Disclaimer: I've yet again come to the conclusion that I do not own anything related to Gilmore Girls.
A/N: This chapter explains what's up with Paris… Not too much Rory/Jess… mostly Rory and Paris at school. Flashbacks are in ITALICS. This is still a little bit sappy, but it's really a big part of the story that everyone's perfectly happy. Anyway, enjoy, and please review!
Chapter 11
Paris
Paris anxiously awoke early on her first day of classes. She got up and got ready for her day. She had gathered her things and was going out the door when her roommate, Amanda, emerged from her bedroom.
"Leaving already?" she asked, still half-asleep.
"Yes. I'm meeting a friend." Paris cringed slightly when she said the word friend. She, of course, was referring to Rory. She had thought they were friends, but maybe they weren't really that close after all.
Paris arrived at Harvard, and checked into her dorm. She glanced at the list- her roommate was Amanda Wallace. Paris was disappointed. She had hoped that she and Rory would have been assigned to the same room.
'Oh well,' Paris thought to herself… she's probably in the same building at least.
Paris went up to her room and started to unpack. As it turned out, Amanda was actually very nice. Not as serious about her studies as Rory and Paris had been in high school, but she was brilliant. Paris liked her instantly.
Later that day, she went in search of Rory. The head of the dorm informed her that there was no Rory Gilmore living there. Paris continued her search. After a while, she met with the head of housing.
"I'm sorry Ms. Gellar. Lorelai Gilmore does not live on campus."
"What?" Paris had asked. She always assumed Rory would live in the dorms. She hadn't said otherwise.
Paris took a deep breath before entering the hall where her and Rory's first class was to be held, 'This is it. First class at Harvard.' She told herself before going in.
Paris was surprised to see about a half-dozen other students already in the classroom. The professor has not yet arrived. Paris took a seat in the front, and laid her bag on the seat next to her- saving it for Rory. She had always wanted to befriend Rory. Paris never really got to bee good friends with anyone in particular- she was always working hard. But Rory, she had always thought, was the closest thing to a friend she had. And she was looking forward to getting to know her better in college.
Paris sighed. She had been a little disappointed when Rory was nowhere to be found until the day before.
"Amanda?" Paris called as she entered their dorm room.
"In here!" she responded, from her room.
"I'm going out of town."
"You're what?" Amanda was surprised.
"Just for the day. Just thought I'd let you know."
Amanda nodded, "Okay. Have fun!"
Paris smiled, then left- not bothering to pack.
She got on a bus, and several hours later, got off of it in Star's Hollow, Connecticut.
Paris quickly walked to the Gilmore house, eager to find out what had happened to Rory- and where she could find her.
Paris knocked on the door and waited. A few minutes later, decided no one was home, she left and went to the nearby diner, remembering how often Rory and her mother went there.
Paris went in and sat at the counter, patiently waiting for Luke to come help her. He finally arrived.
"What can I get you?"
"Oh, nothing, thanks. I just wanted to ask you a few things."
Luke's brow wrinkled, "What?"
"My name is Paris Gellar. I went to Chilton with Rory?"
Luke thought for a moment, then remembered, "Oh sure… what can I do for you?"
"Why isn't Rory living on campus?"
Luke wondered if he should tell her. "Cause she's not?"
"Where could I find her? I just want to see how she's doing. Compare schedules. Things like that."
Luke took a deep breath, and wrote Rory's address on a napkin, and handed it to Paris.
"Thanks."
"Sure."
The classroom had begun to fill up. Only a few seats were left vacant. A very good-looking guy tapped Paris on the shoulder, interrupting her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Is that seat taken?" he asked, pointing to the chair with Paris's bag on it.
"Oh, yes, it is. I'm sorry- it's for my friend. She should be here any second."
The boy nodded and left to find another seat. Just then, Rory entered the classroom smiling when she saw Paris.
"Hi!" she greeted her.
"Hey." Paris replied, moving her bag, "Here, I saved you a seat."
"Oh thanks!" Rory sat down, "Isn't this exciting? It's our first class at Harvard!"
Paris agreed, "Yeah, it really is."
Their professor then entered and put his things down on the desk. The class was immediately silenced. Rory and Paris took out paper and pens, ready to go.
After Class:
"Well that was kind of intense." Rory announced as she and Paris left the lecture hall.
"Yeah, but I think I'm going to like the class. Professor Matthews seemed pretty cool."
"Yeah I liked him too."
"You want to go get coffee or something?" Paris suggested.
"Always." Rory agreed and the two headed off.
At Starbuck's:
Rory sipped her coffee leisurely. Paris had ordered iced tea.
"How can you not like coffee?" Rory questioned.
Paris shrugged, "Just don't I guess."
They sat in silence for a moment before Paris decided to ask what she'd wanted to ask for a few weeks.
"Are we friends?"
Rory was surprised, "Of course we are!"
"Are you just saying that?"
"No Paris, I always thought we were friends, didn't you?"
Paris nodded, "It's just when you didn't say anything about living off-campus… I just kept thinking how cool it would be if we were roommates. And then I went all the way to Star's Hollow and forced that diner guy to give me your address and then I go to see you and you already had a roommate… I just didn't expect it I guess." Paris's voice trailed off.
