Disclaimer first chapter. This covers almost every episode Jess is in, but
I had to run it a little into the third chapter.
Chapter Two Stars Hollow
I stepped off my bus to find my uncle, dressed in plaid, waiting anxiously for me. He tried to be nice, in his own special Luke way, but by the time I was 17, I was so very angry. I went to his diner, put my stuff down and left. Stars Hollow was truly frightening to me, but then again I think it would terrify most people. To me, Stars Hollow was Hell. There were decorations everywhere, people smiling and laughing. There were twelve stores that sold only porcelin unicorns. That town even had a troubador. There were town meetings. Even the library was weird. Only twelve books in the shelves. My own library had tons of books, but I wanted some new books. I did find a bookstore, Andrew's, that held some pretty nice books. After touring the town, I went back to the diner. He introduced me to Lorelai Gilmore. She smiled at me and was friendly, once again in her own Lorelai way. I wouldn't accept it, though. No one was ever nice to me. I just nodded and stormed up to the apartment. I regret it now, but I can't go back and change it. See, Lorelai was a very interesting person. She was fast-talking, coffee addicted, young woman. She had a daughter that was just like her. Luke came upstairs and told me that Lorelai had invited us to dinner. She might have done it to let me know that not everyone in Stars Hollow was from the Twilight Zone, but I didn't care. Besides, Lorelai's friends were just as weird as the rest of town.
We arrived at the Gilmore household late, because I didn't get ready to leave on time. I didn't have any idea that when I walked in that house, my life would slowly start to change. I came in and looked around, while Luke had pulled Lorelai aside, probably to apologize. On the mantel, there were tons of pictures. I picked one up and it held the photograph of one of the most beautiful girls. She looked so happy, innocent, and I must admit I was intrigued. Lorelai led me into the kitchen, where I was immediately asked by Sookie the chef if I liked cheese. Jackson, her boyfriend who grew fruit, asked me if I wanted to try a lemon. I was shocked by this. Who asks people questions like that? Lorelai tried to help me escape and took me into her daughter's room. The girl in the picture turned from her laptop and smiled her naive smile. She said hey and told me her name was Rory. As I watched her, I felt something stir inside of me that I had never felt before in my life. I turned and saw her bookshelves filled with books. Some I had read and others I had not. She offered to let me borrow a book, but I declined. I wanted to leave, but she told me to stay and that it would be fun and that I should trust her. I replied tartily that I didn't even know her, how do I know that she's trustworthy. She looked at me innocently, smiling, and asked if she looked trustworthy. Of course she did. But I shrugged and followed her into the kitchen. She went into the living room and I swiped a beer from the fridge. I slipped back into her room and took the book Howl and then I went out onto the porch. Lorelai came out, took the beer and then tried to talk to me. She said she understood and that I was lucky to have Luke. This was true, but I wasn't ready to hear that. So I crudely asked her if she was sleeping with my uncle. She got this shocked look on her face and started babbling about wanting to smash a cream pie in my face. I told her to leave me alone and that she didn't know. She left, hurt, and she hated me. She's hated me ever since. I don't blame her, but she had no idea what my life was like. She had no idea how bad it was to be hated by your own parents, to have teachers that could care less what happened to you. It hurt so bad and I wanted everyone and everything else to hurt, too. Everyone except Rory, that is. I had known her only for a few minutes and I already knew she didn't deserve any pain inflicted on her. All I wanted to do was protect her, and I didn't know why.
Stars Hollow High was even worse than the town itself. Everyone was really into sports and stuff like that. The classes were terribly boring, the English Lit class reading books I had read when I was 8. Their curriculum seemed even worse than Union's did. They said the pledge of allegience every day, but not only that, they said it in 6 different languages! It was so terrible. I guess it fit in with the quirkiness of the town, though. Well, after school, Luke was waiting for me. He told me that Taylor Doose, the market owner and one of my biggest fans, had called and said I stole money from a donation cup. I said I didn't and Luke started in on how that didn't sound convincing. I lashed out at him, telling him to leave me alone. Luke said fine and I said fine and we both stormed down the bridge. The next thing I knew I was soaking wet. Luke had pushed me into the lake. I know Luke feels awful about it, but it was the first time anyone had ever tried to get through to me. He tried to help me. And it did help for me to be pushed into a lake. The lake is probably my favorite spot in town. It holds a lot of great memories, some of which I will share, some of which I won't.
Later that night, Luke came tumbling into the apartment, rambling. He informed me that I would not be smoking anymore, he bought everything from the patch to self help books. He said I would return the bridge money and Peirpon. Peirpon was a garden gnome that Babette and Morey Dell owned. Yes, they do name and talk to their gnomes. Then Luke said something I will never forget. He said, "I will not let you disappear. You will not just drop off the face of the Earth. I will not let you." I was so angry at him. He had taken my cigarette and practically grounded me, telling me that I would go to school, work in the diner, do my homework, and then go to bed. I stood up and left the diner. It was the first time that anyone had ever tried to take responsibility for me, the first time anyone had ever inadvertedly told me that they wanted me around. So it was a double whammy, emotionally. I was mad at him and I was also touched, in a way. In Luke's own manner, he was telling me that he did care.
