A/N: Hi! I just wanna say quickly how much your feedback means to me - you
guys rock!! I'm glad you're liking this fic! Also, as I feared, I'm not
gonna get my version of Rory's trip to NY out before the ep airs. Oh well,
all is not loss. I'm still gonna write it like I planned to :D
I hope you guys like this!!!!
***
PART 03 ~
Staring down at the phone in his hand, Jess went back over in his mind what Luke had told him. Rory missed him and he missed her. That was true. Well, the second part was, even if he didn't want to admit it. But he had no idea bout the first part.
Damn it, why did he have to be so stubborn?! Why hadn't he just asked Luke how he knew that, instead of being a jackass! His uncle was right. If he messed up whatever it was him and Rory had, it would all be his fault.
"There isn't even anything there TO ruin," he muttered, tossing the phone onto the bed beside him, forcing his eyes away from it.
Him and Rory were just friends. They talked about books and movies and things like that, but nothing else. She didn't care about him as anything more than a friend. None of their conversations even got personal.
Except for when he let it slip on the bridge the day of the picnic on how he egged Dean on purpose so he could be with her. And when he was caught in his lie about Luke sending over that box of food when Lorelai was gone, when he himself did that just to, again, be near her. And then there was their whole conversation the night of the car wreck…
Groaning in frustration, Jess fell back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, refusing to look over at the phone. He wasn't calling her. Luke was probably delusional and Rory never gave any kind of hint that she missed him. Besides, what would she have done? Said to Luke, "I miss Jess"?
Yeah, like that would ever happen.
Lorelai, Dean, and hell, the whole freakin' town would sew her lips together before they'd let her admit that.
His eyes started to wonder over to the phone before he snapped too and refocused them on the ceiling again.
He wasn't calling her.
Ugh, the paint was chipping. His room's ceiling was just freshly done - it shouldn't be chipping yet and-
"That isn't your room anymore," he bit out angrily, annoyed that he was still referring to Luke's as his home. New York was his home now, again. This little hole was his bedroom and he'd get used to it. Pretty soon Luke would send the rest of his stuff and it'd be better.
Stars Hollow wasn't anything to him anymore. He had an uncle there, and that's all. No friends, no one else he needed to remember. No one he needed, or wanted, to call.
Although, Jess knew Dean would just LOVE it if he called up Rory. He'd get all psycho-jealous and then Rory might actually dump his loser ass and they could-
Cursing, Jess jumped up and started to pace the small room. Glancing down at the phone, he paused. He needed a cigarette. Grabbing up one and lighting it, he inhaled it and sat back down on the bed, his eyes once again going to the phone, like they had no choice but to.
***
Listening to the rain softly pelt down against the window, Rory sighed and pulled her forehead off of the cool glass. It had been 3 days since she talked to Luke about Jess and had that argument with her mother.
Lorelai was graduation from her business school tomorrow night, and they hadn't really even talk about it. The tension was so high between them that they hadn't even stopped into Luke's together, though Rory guessed that had something to do with the fight between her mother and Luke also. She didn't even think they had spoken yet.
Standing up, Rory left her bedroom and wondered into the living room, snuggling into the corner of the couch, the copy of 'Oliver Twist' in her lap. She'd been re-reading it ever since Jess had left it for her. In some weird way, it seemed to make her feel closer to him every time she read another page.
It was almost as if she thought she'd find him on the last page.
Hearing the phone ring, Rory jumped slightly and shut the book, sitting it off to the side. She'd been so involved in her own thoughts that she hadn't even read a paragraph yet that night.
Hearing the ring again, she stood up and walked over, picking up the phone. "Hello? Hey…how are you…"
--
20 minutes later, Rory was still on the phone, her head lying back on the arm of the couch as she talked.
"I know and-"
Hearing the call waiting beep, Rory stopped talking. She really wanted to ignore it and finish her conversation. She didn't want to stop now that they had started talking, she might not be able to do it again any time soon. But then again, if it was someone important on the other line…
"Hold on, I gotta answer that," she said quickly, switching the line. "Hello?"
There was a pause and Rory was about to repeat the greeting when a deep voice said, "is the coast Lorelai free or do I have to call back another time?"
Flying up in her seat, Rory sat dumbfounded for a few seconds, trying to control all the thoughts swarming in her mind. "Jess?" she practically squeaked out. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Jess? Is that you?"
"The one and only."
Smiling broadly, she added, "Oh my god, I can't believe you called."
"Is this a good thing?"
