SPOILERS - None.
SUMMARY - Same as the other chapters
DISCLAIMER - The WB, Amy Sherman-Palladino, et al owns it all.
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Chapter Three
I had tossed and turned most of the night. I woke up and wondered where the hell I was. Or more like WHEN the hell I was. Was I 18 again? Was Luke going to yell up the stairs, "Jess! Get up and get your ass down here!" to wake me out of a sound sleep? Wait. The familiar sounds and smells were all there. But this was 2008, not 2003. I'm an adult now. I don't have to work downstairs. "Oh, shit!" I said out loud, to no one. I jumped out of bed and rushed over to my garment bag, pulling my computer out and set it on the kitchen table. I completely forgot to send my last article to my editor and he wanted it by 9:00 am this morning. I looked at the clock over the sink. It was 6:15 am. Thank GOD for time zone changes and jet lag. I quickly read through my article, then plugged into the phone outlet to send it off. Whew. I sent the file with a short note to my editor telling him that I'd be out of town for a few days.
Bill was always cool about that, as long as I got my articles in on time and went wherever he felt like sending me. Which was fine, since I didn't care where I went, as long as someone else was paying for it. I thought of the only assignment I fought him on. He wanted me to go to Fez. SHE wanted to go there, she talked about going there all the time. I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to go somewhere she had been. Hell, I wouldn't even go anywhere near New Haven since Yale was there. I didn't know that she changed her mind and went to Harvard. I wonder if she decided to run away, just like I did. I wonder about a lot of things. I just hope that some of my questions will finally get answers. I showered and dressed, making a mental note that I'll either have to do laundry today or buy some new clothes. I looked in my old dresser. I don't know why. Luke had sent me everything after I left. But there it was. My Metallica t-shirt. She had borrowed it once, then she took to sleeping in it. Wow, I totally forgot about that. She had washed it and folded it neatly in the drawer. No note, just the shirt. I wonder why Luke didn't send it to me?
I shook out a pair of khakis that didn't look too bad, and threw on a polo shirt. I hesitated, thinking how funny it would be to see Luke's face if I went downstairs wearing that shirt. He always hated that shirt. But that was the old me. I came downstairs around 7:30 and scared the crap out of Luke. He stopped short as I came through the curtain. "Jeez!" he commented, looking at his watch.
"Time zones," I answered, not sure if he understood what I meant, but I didn't care. I sat down at the counter and he walked over and poured me a cup of coffee.
"Want anything?" Luke pulled out his order pad.
"Sure, pancakes sound good," I said, wondering to myself, when was the last time I had pancakes? Was it in Berlin, at that monastery-like hotel? Huh. I can't remember. At least I know I wouldn't run into the Gilmore girls at this hour. I'm SURE that hasn't changed. Luke brought me my pancakes with a side of bacon. "Uh, Luke? I don't eat meat anymore," I said with an apologetic look.
"Oh. Sorry! No problem!" he said taking the plate away. He brought it back looking pretty pleased with himself. "There ya go," he said putting it in front of me. I was just about to make a smart-ass comment about how HE didn't cause my vegetarianism when the door jingled.
"Oh, good! I heard you were here!" came a booming voice. My shoulders rose towards my ears in reaction to the sound of his voice. How the hell did anyone know I was here? I got here at 11 last night! "Welcome back to Stars Hollow, Jess, we're so happy to have you here!" Luke looked at him like a deer in headlights, his mouth hung open. I looked at look with amusement before turning to see Taylor Doose standing before me, with a wide smile and outstretched arms. "So good to see you!" he gushed.
"Since when?" I asked, giving him as much of my 18-year old bad-ass attitude as I could remember.
"Oh, you!" he said brushing off the comment. "You helped put this town on the map! Your book was on the Stars Hollow best-seller list for a year!" he gushed. Huh. It was on the New York Time's best-seller fiction list for two. "So what brings you to our little hamlet, needed to get away from the big apple?" he asked enthusiastically. She called it the big apple when she skipped school to see me. And I teased her about it. All things said or done bring me back to her.
"Well, Uncle Luke is finally getting married and I thought it would be a good time to let him know how much I appreciated what he did for me," I stated simply. Luke cleared his throat. I looked at him and he almost looked choked up. He quickly averted his eyes from mine and darted into the kitchen. Great, I lost my only buffer from Taylor.
"Well, lookey here!" came yet another booming voice as the door flew open. "My, my, you look good enough to eat!" squealed Miss Patty. My, how things never change. Except she seemed to move faster than I remember, or maybe my reflexes aren't like they used to be. Before I could even register it, she had pulled me into a bearhug, my face smashed against her ample bosom, her hands running down my back and heading south.
"Enough!" I said a little more loudly than I expected to, pulling out of her death-grip before her hands got to my ass. She made a pouty face. "So good to SEE you, dear!" she said with a wink, heading towards a table to sit with Taylor. Taylor just rolled his eyes at her. I turned to see Luke peeking out of the kitchen to see if the coast was clear.