"Jess got into Boston College. And we actually got Luke and my mom to let us get an apartment together. We were so busy with packing, goodbyes, moving, unpacking, registering for school, and all that I just forgot to call you. I really meant to- things have just been kinda crazy."
Paris nodded, "I feel so stupid for overreacting."
"Don't! It's no big deal."
Paris smiled.
"So friends?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, friends."
Meanwhile, at Boston College:
Jess shook his head from his seat in the middle of the classroom. 'This guy is insane.' He decided. His professor was randomly calling on students and asking them a question- about their own lives, and expected them to tell the entire class about their personal lives. The exercise was supposed to encourage the thought process and spontaneity needed for nonfiction writing, but Jess didn't believe that for a minute.
"Mr. Mariano."
Jess's head jerked up. It was his turn.
"You don't seem too interested in this exercise."
'Oh boy,' Jess thought, 'Now what?'
"Well sir, the way I see it is- nonfiction. You write about something that happened, or is happening. Not too hard."
"So you don't see this exercise as being very difficult then?"
"Not in particular."
"Okay, think of the most important person to you. The person that has had the greatest affect on you and your life."
"Got it."
"Tell us about that person?" the professor asked.
"She's the most wonderful person I've ever met," Jess began, but noticing some sighs, he continued, "This isn't you average fairy tale love story… so don't think that it is.
To be perfectly honest, my life was completely screwed up before I met her. My drunk mother got sick of putting up with me, and sent me to live with my uncle… in Nowheresville, USA.
She'd lived there all her life. She was the perfect example of the small town princess. Everyone loved her. She had the 'perfect' boyfriend, if by perfect you mean a class-A jerk anyways.
But anyways, her mother and my uncle were best friends- so obviously we ran into each other on occasion. I knew from the moment I met her that she was something special. I'd loved from that first time I saw her, but I knew she would never love me.
As it turned out, we had a lot in common… I mean a lot. After a while she broke it off with her boyfriend, and we started dating. She told me that she'd loved me for a long time too. God, that was the best thing I had heard in a long time.
She really did change me- for the better. I'm not the guy I was before I met her. Before I moved there, I doubt I wouldn't have made it through high school, let alone get into college. But I did, because she was right there with me the whole time.
When we moved here, to Boston, we were so happy. She goes to Harvard. There was no doubt she wouldn't. That's one of the reasons I worked so hard to get here. To be able to stay with her."
"So things are good between the two of you now?" The professor jumped in. The entire class was hanging onto Jess's every word- eager to know what happened next.
Jess nodded, "Everything's great. We're each doing out own thing- with school and all, but we're together and that's more than I could ever ask for. Heh, I even got her mother to trust me."
"Why was that such a shock?" He asked the question the whole class wished Jess would answer.
Jess sighed, "In the eyes of everyone in that little town, I still have the rebel without a cause, bad-boy reputation. And 18 years ago, her mother fell for a 'bad-boy' and well, she was always afraid the same thing would happen to her daughter. You know, pregnant entirely too early- that the guy would run off, break her heart, and leave her alone with a baby. But she knows I'd never do that. I love her too much to ever hurt her."
"Well, Mr. Mariano. It's seems you've done a fantastic job answering my question."
"Not a real difficult thing for me to discuss." Jess shrugged.
That Evening, At The Apartment:
Rory entered the apartment exhausted, and dropped her bag immediately.
"Je-ss!" she whined good-naturedly before falling to the floor and laying flat on her back.
Jess came into the living room to see Rory on the floor, "Tough day?"
Rory pouted and nodded, sitting up. Jess sat next to her on the floor. He outstretched his arms to her, and Rory crawled over to him, her head leaning against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her.
"How was your day?" Rory asked.
"Not too bad."
"Yeah? Tell me about the best part."
Jess thought back to his class for nonfiction writing. "Well, I had this one class where I got to talk about you the whole time."
Rory raised her eyebrows, "Did you now?"
The classic smirk graced Jess's face, "Yep. Nonfiction- the professor told me to talk about the most important person in my life."
"Aww!" Rory looked up and kissed him, "I love you."
"I love you too."
RING RING
"Too tired to answer…" Rory said.
Jess stood, and helped Rory up. "I made you coffee."
Rory's eyes lit up as she raced to the kitchen. Jess laughed and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he answered as he sat on the sofa.
"How was the first day?" It was Amber.
"It went really well! Rory's dead tired though."
"Well Lorelai's here… she wants to talk to her. Should I just tell her she's too tired?"
"Hah! No, Gilmores are never too tired to talk to each other- you know that."
Amber laughed and she handed the phone to Lorelai.
"Rory??"
"Nah Lorelai it's still me."
"But I wanted to talk to Rory!" Lorelai complained.
"Well don't I feel loved." Jess said sarcastically, "My day went fine Lorelai, thanks for asking."
"Aw stop pretending to be offended and fetch my offspring!"
Jess laughed at the familiar insanity and handed Rory, who had just entered with a huge cup of coffee, the phone.
That night, Jess fell asleep to the sound of Rory happily chatting with her mother in the next room. He imagined how angry Luke must be- Amber had called from the diner, and Lorelai talking to Rory that long meant not only was his phone tied up, but Lorelai hadn't left- and undoubtedly was still demanding more coffee. Jess chuckled and went to sleep.