I was walking down the street when I saw her again. Rory was coming out of Doose's Market. I stopped her and we talked a little. She joked in her own Gilmore way about me leaving the dinner. I tried to impress her with a lame magic trick my dad had taught me, but she wasn't. So I gave her back the book I had stolen/borrowed. She was totally shocked, until I had informed her that I had written in margin notes. A look of pure joy washed over her face, her clear blue eyes twinkling, her pink lips smiling. She opened it quickly and asked curiously if I had read it before. I replied cheekily about forty times. Previously, at the dinner, I had told her that I didn't read much for some reason. Maybe I just wanted to make it seem more mysterious when I did return her book, surprise her. She smiled again and I said I had to go. Then she told me, "Goodbye, Dodger." I asked her what she meant. She replied that I had to figure it out. I automatically replied Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist. Rory looked so pleased that I understood. From the moment on, I wanted to please her. All the time. I wanted her to give me that smile, it was so special. It was like being awarded a gift when she smiled like that. It confused me, though. Sure, I had liked plenty of girls before, but it had never felt like this. Rory understood me. Even from our few encounters, she did. No one had ever understood before. Why would she? She was the innocent, perfect girl who had the perfect life in the perfect town. But she seemed to know. She didn't judge me, either. She just watched me with kind of a fascinated interest. And it didn't bother me at all.
Perhaps I should describe to you Rory Gilmore. She is absolutely beautiful. She has chocolate colored hair, crystal blue eyes, snow white skin, and pink lips. She was always smiling about something or other. Rory looked beautiful in anything she wore, even her prep school plaid uniform. She and her mother have this uncanny relationship. They were practically joined at the hip. In their own way, they owned the town. Everyone in Stars Hollow adored them. Even my uncle. Luke loved Stars Hollow and hated it at the same time. He was bound by his own limitations. He hated all the hooplah they always had around town, but Stars Hollow was his home. He loved Lorelai, at least that was my opinion when I came to town. As I mentioned before, the Gilmore girls were addicted to coffee. They came into the diner at least four times a day for coffee and meals. See, Lorelai and Rory cannot cook. So Luke fed them most of the time. And he didn't charge them most of the time. Lorelai and Rory had their own special priveliges. They would come in after closing when they needed a pick-me up coffee chat. They babbled, joked, and tormented Luke all the time. The Gilmores consumed an endless amount of coffee and their stomachs were infinite pits. But they were so much fun to be around, although at the time I would never, ever admit that in public. Their bubbly personalities were contagious. Everyone wanted the Gilmores to be happy. Everyone loved the Gilmores. Life went on in sleepy Stars Hollow, boring as usual. I cut school, but I did work occasionally at the diner, usually when the Gilmore girls came in. Rory and I shared our secret smiles and slight acknowledgements, but we rarely ever had a chance to talk alone.
Well, I was so bored, I decided to pull a brilliant prank. I drew a chalk outline of a 'dead' body and put yellow police tape outside of Doose's market that put the town in an uproar. Everyone was outraged! In Brooklyn, no one would have even noticed things like that, police tape was like an everyday occurance, but in Stars Hollow it was a huge deal. One day, Rory was outside the market alone. I went up to her and she instantly began to lecture me. She told me Luke had taken a lot of crap for me. I did feel a little guilty. Luke had been good to me, especially compared to the other people in my life. I walked away at Rory's request, but she began her speech again. Rory rarely ever gets angry, so finally she was finished and I had to ask. "You at least thought it was funny, didn't you?" Rory tried to hide her smile. She pouted that it was beside the point, but she couldn't keep from grinning. I felt justified then. Hey, it had made her and me laugh a little. But then he came out. I should have known that the perfect girl had the perfect boyfriend. He was tall, seemed like 10 feet tall. She introduced us in her naivette way, not knowing that she was introducing two enemies. It was a given. Dean was her boyfriend, and I was the one who could possibly challenge that. And as much as I tried to challenge the fact that Dean was Rory's boyfriend, he was still her boyfriend. Dean glared at me and I smirked. I couldn't resist saying we always seemed to run into each other after she told me she would see me later. Rory smiled at me and she and Dean walked away. I was nearly heartbroken. Rory had a boyfriend. But I liked challenges. In fact, I was used to them.
