow," Lorelai says. She laughs a little but it sounds closer to a sob. "So instead of preparing for your next year at Yale you're going to be a waitress?"

"You sound like Grandma," Rory can't help saying and Lorelai's eyes flash with anger.

"You aren't sixteen with a baby. You're in college. I did what I did because I had to. You've got something going for you and you're throwing it away."

"I still do, I'm not throwing away anything! This is summer!"

"Tell me how that works out," Lorelai retorts. "Summer's not going to last, Rory. What's going to happen in September when you're supposed to be back in school? Mom and Dad blame me for this, you know. They're not talking to me. Dad asked me if his granddaughter was going to drop out of college just like how I dropped out of high school and then he hung up on me before I could tell him you might."

Rory folds her arms and Lorelai goes on, "So my parents aren't talking to me and my daughter bailed on me. My summer's going to be just terrific."

"I'm not a kid," Rory says. "I'm sorry Grandma and Grandpa blamed you and I'm sorry I sprung this on you, but it's my life. It's my decision. I'm happy, Mom."

"You're happy now," Lorelai argues and although Rory doesn't ask her to continue Lorelai adds, "Get back to me on how happy you are after a whole summer of waitress work and crappy wages. Just promise me you're being careful."

"It's not your business," Rory snaps. She doesn't tell her mother she hasn't even had sex yet. It feels private, and Rory doesn't want to hear some joke about it. She looks away but when Lorelai presses, "Just promise me," Rory says angrily, "Fine, I promise."

Lorelai sighs, going silent and Rory says, "I shouldn't have bothered coming, I'm sorry. I just thought I should be here for tonight."

"Rory..."

"Forget it! You're mad at me and I'm mad at you and fine, it's whatever this is. I'm going to go. Good luck for tonight."

Lorelai looks sad but she doesn't try and stop Rory. Instead she watches as her daughter gets back in the car and starts up the street. Rory sees Luke sweeping outside the diner but doesn't slow down, hoping he doesn't notice her. Rory can handle her mother being upset with her but can't stand the idea of Luke being mad. Rory guesses Luke will be at the Dragonfly tonight, where Lorelai will doubtlessly tell him all about their fight. The thought makes her uncomfortable and Rory speeds up the engine.

Jess is home by the time Rory gets back to the apartment. She feels more upset than mad now and it must show because Jess takes her arms and says, "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing..."

"You had a fight with Lorelai?"

Rory nods and Jess asks, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Rory says, wiping her eyes in case a tear has spilled out. "I don't want to talk about Mom. I don't want to talk about any of it."

Jess nods and Rory kisses him. He seems surprised but kisses her back, putting his arms around her. Rory kisses and kisses him and, without planning it, leads him over to the bed. They lie down together and as Jess reaches under her shirt Rory says breathlessly, "I don't want to stop."

Jess does stop. He sits up a little, looking at her, and Rory insists, "I want to keep going."

"Are you sure?" Jess asks and Rory nods. "I'm ready. I want to have sex."

"Okay," Jess says. He sounds happy but cautious, which is kind of how Rory's feeling. She feels happy and uncertain and a little reckless and all she wants to do is keep going. She's tired of being the good girl from Stars Hollow. She's tired of being a virgin. But it's not only that; being with Jess is like waking up and Rory wants to be with him. She wants to let go of being mad at him and seeing Jess now is making Rory feel better in every way. She wants to have sex with him. Rory is done with waiting. She leans over and kisses Jess again and giggles as he kisses her back and they both slip back down on the bed. They kiss harder and harder and the light mood moves to something more serious. Jess lifts off Rory's shirt and she pulls off his, and nods as he touches the back of her bra. Jess unclasps it and Rory helps him take it off. They look at each other nervously and then are kissing again, pressing their chests together, and Rory is caught by thinking how they're more similar, skin to skin. It's strange but oddly normal at the same time. The thought drifts away as Jess kisses her some more. Jess has got thin, Rory thinks, too thin, but then she's distracted by the rest of Jess's body. He is hard against her legs and Rory can't catch her breath. His fingers graze her hips and this time Rory doesn't want to stop. She helps Jess tug down her jeans and then his own and then they are lying together with only their underwear on. Rory is wearing a faded pair of panties and remarks nervously, "Not the sexiest pair, I know."

"Are you kidding?" They giggle and Rory feels better, but when they stop her heart thuds. This is it. Reading her thoughts, Jess tucks some hair behind her ears and says, "We can stop, Rory. If you've changed your mind."

