Hello, James Dean
By: ZLizabeth
Disclaimer: I own seven minor soap operas, and I'd sell them all - and quite a few that weren't mine - to own this. Okay, so I don't own any soap operas. I'd still sell them all!
Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is so short and bad. But I wanted to get two chapters out before I left this weekend. The next one might take a while to come up: so be warned!
SPOILER: The next chapter is called: Tracks of my Tears
Neither one of the two men that sat in the car were sure if they could get out.
"Well, you found a parking place."
"Yea," Sam said hollowly, staring at Stars Hollow's main street.
"I think we need to get out of the car."
"I'm going to get of the car now," Sam said, not to Jess, but to himself.
"Do you need me to hold your hand?" Jess in the most mocking tone he had. Sam glared and unbuckled his seat belt.
Jess threw open the door and got out.
"Looks the same," he remarked, not admitting how glad he was of it.
"Looks better then when I left it," suddenly Sam was smiling and he threw back his head and screamed, "WE'RE BACK!" so loud Jess clapped his hands to his ears.
Of course at this the whole town poked their heads out of their fairy-tale homes and stared. Slowly they came out onto the street and just looked at the returnees, their mouths hanging open.
Sam walked up to one of the houses that hadn't revealed any gaping idiots and knocked.
"MOM!" he called.
"Sam?" came a voice. The door slowly opened and the woman hugged Sam as hard as she could, "my Sammy!"
The mouths of the townsfolk closed halfway. They smiled at the crying mother and son who stood in the doorway.
They frowned at Jess.
He grabbed his suitcase out of the trunk and walked up the street.
"Just the kind of welcome I'd hoped for."
Jess had walked to this house more times then he could count. He had paced back and forth, debating whether or not he should knock, throw a rock at her window...
He wasn't 'fretting' as he knocked this time. He just slumped over and waited.
The door opened. For the first time in his life he caught his breath. She looked the same, and he could even see Rory in her.
"Hello, James Dean," she said.
"Hello Ms. Gilmore."
"Well, come in."
He stood in her living room as he had six years before, looking at the pictures on her mantelpiece. Rory as a baby, Rory when she was six, holding a coffee mug, Rory, Rory, Rory. Lorelai came over and looked at the pictures.
"So, let me guess, you missed her?"
He shrugged and followed her into the kitchen where she sat down, a mug of coffee in her right hand.
"I missed you, too, Lorelai," he said. She opened her mouth to continue the banter but he interrupted her, "I just need to find out about her. I need to find her."
"Hmm," Lorelai took a sip, "this is very good for something I've cooked."
He didn't point out that you didn't cook coffee. She was looking at him from the corner of her eye, measuring, seeing if he was worthy of her daughter. He could tell all this and sat up straighter, looking back at her.
"Well, James, I guess you'll find out from someone else if you don't find out from me."
"Most likely."
"Rory doesn't live here anymore."
"I guessed."
She stopped. He noticed that he had leaned forward at the sound of *her* name. Embarrassed, he withdrew into his chair.
"She's in Salsville, California."
"You sure?"
"My telephone bill tells me so."
"How is she?" he asked. Mild. That's all he wanted. A mild conversation that led to answers.
To his surprise, Lorelai started crying.
He sat still for a long time as she cried, just watching her brown head quiver on the table and listening to her sniff and sneeze. He didn't look at the clock to time how long she trembled there. He just watched her, somewhere between confused and sad and angry and relieved and frustrated and lost.
At last she lifted her head and he passed her a tissue. She took it and wiped her eyes. She did not look red and swollen. Crying became her.
"Thanks, Jess," she said softly. Then she looked up and stated firmly, "I need a hug."
He stood up and went to where she sat, then gave her a most awkward embrace. She clung tightly to him and kept crying. He held onto her and wondered why, why she as putting on such a display of emotion for a boy she had hated for a year and not seen in five.
When her last tear had been shed, she let go of him and smiled.
"I needed that."
He just looked at her. He was confused, to say the least.
"I needed to cry. Rory... Rory left this life," she waved her hand to the kitchen, "about two years ago. Hers is not a happy tale."
"What happened?" he asked.
"Well, she went to Harvard. And then to Yale. And then she told me one day that Dean - they were still together - Dean had asked her to go live with him in California. She was so sure that life was going to work out right for her. So she left and went with him."