Well, as I've mentioned previously, Stars Hollow was big on their festivals. Lorelai had been planning a huge dinner for these people, but they were snowed in. The Inn had already bought all the food and decorations, so Lorelai decided to throw the dinner for the town. So Luke dragged me to the Bracebridge dinner. Rory was dressed up and I had to admit that Lorelai had really gone all out. People were talking in old English and she had rented horses and carriages. There were several courses of food that most people have never even heard of. Well, the town was ecstatic with the party. Everyone lined up for the carriages, and for some reason Rory ended up alone in one. So I hopped in next to her. We talked about inane topics such as the snow woman she and her mother had built for a contest that was made to look like Bjork. Then she complained about the guy who looked like a professional at making snowmen that had also entered. Then I told her that Luke had made up some crap about Liz calling and saying she wanted me to come home for Christmas. Luke said he had told her he needed me at the diner. I knew that was a lie. Liz didn't care if I was home for Christmas. Liz probably wouldn't even care if I never came home again. She got this look of sympathy in her eye and she apologized. I told her not to feel bad for me. So she smiled and nodded. Like I said before, she understood. Everyone stayed the night at the Independence Inn. The next morning, she was standing next to tall Frankenstein and his little sister. She glanced over at me and our eyes locked. She smiled warmly at me and I didn't feel so bad about being stuck in Stars Hollow. We had almost made an understanding of one another. Her looks warmed my heart, as cheesy as it sounds. Oh, yeah, by the way, Bjork the snow woman won the contest, after the professional snowmand was mysteriously beheaded.
Rory had evidentally started a chain reaction of hiding inappropriate movies. What she had really done was suggest they put a video that had an explicit cover on a higher shelf. Instead, Taylor and the town jack of all trades Kirk put almost every movie behind a bright red curtain deemed the Rory curtain. Everything but Bambi and Dumbo was behind the lovely curtain. Rory was furious. They even put her picture up in the window. I found her staring in disgust at it. I couldn't help but taunt her a little. She glared at me and I smiled. I told her not to worry that it wouldn't be there for long. I knew that would pique Rory's interest. She demanded I come back and would I refuse her? Of course not. She asked me what I had done. I nonchalantly replied that whoever rented Bambi and Dumbo would get a little surprise. I walked away to her calls. See, earlier that day I had switched the two movies with a Playboy special and Striptease. Probably one of my better pranks. Rory had awarded me with a special smile once again. It was the most precious gift I ever recieved. I was head over heels with her and I hardly even knew it.
Stars Hollow had yet another pathetic contest. But this one I could not resist becoming involved in. Girls made baskets full of food and they were put up for sale and anyone was up for dibs on it. So Rory's basket went up for three dollars and Dean so gallantly offered to buy it for five dollars. And then I bid. We bid back and forth until the price reached up to ninety dollars. Dean withdrew and I had won the basket. Dean got this look of horror across his face and let me tell you, it was priceless. He came storming over and Rory followed. He was yelling and screaming and begging her not to go. But she told him it was tradition and she came with me, much to Dean's dispair. I took her to the bridge and we sat down, our feet dangling close to the water. I opened the basket and found an unknown bowl of something in it. I asked her if Dean would actually eat it and she said he would. I wasn't going to let the bag boy best me, so I took a bite. It was so disgusting and she started to crack up. I then knew that she had tricked me. That pretty much broke the ice. We debated books. I found out she hated Hemingway and she found out I hated Ayn Rand. Total opposite of each other. We agreed to let each other borrow books and c.d.'s. It started a pretty constant exchange of our libraries. Finally I offered to take her out for pizza and the bookstore. We still hadn't eaten anything. She stood up and started walking away from the bridge. I looked down and a bracelet lay there. I had no idea of the significance, but I knew it was connected to Rory. I kept it in my pocket at all times after that.
Pizza was amazing with Rory. She ate tons and we had so much fun talking. We talked about real things, not just small talk. I still hadn't told her about my life in New York and she didn't ask. I think she knew that things had been pretty bad. Then, later that afternoon, we headed for Andrew's Bookstore. It was so fun to watch her in the bookstore. She would exclaim over each item she found, or she would pick up a book she had already read and ask if I had read it. We talked about our likes and dislikes in books, different quotes, characters, and storylines. Finally, when Stars Hollow started shutting down at nine, she knew she had to go home. So she and I walked to Luke's together and drank coffee. Then, she left me. But amazingly she called me after she got home and we spent several more hours talking.
Lorelai actually hired me to clean out their raingutters. Evidentally, there had been a mishap with the radioactive gutters. Don't ask, even I don't get this one. Luke came tumbling into the apartment and flipped out. All of a sudden, he started talking about boxes and socks suffocating him and me laughing with hair gel and then he told me we were going to look for new apartments the next morning. We did. He dragged me all over Stars Hollow, measuring things and pounding on walls and pipes. Finally, I escaped to the Gilmore house.
Rory answered the door and her hair looked different than usual. I commented and she got all flustered, which was totally priceless. Lorelai came in and took me to the kitchen, where Rory led me outside. She asked me to be nice to her mother if I cared about her at all. I couldn't resist asking her what made her think I cared about her. She began to blush profusely. She started to stammer, which was something Rory Gilmore never did. I actually enjoyed it greatly. I did try. Rory came bursting in the door, yelling about Dean's bracelet. I knew it was the very bracelet that was in my jean's pocket. Rory was practically in tears. They were searching all over the house for it. The next day, I put the bracelet back in her room, but Lorelai saw me coming out. I went outside and saw Rory sitting dejectedly on the porch steps. I tried to cheer her up, but she wouldn't. I told her she should search in her room again. She did and, of course, she found the bracelet. Lorelai came out and accused me of stealing the bracelet. I didn't steal it, though. I just wanted a piece of Rory close to me. Lorelai said that she thought I cared about Rory, why would I hurt her like that? I wanted to shout out, I didn't want to hurt her. I hated the idea of hurting Rory. But I didn't. I just nodded and left the yard.
