Chapter 5
Rory's heart was thumping a rapid beat when she climbed off the bus that afternoon. She felt her heart sink a little when she saw that the bench was empty. Jess wasn't waiting on her, like he usually was. Not that she had really been expecting him to, after the way she had treated him that morning. Ugh, what was wrong with me! she thought disgustedly. Rory had obsessed about the entire situation all day, to the point of almost making herself sick. She couldn't understand why she had behaved so coldly to someone she cared so much about. Jess hadn't done a thing wrong, either. It wasn't his fault stupid Dean had waltzed into the diner with even stupider Mandi. Rory couldn't imagine what Jess must have thought. She had after all, behaved like a jealous wench, and stormed out of there like she was the world's biggest witch. Once Rory had gotten to school and calmed down a little, she realized how silly she had reacted. She really was over Dean, really didn't care who he dated, really just wanted to be with Jess. Then she had started to get worried. Was Jess mad at her? Did he think she was still stuck on Dean? Had she hurt him? Hell, Rory had been so preoccupied during her exam, she probably had failed it.
Rory wasted no time heading straight for Luke's, her worry and frustration mounting as she went. By the time she reached the diner she was practically running. She flung the door open so forcefully she almost ripped it off it's hinges. Her head whipped around the small room and behind the counter and she realized with evaporating hopes that Jess wasn't there.
"Are you okay, Rory?" Luke asked from behind the counter, noticing the distressed look on Rory's face.
"What? Oh Yeah," Rory panted, walking up to the bar.
"Are you sure your-"
"Where's Jess" Rory interrupted.
"Huh?"
"Jess, your nephew, my boyfriend, medium-height, handsome, and sarcastic, where is he?" Rory snapped, inwardly cringing for sounding so harsh. What was going on with her lately, anyway?
"I know who Jess is," Luke said sounding surprised, "but I don't know where he is." Luke was concerned. Rory looked upset and was acting totally out of character. He was about to ask her if she wanted a cup of coffee when she abruptly turned and ran out of the diner.
***
Jess sat on the bridge, his face emotionless, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. He wasn't overly upset, he really just wanted to think. He didn't want to play the part of the overly-obsessive compulsive-possessive/jealous boyfriend. Rory had already had one of those, he thought to himself dryly. Still, he couldn't help but be a little worried. Rory had flipped this morning, totally stormed out on him. So, so not like her. Dammit, this was why he had decided a long time ago not to fall in love. Being in love only brought misery in the long run. Being in love made him vulnerable, something he had spent years protecting himself against. Hell, it was bad enough watching Rory with Dean back before they broke up, but now . . . now that he admitted to himself how much he really loved her . . . if her lost her . . . well he didn't want to think about it. Jess didn't like where his thoughts were leading, and he was about to get up when he heard a loud clambering noise at the foot of the bridge. Jess looked up to see Rory muttering to herself and kicking a stick out of her way. When she glanced up Jess saw that she had a wild look in her eyes and was completely out of breath.
Rory breathed a sigh of relief and wordlessly made her way over to where Jess was sitting and took her place next to him. They sat quietly for a few seconds before Rory broke the silence and whispered, "Hey"
"Hey" Jess returned quietly. Several more minutes lapsed in silence.
"About this morning . . ." Rory trailed off.
"Yeah?"
Rory took a breath, "I've been really worried about it all day and I really hope you're not mad at me, even though you have every right to be mad at me because I acted like a total and complete idiot, but in my defense that was just because I was really upset, which is still no excuse for being a jerk to you, but I just wanted you to know that I wasn't mad at you this morning, I was mad at Dean and just took it out on you . . wait well that's what I did but that was wrong too, and I just really don't want you to be mad at me because I care about you so much and I was wrong and I just wanted to say I'm sorry . . . " Rory looked up at Jess expectantly.
"And the 2002 award for longest run-on sentence goes to Ms. Rory Gilmore," Jess said with a small, dry laugh.
"Jess!"
"Hey, I'm sorry, look don't worry about this morning, you had every right to be upset."
"That doesn't make up for the way I treated you, though."
"Hey, well what are boyfriends good for if you can't use them to throw all your excess anger at, anyway?"
"Are we okay, then?"
"Yeah" I hope, anyway, he added silently in his mind. Jess decided against asking Rory what was really on her mind, was she really over Dean?, losing his nerve at the last minute. He was afraid of her answer. He silently cursed himself for being such a coward. Instead he asked, "So, you up from a hamburger and fries?"
