Rory left her house, her mom at work and not there to bug her
about where she was going. She quickly walked down to the center of
town, her eyes peeled for Jess. Not seeing him, she sighed, deciding
to just get some coffee hoped he'd show up at the diner. Though he
hadn't been there for awhile. She walked towards Luke's, already
tasting the coffee in her mouth.
"Hey, Luke," she smiled, sitting down at the counter.
"No."
"What? I want a tea. A nice, herbal, tea!" Rory smiled innocently, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.
"You want tea?" Luke asked, waiting to see what trick was up her sleeve this time. He marveled at how much she looked like her mother when a devilish grin spread across her face.
"Yes. Tea," She smiled. "That tastes like mocha."
Luke sighed, and handed her a coffee. She laughed, not noticing as the object of her search slipped down the stairs to her right. He cut behind her, not acknowledging her presence or the presence of his uncle. She did, however, see him leave the diner.
Quickly saying goodbye to Luke and draining her coffee mug, she sprinted out the door. She glanced around, wondering where he had gone.
"Jess!" Rory yelled, catching up to him outside the market. She took in his tired looking face, with dark circles under his eyes, messed up hair, and wrinkled black clothes.
"Hey," he said simply, heading towards Grant's truck, parked across the street, that no doubt had sent Taylor into a headspin.
"Jess, wait," Rory protested, gathering her courage. "Can we talk?"
Jess looked at her, his eyes blank. "I guess so." Rory led him over to a bench by the gazebo and sat him down, thinking of what she wanted to say and how she could say it to make him understand. She NEEDED him to understand, and to agree.
After a minute of silence, he broke it. "What is it, Rory, Grant's waiting, I need to get something, we're going somewhere," Jess said impatiently, fingering the dog collar encircling his neck. The words stung Rory, a sharp pain in her heart. His tone of voice suggested… that he didn't care what she had to say.
"Don't interrupt, okay?" Rory pleaded him. Jess shrugged non- committingly. Rory took a breath. "I think you've changed. Grant…he's not a good friend to you. I know you think he is, but no friend would change you like he has. You've been rude to Luke, who you've finally started to get along with. Do you know how worried he is about you? Please, Jess, just rethink what you're doing to yourself."
Jess stared at her incredulously. "Rory, you don't know Grant."
"I know I don't know him that well—"
"No, you don't know him at all. You haven't taken the time to get to know him. After a few small conversations, you've decided he's a bad influence? After one night we got a hotel room since it was to late to drive back?" he accused her. "He's different then everyone else in this tiny town, yes, but if you just took the time to get to know him, didn't automatically judge him because he doesn't fit your sheltered opinions of what's good and right, you'd like him." Jess said, subconsciously knowing that what Rory was trying telling him was true but he ignored it. He hadn't spoken with Rory in awhile, he realized, and now that he was sitting here with her he realized that he'd missed her. "You can come out with us tonight, see what kind of guy he really is."
Rory paused, the idea running through her mind. The doubt in her gut was huge, overpowering, making her completely skeptical of the idea. But a twinge of agreement was there too. The side of her won out that always gave people a chance. "Okay, I guess so."
Jess smiled, satisfied. "Okay, cool. Meet us at the diner around 8:30."
He walked off, jingling the coins in his pocked. Rory sat there, regretting what she had just done. A night with Grant? Sure, Jess would be there too, but Grant was an asshole. She'd decided that.
But Jess had said she didn't really know his friend. And he was right. She was judging Grant based on a few conversations. And the fact he was hitting on her? Maybe he wanted her to take it as a joke. Jess liked him, that was obvious. And Jess was a pretty good judge of character, right? He wouldn't hang with a total jerk. At least she hoped not.
"Hey, Luke," she smiled, sitting down at the counter.
"No."
"What? I want a tea. A nice, herbal, tea!" Rory smiled innocently, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.
"You want tea?" Luke asked, waiting to see what trick was up her sleeve this time. He marveled at how much she looked like her mother when a devilish grin spread across her face.
"Yes. Tea," She smiled. "That tastes like mocha."
Luke sighed, and handed her a coffee. She laughed, not noticing as the object of her search slipped down the stairs to her right. He cut behind her, not acknowledging her presence or the presence of his uncle. She did, however, see him leave the diner.
Quickly saying goodbye to Luke and draining her coffee mug, she sprinted out the door. She glanced around, wondering where he had gone.
"Jess!" Rory yelled, catching up to him outside the market. She took in his tired looking face, with dark circles under his eyes, messed up hair, and wrinkled black clothes.
"Hey," he said simply, heading towards Grant's truck, parked across the street, that no doubt had sent Taylor into a headspin.
"Jess, wait," Rory protested, gathering her courage. "Can we talk?"
Jess looked at her, his eyes blank. "I guess so." Rory led him over to a bench by the gazebo and sat him down, thinking of what she wanted to say and how she could say it to make him understand. She NEEDED him to understand, and to agree.
After a minute of silence, he broke it. "What is it, Rory, Grant's waiting, I need to get something, we're going somewhere," Jess said impatiently, fingering the dog collar encircling his neck. The words stung Rory, a sharp pain in her heart. His tone of voice suggested… that he didn't care what she had to say.
"Don't interrupt, okay?" Rory pleaded him. Jess shrugged non- committingly. Rory took a breath. "I think you've changed. Grant…he's not a good friend to you. I know you think he is, but no friend would change you like he has. You've been rude to Luke, who you've finally started to get along with. Do you know how worried he is about you? Please, Jess, just rethink what you're doing to yourself."
Jess stared at her incredulously. "Rory, you don't know Grant."
"I know I don't know him that well—"
"No, you don't know him at all. You haven't taken the time to get to know him. After a few small conversations, you've decided he's a bad influence? After one night we got a hotel room since it was to late to drive back?" he accused her. "He's different then everyone else in this tiny town, yes, but if you just took the time to get to know him, didn't automatically judge him because he doesn't fit your sheltered opinions of what's good and right, you'd like him." Jess said, subconsciously knowing that what Rory was trying telling him was true but he ignored it. He hadn't spoken with Rory in awhile, he realized, and now that he was sitting here with her he realized that he'd missed her. "You can come out with us tonight, see what kind of guy he really is."
Rory paused, the idea running through her mind. The doubt in her gut was huge, overpowering, making her completely skeptical of the idea. But a twinge of agreement was there too. The side of her won out that always gave people a chance. "Okay, I guess so."
Jess smiled, satisfied. "Okay, cool. Meet us at the diner around 8:30."
He walked off, jingling the coins in his pocked. Rory sat there, regretting what she had just done. A night with Grant? Sure, Jess would be there too, but Grant was an asshole. She'd decided that.
But Jess had said she didn't really know his friend. And he was right. She was judging Grant based on a few conversations. And the fact he was hitting on her? Maybe he wanted her to take it as a joke. Jess liked him, that was obvious. And Jess was a pretty good judge of character, right? He wouldn't hang with a total jerk. At least she hoped not.