As for the apartment hunting, Luke flipped out once more. He came in with a sledgehammer and hit a huge hole in the wall. He turned to me, handed it to me, and told me to get to work, that the hole was going to be my new room. Then, he promised that we could hold hands and skip afterwards, because I had said that nonstop all day. I soon figured out that we were enlarging the apartment. Luke had bought the store next door and planned on extending the whole place.
Lorelai went out of town for a weekend, leaving Rory alone. I saw this as the perfect opportuninty. I cooked up a bunch of food, since Rory was cooking impaired and took it over to her house. I more or less weaseled an invitation to stay, but the Rory invited her friend, Paris, who had been there to study. We sat there, debating books and such. Then, the phone call came. She came back to the kitchen and asked me to leave. I knew that Dean had been the caller. So I patronized her and took my good old time leaving. By the time I got out the door, Dean was almost on the porch. Dean was incredibly jealous and extremely possesive of Rory. I taunted him some and then I finally left, when Rory had turned her pleading sapphire eyes on me. I don't know what happened after I left, but I'm still alive to tell about it.
The next day she came into the diner. She thanked Luke for the care package, and Luke told her he didn't send any food. See, I had told Rory that Luke had sent me over with the food. It dawned on Rory who had sent her the food. This is very dangerous information to be held in a Gilmore's hand. She began to question me, which I very stealthily avoided answering. Rory's eyes were sparkling pools of water and I knew she was pleased that I had wanted to make sure she had eaten.
Our friendship continued to bud, much to the dispair of most. She split her time evenly between school, Lorelai, Dean, her best friend, Lane, and me. Our calls to each other increased over time to the point where we called to tell each other goodnight. It sure helped me sleep, after hearing her voice talk melodically through the phone. We met often, also, at the bridge mostly and we would just sit there in comfortable, companionable silence and read. We went to book fairs together, too. I had never been able to do that before and I had a feeling that she hadn't either. We shared our love of books and understood when the other got excited when they found a particular one. Many times I was puzzled about her relationship with Dean, and not just because I hated him. It just didn't make sense. He wasn't interested in the same things, he didn't like to read, he wasn't as smart as her, and he liked sports. What did they talk about? But Rory thought she loved him. She didn't really tell him much about our friendship because he would become outraged if she spent any time with me. So would Lorelai, but she kept it up with me. She wouldn't just drop me as a friend, just because people disapproved of our friendship. I admired her for it. I loved her for it.
Finally, Luke got called into my school to have a little chat with the Principal. I wasn't that surprised. I had stolen all of the baseballs from the school, I rarely went to school, and when I did go, I didn't do the work. He was told that I wouldn't pass my junior year if I didn't my grades up. So he asked Rory to tutor me. I know he did it because he knew I liked Rory. He figured if I ever listened to anyone, it would be Rory. Everyone, except her, knew pretty much how I felt about her. She tried her best to get me to concetrate on my schoolwork, but I didn't listen to her. I talked while she tried to teach me. I did magic tricks, asked her quetions about Dean, all kinds of stuff that did not involve school. Finally, we made a deal. We would go get ice cream cones and then I would study. She asked me questions about what I wanted to do when I graduated. I told her I was just going to float around and she gave me a speech on how I was smart and could do a lot with my life. No one had ever told me that before. I was always Jess the screw up, Jess the mistake. She told me about wanting to be a overseas journalist and then she started to doubt herself. I told her she would be a great journalist. We were almost to Luke's. I asked her if she wanted to go back or turn right. She said to turn right. So I did. A furry cat ran out in the road and I swerved, hitting a bench. Rory jerked forward.
I called the police and ambulance immediately. I went straight to Rory side and I helped her out of the totaled car. She was crying silently. I asked if she was okay and she said her wrist hurt. I held her tiny palm and studied it. I rubbed her hand as we waited for the police. We gave our reports to the police and then we were in the ambulance. I couldn't leave her yet. I rode with her to the Hartford Hospital. The doctor checked her over and determined that her wrist had been fractured. He took her behind the Forbidden Doors. I watched her go through the window and I knew I would never see her again. I knew I had to leave the hospital. I had leave Stars Hollow.
I ended up at the bridge, shockingly enough. I couldn't keep myself from crying. I hadn't cried in years. I had hurt the one person in this world that cared about me. I would never, ever be able to forgive myself. She probably hated me. Luke came to the bridge and he sat down next to me. I was smoking and he hadn't even said anything. He knew I was upset and he knew it was an accident. We didn't say much, but eventually we decided I should go back to New York. Actually I decided that. So we went back to the diner and I packed up my bag. I got on the bus and left Barneytown behind. I would miss Rory so much, but it was better this way. I couldn't hurt her in New York.
