Rory sat in the back of the truck, the pulsating music emanating from the
speakers caused her heart to race even more then it already was. Her mom
was staying at the inn that night, some early appointment thing, and Rory
didn't tell her where she was going.
"Okay, let's have some fun!" Grant said, winking at Rory in the rear-view mirror. Rory smiled weakly back. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she exited the car.
Rory, Grant and Jess entered the club, paying the cover fee. She felt self- conscious as she looked around at some of the girls in the room. Dressed to the nines in leather and fishnet, Rory felt completely out of place in her simple black pants and red button-up tank.
"Want something to drink?" Jess asked her as he and Grant grabbed beers. She shook her head.
"Come on, a soda?" Grant teased her.
"I'm not really thirsty," Rory said, nervously twirling her hair.
Grant wandered off, presumably to "find the bathroom", and Rory smiled at Jess apprehensively.
"You wanna sit down?" Jess sighed, pointing towards the couches in the corner of the room. Rory nodded, and they headed over there.
"Okay, Jess, come with me," Grant said, reappearing a few minutes later.
Jess told Rory he'd be back soon, and left with Grant. Rory sat there, crossing and uncrossing her legs, checking her watch, and twiddling her thumbs.
Grant led Jess over to a guy in one of the dark, secluded rooms.
"How much?" Grant asked.
"50." Jess took out his wallet and set a pile of crumpled bills on the table. The dealer handed him a bag, and Jess headed to the bathroom.
"Do you have what I asked for?" Grant said to the guy when Jess was of earshot. He nodded, handing Grant a small pill. Smiling, Grant dropped it into the Coke in his hand and watched it dissolve.
"Hey, beautiful," Grant smiled as he sat down next to her, rubbing his nose.
"Where's Jess?" Rory asked, looking behind her.
"Dancing."
"Oh."
"I brought you a soda," Grant smiled, handing it to her.
She took it hesitantly, and sniffed it.
"Rory, Rory. You don't trust me? That wounds me," Grant said. Rory took a small sip.
"Thanks," She said. Grant smiled.
Jess wandered around the club, slightly disoriented. He knew he was looking for Rory and Grant, but he wasn't sure why.
He stumbled into a dark room, filled with couches and chairs, and on them couples engaged in heavy makeout sessions-and in the case of the two next to him, a little more.
Jess walked towards the back of the room, looking around for a familiar face. He stopped, narrowing his eye.
Grant was on one of the couches, kissing a brunette. His hands ran up her legs, and he unbuttoned her shirt. Her face was exposed as Grant started kissing her chest.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jess yelled, running unsteadily over to them. Rory looked up at him, her eyes unfocused. She was obviously drugged.
"Just having fun," Grant slurred. Jess grabbed him and pulled him off of Rory.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Jess asked.
"She's not resisting, man," Grant said.
"I bet you made sure she wouldn't!" Jess yelled.
Rory's laughing came from the couch. She was lying down on it, her shirt still off.
"What did you give her?" Jess demanded of Grant.
"Just a little LSD, Mariano," Grant said. "Loosen her up a little bit. Maybe loosen that tight—" His words were cut off when Jess hauled back and punched him straight in the nose.
"Aw, shit," Grant swore, blood running through his fingers as he held his hand up to his nose.
Jess went over to Rory, grabbing her shirt and helping her into it. As he started buttoning it up, Rory slurred, "What, you don't want me?"
"Rory—" Jess said, the sight of the totally out of it Rory high making him want to kill Grant, and himself too. Rory grabbed his hands and attempted to plant a kiss on his mouth.
Jess pulled away and finished buttoning up her shirt. "Grant, get the hell up." Jess let Rory lean on him, her hands circling his waist and pulling him towards her. Grant got up, swearing about his nose.
Jess put Rory in the backseat of the truck, and pushed Grant into the passenger side. Grabbing the keys out of Grant's hands, Jess started the car and prayed we wasn't to high to drive.
"Come on, Jess," Rory giggled, leaning over the back of the seat and planting little kisses on Jess's cheek, then licking it. She broke into laughter, and started to climb over the seat.
"GRANT! Get her back," Jess ordered him. Grant silently grabbed Rory and pushed her back into her seat, but not before she pulled him into a wet kiss.