Oh.
"I'm sorry, Jess. She and I don't talk much anymore. Whenever I call, I get her answering machine. Whenever I write, the reply could've been to Taylor as much as it was for me."
He wasn't sure what to do. He sat there for a few seconds and then gave Lorelai a weak smile as a tear rolled down his cheek. She came over and gave him a much firmer hug.
"It's nice to know someone's as miserable as I am. She's gone. But I bet..."
she was having a hard time talking, "I bet they broke up. She was ten times to good for him."
"Yea," was all he could say. He refused to let his voice be choked up in front of Lorelai.
"Isn't it nice to have someone to cry with?"
He nodded this time, feeling seven years old. A salty drop of water from Lorelai landed on his head.
"I need a cigarette."
"Too bad."
"I quit."
"You can sleep in Rory's old room tonight." The dialogue was pointless and meaningful at the same time.
"Thanks," he said, getting up and walking out of the kitchen. He still couldn't believe the 'moment' he had just had. Finding out Rory was gone. Crying with Lorelai.
"Jess," she called. He looked back at her, "some of Rory's books are still there."
"Thanks," he said again.
She knew that she didn't have to tell him where Rory's bedroom was. Once he was in his room, he smelled the air and he smelled her.
He glanced at the bookshelves. Each had been labeled since he'd left: by author, genre...
And then he saw a label underneath a shelf in the center of a bookcase.
He went over to it and read it, sure for the first time he was in love with Rory.
"Jess Books."
Every shelf had a few books on it. He knew that they were Rory's least favorite of her collection.
All but the shelf for "Jess Books."
It was empty.
She'd taken all those with her.
Lorelai poured herself another cup of coffee. She was thinking how she would tell Jess in the morning. She hated that boy, but at least they had something in common now.
She stared into the mirror and began to practice: "Good morning Jess. There is something I forgot to mention last night while we were crying our miserable worm eaten hearts out. Rory's married to Dean. Yea. Sorry about that. I know you love her and all but, hey, I love her, too. We both lost her to the freakishly tall Bag Boy. Want to have another little crying session? Oh, I see you've already started. Want me to buy you a pack of cigarettes?"
She glanced at the microwave. It was three o'clock in the morning. She would be sleeping all day tomorrow - no. She had to tell Jess tomorrow.
"Hey Lorelai."
Speak of the devil.
"Can I have Rory's address?"
She gestured to the fridge.
He grabbed it and gave Lorelai a rare smile before practically running out the door. She ran after him and reached the door.
"Where are you going?" she screamed.
He didn't look back as he walked down the street, "Rory!"
Her jaw dropped. He kept walking.
"You can't walk to California!" she called.
"Where she leads I will follow!" he answered.
And then she smiled. Her loathing of the kid who'd almost killed her daughter was gone.
"Hey Jess!"
"What?"
"You can use my car! Keys in the ignition."
He turned around and stared. She smiled. He walked to the jeep and turned it on.
He started rolling forward.
"Thanks!"
Was the last thing she heard before he sped off into the night.
Finding a parking space hadn't been hard. There were only a few cars and he, honestly, would have parked on top of one. He needed to see her right now.
"27, 28, 29, 30, 31..."
it was hard to believe that something so ugly could house Rory. His eyes flickered over the house and he made a lucky guess as to where her room was. He saw, though, that the wall leading to her window was impossible for climbing.
He grabbed another side of the house and began to climb up. The gaps in the house made for easy footholds.
His head was spinning with what-ifs. But his feet kept moving. They were not going to stop until they got to Rory.
And then he reached the window about ten feet from where he guessed she was. He took a pebble from his pocket and tossed it to her window. He wanted her to be awake to greet him. He needed to hear her voice.
Another pebble.
Another.
"Hey, you!" he yelled
Another.
He estimated about far he'd have to jump. He let go of the wall and sprung over to the window and tossed the final pebble.
Plunk.
He didn't notice as a car pulled out from the driveway and sped off carrying the patriarch of the household.
*****Please R&R. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE it makes me feel so good inside, with your reviews, spinning the tide... DISCLAIMER: That's not my song. Oh, I'm insane. All the more reason for you to review!