Chapter Two Stars Hollow
I stepped off my bus to find my uncle, dressed in plaid, waiting anxiously for me. He tried to be nice, in his own special Luke way, but by the time I was 17, I was so very angry. I went to his diner, put my stuff down and left. Stars Hollow was truly frightening to me, but then again I think it would terrify most people. To me, Stars Hollow was Hell. There were decorations everywhere, people smiling and laughing. There were twelve stores that sold only porcelin unicorns. That town even had a troubador. There were town meetings. Even the library was weird. Only twelve books in the shelves. My own library had tons of books, but I wanted some new books. I did find a bookstore, Andrew's, that held some pretty nice books. After touring the town, I went back to the diner. He introduced me to Lorelai Gilmore. She smiled at me and was friendly, once again in her own Lorelai way. I wouldn't accept it, though. No one was ever nice to me. I just nodded and stormed up to the apartment. I regret it now, but I can't go back and change it. See, Lorelai was a very interesting person. She was fast-talking, coffee addicted, young woman. She had a daughter that was just like her. Luke came upstairs and told me that Lorelai had invited us to dinner. She might have done it to let me know that not everyone in Stars Hollow was from the Twilight Zone, but I didn't care. Besides, Lorelai's friends were just as weird as the rest of town.
We arrived at the Gilmore household late, because I didn't get ready to leave on time. I didn't have any idea that when I walked in that house, my life would slowly start to change. I came in and looked around, while Luke had pulled Lorelai aside, probably to apologize. On the mantel, there were tons of pictures. I picked one up and it held the photograph of one of the most beautiful girls. She looked so happy, innocent, and I must admit I was intrigued. Lorelai led me into the kitchen, where I was immediately asked by Sookie the chef if I liked cheese. Jackson, her boyfriend who grew fruit, asked me if I wanted to try a lemon. I was shocked by this. Who asks people questions like that? Lorelai tried to help me escape and took me into her daughter's room. The girl in the picture turned from her laptop and smiled her naive smile. She said hey and told me her name was Rory. As I watched her, I felt something stir inside of me that I had never felt before in my life. I turned and saw her bookshelves filled with books. Some I had read and others I had not. She offered to let me borrow a book, but I declined. I wanted to leave, but she told me to stay and that it would be fun and that I should trust her. I replied tartily that I didn't even know her, how do I know that she's trustworthy. She looked at me innocently, smiling, and asked if she looked trustworthy. Of course she did. But I shrugged and followed her into the kitchen. She went into the living room and I swiped a beer from the fridge. I slipped back into her room and took the book Howl and then I went out onto the porch. Lorelai came out, took the beer and then tried to talk to me. She said she understood and that I was lucky to have Luke. This was true, but I wasn't ready to hear that. So I crudely asked her if she was sleeping with my uncle. She got this shocked look on her face and started babbling about wanting to smash a cream pie in my face. I told her to leave me alone and that she didn't know. She left, hurt, and she hated me. She's hated me ever since. I don't blame her, but she had no idea what my life was like. She had no idea how bad it was to be hated by your own parents, to have teachers that could care less what happened to you. It hurt so bad and I wanted everyone and everything else to hurt, too. Everyone except Rory, that is. I had known her only for a few minutes and I already knew she didn't deserve any pain inflicted on her. All I wanted to do was protect her, and I didn't know why.
Stars Hollow High was even worse than the town itself. Everyone was really into sports and stuff like that. The classes were terribly boring, the English Lit class reading books I had read when I was 8. Their curriculum seemed even worse than Union's did. They said the pledge of allegience every day, but not only that, they said it in 6 different languages! It was so terrible. I guess it fit in with the quirkiness of the town, though. Well, after school, Luke was waiting for me. He told me that Taylor Doose, the market owner and one of my biggest fans, had called and said I stole money from a donation cup. I said I didn't and Luke started in on how that didn't sound convincing. I lashed out at him, telling him to leave me alone. Luke said fine and I said fine and we both stormed down the bridge. The next thing I knew I was soaking wet. Luke had pushed me into the lake. I know Luke feels awful about it, but it was the first time anyone had ever tried to get through to me. He tried to help me. And it did help for me to be pushed into a lake. The lake is probably my favorite spot in town. It holds a lot of great memories, some of which I will share, some of which I won't.
Later that night, Luke came tumbling into the apartment, rambling. He informed me that I would not be smoking anymore, he bought everything from the patch to self help books. He said I would return the bridge money and Peirpon. Peirpon was a garden gnome that Babette and Morey Dell owned. Yes, they do name and talk to their gnomes. Then Luke said something I will never forget. He said, "I will not let you disappear. You will not just drop off the face of the Earth. I will not let you." I was so angry at him. He had taken my cigarette and practically grounded me, telling me that I would go to school, work in the diner, do my homework, and then go to bed. I stood up and left the diner. It was the first time that anyone had ever tried to take responsibility for me, the first time anyone had ever inadvertedly told me that they wanted me around. So it was a double whammy, emotionally. I was mad at him and I was also touched, in a way. In Luke's own manner, he was telling me that he did care.