"Taylor and Miss Patty?" I mouthed to him. He made a face.
"Yeah," he mouthed back and nodded in disgust.
"Ew," I said, turning back to my pancakes, suddenly not as hungry as I was before. I pulled out my wallet and Luke waved me off, as usual.
"Go. It's on me," he said. I double-checked that I had my journal in my back pocket and headed out the door.
I had bought a new blank journal to start my next book at the airport. I just didn't know where to begin. My feet led me exactly where I thought they would. The bridge. It looked the same. I sat down with my legs dangling over the side and pulled out my journal and pen. If I could just push out the memories from this place, I might find some inspiration to start this novel! My mind couldn't focus. I sat there looking at the blank page for an hour, the only words I managed to write were 'For Rory'. I set the journal and pen along side me and layed back on the bridge with a sigh. I closed my eyes. Before I knew it I was fast asleep.
I woke up a few hours later, shocked by how easy it was to sleep on the hard wood bridge. I sat up and wiped the sleep out of my eyes and checked my watch. 11:30! Geez, I've been asleep here for three hours! I reached over for my journal and noticed that the pen wasn't on top of it like I had left it. It was inside the journal, marking a page. I held my breath as I opened to that page.
Hey Dodger,
How surprised was I to see you sleeping on our bridge? Luke told me you were in town and I knew that this would be the only place you could go to
get away from Taylor (me too!)
Sleep well, Dodger. I'll see you soon.
Love,
Rory
My eyes couldn't believe it. She was here. And she wrote in my journal. She didn't wake me. Well, she always did have that quiet-walk thing going - she said she learned it from Lane. Huh.
I wonder what happened to Lane. She was a great drummer, I hope she kept that up. I wonder if her mom found out and sent her away or something. She and Dave seemed to have a great relationship. We were all supposed to go out some time. To the prom, too. Until I screwed that up.
I can't believe she was here. She watched me sleep. I reread the note. She called me Dodger! That must mean that she doesn't hate me!
Sleep well, she said. The only way that could be is if you were in my arms, Rory!
I had to catch my breath. Maybe this could be my second chance. I can make things right this time, I thought. I ran all the way back to Luke's, bursting through the door, through the curtain and up the stairs.
"Jess! What the?" was all I heard out of Luke before I slammed the door.
End of Chapter 3
Where's the fire? Why is Jess running?
Chapter Three
I had tossed and turned most of the night. I woke up and wondered where the hell I was. Or more like WHEN the hell I was. Was I 18 again? Was Luke going to yell up the stairs, "Jess! Get up and get your ass down here!" to wake me out of a sound sleep? Wait. The familiar sounds and smells were all there. But this was 2008, not 2003. I'm an adult now. I don't have to work downstairs. "Oh, shit!" I said out loud, to no one. I jumped out of bed and rushed over to my garment bag, pulling my computer out and set it on the kitchen table. I completely forgot to send my last article to my editor and he wanted it by 9:00 am this morning. I looked at the clock over the sink. It was 6:15 am. Thank GOD for time zone changes and jet lag. I quickly read through my article, then plugged into the phone outlet to send it off. Whew. I sent the file with a short note to my editor telling him that I'd be out of town for a few days.
Bill was always cool about that, as long as I got my articles in on time and went wherever he felt like sending me. Which was fine, since I didn't care where I went, as long as someone else was paying for it. I thought of the only assignment I fought him on. He wanted me to go to Fez. SHE wanted to go there, she talked about going there all the time. I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to go somewhere she had been. Hell, I wouldn't even go anywhere near New Haven since Yale was there. I didn't know that she changed her mind and went to Harvard. I wonder if she decided to run away, just like I did. I wonder about a lot of things. I just hope that some of my questions will finally get answers. I showered and dressed, making a mental note that I'll either have to do laundry today or buy some new clothes. I looked in my old dresser. I don't know why. Luke had sent me everything after I left. But there it was. My Metallica t-shirt. She had borrowed it once, then she took to sleeping in it. Wow, I totally forgot about that. She had washed it and folded it neatly in the drawer. No note, just the shirt. I wonder why Luke didn't send it to me?
I shook out a pair of khakis that didn't look too bad, and threw on a polo shirt. I hesitated, thinking how funny it would be to see Luke's face if I went downstairs wearing that shirt. He always hated that shirt. But that was the old me. I came downstairs around 7:30 and scared the crap out of Luke. He stopped short as I came through the curtain. "Jeez!" he commented, looking at his watch.
"Time zones," I answered, not sure if he understood what I meant, but I didn't care. I sat down at the counter and he walked over and poured me a cup of coffee.
"Want anything?" Luke pulled out his order pad.
