Talk About Books

Chapter 2 – The two are different

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, any books, any movies, or any authors or colleges.

A/N: I'm finally starting to get more ideas for this, so more should be up soon. Hopefully at least one more update this week. The phrase 'Rory cameras' belongs to Angel Monroe. I just really wanted to use it, but she gets all credit! I used it a little differently than she did though. I saw it in her story "A Whole New World," which by the way is GREAT! Hope you like this! ~Arianna

Dean called me the next day and asked if I would meet him at Luke's later. I agreed immediately, told my mom, and left the house.

When I got to the diner, Dean wasn't there yet. Luke wasn't around either. I sat at the counter to wait.

Someone placed a cup of coffee in front of me.

"Jess?"

"That's me."

"Wow, two syllables."

"I try."

"Right."

"Waiting for your mom?" he asked casually.

"Uh, no. I'm waiting for Dean."

"Right." Jess looked at the clock. "He's late."

"How do you know I'm not early?" I countered.

"Because you're never early."

"Except to school."

"Except to school," Jess agreed. He said it like it was a fact; like he knew it for sure. And I would have protested, except he was right. I just kind of stared at him, wondering. Then I heard the door open and turned around to see Dean come in.

"Hey, sorry I'm—" he said, realizing that I'd been talking to Jess. I got up to greet him, and he leaned down to kiss me.

We sat together at a table, but I saw Dean glare at Jess as we did.

"You okay?" I said.

Dean looked as if he was about to say something, but thought better of it. "I'm fine."

"Okay." I didn't know what to say to him. I found myself unconsciously looking up at the counter. Jess was working, but he didn't meet my eyes. I didn't expect him to…but I noticed that he didn't.

"Rory?" Dean said.

"Have you ever had chicken rice soup?"

"What?" I couldn't blame him for being confused at that.

"Because it could be like chicken noodle, but sometimes it's not."

"You do realize that this is completely irrelevant," Dean pointed out.

"You can't know, I guess."

"No. You can't." He had given up persuading me to talk about something normal, which was wise with a Gilmore.

"Rice would make the soup different, though. Noodles have a different texture," I observed.

"Either you need coffee or you've had too much."

"Probably both."

"Probably," Dean agreed. "Listen, I have to go. I just wanted to see you. I'll call you."

"Okay," I replied. He kissed me goodbye and left the diner.

I glanced down at the table. Jess glanced up at me. I still didn't look up.

"If you wanna see the difference between the two soups, I can get you some of each," he suggested.

"You were listening," I accused.

"Kinda hard to ignore."

"Really."

"You don't hear people discussing chicken soup too often."

"How unusual," I remarked.

"I concur."

"I'll…I'll see you around," I said, getting up.

"Yeah." He went on wiping the counter.

I wandered over to the bookstore. And being me, Rory Gilmore, I couldn't just look around and leave. I was there for a few hours, picking up books, reading, and putting them back. Staring up at shelves I couldn't reach.

After a while of aimless searching, carrying a few novels with me, I saw someone I knew. Someone with dark hair and familiar brown eyes, standing in the literature section.

"Hey," I said.

Jess looked up. "Hey, Rory."

"What are you reading?" I asked curiously.

He held it up. "Humboldt's Gift." I read the title. "You haven't read it? It's great."

"I've read it, I just don't own it," he replied.

"There aren't many books like it…with the main characters as a poet and a novelist and everything…"

"Yeah," he said shortly.

I took a book off the shelf and started reading the back cover. "Jess?" I said suddenly.

"What?'

"How…how did you know I wasn't early?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I just knew."

"You just knew," I said sarcastically. "You'll have to enlighten me. I wanna be psychic too."

Jess gave in. "You just…you're not the kind of person to keep anyone waiting unless you really don't have a choice. And I know you don't get up that early because you talk loud in the diner." He shrugged. "Anyone in Stars Hollow would know. People have Rory cameras."

"Rory cameras, huh?"

"Yeah," he said innocently, going back to looking at books.

"Care to explain?" I said.

"You know this whole town looks out for you. Everyone likes you. Ask anyone what your favorite thing to do is, what school you go to, whatever, and they'll know."

I frowned. "I can look after myself. And people don't know everything about me!"

"What don't they know, then?"

"How old I was when I read Wuthering Heights…"

"Now that's an important fact." Typical Jess sarcasm.

"Not many people would have known I wasn't early," I said pointedly.

"Well, I did."

"Jess?" I said again.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You aren't acting like it."

"Rory, just…go away."

I stepped back, hurt. "Why?"

He didn't answer.

"This is taking monosyllabic to a new level!" I said furiously.

"Don't yell. They've got the Rory cameras in here too."

"Jess!"

"You don't have to be in here. You've got your books. Go back to Dean!"

About ten things I could say ran through my mind, but I didn't use any of them. My eyes filled with tears, but I wasn't gonna cry. I turned around, setting the books I was holding on a nearby table with a crack of cardboard hitting wood.

I walked home, still not crying, but incredibly close.

I had Dean…I didn't need to cry over what Jess had said. Right?

Was there some rule that your boyfriend had to be everything?

I hated fighting with my friends.