"GRANT!" Jess screamed. Grant moved away.
"You guys aren't any fun." Rory pouted.
They reached Stars Hollow, the diner dark and silent, the town completely deserted. Jess helped Rory out of the car. She'd started to come down a little bit, and was collapsing in his arms. He gingerly picked her up and instructed Grant to unlock the door. He did, and Jess carried the practically unconscious Rory up the stairs.
They entered as quietly as they could, Jess desperate not to wake Luke.
Jess went in to his room and set Rory down on his bed, smoothing her hair away from her face.
"I'm sorry, Rory," he whispered to her. "God, I'm so sorry. I love you and—"
Surprised at what had come out of his mouth, Jess took off her shoes and exited the door.
He stood and stared menacingly at Grant, who was wiping his face off with a wet tissue.
"You crossed a line, bastard," Jess hissed at him.
"This shit never bothered you before!" Grant whispered.
"Yeah, well it does now."
Grant shook his head, "What happened to you? What happened to the Jess Mariano I used to hang with?"
"He grew up."
"You're a wuss!" Grant said.
"Grant, get the fuck out of here."
"What, no consideration for your old friend?"
"This is consideration. I'm kicking you out before Luke wakes up and the entire town knows what you did. Because in a few hours, every single person in this town is going to be after you. You hurt their princess, their shining star. They WILL kill you, and I wouldn't be able to stop them. I don't even think I would want to. In respect to the friendship we once had, I'm giving you some advice. Get out of here. Take it. Leave, and don't ever come back."
"Jess," Grant started, but he was cut off.
"I'm not kidding."
"This place, it's changed you. You're soft. The unflappable Jess Mariano, reduced to THIS. A love struck puppy."
"Get out!" Jess said, his voice rising.
Grant shook his head, and grabbed his duffel bag. As he left, Jess sank down onto the couch, his head in his hands. A tear formed in his eye and started to trickle down his cheek.
A noise made him look up abruptly. Luke was standing in the doorway to his room, in rumpled pajamas.
"Luke—"
"We'll talk in the morning."
"Rory—"
"In the morning."
Jess nods, and turns to enter the bathroom. He looks back and says, "I'm sorry."
Luke nodded. "I know."
They stared at each other for a minute, then Luke quietly went back to his room.
"Okay, let's have some fun!" Grant said, winking at Rory in the rear-view mirror. Rory smiled weakly back. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she exited the car.
Rory, Grant and Jess entered the club, paying the cover fee. She felt self- conscious as she looked around at some of the girls in the room. Dressed to the nines in leather and fishnet, Rory felt completely out of place in her simple black pants and red button-up tank.
"Want something to drink?" Jess asked her as he and Grant grabbed beers. She shook her head.
"Come on, a soda?" Grant teased her.
"I'm not really thirsty," Rory said, nervously twirling her hair.
Grant wandered off, presumably to "find the bathroom", and Rory smiled at Jess apprehensively.
"You wanna sit down?" Jess sighed, pointing towards the couches in the corner of the room. Rory nodded, and they headed over there.
"Okay, Jess, come with me," Grant said, reappearing a few minutes later.
Jess told Rory he'd be back soon, and left with Grant. Rory sat there, crossing and uncrossing her legs, checking her watch, and twiddling her thumbs.
Grant led Jess over to a guy in one of the dark, secluded rooms.
"How much?" Grant asked.
"50." Jess took out his wallet and set a pile of crumpled bills on the table. The dealer handed him a bag, and Jess headed to the bathroom.
"Do you have what I asked for?" Grant said to the guy when Jess was of earshot. He nodded, handing Grant a small pill. Smiling, Grant dropped it into the Coke in his hand and watched it dissolve.
"Hey, beautiful," Grant smiled as he sat down next to her, rubbing his nose.
"Where's Jess?" Rory asked, looking behind her.
"Dancing."
"Oh."
"I brought you a soda," Grant smiled, handing it to her.
She took it hesitantly, and sniffed it.
"Rory, Rory. You don't trust me? That wounds me," Grant said. Rory took a small sip.
"Thanks," She said. Grant smiled.
Jess wandered around the club, slightly disoriented. He knew he was looking for Rory and Grant, but he wasn't sure why.
He stumbled into a dark room, filled with couches and chairs, and on them couples engaged in heavy makeout sessions-and in the case of the two next to him, a little more.