"Yes, yes a good thing," Rory said with conviction.
"Good."
Hearing the tone of his voice, Rory's smiled faltered some and guilt instantly started to consume her. He sounded happy that she wanted to talk to him, and she was happy that he was happy, which she shouldn't be feeling.
"Um, can you hang on one sec," she asked after a moment. "I have--…someone else on the other line."
"Oh…I can let you go," Jess told her, the happiness gone from his voice now.
"No!" she exclaimed, instantly wanting to make his voice be peppy and not sad again. "I'll tell them bye." Not waiting for his reply, Rory switched the line back over. "Hey."
"Hey, who was that?" Dean asked innocently.
"Um…" Suddenly very aware that sometime during her conversation with Jess she had pulled his book back onto her lap, opened to his letter, she stared down at it, her train of thought lost.
"Rory," he prompted.
"Oh, um, I have to go Dean. My, uh, my dad is on the other line," she lied, closing her eyes as she did so. He instantly bought her excuse and hung up, but not before telling her that he loved her. She forced the words back before going back to talking to Jess, guilt and remorse plaguing her.
"Hey."
"Let me guess, he wasn't too happy that you had to hang up, was he?" Jess questioned.
Rory was about to deny that she had even been talking to Dean, but just shrugged and told him, "Dean will be fine."
There was a pause and Jess finally demanded, "you didn't tell him it was me, did you?"
There was a tone in his voice that she couldn't recognize and Rory felt even guiltier for some reason. It wasn't like she owed Jess and explanation or anything, but she found herself giving one anyway. "He'd get mad and…it just seemed easier this way."
"I'm being hid away from the boyfriend now…I can take that either way, ya know."
Glad that he was joking with her now, Rory smiled and added, "I'm sure you'll take the way that boosts you ego."
"Is that a hint on how it really is?"
Ignoring the question, since she didn't really know the answer, Rory changed the subject. "How's New York treating ya?"
Jess sighed before saying, "New York is New York."
"Now, see, I can take that either way, ya know." Not giving him a chance to reply, she commented, "but I'm sure it's better than Stars Hollow."
"In some ways."
"Wow, Jess Mariano, are you suggesting that you actually LIKED Stars Hollow?" Rory teased, pulling legs up underneath her and getting comfortable.
"Not so much the place but the inhabitant," Jess told her simply, his voice not giving anything away.
Finding herself somewhat embarrassed by his remark, she blushed and looked down. She didn't know how to react to his comment.
Not really giving her a chance too, Jess continued, "Though, there is this great park near my place - gives me somewhere to sneak off and read at."
Hopping on that subject, Rory nodded. "That's great. Although, most of your books are back here."
"True, but there's little library not too far away. Got some goodies stashed in there."
Smiling, Rory listened to him tell her about all the books he'd been reading while she recommended a few, prompting Jess to list her a few too. In fact, she was so observed into their conversation that she didn't even realize how late it was, or how long they had been talking, until she heard the front door open.
Seeing that it was after midnight, Rory quickly told Jess goodbye and hung up, glad that she had moved into her bedroom earlier since it gave her time to hang up before her mom heard who she was talking to.
Getting up, she walked into the living room and put the phone back on the hook, noticing that her mother was in the kitchen. Walking past, on the way back to her bedroom, Rory looked in and stopped, seeing her mother looked upset.
"Mom?" she asked softly, walking a few feet closer.
"Oh, hey Rory," Lorelai said, standing up from the table. "Why are you still up? Again."
"Phone," she said without thinking. "What's wrong?"
"Um, noth-nothing," she stammered, looking away. "I think I'm just gonna head up to bed." Walking past her, Lorelai paused and added, "goodnight honey."
"Night," Rory said finally, watching her go up the steps. Her high from her conversation with Jess toned downed some as she wondered why her mom was upset. Something had to have happened, but what? As far as she knew, Lorelai had been in the Inn, helping out, at least that's what her message on the machine had said.
Did something happen to Sookie? Michel? Jackson, maybe? If it had been something serious, her mother more than likely woulda told her, so what gives?
Still pondering this, Rory finally climbed into bed. She'd have to wait and find out in the morning.
***
TBC…
A/N #2: Ok, so…I know I mainly left Jess and Rory's conversation sparse, but don't worry, you'll get more of them soon!! Also, I'm sorry if Jess's character was kinda off, but I'm still trying to get used to all the GG talk :) I'm used to writing BtVS and Roswell fics and, as anyone who watches these other shows knows, the dialect is quite different!! Review, please!! :D
Also, can someone PLEASE send me an email at TrueBlueHealer@aol.com and explain how to make things be in italics and bold!!! Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!!!