By: ZLizabeth
Disclaimer: I own seven minor soap operas, and I'd sell them all - and quite a few that weren't mine - to own this. Okay, so I don't own any soap operas. I'd still sell them all!
Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is so short and bad. But I wanted to get two chapters out before I left this weekend. The next one might take a while to come up: so be warned!
SPOILER: The next chapter is called: Tracks of my Tears
Neither one of the two men that sat in the car were sure if they could get out.
"Well, you found a parking place."
"Yea," Sam said hollowly, staring at Stars Hollow's main street.
"I think we need to get out of the car."
"I'm going to get of the car now," Sam said, not to Jess, but to himself.
"Do you need me to hold your hand?" Jess in the most mocking tone he had. Sam glared and unbuckled his seat belt.
Jess threw open the door and got out.
"Looks the same," he remarked, not admitting how glad he was of it.
"Looks better then when I left it," suddenly Sam was smiling and he threw back his head and screamed, "WE'RE BACK!" so loud Jess clapped his hands to his ears.
Of course at this the whole town poked their heads out of their fairy-tale homes and stared. Slowly they came out onto the street and just looked at the returnees, their mouths hanging open.
Sam walked up to one of the houses that hadn't revealed any gaping idiots and knocked.
"MOM!" he called.
"Sam?" came a voice. The door slowly opened and the woman hugged Sam as hard as she could, "my Sammy!"
The mouths of the townsfolk closed halfway. They smiled at the crying mother and son who stood in the doorway.
They frowned at Jess.
He grabbed his suitcase out of the trunk and walked up the street.
"Just the kind of welcome I'd hoped for."
Jess had walked to this house more times then he could count. He had paced back and forth, debating whether or not he should knock, throw a rock at her window...
He wasn't 'fretting' as he knocked this time. He just slumped over and waited.
The door opened. For the first time in his life he caught his breath. She looked the same, and he could even see Rory in her.
"Hello, James Dean," she said.
"Hello Ms. Gilmore."
"Well, come in."
He stood in her living room as he had six years before, looking at the pictures on her mantelpiece. Rory as a baby, Rory when she was six, holding a coffee mug, Rory, Rory, Rory. Lorelai came over and looked at the pictures.
"So, let me guess, you missed her?"
He shrugged and followed her into the kitchen where she sat down, a mug of coffee in her right hand.
"I missed you, too, Lorelai," he said. She opened her mouth to continue the banter but he interrupted her, "I just need to find out about her. I need to find her."
"Hmm," Lorelai took a sip, "this is very good for something I've cooked."
He didn't point out that you didn't cook coffee. She was looking at him from the corner of her eye, measuring, seeing if he was worthy of her daughter. He could tell all this and sat up straighter, looking back at her.
"Well, James, I guess you'll find out from someone else if you don't find out from me."
"Most likely."
"Rory doesn't live here anymore."
"I guessed."
She stopped. He noticed that he had leaned forward at the sound of *her* name. Embarrassed, he withdrew into his chair.
"She's in Salsville, California."
"You sure?"
"My telephone bill tells me so."
"How is she?" he asked. Mild. That's all he wanted. A mild conversation that led to answers.
To his surprise, Lorelai started crying.
He sat still for a long time as she cried, just watching her brown head quiver on the table and listening to her sniff and sneeze. He didn't look at the clock to time how long she trembled there. He just watched her, somewhere between confused and sad and angry and relieved and frustrated and lost.
At last she lifted her head and he passed her a tissue. She took it and wiped her eyes. She did not look red and swollen. Crying became her.
"Thanks, Jess," she said softly. Then she looked up and stated firmly, "I need a hug."
He stood up and went to where she sat, then gave her a most awkward embrace. She clung tightly to him and kept crying. He held onto her and wondered why, why she as putting on such a display of emotion for a boy she had hated for a year and not seen in five.
When her last tear had been shed, she let go of him and smiled.
"I needed that."
He just looked at her. He was confused, to say the least.
"I needed to cry. Rory... Rory left this life," she waved her hand to the kitchen, "about two years ago. Hers is not a happy tale."
"What happened?" he asked.
"Well, she went to Harvard. And then to Yale. And then she told me one day that Dean - they were still together - Dean had asked her to go live with him in California. She was so sure that life was going to work out right for her. So she left and went with him."