I was walking down the street when I saw her again. Rory was coming out of Doose's Market. I stopped her and we talked a little. She joked in her own Gilmore way about me leaving the dinner. I tried to impress her with a lame magic trick my dad had taught me, but she wasn't. So I gave her back the book I had stolen/borrowed. She was totally shocked, until I had informed her that I had written in margin notes. A look of pure joy washed over her face, her clear blue eyes twinkling, her pink lips smiling. She opened it quickly and asked curiously if I had read it before. I replied cheekily about forty times. Previously, at the dinner, I had told her that I didn't read much for some reason. Maybe I just wanted to make it seem more mysterious when I did return her book, surprise her. She smiled again and I said I had to go. Then she told me, "Goodbye, Dodger." I asked her what she meant. She replied that I had to figure it out. I automatically replied Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist. Rory looked so pleased that I understood. From the moment on, I wanted to please her. All the time. I wanted her to give me that smile, it was so special. It was like being awarded a gift when she smiled like that. It confused me, though. Sure, I had liked plenty of girls before, but it had never felt like this. Rory understood me. Even from our few encounters, she did. No one had ever understood before. Why would she? She was the innocent, perfect girl who had the perfect life in the perfect town. But she seemed to know. She didn't judge me, either. She just watched me with kind of a fascinated interest. And it didn't bother me at all.
Perhaps I should describe to you Rory Gilmore. She is absolutely beautiful. She has chocolate colored hair, crystal blue eyes, snow white skin, and pink lips. She was always smiling about something or other. Rory looked beautiful in anything she wore, even her prep school plaid uniform. She and her mother have this uncanny relationship. They were practically joined at the hip. In their own way, they owned the town. Everyone in Stars Hollow adored them. Even my uncle. Luke loved Stars Hollow and hated it at the same time. He was bound by his own limitations. He hated all the hooplah they always had around town, but Stars Hollow was his home. He loved Lorelai, at least that was my opinion when I came to town. As I mentioned before, the Gilmore girls were addicted to coffee. They came into the diner at least four times a day for coffee and meals. See, Lorelai and Rory cannot cook. So Luke fed them most of the time. And he didn't charge them most of the time. Lorelai and Rory had their own special priveliges. They would come in after closing when they needed a pick-me up coffee chat. They babbled, joked, and tormented Luke all the time. The Gilmores consumed an endless amount of coffee and their stomachs were infinite pits. But they were so much fun to be around, although at the time I would never, ever admit that in public. Their bubbly personalities were contagious. Everyone wanted the Gilmores to be happy. Everyone loved the Gilmores. Life went on in sleepy Stars Hollow, boring as usual. I cut school, but I did work occasionally at the diner, usually when the Gilmore girls came in. Rory and I shared our secret smiles and slight acknowledgements, but we rarely ever had a chance to talk alone.
Well, I was so bored, I decided to pull a brilliant prank. I drew a chalk outline of a 'dead' body and put yellow police tape outside of Doose's market that put the town in an uproar. Everyone was outraged! In Brooklyn, no one would have even noticed things like that, police tape was like an everyday occurance, but in Stars Hollow it was a huge deal. One day, Rory was outside the market alone. I went up to her and she instantly began to lecture me. She told me Luke had taken a lot of crap for me. I did feel a little guilty. Luke had been good to me, especially compared to the other people in my life. I walked away at Rory's request, but she began her speech again. Rory rarely ever gets angry, so finally she was finished and I had to ask. "You at least thought it was funny, didn't you?" Rory tried to hide her smile. She pouted that it was beside the point, but she couldn't keep from grinning. I felt justified then. Hey, it had made her and me laugh a little. But then he came out. I should have known that the perfect girl had the perfect boyfriend. He was tall, seemed like 10 feet tall. She introduced us in her naivette way, not knowing that she was introducing two enemies. It was a given. Dean was her boyfriend, and I was the one who could possibly challenge that. And as much as I tried to challenge the fact that Dean was Rory's boyfriend, he was still her boyfriend. Dean glared at me and I smirked. I couldn't resist saying we always seemed to run into each other after she told me she would see me later. Rory smiled at me and she and Dean walked away. I was nearly heartbroken. Rory had a boyfriend. But I liked challenges. In fact, I was used to them.