"Always!" Rory said with a smile, leaning over to kiss Jess quickly. Jess returned the kiss, but Rory couldn't help but notice that the kiss lacked the normal tenderness and passion. Maybe it was just her imagination, but Rory still had a frown on her face when she stood up and followed Jess off the bridge.
***
When Rory got home that night around 7:00, she was unusually tired. She decided that it was just from eventfulness of the day. She was still a little worried about Jess, but she decided that she had all of Christmas break to show him just how much she really liked him . . .how much she was beginning to love him, starting tomorrow.
Looking forward to going to bed ridiculously early for once in her life, Rory was about to change into her PJ's when the phone rang. Figuring it was her mother, Rory grabbed the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Is this Rory?" An oh-too-perky voice on the other side asked.
"Yes," Rory said as a ball of tension began forming in her stomach.
"It's Mandi Wilson . . . remember, we met this morning? I hope you don't mind that Dean have me your number" She giggled.
"Oh yeah, hey Mandi," Rory replied, trying to force some enthusiasm into her otherwise flat voice.
"Listen, Rory? Umm, I was in the area, and I have this whole bag of junk food . . . and I was wondering . . . if your not busy or anything maybe I could come over?"
"Oh, I don't know Mandi, I'm really kind of tired . . ."
"Oh I won't stay too long I promise! I just want to come by for a little, get to know you better."
Rory sighed, so much for going to bed early. Oh well, at least the girl was bringing junk food.
***
Little less than 10 minutes later, Rory found herself seated on the couch with Mandi Wilson. When Mandi had said she was in the area, she really must have meant she was parked in Rory's driveway, because Rory had barely had time to hang up the phone before the girl was knocking on her door.
"Let's see here . . . I have mini reeces, snickers, milkyways, three muskateers, some sour straws, and two different kinds of potato chips" Mandi said with a wide smile at Rory.
She sooo planned this, Rory thought with annoyance. Oh well, she did say she was going to call tonight, I guess I was fairly warned. Mandi was wearing old navy blue sweat pants and a fleece pull over with the word "Princess" spread across the front. Her bouncy hair was pulled back in a high pony tail and she looked like she had just gotten out of cheer practice. Rory decided to cut to the chase and get this over with, "So your going to Chilton next year?"
"Yes, well actually I was thinking about starting next semester. I mean I was going to wait, but now that I know someone, I figure the sooner the better!"
Good Lord, the girl was acting like they were know joint at the hip and friends for life. "Yeah, well you should be prepared, Chilton is really tough." My don't we sound encouraging, Rory chided herself.
Mandi frowned but said, "Yeah, but I think I can handle it . . . I want to go to Harvard some day, you know."
Yikes! 10 points for Yale, Rory thought. It had been Rory's lifelong dream to attend Harvard, but lately she had been considering other options, such as Yale, instead. Mainly because if she attended Yale she could live at home. She wouldn't have to leave her mother . . . or Jess, and that was beginning to become incredibly important to her. Still she had made a list of pro's and con's for each school, and she now had a new con to add to the Harvard list.
"Really, that's nice," Rory replied for lack of anything better to say.
After that the two actually had a semi-enjoyable conversation, and by the time Mandi stood to leave, Rory had almost forgot who she was, and the circumstances that had brought her there.
"I had a nice time tonight Rory, thanks for letting me stop by," Mandi smiled.
"Yeah me too" Rory said, not having to force the return smile too much.
"Listen Rory, maybe this Saturday you might want to go out to dinner with me and Dean. His Mom has really been bugging him to take me to this Italian restaurant in Hartford where his parents went on their first date. Sentimental value, I guess." Mandi looked at Rory hopefully.
What kind of proposal is that? Talk about being a third wheel, majorly uncomfortable . . . and since when did Dean's mom care what restaurants Dean brought his dates to? What made Mandi so special that Dean's mom wanted her to go to that apparently special restaurant? She had never asked him to bring her there. Rory thought, momentarily flustered.
"That might be kinda weird, Mandi," Rory managed to get out.
"Hmm, I guess you might be right since you and Dean used to date and all . . . well I know! Why don't you bring your boyfriend, Jess!"
This girl knew way too much about her. Rory was about to say no and make up an excuse as to why she couldn't make, it when a sudden thought hit her. What better way to show Jess that she wasn't jealous at all of Dean than to go to dinner with him and his new girlfriend? After all, she really didn't have anything going on this Saturday, and Mandi was trying so hard to be nice . . . "Well okay" Rory finally said.
"Great! I'll call you later about times and stuff! Kisses!" Mandi giggled and with that she existed, leaving Rory to hope she had made the right decision.