It was the next day after school. Rory was walking to Luke's. Yesterday she called Dean. They were gonna meet at Luke's in a few minutes. She hoped she and Jess weren't gonna fight. Maybe it wasn't a great idea to meet Dean at Luke's. Well, it was too late to change that anyway. She entered the diner. She saw Dean sitting at a table near the window. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She made a sign to the counter to let him know she was gonna order coffee. He nodded. She walked to the counter. Jess was pouring Kirk coffee. Mike was also sitting at the counter.

R: "Hey"

J: "Hey"

R: "Hey Mike"

M: "Hey"

R: "Can I get two coffee?"

J: "Sure. What is bagboy doing here?"

R: "I called him yesterday. We're gonna talk"

J: "Rory......"

R: "Listen, you can't tell me what to do"

J: "I don't want to tell you what to do, but I just think it's a very bad idea to go talk to him"

M: "Who is he?"

R: "My ex-boyfriend"

M: "Ah........good luck"

She smiled at him.

R: "Thanks"

She took the coffee and walked towards Dean.

D: "Hey"

R: "Hi"

She sat down. She noticed Jess was watching her every move. She knew he was concerned about her.

D: "So, how are you?"

R: "I'm okay, you?'

D: "Me too"

R: "Good"

D: "Yeah"

R: "Listen, do you think it's really weird I called you yesterday?"

D: "No, not at all"

R: "Good, cos I stand it when we avoid each other and I miss you as a friend"

D: "I miss you too"

R: "I miss talking to you"

D: "Me too"

R: "You think it's possible to......act normal around each other?"

D: "Sure"

She sighed. That went pretty easy.

D: "Are you sure your boyfriend is okay with that?"

She knew it went too easy.

R: "Jess is not my boyfriend and I don't care if he's okay with it"

D: "I didn't mean Jess"

R: "You didn't?"

She looked at the counter. Mike was checking her out. He had a smirk on his face.

R: "You mean Mike? I don't even know him"

D: "Who is he?"

R: "A friend of Jess from New York"

D: "He seems to like you"

R: "I think he likes every girl. Jess sort of warned me for him"

D: "How thoughtful"

R: "There's no chance you and Jess will ever get along, is there?"

D: "I wouldn't count on it, but never say never"

R: "Well, I can accept the fact you don't like him, as long as you can accept that he's my friend"

D: "Just your friend?"

R: "Yes, well at least for now. Who knows what the future brings"

D: "You were holding his hand the other day"

R: "You saw that?"

D: "He got mad when you let go of it when you say me, didn't he?"

R: "Jess and I are friends. Very close friends and sometimes it seems like we're more than friends and sometimes it feels like we're more than friends, but then there happens something and suddenly we're back to being friends"

D: "That didn't answer my question"

R: "He got mad, but we're okay now"

D: "You guys will work things out and if you want him to be more than a friend, then he will be more than a friend. Just be patient.

R: "That sounded really weird coming out of your mouth, but thanks"

D: "You're welcome, and I'm very sorry, but I gotta go. I have to pick up my sister from school"

R: "Oh, sure"

They got up. She gave him a hug. She was happy she and Dean worked this out.

R: "I'll call you, okay?"

D: "Yeah"

Dean put on his coat and left the diner. Rory walked back to the counter.

M: "So, how did it go?"

R: "Good. Great, actually"

J: "I heard my name a couple of times"

R: "We talked about you. Only good stuff of course"

J: "Good stuff about me coming out of his mouth?"

R: "Well, pretty much yes. He said some nice things about you and me"

J: "About you and me individually or you and me as in us?"

R: "Both"

M: "Well, just like all the fairy tales this one has a happy end"

Rory looked at Mike. He was pretty cute. Dark hair, dark eyes. As far as she could see a good body. Just like Jess. She looked at Jess, then back to Mike. They had the same nose. She would believe it immediately if someone said those two were related. Maybe they were. Cousins or something.

R: "Is it possible you guys are related or something?"

J: "No, why?"

R: "You guys look a lot like each other. The same nose, the same smirk"

M: "Both incredibly handsome"

R: "Yeah........whatever"

J: "Well, we're not related"

R: "And you're sure about that?"

M: "Well, we could do a blood test to compare our DNA if that convices you"

R: "You're not afraid of needles?"

M: "I try not to"

She smiled. He was funny too.

R: "Can I have another coffee?"

J: "That caffeine addiction of yours could really become a problem, you know that right?"

R: "You start to sound like your uncle. Too bad you do have a point"

M: "So, the woman you were with yesterday, was that really your mom?"

R: "Yep"

M: "She's pretty young, isn't she?"

R: "You really wanna talk about my mom? I mean if you do, I'll just give you the phone number of my grandmother she loves it to talk about my mom"

M: "And you don't?"

R: "If you're interested in her, just say so"

M: "What?! I'm not interested in her"

R: "Okay"

She turned to Jess.

R: "Talking about my mom, she made a confession last night"

J: "How come I'm suddenly interested in your mom's confessions?"

R: "Cos you're gonna like this one"

J: "Well, what is it?"

R: "She told me she would consider it to go on a date with Luke"

J: "Didn't we know that already?"

R: "Yeah, but she never said it before"

J: "So what do you wanna do now, bring them together?"

R: "No, I thought maybe you could try to find out what Luke thinks about my mom"

J: "Oh, forget it. I never talk to the guy and I'm not gonna start now, because you ask me to"

R: "Ah, come on. We have to do something. Otherwise they're never gonna end up together"

J: "We don't have to do anything. If those two like each other, they will end up together"

R: "Yeah, when they're like..... 60?"

J: "Maybe yes. But it's none of our bussines"

R: "Except for the fact it's my mom and your uncle we're talking about"

M: "Can I say something? You guys want Luke and your mom to get together?"

R: "Yeah"

M: "Okay, what if it works and they do end up together. Even get married. Then what? You guys are gonna be...........like stepbrother and stepsister. Is that what you want?"

Jess and Rory looked at each other.

M: "Did I hit a nerve?"

R: "No......I gotta go"

J: "Where to?"

R: "I've got homework. Homework I actually do. Unlike some of us"

J: "What are you saying?"

R: "That you have a history test tomorrow and it wouldn't hurt if you studied. Maybe you'll get a good grade then"

J: "How do you know I have a history test tomorrow?"

R: "Lane told me. Aren't you two in the same history class?"

J: "Yeah, well you know how I feel about studying. A waste of time"

R: "Yeah, well whatever. I'll see ya tonight"

J: "Tonight?"

R: "I'll see you at the place in the woods"

J: "You just tell me to come to place in the woods tonight? It never occured to you I might have other plans?"

R: "No"

J: "Okay, see ya tonight"

Rory smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she said goodbye to Mike.

M: "Nice girl"

J: "Yeah"

M: "What happened to you?"

J: "What do you mean?"

M: "What happened to the Jess who just asked a girl out on a date when he liked her?"

J: "This girl is special, Mike"

M: "Special?"

J: "Yeah, but I don't expect you to understand"

M: "She is hot, just like her mom"

J: "I really like her. I really do"

M: "Then go for it"

J: "I wish it was that easy"

M: "I see it like this: you like a girl, really like her. You're a goodlooking guy, the girl likes you too. You ask her out on a date. You kiss. She falls in love with you, if I have to believe you, you fall in love with her too. And you live happily ever after.

J: "Believe me, I wish I could see it like you do"