Disclaimer: I am the Walrus. And Walruses don't own 'nething. Don't sue me.

A/N:

First, for this chapter, we're pretending Jess and Rory like the Beatles. I don't know if they do, but if they don't they should.

Were also pretending Jess has a room, he had one in the first chapter anyway.  Let's just say this is post "Lost and Found".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear, disappointed: I'm very sorry I offended you.  I was a little harsh, but I'd just come from researching about gay rights and it made me really mad. And you might want to know I'm an atheist, so me saying "God-damned" does not mean anything.

Ardnaxela: WOW, I'm on somebody's favorite authors list who doesn't know me offline!?  And my novel is about Atlantis…it's fantasy. The first two chapters are posted on this site (The Doomed World). Actually I started a second novel, the first two chapters of which are also in this site (Every Town).

Everyone else: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!!!  I LOVE YOU ALL!!! And you were right, that chapter was way, way, way too short. Now I feel bad. :'(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I SAW  PAUL McCARTNEY IN CONCERT!!!!!  He was AMAZING. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just realized that when someone says the name "Jess" I think of Jess from the Gilmore Girls before I think of Jess my-former-best-friend. This could mean one of two things: 1) I like this show way too much or 2) Jess and I really aren't friends anymore. Actually I think it's both. That makes me sad. I need a life and my former best friend isn't even a friend anymore :'(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Strawberry fields forever

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rory stared at Jess's retreating back for a few seconds.  Be relived Rory. She told herself. But maybe I DO want it to happen again…before she could continue this train of thought a voice came from behind.

"Rory! I thought I'd find you here!"  Rory turned around to find herself  facing Dean.  My luck she thought, putting on a smile.

"Hi!" She said, pretending she was glad to see him.

            "So Rory," he began, sitting next to her. "My school's having a dance. I was wondering if you wanted to go? It's completely informal."

            No, not really.

 "Yes, I'd love to go."

"Great, it's tomorrow.  I have to go to school now, see you later."

Yippy.  JUST what I want to do. Go to a dance with Dean. Thrilling. Well, maybe Jess will be there. Wait a second, this is Jess, of coarse he won't go. Wait, why do I care? Because He's my friend. JUST because he's my friend.  But I'll be with Dean, so if for some odd reason Jess IS there, I won't be able to talk to him.  WHY is Dean so possessive?  It's not like I'd do anything…except I have…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Unbeknownst to Rory, Jess had over heard the conversation she had had with Dean. 

"You know that dance I told you about?" He asked Luke that night.

            "Yeah, what about it?"

            "I was wondering if I could go?"

            "Yeah, sure, but I thought you didn't want to go. You called it a 'stupid get-together of preps and jocks.' "

            "Well, I changed my mind."  Luke gave him an inquisitive look.

            "This change of heart wouldn't happen to have to do with a certain book-loving brunet, now would it?"

            "I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about,"  Jess said quickly, before vanishing into his room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Rory pulled on a blue shirt decorated with a Japanese-style girl, sighing. She didn't really want to go to the dance that night.  She kept trying to convince herself that it was because she inherently didn't like dances, but she knew in her heart that wasn't the reason.  It was because she was going with Dean.  She shook that thought out of her head. You love Dean. Loved. If ever that. NO. I love him.  Well, at least extreme like…than why would you feel better if you knew Jess was going? Rory shook her head again, trying to get the treacherous thoughts out.  Why have ALL my thoughts ended up on this subject recently? She wondered. Come on Rory, there other things in the world.  Hard Times is a good book.  I'll think about it.  I love the portrayal of Sissy. And Mr. Gradgrind's change of attitude towards the world is so well done... I wonder what Jess thinks of it?. GAH! Don't think about Jess! If you're going to think about a boy, think of Dean. I wonder what Dean thinks of it. I doubt he's read it. I'm sure Jess has read it…this isn't working.  I'll ask Dean to read it…bet he won't like it much.  So he's not a big book boy, so what?

  Finally the doorbell rang.  Rory ran down the stairs, forcing a smile. Why are all my smiles forced when I'm with Dean" That's not true!…yes it is! No, it's not!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dance had already started when Dean and Rory arrived.  Hip hop was blearing out of the speakers as scantily dressed girls and t-shirted boys danced in a manner Ms. Kim would surely not approve of, lights flashing.  Great. Rory thought, deciding she liked the formal dances at Chilton better.

 She glanced around for someone she might know.  Of coarse Lane was not allowed to come.  Rory recognized a few former classmates, but nobody she had ever considered a close friend.  And then she saw him.  Hidden in the shadows, warring the trademark  "Metallica" shirt and smirk, was Jess.  A smile crossed Rory's lips. He came!

She and Dean lingered on the edges of the dance floor, drinking soda and laughing at the dancers, and occasionally dancing themselves--during slow songs.  After about an hour of this, Dean excused himself to go to the bathroom.  In a few seconds Jess was by her side.

"Having fun?" he inquired.

"Not really."

"Neither am I."

"It would be better if they had descent music." 

"The DJ's a student. He works for free."

"Who?"

"John Rosen."

"Ug. I hated him. No wonder the music is bad!"

"What do you think he'd do if I asked him to play a Beatles song?"

"I doubt he knows who they are," Rory said with a slight laugh. John had never been the brightest of people.

"It would be amusing. All the preps and jocks would be confused." Rory nodded.

" 'I am the Walrus' would sure confuse them."

" 'For the Benefit of Mr. Kite' "

" 'Taxman'"

" 'Penny Lane' "

" 'Nowhere man' "

" 'Doctor Robert' "

" 'She came in Through the Bathroom Window." "

" 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' "

" 'Mean Mr. Mustard' "

" 'Strawberry Fields' "

" 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' "

" Basically anything on Sgt. Pepper."

"Yep."

"Drugs sure do weird things when mixed with creative minds."

"They create creative songs."

"Weird songs."

"Great songs."

"Certainly."

            The music switched to a slow song, and the people on the dance floor coupled up, a few dejected girls wandered off, pouting.

            "Wanna dance?" Jess questioned.  The sensible part of her mind screamed No-Dean! But the rest of her said yes.

            "Sure."

            They walked onto the floor, and rapped their arms around each other. Rory rested her head on Jess shoulder and closed her eyes.  She was more content with him than she had been with Dean in a very long time.  This was where she belonged, just her and Jess and...

            "RORY!" Dean.  Rory and Jess sprang apart guiltily. 

            "What the  hell do you think your doing!?" This was directed at Jess, accompanied by a shove.

            "Just dancing with a friend." Jess relied coolly.

            "You were dancing a little close for 'friends'" Dean spat. People were beginning to watch.

            "A little close for friends," he repeated, turning to Rory. "What do you have to say about this?"

            "We're just friends, I swear!"

            "Yeah, right.  First you spend the night at his house.   Then he followed us to the movies.  And don't think I didn't notice you looking at him! And then I find you two dancing offal close!"

            Rory opened her mouth to reply, but Dean cut her off.

            "You know what Rory? I don't want to hear it! I'm sick of this! It's over!"

            Rory stared in shock.

            "Did you, just---break up with me?"

            "Yes."

            Rory stared for a few more seconds, then burst into tears, sprinting out of the room, towards her house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Sorry it took so long, I had computer problems.   There's more coming soon, but right now I have to go watch The Sixth Sense