"I haven't," Rory promises. She smiles at Jess reassuringly, who seems more nervous than she does. It's almost as if she has had sex and he hasn't. Rory kisses him and he hesitantly kisses her back, then they are on top of each other, Rory moving her hips against his. Jess stops, slowly pulls down her underwear and touches between Rory's legs. "This okay?" he whispers and Rory nods, reaching and holding his hand there. It feels new but good. They kiss more and more heavily and Rory gasps when Jess moves a finger inside her. "Are you okay?" he asks quickly and Rory says, "It's good, I'm good," and it is. It's new but it feels wonderful. Why was she waiting? Rory feels herself release as she did when she touched herself before, back at home, and lets out a moan. Jess lies back against the bed with her and when Rory touches his erection he closes his eyes and groans. Rory isn't really sure what she's doing but she moves her hand up and down until Jess catches her wrist and says, "Wait, I don't want to -"

"Oh, right," Rory says, blushing, and Jess sits up. He reaches into the drawer by the bed and gets out a condom. Rory wonders when he got them, if they were already there before she was, and tells him, "I bought some too." She feels shy, strangely, thinking of Jess getting them and telling him about hers.

"Oh yeah?" Jess asks, smiling, and Rory giggles, no longer awkward. "Thought you'd get lucky, huh?"

"Something along those lines," Rory says. She watches Jess unwrap a condom and then feels shy again, looking away as he rolls it on. Rory concentrates on staring at a mark on the ceiling, but looks back when Jess touches her arm.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Rory smiles at him and leans up to give him a kiss. Jess kisses her back, shifting so he's between her legs. He kisses her neck and her breasts and stomach until Rory is panting and she says, "Do it, let's just do it."

"Rory..."

"I want to," Rory says sincerely. "Don't you want to?"

Jess answers by kissing her. They kiss and kiss and Jess pants, "Okay," and Rory lifts her hips and closes her eyes as she feels Jess nudge against her. She opens her eyes and asks, "Jess, what's wrong?"

"Nothing...I want it to be good for you."

"It is," Rory promises. She moves her legs a little wider and kisses Jess again. He kisses her too, pushing against her again, and then Rory feels something give. She gasps a little as Jess moves inside her and he asks, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rory says. It's a strange feeling, a whole new element to herself. Rory isn't sure what to do but she wraps her arms around Jess's neck as he thrusts a little. He moves a few more times and then Rory feels a sharp pain. "Wait - stop."

Jess quickly moves back out, breathing heavily, and says, "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"It was starting to hurt, that's all."

"But you're okay?" Jess asks and Rory nods. "And it was okay - the whole thing?"

"The whole thing was wonderful," Rory answers. "I mean, I felt a little awkward, but I'm glad we did it."

"I'm glad we did it too," Jess says and laughs as Rory nudges him with her hip and says, "I'm sure you are."

Jess lifts her hand to kiss it and Rory smiles. She lies back against the pillow, feeling content, and oddly emotional.

"You're upset," Jess says, concerned but Rory shakes her head. "No, I'm happy. I love you," she says, looking at Jess and kissing him.

"I love you too," Jess says giving her a kiss back. When he sits up afterwards he focuses on taking off the condom and Rory slips out of bed to go to the bathroom. There is very little blood. Rory looks at herself in the mirror as she washes her hands. I will never be a virgin again. Her face is flushed and there's a smile on her face, but Rory doesn't feel too different to before. She feels more that she found something rather than lost it. Sex isn't how she imagined.

Rory smiles at Jess as she gets back into bed with him. A slow warmth is spreading through her as well as the soreness. He kisses her cheek and asks, "You good?"

"I'm good," Rory promises. She snuggles against Jess's side and then laughs. "I got a job today."

"You did?"

"Yeah. In a cafe - I totally forgot to tell you." Rory can't believe getting the job and fighting with Lorelai all happened today. For some reason she can't stop laughing and Jess looks a little puzzled. Composing herself, Rory says, "Sorry, it just seems weird that I forgot."

"We got kind of busy," Jess teases and Rory giggles. She nods when Jess asks if she wants coffee and he brings over some sandwiches for them as well. They spend the rest of the day in bed, kissing and talking, until eventually falling asleep. Rory suddenly wakes up with a desperate need for the bathroom. It's cold when she gets up so Rory pulls on her nightshirt before getting back in bed. As she lies back down with Jess a line from a book suddenly enters her mind. You can't go back to holding hands. They've had sex. So what, Rory thinks uncomfortably. She's glad they had sex. She doesn't want to be with anyone else. Rory lies closer to Jess and closes her eyes but it takes a while to fall asleep and for the new day to appear.