Well, as I've mentioned previously, Stars Hollow was big on their festivals. Lorelai had been planning a huge dinner for these people, but they were snowed in. The Inn had already bought all the food and decorations, so Lorelai decided to throw the dinner for the town. So Luke dragged me to the Bracebridge dinner. Rory was dressed up and I had to admit that Lorelai had really gone all out. People were talking in old English and she had rented horses and carriages. There were several courses of food that most people have never even heard of. Well, the town was ecstatic with the party. Everyone lined up for the carriages, and for some reason Rory ended up alone in one. So I hopped in next to her. We talked about inane topics such as the snow woman she and her mother had built for a contest that was made to look like Bjork. Then she complained about the guy who looked like a professional at making snowmen that had also entered. Then I told her that Luke had made up some crap about Liz calling and saying she wanted me to come home for Christmas. Luke said he had told her he needed me at the diner. I knew that was a lie. Liz didn't care if I was home for Christmas. Liz probably wouldn't even care if I never came home again. She got this look of sympathy in her eye and she apologized. I told her not to feel bad for me. So she smiled and nodded. Like I said before, she understood. Everyone stayed the night at the Independence Inn. The next morning, she was standing next to tall Frankenstein and his little sister. She glanced over at me and our eyes locked. She smiled warmly at me and I didn't feel so bad about being stuck in Stars Hollow. We had almost made an understanding of one another. Her looks warmed my heart, as cheesy as it sounds. Oh, yeah, by the way, Bjork the snow woman won the contest, after the professional snowmand was mysteriously beheaded.
Rory had evidentally started a chain reaction of hiding inappropriate movies. What she had really done was suggest they put a video that had an explicit cover on a higher shelf. Instead, Taylor and the town jack of all trades Kirk put almost every movie behind a bright red curtain deemed the Rory curtain. Everything but Bambi and Dumbo was behind the lovely curtain. Rory was furious. They even put her picture up in the window. I found her staring in disgust at it. I couldn't help but taunt her a little. She glared at me and I smiled. I told her not to worry that it wouldn't be there for long. I knew that would pique Rory's interest. She demanded I come back and would I refuse her? Of course not. She asked me what I had done. I nonchalantly replied that whoever rented Bambi and Dumbo would get a little surprise. I walked away to her calls. See, earlier that day I had switched the two movies with a Playboy special and Striptease. Probably one of my better pranks. Rory had awarded me with a special smile once again. It was the most precious gift I ever recieved. I was head over heels with her and I hardly even knew it.
Stars Hollow had yet another pathetic contest. But this one I could not resist becoming involved in. Girls made baskets full of food and they were put up for sale and anyone was up for dibs on it. So Rory's basket went up for three dollars and Dean so gallantly offered to buy it for five dollars. And then I bid. We bid back and forth until the price reached up to ninety dollars. Dean withdrew and I had won the basket. Dean got this look of horror across his face and let me tell you, it was priceless. He came storming over and Rory followed. He was yelling and screaming and begging her not to go. But she told him it was tradition and she came with me, much to Dean's dispair. I took her to the bridge and we sat down, our feet dangling close to the water. I opened the basket and found an unknown bowl of something in it. I asked her if Dean would actually eat it and she said he would. I wasn't going to let the bag boy best me, so I took a bite. It was so disgusting and she started to crack up. I then knew that she had tricked me. That pretty much broke the ice. We debated books. I found out she hated Hemingway and she found out I hated Ayn Rand. Total opposite of each other. We agreed to let each other borrow books and c.d.'s. It started a pretty constant exchange of our libraries. Finally I offered to take her out for pizza and the bookstore. We still hadn't eaten anything. She stood up and started walking away from the bridge. I looked down and a bracelet lay there. I had no idea of the significance, but I knew it was connected to Rory. I kept it in my pocket at all times after that.
Pizza was amazing with Rory. She ate tons and we had so much fun talking. We talked about real things, not just small talk. I still hadn't told her about my life in New York and she didn't ask. I think she knew that things had been pretty bad. Then, later that afternoon, we headed for Andrew's Bookstore. It was so fun to watch her in the bookstore. She would exclaim over each item she found, or she would pick up a book she had already read and ask if I had read it. We talked about our likes and dislikes in books, different quotes, characters, and storylines. Finally, when Stars Hollow started shutting down at nine, she knew she had to go home. So she and I walked to Luke's together and drank coffee. Then, she left me. But amazingly she called me after she got home and we spent several more hours talking.
Lorelai actually hired me to clean out their raingutters. Evidentally, there had been a mishap with the radioactive gutters. Don't ask, even I don't get this one. Luke came tumbling into the apartment and flipped out. All of a sudden, he started talking about boxes and socks suffocating him and me laughing with hair gel and then he told me we were going to look for new apartments the next morning. We did. He dragged me all over Stars Hollow, measuring things and pounding on walls and pipes. Finally, I escaped to the Gilmore house.
Rory answered the door and her hair looked different than usual. I commented and she got all flustered, which was totally priceless. Lorelai came in and took me to the kitchen, where Rory led me outside. She asked me to be nice to her mother if I cared about her at all. I couldn't resist asking her what made her think I cared about her. She began to blush profusely. She started to stammer, which was something Rory Gilmore never did. I actually enjoyed it greatly. I did try. Rory came bursting in the door, yelling about Dean's bracelet. I knew it was the very bracelet that was in my jean's pocket. Rory was practically in tears. They were searching all over the house for it. The next day, I put the bracelet back in her room, but Lorelai saw me coming out. I went outside and saw Rory sitting dejectedly on the porch steps. I tried to cheer her up, but she wouldn't. I told her she should search in her room again. She did and, of course, she found the bracelet. Lorelai came out and accused me of stealing the bracelet. I didn't steal it, though. I just wanted a piece of Rory close to me. Lorelai said that she thought I cared about Rory, why would I hurt her like that? I wanted to shout out, I didn't want to hurt her. I hated the idea of hurting Rory. But I didn't. I just nodded and left the yard.