Jess walked towards the back of the room, looking around for a familiar face. He stopped, narrowing his eye.
Grant was on one of the couches, kissing a brunette. His hands ran up her legs, and he unbuttoned her shirt. Her face was exposed as Grant started kissing her chest.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jess yelled, running unsteadily over to them. Rory looked up at him, her eyes unfocused. She was obviously drugged.
"Just having fun," Grant slurred. Jess grabbed him and pulled him off of Rory.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Jess asked.
"She's not resisting, man," Grant said.
"I bet you made sure she wouldn't!" Jess yelled.
Rory's laughing came from the couch. She was lying down on it, her shirt still off.
"What did you give her?" Jess demanded of Grant.
"Just a little LSD, Mariano," Grant said. "Loosen her up a little bit. Maybe loosen that tight—" His words were cut off when Jess hauled back and punched him straight in the nose.
"Aw, shit," Grant swore, blood running through his fingers as he held his hand up to his nose.
Jess went over to Rory, grabbing her shirt and helping her into it. As he started buttoning it up, Rory slurred, "What, you don't want me?"
"Rory—" Jess said, the sight of the totally out of it Rory high making him want to kill Grant, and himself too. Rory grabbed his hands and attempted to plant a kiss on his mouth.
Jess pulled away and finished buttoning up her shirt. "Grant, get the hell up." Jess let Rory lean on him, her hands circling his waist and pulling him towards her. Grant got up, swearing about his nose.
Jess put Rory in the backseat of the truck, and pushed Grant into the passenger side. Grabbing the keys out of Grant's hands, Jess started the car and prayed we wasn't to high to drive.
"Come on, Jess," Rory giggled, leaning over the back of the seat and planting little kisses on Jess's cheek, then licking it. She broke into laughter, and started to climb over the seat.
"GRANT! Get her back," Jess ordered him. Grant silently grabbed Rory and pushed her back into her seat, but not before she pulled him into a wet kiss.
"GRANT!" Jess screamed. Grant moved away.
"You guys aren't any fun." Rory pouted.
They reached Stars Hollow, the diner dark and silent, the town completely deserted. Jess helped Rory out of the car. She'd started to come down a little bit, and was collapsing in his arms. He gingerly picked her up and instructed Grant to unlock the door. He did, and Jess carried the practically unconscious Rory up the stairs.
They entered as quietly as they could, Jess desperate not to wake Luke.
Jess went in to his room and set Rory down on his bed, smoothing her hair away from her face.
"I'm sorry, Rory," he whispered to her. "God, I'm so sorry. I love you and—"
Surprised at what had come out of his mouth, Jess took off her shoes and exited the door.
He stood and stared menacingly at Grant, who was wiping his face off with a wet tissue.
"You crossed a line, bastard," Jess hissed at him.
"This shit never bothered you before!" Grant whispered.
"Yeah, well it does now."
Grant shook his head, "What happened to you? What happened to the Jess Mariano I used to hang with?"
"He grew up."
"You're a wuss!" Grant said.
"Grant, get the fuck out of here."
"What, no consideration for your old friend?"
"This is consideration. I'm kicking you out before Luke wakes up and the entire town knows what you did. Because in a few hours, every single person in this town is going to be after you. You hurt their princess, their shining star. They WILL kill you, and I wouldn't be able to stop them. I don't even think I would want to. In respect to the friendship we once had, I'm giving you some advice. Get out of here. Take it. Leave, and don't ever come back."
"Jess," Grant started, but he was cut off.
"I'm not kidding."
"This place, it's changed you. You're soft. The unflappable Jess Mariano, reduced to THIS. A love struck puppy."
"Get out!" Jess said, his voice rising.
Grant shook his head, and grabbed his duffel bag. As he left, Jess sank down onto the couch, his head in his hands. A tear formed in his eye and started to trickle down his cheek.
A noise made him look up abruptly. Luke was standing in the doorway to his room, in rumpled pajamas.
"Luke—"
"We'll talk in the morning."
"Rory—"
"In the morning."
Jess nods, and turns to enter the bathroom. He looks back and says, "I'm sorry."
Luke nodded. "I know."
They stared at each other for a minute, then Luke quietly went back to his room.