"Sure, pancakes sound good," I said, wondering to myself, when was the last time I had pancakes? Was it in Berlin, at that monastery-like hotel? Huh. I can't remember. At least I know I wouldn't run into the Gilmore girls at this hour. I'm SURE that hasn't changed. Luke brought me my pancakes with a side of bacon. "Uh, Luke? I don't eat meat anymore," I said with an apologetic look.
"Oh. Sorry! No problem!" he said taking the plate away. He brought it back looking pretty pleased with himself. "There ya go," he said putting it in front of me. I was just about to make a smart-ass comment about how HE didn't cause my vegetarianism when the door jingled.
"Oh, good! I heard you were here!" came a booming voice. My shoulders rose towards my ears in reaction to the sound of his voice. How the hell did anyone know I was here? I got here at 11 last night! "Welcome back to Stars Hollow, Jess, we're so happy to have you here!" Luke looked at him like a deer in headlights, his mouth hung open. I looked at look with amusement before turning to see Taylor Doose standing before me, with a wide smile and outstretched arms. "So good to see you!" he gushed.
"Since when?" I asked, giving him as much of my 18-year old bad-ass attitude as I could remember.
"Oh, you!" he said brushing off the comment. "You helped put this town on the map! Your book was on the Stars Hollow best-seller list for a year!" he gushed. Huh. It was on the New York Time's best-seller fiction list for two. "So what brings you to our little hamlet, needed to get away from the big apple?" he asked enthusiastically. She called it the big apple when she skipped school to see me. And I teased her about it. All things said or done bring me back to her.
"Well, Uncle Luke is finally getting married and I thought it would be a good time to let him know how much I appreciated what he did for me," I stated simply. Luke cleared his throat. I looked at him and he almost looked choked up. He quickly averted his eyes from mine and darted into the kitchen. Great, I lost my only buffer from Taylor.
"Well, lookey here!" came yet another booming voice as the door flew open. "My, my, you look good enough to eat!" squealed Miss Patty. My, how things never change. Except she seemed to move faster than I remember, or maybe my reflexes aren't like they used to be. Before I could even register it, she had pulled me into a bearhug, my face smashed against her ample bosom, her hands running down my back and heading south.
"Enough!" I said a little more loudly than I expected to, pulling out of her death-grip before her hands got to my ass. She made a pouty face. "So good to SEE you, dear!" she said with a wink, heading towards a table to sit with Taylor. Taylor just rolled his eyes at her. I turned to see Luke peeking out of the kitchen to see if the coast was clear.
"Taylor and Miss Patty?" I mouthed to him. He made a face.
"Yeah," he mouthed back and nodded in disgust.
"Ew," I said, turning back to my pancakes, suddenly not as hungry as I was before. I pulled out my wallet and Luke waved me off, as usual.
"Go. It's on me," he said. I double-checked that I had my journal in my back pocket and headed out the door.
I had bought a new blank journal to start my next book at the airport. I just didn't know where to begin. My feet led me exactly where I thought they would. The bridge. It looked the same. I sat down with my legs dangling over the side and pulled out my journal and pen. If I could just push out the memories from this place, I might find some inspiration to start this novel! My mind couldn't focus. I sat there looking at the blank page for an hour, the only words I managed to write were 'For Rory'. I set the journal and pen along side me and layed back on the bridge with a sigh. I closed my eyes. Before I knew it I was fast asleep.
I woke up a few hours later, shocked by how easy it was to sleep on the hard wood bridge. I sat up and wiped the sleep out of my eyes and checked my watch. 11:30! Geez, I've been asleep here for three hours! I reached over for my journal and noticed that the pen wasn't on top of it like I had left it. It was inside the journal, marking a page. I held my breath as I opened to that page.
Hey Dodger,
How surprised was I to see you sleeping on our bridge? Luke told me you were in town and I knew that this would be the only place you could go to
get away from Taylor (me too!)
Sleep well, Dodger. I'll see you soon.
Love,
Rory
My eyes couldn't believe it. She was here. And she wrote in my journal. She didn't wake me. Well, she always did have that quiet-walk thing going - she said she learned it from Lane. Huh.
I wonder what happened to Lane. She was a great drummer, I hope she kept that up. I wonder if her mom found out and sent her away or something. She and Dave seemed to have a great relationship. We were all supposed to go out some time. To the prom, too. Until I screwed that up.
I can't believe she was here. She watched me sleep. I reread the note. She called me Dodger! That must mean that she doesn't hate me!
Sleep well, she said. The only way that could be is if you were in my arms, Rory!
I had to catch my breath. Maybe this could be my second chance. I can make things right this time, I thought. I ran all the way back to Luke's, bursting through the door, through the curtain and up the stairs.
"Jess! What the?" was all I heard out of Luke before I slammed the door.
End of Chapter 3
Where's the fire? Why is Jess running?