Oh.
"I'm sorry, Jess. She and I don't talk much anymore. Whenever I call, I get her answering machine. Whenever I write, the reply could've been to Taylor as much as it was for me."
He wasn't sure what to do. He sat there for a few seconds and then gave Lorelai a weak smile as a tear rolled down his cheek. She came over and gave him a much firmer hug.
"It's nice to know someone's as miserable as I am. She's gone. But I bet..."
she was having a hard time talking, "I bet they broke up. She was ten times to good for him."
"Yea," was all he could say. He refused to let his voice be choked up in front of Lorelai.
"Isn't it nice to have someone to cry with?"
He nodded this time, feeling seven years old. A salty drop of water from Lorelai landed on his head.
"I need a cigarette."
"Too bad."
"I quit."
"You can sleep in Rory's old room tonight." The dialogue was pointless and meaningful at the same time.
"Thanks," he said, getting up and walking out of the kitchen. He still couldn't believe the 'moment' he had just had. Finding out Rory was gone. Crying with Lorelai.
"Jess," she called. He looked back at her, "some of Rory's books are still there."
"Thanks," he said again.
She knew that she didn't have to tell him where Rory's bedroom was. Once he was in his room, he smelled the air and he smelled her.
He glanced at the bookshelves. Each had been labeled since he'd left: by author, genre...
And then he saw a label underneath a shelf in the center of a bookcase.
He went over to it and read it, sure for the first time he was in love with Rory.
"Jess Books."
Every shelf had a few books on it. He knew that they were Rory's least favorite of her collection.
All but the shelf for "Jess Books."
It was empty.
She'd taken all those with her.
Lorelai poured herself another cup of coffee. She was thinking how she would tell Jess in the morning. She hated that boy, but at least they had something in common now.
She stared into the mirror and began to practice: "Good morning Jess. There is something I forgot to mention last night while we were crying our miserable worm eaten hearts out. Rory's married to Dean. Yea. Sorry about that. I know you love her and all but, hey, I love her, too. We both lost her to the freakishly tall Bag Boy. Want to have another little crying session? Oh, I see you've already started. Want me to buy you a pack of cigarettes?"
She glanced at the microwave. It was three o'clock in the morning. She would be sleeping all day tomorrow - no. She had to tell Jess tomorrow.
"Hey Lorelai."
Speak of the devil.
"Can I have Rory's address?"
She gestured to the fridge.
He grabbed it and gave Lorelai a rare smile before practically running out the door. She ran after him and reached the door.
"Where are you going?" she screamed.
He didn't look back as he walked down the street, "Rory!"
Her jaw dropped. He kept walking.
"You can't walk to California!" she called.
"Where she leads I will follow!" he answered.
And then she smiled. Her loathing of the kid who'd almost killed her daughter was gone.
"Hey Jess!"
"What?"
"You can use my car! Keys in the ignition."
He turned around and stared. She smiled. He walked to the jeep and turned it on.
He started rolling forward.
"Thanks!"
Was the last thing she heard before he sped off into the night.
Finding a parking space hadn't been hard. There were only a few cars and he, honestly, would have parked on top of one. He needed to see her right now.
"27, 28, 29, 30, 31..."
it was hard to believe that something so ugly could house Rory. His eyes flickered over the house and he made a lucky guess as to where her room was. He saw, though, that the wall leading to her window was impossible for climbing.
He grabbed another side of the house and began to climb up. The gaps in the house made for easy footholds.
His head was spinning with what-ifs. But his feet kept moving. They were not going to stop until they got to Rory.
And then he reached the window about ten feet from where he guessed she was. He took a pebble from his pocket and tossed it to her window. He wanted her to be awake to greet him. He needed to hear her voice.
Another pebble.
Another.
"Hey, you!" he yelled
Another.
He estimated about far he'd have to jump. He let go of the wall and sprung over to the window and tossed the final pebble.
Plunk.
He didn't notice as a car pulled out from the driveway and sped off carrying the patriarch of the household.
*****Please R&R. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE it makes me feel so good inside, with your reviews, spinning the tide... DISCLAIMER: That's not my song. Oh, I'm insane. All the more reason for you to review!