I hope you guys like this!!!!
***
PART 03 ~
Staring down at the phone in his hand, Jess went back over in his mind what Luke had told him. Rory missed him and he missed her. That was true. Well, the second part was, even if he didn't want to admit it. But he had no idea bout the first part.
Damn it, why did he have to be so stubborn?! Why hadn't he just asked Luke how he knew that, instead of being a jackass! His uncle was right. If he messed up whatever it was him and Rory had, it would all be his fault.
"There isn't even anything there TO ruin," he muttered, tossing the phone onto the bed beside him, forcing his eyes away from it.
Him and Rory were just friends. They talked about books and movies and things like that, but nothing else. She didn't care about him as anything more than a friend. None of their conversations even got personal.
Except for when he let it slip on the bridge the day of the picnic on how he egged Dean on purpose so he could be with her. And when he was caught in his lie about Luke sending over that box of food when Lorelai was gone, when he himself did that just to, again, be near her. And then there was their whole conversation the night of the car wreck…
Groaning in frustration, Jess fell back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, refusing to look over at the phone. He wasn't calling her. Luke was probably delusional and Rory never gave any kind of hint that she missed him. Besides, what would she have done? Said to Luke, "I miss Jess"?
Yeah, like that would ever happen.
Lorelai, Dean, and hell, the whole freakin' town would sew her lips together before they'd let her admit that.
His eyes started to wonder over to the phone before he snapped too and refocused them on the ceiling again.
He wasn't calling her.
Ugh, the paint was chipping. His room's ceiling was just freshly done - it shouldn't be chipping yet and-
"That isn't your room anymore," he bit out angrily, annoyed that he was still referring to Luke's as his home. New York was his home now, again. This little hole was his bedroom and he'd get used to it. Pretty soon Luke would send the rest of his stuff and it'd be better.
Stars Hollow wasn't anything to him anymore. He had an uncle there, and that's all. No friends, no one else he needed to remember. No one he needed, or wanted, to call.
Although, Jess knew Dean would just LOVE it if he called up Rory. He'd get all psycho-jealous and then Rory might actually dump his loser ass and they could-
Cursing, Jess jumped up and started to pace the small room. Glancing down at the phone, he paused. He needed a cigarette. Grabbing up one and lighting it, he inhaled it and sat back down on the bed, his eyes once again going to the phone, like they had no choice but to.
***
Listening to the rain softly pelt down against the window, Rory sighed and pulled her forehead off of the cool glass. It had been 3 days since she talked to Luke about Jess and had that argument with her mother.
Lorelai was graduation from her business school tomorrow night, and they hadn't really even talk about it. The tension was so high between them that they hadn't even stopped into Luke's together, though Rory guessed that had something to do with the fight between her mother and Luke also. She didn't even think they had spoken yet.
Standing up, Rory left her bedroom and wondered into the living room, snuggling into the corner of the couch, the copy of 'Oliver Twist' in her lap. She'd been re-reading it ever since Jess had left it for her. In some weird way, it seemed to make her feel closer to him every time she read another page.
It was almost as if she thought she'd find him on the last page.
Hearing the phone ring, Rory jumped slightly and shut the book, sitting it off to the side. She'd been so involved in her own thoughts that she hadn't even read a paragraph yet that night.
Hearing the ring again, she stood up and walked over, picking up the phone. "Hello? Hey…how are you…"
--
20 minutes later, Rory was still on the phone, her head lying back on the arm of the couch as she talked.
"I know and-"
Hearing the call waiting beep, Rory stopped talking. She really wanted to ignore it and finish her conversation. She didn't want to stop now that they had started talking, she might not be able to do it again any time soon. But then again, if it was someone important on the other line…
"Hold on, I gotta answer that," she said quickly, switching the line. "Hello?"
There was a pause and Rory was about to repeat the greeting when a deep voice said, "is the coast Lorelai free or do I have to call back another time?"
Flying up in her seat, Rory sat dumbfounded for a few seconds, trying to control all the thoughts swarming in her mind. "Jess?" she practically squeaked out. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Jess? Is that you?"
"The one and only."
Smiling broadly, she added, "Oh my god, I can't believe you called."
"Is this a good thing?"
"Yes, yes a good thing," Rory said with conviction.
"Good."