As for the apartment hunting, Luke flipped out once more. He came in with a sledgehammer and hit a huge hole in the wall. He turned to me, handed it to me, and told me to get to work, that the hole was going to be my new room. Then, he promised that we could hold hands and skip afterwards, because I had said that nonstop all day. I soon figured out that we were enlarging the apartment. Luke had bought the store next door and planned on extending the whole place.
Lorelai went out of town for a weekend, leaving Rory alone. I saw this as the perfect opportuninty. I cooked up a bunch of food, since Rory was cooking impaired and took it over to her house. I more or less weaseled an invitation to stay, but the Rory invited her friend, Paris, who had been there to study. We sat there, debating books and such. Then, the phone call came. She came back to the kitchen and asked me to leave. I knew that Dean had been the caller. So I patronized her and took my good old time leaving. By the time I got out the door, Dean was almost on the porch. Dean was incredibly jealous and extremely possesive of Rory. I taunted him some and then I finally left, when Rory had turned her pleading sapphire eyes on me. I don't know what happened after I left, but I'm still alive to tell about it.
The next day she came into the diner. She thanked Luke for the care package, and Luke told her he didn't send any food. See, I had told Rory that Luke had sent me over with the food. It dawned on Rory who had sent her the food. This is very dangerous information to be held in a Gilmore's hand. She began to question me, which I very stealthily avoided answering. Rory's eyes were sparkling pools of water and I knew she was pleased that I had wanted to make sure she had eaten.
Our friendship continued to bud, much to the dispair of most. She split her time evenly between school, Lorelai, Dean, her best friend, Lane, and me. Our calls to each other increased over time to the point where we called to tell each other goodnight. It sure helped me sleep, after hearing her voice talk melodically through the phone. We met often, also, at the bridge mostly and we would just sit there in comfortable, companionable silence and read. We went to book fairs together, too. I had never been able to do that before and I had a feeling that she hadn't either. We shared our love of books and understood when the other got excited when they found a particular one. Many times I was puzzled about her relationship with Dean, and not just because I hated him. It just didn't make sense. He wasn't interested in the same things, he didn't like to read, he wasn't as smart as her, and he liked sports. What did they talk about? But Rory thought she loved him. She didn't really tell him much about our friendship because he would become outraged if she spent any time with me. So would Lorelai, but she kept it up with me. She wouldn't just drop me as a friend, just because people disapproved of our friendship. I admired her for it. I loved her for it.
Finally, Luke got called into my school to have a little chat with the Principal. I wasn't that surprised. I had stolen all of the baseballs from the school, I rarely went to school, and when I did go, I didn't do the work. He was told that I wouldn't pass my junior year if I didn't my grades up. So he asked Rory to tutor me. I know he did it because he knew I liked Rory. He figured if I ever listened to anyone, it would be Rory. Everyone, except her, knew pretty much how I felt about her. She tried her best to get me to concetrate on my schoolwork, but I didn't listen to her. I talked while she tried to teach me. I did magic tricks, asked her quetions about Dean, all kinds of stuff that did not involve school. Finally, we made a deal. We would go get ice cream cones and then I would study. She asked me questions about what I wanted to do when I graduated. I told her I was just going to float around and she gave me a speech on how I was smart and could do a lot with my life. No one had ever told me that before. I was always Jess the screw up, Jess the mistake. She told me about wanting to be a overseas journalist and then she started to doubt herself. I told her she would be a great journalist. We were almost to Luke's. I asked her if she wanted to go back or turn right. She said to turn right. So I did. A furry cat ran out in the road and I swerved, hitting a bench. Rory jerked forward.
I called the police and ambulance immediately. I went straight to Rory side and I helped her out of the totaled car. She was crying silently. I asked if she was okay and she said her wrist hurt. I held her tiny palm and studied it. I rubbed her hand as we waited for the police. We gave our reports to the police and then we were in the ambulance. I couldn't leave her yet. I rode with her to the Hartford Hospital. The doctor checked her over and determined that her wrist had been fractured. He took her behind the Forbidden Doors. I watched her go through the window and I knew I would never see her again. I knew I had to leave the hospital. I had leave Stars Hollow.
I ended up at the bridge, shockingly enough. I couldn't keep myself from crying. I hadn't cried in years. I had hurt the one person in this world that cared about me. I would never, ever be able to forgive myself. She probably hated me. Luke came to the bridge and he sat down next to me. I was smoking and he hadn't even said anything. He knew I was upset and he knew it was an accident. We didn't say much, but eventually we decided I should go back to New York. Actually I decided that. So we went back to the diner and I packed up my bag. I got on the bus and left Barneytown behind. I would miss Rory so much, but it was better this way. I couldn't hurt her in New York.