Hearing the tone of his voice, Rory's smiled faltered some and guilt instantly started to consume her. He sounded happy that she wanted to talk to him, and she was happy that he was happy, which she shouldn't be feeling.
"Um, can you hang on one sec," she asked after a moment. "I have--…someone else on the other line."
"Oh…I can let you go," Jess told her, the happiness gone from his voice now.
"No!" she exclaimed, instantly wanting to make his voice be peppy and not sad again. "I'll tell them bye." Not waiting for his reply, Rory switched the line back over. "Hey."
"Hey, who was that?" Dean asked innocently.
"Um…" Suddenly very aware that sometime during her conversation with Jess she had pulled his book back onto her lap, opened to his letter, she stared down at it, her train of thought lost.
"Rory," he prompted.
"Oh, um, I have to go Dean. My, uh, my dad is on the other line," she lied, closing her eyes as she did so. He instantly bought her excuse and hung up, but not before telling her that he loved her. She forced the words back before going back to talking to Jess, guilt and remorse plaguing her.
"Hey."
"Let me guess, he wasn't too happy that you had to hang up, was he?" Jess questioned.
Rory was about to deny that she had even been talking to Dean, but just shrugged and told him, "Dean will be fine."
There was a pause and Jess finally demanded, "you didn't tell him it was me, did you?"
There was a tone in his voice that she couldn't recognize and Rory felt even guiltier for some reason. It wasn't like she owed Jess and explanation or anything, but she found herself giving one anyway. "He'd get mad and…it just seemed easier this way."
"I'm being hid away from the boyfriend now…I can take that either way, ya know."
Glad that he was joking with her now, Rory smiled and added, "I'm sure you'll take the way that boosts you ego."
"Is that a hint on how it really is?"
Ignoring the question, since she didn't really know the answer, Rory changed the subject. "How's New York treating ya?"
Jess sighed before saying, "New York is New York."
"Now, see, I can take that either way, ya know." Not giving him a chance to reply, she commented, "but I'm sure it's better than Stars Hollow."
"In some ways."
"Wow, Jess Mariano, are you suggesting that you actually LIKED Stars Hollow?" Rory teased, pulling legs up underneath her and getting comfortable.
"Not so much the place but the inhabitant," Jess told her simply, his voice not giving anything away.
Finding herself somewhat embarrassed by his remark, she blushed and looked down. She didn't know how to react to his comment.
Not really giving her a chance too, Jess continued, "Though, there is this great park near my place - gives me somewhere to sneak off and read at."
Hopping on that subject, Rory nodded. "That's great. Although, most of your books are back here."
"True, but there's little library not too far away. Got some goodies stashed in there."
Smiling, Rory listened to him tell her about all the books he'd been reading while she recommended a few, prompting Jess to list her a few too. In fact, she was so observed into their conversation that she didn't even realize how late it was, or how long they had been talking, until she heard the front door open.
Seeing that it was after midnight, Rory quickly told Jess goodbye and hung up, glad that she had moved into her bedroom earlier since it gave her time to hang up before her mom heard who she was talking to.
Getting up, she walked into the living room and put the phone back on the hook, noticing that her mother was in the kitchen. Walking past, on the way back to her bedroom, Rory looked in and stopped, seeing her mother looked upset.
"Mom?" she asked softly, walking a few feet closer.
"Oh, hey Rory," Lorelai said, standing up from the table. "Why are you still up? Again."
"Phone," she said without thinking. "What's wrong?"
"Um, noth-nothing," she stammered, looking away. "I think I'm just gonna head up to bed." Walking past her, Lorelai paused and added, "goodnight honey."
"Night," Rory said finally, watching her go up the steps. Her high from her conversation with Jess toned downed some as she wondered why her mom was upset. Something had to have happened, but what? As far as she knew, Lorelai had been in the Inn, helping out, at least that's what her message on the machine had said.
Did something happen to Sookie? Michel? Jackson, maybe? If it had been something serious, her mother more than likely woulda told her, so what gives?
Still pondering this, Rory finally climbed into bed. She'd have to wait and find out in the morning.
***
TBC…
A/N #2: Ok, so…I know I mainly left Jess and Rory's conversation sparse, but don't worry, you'll get more of them soon!! Also, I'm sorry if Jess's character was kinda off, but I'm still trying to get used to all the GG talk :) I'm used to writing BtVS and Roswell fics and, as anyone who watches these other shows knows, the dialect is quite different!! Review, please!! :D
Also, can someone PLEASE send me an email at TrueBlueHealer@aol.com and explain how to make things be in italics and bold!!! Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!!!